Say not that voice is feeble-it may rise
On more than angel's wings and reach the skies;
Say not thy hands are weak, they have much might
To mould the spirit of thy child aright—
To turn the ardours of his brightening eye
From blood-stained wreaths to palms that never die.
Then plead, pray, love; such weapons shall avail
Where all the thunders of the battle fail.
What cause like that of peace thy heart to move?
The cause of Christ, of tenderness, of love.
Christ, woman's own deliverer! He whose might
Lifts the war-trampled gem, and makes it bright;
His kingdom is thine atmosphere; His power
First lifts the drooping rose, then builds its bower;
Oh man may well our Christ his Saviour call,
Man owes Christ all, woman owes more than all.
Open, ye lips of music, pour your stream
Of sweetness unto Him, your sweetest theme;
Shine forth, ye eyes of brightness, to that Sun
Which fills you with the rays of righteousness;
Oh, plead for Christ and Peace, they are but one,
He speaks the echo of His voice is Peace.
Since trifles make the sum of human things,
And half our misery from our foibles springs;
Since life's best joys consist in peace and ease,
And few can save, or serve, but all may please
Oh! let th' ungentle spirit learn from hence,
A small unkindness is a great offence.
Large bounties to bestow we wish in vain ;
But all may shun the guilt of giving pain.
To bless mankind with tides of flowing wealth,
With power to grace them, or to crown with health,
Our little lots denies; but heaven decrees
To all the gift of ministering to ease.
The gentle offices of patient love,
Beyond all flattery and all price above-
The mild forbearance at another's fault,
The taunting word suppressed as soon as thought:
On these Heaven bade the bliss of life depend,
And crushed ill fortune when it made a friend.
A solitary blessing few can find;
Our joys with those we love are intertwined;
And he, whose helpful tenderness removes
The obstructing thorn which wounds the breast he loves,
Smooths not another's rugged path alone,
But scatters roses to adorn his own.
The hint malevolent, the look oblique,
The obvious satire or implied dislike;
The sneer equivocal, the harsh reply,
And all the cruel language of the eye;
The artful injury, whose venomed dart
Scarce wounds the hearing, while it stabs the heart:
The guarded phrase whose meaning kills; yet told,
The listener wonders how you thought it cold;'
Small slights, contempt, neglect, unmixed with hate,
Make up in number what they want in weight.
These, and a thousand griefs minute as these,
Corrode our comfort and destroy our ease.
When rudely handled, or severely pressed,
How sweet the fragrance from thy leaves expressed;
Injured by man, a lesson here we learn,
For malice, love-for evil, good return.
"Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven."-Luke vi. 37.
Thus wisdom speaks aloud, and yet
Pride hardly will resign,
Though to forgive and to forget,
Is godlike-is divine.
When injured, I can scarce tell how
To pass the injury by ;
My angry spirit will not bow,
Nor let resentment die.
The heaving billows swell within,
Till all is tempest grown,
And thus I share another's sin,
And make his guilt my own.
But come, my proud, my selfish heart,
One serious thought bestow,
Do I thus act the Christian's part?
Has Jesus acted so?
Just the reverse! His generous breast
Did kind compassion move;
When sinners curst, the Saviour blest,
And injuries paid with love.
Although by wicked hands He died,
With the last breath He drew,
"Father forgive!" He sweetly cried-
Himself forgave them too.
Jesus, I hide my head in shame,
I blush and weep to see,
That I, who wear thy sacred name,
No more resemble Thee.
O the sharp pangs He underwent,
When He my sorrows bore;
And shall I trifling wrongs resent?
No, I'll resent no more !
I'll seize the offending brother's hand,
And call him still my
My angry passions I'll disband,
And every quarrel end.
Why should we differ by the way?
Why should dissensions come?
We hope to spend an endless day,
In one eternal home.
Malice and rage be banished far,
Revenge, farewell to you,
I'm a delinquent at that bar,
Where he stands guilty too.
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