Man's statutes do not wake our fear;
Man frowns, - - yet smile we still;
For us the unfailing Spirit's cheer,
For us the Eternal will.
Thine own we are, Almighty One!
Thine own would ever be:
Endless Thy dear dominion,
Our glorious liberty!
FOLLOWERS OF GOD AS DEAR CHILDREN.'
WE follow, Lord, where Thou dost lead,
And, quickened, would ascend to Thee,
Redeemed from sin, set free indeed
Into Thy glorious liberty.
We cast behind fear, sin, and death;
With Thee we seek the things above;
Our inmost souls Thy spirit breathe,
Of power, of calmness, and of love.
The power, 'mid worldliness and sin,
To do, in all, our Father's will;
With Thee, the victory to win,
And bid each tempting voice be still.
The calmness perfect faith inspires,
Which waiteth patiently and long;
The love which faileth not, nor tires,
Triumphant over every wrong.
Thus through Thy quickening spirit, Lord, Thy perfect life in us reveal,
And help us, as we live to God,
Still more and more with man to feel.
ALAS the outer emptiness!
What life has it to give!
O, shall it God's own fire oppress?
Soul, wilt thou slightly live?
Some joy of thine own seeking win;
To thine own strength repair;
Breathe, breathe the awful life within;
Feel all the glory there.
Thyself amid the silence clear,
The world far off and dim,
Thy vision free, thy God so near,
Thyself alone with Him!
The silence thronged, how gloriously,
With business how divine!
God's glory passing into thee,
All heaven becoming thine!
The rapture, mighty, measureless,
In each eternal thing;
The mingling with Almightiness,
The dwelling by life's Spring!
Thus deeply live, thus greatly watch,
Soul, be thus inly bright,
All outer things must smile, must catch
The strong transcendent light.
WE the weak ones, we the sinners,
Would not in our poorness stay,
We the low ones would be winners
Of what holy height we may ;
To Thy pure and perfect day.
Shall things withered, fashions olden, Keep us from life's flowing spring? Waits for us the promise golden, Waits each new diviner thing. Onward, onward!
Why this faithless tarrying?
By each saving word unspoken,
By Thy truth, as yet half won,
By each idol yet unbroken,
By Thy will, yet poorly done,
Hear us, hear us,
Thou Almighty, help us on!
Nearer to Thee would we venture,
Of Thy truth more largely take,
Upon life diviner enter,
Into day more glorious break.
To the ages,
Fair bequests and costly make.
COMMUNE WITH THINE OWN HEART.'
O THOU great God! whose piercing eye
Distinctly marks each deep recess,
In these sequestered hours draw nigh,
And with Thy presence fill the place.
Through all the mazes of my heart
My search let heavenly wisdom guide,
And still its radiant beams impart,
Till all be searched and purified.
Then with the visits of Thy love
Do Thou mine inmost spirit cheer,
Till every grace shall join to prove
That God has fixed His dwelling here.
UNITE, my roving thoughts, unite
In silence soft and sweet:
And thou, my soul, sit gently down
At thy great Sovereign's feet.
The Almighty's awful voice is heard,
Yet gladly I attend;
For lo! the Everlasting God
Proclaims Himself my friend.
Harmonious accents to my soul
The sounds of peace convey
The tempest at His word subsides,
And winds and seas obey.
By all its joys, I charge my heart
To grieve His love no more;
But, charmed by melody divine,
To give its follies o'er.
FAR from the world, O Lord! I flee,
From strife and tumult far;
From scenes where sin is waging still
Its most successful war.
The calm retreat, the silent shade,
With prayer and praise agree;
And seem by Thy sweet bounty made,
For those who follow Thee.
There, if Thy presence cheer the soul her mean abode,
O, with what peace, and joy, and love, She communes with her God!
There, like the nightingale, she pours Her solitary lays;
Nor asks a witness of her song,
Nor thirsts for human praise.
Author and Guardian of my life,
Sweet Source of light divine,
And all harmonious names in one—
My Father! Thou art mine!
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