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PSALM CXXX.

ROM the depths of grief and fear,
O Lord! to Thee my soul repairs:
From Thy heaven bow down Thine ear;

Let Thy mercy meet my prayers.
Oh, if Thou mark'st

What's done amiss,

What soul so pure

Can see Thy bliss?

But with Thee sweet mercy stands,
Sealing pardons, working fear:
Wait my soul, wait on His hands

s;

Wait mine eye, oh, wait mine ear!
If He His eye

Or tongue affords,
Watch all His looks,

Catch all His words.

As a watchman waits for day,

And looks for light, and looks again; When the night grows old and gray,

To be relieved he calls amain;

So look, so wait,

So long mine eyes,

To see my Lord,

My Sun arise.

PHINEAS FLETCHER.

1584-1650.

LEVAVI OCULOS.

IN trouble for my sin, I cried to God,—

To the Great God who dwelleth in the deeps. The deeps return not any voice or sign.

But with my soul I know Thee, O Great God;
The soul Thou givest knoweth Thee, Great God;
And with my soul I sorrow for my sin;

Full sure I am there is no joy in sin ;
Joy-scented peace is trampled under foot,
Like a white growing blossom into mud.

Sin is established subtly in the heart
As a disease; like a magician foul

Ruleth the better thoughts against their will.

Only the rays of God can cure the heart,
Purge it of evil: there's no other way
Except to turn with the whole heart to God.

In heavenly sunlight live no shades of fear;
The soul there, busy or at rest, hath peace;
And music floweth from the various world.

The Lord is great and good, and is our God.
There needeth not a word but only these;
Our God is good, our God is great. 'Tis well!

All things are ever God's; the shows of things
Are of men's fantasy, and warped with sin;
God, and the things of God, immutable.

O great good God, my prayer is to neglect
The shows of fantasy, and turn myself

To Thy unfenced, unmeasured warmth and light!

Then were all shows of things a part of truth:
Then were my soul, if busy or at rest,

Residing in the house of perfect peace!

WILLIAM ALLINGHAM.

O

PSALM LVII.

THOU from whom all mercy springs,
Compassionate my sufferings,
And pity me,

That trust in Thee!

Oh, shelter with Thy shady wings,

Until these stormes of woe

Cleare up, or overblow.

GEORGE SANDYS. 1577-1643.

FATHER, I HAVE SINNED.

L

OVE for all! and can it be?

Can I hope it is for me?

I, who strayed so long ago,
Strayed so far, and fell so low?

I, the disobedient child,
Wayward, passionate, and wild;
I, who left my Father's home
In forbidden ways to roam!

I, who spurned His loving hold;
I, who would not be controlled;
I, who would not hear His call;
I, the wilful prodigal.

To my Father can I go? –
At His feet myself I'll throw:
In His house there yet may be
Place, a servant's place, for me.

See, my Father waiting stands ;
See, He reaches out His hands:
God is love! I know, I see,
There is love for me, even me!

SAMUEL LONGFELLOW.

GOD'S SURE HELP IN SORROW.

L

EAVE all to God,

Forsaken one, and stay thy tears;

For the Highest knows thy pain,

Sees thy sufferings and thy fears;

Thou shalt not wait His help in vain ;

Leave all to God.

Be still and trust!

For His strokes are strokes of love,
Thou must for thy profit bear;
He thy filial fear would move,
Trust thy Father's loving care,
Be still and trust!

Know, God is near!

Though thou think Him far away,
Though His mercy long have slept,
He will come and not delay,

When His child enough hath wept,

For God is near!

Oh, teach Him not

When and how to hear thy prayers;
Never doth our God forget;

He the cross who longest bears

Finds his sorrows' bounds are set;

Then teach Him not.