FLOWERS.

129

FLOWERS.

GOD might have made the earth bring forth
Enough for great and small,

The oak-tree, and the cedar-tree,
Without a flower at all.

He might have made enough, enough

For every want of ours;

For luxury, medicine, and toil,

And yet have made no flowers.

The clouds might give abundant rain,
The nightly dews might fall,

And the herb that keepeth life in man,
Might yet have drunk them all.

Then wherefore, wherefore were they made,
And dyed with rainbow light,
All fashioned with supremest grace,
Upspringing day and night?

Springing in valleys green and low,
And on the mountains high;
And in the silent wilderness,
Where no man passes by?

130

CHILDREN IN CHURCH.

Our outward life requires them not,
Then wherefore had they birth?
To minister delight to man;

To beautify the earth;

To comfort man, to whisper hope
Whene'er his faith is dim;

For whoso careth for the flowers,
Will care much more for him!

MARY HOWITT.

CHILDREN IN CHURCH.

WHEN to the house of God we go,
To hear his word and sing his love,
We ought to worship him below,
As saints and angels do above.

They stand before his presence now,
And praise him better far than we,-

Who only at his footstool bow,

And love him whom we cannot see.

But God is present everywhere,

And watches all our thoughts and ways:
He marks who humbly join in prayer,
And who sincerely sing his praise.

SEEKING GOD.

The triflers, too, his eye can see,

Who only seem to take a part;

They move the lip and bend the knee,
But do not seek him with the heart.

O, may we never trifle so,

Nor lose the days our God has given; But learn, by Sabbaths here below,

To spend eternity in heaven.

131

SUNDAY-SCHOOL HYMNS.

SEEKING GOD.

WE come in childhood's innocence,
We come, as children, free!
We offer up, O God! our hearts
In trusting love to thee.

Well may we bend, in solemn joy,
At thy bright courts above,
Well may the grateful child rejoice
In such a Father's love.

In joy we wake, in peace we sleep,
Safe from all midnight harms,
Not folded in an angel's wings,

But in a Father's arms.

132

THE BEST OFFERING.

We come not as the mighty come,
Not as the proud we bow;

But as the pure in heart should bend,
Seek we thine altars now.

"Forbid them not," the Saviour said; -
In speechless rapture dumb,

We hear the call, we seek thy face,

Father, we come!

we come!

T. GRAY, JR.

THE BEST OFFERING.

LORD, what offering shall we bring,
At thine altar when we bow?
Hearts, the pure, unsullied spring
Whence the kind affections flow;

Soft compassion's feeling soul,

By the melting eye expressed;

Sympathy, at whose control

Sorrow leaves the wounded breast.

Willing hands to lead the blind,

Bind the wounded, feed the poor;

Love, embracing all our kind,
Charity, with liberal store.

THE GOLDEN RULE.

Teach us, O thou heavenly King!
Thus to show our grateful mind;
Thus the accepted offering bring,
Love to thee and all mankind.

133

JANE TAYLOR.

THE GOLDEN RULE.

THUS said Jesus: "Go, and do
As thou wouldst be done unto."
-Here thy perfect duty see,
All that God requires of thee.

Wouldst thou then rejoice to find
Others generous, just, and kind?
Think upon these words, and do
As thou wouldst be done unto.

Wouldst thou, when thy faults are known,
Wish that pardon should be shown?

Be forgiving then, and do

As thou wouldst be done unto.

Shouldst thou helpless be, and poor,
Wouldst thou not for aid implore?
Think of others then, and be

What thou wouldst they should to thee.