THERE'S a good time coming, boys, A good time coming; We may not live to see the day, Of the good time coming. But thought's a weapon stronger; We'll win the battle by its aid— Wait a little longer. There's a good time coming, boys, A good time coming; The pen shall supersede the sword, And be acknowledged stronger; Wait a little longer. There's a good time coming, boys, A good time coming; War in all men's eyes shall be In the good time coming. To prove which is the stronger; There's a good time coming, boys, And flourish all the stronger; There's a good time coming, boys, Smallest helps, if rightly given, 525. CLERGYMEN. Is not the care of souls a load sufficient? And leave you much to answer, if one wretch Near yonder copse, where once the garden smiled, By doctrines fashion'd to the varying hour ; LORD, I have shut my door, Shut out life's busy cares and fretting noise: Here in this silence they intrude no more. Speak Thou, and heavenly joys Shall fill my heart with music sweet and calm, A holy psalm. Yes, I have shut my door Even on all the beauty of Thine earth,— And I have shut my door On earthly passion,-all its yearning love, Its tender friendships, all the priceless store Of human ties. Above All these my heart aspires, O Heart Divine ! Stoop Thou to mine. Lord, I have shut my door! Come Thou and visit me: I am alone! Come, as when doors were shut Thou cam'st of yore, And visitedst Thine own. My Lord! I kneel with reverent love and fear; For Thou art here!- Mary E. Atkinson. 527. COMET. LONE traveller through the fields of air, What may thy presence here portend? As friend greets friend? Tends to the fountain of that light From whence thy golden beams are won : So should we turn from earth's dark night, To God our sun. -Mrs Hale. 528. COMFORT. Common THERE is a heaven yet to rest my soul on In the midst of all unhappiness, which I look on 529. COMFORT. Experience of I'VE found a joy in sorrow, Of sunshine after rain. O'er every broken string. I've found a glad hosanna When desert wells were dry; I've found an Elim nigh,- I've seen a rainbow light; So near !-yet out of sight. My Saviour! Thee possessing, The rainbow for the tearful, The glory for the saint.-Jane Crewdson. 530. COMFORT: how it is to be obtained. Is thy cruse of comfort failing? rise and share it with another, And through all the years of famine it shall serve thee and thy brother. Love Divine will fill the storehouse, or thy handful still renew; Scanty fare for one will often make a royal feast for two. For the heart grows rich in giving; all its wealth is living gain; Seeds, which mildew in the garner, scatter'd, fill with gold the plain. Is thy burden hard and heavy? do thy steps drag wearily? Help to bear thy brother's burden; God will bear both it and thee. Numb and weary on the mountains, wouldst thou sleep amidst the snow? Chafe that frozen form beside thee, and together both shall glow. Art thou stricken in life's battle? many wounded round thee moan; Lavish on their wounds thy balsams, and that balm shall heal thine own. Is the heart a well left empty? None but God its void can fill; Nothing but a ceaseless Fountain can its ceaseless longings fill; Is the heart a living power? Self-entwined, its strength sinks low; It can only live in loving, and by serving love will grow. Mrs Charles. 531. COMFORT. Prayer for SPEAK low to me, my Saviour, low and sweet, Is it not strange, the darkest hour For comfort, than an angel's mirth? Sooner than where the Easter sun Shines glorious on yon open grave, And to and fro the tidings run, 'Who died to heal, is risen to save?' Sooner than where upon the Saviour's friends The very Comforter in light and love descends? Yet so it is for duly there The bitter herbs of earth are set, Till temper'd by the Saviour's prayer And with the Saviour's life-blood wet, They turn to sweetness, and drop holy balm, Soft as imprison'd martyr's death-bed calm. Nay, do not wrong Him by thy heavy thoughts, Do thou full justice to His tenderness, Take Him for what He is; oh, take Him all, Then shall thy tossing soul find anchorage Thy love shall rest on His, thy doubts Thy heart shall find in Him and in His grace Christ and His love shall be thy blessed all Christ and His light shall shine on all thy ways Christ and His peace shall keep thy troubled soul For evermore! 535. COMMENDATION. PRAISE a fool, and slay him; for the canvas of his vanity is spread; His bark is shallow in the water, and a sudden gust shall sink it: Praise a wise man and speed him on his way; for he carrieth the ballast of humility, And is glad when his course is cheered by the sympathy of brethren ashore. The praise of a good man is good, for he holdeth up the mirror of Truth, That Virtue may see her own beauty, and delight in her own fair face: The praise of a bad man is evil, for he hideth the deformity of Vice, Casting the mantle of a queen around the limbs of a leper. Praise is rebuke to the man whose conscience alloweth it not: And where Conscience feeleth it her due, no praise is better than a little. He that despiseth the outward appearance, despiseth the esteem of his fellows; And he that overmuch regardeth it, shall earn only their contempt: The honest commendation of an equal no one can scorn and be blameless, Yet even that fair fame no one can hunt for and be Like a plant in a crowded corner, for want of sunshine on its leaves : Ere yet they brought their journey to an end, A stranger join'd them, courteous as a friend, With another praise him not often,-otherwise he❘ And ask'd them with a kind, engaging air, shall despise thee; What their affliction was, and begg'd a share. But be thou frugal in commending; so will he give Inform'd, He gather'd up the broken thread, honour to thy judgment. And, truth and wisdom gracing all He said, Wilt thou that one remember a thing?-praise him Explain'd, illustrated, and search'd so well in the midst of thy advice. Expect not praise from the mean, neither gratitude from the selfish.-Tupper. 536. COMMENTATORS. COMMENTATORS each dark passage shun, And hold their farthing candle to the sun. Young. 537. COMMUNION. Divine THEY know, who thus oppress me, 'Tis hard to be alone; But know not One can bless me, Who comes through bars and stone; From sighs and tears to praise ; 'Tis that which makes my treasure, And reaping joy from pain. Oh, 'tis enough, whate'er befall, To know that God is All in all. Madame Guyon, tr. by T. C. Upham. 538. COMMUNION. Example of IT happen'd on a solemn eventide, The further traced, enrich'd them still the more; The tender theme on which they chose to dwell, Cowper. 539. COMMUNION. Key to HE stands and knocks, and bids me ope the door, Without He stands, and asks to enter in : Why should He seek a shelter sad with sin? Will He but knock and ask, and nothing more? He knows what ways I take to shut my heart, My foolish fastenings, or by force break through, Nor wait till I fulfil my needless part. But nay, He shall not go; I do arise and ope,— 'Come in, dear Lord, come in and sup with me, Oh, blessed Guest, and let me sup with Thee,'— Where is the door? for in this dark I grope, And cannot find it soon enough; my hand, Shut hard, holds fast the one sure key I need, The door between is some command undone, 540. COMPANIONS. Choice of NOT with the light and vain, The man of idle feet and wanton eyes; Not with the world's gay, ever-smiling train; My lot be with the grave and wise. Not with the trifler gay, To whom life seems but sunshine on the wave; Not with the empty idler of the day; My lot be with the wise and grave. Not with the jesting fool, Who knows not what to sober truth is due, Whose words fly out without or aim or rule! My lot be with the wise and true. Not with the man of dreams, In whose bright words no truth nor wisdom lies, Dazzling the fervent youth with mystic gleams; My lot be with the simply wise. With them I'd walk each day, From them time's solemn lessons would I learn, That false from true and true from false I may Each hour more patiently discern.—Bonar. 541. COMPANY. Choice of SOME love the glow of outward show, Some love mere wealth and try to win it ; The house to me may lowly be, If I but like the people in it. What's all the gold that glitters cold, Is truth of heart and manly dealing! Then let them seek, whose minds are weak, The house to me may lowly be, If I but like the people in it !-Charles Swain. JUST, and strong, and opportune, is the moral rule of God; Ripe in its times, firm in its judgments, equal in the measure of its gifts. Yet men, scanning the surface, count the wicked happy, Nor heed the compensating peace which gladdeneth the good in his afflictions. They see not the frightful dreams that crowd a bad man's pillow; They know not the torturing suspicions that sting his panting breast, When the clear eye of penetration quietly readeth off the truth. Likewise of the good what know they? the memories bringing pleasure, Shrined in the heart of the benevolent and glistening from his eye. The calm, self-justifying reason that establisheth the upright in his purpose ; The warm and gushing bliss that floodeth all the thoughts of the religious.-Tupper. 545. COMPENSATION : required. NOTHING comes free-cost here. Jove will not let His gifts go from him, if not bought with sweat. Robert Herrick. 546. COMPLAINT: a trial of the Divine patience. I SOMETIMES think God's tender heart must ache, |