Thou great First Cause! least understood; Who all my sense confined,

To know but this, that Thou art good,

And that myself am blind;

Yet gave me, in this dark estate,
To see the good from ill;
And, binding nature fast in fate,

Let free the human will ;

What conscience dictates to be done,
Or warns me not to do,

This teach me, more than hell, to shun,
That, more than heaven, pursue.

What blessings Thy free bounty gives
Let me not cast away;

For God is paid when man receives;
T' enjoy is to obey.

Yet not to earth's contracted span
Thy goodness let me bound;
Or think Thee Lord alone of man,
When thousand worlds are round.

Let not this weak, unknowing hand
Presume Thy bolts to throw ;

And deal damnation round the land
On each I judge Thy foe.

If I am right, Thy grace impart
Still in the right to stay ;

If I am wrong, O teach my heart
To find that better way.

Save me alike from foolish pride
Or impious discontent,

At aught Thy wisdom has denied,
Or aught Thy goodness lent.

Teach me to feel another's wo,
To hide the fault I see;
That mercy I to others show,
That mercy show to me.

Mean though I am, not wholly so, Since quickened by Thy breath,O! lead me, whereso'er I go, Through this day's life or death.

This day be bread and peace my lot; All else beneath the Sun

Thou know'st if best bestowed or not;

And let Thy will be done!

To Thee whose temple is all space,

Whose altar earth, sea, skies!

One chorus let all Being raise,

All nature's incense rise!

Mrs. Hemaus.

1794-1835.

A DIRGE.

CALM on the bosom of thy God,

Young spirit! rest thee now; Even while with us thy footstep trod His seal was on thy brow.

Dust, to its narrow house beneath!

Soul to its place on high!

They that have seen thy look in death, No more may fear to die.

Lone are the paths, and sad the bowers, Whence thy meek smile is gone;

But oh!

a brighter home than ours, In heaven is now thine own.

THE LILIES OF THE FIELD.

"Consider the lilies of the field."

FLOWERS! when the Saviour's calm benignant eye
Fell on your gentle beauty — when from you

That heavenly lesson for all hearts He drew, Eternal, universal as the sky

Then, in the bosom of your purity,

A voice He set, as in a temple-shrine,
That life's quick travellers ne'er might pass you by
Unwarned of that sweet oracle divine.

And though too oft its low, celestial sound,
By the harsh notes of work-day care is drowned,
And the loud steps of vain unlistening Haste,
Yet, the great ocean hath no tone of power
Mightier to reach the soul, in thought's hushed hour,
Than yours, ye Lilies! chosen thus and graced!

THE BIRDS OF THE AIR.

"And behold the birds of the air."

YE too, the free and fearless birds of air,
Were charged that hour, on missionary wing,

The same bright lesson o'er the seas to bear,
Heaven-guided wanderers with the winds of spring!

Sing on, before the storm and after, sing!

And call us to your echoing woods away

From worldly cares; and bid our spirits bring
Faith to imbibe deep wisdom from your lay.
So may those blesséd vernal strains renew
Childhood, a childhood yet more pure and true

E'en than the first, within the awakened mind;
While sweetly, joyously, they tell of life,
That knows no doubts, no questionings, no strife,
But hangs upon its God, unconsciously resigned.

ANGEL VISITS.

ARE ye forever to your skies departed?

Oh! will ye visit this dim world no more? Ye, whose bright wings a solemn splendour darted Through Eden's fresh and flowering shades of yore? Now are the fountains dried on that sweet spot, our faded earth beholds you not!

And ye

But may ye not, unseen, around us hover,

With gentle promptings and sweet influence yet, Though the fresh glory of those days be over,

When, 'midst the palm-trees, man your footsteps met? Are ye not near when faith and hope rise high, When love, by strength, o'ermasters agony?