On His pale brow the drops are large and red
As victim's blood at votive altar shed-

His hands are clasped, His eyes are raised in prayer-
Alas! and is there strife He cannot bear,

Who calmed the tempest's rage, and raised the dead?

There is! there is! for now the powers of hell
Are struggling for the mastery—'tis the hour
When death exerts his last permitted power,
When the dread weight of sin, since Adam fell,
Is visited on Him, who deigned to dwell
A man with men that He might bear the stroke
Of wrath Divine, and burst the captive's yoke,
But, oh! of that dread strife what words can tell?

Those only those-which broke with many a groan
From His full heart-" Oh, Father, take away
The cup of vengeance I must drink to-day ;
Yet, Father, not my will, but Thine, be done!"
It could not pass away-for He alone
Was mighty to endure, and strong to save ;
Nor would Jehovah leave Him in the grave,
Nor could corruption taint His Holy One.

DALE.

At length the worst is o'er, and Thou art laid
Deep in Thy darksome bed;

All still and cold beneath yon dreary stone
Thy sacred form is gone;

Around those lips where power and mercy hung,
The dews of death have clung;

The dull earth o'er Thee, and Thy foes around,

Thou sleep'st a silent corse, in funeral fetters wound.

So buried with our Lord, we'll close our eyes To the decaying world, till angels bid us rise.

KEBLE.

Hast thou not, in the lone wood's shade,
Oft seen a lovely flow'r,

Pale, weak, and bending low its head,
Drench'd by the thunder show'r?

Transplanted thence, and train'd to grow

The sunny garden's pride,
How sweetly did its odours flow,
Diffus'd on every side!

Fair Sharon's Rose thus lonely grew

In scorned Galilee,

And fainted 'neath the

Of dark Gethsemane.

gory dew

Now, by the Lord's right hand remov'd

To His own Paradise,

By all admir'd, ador'd, belov'd,

Its fragrance fills the skies.

EAST.

IX. CHRIST OUR REFUGE, STRENGTH, AND
DEFENCE.

A man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.-ISAIAH XXXII, 2.

Lead me to the Rock that is higher than I.-PSALM Ixi. 2.

Gen. xv. 1-Deut. xxxiii. 12, 27-Ruth ii. 12-1 Sam. xv. 29 -2 Sam. xxii. 2, 3, 19, 31—Job xxxviii. 11-Psalm ix. 9—xvii. 8-xviii. 1, 2, 31, 35-xxii. 19—xxvii. 1, 5-xxviii. 7, 8-xxxi. 20 -xxxii. 7-xxxvi. 7—xlvi. 1—lv. 6, 8—lvii. 1-lix. 9, 16, 17– lxi. 2-4-lxii. 6-8-lxiii. 7-lxv. 5-lxxi. 3-lxxiii. 26-lxxviii. 35-lxxxiv. 5, 11-lxxxix. 26-xc. 1-xci. 1-7, 9-cxix. 114— cxxxviii. 7-cxlii. 4, 5—cxliii. 9-Prov. xiv. 26—xviii. 10-xxii. 3-xxx. 5-Cant. ii. 3-Isaiah iv. 6-viii. 14—xii. 2—xxv. 4— xxvi. 4—xxvii. 4, 5—xxviii. 12-xlv. 24-xlix. 2-li. 1, 6-8, 16– Jer. xvi. 19-1. 6—Joel iii. 16-Nah. i. 7-Hab. iii. 19-Zeph. ii. 3-Zech. ix. 12.

Matt. iii. 7-xi. 28-30-Mark ix. 6, 8-John xv, 4-Heb. vi. 18, 19.

Jesus, lover of my soul,

Let me to Thy bosom fly,
While the raging billows roll,
While the tempest still is high :

Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
Till the storm of life is past :
Safe into the haven guide;

O receive my soul at last!

Other refuge have I none;

Hangs my helpless soul on Thee; Leave, oh, leave me not alone,

Still support and comfort me!

All my trust on Thee is stay'd,
All my help from Thee I bring;
Cover my defenceless head

With the shadow of Thy wing!

Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
All in all in Thee I find:

Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind!
Just and holy is Thy name,

I am all unrighteousness;
Vile and full of sin I am,

Thou art full of truth and grace.

Plenteous grace with Thee is found,
Grace to pardon all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound,
Make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the fountain art,

Freely let me take of Thee;
Spring Thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity.

WESLEY.

When, overwhelm'd with grief,
My heart within me dies,
Helpless and far from all relief,
To heaven I lift mine eyes.

O lead me to the Rock

That's high above my head,
And make the covert of Thy wings
My shelter and my shade.

Within Thy presence, Lord,
For ever I'll abide ;

Thou art the Tower of my defence,
The Refuge where I hide.

My soul shall cry to Thee, O Lord!
To Thee, supreme, incarnate Word!
My Rock and Fortress, Shield and Friend,
Creator, Saviour, Source, and End!
And Thou wilt hear Thy servant's prayer,
Though death and darkness speak despair.

Ah! why by passing clouds opprest,
Should vexing thoughts distract my breast?
Turn, turn to Him in every pain,
Whom never suppliant sought in vain;
Thy strength in joy's extatic day,
Thy hope where joy hath passed away.

Bowdler.