 | Leaves from the Unpublished Journals, Letters, and Poems of Charlotte Elliott |  |
185
A SELECTION FROM THE UNPUBLISHED Poems of Charlotte Elliott.
187
On the First Page of a Manuscript Volume.
When to a sinner's hand 'tis given to traceIn this unwritten book the earliest line,
What name, oh! blessed Saviour, should he place
The first upon the virgin leaf but Thine?
So may the savour of that sacred name,
A pledge throughout its future pages be,
That all unsullied by less hallowed theme,
They ne'er shall bear a trace unworthy Thee.
Fair are they now, like young life's promised days;
But ere the leaves are filled and numbered o'er,
Oft shall the glistening eye recall the trace
Of hands that write, and hearts that beat no more.
Oh! then, when many a heart and hand is cold,
Whose fond memento stands recorded here,
May the sweet thought that in Thy book enrolled
Their names are written, chase the rising tear;
But if the tear will fall, the soul will mourn
As memory hangs o'er friendship's severed ties,
Oh! bid it to this page in peace return,
And read Thy name—the Friend that never dies!
188
The Pilgrim's Wants.
I want that adorning Divine,
Thou only, my God, canst bestow;
I want in those beautiful garments to shine,
Which distinguish Thy household below.
Thou only, my God, canst bestow;
I want in those beautiful garments to shine,
Which distinguish Thy household below.
I want every moment to feel
That Thy Spirit resides in my heart,
That His power is present to cleanse and to heal,
And newness of life to impart.
That Thy Spirit resides in my heart,
That His power is present to cleanse and to heal,
And newness of life to impart.
I want, oh! I want to attain
Some likeness, my Saviour to Thee!
That longed-for resemblance once more to regain,
Thy comeliness put upon me!
Some likeness, my Saviour to Thee!
That longed-for resemblance once more to regain,
Thy comeliness put upon me!
I want to be marked for Thine own,
Thy seal on my forehead to wear;
To receive that “new name” on the mystic white stone,
Which none but Thyself can declare.
Thy seal on my forehead to wear;
To receive that “new name” on the mystic white stone,
Which none but Thyself can declare.
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I want so in Thee to abide,
As to bring forth some fruit to Thy praise!
The branch which Thou prunest, though feeble and dried,
May languish, but never decays.
As to bring forth some fruit to Thy praise!
The branch which Thou prunest, though feeble and dried,
May languish, but never decays.
I want Thine own hand to unbind
Each tie to terrestrial things—
Too tenderly cherished, too closely entwined,
Where my heart too tenaciously clings.
Each tie to terrestrial things—
Too tenderly cherished, too closely entwined,
Where my heart too tenaciously clings.
I want, by my aspect serene,
My actions and words to declare—
That my treasure is placed in a country unseen,
That my heart's best affections are there.
My actions and words to declare—
That my treasure is placed in a country unseen,
That my heart's best affections are there.
I want, as a traveller, to haste
Straight onward, nor pause in my way—
Nor forethought, nor anxious contrivance, to waste
On the tent only pitched for a day.
Straight onward, nor pause in my way—
Nor forethought, nor anxious contrivance, to waste
On the tent only pitched for a day.
I want—and this sums up my prayer—
To glorify Thee till I die;
Then calmly to yield up my soul to Thy care,
And breathe out, in faith, my last sigh.
To glorify Thee till I die;
Then calmly to yield up my soul to Thy care,
And breathe out, in faith, my last sigh.
190
The Two Voices.
Two solemn voices, in a funeral strain
Met, as rich sunbeams and dark bursts of rain
Meet in the sky.
“Thou art gone hence,” one sang; “our light is flown,
Our beautiful! that seemed too much our own
Ever to die!
Met, as rich sunbeams and dark bursts of rain
Meet in the sky.
“Thou art gone hence,” one sang; “our light is flown,
Our beautiful! that seemed too much our own
Ever to die!
“Thou art gone hence! our joyous hills among,
Never again to pour thy soul in song,
When Spring flowers rise!
Never the friend's familiar step to meet
With loving laughter and the welcome sweet
Of thy glad eye!”
Second Voice.
Never again to pour thy soul in song,
When Spring flowers rise!
Never the friend's familiar step to meet
With loving laughter and the welcome sweet
Of thy glad eye!”
“Thou art gone home! gone home!” then high and clear
Warbled that other voice. “Thou hast no tear
Again to shed!
Never to fold the robe o'er secret pain,
Never weighed down by memory's clouds again
To bow thy head.
Warbled that other voice. “Thou hast no tear
Again to shed!
Never to fold the robe o'er secret pain,
Never weighed down by memory's clouds again
To bow thy head.
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“Thou art gone home!—oh! early crowned and blest,
Where could the love of that deep heart find rest
With aught below?
Thou must have seen rich dream by dream decay,
All the bright rose-leaves drop from life away:
Thrice blest to go!”
Where could the love of that deep heart find rest
With aught below?
Thou must have seen rich dream by dream decay,
All the bright rose-leaves drop from life away:
Thrice blest to go!”
First Voice.
“Yet,” sighed again that breeze-like voice of grief,
“Thou art gone hence! alas, that aught so brief,
So loved should be!
Thou tak'st our summer hence, the flower, the tone,
The music of our being, all in one,
Depart with thee.
“Thou art gone hence! alas, that aught so brief,
So loved should be!
Thou tak'st our summer hence, the flower, the tone,
The music of our being, all in one,
Depart with thee.
“Fair form, young spirit, morning vision fled!
Canst thou be of the dead, the awful dead,
The dark unknown?
Yet to the dwelling where no footsteps fall,
Never again to light up hearth or hall,
Thy smile is gone!”
Canst thou be of the dead, the awful dead,
The dark unknown?
Yet to the dwelling where no footsteps fall,
Never again to light up hearth or hall,
Thy smile is gone!”
Second Voice.
“Home, home!” once more th' exulting voice arose,
“Thou art gone home! From that Divine repose
Never to roam!
Never to say farewell, to weep in vain,
To read of change in eyes beloved again,
Thou art gone home!
“Thou art gone home! From that Divine repose
Never to roam!
Never to say farewell, to weep in vain,
To read of change in eyes beloved again,
Thou art gone home!
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“By the bright waters now thy lot is cast,
Joy for thee, happy friend! Thy bark
The rough sea's foam has past;
Now, the long yearnings of thy soul are stilled,
Home! home! Thy prize is won, thy heart is filled,
Thou art gone home!”
Joy for thee, happy friend! Thy bark
The rough sea's foam has past;
Now, the long yearnings of thy soul are stilled,
Home! home! Thy prize is won, thy heart is filled,
Thou art gone home!”
All Gone!
All gone, all gone! for this life gone,
My days of health and strength;
Wearied and worthless, glad were I
To welcome home at length:
And yet I'm happier far in truth
Than e'er I was in buoyant youth;
For Jesus, Thou art more to me
Than health and strength and youth could be.
My days of health and strength;
Wearied and worthless, glad were I
To welcome home at length:
And yet I'm happier far in truth
Than e'er I was in buoyant youth;
For Jesus, Thou art more to me
Than health and strength and youth could be.
All gone, all gone! for this life gone
Dear hopes most fondly nurst,—
They glittered long around my path,
Till each bright bubble burst:
I wept! but oh, the blest despair
Has led me heaven's own joys to share;
For Jesus, Thou art more to me
Than hope's wild dreams fulfilled would be.
Dear hopes most fondly nurst,—
They glittered long around my path,
Till each bright bubble burst:
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Has led me heaven's own joys to share;
For Jesus, Thou art more to me
Than hope's wild dreams fulfilled would be.
All gone, all gone! for this life gone
The heart's elastic spring;
Of vigour stript, I shrink aside,
A crushed and useless thing:
Yes! this is gone, for thus I prove
Far more His patient, pitying love;
And sweeter, safer this to me
Than self-reliant strength could be.
The heart's elastic spring;
Of vigour stript, I shrink aside,
A crushed and useless thing:
Yes! this is gone, for thus I prove
Far more His patient, pitying love;
And sweeter, safer this to me
Than self-reliant strength could be.
And going fast, while most are gone,
Loved friends of early days;
The world grows poorer year by year,—
I lose, but not replace;
'Tis well, I'm cast the more on One—
Stars scarce are missed while shines the sun—
And Jesus, Thou art more to me
Than loved and loving hearts could be.
Loved friends of early days;
The world grows poorer year by year,—
I lose, but not replace;
'Tis well, I'm cast the more on One—
Stars scarce are missed while shines the sun—
And Jesus, Thou art more to me
Than loved and loving hearts could be.
What grace! with thanks I kiss the hand
That gently stript me bare;
And laid me on Thy tender breast
To lose my sorrows there:
'Twas bitter when earth's cup was spilled,
But now with Thee 'tis over-filled;
And Thou, Lord, hast been more to me,
Than all earth's brimming cups could be.
That gently stript me bare;
And laid me on Thy tender breast
To lose my sorrows there:
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But now with Thee 'tis over-filled;
And Thou, Lord, hast been more to me,
Than all earth's brimming cups could be.
What grace! to show to one so vile
Thy more than mother's care—
And lead, through wreck of earth's poor joys,
Thy joys with Thee to share;
What grace! that Thou to such hast given,
The foretaste now of feast in heaven;
A foretaste even now to me
More than a thousand worlds could be.
Thy more than mother's care—
And lead, through wreck of earth's poor joys,
Thy joys with Thee to share;
What grace! that Thou to such hast given,
The foretaste now of feast in heaven;
A foretaste even now to me
More than a thousand worlds could be.
To a Young Friend on her Birthday.
What wish can friendship form,
Young voyager, for thee,
Sheltered from every storm
That visits life's rough sea,
And launched upon a smiling stream,
Beneath kind heaven's propitious beam?
Young voyager, for thee,
Sheltered from every storm
That visits life's rough sea,
And launched upon a smiling stream,
Beneath kind heaven's propitious beam?
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Thy fairy bark glides on,
Borne by a gentle gale;
And well the port is known
To which the bark will sail;
For skilful pilots, day and night,
Keep watch to guide its course aright.
Borne by a gentle gale;
And well the port is known
To which the bark will sail;
For skilful pilots, day and night,
Keep watch to guide its course aright.
Then since so much is thine,
Sweet voyager, e'en now,
Needs there a wish of mine
For one so blest as thou?
Oh, what can friendship covet more,
Or those who love thee best implore?
Sweet voyager, e'en now,
Needs there a wish of mine
For one so blest as thou?
Oh, what can friendship covet more,
Or those who love thee best implore?
Yet dangers there may be,
Enough to wake thy fears,
E'en on so smooth a sea,
And where no snare appears:
Sometimes the mariner will sleep,
When all is calm upon the deep;
Enough to wake thy fears,
E'en on so smooth a sea,
And where no snare appears:
Sometimes the mariner will sleep,
When all is calm upon the deep;
Or if some smiling shore
Allures him on his way,
Where charms unknown before
Invite him to delay,—
How oft is he forgetful found
Of that to which his course is bound!
Allures him on his way,
Where charms unknown before
Invite him to delay,—
How oft is he forgetful found
Of that to which his course is bound!
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Then, though thy sky be fair,
And all around thee smile,
Sweet voyager! beware,
Lest e'en these charms beguile,—
Lest e'en the pleasures of the way
Should lead thee from thy course astray.
And all around thee smile,
Sweet voyager! beware,
Lest e'en these charms beguile,—
Lest e'en the pleasures of the way
Should lead thee from thy course astray.
Still may thy sky be bright,
And pleasure fill thy sails;
And still thy track of light
Be fanned by favouring gales,—
And still may fond delighted friends
Know where thy peaceful voyage tends.
And pleasure fill thy sails;
And still thy track of light
Be fanned by favouring gales,—
And still may fond delighted friends
Know where thy peaceful voyage tends.
And as from day to day
That unseen land draws nigh,
May Faith's celestial ray
Reveal it to thine eye,
And with a sweet effectual force,
Quicken and cheer thy heavenward course.
That unseen land draws nigh,
May Faith's celestial ray
Reveal it to thine eye,
And with a sweet effectual force,
Quicken and cheer thy heavenward course.
Sweet voyager! e'en now,
Its language thou hast learned,
And on thy youthful brow
That peace may be discerned
Which marks each beauteous face above,
Where all is purity and love.
Its language thou hast learned,
And on thy youthful brow
That peace may be discerned
Which marks each beauteous face above,
Where all is purity and love.
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How many hearts will pray
For blessings on thy head
On this eventful day,
All wishing thee “God speed!”
No fonder, truer wish is thine,
Sweet youthful voyager, than mine!
For blessings on thy head
On this eventful day,
All wishing thee “God speed!”
No fonder, truer wish is thine,
Sweet youthful voyager, than mine!
For the First Leaf of a New Testament.
Saviour, I dwell with ever-new delightOn all those wondrous lineaments Divine,
Those matchless words, those God-like acts of Thine,
Which in this book Thy Spirit deigns t' indite.
Oh, purge yet more my intellectual sight,—
Each sense, each thought, each faculty refine,
That Thy full radiance on my soul may shine,
While prostrate she implores Thy sacred light;
Then, whether in the lowly manger laid,
Or in the desert fasting, or withdrawn
On the cold mount, from eve till dewy morn,
Thee as Jehovah I shall still adore,
“God over all, blessed for evermore.”
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Lines for the Aged.
Is life's evening long and dreary?
Gone the treasures once possessed?
Is thy spirit faint and weary?
Dost thou long to be at rest?
On this sweet promise fix thy sight:
“At evening time it shall be light.”
Gone the treasures once possessed?
Is thy spirit faint and weary?
Dost thou long to be at rest?
On this sweet promise fix thy sight:
“At evening time it shall be light.”
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“Light is sown” for thee, and gladness,
Even in this vale of tears;
Soon will pass the night of sadness,
Grief will fly when morn appears:
But still, to faith's illumined sight,
“At evening time it shall be light.”
Even in this vale of tears;
Soon will pass the night of sadness,
Grief will fly when morn appears:
But still, to faith's illumined sight,
“At evening time it shall be light.”
Look not on the ills around thee;
Earth grows darker every hour;
Let not crime's increase confound thee;
Limited is Satan's power.
Look on to regions pure and bright:
“At evening time it shall be light.”
Earth grows darker every hour;
Let not crime's increase confound thee;
Limited is Satan's power.
Look on to regions pure and bright:
“At evening time it shall be light.”
Dwell not on the growing weakness
That precedes thy frame's decay!
Rise above depressing sickness;
Catch the dawn's approaching ray.
Faith can discern the Day Star bright:
“At evening time it shall be light.”
That precedes thy frame's decay!
Rise above depressing sickness;
Catch the dawn's approaching ray.
Faith can discern the Day Star bright:
“At evening time it shall be light.”
See thy Saviour bending o'er thee,
Even to old age the same;
Set life's one chief end before thee,
Still to glorify His name;
While on Himself is fixed thy sight,
“At evening time it shall be light.”
Even to old age the same;
Set life's one chief end before thee,
Still to glorify His name;
While on Himself is fixed thy sight,
“At evening time it shall be light.”
201
I Die Daily.
O Death! I pray thee not to stand aloof!
To me thou'rt not a stranger, but a friend;
Then come not stealthily beneath my roof;
A friendly hand to thee I will extend,
And bid thee welcome—for thou then wilt come
To introduce me to my heavenly home.
To me thou'rt not a stranger, but a friend;
Then come not stealthily beneath my roof;
A friendly hand to thee I will extend,
And bid thee welcome—for thou then wilt come
To introduce me to my heavenly home.
O Death! methinks I see thy shadowy form,
I seem to feel thy touch so icy cold!
Why dread to quit these precincts, bright and warm,
For thy dark dwelling-place beneath the mould,
Since there no longer I shall strive and weep,
For there Christ “giveth His beloved sleep!”
I seem to feel thy touch so icy cold!
Why dread to quit these precincts, bright and warm,
For thy dark dwelling-place beneath the mould,
Since there no longer I shall strive and weep,
For there Christ “giveth His beloved sleep!”
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O Death! sometimes I long to see thy face,
“The king of terrors” thou art not to me;
I long to fall asleep in thine embrace,
To leave this world of sin and vanity,
And lay me down in peace a little while,
Till wakened by my Saviour's voice and smile.
“The king of terrors” thou art not to me;
I long to fall asleep in thine embrace,
To leave this world of sin and vanity,
And lay me down in peace a little while,
Till wakened by my Saviour's voice and smile.
O Death! I will converse with thee each day;
Fain would I learn to view thee without fear,
Lest when thou com'st to summon me away,
I may be startled to behold thee near.
Perform thine errand gently—stop my breath,
And let me then exclaim, “O sweet is death!”
Fain would I learn to view thee without fear,
Lest when thou com'st to summon me away,
I may be startled to behold thee near.
Perform thine errand gently—stop my breath,
And let me then exclaim, “O sweet is death!”
O Death! what once thou wert no more thou art,
The Prince of Life slept in thy dark abode:
He changed thy nature—took away thy dart;
On thee an angel's mission He bestowed,
And made thee keeper of the gate of heaven
For those to whom eternal life is given.
The Prince of Life slept in thy dark abode:
He changed thy nature—took away thy dart;
On thee an angel's mission He bestowed,
And made thee keeper of the gate of heaven
For those to whom eternal life is given.
O Death! henceforth be my familiar friend,
I will seek daily fellowship with thee;
Then, when at length I reach my journey's end,
And see thee waiting at heaven's gate for me,
Throw wide the portals—that through grace Divine
Then “an abundant entrance” may be mine.
I will seek daily fellowship with thee;
Then, when at length I reach my journey's end,
And see thee waiting at heaven's gate for me,
Throw wide the portals—that through grace Divine
Then “an abundant entrance” may be mine.
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Why art thou cast down, O my Soul?
Think, oh, think, my heaven-born spirit,
As these weary days pass by,
On those joys thou'lt soon inherit,
Through thy dearest Saviour's merit,—
On the future fix thine eye.
As these weary days pass by,
On those joys thou'lt soon inherit,
Through thy dearest Saviour's merit,—
On the future fix thine eye.
Thou, despondently art deeming
Profitless these mournful days;
But with blessings they are teeming,
And beyond them light is streaming,
Opening glory to thy gaze.
Profitless these mournful days;
But with blessings they are teeming,
And beyond them light is streaming,
Opening glory to thy gaze.
Weakness, languor, pain, depression,
All these ills will pass away;
Steps of slow yet sure progression,
To thy lasting rich possession,
Each will speed, not check, thy way.
All these ills will pass away;
Steps of slow yet sure progression,
To thy lasting rich possession,
Each will speed, not check, thy way.
Yet these transient, light afflictions
(Now, alas! they seem not light)
Are but needful, kind restrictions,
Germs full fraught with benedictions,
When thou homeward wing'st thy flight.
(Now, alas! they seem not light)
Are but needful, kind restrictions,
Germs full fraught with benedictions,
When thou homeward wing'st thy flight.
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He who now is watching o'er thee
Was like thee “in all points tried,”—
For th' amazing love He bore thee
Trod the steep ascent before thee,—
He thy feeble steps will guide.
Was like thee “in all points tried,”—
For th' amazing love He bore thee
Trod the steep ascent before thee,—
He thy feeble steps will guide.
Let not doubts or fears assailing,
Darken more the clouded sky;
O'er each obstacle prevailing,
Through thy Saviour's love unfailing,
Thou wilt reach thy home on high.
Darken more the clouded sky;
O'er each obstacle prevailing,
Through thy Saviour's love unfailing,
Thou wilt reach thy home on high.
So shall we ever be with the Lord.
The thought of death inspires no fear,
If, really pilgrims, strangers, here,
Our Father's house, our home above,
Be the sweet place which most we love;
Since there alone that bliss is stored—
To be for ever with the Lord.
If, really pilgrims, strangers, here,
Our Father's house, our home above,
Be the sweet place which most we love;
Since there alone that bliss is stored—
To be for ever with the Lord.
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The thought of death inspires no fear,
If faith be strong, and Christ be near;
His simple promise can suffice!
We long to reach that paradise,
Where we, according to His word,
Shall be for ever with the Lord.
If faith be strong, and Christ be near;
His simple promise can suffice!
We long to reach that paradise,
Where we, according to His word,
Shall be for ever with the Lord.
The thought of death inspires no fear,
When this frail form, our hindrance here,
Can willingly be laid aside,
To be dissolved and purified;
Then raised in glory, changed, restored,
Meet to be ever with the Lord.
When this frail form, our hindrance here,
Can willingly be laid aside,
To be dissolved and purified;
Then raised in glory, changed, restored,
Meet to be ever with the Lord.
The thought of death inspires no fear
In souls which so have loved Him here,
As e'en to endure the bitterest pain,
Sent from His hand, and not complain;
Grasping th' exceeding great reward,
To be for ever with the Lord.
In souls which so have loved Him here,
As e'en to endure the bitterest pain,
Sent from His hand, and not complain;
Grasping th' exceeding great reward,
To be for ever with the Lord.
The thought of death inspires no fear,
When, to the parting spirit's ear,
The Comforter, with still small voice,
Whispers, “O fear not, but rejoice!
Hasten yon swelling stream to ford,
Then be for ever with the Lord!”
When, to the parting spirit's ear,
The Comforter, with still small voice,
Whispers, “O fear not, but rejoice!
Hasten yon swelling stream to ford,
Then be for ever with the Lord!”
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Saviour! the Lord of life and death!
Draw near me when I yield my breath;
Place but Thine arm beneath my head,
Then soft will be my dying bed:
While angels sing in sweet accord,
“Come, to be ever with the Lord!”
Draw near me when I yield my breath;
Place but Thine arm beneath my head,
Then soft will be my dying bed:
While angels sing in sweet accord,
“Come, to be ever with the Lord!”
The Fear of Death is fallen upon me.
My path through the desert grows dreary,
The shadows of evening draw nigh;
My footsteps are feeble and weary,
To reach the bright city I sigh!
The shadows of evening draw nigh;
My footsteps are feeble and weary,
To reach the bright city I sigh!
What thoughts, like a bar intervening,
Arrest this deep longing for home;
What cloud the bright future is screening,
Which wraps the horizon in gloom?
Arrest this deep longing for home;
What cloud the bright future is screening,
Which wraps the horizon in gloom?
There's a perilous gulf to pass over,
No bridge its deep waters can span,
No plummets its depths can discover,
It cannot be fathomed by man!
No bridge its deep waters can span,
No plummets its depths can discover,
It cannot be fathomed by man!
208
And now, as my sun is declining,
I dimly discern the dark wave;
No light on its surface is shining—
Oh! who that dread passage can brave?
I dimly discern the dark wave;
No light on its surface is shining—
Oh! who that dread passage can brave?
Then ofttimes the fierce tempest rages,
Foes unseen on the margin attend;
My tremulous fancy presages,
I ne'er shall endure to the end!
Foes unseen on the margin attend;
My tremulous fancy presages,
I ne'er shall endure to the end!
Hark! hark! how the billows are rushing,
How loudly they break on the shore;
Will Christ, the wild elements hushing,
Secure me a safe passage o'er?
How loudly they break on the shore;
Will Christ, the wild elements hushing,
Secure me a safe passage o'er?
When the feet of my Priest touch the river,
The waters will part and subside;
Safe, safe is the weakest believer
Who claims this Omnipotent Guide.
The waters will part and subside;
Safe, safe is the weakest believer
Who claims this Omnipotent Guide.
Then on let me cheerfully hasten,
Till I stand on the dark river's brink:
There, my firm hold on Him will I fasten—
None clinging to Jesus can sink!
Till I stand on the dark river's brink:
There, my firm hold on Him will I fasten—
None clinging to Jesus can sink!
209
Prayer to the Heavenly Intercessor.
O Thou, the contrite sinners' Friend!
Who loving, lov'st them to the end,
On this alone my hopes depend,
That Thou wilt plead for me.
Who loving, lov'st them to the end,
On this alone my hopes depend,
That Thou wilt plead for me.
When doubts and fears my bosom fill,
And Satan tempts my wavering will
(Too soon, alas! inclined to ill),
Then, Saviour, plead for me.
And Satan tempts my wavering will
(Too soon, alas! inclined to ill),
Then, Saviour, plead for me.
When, weary in the Christian race,
Far off appears the resting-place,
And, fainting, I mistrust Thy grace,
Then, Saviour, plead for me.
Far off appears the resting-place,
And, fainting, I mistrust Thy grace,
Then, Saviour, plead for me.
When I have sinned, and gone astray,
Deaf to Thy voice, and lost my way,
Nor can discern Thy guiding ray,
Still, Saviour, plead for me.
Deaf to Thy voice, and lost my way,
Nor can discern Thy guiding ray,
Still, Saviour, plead for me.
When Satan, by my sins made bold,
Strives from Thy cross to loose my hold,
Then with Thy pitying arms enfold,
And plead, oh, plead for me.
Strives from Thy cross to loose my hold,
Then with Thy pitying arms enfold,
And plead, oh, plead for me.
210
When he would cause my hope to fail,
And bid despair my soul assail,
Oh, tell me I shall yet prevail,
Because Thou plead'st for me.
And bid despair my soul assail,
Oh, tell me I shall yet prevail,
Because Thou plead'st for me.
And when my dying hour draws near,
Darkened with anguish, guilt, and fear,
Then to my fainting sight appear,
Pleading in heaven for me.
Darkened with anguish, guilt, and fear,
Then to my fainting sight appear,
Pleading in heaven for me.
When the full light of endless day
Reveals my sins in dread array,
Say, “I have washed them all away;
Fear not,—I plead for thee.”
Reveals my sins in dread array,
Say, “I have washed them all away;
Fear not,—I plead for thee.”
My trembling, parting soul sustain,
Till, purified from every stain,
That place before Thy throne she gain,
Which Thou hast bought for me.
Till, purified from every stain,
That place before Thy throne she gain,
Which Thou hast bought for me.
To a Friend.
I feel it sweet, my new-found friend,
A greeting from my heart to send,
To one with whom I hope to spend
A blest eternity.
A greeting from my heart to send,
To one with whom I hope to spend
A blest eternity.
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I feel it sweet on earth to know
One in whose heart those feelings glow,
Which only Jesus can bestow,
Of love to Him.
One in whose heart those feelings glow,
Which only Jesus can bestow,
Of love to Him.
Whom earthly things no more engross,
Who counts terrestrial gain but loss,
And clings to the Redeemer's cross,
As all her hope.
Who counts terrestrial gain but loss,
And clings to the Redeemer's cross,
As all her hope.
And as I tread “the path to bliss,”
Whene'er I meet a friend like this,
I from my heart at once dismiss
All cold distrust.
Whene'er I meet a friend like this,
I from my heart at once dismiss
All cold distrust.
'Twas this forbade reserve and fear,
And made thee, when we met, appear
A sister and companion dear,
E'en from the first.
And made thee, when we met, appear
A sister and companion dear,
E'en from the first.
This prompts the poor, but willing lay,
That greets thee on thy heavenly way;
Oh, may a bright and cheering ray
Thy path attend!
That greets thee on thy heavenly way;
Oh, may a bright and cheering ray
Thy path attend!
I hail, and share thy happy choice,
And with congratulating voice
Would say, “Press onward and rejoice:”
For blest art thou.
And with congratulating voice
Would say, “Press onward and rejoice:”
For blest art thou.
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More blest than man can e'er conceive,
Than trembling faith can dare believe,
Till the enraptured soul receive
Her great reward.
Than trembling faith can dare believe,
Till the enraptured soul receive
Her great reward.
Unmeet is such a harp as mine
For themes so glorious, so divine,
But oh, what hopes, what joys are thine,
Dear Christian friend!
For themes so glorious, so divine,
But oh, what hopes, what joys are thine,
Dear Christian friend!
How peaceful should thy mind become,
Fixed on thy bright celestial home:
Banished be all distress and gloom,
From souls like thine!
Fixed on thy bright celestial home:
Banished be all distress and gloom,
From souls like thine!
Oh, let it to the world appear
How blest are Christians, even here;
For them, there can be nought to fear
In life or death.
How blest are Christians, even here;
For them, there can be nought to fear
In life or death.
Their griefs are blest, their sins forgiven,
And in each present joy is given
A foretaste of those joys in heaven
Which cannot fade.
And in each present joy is given
A foretaste of those joys in heaven
Which cannot fade.
Then faint not, fear not, happy friend,
Be strong, be steadfast to the end,
He whom thou trustest will defend
The soul He loves.
Be strong, be steadfast to the end,
He whom thou trustest will defend
The soul He loves.
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He will complete the work begun,
Will be thy Guide, thy Shield, thy Sun,
Till the immortal prize is won,
The conqueror's crown.
Will be thy Guide, thy Shield, thy Sun,
Till the immortal prize is won,
The conqueror's crown.
Then may we dwell apart no more,
But with one voice, one heart, adore
That spotless Saviour, whom before
Unseen we loved.
But with one voice, one heart, adore
That spotless Saviour, whom before
Unseen we loved.
To a Young Friend on her Favourite Text.
“God is Love.”
When flowery Spring pours forth her treasures,
Beneath—around—above—
Sweet Mary, let these vernal pleasures
Remind thee “God is love!”
Beneath—around—above—
Sweet Mary, let these vernal pleasures
Remind thee “God is love!”
And as the changing seasons vary,
Where'er thy footsteps rove,
Let each successive charm, my Mary,
Repeat that “God is love!”
Where'er thy footsteps rove,
Let each successive charm, my Mary,
Repeat that “God is love!”
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Whether thine heart beat high with gladness,
And blest thy moments prove,
Or when it droops through pain and sadness
Still, Mary, “God is love!”
And blest thy moments prove,
Or when it droops through pain and sadness
Still, Mary, “God is love!”
If any anxious thought distress thee,
Will He that thought reprove?
Will He refuse to guide and bless thee?
No, Mary, “God is love!”
Will He that thought reprove?
Will He refuse to guide and bless thee?
No, Mary, “God is love!”
When at His footstool lowly bending,
Thy prayers ascend above,
Is there no gracious ear attending?
Yes, Mary, “God is love!”
Thy prayers ascend above,
Is there no gracious ear attending?
Yes, Mary, “God is love!”
What did her
peaceful deathbed teach thee,
Who triumphs now above?
Mary! did no soft accent reach thee,
That whispered, “God is love!”
Who triumphs now above?
Mary! did no soft accent reach thee,
That whispered, “God is love!”
Now with her harp she stands before Him
Circling His throne above,
And with the myriads who adore Him,
Proclaims that “God is love!”
Circling His throne above,
And with the myriads who adore Him,
Proclaims that “God is love!”
Here, we but faintly can discern it,
There, will the veil remove;
There, all shall fully, sweetly learn it,
And sing that “God is love!”
There, will the veil remove;
There, all shall fully, sweetly learn it,
And sing that “God is love!”
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And when thy guardian angels carry
Thee to that world above,
Thou, at thy Saviour's feet, my Mary,
Wilt know that “God is love!”
Thee to that world above,
Thou, at thy Saviour's feet, my Mary,
Wilt know that “God is love!”
Thoughts of Heaven.
Oh, thou glorious world unseen,
Bathed in purest light serene,
Where no mist obscures the ray,
Where no night cuts short the day,
Could I not in this dark vale
From afar thy confines hail,
All too sad this earth would be
Life too desolate for me.
Bathed in purest light serene,
Where no mist obscures the ray,
Where no night cuts short the day,
Could I not in this dark vale
From afar thy confines hail,
All too sad this earth would be
Life too desolate for me.
World of beauty! where each sight
Wakens ever new delight:
World of peace! where every sound
Breathes a holy influence round;
World of purity! wherein
Ne'er has entered taint of sin,
Wearily drag on the hours
Till I reach thy blissful bowers.
Wakens ever new delight:
World of peace! where every sound
Breathes a holy influence round;
World of purity! wherein
Ne'er has entered taint of sin,
Wearily drag on the hours
Till I reach thy blissful bowers.
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World of love! where every eye
Beams with purest sympathy!
Where no harsh unhallowed word,
Slander, discord can be heard;
None be wounded, none alone,
Love to each by all is shown,
And, as one blest family,
All in sweet accord agree.
Beams with purest sympathy!
Where no harsh unhallowed word,
Slander, discord can be heard;
None be wounded, none alone,
Love to each by all is shown,
And, as one blest family,
All in sweet accord agree.
World of health! where pale decay
Wastes no youthful bloom away
Where no tear was ever shed
O'er a loved one's dying bed;
Where infirmity and age
Cause the heart no sad presage,
And the thought of death's dark goal
Casts no shadow o'er the soul.
Wastes no youthful bloom away
Where no tear was ever shed
O'er a loved one's dying bed;
Where infirmity and age
Cause the heart no sad presage,
And the thought of death's dark goal
Casts no shadow o'er the soul.
World of perfect endless joy!
Of unwearied high employ!
All the loved and lost restored,
Ceaseless songs melodious poured:
Every earthly grief and care
Banished from remembrance there;
And fresh knowledge hourly given
From the boundless shores of heaven.
Of unwearied high employ!
All the loved and lost restored,
Ceaseless songs melodious poured:
Every earthly grief and care
Banished from remembrance there;
And fresh knowledge hourly given
From the boundless shores of heaven.
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World of life! not life like this!
Perpetuity of bliss!
They can never die again,—
There “there shall be no more pain;”
Life in streams abundant shed
From the glorious Fountain-head;
Life summed up in one sweet word,
“Ever, ever, with the Lord!”
Perpetuity of bliss!
They can never die again,—
There “there shall be no more pain;”
Life in streams abundant shed
From the glorious Fountain-head;
Life summed up in one sweet word,
“Ever, ever, with the Lord!”
To Comfort Me.
Jesus! Thou in heaven art pleading,
Even my unworthy cause!
Thou for me art interceding;
Thy compassion ne'er withdraws.
Canst thou, oh! my soul, repine,
When so blest a lot is thine?
Even my unworthy cause!
Thou for me art interceding;
Thy compassion ne'er withdraws.
Canst thou, oh! my soul, repine,
When so blest a lot is thine?
When my path is dark and dreary,
And my strength indeed is small;
When my soul is faint and weary,
Saviour! let me then recall
Thee, my Advocate above,
And Thy never-changing love!
And my strength indeed is small;
When my soul is faint and weary,
Saviour! let me then recall
Thee, my Advocate above,
And Thy never-changing love!
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The Lily.
I looked at the lily by night,
Its leaves were all wet with the dew;
It was lovely, and fresh, and transparently white;
Around a soft fragrance it threw.
Its leaves were all wet with the dew;
It was lovely, and fresh, and transparently white;
Around a soft fragrance it threw.
It chanced that at noon the next day,
I passed the fair lily once more;
The sun was unclouded, and fierce was his ray,
Too fierce for the delicate flower.
I passed the fair lily once more;
The sun was unclouded, and fierce was his ray,
Too fierce for the delicate flower.
Ere the night-dew could fall, it was dead;
Its leaves were all withered and stained:
The stem could no longer support the sunk head:
Nor beauty nor fragrance remained.
Its leaves were all withered and stained:
The stem could no longer support the sunk head:
Nor beauty nor fragrance remained.
Poor lily! all dead as thou art,
An emblem to man thou mayest prove
Of a lovelier flower that blooms in the heart,
Sent down from the gardens above.
An emblem to man thou mayest prove
Of a lovelier flower that blooms in the heart,
Sent down from the gardens above.
The plant of Religion best thrives
In the night of misfortune and grief;
The dew from above then each blossom revives,
And freshens the hue of each leaf.
In the night of misfortune and grief;
The dew from above then each blossom revives,
And freshens the hue of each leaf.
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But the sun of a prosperous day
Absorbing this life-giving dew,
The lovely exotic soon dwindles away,
Nor can man its existence renew.
Absorbing this life-giving dew,
The lovely exotic soon dwindles away,
Nor can man its existence renew.
My friend! if this flower be thine,
If dews through thy night have been given,
At its length or its darkness oh cease to repine,
And wait for the dawning of heaven.
If dews through thy night have been given,
At its length or its darkness oh cease to repine,
And wait for the dawning of heaven.
For then this sweet flower shall bloom
In its native celestial air,—
Its primitive beauty and strength shall resume,
Immortally fragrant and fair.
In its native celestial air,—
Its primitive beauty and strength shall resume,
Immortally fragrant and fair.
On the Anniversary of a Friend's Death.
(A FRAGMENT.)
Thy body still is sleeping
The altar-stone beneath,
My tears are still lamenting
Thy unexpected death;
The altar-stone beneath,
My tears are still lamenting
Thy unexpected death;
But could I see the glory
That crowned thee from that day,
The sight would cure my sorrow,
And wipe my tears away.
That crowned thee from that day,
The sight would cure my sorrow,
And wipe my tears away.
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Christmas Day.
Sweet sounds through heaven's blue concave rang,
To hail creation's birth;
The morning stars together sang,
Greeting the new-born earth.
To hail creation's birth;
The morning stars together sang,
Greeting the new-born earth.
But brighter forms the strain awoke,
And sweeter was the theme,
When on the wondering shepherds broke
The song of Bethlehem.
And sweeter was the theme,
When on the wondering shepherds broke
The song of Bethlehem.
Glorious was that primeval light
Which poured its golden flood
O'er the young world, when fresh and bright
In its first bloom it stood.
Which poured its golden flood
O'er the young world, when fresh and bright
In its first bloom it stood.
But that mysterious light that streamed
O'er Bethlehem's midnight sky,
On man with fairer promise beamed,
Told lovelier visions nigh.
O'er Bethlehem's midnight sky,
On man with fairer promise beamed,
Told lovelier visions nigh.
It ushered in the happiest hour
This fallen world could know,
“The Dayspring from on high,” whose power
Can chase the shades of woe.
This fallen world could know,
“The Dayspring from on high,” whose power
Can chase the shades of woe.
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Glad tidings of Emmanuel's birth,
The heavenly heralds bring;
“Glory to God, sweet peace on earth,
Goodwill to men,” they sing.
The heavenly heralds bring;
“Glory to God, sweet peace on earth,
Goodwill to men,” they sing.
And that new star which came and went,
The Eastern sages' guide,
Was on the same bright errand sent,
To the same song replied.
The Eastern sages' guide,
Was on the same bright errand sent,
To the same song replied.
How then should we salute the morn,
Thus hailed by hosts of heaven!
For “unto us a Child is born,
To us a Son is given!”
Thus hailed by hosts of heaven!
For “unto us a Child is born,
To us a Son is given!”
Come, hasten to His strange abode,
The wondrous Babe to see,
Behold in Him “the Mighty God,”
The Eternal Deity.
The wondrous Babe to see,
Behold in Him “the Mighty God,”
The Eternal Deity.
There, at His lowly manger, bow,
Nor from His feet remove,
Till e'en the coldest bosom glow
With gratitude and love.
Nor from His feet remove,
Till e'en the coldest bosom glow
With gratitude and love.
When the believing Magi sought
The star-illumined roof,
“Gold, frankincense, and myrrh” they brought,
And thus of faith gave proof.
The star-illumined roof,
“Gold, frankincense, and myrrh” they brought,
And thus of faith gave proof.
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And when the shepherds saw the light,
And heard that heavenly lay,
At once they hastened with delight,
Glad homage there to pay.
And heard that heavenly lay,
At once they hastened with delight,
Glad homage there to pay.
Dear infant Saviour! can I bring
No tribute to bestow?
No poor but freewill offering
My love and faith to show?
No tribute to bestow?
No poor but freewill offering
My love and faith to show?
Alas! this poor, polluted heart
Is all I have to give;
How kind, how merciful Thou art,
Such tribute to receive!
Is all I have to give;
How kind, how merciful Thou art,
Such tribute to receive!
New Year's Day.
1845.
This year will prove a happy one
If gladdened by Thy smile,
Jesus, my Saviour! that alone
My heart with bliss can fill:
That smile can cheer the saddest hour,
And gild the darkest sky,
And with its soul-refreshing power
Joy, e'en midst grief, supply.
If gladdened by Thy smile,
Jesus, my Saviour! that alone
My heart with bliss can fill:
That smile can cheer the saddest hour,
And gild the darkest sky,
And with its soul-refreshing power
Joy, e'en midst grief, supply.
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The year will prove a happy one
If quickened by Thy grace,
With swifter, firmer steps I run
The arduous heavenly race;
If stumbling, lingering now no more,
“Forgetting things behind,”
I press towards those that are before
With undiverted mind.
If quickened by Thy grace,
With swifter, firmer steps I run
The arduous heavenly race;
If stumbling, lingering now no more,
“Forgetting things behind,”
I press towards those that are before
With undiverted mind.
This year will prove a happy one,
Bring with it what it may,
If, Lord, Thy strength be made my own,
In every trying day.
For Thou canst make all grace abound,
Thou canst my faith increase,
And with Thy mercy fence me round,
And keep my mind in peace.
Bring with it what it may,
If, Lord, Thy strength be made my own,
In every trying day.
For Thou canst make all grace abound,
Thou canst my faith increase,
And with Thy mercy fence me round,
And keep my mind in peace.
This year will prove a happy one,
If every moment lent,
Each day, each hour, with Thee begun,
For Thee alone be spent;
If as the weeks revolve, my aim,
My one desire may be,
On earth to glorify Thy name,
To live, my God, for Thee!
If every moment lent,
Each day, each hour, with Thee begun,
For Thee alone be spent;
If as the weeks revolve, my aim,
My one desire may be,
On earth to glorify Thy name,
To live, my God, for Thee!
224
For Good Friday.
O Lamb of God! on Thee I look,
I see Thee by dark Kedron's brook,
There prostrate laid, amazed with fears,
Thou pourest out strong cries and tears;
Fainting, th' o'erwhelming load beneath,—
Yea, sorrowful e'en unto death,—
That agony was borne for me,
Which forced great drops of blood from Thee!
I see Thee by dark Kedron's brook,
There prostrate laid, amazed with fears,
Thou pourest out strong cries and tears;
Fainting, th' o'erwhelming load beneath,—
Yea, sorrowful e'en unto death,—
That agony was borne for me,
Which forced great drops of blood from Thee!
O Lamb of God!—on that dread night,
But for Thy Godhead's glorious might,
Thou must have sunk—for there was none
To have pity on Thee—no, not one!
Amidst th' intolerable anguish,
Didst Thou for human comfort languish!
While Thou didst agonize and weep—
Lo! Thy disciples were asleep!
But for Thy Godhead's glorious might,
Thou must have sunk—for there was none
To have pity on Thee—no, not one!
Amidst th' intolerable anguish,
Didst Thou for human comfort languish!
While Thou didst agonize and weep—
Lo! Thy disciples were asleep!
O Lamb of God! shall I complain,
Of grief, or loneliness, or pain,
When Thou, the Just, the Holy One,
Didst tread the winepress thus alone?
There at Jehovah's wrath dismayed,
Bereft of every earthly aid,
Lest Thou shouldst, ere the cross, expire,
An angel's help didst Thou require.
Of grief, or loneliness, or pain,
When Thou, the Just, the Holy One,
Didst tread the winepress thus alone?
225
Bereft of every earthly aid,
Lest Thou shouldst, ere the cross, expire,
An angel's help didst Thou require.
O Lamb of God, by that sad scene,
That sweat of blood, that anguish keen;
By all those griefs for me endured,
That pardon free might be secured;
By all Thy spotless soul sustained,
By all Thy cross and passion gained;
By that unfathomable love,
All thought, all measurement above,
Make me from sin's dominion free,
Henceforth to live alone for Thee.
That sweat of blood, that anguish keen;
By all those griefs for me endured,
That pardon free might be secured;
By all Thy spotless soul sustained,
By all Thy cross and passion gained;
By that unfathomable love,
All thought, all measurement above,
Make me from sin's dominion free,
Henceforth to live alone for Thee.
Easter Sunday.
All hail, thou bright and glorious day,
When He “the Life, the Truth, the Way,”
Taught His dejected flock to say,
“The Lord is risen!”
When He “the Life, the Truth, the Way,”
Taught His dejected flock to say,
“The Lord is risen!”
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Hail, holy day, most blest, most dear,
When death's dark region, sad and drear,
Those strange, mysterious sounds did hear,
“The Lord is risen!”
When death's dark region, sad and drear,
Those strange, mysterious sounds did hear,
“The Lord is risen!”
The holy Captive's bonds are riven,
To Him the keys of death are given;
Be glad, O earth, and shout, O heaven!
“The Lord is risen!”
To Him the keys of death are given;
Be glad, O earth, and shout, O heaven!
“The Lord is risen!”
And earth does seem to feel anew
That smile from which her beauty grew;
She tells, with many a brightening hue,
“The Lord is risen!”
That smile from which her beauty grew;
She tells, with many a brightening hue,
“The Lord is risen!”
Her opening buds fresh perfume fling;
Her hills and valleys laugh and sing,
While floats on every zephyr's wing,
“The Lord is risen!”
Her hills and valleys laugh and sing,
While floats on every zephyr's wing,
“The Lord is risen!”
And shall my heart unmoved be found,
While such an anthem swells around,
While earth and heaven alike resound,
“The Lord is risen?”
While such an anthem swells around,
While earth and heaven alike resound,
“The Lord is risen?”
Shall this triumphant theme inspire
Each angel's voice, each seraph's lyre,
And I not sing, with such a choir,
“The Lord is risen?”
Each angel's voice, each seraph's lyre,
And I not sing, with such a choir,
“The Lord is risen?”
227
Oh, could I catch the sacred flame
With which they chant my Saviour's name,
How would it teach me to exclaim,
“The Lord is risen!”
With which they chant my Saviour's name,
How would it teach me to exclaim,
“The Lord is risen!”
Yet not for them His life He gave;
He did not die their souls to save:
It is for man that from the grave
“The Lord is risen!”
He did not die their souls to save:
It is for man that from the grave
“The Lord is risen!”
For man He left His glorious throne,
For man to death's dark realm went down,
And now to heaven for man alone,
“The Lord is risen!”
For man to death's dark realm went down,
And now to heaven for man alone,
“The Lord is risen!”
Then who like man should bless this day,
And hail the Conqueror on His way,
And utter the melodious lay,
“The Lord is risen!”
And hail the Conqueror on His way,
And utter the melodious lay,
“The Lord is risen!”
Let me approach His saints among
(Though least of all that favoured throng),
Fall at His feet, and join their song,
“The Lord is risen!”
(Though least of all that favoured throng),
Fall at His feet, and join their song,
“The Lord is risen!”
And on that last, that brightest day,
Whose sun shall rouse my slumbering clay,
I'll sing—then gladly soar away—
“The Lord is risen!”
Whose sun shall rouse my slumbering clay,
I'll sing—then gladly soar away—
“The Lord is risen!”
228
An Exile's Hymn.
The pilgrim spirit journeys on,
“To Canaan's sacred bounds,”
Her conflicts, sorrows, joys unknown,
Veiled from the world around.
“To Canaan's sacred bounds,”
Her conflicts, sorrows, joys unknown,
Veiled from the world around.
She views earth's loveliest scenes and bowers
Still with an exile's eye;
E'en though her path be strewed with flowers,
She breathes the exile's sigh.
Still with an exile's eye;
E'en though her path be strewed with flowers,
She breathes the exile's sigh.
The deep strong yearnings of the mind
In silence are suppressed;
On earth she knows they cannot find
Development or rest.
In silence are suppressed;
On earth she knows they cannot find
Development or rest.
The dialect the soul employs
Is here a stranger tongue,
Yet all her griefs, and hopes, and joys
To that alone are strung.
Is here a stranger tongue,
Yet all her griefs, and hopes, and joys
To that alone are strung.
But sometimes, lonely though she be,
Some kindred friend she meets,
Who opes, as with a master-key,
Thought's unexplored retreats.
Some kindred friend she meets,
Who opes, as with a master-key,
Thought's unexplored retreats.
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Then pausing in some tranquil spot,
Joys, sorrows, they reveal;
With which a stranger meddleth not,
Which only exiles feel!
Joys, sorrows, they reveal;
With which a stranger meddleth not,
Which only exiles feel!
Oh! how their hearts within them burn,
While of their home they speak,
And bright, yet tearful glances turn,
Towards the fair land they seek.
While of their home they speak,
And bright, yet tearful glances turn,
Towards the fair land they seek.
They part—but only for awhile—
Their term of exile o'er,
They soon beneath their Saviour's smile
Shall meet, to part no more!
Their term of exile o'er,
They soon beneath their Saviour's smile
Shall meet, to part no more!
A Hymn for Saturday Night.
And is the thought a mournful one,
That now another week is gone
Of this life's fleeting span?
When the dark sojourn here is o'er,
Is there no fairer lot in store
For never-dying man?
That now another week is gone
Of this life's fleeting span?
When the dark sojourn here is o'er,
Is there no fairer lot in store
For never-dying man?
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Is there no country of the blest,
Where toil will be exchanged for rest,
Where mourners never weep?
Where this poor weary, sinking frame
No care will need, no respite claim,
Nor ever ask for sleep?
Where toil will be exchanged for rest,
Where mourners never weep?
Where this poor weary, sinking frame
No care will need, no respite claim,
Nor ever ask for sleep?
Oh, as I tread my heavenly path,
'Tis sweet to realise by faith
The thought of such a home!
And when the spirits droop and fail,
To cast a glimpse beyond the veil,
And thus dispel the gloom.
'Tis sweet to realise by faith
The thought of such a home!
And when the spirits droop and fail,
To cast a glimpse beyond the veil,
And thus dispel the gloom.
My days and weeks and months succeed
With noiseless, yet unceasing speed,
But this is joy to me:
That they are bearing me with them,
O'er silent Time's fast-rolling stream,
On to eternity.
With noiseless, yet unceasing speed,
But this is joy to me:
That they are bearing me with them,
O'er silent Time's fast-rolling stream,
On to eternity.
These days and weeks, like favouring gales,
Smile on my bark, and fill my sails,
And waft me towards my home;
Nor is there one but lends a ray
To guide my course, and bless my way,
Pointing to joys to come.
Smile on my bark, and fill my sails,
And waft me towards my home;
Nor is there one but lends a ray
To guide my course, and bless my way,
Pointing to joys to come.
231
This week has closed; its toils are o'er;
Let earthly thoughts intrude no more;
The Sabbath morn is near:
Then to my soul, oh, be it given
To rise from earth and visit heaven,
And join the worship there!
Let earthly thoughts intrude no more;
The Sabbath morn is near:
Then to my soul, oh, be it given
To rise from earth and visit heaven,
And join the worship there!
A Fragment.
I was indeed desponding, and my eye
Seemed closed to all the blessings of my lot;
Heaven and its promised glories were forgot;
I sat alone, to weep and mourn and sigh;
But Thy sweet voice addressed me, “Why, oh, why
Consume thy days in tears and lonely thought?
Thy grief for others can avail them nought:
Turn from terrestrial woes to fairer scenes on high.”
Seemed closed to all the blessings of my lot;
Heaven and its promised glories were forgot;
I sat alone, to weep and mourn and sigh;
But Thy sweet voice addressed me, “Why, oh, why
Consume thy days in tears and lonely thought?
Thy grief for others can avail them nought:
Turn from terrestrial woes to fairer scenes on high.”
Thus didst Thou “smite me friendly, and reprove;”
Thy gentle hand applied the “precious balm,”
The aching sense of sorrow to remove,
And it has acted like some mystic charm:
So now my harp forsakes the willow tree,
To breathe my grateful love, sweet Friend, to Thee.
Thy gentle hand applied the “precious balm,”
The aching sense of sorrow to remove,
And it has acted like some mystic charm:
So now my harp forsakes the willow tree,
To breathe my grateful love, sweet Friend, to Thee.
232
The Setting Moon.
I saw the radiant Queen of Night
Walking in brightness through the sky;
Unsullied was her silver light,
And swift her beauteous path on high.
Walking in brightness through the sky;
Unsullied was her silver light,
And swift her beauteous path on high.
I marked her progress till she gained
In silence her meridian throne;
No passing cloud her splendour stained,
And twinkling stars at distance shone.
In silence her meridian throne;
No passing cloud her splendour stained,
And twinkling stars at distance shone.
Too soon she left that glorious height,
And downwards bent her gradual way;
I watched her lessening, changing light,
As earth-born mists obscured its ray.
And downwards bent her gradual way;
I watched her lessening, changing light,
As earth-born mists obscured its ray.
Awhile she glimmered in the west,
Shorn of her lustre, faint and dim!
Then, dark and mournful, sank to rest,
Nor left behind one cheering beam.
Shorn of her lustre, faint and dim!
Then, dark and mournful, sank to rest,
Nor left behind one cheering beam.
Beneath the starry midnight sky
I lingered still, absorbed in thought;
The orb, though vanished from my eye,
A lesson to my heart had taught.
I lingered still, absorbed in thought;
The orb, though vanished from my eye,
A lesson to my heart had taught.
233
How many a course resembles thine;
Fair is the outset, swift the pace;
Progressive radiance seems to shine
On the young pilgrim's early race.
Fair is the outset, swift the pace;
Progressive radiance seems to shine
On the young pilgrim's early race.
Like thee, from earth I see him rise,
I mark his bright, increasing ray;
Towards an unseen celestial prize
With joyful speed he wings his way.
I mark his bright, increasing ray;
Towards an unseen celestial prize
With joyful speed he wings his way.
Still, as his spirit upward soars,
Each grace is strengthened and refined,
Those holier regions he explores,
And leaves a sinful world behind.
Each grace is strengthened and refined,
Those holier regions he explores,
And leaves a sinful world behind.
While thus illumined from above,
He shines with lustre not his own,
This flattering world attracts his love,
Alters his course, and draws him down.
He shines with lustre not his own,
This flattering world attracts his love,
Alters his course, and draws him down.
Oh, then, how changed does he appear;
How quenched the radiance once so bright!
Soon as he left that upper sphere,
How quickly fled its beauteous light!
How quenched the radiance once so bright!
Soon as he left that upper sphere,
How quickly fled its beauteous light!
Still I behold him bright no more,
His latest moments wrapt in gloom
And now, the appointed circuit o'er,
He sinks in darkness to the tomb.
His latest moments wrapt in gloom
And now, the appointed circuit o'er,
He sinks in darkness to the tomb.
234
For a Dying Bed.
Christ is my hope, Christ is my life,
Christ is my strength, my victory—
In this dark hour—this final strife,
Through Christ a conqueror I shall be!
Himself He will beside me stand,
And save me with His own right hand.
Christ is my strength, my victory—
In this dark hour—this final strife,
Through Christ a conqueror I shall be!
Himself He will beside me stand,
And save me with His own right hand.
Christ is my treasure, Christ my joy,
I glory in His name alone,
And death each barrier will destroy
Which keeps me from that glorious throne,
Where I shall see Him face to face,
While all His mercies I retrace.
I glory in His name alone,
And death each barrier will destroy
Which keeps me from that glorious throne,
Where I shall see Him face to face,
While all His mercies I retrace.
Christ is the Bridegroom of my soul,
In Him are centered my desires—
Now I have reached the wished-for goal,—
And my enraptured soul aspires
To dwell with Him (earth's troubles o'er)
For ever, and for evermore!
In Him are centered my desires—
Now I have reached the wished-for goal,—
And my enraptured soul aspires
To dwell with Him (earth's troubles o'er)
For ever, and for evermore!
236
It is I: be not afraid.
When waves of trouble round me swell,
My soul is not dismayed;
I hear a voice I know full well—
“'Tis I: be not afraid.”
My soul is not dismayed;
I hear a voice I know full well—
“'Tis I: be not afraid.”
When black the threatening skies appear,
And storms my path invade,
Those accents tranquillize each fear:
“'Tis I: be not afraid.”
And storms my path invade,
Those accents tranquillize each fear:
“'Tis I: be not afraid.”
There is a gulf that must be crossed;
Saviour, be near to aid!
Whisper, when my frail bark is tossed,
“'Tis I: be not afraid.”
Saviour, be near to aid!
Whisper, when my frail bark is tossed,
“'Tis I: be not afraid.”
There is a dark and fearful vale—
Death hides within its shade—
Oh, say, when flesh and heart shall fail,
“'Tis I: be not afraid.”
Death hides within its shade—
Oh, say, when flesh and heart shall fail,
“'Tis I: be not afraid.”
237
The Sabbath.
When a traveller, far from his home of repose(Pressing towards it through dangers, obstructions, and woes),
In a foreign land meets and converses with those
Who bring news from that country so dear,
How willingly then does he pause for awhile,
His spirits to gladden, his toil to beguile;
Hope sheds o'er his features her heart-cheering smile,
And chases the sorrowful tear.
Thus, while yet in this wilderness-world we remain,
Ever striving the “rest of the saints” to attain,
How welcome, midst weariness, conflict, and pain,
Is the pause the sweet Sabbath bestows!
Glad tidings from Zion encourage and cheer
The fainting believer, and banish his fear;
He perceives that his Friend, his Redeemer, is near,
And will guide him to lasting repose.
238
Arise; this is not your Rest.
Alas! how oft I've lingered on my way,To raise, in some loved spot, a blissful bower,
And trained each plant, and cherished every flower,
As I were not “the pilgrim of a day.”
Forced by an unseen guardian-hand away,
How have I spent in tears the bitter hour,
Because no longer I retained the power
Within my fancied paradise to stay!
But now my hope, my purpose, my desire,
Is ne'er again on earth to build my nest;
Heavenward in every thought and act to aspire,
My hourly motto, “This is not your rest!”
And though sweet flowers along my path may bloom,
Still to pass by them, pressing towards my home.
241
A Thought on the Seashore.
I observed a fair bark on the ocean's green breast,
When the winds were all tranquil, the billows at rest,
The sky and the sea in gay colours were dressed,
All was sunshine, above and below;
But the vessel, becalmed, was far off from her port;
In vain she to oars and to sail had resort;
The ocean, unmoved, seemed to smile, as in sport:
Her progress was toilsome and slow.
When the winds were all tranquil, the billows at rest,
The sky and the sea in gay colours were dressed,
All was sunshine, above and below;
But the vessel, becalmed, was far off from her port;
In vain she to oars and to sail had resort;
The ocean, unmoved, seemed to smile, as in sport:
Her progress was toilsome and slow.
I looked on another when fierce blew the gale;
She was tossed on the billows, and rent was her sail;
But the more the wild hurricane seemed to prevail,
The swifter towards land was she driven.
Then I mused on the ocean which I have to cross;
How its bright sunny calms tend to hinder my course;
And methought I could hail e'en the tempest's rude force,
Might it waft me more quickly towards heaven.
She was tossed on the billows, and rent was her sail;
But the more the wild hurricane seemed to prevail,
The swifter towards land was she driven.
Then I mused on the ocean which I have to cross;
How its bright sunny calms tend to hinder my course;
And methought I could hail e'en the tempest's rude force,
Might it waft me more quickly towards heaven.
242
The Vale of Suffering.
A deep, sequestered valley may be found,
Where no soft turf invites the pilgrim's feet;
Barren and mournful is the soil around,
Nor cheered by song of bird nor flow'ret sweet;
Nor doth the eye the gladsome sunshine greet,
But silent shadows, dark and desolate,
Athwart the rugged path each other meet,
Which fill the mind with thoughts disconsolate,
As if around them there impending ill did wait.
Where no soft turf invites the pilgrim's feet;
Barren and mournful is the soil around,
Nor cheered by song of bird nor flow'ret sweet;
Nor doth the eye the gladsome sunshine greet,
But silent shadows, dark and desolate,
Athwart the rugged path each other meet,
Which fill the mind with thoughts disconsolate,
As if around them there impending ill did wait.
There's not a path which hapless mortals tread,
Whate'er their gifts, their state, their parentage,
That does not to this lonely valley lead,
Either in youth, in manhood, or in age;
There meet alike the ignorant and the sage,
The envied rich, the unobtrusive poor;
The greater part their own sad thoughts engage,
Nor does Persuasion's friendly voice allure,
To ask each other's aid, or own what they endure.
Whate'er their gifts, their state, their parentage,
That does not to this lonely valley lead,
Either in youth, in manhood, or in age;
There meet alike the ignorant and the sage,
The envied rich, the unobtrusive poor;
The greater part their own sad thoughts engage,
Nor does Persuasion's friendly voice allure,
To ask each other's aid, or own what they endure.
Yet some there are, who, from the rest apart,
With mutual love each other's burden bear,
A little band of pilgrims, one in heart,
Who seem some hidden happiness to share,
Which neither toil nor suffering can impair;
The thorny path with courage they pursue,
And still a smile of sweet contentment wear,
For at the end of that dark vale they view
A prize which well may serve their ardour to renew.
With mutual love each other's burden bear,
243
Who seem some hidden happiness to share,
Which neither toil nor suffering can impair;
The thorny path with courage they pursue,
And still a smile of sweet contentment wear,
For at the end of that dark vale they view
A prize which well may serve their ardour to renew.
Sweet are their themes of converse by the way;
Each step they tread is consecrated ground;
That vale is peopled with a bright array
Of saints and martyrs now with glory crowned,
Whose blessed steps on every side are found;
Who watch their progress through the mournful vale,
And bid some strain from their sweet harps resound,
When grief or fear against them would prevail,
And cause their heavenly hope and confidence to fail.
Each step they tread is consecrated ground;
That vale is peopled with a bright array
Of saints and martyrs now with glory crowned,
Whose blessed steps on every side are found;
Who watch their progress through the mournful vale,
And bid some strain from their sweet harps resound,
When grief or fear against them would prevail,
And cause their heavenly hope and confidence to fail.
But their best solace and their sweetest theme
Is the dear name of Him whom most they love;
Greater Himself than finite man can deem,
Whom boundless pity brought from realms above!
Lest for His flock that vale too sad should prove,
He travelled through it while on earth He stayed,
Spent the last moments, ere His sad remove,
Within the darkness of its deepest shade,
Then forced a passage through, and heaven's bright gate displayed.
Is the dear name of Him whom most they love;
Greater Himself than finite man can deem,
Whom boundless pity brought from realms above!
Lest for His flock that vale too sad should prove,
He travelled through it while on earth He stayed,
Spent the last moments, ere His sad remove,
Within the darkness of its deepest shade,
Then forced a passage through, and heaven's bright gate displayed.
244
And thus its mournful aspect is reversed,
For those who love His footsteps to pursue;
'Twas there by night He prayed, by day conversed;
There did His holy tears the ground bedew;
On every side some object strikes their view
Which calls to mind His grief, His tenderness;
Compared with His, their woes are light and few:
And thus each murmuring feeling they repress,
And while they travel on His holy Name they bless.
For those who love His footsteps to pursue;
'Twas there by night He prayed, by day conversed;
There did His holy tears the ground bedew;
On every side some object strikes their view
Which calls to mind His grief, His tenderness;
Compared with His, their woes are light and few:
And thus each murmuring feeling they repress,
And while they travel on His holy Name they bless.
Epitaph.
Oh, weep not for her! she has taken her flight,
From the valley of tears to the land of delight;
Oh, weep not for her! she is ransomed and blest;
Her warfare is over, her spirit at rest.
From the valley of tears to the land of delight;
Oh, weep not for her! she is ransomed and blest;
Her warfare is over, her spirit at rest.
We wander in darkness, we struggle with sin,
Often fearing the race is too arduous to win;
She has entered the region where sin is unknown,
And the crown and the prize are for ever her own.
Often fearing the race is too arduous to win;
She has entered the region where sin is unknown,
And the crown and the prize are for ever her own.
Oh, weep then no more that her spirit is fled;
Her life but began when we mourned her as dead;
Soon, soon may our dying existence be o'er!
Soon, soon may we meet, to be parted no more!
Her life but began when we mourned her as dead;
Soon, soon may our dying existence be o'er!
Soon, soon may we meet, to be parted no more!
245
Sunset.
“And now men see not the bright light which is in the clouds: but the
wind passeth, and cleanseth them.”—Job xxxvii. 21.
It is sunset, and bright is the glow of the west,
As the vanishing orb sinks in beauty to rest;
The clouds in a thousand gay colours are drest,
While the ocean reflects them below;
But, see, in a moment the tints disappear,
No longer the clouds their gay livery wear;
The orb that bestowed them has ceased to be near;
Other hemispheres welcome him now.
As the vanishing orb sinks in beauty to rest;
The clouds in a thousand gay colours are drest,
While the ocean reflects them below;
But, see, in a moment the tints disappear,
No longer the clouds their gay livery wear;
The orb that bestowed them has ceased to be near;
Other hemispheres welcome him now.
In myself, like those clouds, I am dull and opaque,
Yet, at times (ah, too seldom) fair colours I take,
From a Sun whose eternal refulgence can make
All glorious, wherever 'tis given;
He clothes me with beauty, He cheers me with light;
While His face shines upon me all nature looks bright;
But, oh, when His beauties are veiled from my sight,
All is darkness, on earth and in heaven.
Yet, at times (ah, too seldom) fair colours I take,
From a Sun whose eternal refulgence can make
All glorious, wherever 'tis given;
He clothes me with beauty, He cheers me with light;
While His face shines upon me all nature looks bright;
But, oh, when His beauties are veiled from my sight,
All is darkness, on earth and in heaven.
246
To a Widowed Friend.
“Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous:
nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto
them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which
hang down, and the feeble knees.”—Heb. xii. 11, 12.
I view thy passage through this vale of tears,
The sorrows which have marked thy youthful morn,
And then I grieve thy heart has been so torn
With agitating passions, hopes, and fears.
Oh, may sweet peace attend thy future years,
Or still may all thy varied griefs be borne
By Him whose pity soothes the heart forlorn,
Whose heavenly smile the saddest bosom cheers.
'Tis well for thee the cup of earthly bliss
So soon was rendered bitter to thy taste;
It was not meant that on a world like this
Thy heaven-born soul her energies should waste:
Each sorrow whispers, “Seek thy peace above,
And give to God thy undivided love.”
247
The Unfading Flower.
Full many a bud and flow'ret fair
Wakes at the breath of morn;
And plants, whose fragrance fill the air,
Our summer wreaths adorn.
Wakes at the breath of morn;
And plants, whose fragrance fill the air,
Our summer wreaths adorn.
But plants and flowers of sweet perfume
Fade with the falling year;
The lovely scenes in which they bloom
Themselves will disappear.
Fade with the falling year;
The lovely scenes in which they bloom
Themselves will disappear.
One Plant alone, of choicest worth,
Destruction's power defies;
A purer climate gave it birth,
Where no sweet blossom dies.
Destruction's power defies;
A purer climate gave it birth,
Where no sweet blossom dies.
The Sun, whose beams mature its hues,
Shines not on earthly bowers;
'Tis visited by sweeter dews
Than fall on earthly flowers.
Shines not on earthly bowers;
'Tis visited by sweeter dews
Than fall on earthly flowers.
Heavenward each beauteous branch aspires,
Its flower can never fade;
The final elemental fires
Shall not one leaf invade.
Its flower can never fade;
The final elemental fires
Shall not one leaf invade.
248
'Twas planted by a Hand Divine,
To bloom in worlds above,
And through eternity shall shine,
A trophy of His love!
To bloom in worlds above,
And through eternity shall shine,
A trophy of His love!
On my Birthday.
There was a wanderer once, who strove in vainAt earthly fountains to assuage her thirst;
For though they sparkled and seemed sweet at first,
Soon, unabated, it returned again:
But He who marks and pities human pain,
And loves to pardon and reclaim the worst,
Met her, in mercy infinite; as erst
Another wanderer on Samaria's plain.
He led her to the living stream that flows
From heavenly springs, the pilgrim to restore;
And there she quenched her thirst, and learnt that those
Who drink that water thirst again no more,
But hasten on, through strength divinely given,
E'en till they reach the fountain-head in heaven.
249
A Sabbath Meditation.
Jesus, my Advocate Divine!
Thy wondrous love shall be my theme;
Chiefly on this glad day of Thine,
When all things sweeter seem.
Thy wondrous love shall be my theme;
Chiefly on this glad day of Thine,
When all things sweeter seem.
Sweet is the sunshine's vernal glow,
And still more sweet the Sabbath calm,
But not unless Thy love bestow
Celestial balm.
And still more sweet the Sabbath calm,
But not unless Thy love bestow
Celestial balm.
Oh, when the baneful power of sin
Veils that which can alone make glad,
My heart is desolate within,
Benighted, sad.
Veils that which can alone make glad,
My heart is desolate within,
Benighted, sad.
The azure sky, the sparkling sea,
Spring's opening charms, around, above,
All are a mournful blank to me
Without Thy love.
Spring's opening charms, around, above,
All are a mournful blank to me
Without Thy love.
And then the burden weighs me down
Which with Thy smile is gladly borne;
The brightest day is dark as night,
All seems to mourn.
Which with Thy smile is gladly borne;
The brightest day is dark as night,
All seems to mourn.
250
But when upon my soul is shed
That radiant smile's restoring power,
The little spot on which I tread
Seems Eden's bower.
That radiant smile's restoring power,
The little spot on which I tread
Seems Eden's bower.
A hidden source of sacred joy
Springs up at once within my heart,
Which nothing earthly can alloy,
Nothing impart.
Springs up at once within my heart,
Which nothing earthly can alloy,
Nothing impart.
Earth brightens with a lovelier grace,
The flowers with fairer charms unfold,
For then in everything I trace
Thy love untold.
The flowers with fairer charms unfold,
For then in everything I trace
Thy love untold.
I lift to Thee my tearful eye,
And silently that love adore,
Which grants of bliss, before I die,
So rich a store.
And silently that love adore,
Which grants of bliss, before I die,
So rich a store.
Grants me, midst languor, weakness, pain,
Such strength to suffer, hope to cheer,
That now I faint not, nor complain,
For Thou art near.
Such strength to suffer, hope to cheer,
That now I faint not, nor complain,
For Thou art near.
Nay, sometimes leisure, comfort, ease,
Dear, precious friends to soothe and guide,
So much to succour me, and please,
On every side.
Dear, precious friends to soothe and guide,
So much to succour me, and please,
On every side.
251
Yet to my faith Thy Spirit tells,
Of bliss which all these joys outweighs,
E'en as the noon's full blaze excels
The dawn's first rays.
Of bliss which all these joys outweighs,
E'en as the noon's full blaze excels
The dawn's first rays.
And tells me Thy unbounded love,
My Saviour, ere Thy grace I sought,
For me, in those bright realms above,
A mansion bought.
My Saviour, ere Thy grace I sought,
For me, in those bright realms above,
A mansion bought.
And Thou wilt keep my ransomed soul,
Through faith, by Thine almighty power,
Each sin subdue, each foe control.
E'en till my latest hour.
Through faith, by Thine almighty power,
Each sin subdue, each foe control.
E'en till my latest hour.
Then bid my unbelief remove;
For when to Thee I yield my breath,
Thy love, Thy wondrous love, will prove,
Stronger than death.
For when to Thee I yield my breath,
Thy love, Thy wondrous love, will prove,
Stronger than death.
On the Shore, at Moonlight.
Thou restless, and boundless, and fathomless sea,
Whose turbulent waves struggle hard to be free,
As if they would spurn the Almighty decree
That limits their dangerous course.
How vain are thy tossings! Secure from on high,
Still sports with thy billows the Queen of the sky,
And still are they bound, as in ages gone by,
With a secret, invincible force.
Whose turbulent waves struggle hard to be free,
As if they would spurn the Almighty decree
That limits their dangerous course.
252
Still sports with thy billows the Queen of the sky,
And still are they bound, as in ages gone by,
With a secret, invincible force.
And is there no mandate of force to control
The swellings of passion, the storms of the soul,
No voice to arrest them, while madly they roll,
Bearing ruin and wrath in their train?
Though reason remonstrate, though conscience condemn,
Must they both be borne down the impetuous stream,
While the light from above appears vainly to beam,
Unable their force to restrain?
The swellings of passion, the storms of the soul,
No voice to arrest them, while madly they roll,
Bearing ruin and wrath in their train?
Though reason remonstrate, though conscience condemn,
Must they both be borne down the impetuous stream,
While the light from above appears vainly to beam,
Unable their force to restrain?
Oh no! He who curbs the tempestuous deep,
Who rules the rough whirlwind, and governs its sweep,
He can hush the wild storms of the bosom to sleep,
At His bidding, there will be a calm:
He can send down His Spirit, sweet peace to restore,
And to “move on the face of the waters” once more;
“The war in the elements” then will be o'er,
And the halycon's soft melody charm.
Who rules the rough whirlwind, and governs its sweep,
He can hush the wild storms of the bosom to sleep,
At His bidding, there will be a calm:
He can send down His Spirit, sweet peace to restore,
And to “move on the face of the waters” once more;
“The war in the elements” then will be o'er,
And the halycon's soft melody charm.
253
A Hymn.
Oh, never can I serve Thee here,
My Saviour, as I ought—
Without an unbelieving fear,
Without a wandering thought.
My Saviour, as I ought—
Without an unbelieving fear,
Without a wandering thought.
When at Thy mercy-seat I kneel,
And strive indeed to pray,
Then most the power of sin I feel,
And Satan's cruel sway.
And strive indeed to pray,
Then most the power of sin I feel,
And Satan's cruel sway.
But in that world on which I fix,
By faith, my tearful eyes,
No sin its hateful taint will mix,
To spoil my sacrifice.
By faith, my tearful eyes,
No sin its hateful taint will mix,
To spoil my sacrifice.
Nor ever from the blissful hour
I gain that safe retreat,
Shall any cruel foe have power
To drive me from Thy feet.
I gain that safe retreat,
Shall any cruel foe have power
To drive me from Thy feet.
254
I shall not offer, then, to Thee
A cold, divided heart:
All, all Thine own my soul will be,
Renewed in every part.
A cold, divided heart:
All, all Thine own my soul will be,
Renewed in every part.
When shall I bid a long adieu
To scenes of sin and woe;
And “face to face” that Saviour view
I serve so ill below?
To scenes of sin and woe;
And “face to face” that Saviour view
I serve so ill below?
When with His saints shall I appear,
And worship as I ought,—
Without an unbelieving fear,
Without a wandering thought?
And worship as I ought,—
Without an unbelieving fear,
Without a wandering thought?
256
THE END.
| Leaves from the Unpublished Journals, Letters, and Poems of Charlotte Elliott | |