The Well in the Valley.

THE

WELL

IN THE

VALLE Y.

"WHO PASSING THROUGH THE VALLEY OF BACA MAKE IT A WELL."
Ps. lxxxiv. 6.-See Preface.

BY REV. THOS. SMYTH, D.D.

CHARLESTON, S. C.

AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION,

316 CHESTNUT ST., PHILADELPHIA.

NEW YORK: No. 59 CHAMBERS STREET.

BOSTON: No. 9 CORNHILL.....CINCINNATI: 41 WEST FOURTH ST.
LOUISVILLE: No. 103 FOURTH ST.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1857, by the

AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION,

in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.

No books are published by the AMERICAN SUNDAY-SCHOOL UNION without the sanction of the Committee of Publication, consisting of fourteen members, from the following denominations of Christians, viz. Baptist, Methodist, Congregational, Episcopal, Presbyterian, Lutheran, and Reformed Dutch. Not more than three of the members can be of the same denomination, and no book can be published to which any member of the Committee shall object.

CHARITY.

Fair form that sittest on the cloud,
An image of parental love,
And from the purple-folding shroud
To earth descendest from above,
With babes enfolded in thine arms,

As sheltering them from worldly harms;

All words are weak to speak of thee,

And figure thy fair form divinest charity!

How can we paint thee to our eyes?
Thy brow is like the radiant morn,
Thy flowing robes are azure skies,

And stars the gems thy robes adorn;

The vernal cloud thy chariot fair,

The winds the steeds that chariot bear,

And hues of evening clouds that roam,

Are but the radiant gate that leads unto thy home.

If thus thou'rt fair with God above,

And fairer than all things below,

Bathed in thy light, immortal love,

May our hearts burn our footsteps glow;

With emulous haste our feet be shod,

To love our neighbor, serve our Lord;

His sheep to feed, His lambs to tend,

Through pastures green their way to wend, His voice to know, His staff to heed,

And to His home and banquet lead.

Such actions are the hearts own door,

Whereby affection comes, and multiplies her store, Up springing in the Soul with joy for evermore.

CHILDHOOD.

Childhood in God's own temple ever found,
As when the lamps of eve their shadows flung,
And Samuel heard the awful voice profound,
Or when the temple with hosannas ringing,
And Christ was welcomed by the infant tongue!
Yea, Christ Himself is seen a holy child,
Sitting His heavenly Father's courts among.
Then what, O Lord, 'mong men by sin defiled,
Is for thy temple meet as childhood undefiled.

Sweet childhood! shadow of celestial love,
Trained to look up and hold a parent's hand,
And ever lift the eye to one above;

Which knows not yet, while it obeys command,
Hopes all and all believes; Elysian land!
Drinking the air of immortality

It sheds o'er earth a gleam of paradise;

It is a precious sight which angels view,

In trembling joy and hope; immortal love,
Hangs o'er it watching every opening hue,
Since many such on this bad earth may prove,
Meet for God's golden house in highest heaven above.