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THE HINDOO CONVERT'S REPLY,

WHEN ASKED HOW HE BORE HIS SORROW FOR THE LOSS OF HIS PROPERTY AND FRIENDS.

You ask me of my sorrows;-
O Christian! what are they?
Can motes upon the sunbeam
Obscure the light of day?

Could all earth's storms and troubles
In darkness o'er me roll,
They could not dim the brightness
That shines upon my soul.

You ask me of my sorrows;-
My earthly friends are gone,
But Christ, the friend unchanging,
Is more than all in one :

And though the world has robbed me
Of all that it had given,

My wealth is still remaining,
My treasure is in heaven.

You ask me of my sorrows;—
I fain would speak of joys;
Of peace which passeth knowledge,
Which nought on earth destroys;
Of realms of pure delight,-

Realms undefiled by sin,

Where pain and tribulation
Can never enter in.

You ask me of my sorrows;—
But how can I repine ?
How can I dwell in sadness
While Jesus' love is mine?
I seek not earth's vain pleasures,
With Him my hope is stored,
The hope of future glory,

For ever with the Lord.

B. L.

SELF-EXAMINATION.

"Try me, O God, and seek the ground of my heart." Psalm cxxxix. 23.

O Lord of mercy and of might !
My humbled heart behold;
And give thy Spirit's living light,
To search its inmost fold.

Against that heart's presumptuous sins
I fly to faith and prayer;
But where the tempter's art begins,
Oh! save me, save me there!

Teach me to shun the first dark thought,
The wandering of the will;

Oh! keep the soul thy blood has bought,
And let me serve thee still.

When dreams of folly cloud my mind,
And prompt to sins unknown,

The dream dissolve, the chain unbind,
And make me all thine own.

CROLY.

TRUST IN PROVIDENCE.

LORD! when we seek thy throne of grace
To crave a blessing there,
O let not earthly things have place,
Unduly, in our prayer.

To know that 'tis thy bounteous hand
Our daily bread bestows;

To feel it is from thy command
Each added blessing flows;

This we may humbly know, and feel,
But let not worldly store,

One thought excite which would reveal
A craving thirst for more.

Thou knowest well what things we need ; Oh, give us faith to see,

That such necessities can plead,

Their own short wants with Thee.

Teach us that thy protecting care
From evil is our shield;

To seek, in dark temptation's snare,
Thy arm for us revealed;

To know thy kingdom here on earth
Within our hearts increase,

And prove to all how great the worth
Of holiness and peace.

Be such our prayers! For all beside
Thy word a pledge shall be,
For Thou hast promised to provide
For all who follow thee.

BARTON.

LIFE.

"Thou wilt shew me the path of Life."-Psalm xvi. 2.

WHAT art thou, Life? The saint and sage Have left it written on this page

That thou art nothing-dust, a breath,

A glittering bubble burst by death,
A ray upon a rushing stream,
A thought, a vanity, a dream.

Yet, thou art given for mighty things,
To plume the infant angel's wings,
To bid our waywardness of heart,
Like Mary, choose "the better part;"
To watch, and pray our guilt away,
To-day, "while yet 'tis called to-day."

If sorrows come, redeeming God!
By Thee the path of thorns was trod;
If death be nigh, shall man repine,
To bear the pangs that once were thine,
To bleed, where once thy heart was riven,
And follow from thy cross to heaven?

CROLY.

THE CONTENTED PRISONER.

A LITTLE bird I am,

Shut from the fields of air, And in my cage I sit and sing

To Him who placed me there; Well pleased a prisoner to be, Because, my God, it pleases Thee.

Nought have I else to do,

I sing the whole day long;

And He whom much I love to please,
Doth listen to my song:

He caught and bound my wandering wing,
But still he bends to hear me sing.

Thou hast an ear to hear,

A heart to love and bless ;

And though my thoughts were e'er so rude,
Thou wouldst not hear the less;
Because thou knowest, as they fall,
That love, sweet love, inspires them all.

My cage confines me round,
Abroad I cannot fly;

But though my wing is closely bound,
My heart's at liberty:

My prison walls cannot control

The flight, the freedom of the soul.

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