XI.

And oh! this night brings tempests in its train,' When warring, groaning giants of the storm, Their long, fierce, fearful fights, with hate maintain, When thunder doth unbare his mighty arm, As o'er the sky his fiery coursers swarm, And war's tornadoes, sweeping land and sea, Dash ruin o'er the world;—when dread alarm Of earthquake's voice, makes men in terror flee From shaking cities, to avoid the dread catastrophe.

XII.

And yet this night hath calms, when conflicts cease,
At times, their wrathful din and fearful roar,
When weary earth doth hear the hymns of peace,
As purged, awhile, her fields from human gore,
While stars from the blue heavens their radiance
pour-

A brightness caught from him whose face is veiled
Behind a world which now, from shore to shore,

Is filled with darkness; men the light have hailed, And wait a morn, when his bright face shall be unveiled.

XIII.

Once a sweet star rose o'er this darksome night,
And glowed in beauty o'er Judea's plains,
On Bethlehem it cast its cheering light,

Where shepherds heard those high angelic strains,
When angels came in trailing glorious trains.
That star, to Eastern sages, points the way

To where the joys of birth, maternal pains

But lately have succeeded, where he lay, The Lord and "King of glory," veiled in mortal clay.

XIV.

That star hath sweetly blent its guiding light
With the bright, blissful beacon, flaming forth
Through nature's midnight gloom, from Calvary's
height,

Where stands the cross, and east, west, south and
north,

Flings its bright, gladdening beams o'er all the
earth;

The wandering steps of pilgrim feet to guide
To rest and safety, and where holy mirth

Doth spread her feasts of joy, in arbor wide,

Where all, 'neath stormy skies, may see their storms subside.

XV.

O, glorious cross! upraised amid the gloom,
Where trembling nature feels the tempest's shock,
And Eden's glory molders in the tomb,

Which sin hath dug. Upon the eternal rock
Forever stand, and though the tempests mock,
Their Titan blasts can ne'er put out thy light;
Nor hell's dark powers thy waxing triumphs block:
Beam on the grave, and death shall take its flight,
And Eden's bloom revived shall make earth's deserts

bright.

XVI.

O blessed Christ, I see thee sit beneath

That cross whereon in anguish thou didst die,
And out where tempests scatter wreck and death,
Where wrangling billows lift their heads on high,
'Midst roaring rocks, direct thy pitying eye,

To watch for shipwrecked souls in anguished strife
With choking waves, to hear their piteous cry,
And then command a peace, where storms are rife,
To draw them to the rock and give them joy and life.

XVII.

That cross, dear Jesus, is my joy and song:
To it I'll cling 'mid wrecks by tempests blown;
Light of the ages, beaming clear and strong,
It stands, though wicked men and devils frown,

It stands, though thrones and kingdoms topple
down;

It stands above the wrecks of ages past,

It stands, though floods of wrath the world shall drown;

Yea, and shall stand, while earth and time shall last, Till crowns and kingdoms, all, shall at thy feet be cast.

XVIII.

Amidst the sounds, discordant, of this night,

Sweet voices, too, are heard, the gloom to cheer; Sounds from the heavens, which fill with sweet delight

The soul that listens; music full and clear,

Like what o'er Judah's plains, to upturned ear, Poured its deep rapture through the shepherds' souls,

Proclaiming peace to nations far and near;

A joy that thrills in hearts which love controls, While from the heavenly hosts the glorious anthem rolls.

XIX.

This night of earth, too, hath upon the walls,
And in the streets, to give the warning cry,
Its watchmen, by whose faithful, night-long calls,
Men are admonished when their foes are nigh,
And taught amid the tempest where to fly.

How oft we hear, "O watchman, what of the
night ?"

Sound 'mid the gloom, and then the quick reply: "The morning comes, and soon methinks the light Will dawn, and all the earth's dark shadows take their flight."

XX.

Sweet are the words of invitation given

To men, to flee from dread impending wrath,-
Sweet words of Jesus drop, like dews, from heaven,
Benighted souls to turn from danger's path,
To find in him relief from sin and death.

Heard his sweet words: "Come unto me and rest,
Ye weary, heavy laden, and beneath

Your burdens groan no more; come and be blest, For I have healing balm for all by sins distressed."

XXI.

Sweet are the songs of joy for sins forgiven,
When new-born souls first sing redeeming love;
When saints bid welcome to the joys of heaven,
Begun on earth, for aye to thrill above.

And when to Zion's hill in crowds they move,
To throng her courts to wait, and sing, and pray,
All God's abundant promises to prove,

Through Him who died and washed their sins away, This night of earth is vocal with the sounds of day.

XXII.

And so, like nature's night, this night shall end; It hath its day-star pointing to the dawn; Forth through the orient gates the Lord shall send Bright heralds of the morning long foreshown, That shall proclaim him coming on his throne, To pour his glories from the bending skies, While on the clouds, by milk-white coursers drawn, His chariot rolls; and joyous shouts shall rise From the dark scenes of earth now changed to Paradise.

XXIII.

Of that dim night, but just before the dawn,
The poet tunes his harp, prepares to sing,

Ere its deep shades are from the earth withdrawn ;
And though his theme but little rapture bring,
And his wild harp with war's harsh notes must ring,
He hopes, before his stormy song shall cease,