His faithful counsel, tender care,
Unwearied love, and humble prayer, -
O, these still claim the grateful tear,
And all my drooping courage cheer.

If loud the wind, the tempest high,
And darkness wraps the sullen sky,
I muse on life's tempestuous sea,
And sigh, O Lord, to come to thee.

Tossed on the deep and swelling wave,
O, mark my trembling soul, and save!
Give to my view that haven near,

Where thou wilt chase each grief and fear.

NOEL.

CORRECTION NEEDED.

"Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?"-Lam. iii. 39.

WISH not, dear friends, my pain away;

Wish me a wise and thankful heart,

With God, in all my griefs, to stay,
Nor from his loved correction start.

The dearest offering he can crave,
His portion in our souls to prove,
What is it to the gift he gave,

The only Son of his dear love?

In life's long sickness, evermore
Our thoughts are tossing to and fro;
We change our posture o'er and o’er,
But cannot rest, nor cheat our woe.

Were it not better to lie still,

Let him strike home, and bless the rod ?
Never so safe as when our will

Yields, undiscerned by all, to God./

KEBLE.

THE LEPER.

"And, behold, there came a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou

wilt, thou canst make me clean."- Matt. viii. 2.

OFT as the leper's case I read,

My own, described, I feel;

Sin is a leprosy, indeed,

Which none but Christ can heal.

Lord, thou canst heal me if thou wilt,
For thou canst all things do;
O, cleanse my leprous soul from guilt,
My filthy heart renew!

Come, lepers, seize the present hour,
The Saviour's grace to prove;
He can relieve, for he is power, –
He will, for he is love.

THE SICK-ROOM.

"The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth."- Ps. cxlv. 18.

WATCHING, through the silent hours,
By the unrefreshed bed,

Where disease arrays his powers,
Whence repose is banished,-
Where time halteth, sad and slow,
Thou art with me, Lord, I know.

When the vital forces seem
Dwindled to as faint a spark
As the taper's sickly gleam,
Making darkness doubly dark,-
Lord! I bless thee, that thou art
Near, to stay the sinking heart.

When the flame, reviving, burns
Gently, and, at sleep's soft touch,
Anguish yields, and hope returns,
Dove-like, to the smoothèd couch,-
With an anxious, deep-drawn sigh,
Lord, I praise thee, ever nigh.

In the dim, religious gloom,

Where "expressive silence" broods

O'er the closely-curtained room,
Nor a stirring breath intrudes, -

As in silent prayer I kneel,
Thou art present, Lord, I feel.

When reluctant hope is fled,
When the pulses beat no more,
And the last farewell is said,

And the war of life is o'er,
Lord, both the spirit and the dust
Of our beloved, to thee we trust.

CHASTISEMENT MISIMPROVED.

"For God speaketh once, yea, twice, yet man perceiveth it not." — Job xxxiii. 11.

How oft, upon my feverish bed,

By pain and darkness pressed,

I have rejoiced, with thankful heart,
That this was not my rest;

And that earth's troubles sure were given,
To fix our wayward hearts on heaven.

But when it pleased my God, who sent
Those hours of wearying pain,

His rod in mercy to withdraw,

And give me health again,

My heart earth's trifles still would prize,
And draw my wishes from the skies.

O, what a sinful heart is mine,
Ungrateful and unwise,

My Saviour's love thus to neglect,
His chastenings to despise,-

And please this weak, frail form of clay,
Made soon to fade and pass away!

I have no strength, I have no power,
One good resolve to keep;
Will the great Shepherd turn again
His wandering, faithless sheep;
And lead me from delusive toys,
To holy, high, and endless joys?

And staff, whate'er the cost;
Though thou mayst bid me all resign,
O, save me, Lord, and own me thine!

SPIRITUAL HEALING.

"And Jesus went about healing all manner of sickness, and all manner of disease among the people." — Matt. iv. 23.

YE mourning sinners, here disclose

Your deep complaints, your various woes;