But to be near-and feel that nearness-near

Unto my Lord; to have a thrilling sense
Of blessedness, the certainty of joy

At hand yet greater; safe, for ever safe.
A moment since, by cruel foes pursued ;
Now, nestling 'neath the everlasting Wings,
Conscious and glad of their most tender shade ;—
So to be resting, would be sweet. And yet
To live for Christ-to live to do His pleasure,
In His strength to run the race, or wrestle;
To fight the fight, clad in His panoply,
Knowing that He looks on the while, and smiles,
By love unfathomable ever moved—

To go and tell to others of His grace,

The riches of His wisdom and His truth,

The bliss unutterable of the life

That is in Him.

To win them as they lie

Wallowing in sin, or dead in trespasses,
To wake, and rise, and see His glorious light
And come to Him, and bathe themselves anew
In the all-healing fountain of His blood
And so be clean, and whiter than the snow,

And clothed with Him-the Righteousness of Saints.
Surely a life so spent is blessedness

And all too little to repay His love,

The love of His most costly sacrifice.

Which shall I choose-living, to live to Christ

Or dying, die to Him-which shall I choose?

Whichever of the twain shall to Thy glory be,
That, Lord, I pray Thou wilt appoint for me.

H. VAUGHAN.

THEY
`HEY are all gone into a world of light,
And I alone sit lingering here!
Their very memory is fair and bright,
And my sad thoughts doth clear.

It glows and glitters in my cloudy breast,
Like stars upon some gloomy grove,

Or those faint beams in which this hill is drest
After the sun's remove.

I see them walking in an air of glory
Whose light doth trample on my days;
My days, which are at best but dull and hoary,
Mere glimmerings and decays.

O holy hope and high humility
High as the heavens above!

These are your walks, and you have show'd them me,

To kindle my cold love.

Dear beauteous death; the jewel of the just!

Shining nowhere but in the dark ;

What mysteries do lie beyond thy dust,

Could man out-look that mark.

He that hath found some fledged bird's nest may know

At first sight if the bird be flown;

But what fair dell or grove he sings in now,

That is to him unknown.

And yet, as angels in some brighter dreams,
Call to the soul when man doth sleep,

So some strange thoughts transcend our wonted themes,
And into glory peep.

THE evening brings all home.

THERE remaineth therefore a rest to the people

of God.

Heb. iv. 9.

THIRTY-FIRST DAY.

The Joy of the Lord.

THE sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

Isaiah lx. 19, 20.

His lord said unto him, Well done, good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.

St. Matt. xxv. 23.

Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

And I saw no temple therein: for the Almighty and the Lamb are the temple of it.

1 Cor. ii. 9.

Lord God And the city

had no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it : for the glory of God did lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it: and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And the gates of it shall not be shut at all by day: for there shall be no night there. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it. And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb's book of life. And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month : and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him and they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads. And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

Rev. xxi. 22-27; xxii. 1-5.