At times, to faith's foreseeing eye,

Thy golden gates appear!

5

6

7

The bright inheritance of saints,

Jerusalem above!

Yet clouds will intervene,
And all my prospect flies;

Like Noah's dove, I flit between
Rough seas and stormy skies.

Anon the clouds depart,

The winds and waters cease; While sweetly o'er my gladdened heart Expands the bow of peace.

Beneath its glowing arch, Along the hallowed ground, I see cherubic armies march, A camp of fire around.

8 Then, then, I feel that He,Remembered or forgot,

Ι

The Lord, is never far from me,
Though I perceive Him not.

I FOR ever with the Lord;"

2

Father, if 'tis Thy will,

The promise of that faithful word,
E'en here to me fulfil.

Be Thou at my right hand,

Then can I never fail;

Uphold Thou me, and I shall stand;

Fight, and I must prevail.

S.M.

3

4

So when my latest breath

Shall rend the veil in twain,

By death I shall escape from death,
And life eternal gain.

Knowing as I am known,
How shall I love that word,
And oft repeat before the throne,
'For ever with the Lord!'

J. MONTGOMERY.

570

QIVE me the wings of faith to rise
Within the veil, and see

The saints above, how great their joys,
How bright their glories be.

2 Once they were mourning here below,
And wet their couch with tears;
They wrestled hard, as we do now,
With sins, and doubts, and fears.

3 I ask them, whence their victory came ;-
They, with united breath,

Ascribe their conquest to the Lamb,
Their triumph to His death.

4 They marked the footsteps that He trod,
His zeal inspired their breast;
And, following their incarnate God,
Possess the promised rest.

5 Our glorious Leader claims our praise,
For His own pattern given;
While the long cloud of witnesses
Show the same path to heaven.

WATTS.

C.M.

571

P.M.

HARK, hark, my soul! angelic songs are

swelling

O'er earth's green fields and ocean's wave-beat shore :

How sweet the truth those blessèd strains are

telling

Of that new life when sin shall be no more!
Angels of Jesus, angels of light,

Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night!

2 Onward we go, for still we hear them singing, 'Come, weary souls! for Jesus bids you come;' And, through the dark its echoes sweetly ringing, The music of the Gospel leads us home.

Angels of Jesus, angels of light,

Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night!

3 Far, far away, like bells at evening pealing, The voice of Jesus sounds o'er land and

sea,

And laden souls by thousands meekly stealing, Kind Shepherd! turn their weary steps to Thee.

Angels of Jesus, angels of light,

Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night!

4 Rest comes at length: though life be long and

dreary,

The day must dawn, and darksome night be

past;

Faith's journey ends in welcome to the weary, And heaven, the heart's true home, will come

at last.

Angels of Jesus, angels of light,

Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night!

5 Angels! sing on, your faithful watches keeping, Sing us sweet fragments of the songs above; Till morning's joy shall end the night of weeping, And life's long shadows break in cloudless love.

Angels of Jesus, angels of light,

Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night!

572

HA

F. W. FABER.*

8.7. double.

ARK! the sound of holy voices,
Chanting at the crystal sea

'Alleluia, Alleluia,

Alleluia,' Lord, to Thee:

Multitude, which none can number,
Like the stars in glory stands,
Clothed in white apparel, holding
Palms of victory in their hands.

2 Patriarch, and holy prophet,

Who prepared the way of Christ,
King, apostle, saint, confessor,
Martyr, and evangelist,

Saintly maiden, godly matron,

Widows who have watched to prayer,

Joined in holy concert, singing
To the Lord of all, are there.

3 They have come from tribulation,

And have washed their robes in blood,
Washed them in the blood of Jesus;
Tried they were, and firm they stood;
Mocked, imprisoned, stoned, tormented,
Sawn asunder, slain with sword,
They have conquered death and Satan
By the might of Christ the Lord.

4 Now they reign in heavenly glory,
Now they walk in golden light,
Now they drink, as from a river,
Holy bliss and infinite;
Love and peace they taste for ever,
And all truth and knowledge see
In the Beatific Vision

573

Of the Blessed Trinity.

C. WORDSWORTII.

HEAVEN is a place of rest from sin;

But all who hope to enter there,

Must here that holy course begin,
Which shall their souls for rest prepare.

2 Clean hearts, O God! in us create;
Right spirits, Lord, in us renew;
Commence we now that higher state,
Now do Thy will as angels do.

3 A life in heaven! O what is this?

The sum of all that faith believed: Fulness of joy and depths of bliss, Unseen, unfathomed, unconceived.

L.M.

4 While thrones, dominions, princedoms, powers, And saints made perfect, triumph thus: A goodly heritage is ours,—

There is a heaven on earth for us.

5 The church of Christ, the school of grace,
The Spirit teaching by the word!
In those our Saviour's steps we trace;
By this His living voice is heard.