90.

"He shall save the children of the needy."

He comes, with succor speedy,

To those who suffer wrong;
To help the poor and needy,
And bid the weak be strong;
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression,
And rule in equity.

He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
And love, joy, hope, like flowers,
Spring in his path to birth.
Before him on the mountains

Shall peace, the herald, go;
And righteousness, in fountains,
From hill to valley flow.

James Montgomery.

91.

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the
glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.
THE morning light is breaking;
The darkness disappears;
The sons of earth are waking

To penitential tears:
Each breeze that sweeps the ocean
Brings tidings from afar,
Of nations in commotion,
Prepared for Zion's war.

Rich dews of grace come o'er us,
In many a gentle shower,
And brighter scenes before us

Are opening every hour:
Each cry, to heaven going,
Abundant answer brings,

And heavenly gales are blowing,
With peace upon their wings.

Samuel F. Smith.

BREATH of the Lord that moved of old Through chaos of the quickening earth, Till the wide heavens in light unrolled, And sun and star and flower had birth: Breathe on this warring world of men,

To bid its strife and tumult cease; Till stars of morning sing again,

With Sons of God, the Song of Peace. Still on the waters broods thy power; Through all our discords echoes still The music of that later hour,

"Peace on the earth! in Heaven goodwill!"

Teach thou our hearts that nobler song Of nobler souls by truth set free, Till the full chorus, sweet and strong, From thy glad earth goes up to thee. Emily Huntington Miller. Written for The Congregationalist and used by special permission.

Not ours the noon, but ours the dawn,

The prelude to the full-orbed day; And ours to bid the clouds be gone,

And give the light unhindered way. All glory, gracious God, to thee!

We lift our eyes unto the hills, And, lo! the blessed prophecy, By thy strong arm, its course fulfills. Seth C. Beach.

96.

"Watchman, what of the night!"

OUT of the dark the circling sphere
Is rounding onward to the light;
We see not yet the daylight clear,
But we can see the paling night;
And Hope, that lights her fadeless fires,
And Faith, that shines with steadfast ray,
And Love, that courage re-inspires, -
As morning stars, lead on the day.
Look backward, how much has been won;
Look round, how much is yet to win!
The watches of the night are done;
The watches of the day begin.

O thou, whose mighty patience holds
The night and day alike in view,
Thy will our dearest hopes enfolds,
Oh, keep us steadfast, patient, true.

Samuel Longfellow.

LORD of all being! throned afar,
Thy glory flames from sun and star;
Centre and soul of every sphere,
Yet to each loving heart how near!

Wide as our need, thy favors fall;

The white wings of the Holy Ghost Stoop, seen or unseen, over all.

Sheds on our path the glow of day:
Star of our hope! thy softened light
Cheers the long watches of the night.
Our midnight is thy smile withdrawn ;
Our noontide is thy gracious dawn ;
Our rainbow arch thy mercy's sign:
All, save the clouds of sin, are thine.
Lord of all life, below, above,

Whose light is truth, whose warmth is love;
Before thy ever-blazing throne

We ask no lustre of our own.

Grant us thy truth to make us free,
And kindling hearts that burn for thee,
Till all thy living altars claim
One holy light, one heavenly flame.

Oliver Wendell Holmes.