Meet for thy lowly shrine: Sooner than they should miss where Thou dost dwell, Angels from Heaven will stoop to guide them to thy cell. Still, as the day comes round For Thee to be reveal'd, By wakeful shepherds Thou art found, Abiding in the field. All through the wintry heaven and chill night air, In music and in light Thou dawnest on their prayer. O faint not ye for fear— What though your wandering sheep, Lie lost in wilful sleep? High Heaven in mercy to your sad annoy Still greets you with glad tidings of immortal joy. Think on th' eternal home, The Saviour left for you; Think on the Lord most holy, come To dwell with hearts untrue: So shall ye tread untir'd his pastoral ways, And in the darkness sing your carol of high praise. ST. STEPHEN'S DAY. He, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. Acts vii. 55. As rays around the source of light Stream upward ere he glow in sight, Set the clear heavens on fire; So on the King of Martyrs wait 1 Wheatley on the Common Prayer, c. v. sect. iv. 2. "As there are three kinds of martyrdom, the first both in will and deed, which is the highest; the second in will but not in deed; the third in deed but not in will; so the Church commemorates these martyrs in the same order: St. Stephen first, who suffered death both in will and deed; St. John the Evangelist next, who suffered martyrdom in will but not in deed; the holy Innocents last, who suffered in deed but not in will." One presses on, and welcomes death : And some, the darlings of their Lord, Foremost and nearest to his throne, The holy Stephen kneels, Flew open to his fainting eye, Which, like a fading lamp, flash'd high, Seeing what death conceals. Well might you guess what vision bright Was present to his raptur'd sight, Even as reflected streams of light Their solar source betray— The glory which our God surrounds, The Son of Man, th' atoning wounds He sees them all; and earth's dull bounds He sees them all-no other view Could stamp the Saviour's likeness true, "Jesu, do Thou my soul receive : Jesu, do Thou my foes forgive :" He, though he seem on earth to move, From yon unclouded depths above Must draw his purer breath; m And all that were in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. Acts vi. 15. ST. JOHN'S DAY. Peter seeing him, saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me. St. John xxi. 21, 22. 66 LORD, and what shall this man do?" Ask'st thou, Christian, for thy friend? If his love for Christ be true, Christ hath told thee of his end : This is he whom God approves, This is he whom Jesus loves. Ask not of him more than this, Leave it in his Saviour's breast, Whether, early call'd to bliss, He in youth shall find his rest, Whether in his lonely course (Lonely, not forlorn) he stay, Or with Love's supporting force |