RESURRECTION AND ASCENSION OF
DR. MARTIN MADAN.*
Hail the day that sees Him rise,
Ravished from our wishful eyes:
Christ, awhile to mortals given,
Re-ascends his native heaven.
There the mighty Conqueror waits,
"Lift your heads, eternal gates ;
Wide unfold the radiant scene;
Take the King of Glory in."
Circled round with angel-powers,
Their triumphant Lord and ours;
Conquerer o'er death, hell and sin;-
Take the King of Glory in
Him, though highest heaven receives,
Still he loves the earth he leaves;
Though returned to his throne,
Still he calls mankind his own.
See, he lifts his hands above;
See, he shews the fruits of love;
Hark! his gracious lips bestow
Blessings on his church below:
*The cousin and friend of the poet Cowper.
Still for us he intercedes,
Prevalent, his death he pleads;
Next himself prepares our place,
Saviour of the human race.
Master, (may we ever say,)
Taken from our head to-day,
See thy faithful servants, see!
Ever gazing up to thee!
Grant, though parted from our sight,
High above yon azure height,
Grant our hearts may thither rise,
Seeking thee beyond the skies.
Ever upward may we move,
Wafted on the wings of love,
Looking when our Lord shall come,
Longing, gasping after home!
There may we with thee remain,
Partners of thiné endless reign;
There, thy face unclouded see,
Find our heaven of heavens in thee!'
WATERS TO SWIM IN.- Ezekiel xlvii : 5.
REV. RAY PALMER.
The ray of spiritual light upon
The soul first beaming,
So passing sweet it is, he thinks,
He is but dreaming.
"Tis like a crystal fountain, whose young tide In the parched meadows strives in vain to hide.
As onward in his course he goes,
His heavenly keeper
Leads him into a larger stream,
Broader and deeper
And there he bids him his young limbs to try
As youthful birds their wings before they fly.
A little farther onward still,
This young believer
Finds that the stream has now become
His sinewy arms the astonished swimmer plies, And the broad ocean greets his wondering eyes.
"O Lord, my God, do thou thy will
I will not stir, lest I forsake thine arm,
And break the charm
Which lulls me, clinging to my Fathers' breast,
In perfect rest!"
THE JOYS OF EARTH.
Few rightly estimate the worth
Of joys that spring and fade on earth;
They are not weeds we should despise,
They are not fruits of Paradise;
But wild flowers in the pilgrim's way,
That cheer, yet not protract his stay;
Which he may not too fondly clasp,
Lest they should perish in his grasp;
And yet may view, and wisely love,
As proofs and types of joys above:
"He went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God."
Who art thou- on the midnight air
Pouring out thy lonely prayer?
Who art thou? —on the mountain still
Crying, "Father! do thy will"?
My God! my God! I see thee now;
The humid dews upon thy brow,
Thy longing eye, thy bended form,
Thyself all naked to the storm;
The forest pines about thee cast
Their greenness on the mountain blast
The wandering stars, obscurely dim,
Hurrying draw their last rays in-
The captive clouds come black and torn
The moon affrighted, veils her horn-
But thou, O Saviour! wrapt in love,
Heedless of our nature's yearning,
Would draw my sense-chained soul above,
Precept by thine act confirming.
Wake, my soul! up, up! and flinging
All thy sluggish joys away,
Clasp the cross, and to it clinging,
Of thy Saviour learn to pray!
THE CRUCIFIXION.
O that my eyes would melt into a flood,
That I might plunge in tears for thee,
As thou didst swim in blood,
✪ that this flesh alembic would begin
See! how his pure, devoted arms are spread
To entertain death's welcome bands!
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