USELESS FLIGHT.

But Jonah rose up to flee unto Tarshish from the presence of the Lord."-Jonah, i. 3.

AND couldst thou fancy, then,

Tarshish beyond the ken

Of Him whose presence fills unbounded space?

Who, from the heavens on high,

With sleepless searching eye,

Even the depths of hell itself can trace?

Weak though the thought might be,

There are who censure thee,

Who would no less God's holy presence shun;
Weakness surpassing thine,

Whose mission, though divine,

Might hope to win belief from few or none.

Such, when they feel within
HIS power convict of sin,

Turn from the witness for His righteous will;
In earth's delusive joys,

In business, strife, and noise,
Striving to drown the voice they cannot still.

As well to Tarshish flee,

As hope to 'scape from Thee, God omnipresent, and omnipotent! Closing with coward fear

That inward eye and ear,

Whose

powers for nobler

purposes were lent.

Ungrateful, and absurd;

E'en by the deafest heard,

Thy still small voice shall speak in thrilling tone, On the eye's darkest night

Shall burst thy piercing light,

In judgment or in mercy both be known!

HOPE IN CONFLICT.

"Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall I shall when I sit in darkness, the Lord shall be a light unto me." ---Micah, vii. 8.

arise;

REJOICE not over me, my foe,

Though fall'n, I am not slain;

In mightier power than thou canst know

I shall arise again.

Think not, though clouds may gather round,

That mine is starless night;

Even amid that gloom profound
The Lord will be my light.

Such is their language, Lord, whose hearts

All confidence disown,

Save what Thy word of truth imparts,
And crave Thy power alone.

These, even while they mourn each fall,
And view themselves with shame,

On Thee, afresh, for succour call,

And trust a Saviour's name.

Thou art to them in darkest hour Their comfort, hope, and stay; Well knowing that thy arm of power Can make their darkness day.

These meekly strive to bear thy rod With patient, reverend awe, Conscious that they, O righteous God, Have disobey'd thy law.

Yet, in their chastisement they place

Full confidence in Thee,

And for thy holy gift of grace,
Before Thee bend the knee;

Imploring Thou wilt plead aright
Their cause, their struggles bless;
And bring them forth unto the light
To see thy righteousness.

COMFORT IN A CLOUDY DAY.

"The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind, and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet."-Nahum, i. 3.

EXPECT not, pilgrim, Zion-ward,
A bright sky always will be thine,
Or that the presence of thy Lord
Will constantly around thee shine:
If all were clear, around, above,
What test could prove thy faith and love?

In storm or whirlwind, as in wrath,

He holds unseen his righteous way,
Dark clouds denote his viewless path,

And thine may seem a winter's day,
Yet not the less His path may be
One of unbounded love to thee.