They live, bereaved Rachel: yet
The mother must her own forget:
Branded with God's disclaiming sign,
They are not His, they are not thine.

Tho' with the tokens of their birth
They go, and through the realms of earth,
With kings and nobles cast their lot,
To thee, sad Rachel! they are not.

Look on the mother's meek distress,
O Lord, and heal her childlessness;
Her bondage break, and let her be
Free, and a mother of the free!

HINDS.

MINISTERING

ANGELS.

"Are they not all ministering spirits?"

THEY are evermore around us, tho' unseen to mortal sight,

In the golden hour of sunshine, and in sorrow's starless night,

Deepening earth's most sacred pleasures, with the peace of sin forgiven,

Whispering to the lonely mourner, of the painless joys of heaven.

Lovingly they come to help us, when our faith is cold, and weak,

Guiding us along the pathway, to the blessed home we

seek:

In our hearts we hear their voices, breathing sympathy and love,

Echoes of the spirit language, in the sinless world

above.

They are with us in the conflict, with their words of hope and cheer,

When the foe of our salvation, and his armed hosts

draw near;

And a greater One is with us, and we shrink not from the strife,

While the Lord of Angels leads us on the battle field of life.

Seldom do we think upon them, seldom we believe them nigh,

Like the child, who deems in sunshine, that the stars have left the sky;

So by this world's pleasures dazzled, scarce we feel their presence true,

In foolishness and fickleness, are we not children too?

Seeing all our guilt and weakness, looking down with pitying eyes,

For the foolish things we cling to, and the Heaven that we despise ;

They have been our ministering angels, since this weary world began,

And they still are watching o'er us, for His sake who loved man.

ANGEL WATCHERS.

"He shall give His angels charge over thee."

OH! watch ye well by daylight,

In daylight may you fear,
But keep no watch in darkness,
The Angels then are near.

For heaven the sense bestoweth,
Our waking life to keep,
But tender mercy showeth
To guard us in our sleep.

Oh! watch ye well by daylight,
In daylight may you fear,
But keep no watch in darkness,
The Angels then are near.

Oh! watch you well in pleasure,
For pleasure oft betrays,
But keep no watch in sorrow,

When joy withdraws its rays.

B.

For in the hour of sorrow,

As in the darkness drear,
To heaven entrust the morrow,

For the Angels then are near.

Oh! watch you well by daylight—
In daylight may you fear,
But keep no watch in darkness,
The Angels then are near.

THE SORROW OF THE WORLD.

"All is vanity and vexation of spirit."

"Come unto Me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest."

Oh, weary in the morning,

When soft the dew-drops fall,

And weary at the noontide,

When God's sun shines on all;
And weary at the nightfall,
When, each day's labour o’er,
I count my mis-spent moments,
As lost for evermore.

Oh, weary of the turmoil,

The striving and the care,

And weary of the burden

Which we of earth must bear ;

Oh weary of vain longings,
And weary with vain fears,
And wearier with heart sorrows,
Than with the weight of years.

Yes, like a ray of sun-light,

The word shines through the gloom,

And after winter's darkness

Comes spring in fresher bloom; And after vainly searching,

We find a resting meet,-
For rest, and hope, and glory
Are found at Jesus' feet.

God never sends a sorrow
Without the healing balm,
And bids us fight no battles,
But for the victor's palm.
Yet we by earth's mist blinded,
Knew not His holy will,

Till o'er the troubled waters,

His voice said, "Peace, be still."

We will go forth and

forth and conquer,

Depending on His grace,

The lowliest station near Him

Must be an honoured place;

And after battle, victory;

And after victory, restLike the beloved apostle,

Upon the Master's breast.