XX.

CONTENTMENT.

E thou content; be ftill before

His face, at whose right hand doth

reign

Fulness of joy for evermore,

Without whom all thy toil is vain.

He is thy living fpring, thy fun, whofe rays
Make glad with life and light thy dreary days.

Be thou content.

In Him is comfort, light, and grace,
And changeless love beyond our thought;

The forest pang, the worst disgrace,

If He is there, shall harm thee not.

He can lift off thy cross, and loose thy bands, And calm thy fears, nay, death is in His hands. Be thou content.

Or art thou friendless and alone,

Haft none in whom thou canft confide? God careth for thee, lonely one,

Comfort and help He will provide.

He fees thy forrows and thy hidden grief,
He knoweth when to fend thee quick relief.
Be thou content.

Thy heart's unfpoken pain He knows,
Thy fecret fighs He hears full well;

D

What to none else thou dar'ft disclose,
To Him thou mayft with boldness tell.
He is not far away, but ever nigh,

And answereth willingly the poor man's cry.
Be thou content.

We know for us a reft remains,

When God will give us fweet release From earth and all our mortal chains, And turn our fufferings into peace. Sooner or later death will furely come, To end our forrows and to take us home : Be thou content.

Home to the chofen ones, who here
Served the Lord faithfully and well,
Who died in peace without a fear,
And there in peace for ever dwell;

The everlasting is their joy and stay,

The Eternal Word Himself to them doth say,

Be thou content.

PAUL GERHART, 1670.

XXI.

CHRIST.

ELL for him who all things lofing,
E'en himself doth count as nought,
Still the one thing needful choofing
That with all true blifs is fraught !

Well for him who nothing knoweth
But his God, whofe boundless love
Makes the heart wherein it gloweth,
Calm and pure as faints above!

Well for him who all forfaking
Walketh not in fhadows vain,

But the path of peace is taking
Through this vale of tears and pain!

Oh that we our hearts might sever
From earth's tempting vanities,.

Fixing them on Him for ever,

In whom all our fulness lies!

Oh that we might Him difcover,

Whom with longing love we've fought,.

Joining us to Him for ever,

For without Him all is nought!

Thou abyfs of love and goodness,
Draw us by Thy cross to Thee,
That our fenfes, foul and fpirit,
Ever one with Chrift may be !

17th Cent.

XXII.

ETERNITY.

TERNITY, Eternity!

How long art thou, Eternity!
A circle infinite art thou,
Thy centre an eternal Now,
Never, we name thy outer bound,
For never end therein is found.

!

Ponder, O man, Eternity!

Eternity Eternity!

How long art thou, Eternity!

A little bird with fretting beak

Might wear to nought the loftiest peak,
Though but each thousand years it came;
Yet thou wert then, as now, the fame.
Ponder, O man, Eternity!

Eternity Eternity!

How long art thou, Eternity!

They who lived poor and naked rest

With God, for ever rich and blest,
And love and praise the highest good,
In perfect bliff and gladfome mood.
Ponder, O man, Eternity!

Eternity Eternity!

How long art thou, Eternity!
Lo, I, Eternity, warn thee,

O Man, that oft thou think on me,
The finner's punishment and pain;

To them who love their God, rich gain!
Ponder, O Man, Eternity!

WULFFER, 1648.