Church poetry : or, Christian thoughts in old and modern verse . ings given, ere dawning sense Could seek or scan Thy grace ; Blessings in boyhoods marvelling hour,Bright dreams, and fancyings strange ; Blessings, when reasons awful powerGave thought a bolder range ; Blessings of friends, which to my doorUnasked, unhoped, have come ; And, choicer still, a countless storeOf eager smiles at home. Yet, Lord, in memorys fondest place I shrine those seasons sad,When, looking up, I saw Thy face In kind austereness clad. I would not miss one sigh or tear,Heart-pang, or throbbing brow ; Sweet was the
Church poetry : or, Christian thoughts in old and modern verse . ings given, ere dawning sense Could seek or scan Thy grace ; Blessings in boyhoods marvelling hour,Bright dreams, and fancyings strange ; Blessings, when reasons awful powerGave thought a bolder range ; Blessings of friends, which to my doorUnasked, unhoped, have come ; And, choicer still, a countless storeOf eager smiles at home. Yet, Lord, in memorys fondest place I shrine those seasons sad,When, looking up, I saw Thy face In kind austereness clad. I would not miss one sigh or tear,Heart-pang, or throbbing brow ; Sweet was the chastisement severe,And sweet its memory now. PROVIDENCE AND PROBATION. 47 Yes ! let the fragrant scars abide, Love-tokens in Thy stead,Faint shadows of the spear-pierced side, And thorn-encompassed head. And such Thy loving force be still, Mid lifes fierce shifting fray,Shaping to Truth selfs froward will Along Thy narrow way. Deny me wealth ; far, far remove The lure of power or name ;Hope thrives in straits, in weakness Love, And faith in this worlds 48 PROVIDENCE AND PROBATION. THE ORDER OF PROVIDENCE. Of things unseen how canst thou deem aright ?**Then answered the righteous Artegall, Sith thou misdeemst so much of things in sight ?What though the sea with waves continualDo eat the earth, it is no more at all;Ne is the earth the less, or loseth aught;For whatsoever from one place doth fall,Is with the tide unto another brought;For there is nothing lost that may be found if sought. Likewise the earth is not augmented more By all that dying into it do fade ; For of the earth they formed were of yore : However gay their blossom or their blade Do flourish now, they into dust shall vade. What wrong then is it if that when they die They turn to that whereof they first were made ? All in the power of their great Maker lie ; All creatures must obey the voice of the Most Hi gh. They live, they die like as He doth ordain,Ne ever any asketh reason hills do n
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, booksubjectreligio, bookyear1848
