Veil the day's distracting sights, From the darkened sky come forth Living worlds to view be brought, Holy truth, eternal right, Let them break upon my sight, Thou art there. Oh, let me know, Be the perfect peace of God May my soul attuned be To that perfect harmony, Which, beyond the power of sound, Fills the universe around. William Henry Furness [1802-1896] THE HIGHER GOOD FATHER, I will not ask for wealth or fame, Though once they would have joyed my carnal sense: Wanting all wealth, myself my sole defense. Give me the power to labor for mankind; Let me be hands and feet; and to the foolish, mind; THE IDLER I IDLE stand that I may find employ, Till Thou who form'st me find'st me too a task, Content for the few crumbs I get to ask, A laborer but in heart, while bound my hands QUESTIONINGS HATH this world, without me wrought, Other substance than my thought? Lives it by my sense alone, Or by essence of its own? Will its life, with mine begun, Doth yon fire-ball, poised in air, Are the clouds that wander by And those thousand, thousand eyes, Now I close my eyes, my ears, All creation is restored. Or, more wonderful, within New creations do begin; Hues more bright and forms more rare Than reality doth wear Flash across my inward sense, Born of the mind's omnipotence. Soul! that all informest, say! Thought! that in me works and lives,Life to all things living gives, Art thou not thyself, perchance, But the universe in trance? A reflection inly flung By that world thou fanciedst sprung Of the world's thinking thou the theme? Be it thus, or be thy birth From a source above the earth Be thou matter, be thou mind, In thee alone myself I find, And through thee alone, for me, Therefore, in thee will I live, Losing still, that I may find This bounded self in boundless Mind. THE GREAT VOICES A VOICE from the sea to the mountains, A cry from the floods to the fountains, As they leap from the breast of the mountains: The pine forests thrill with emotion Oh, sing, human heart, like the fountains, Charles Timothy Brooks [1813-1883] BEAUTY AND DUTY I SLEPT, and dreamed that life was beauty; I woke, and found that life was duty. THE STRAIGHT ROAD BEAUTY may be the path to highest good, Thou, who wouldst follow, be well warned to see The straightest path perhaps which may be sought, THE WAY THEY find the way who linger where The soul finds fullest life; The battle brave is carried on By all who wait, and waiting, dare Deem each day's least that's fitly done Nor seek their gain with strife. Sidney Henry Morse [18 INSPIRATION LIFE of Ages, richly poured, Love of God, unspent and free, Never was to chosen race That unstinted tide confined; Thine is every time and place, Fountain sweet of heart and mind! Secret of the morning stars, Motion of the oldest hours, |