For him no dream of innocence rose, The bliss of a home he ne'er can feel, In the cavern of crime his haunt is known, At midnight the torch of destruction is blown, WHAT IS ETERNITY? Go thou and mark the holy preacher's tones, The separating veil, and to thy sight The bliss that knows no pausing-pains that roll Thou hear'st, thou seest, appalled; yet knowest not To answer me, what is Eternity. Go, bend thee o'er the impenitent sick one; Mark well-'tis mortal sickness-the deep pangs Expressed by nature's eloquence. The groans The tossings, writhings, the unutterable Despair, Oh man, to answer-thou know'st not. Go to the grave-yard-seek out yonder tomb- Go to! and let God teach thee-let the grasp Revealing things, undreamed, unfelt, nor told Oh more than tongue can tell, or thought devise; Eternal God! 'tis thy duration all." THE BETHEL FLAG. O BRING the peaceful banner nigh "Tis done, and on the soft winds now I see its streaming curls recline, And deem it as a second bow Of promise, and the blessing mine. Flag of the pure and azure heaven! How lovely is thy bearing hereFree as the breezes round thee driven, Is thy sweet errand on the ear. Thou markest not the hurrying keel, Whose foamy path leads on to gold; Thy nobler freighted barques conceal Gems, Tyre and Tarshish never told. Thou leadest not the armed host: Thou art not in the battle's hum; No trump sings of thee, round thee roll No thunders of the stirring drum. But unto thee are gathered men, And where thou wavest, lofty hymns Thou giv'st to patriot gaze no star Thy beaming symbols seem to be. For they type One, whose tempered shield Shook off the hurtling darts of sin; When he trod once no doubtful field, Imperishable crowns to win. They tell unto the ocean tost, That He who spans its floods can save; And that for him, the well nigh lost, The Ark yet lingers on the wave, They herald joy to the opprest, With voice of psalms then to the skies U 2 THE CASTAWAY. "The impression has very generally obtained that the reformation of drunkards is a hopeless undertaking. Facts teach us to renew our efforts to pluck them from the fire, though half con sumed. They may yet be recovered and become useful members of society." THOU'st snatched the youth from ruin's grave, And dashed to earth his chain; And bade him sit, no more a slave, A man, with men again. Thou'st rescued from the sorcerer, when Hope failed to chase the spell; Thou'st broken caste, that sundered men To crush the cup, concealed in flowers, Is godlike toil-the fruit is ours, The triumph, Temperance, thine. Nor mean that victory--with its song Magician of unequalled power! And beard him in his lair? |