When fear her chilling mantle flings
O'er earth, my soul to heaven above,
As to her sanctuary, springs,

For God is love,

When mystery clouds my darkened path,
I'll check my dread, my doubts reprove;
In this my soul sweet comfort hath,
That God is love.

The entanglement which restless thought,
Mistrust, and idle reasoning wove,
Are thus unravelled and unwrought,-
For God is love.

Yes, God is love, a thought like this

—a

Can every gloomy thought remove,
And turn all tears, all woes, to bliss,
For God is love.

BOWRING.

PILGRIM! IS THY JOURNEY DREAR?

"Leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation!"— Ps. xxvii. 9.

PILGRIM is thy journey drear?

Are its lights extinct for ever?
Still suppress the rising fear,—

God forsakes the righteous, never!

Storms may gather o'er thy path,
All the ties of life may sever;
Still, amid the fear and death,

God forsakes the righteous, never!

Pain may rack thy wasting frame,
Health desert thy couch for ever,
Faith still burns with deathless flame,
God forsakes the righteous, never!

MRS. SOUTHEY.

STRENGTH ACCORDING TO THE DAY.

"As thy days, so shall thy strength be.". - Deut. xxxiii. 25.

WAIT, my soul, upon the Lord,
To his gracious promise flee,
Laying hold upon his word,

"As thy day, thy strength shall be."

If the sorrows of thy case

Seem peculiar still to thee,
God has promised needful grace,-
"As thy day, thy strength shall be."

"As thy day, thy strength shall be."

Rock of Ages, I'm secure,

With thy promise full and free;
Faithful, positive, and sure,

"As thy day, thy strength shall be."

TRIALS A BLESSING.

"Count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations." - James i. 2.

"T is my happiness below,
Not to live without the cross,
But the Saviour's power to know,
Sanctifying every loss.

Trials must and will befall,

But with humble faith to see
Love inscribed upon them all,
This is happiness to me.

God in Israel sows the seeds
Of affliction, pain, and toil;
These spring up and choke the weeds,
Which would else o'erspread the soil.

Trials make the promise sweet,

Trials give new life to prayer,

Trials bring me to his feet,

Lay me low, and keep me there.

Did I meet no trials here,

No correction by the way,

Might I not, with reason, fear
I should prove a castaway?
Worldlings may escape the rod,
Sunk in earthly, vain delight;
But the true-born child of God
Must not, would not, if he might.

CowPER.

THANKFUL AND UNTHANKFUL.

"For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he."- Prov. xxiii. 7.

SOME murmur when their sky is clear,
And wholly bright to view,

If one small speck of dark appear

In their great heaven of blue;
And some with thankful love are filled,
If but one streak of light,

One ray of God's good mercy, gild
The darkness of their night.

In palaces are hearts that ask,
In discontent and pride,
Why life is such a dreary task,

And all good things denied:
And hearts in poorest huts admire
How love has in their aid

(Love, that not ever seems to tire) Such rich provision made.

R. C. TRENCH.

"BE OF GOOD CHEER."

"Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down."- Heb. xii. 11, 12.

O, CHEER thee, cheer thee, suffering saint!
Though worn with chastening, be not faint!
And, though thy night of pain seem long,
Cling to thy Lord,-in him be strong;
He marks, he numbers every tear,
Not one faint sigh escapes his ear.

power,

O, cheer thee, cheer thee! now's the hour
To him to lift thine eye for
His all-sufficiency to show,
Now in extremity of woe;

While in the furnace to lie still,

This is, indeed, to do his will.

Then cheer thee, cheer thee! though the flame

Consume thy wasting, suffering frame,

His gold shall suffer harm nor loss,
He will but purge away the dross,
And fit it, graced with many a gem,
To form his glorious diadem.

And he will cheer thee, he will calm
Thy pain intense with heavenly balm,
Show thee the martyr's white-robed throng,
Thy place prepared, that host among;