THE LOYAL SUBJECT. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His Saints." PSALM XCVI. 15. RECIOUS, precious to Jehovah is His children's holy sleep; He is with them in the passing through the waters cold and deep: Such the verses, Frances Ridley, that thy pen had lately written, Scarcely six short hours have passèd, since I read with heartfelt pleasure And like thine in memory painted by a not less loyal hand. And in love those lines were written, and in love those flowers were painted, Early reached the shore of Canaan through the Jordan's "cold deep" flood. Frances, thine was not the sceptre, nor the state and purple regal: Contemplate the humble mortals who were stationed at thy feet; But thou could'st with loftier purpose fix thy gaze on the blue sky, Loyalest of loyal subjects, nothing was enough to bring To the constant daily service of thy Saviour and THY KING, Hand and foot and mind and memory, intellect and will and tongue. Thou didst tell the ROYAL BOUNTY, and so peal the MORNING BELLS LOYAL thy RESPONSES ever to THE ROYAL INVITATION: How to heed THE KING'S COMMANDMENTS was thy constant contemplation, And REALITY imprinted on thy life as on thy rhymes, Will encourage the despondent in their melancholy times; For if thou who wast so buoyant, had such need His grace to seek, WHAT SHALL WE, then, DO WITHOUT HIM-we so feeble, frail and weak? For concealed THE SURFACE UNDER was the secret of thy zeal- Thou might'st made a LIFE MOSAIC to the honour of thy Lord. But thine earthly harp is silenced, and thine earthly notes are ended, And in Heaven's exceeding glory hast attained thy ZENITH height. And though set thy sun at noonday, and thy form in midnight gloom And in following thine example, some shall yet arise and sing, 1879. THE FAITHFUL AMBASSADOR. "We are Ambassadors for Christ." 2 COR. v. 20. HOU art lost to our sight, but we will not lament thee: Thou wert an ambassador active and loyal, Thine errand of mercy was worthily run; Though the mission assigned thee was princely and royal No negligence blotted thy message or blurred it, Thy words were all weighty, thy lips heavy-laden, The godly and godless, the people and pastor, Their duty as Christians thou labouredst to teach; THE FAITHFUL AMBASSADOR. No tongue than thine own was more skilful in pleading To fireside religion—“ Religion at Home." In the wards of the hospital destined to languish And the method thus wisely and kindly suggested Thy words and thy life and thy labours are ended, But few whose well-being thy care has befriended More than those who must live by the sweat of their brow. [Thou regarded'st the Sabbath and marriage as flowers The Sabbath for rest and for solemn communion Thou hast gone to thy rest, and thy seat is vacated, The place that has known thee shall know thee no more; Had the choice been with us we'd have found thee a mitre, But thy Master obtained thee a robe that was whiter, And therefore we cannot and dare not regret thee, But shall not in consequence ever forget thee, Or lightly esteem or thy words or thy worth. But will strive like thyself, spite of sneering or taunting, To be what thou urged'st us early and late; That if " weighed in the balance we be not "found wanting," And tested as Christians prove Christians "short-weight.' 모 Nor shall we forget thy last dying injunction, "No word of eulogium to speak of the dead; That thy gifts were conferred and but blest in conjunction With grace from on high from thy spiritual Head: And if need there appear with the newly-departed That words from the pulpit the people should reach, Yet surely we shall not thy wish be transgressing If this commendation we briefly record, That in death as in life thou wert firm in confessing 'Twas grace, sovereign grace, that thy ransom effected, And hadst thou e'en been the most holy of mortals And why should we seek to extol or commend thee, For 'twas He, not His creatures, by whom it was spoken But oh! we would pray that thy mantle depending That he, like thyself, may deliver his message That they in each virtue may grow and abound. 1880. A RATIONAL ARTкen. "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord; and the people whom He hath chosen for His own inheritance." PSALM XXXiii. 12. 66 Happy is that people, that is in such a case; yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord."-PSALM exliv. 15. EJOICE! Great Britain, praise thy God, and shout aloud for joy; Praise Him, unshackled Britons! for your free and happy land, Then set thy bells a-ringing; And set thy children singing To Him glad lays of hearty praise Who crowns with goodness all their days: O'er hill and plain loud swell the strain, To praise Great Britain's God! And praise Him for thy lofty hills, and for thy lowly vales, And praise Him for their song when swept by every passing breeze. And praise Him that beneath the soil laid up in ample store, Then set thy bells a-ringing; And set thy children singing To Him glad lays of hearty praise Who crowns with goodness all thy days: To praise Great Britain's God! Praise Him for bursting beauties in the ever-welcome spring And the exquisite pale primrose 'midst the old leaves brown and sere. For summer's scorching sun give thanks, and for refreshing showers, |