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Till Christ, thy glorious Lord, with clouds shall

come,

And call thee hence, to share His heavenly

home.

SPRING.

"For, lo, the winter is past, the rain is over and gone; the flowers appear on the earth, the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land; the fig tree putteth forth her green figs, and the vines with the tender grape give a good smell. Arise my love, my fair one, and come away."-Canticles ii. 11-13.

WINTER is over, with its chilling rains,

And the stern frost that bound in icy chains The mourning earth, has melted in the stream Of living light poured from the sun's bright

beam.

Fresh from her death-like sleep, Creation wakes, And, with a bound, to life and beauty breaks.

The woody glades, and sloping valleys ring

With Nature's choir, the warbling birds of

Spring.

Deep in the forest shades, the gentle dove
Breathes her low notes of melody and love,
And childhood looks with rapture at the sky,
Bright as the blue of his own laughing eye;
Then plucks the primrose pale and violet sweet
That deck the springiug turf beneath his feet.
'Tis Nature's holiday, and every hour

Breathes a fresh loveliness o'er tree and flower.

Winter is over, and the new-born soul

Basks in the beams of heaven, that now control
With genial influence, the life divine,
Springing from Christ, the true and living vine.
Bright as the shining sun His glories rise,
And drive the gloomy shadows from the skies.
The iron chains that Satan cast around

The captive soul, fall powerless to the ground.

Jesus has set the weary prisoner free,

To breathe a life of love and liberty.

Fanned by the golden wings of heaven's dove, The soul brings forth the fruits of peace and

love.

Winter is over, through the joyous world
The King of kings His banner hath unfurled,
His saints have risen to meet Him in the skies
To view His glories with unclouded eyes.

Creation groans no more, for Jesus reigns,

And earth breathes forth her joy in loud and rapturous strains.

THE SHIP.

"WHEN thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee."-Isaiah xliii. 2.

PROUDLY floats the noble bark,
As the waters gently lave,

And the seaman's eye can mark
Scarce a ripple o'er the wave.
While the ship, with graceful motion,
Ploughs the smooth and peaceful ocean.

But the calm portends a blast,

Tells of danger lurking nigh;

Hark! what wild scream floated past?
'Twas the stormy petrel's cry.

Furl the sails, ye seamen brave,
Lest ye find a watery grave.

G

Sinner! thou also hast a suit to plead

Before the King of kings. A fearful doom
Hangs over thee, of awful, endless woe.

Fear not; thou hast a mighty Advocate, Whose pure blood, sprinkled on the mercyseat,

Pleads a full pardon; while the gracious hand That leads thee, bears a mark which tells of

sin

Pardon'd and cancell'd-justice satisfied.

That pierced hand can ne'er be rais'd in vain,
A Father's yearning heart will not refuse
His only Son, His well-beloved One !—
Thy suit is heard, for Jesus must prevail.

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