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148

KING of saints, to Whom the number

Of Thy starry host is known,
Many a name, by man forgotten,
Lives for ever round Thy throne;

Lights, which earth-born mists have darkened,
There are shining full and clear,
Princes in the court of heaven,
Nameless, unremembered here.

How they toiled for Thee and suffered,
None on earth can now record;

All their saintly life is hidden

In the knowledge of their Lord.

All is veiled from us, but written
In the Lamb's great book of life,
All the faith, and prayer, and patience,
All the toiling, and the strife;

There are told Thy hidden treasures;
Number us, O Lord, with them,
When Thou makest up the jewels
Of Thy living diadem.

149

ORD, not for store of worldly wealth,
Nor worldly fame, we pray,

Nor worldly joys, which brightly bloom,
And quickly fade away.

Not to the world, nor to ourselves,

But to Thy holy eyes

We look; O give us godly fear,

O make us meekly wise!

True wisdom, while it gives, receives;

By scattering gets increase;
And all her ways are pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.

Honour and wealth are in her hand,

True glory she bestows;

A holy stream of life and joy

From her pure well-spring flows.

150

AROUND the throne of God a band
Of bright and glorious angels stand;

Bright things they see, sweet harps they hold,
And on their heads are crowns of gold.

Some wait around Him, ready still
To sing His praise and do His will;
And some, when He commands them, go
To guard His servants here below.

Lord, give Thine angels every day
Command to guide us on our way;
And bid them every evening keep
Their watch around us while we sleep.

So shall no wicked thing draw near,
To do us harm, or cause us fear;
And we shall dwell, when life is past,
With angels round Thy throne at last.

SAINT MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS

151

ATHER, before Thy throne of light
The guardian angels bend,

And ever in Thy presence bright

Their psalms adoring blend;

And, casting down each golden crown
Beside the crystal sea,

With voice and lyre, in happy choir,
Hymn glory, Lord, to Thee.

And as the rainbow lustre falls
Athwart their glowing wings,
While Seraph unto Seraph calls,
And each Thy goodness sings;
So may we feel, as low we kneel
Το Thee for Thy grace,

pray

That Thou art here for all who fear
The brightness of Thy face.

Here, where the angels see us come
To worship day by day,

Teach us to seek our heavenly home,
And love Thee e'en as they ;
Teach us to raise our notes of praise,
With them Thy love to own,

That boyhood's time and manhood's prime
Be Thine and Thine alone.

152

HARK! hark my soul! angelic songs are swel

ling

O'er earth's green fields and ocean's wave-beat shore :

How sweet the truth those blessed strains are telling Of that new life when sin shall be no more! Angels of Jesus, angels of light,

Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night! Onward we go, for still we hear them singing, Come, weary souls, for Jesus bids you come.' And through the dark, its echoes sweetly ringing, The music of the Gospel leads us home. Angels of Jesus, angels of light,

Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night! Far, far away, like bells at evening pealing, The voice of Jesus sounds o'er land and sea; And laden souls, by thousands meekly stealing, Kind Shepherd, turn their weary steps to Thee. Angels of Jesus, angels of light,

Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night! Rest comes at length; though life be long and dreary, The day must dawn, and darksome night be past; Faith's journey ends in welcome to the weary, And heaven, the heart's true home, will come at last.

Angels of Jesus, angels of light,

Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night! Angels, sing on, your faithful watches keeping, Sing us sweet fragments of the songs above; Till morning's joy shall end the night of weeping, And life's long shadows break in cloudless love. Angels of Jesus, angels of light,

Singingto welcome the pilgrims of the night!

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