On twelve foundations stood the wall,
Whose names the twelve Apostles call.*
The holy Bride!

GOD and THE LAMB its light,†

Effulgent, clear, serene !

Dimmed not by storm nor darksome night,

That city's crystal sheen!

Nor beam nor ray,

But boundless day,

Diffusive, filled the hallowed air,

And filled the crystal waters fair; §
The gates ne'er shut to saint nor prayer, ||
Earth's kings and nations ransomed share ¶
That living light.

I saw no temple there,

No sun, nor moon, nor star;

GOD and THE LAMB its temple were,

Their glory gleamed afar; **

And, 'mid the place,

Their throne of grace, ††

Ineffable, majestic, grand,

Whence flowed adown, o'er diamond sand,
The stream of life; on either hand
The tree of life embowered the land; §§

The saved walked there! ||||

*Rev. xxi. 14.

+ Rev. xxi. 23.

¶ Rev. xxi. 24.

Rev. xxi. 25. § Rev. xxii. 1. ** Rev. xxi. 22, 23.

|| Rev. xxi. 25.

++ Rev. xxii. 3. "The throne of the heavenly grace." - Common Prayer.

Heb. iv. 16.

Rev. xxii. 1.

gg Rev. xxii. 2.

Rev. xxi. 24.

The city of my God!

The new Jerusalem!*

Along its golden street I trod, †

And wore my diadem,

With jewelled lyre

And white attire ;

And near me walked a holy one;

Gems sparkled from his virgin zone; †
He led me to the ancient throne,

And taught my praise with seraph tone,
Glory to GOD!

"Far from these scenes must thou,

My friend, for ever stay?

Here by this dazzling throne I bow,

And thou art far away!

Without yon gates

Repentance waits!

Thou didst reprove me when I strayed,
And warned me trembling and afraid,
And, kneeling by me when I prayed,
Taught me my precious ransom paid!
Oh, where art thou?”

Then, well-remembered, smiled,
And spake that seraph guide,
"GOD sent Repentance to his child,
Love's voice is by thy side;

That garb of woe,

Which mourners know, §

* Rev. xxi. 2. + Rev. xxi. 21.

+ Rev. xv. 6.

§ Job xlii. 6.

Did angels at yon gates remove,* *

And gave these robes with gems inwove; Thy friend below still lives with thee above, Repentance on the earth in heaven is Love, Thy seraph guide."

O sinner! now repent,

Turn from thy hateful sin;

Woe, woe will smite the impenitent :

This very day begin;

Probation wastes,

The judgment hastes;

If thou wouldst know Love's rapturous power,
Give GOD thy heart, Love's choicest dower;
If thou wouldst smile in death's dim hour,
Or when dread glooms of judgment lower,
Sinner, repent!

8*

* Rev. xxi. 27.

THE WIDOW.

"Plead for the widow."-- ISAIAH, i, 17.

I VENERATE the widow, when her head

Is white with years and sorrow for the dead;
Her God has called himself the widow's friend, *
Her GoD is mine, - before his throne I bend.
The widow holy name! one loved of God,
Loved most when most she weeps beneath his rod !
The widow! JESUS loved her, raised her son;
The same was erst by old Elijah done.

The widow holiest name! her name, who bare
"The word made flesh," and gave God's child her
care !†

Close by his cross, the virgin-mother stood,

Whence streamed her Son and Saviour's precious

blood;

He felt the world's sin press his burdened head, ‡
Yet saw the tears the aged widow shed:

"Woman, behold thy son," his mother heard ;
"Behold thy mother," was his parting word;
From that hour that disciple bade her come,
And dwell with him, her son, in his own home. §

* Exod. xxii. 22. Deut. x. 18.

+ St. John's Gospel, i. 14. Acts iv. 27. Levit. xvi. 21. 2 Cor. v. 21. § St. John's Gospel, xix. 25-27. "Now there stood by the cross of JESUS, his mother, and his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary Magdalene. When JESUS, therefore, saw his mother, and the disciple standing by, whom he loved, he saith unto his mother, Woman, behold

O LORD! I love the widow for thy sake!
To thine own love my widowed mother take!

SONNET.

NIGHT's stillness hangs around; above,
The moon and starry multitude,
Sparkling on mountain, wave, and wood,
In paths of brilliant beauty move,
Emblems of peace and purity,
Far o'er the wild, polluted sea
Of mortal sin and misery :-

In this calm hour I humbly send

My anxious thoughts to search the still
And hidden workings of my will;
Before God's piercing eye I bend,
To note my secret sins; and try
My faith in Him, who left his high
And holy heaven for me to die.

thy son! Then saith he to the disciple, Behold thy mother! And from that hour that disciple took her unto his own home."