THE SERVANT OF THE LORD

(DER DIENER DES HERRN.)

O HIGHLY blessed servant,

Who ever ready stands,
In joyful singleness of heart,

To do his Lord's commands :--
Who, as a child, delighteth

To serve Him night and day; And sore bewaileth every sin That leads his feet astray !

Thy heart and glance thou hangest

On the Beloved Lord : Each moment finds thee close to Him,

And listening for His Word.
No warning loud thou needest ;

But, silently and still,
Close following The Master's steps,

Thou canst foresee His Will.

The bụrden laid upon thee

Is scarce felt by thy heart : Thou thinkest, “He who sent the load

Will also strength impart.” E’en through thy tears thou smilest ;

And, when bowed down by woes, On thy Beloved Redeemer's Heart

Thou findest sure repose.

There, blessèd, weep thou freely;

To Him thy griefs reveal:
He, Who far greater ones endured,

Can for thy sorrows feel.
To Him pour out thy trouble,

Who ever waits to hear ;-
Who, in compassion, gave Himself,

His children’s griefs to bear.

And thy heart in bliss abideth ;

And thy foot walks forth in light : Thus, as thy Sun, He shineth down,

Breaking through clouds of night. From Him all blessing cometh,

And leadeth back to Him; Therefore on Him thy gaze is fixed,

Piercing all earth-clouds dim.

How blessèd is thy portion ;

How well is it with thee, Thus, with thy whole life's earnestness,

To serve Him faithfully!
In comfort and in trouble,

In good and evil days,
In joy, and in affliction's hour,

To follow in His Ways !

Thus in our Lord's dear Service

The time flies quickly past;
And, ere our hearts can think of it,

We reach the Place at last.
Then, pressing on in boldness,

To The Father's House we come, Where the servant shall for evermore

Rest with his Lord at Home.

THE SONG OF SONGS.

(DAS LIED DER LIEDER.)

A BLESSED Song of songs there is :--when thou hast

learned its strain, Unweariedly thou singest it, again and yet again. No heart of man hath framed that Song, so rich in all

delight;So full of deep instruction, and of earnestness and might.

It singeth of a Love, which chaseth all Life's griefs away, Like clouds that melt and vanish at the breaking of the

day. So do all sorrows disappear, and all our cares depart, When rightly we intone that Song of Beauty from the

heart.

“REJOICE IN THE LORD ALWAYS.”

(* FREUET EUCH IN DEM HERRN ALLEWEGE.”)

REJOICE in God at all times,

His Mercy and His Love;
Be not inert in gladness

That cometh from above.
Shall He pour forth the fulness

Of Living Joy in vain ?
The bliss thy Lord would give thee

Shall cure thy heart's worst pain.

He first to Earth's sad country

The wondrous Blessing brought
Which, after sin's sharp anguish,

Delight unspoken wrought.
O pure Joy-Fountain, springing

Amid the desert drear ;-
Where draws each thirsting spirit

The healing waters clear !