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, 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, In the good time coming. And flourish all the stronger; And Charity shall trim her lamp : Wait a little longer. There's a good time coming, boys, A good time coming; Smallest helps, if rightly given, 525. CLERGYMEN. Is not the care of souls a load sufficient? To fill up every cranny of your time, And leave you much to answer, if one wretch Be damn'd by your neglect. -Dryden. Near yonder copse, where once the garden smiled, By doctrines fashion'd to the varying hour; At church with meek and unaffected grace, 526. CLOSET. Waiting in the LORD, I have shut my door, Shut out life's busy cares and fretting noise: 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. 529. COMFORT. Experience of I'VE found a joy in sorrow, Of sunshine after rain. For every woe and wail, When desert wells were dry; I've found an Elim nigh,— When buds of promise fade! So near-yet out of sight. My Saviour! Thee possessing, 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 That ever dawn'd on sinful earth For comfort, than an angel's mirth? That to the Cross the mourner's eye should turn Sooner than where the stars of Christmas burn? 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 : 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 honoured: If it come, accept it and be thankful, and be thou humble in accepting; If it tarry, be not thou cast down: the bee can gather honey out of rue. With a friend, praise him when thou canst; for many a friendship hath decayed, Like a plant in a crowded corner, for want of sun shine 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; But be thou frugal in commending; so will he give honour to thy judgment. Wilt thou that one remember a thing?—praise him in the midst of thy advice. What their affliction was, and begg'd a share. Expect not praise from the mean, neither gratitude That reaching home, The night, they said, is near, 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; He makes my dungeon's darkness bright, Thy love, O God! restores me 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; We must not now be parted, sojourn here.— 539. COMMUNION. Key to But nay, He will not choose to enter so,- 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. 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. Wisdom, in an ailing body; or a common mind, with health; Godliness, with man's scorn; or the welcome of the mighty, with guilt; Beauty, with a fickle heart; or plainness of face, with affection. For so hath Providence determined, that a man shall not easily discover Unmingled good or evil, to quicken his envy or abhorrence. A bold man or a fool must he be, who would change his lot with another. It were a fearful bargain, and mercy hath lovingly refused it.-Tupper. 544. COMPENSATION. Moral 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, |