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The Beautiful Land.

BY T. MACKELLAR.

THERE is a land immortal,
The beautiful of lands;
Beside the ancient portal
A sentry grimly stands;
He only can undo it,

And open wide the door;
And mortals who pass through it,
Are mortals never more.

That glorious land is Heaven,
And Death the sentry grim;
The Lord therefore has given
The opening keys to him:
And ransomed spirits, sighing
And sorrowful for sin,

Pass through that gate in dying,

And freely enter in.

THE BEAUTIFUL LAND.

Though dark and drear the passage
That leadeth to the gate,

Yet grace comes with the message
To souls that watch and wait;
And at the time appointed,
A messenger comes down,
And leads the Lord's anointed,
From the cross to glory's crown.

Their sighs are lost in singing,
They're blessed in their tears;
Their journey heavenward winging,
They leave to earth their fears;
Death like an Angel seemeth,
"We welcome thee!" they cry.
Their face with glory beameth;
'Tis life for them to die.

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145

A Prayer for Guidance.

FATHER! the skies are dark above me;
Before me lies a boundless waste-
Long thus hast Thou seen good to prove me-
Oh God, to my deliverance haste!

I do not ask that Thou shouldst lighten
The clouds impending o'er my way;
I only pray that Thou wouldst brighten
Their darkness with one guiding ray.

I ask Thee not to make less weary

The waste through which my pathway lies; I would but feel that path, though dreary, Is leading onward to the skies.

Guide me, my Father! if before me
The Angel of Thy Presence go,
I will not shrink, though clouds are o'er me,
And round me gathered many a foe.

I do not falter at the distance,

That parts me from my heavenly home;

147

A PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE.

Weary as seems this earth's existence,
I know 'tis bounded by the tomb.

Nor do I dread the ills that gather,

Thick "from the cradle to the grave,"Not from earth's cares and griefs, my Father, Do I implore thy power to save.

Only from this-this darkness brooding
O'er every path of life I tread,-
And from the gloomy fear intruding
That Thou my spirit hast not led.

I seek thy aid; I ask direction;
Teach me to do what pleaseth Thee,-
I can bear toil,-endure affliction,
Only thy leadings let me see.

Saviour! Thou knowest that earth is dreary,
For thou hast trod its thorny maze;
Guide me through all its wanderings weary;
Keep me for ever in thy ways.

Oh God! my God! make no delaying!
Haste Thee to help me when I cry!

Oh, let me hear thy Spirit saying,

"This is the way! Thy Guide is nigh!"

148

THE SONG OF THE SEA-SHELL.
Guidance and strength! for these imploring,
Jesus! my prayer ascends to Thee;
Lead me through life, that I adoring,
May praise Thee, through eternity!

Che Song of the Sea-Shell.

BY ABDY.

I CAME from the ocean, a billow passed o'er me, And covered with sea-weed and glittering foam, I fell on the sand, and a stranger soon bore me,

To deck the gay halls of his far-distant home, Encompassed with exquisite myrtle and roses,

Still, still, in the deep, I am pining for thee, And the low voice within me, my feeling discloses,

And evermore murmurs the sound of the sea. The sky-lark at morn pours a carol of pleasure,

At eve the sad nightingale warbles her notes; The harps in our halls nightly sound a glad mea

sure,

And beauty's sweet song on the air nightly floats;

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