THE HEAVENLY VISITANT. 37 This heart of guilt, of stone? This wayward, fickle, contumacious soul? And of my secret sins, the long, long roll, Couldst Thou for these atone? All power from heaven is Thine! Long have I known thy glorious works, O Lord! But them, not Thee, have worshiped and adored, Now Thou thyself art mine! Spirit of God! bright guest! Exceeding great reward Of Thine atoning, sacrificial love, How hast Thou raised my thoughts this world above, Saviour, Deliverer, Guard! Such, such Thou art to me! So here, e'en here, within mine inmost breast, Reign Thou o'er all, and let me be Thy guest, And let me sup with Thee! Assist thy servant, Lord, In holy converse bland, to sup with thee! Sublime each thought; the soul, The whole, the whole be Thine! Vain world, with all thy blandishments, adieu ! Bright Guest! blest Host! I feel thy promise true! I taste the life divine. WHAT are we set on earth for? Say to toil- To wrestle, not to reign; and he assigns Take patience, labour, to their heart and hands, cheer, And God's grace fructify through thee to all. The least flower, with a brimming cup, may stand, And share its dew-drop with another near. The Orphan's Dream of Christmas. Ir was Christmas Eve-and lonely, O, grief looks most distorted When his hideous shadow lies Were the penciling of want. ORPHAN'S DREAM OF CHRISTMAS. And she wept for years like jewels, In itself had melted all; But the Christmas time returned, Of those brilliant Christmas seasons, She her mother's face could see, 41 Of her father's pleasant stories, Of the riddles and the rhymes, All the kisses and the presents That had mark'd those Christmas times. 'T was as well that there was no one For that could not come again. |