THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

The Children's Corner.

THE YOUNG WATER-DRINKER.

A YOUTH who signed the temperance pledge
Was by his parents blamed;

His answer was, "For what I've done
I do not feel ashamed,

My sister Mary's husband oft
Abuses her you know;

If he were not a drunken man
He'd never treat her so.

My sister Susan's husband too
Was sober scarce a day;

To great distress his family brought-
Then from them went away.

My brother James, I'm grieved to see,
Come reeling home at night;
If I from all strong drinks refrain,
Am I not doing right?

Surely you need not be displeased
When one resolves that he,
By drunkenness, will not disgrace
Himself and family."

I hope that my young readers will
The same wise course pursue;

For strong drink has on thousands brought
Disgrace and ruin too.

Drink water, and you will be safe

From that poor drunkard's sadness,
Who can no peace or comfort have
In such a course of madness.
All English lads, with a strong arm
And a clear head to guide them,
May work their way, nor ever fear
That evil will betide them.

But trust in God. Trust not yourself.
Look up to Christ your Saviour,

And strive to follow Him in all

Your conduct and behaviour.

J. D.

"O! MOTHER DEAR, JERUSALEM!”

THERE is a little favourite hymn of a few verses,
with these well-known lines-

"O! mother dear, Jerusalem!
When shall I come to thee?

When shall my sorrows have an end?
Thy joys when shall I see ?"

which begins

But few, perhaps, are aware that the verses are selected from an old poem, supposed to have been written in Scotland before the Reformation from popery. We give the poem entire, as it appeared in "Hogg's Instructor," a few years ago. The allusions to the Virgin and the saints show that it is of popish origin, but there is, with these exceptions, a tone of plaintive piety about the verses which is pleasing and edifying. Any cautious and intelligent reader will be able, as he reads it, to separate the chaff from the wheat. Some of the lines contain poetic gems of great beauty. Many English words appear to have been substituted for Scotch words in this copy. The author is, and will be now, for ever unknown in this world; but he does not appear to have been a learned person, and yet it is evident that he was familiar with the New Testament.

O! MOTHER dear, Jerusalem!
When shall I come to thee?
When shall my sorrows have an end?
Thy joys when shall I see?

O happy harbour of God's saints!
O sweet and pleasant soil!
In thee no sorrow may be found,
No grief, no care, no toil.

In thee no sickness is at all,

No grief, no toil, no care;
There is no death nor ugly sight,
But life for ever mair.

No dimning clouds o'ershadow thee,
No dull nor darksome night,
For every soul shines as the sun,
And God himself gives light.

There lust nor lucre cannot dwell;
There envy bears no sway;

No hunger, thirst, nor heat are there;
But pleasures every way.

"O! MOTHER DEAR, JERUSALEM!"

Jerusalem! Jerusalem!

Would God I were in thee!
O that my sorrows had an end,
Thy joys that I might see!
No pain, no pang, no bitter grief,
No woful night is there;

No sob, no sigh, no cry is heard;
No willawa nor fear.
Jerusalem the city is

Of God our King alone;
The Lamb of God the light thereof,

Sits there upon the throne.

O God, that I Jerusalem,

With speed might go behold!
For why? the pleasures there abound,
With tongue cannot be told.
Thy turrets and thy pinnacles
With carbuncles do shine:
With jasper, pearls, and chrysolites
Surpassing pure and fine.

Thy houses are of ivory;

Thy windows crystal clear;
Thy streets are laid with beaten gold,
Where angels do appear.

Thy walls are made of precious stones,
Thy bulwarks diamonds square;
Thy gates are made of orient pearl-
O God, if I were there!

Within thy gates nothing can come
That is not passing clear;
No spider's web, no dirt, no dust,
No filth may there appear.
Jehovah, Lord! now come I pray,
And end my grief and plaints:

Take me to thy Jerusalem;

Place me among thy saints;

Who there are crowned with glory great,

And see God face to face:

They triumph all, and do rejoice;

Most happy is their case;

But we who are in banishment

Continually do roam;

We sigh, we mourn, we sob, we w ep,

Perpetually we groan.

"O! MOTHER DEAR, JERUSALEM !"

Our sweetness mixed is with gall;
Our pleasures are but pain:
Our joys are not worth looking on;
Our sorrows still remain :

But there they live in such delight,
Such pleasure, and such play,
That unto them a thousand years
Seem but as yesterday!
O my sweet home, Jerusalem!
Thy joys when shall I see?
Thy King in glory on his throne,
And thy felicity?

Thy vineyards, and thy orchards,
So wonderfully rare,

Are furnish'd with all kinds of fruit,
Most beautiful and fair!

Thy gardens, and thy goodly walks,
Continually are green;

There grow such sweet and pleasant flowers
As nowhere else are seen.

There cinnamon and sugar grow;
There nard and balm abound;
No tongue can tell, no heart can think,
What pleasures there are found.
There nectar and ambrosia spring;
There musk and civet sweet,
And many a fine and dainty drug
Are trodden under feet.

Along the streets, with pleasant sound

The stream of life doth flow;

And on its banks, on every side,

The tree of life doth grow.

These trees each month do yield their fruit,

For evermore they spring;

And all the nations of the world

To thee their homage bring.

Jerusalem! God's dwelling-place
Full sore I long to see;

O that my sorrows had an end,
That I might dwell with thee!

There David stands with harp in hand
Among the heavenly quhair;

A thousand times that man was blest
Who might their music hear!

"O! MOTHER DEAR, JERUSALEM!”

There Mary sings "Magnificat"
In tunes surpassing sweet;
And all the virgins bear their part,
Sitting around her feet.

"Te Deum" doth St. Ambrose sing,
And holy Austin eke;

Just Simeon and old Zachary

Have not their songs to seek.
There Magdalen hath left her moan,
And cheerily doth sing

With all blest saints; their harmony
Through every street does ring.
Jerusalem! Jerusalem!

Thy joys fain would I see;
Come quickly, Lord, and end my grief,
And take me home to thee!

O write thy name on my forehead,
And take me hence away;

That I may dwell with thee in bliss,
And sing thy praises aye.
Jerusalem! the happy seat;-
Jehovah's throne on high!
O sacred city, queen and wife
Of Christ eternally!

O comely queen, with glory clad,
With honour and degree,

All fair art thou, exceeding bright-
No spot is found in thee!

I long to see Jerusalem,

The comfort of us all!
For it is sweet and beautiful;
No ill can it befal.

In thee, Jerusalem, I say,

No darkness dare appear,

No night, no shade, nor winter foul;
Time doth not alter there.

No candles burn, no moon doth shine;
No glittering stars do light;
For Christ the Sun of righteousness
For ever shineth bright;

A Lamb unspotted, white and pure,
To thee doth stand in lieu
Of every light: thy glory is
Thy heavenly King to view.