198

PROFANITY.

He rings and waits. O then begin
At once your prayer, "Lord, enter in!"

So when its time on earth is past,
Your heart will beat no more at last;
And when its latest pulse is o'er,
'T will go and knock at Heaven's door;
And stand without, and patient wait,
To see if Christ will ope the gate,
And say: "Here endless joys begin,
Here, faithful servant, enter in!
I was on earth thy cherished guest,
And now in Heaven I give thee rest.
Receive at length thy due reward;
Enjoy the blessings of thy Lord."

SONGS FROM THE GERMAN.

PROFANITY.

TAKE not God's name in vain;
Speak not that holy name,

Not with a laughing lip,

Not in thy playful game ;
For the great God of all

Heareth each word we say :

He will remember it,

In the great judgment-day.

CONSCIENCE.

Hush! for his hosts, unseen,
Are watching over thee;
His angels spread their wings,
Thy shelter kind to be.

Wilt thou, with words profane,
Rash and undutiful,
Scatter thine angel-guards,

Glorious and beautiful?

Honor God's holy name:

Speak it with thought and care;

Sing it in holy hymns;

Breathe it in earnest prayer.

But not with sudden cry,

In thy light joy or pain:

God will hold guilty all

Who take his name in vain!

199

SUNDAY-SCHOOL HYMNS.

CONSCIENCE.

WHEN a foolish thought within
Tries to take us in a snare,
Conscience tells us, "It is sin,"
And entreats us to beware.

If in something we transgress,
And are tempted to deny,

200

CONSCIENCE.

Conscience says, "Your fault confess;
Do not dare to tell a lie."

In the morning when we rise,
And would fain omit to pray,
"Child, consider," Conscience cries;
"Should not God be sought to-day?"

When, within His holy walls,

Far abroad our thoughts we send,
Conscience often loudly calls,

And entreats us to attend.

When our angry passions rise,
Tempting to revenge an ill;
"Now subdue it," Conscience cries;
"Do command your temper still."

Thus, without our will or choice,
This good monitor within,
With a secret warning voice,
Tells us to beware of sin.

But if we should disregard

While this friendly voice would call,
Conscience soon will grow so hard

That it will not speak at all.

HYMNS FOR INFANT MINDS.

THE UNSEEN.

201

THE UNSEEN.

THE wind blows down the largest tree,
And yet the wind I cannot see.
Playmates far off, that have been kind,
My thought can bring before my mind;
The past by it is present brought,
And yet I cannot see my thought.
The charming rose perfumes the air,
Yet I can see no perfumes there.

Blithe robin's notes how sweet, how clear,

From his small bill they reach my ear!
And whilst upon the air they float,
I hear, yet cannot see a note.
When I would do what is forbid,

By something in my heart I'm chid;
When good I think, then quick and pat
The something says, "My child, do that."
When I too near the stream would go,
So pleased to see the waters flow,
That something says, without a sound,
"Take care, dear child! you may be drowned."

And for the poor whene'er I grieve,

That something says, "A penny give."

Thus spirits good and ill there be,

Although invisible to me :
Whate'er I do, they see me still.

Then, O good Spirits! guide my will.

ADELAIDE TAYLOR.

202

IMMORTALITY.

ETERNITY.

How long sometimes a day appears!
And weeks, how long are they!
Months move as slow as if the years
Would never pass away.

But even years are fleeting by,
And soon must all be gone;

For day by day, as minutes fly,
Eternity comes on.

Days, months, and years must have an end:
Eternity has none !

"T will always have as long to spend

As when it first begun.

Great God! although we cannot tell
How such a thing can be,

We humbly pray that we may dwell
That long, long time with thee.

IMMORTALITY.

YON butterfly, whose airy form

Flits o'er the garden-wall,

JANE TAYLOR.