Out of the darkness of the night, Out of the silence and the dark, Of love that lasts, of joy that stays, For God made everything! Across earth's dim cloud-shadowed ways, Beams Love, all-conquering! LUCY NICHOLSON. Yea, Lord, we bless Thee that out of all things as we proceed toward Thee, we come to Thee and to all imaginable and unimaginable Glory. Out of darkness to dawn, out of silence to song, out of the less to the large, so always is it when Thou art our Goal. We bless Thee this is so. So we ourselves have found it. Thou art our Glory and the Bringer of Glory to our lives, and so we praise Thee. Amen. WILLIAM A. QUAYLE. Fear not, O soul, that thou shalt sink too low ! And depth on depth is mercy under thee, And fear not thou, although thou climbest high. MARY ELEANOR ROBERTS. Lord, the troubled waves of Galilee lay quiet in Thy peace, when stern rebuke from Thee had stilled the storm that tossed them to the heavens; and so rebuke we pray, dear Lord, the winds of passion and the storms of strife, that vex and drive us as they will, and let Thy peace descend upon our life till it shall quiet lie, reflecting fair the beauty and the light that from Thy presence shine as shine the stars from out the depths of night. And Lord, to-day, the darkness gone, the storm-cloud fled away, let Thy presence, we beseech of Thee, give life and light and cheer to him whom Thou didst rescue from the night and storm; so we will rest in Thee and bless Thy name throughout the day made golden by Thy love. Amen. GEORGE E. BARBER, I heard a bird flood all the night Many the birds and folk by day, Who bravely sing through sorrow's night ! Thou hast made all things to praise Thee, O Lord. Morning, noon, and night are Thine, and their voices unite in glorifying Thy great and holy name. Thou art the God of the sunshine and the shadow. Thy benediction crowns them both, and they together magnify Thee. The whole earth is full of Thy glory. The flowers, the trees, the heavens, and the birds hymn Thy perfections. Thou makest glad the heart of man. In the morning of joy and in the night of sorrow, Thou strengthenest Thy children to do Thy will. We bear our burdens with a song of triumph. We sing through the day and we sing through the night. We deeply rejoice and are thankful that nothing can separate us from Thy love in Jesus Christ. Amen. JOHN M. ENGLISH. EVENING Dim grows the wood; the amber evening tints MIDNIGHT A holy song the thrush has distant sung; Twelve strokes, slow tolled, that faint and fade from me. MORNING A shaft of gold upon my upturned face As fleeting and as shy as any fawn; Sweet odors, stirring minds and forms of grace; RICHARD BURTON. Eternal Light, we lift our hearts to Thee, at the dawn of this new-made day. We have been protected by Thy love through the helpless hours of the night; now we lay our powers in Thy hand to be guided through the busy hours of the day. O Thou who saidst, in the beginning, "Let there be light," speak that magic word to our hearts this morning. Dispel the darkness of sin and sorrow by the shining of Thy face. Make, for us, each dawning day a symbol of Heaven where we shall see Thee face to face when the day breaks and the shadows flee away. Amen. H. GRANT PERSON. I bowed to a tree, and his thought unto me !!" Was, "Bless you, O bless you, O bless you! I smiled at the sky, and the blue seemed to cry, "O bless you, O bless you, O bless you!" 66 I chirped to a bird, and the answer I heard Was, "Bless you, O bless you, O bless you!" I sang everywhere, and the echoing air Rang, "Bless you, O bless you, God bless you!" The mountain and vale, the dell and the dale, Of "Bless you, O bless you, God bless you! Father in heaven and in the earth, we thank Thee that blessing is everywhere. "The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament showeth his handiwork." We are glad that when our mood is right everything in the heavens and in the earth becomes a new and divine voice proclaiming the goodness of God. The trees and flowers and birds and sky; the mountains, the land, the sea, all shout to us "God bless you." O Lord, let Thy spirit touch our spirits that our mood may invite the blessing. Amen. GEORGE L. PERIN. |