THE WAY TO THE CHAPTER HOUSE.

Thy messengers of pity; from Heaven's door

The star its silver image shoots below,

Seen instantaneous in the wat'ry floor;

So quick 'tween Earth and Heaven thy beams of mercy pour!

V.

Into my cold and leaden spirit stream,

Out of thy Star of beauty, that doth burn
Around my Saviour's brow! O grant one beam,
One faint, dim emanation from thine urn,
Which e'en in me may so responsive turn,
Like magnet to thy pole, that I may rove
No longer. I my daily path would earn,
And gather tow'rd the haven; I would move
On by thy light till lost in everlasting love.

VI.

Oh! hide me in Thy temple, ark serene,

Where safe upon the swell of this rude sea,
I might survey the stars, Thy towers between,
And might pray always; not that I would be
Uplifted, or would fain not dwell with Thee
On the rough waters, but in soul within

I sigh for Thy pure calm, serene and free;
I too would prove Thy temple, 'mid the din
Of earthly things, unstain'd by care or sin!

VII.

Into the deeps, where Ev'ning holds her court, A feather'd flock are winging their wild flight, Now gradual fading far, now borne athwart, And seen again, now lost in Infinite And Sea of purple; we, with eager sight Would match their soaring wings, as on the swell Of music, ling'ring in some vaulted heightThen sink, and feel our chain and earthly cell ;— When shall the soul be free, and in those glories dwell? Isaac Williams.

AUTUMNAL SEED-VESSELS.

BEAUTIFUL urns, that neither spun nor sow'd,
Baring your laden vessels to Heaven's eye,
Like manhood goodly deeds; 'neath Autumn's sky
Dropping your purple youth, and glittering hood.
What sunbeams build you in your quietude,
So far beyond art's labour'd mimicry;

Each varied, each their wild variety

In union blend, a sylvan sisterhood!

The hand that spann'd and painted yon blue dome,

Is in th' autumnal urn and vernal bell,

Shrining strange beauty in a flow'ret's cell.

Oh, how much more, flower of immortal bloom,

Within thee, and around thee, doth He dwell,

Tempering that shadowy world whose key-stone is the tomb!

Williams.

THE ANGEL OF MARRIAGE.

'TWAS God Himself to Adam brought

His one appointed bride,

And by Himself the gift that wrought,

The gift was sanctified.

And for his son when Abraham sent

To seek the destin'd maid,

God's angel watch before him went,
And all their path arrayed.

THE ANGEL OF MARRIAGE.

An angel at Tobias' side

By Tigris' banks is bound,

An unknown yet protecting guide,
Till Sarah hath been found.

I deem that these, and such as these,
Unknown to sight or sense,
Do speak in marriage destinies
Unwonted providence.

A special guiding beyond all
Mysteriously attends

By Him who makes the secret call,
And hallows all the ends.

And therefore those I deem unwise,
Fond tales of earthly love,
Which seem to trifle with the ties

Hid in God's hand above.

Of patient fear we need far more,
And more of faith's repose,
Of looking more to God before
Till He His will disclose.

For better far than passion's glow,
Or aught of worldly choice,
To listen His own will to know,
And listening hear His voice.

To fear lest led by Heaven's own guide
We have a human will,

Which clings for evil to our side

Its judgments to fulfil.

THE ANGEL OF MARRIAGE.

The ambitious mother, and the dressAlas! they little know

How much more care in caring less,

God's better choice undo.

But this I write, my little child,
Which you one day may read,
To flee such faithless fancies wild,
Thy God thine only need.

And in these thoughts to read the sign

Of nobler things allied,

To know a leading more divine,

A more enduring Bride.

If thus a Watch peculiar waits

On marriages below,

So intertwined with human fates
For this world's weal or woe;

How beautiful, how sweet the Guide
When God shall send His Dove,
And lead us onward by our side
To everlasting Love!

Williams

WHEN Lazarus left his charnel-cave,

And home to Mary's house return'd,
Was this demanded-if he yearn'd

To hear her weeping by his grave?