488. When youth a thousand blessings brought, When manhood came my brow was bound At last old age, with stern decree, Drew near, and nought my life could save: As pain and weakness call'd on me, So now I loudly call to thee, The grave! The grave!-The grave! 489. Fourscore were the years of his earthly life, The truth of this portion of Scripture he knew, And look'd forward through Christ, who is faithful and true, In the mansions above to be bless'd. 490. Look round upon this scene of death, The fool through every passing hour, The wise man dares not waste his time, O wouldst thou from the page of truth, Go on thy way, improve to-day, And bless'd shall be to-morrow. 491. Though through this wilderness I wander'd blind, freed. "Let there be light," he cried, "and there was light," indeed! 492. Upheld in gladness and in gloom, 493. When, in contemplating the grave, the rich feel themselves to be poor; when the strong are feeble, and the brave tremble;-then the Christian, undismayed, can say, "Though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God." 494. I lov'd thee, fond partner, and love was thy due I lov'd thee, fond partner, and tenderly too : thee. I cannot forget thee, but cling to the scene Where, in days that are faded, thy footprints have been Where in moments of joy we have wander'd alone, And, with all its fond beatings, thy heart was my own. When my spirit is sad, and my bosom oppress'd, Thy faith in thy Saviour gives peace to my breast; I remember thy love, thine affection for me, And I smile mid my sorrows when thinking of thee. I smile, though my pathway is shrouded with gloom I smile, though thy dust is consign'd to the tomb; For I gaze on the skies when most bright they appear, As thy heaven and thy home, and I long to be there. 495. With the bright hope of immortality we commit her mortal remains to the tomb, having full faith in the merits of that Redeemer in whom she wholly trusted, and believing, as she believed, in "the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting." 496. Think not that earthly bliss can last For sorrow's tear and rapture's ray The dream that hope created. 497. This mouldering stone, thou passer-by, The tenant of this grave below If thou wilt fix where troubles roam, But if with humble heart, through grace, Thy life is hurrying fast away; 498. O tongue can never tell, nor rhymes impart, |