REASON AND FAITH.

HROUGH paths of pleasant thought I

ran,

False science sang enchanted airs;

She told of nature and of man,

And of the Godlike gifts he bears. But when I sat down by the way,

And thought out life, and thought out sin,

The burning truths that round me lay,

And all the weak, proud self within;

Still in my single soul there wrought
The sense of sin, the curse of doom,
'Till slowly broke upon my thought
An Eastern olive-garden's gloom.

Hung on Thy Cross 'twixt earth and heaven
I saw Thee, Son of man Divine ;
To Thee the bitter pain was given,
But all the heavy guilt was mine.

I know the serpent touched my heart,
I saw his trail on hand and brow;
No sinless thought, no perfect part,

But sullied breast and broken vow.
But then I felt my need of Thee,

And pride's illusions passed away; And oh that Thou hast died for me, Is more than all the world can say.

The wounded fawn in yonder glade,

Beside the doe seeks rest from harm;
The babe that scorned its mother's aid
Flies to her at the least alarm.
And thus I feel my need of Thee,

When sin and pride would tempt me most; And oh! that Thou hast died for me,

Is more than all the sceptic's boast.

REPENTANCE AND FAITH.

"Repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ."

HERE was a ship, one eve autumnal, onward

Steered o'er an ocean lake,

Steered by some strong hand ever as if sunward;

Behind an angry wake,

Before there stretched a sea that grew intenser,
With silver fire far spread,

Up to a hill mist-gloried, like a censer,
With smoke encompassèd;

It seemed as if two seas met brink to brink,
A silver flood beyond a lake of ink.

There was a soul that eve autumnal sailing
Beyond the earth's dark bars,

Toward the land of sunsets never paling,

Toward Heaven's sea of stars;

Behind there was a wake of billows tossing,

Before a glory lay.

O happy soul! with all sail set, just crossing Into the Far-away;

The gloom and gleam, the calmness and the strife,

Were death before thee, and behind thee life.

And as that ship went up the waters stately,
Upon her topmasts tall

I saw two sails, whereof the one was greatly
Dark, as a funeral pall.

But oh! the next's pure whiteness who shall utter?

Like a shell-snowy strand,

Or when a sunbeam falleth through the shutter On a dead baby's hand;

But both alike across the surging sea

Helped to the haven where the bark would be.

And as that soul went onward, sweetly speeding
Unto its home and light,

Repentance made it sorrowful exceeding,
Faith made it wondrous bright;

Repentance dark with shadowy recollections,
And longings unsufficed,

Faith white and pure with sunniest affections

Full from the face of Christ:

But both across the sun-besilvered tide

Helped to the haven where the heart would ride.