124 CHRIST STILLING THE TEMPEST. Be near, through life and death, Oh! star which led to Him, whose love In Heaven thou art not set, Thy rays earth may not dim; Oh! star which led to Him! CHRIST STILLING THE TEMPEST. "But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves ; for the wind was contrary."-St. Matthew, xiv. 24. FEAR was within the tossing bark, And men stood breathless in their dread, But One was there, who rose and said And the wind ceased-it ceased!-that word The troubled billows knew their Lord, And sank beneath his eye. And slumber settled on the deep, Thou that didst bow the billow's pride, Thy mandates to fulfil Speak, speak to passion's raging tide, Speak and Say- "Peace, be still!" CHRIST'S AGONY IN THE GARDEN. He knelt the Saviour knelt and pray'd, Look'd through the lonely garden's shade, The Lord of all, above, beneath, The sun set in a fearful hour, The skies might well grow dim, So to o'ershadow Him! That He who gave man's breath might know, The very depth of human wo. He knew them all-the doubt, the strife, It pass'd not-though the stormy wave It pass'd not-though to Him the grave But there was sent Him from on high A gift of strength, for man to die.* And was His mortal hour beset -How may we meet our conflict yet, In the dark, narrow way? How, but through Him, that path who trod ? Save, or we perish, Son of God! "And there appeared an angel unto him from heaven, strengthening him."-St. Luke, xxii. 43. 126 THE SUNBEAM. THE SUNBEAM. THOU art no lingerer in monarch's hall, Thou art walking the billows, and Ocean smiles- To the solemn depths of the forest-shades, Thou art streaming on through their green arcades, I look'd on the mountains-a vapour lay I look'd on the peasant's lowly cot- To the earth's wild places a guest thou art, Thou tak'st through the dim church-aisle thy way, And thou turnest not from the humblest grave, Sunbeam of summer, oh! what is like thee? The faith, touching all things with the hues of Heaven. THE TRAVELLER AT THE SOURCE OF THE NILE. IN sunset's light o'er Afric thrown, The cradle of that mighty birth, So long a hidden thing to earth. He heard its life's first murmuring sound, A music sought, but never found By kings and warriors gone; He listen'd-and his heart beat high- The rapture of a conqueror's mood Though stillness lay, with eve's last smile, Night came with stars :-across his soul No more than this!--what seem'd it now A thousand streams of lovelier flow 128 THE VAUDOIS VALLEYS. They call'd him back to many a glade, They call'd him, with their sounding waves, But darkly mingling with the thought The Arab's lance, the desert's gloom, Where was the glow of power and pride? He wept the stars of Afric's heaven Ev'n on that spot where fate had given -Oh happiness! how far we flee Thine own sweet paths in search of thee!* THE VAUDOIS VALLEYS. YES, thou hast met the sun's last smile, Thou hast seen the billows foam: *The arrival of Bruce at what he considered to be the source of the Nile was followed almost immediately by feelings thus suddenly fluctuating from triumph to despondence. See his Travels in Abys sinia. |