O thou unchanging friend above,
What is an earthly friend to Thee?

Give me no bright beheft of care,
No grovelling boon of envied sod,
No hopes that lead but to despair;

Ease, honors, wealth, are not my God.

Nor aught in heaven; for, angels, say,

And saints escaped earth's guilt and sadness, What makes your everlasting day?

What tunes your harps to joy and gladness?

O! there is nought in yon bright sky
Worthy this worthless heart to own;

On earth there's nought; friends, creatures, fly;
I pant, my God, for thee alone.

IN A DARK NIGHT.

W This gloomy night denies;

HAT though the comforts of the light

Though me to trouble and affright,

Unwelcome darkness tries.

What should I doubt? whom fhould I fear?

Or why dishearten'd be;

Since thou, O God! art ev'rywhere,

And present ftill with me.

What mischiefs hath a midnight hour

My terror to procure?

What warrant hath a noontide power
My safety to afsure ?

I find no comforts in the day,

If thou thy presence hid'st; Nor can the darkness me dismay, If near me thou abid'st.

Indeed the fiend that hates the light,

Doth oft occafion take,
Amid the darkness of the night,

These bugbear fhows to make :
Yet sure the darkness of our minds,
Is that whereby this foe

Moft frequently occafion finds
The greatest harms to do.

Me from that darkness to defend,
Thy grace, O Lord! afford;
To me th' enlightening Spirit lend,
And lantern of thy word.

For then though Egypt's darkness had

Inclosed me round about ;

Yea, though I sat in death's black fhade,

That light fhould guide me out.

George Wither.

I COR. 3: 22.

F God is mine, then present things
And things to come are mine;

Yea, Chrift, his word, and spirit too,
And glory all divine.

If He is mine, then from his love
He every trouble sends;

All things are working for my good,
And blifs his rod attends.

If He is mine, I need not fear
The rage of earth and hell;
He will support my feeble power,
Their utmoft force repel.

If He is mine, let friends forsake,

Let wealth and honor flee; Sure he who giveth me himself Is more than these to me.

If He is mine, I'll boldly pass
Through death's myfterious vale;
He is a solid comfort when

All other comforts fail.

Oh! tell me, Lord, that thou art mine;
What can I wish befide?

My soul fhall at the fountain live,
When all the streams are dried.

WHEN, before, my God commanded

Anything he would have done,

I was close and gripple-handed,
Made an end ere I begun.

If he thought it fit to lay
Judgments on me, I could say,
They are good; but fhrink away.

But the case is alter'd now:
He no sooner turns his eye,
But I quickly bend, and bow,
Ready at his feet to lie :

Love hath taught me to obey
All his precepts, and to say,
Not to-morrow, but to-day.

What he wills, I say I muft:
What I muft, I say I will:
He commanding, it is just

What he would, I fhould fulfil.
Whilft he biddeth, I believe
What he calls for he will give :
To obey him, is to live.

His commandments grievous are not,
Longer than men think them so:
Though he send me forth, I care not,
Whilft he gives me ftrength to go;
When or whither, all is one;
On his bus'nefs, not mine own,
I fhall never go alone.

If I be complete in him,

And in him all fullness dwelleth,

I am sure aloft to swim,

Whilft that Ocean overswelleth.
Having Him that's all in all,
I am confident I shall

Nothing want, for which I call.

Francis Quarles.

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