And now he linger'd there, the last,
Till Christ should set him free.

I wish I'd lived in those old times,
And been a Grecian child,

To hear that old man's blessing kind,
To meet him when he smiled.

To hear the words of holy love.
That ever from his lips

Fell gentle, as the evening dew
The thirsty blossom sips.

But love endureth through all age;
Nor time, nor distance drear,
Divide the living and the dead
Of Christ's communion dear.

For all His saints in Him are one;
The exile o'er the sea,—

The child within his English home,-
The struggling and the free.

The good Saint John hath rest at last;
He wears the promised crown;
And still, by the dear Church he watch'd,
His words are handed down.

And we shall meet him, not as once,
On that far island shore,

But where apostles, martyrs, saints,

Have

peace for evermore.

C. F. H.

"BY WHOM THE WORLD IS CRUCIFIED TO ME,

AND I UNTO THE WORLD."

EVER further than Thy cross!

Never higher than Thy feet!

Here earth's precious things seem dross,

Here earth's bitter things seem sweet.

Gazing thus, our sin we see;

Learn Thy love whilst gazing thus;
Sin, which laid the cross on Thee,
Love, which bore the cross for us.

Here, from pomp and pride retired,
Nothing we would seem to be;
Dust, yet with Thy life inspired;
Nothing, yet beloved by Thee.

Symbols of our liberty,

And our service, here unite; Captives, by Thy cross made free;

Soldiers of Thy cross, we fight.

Pressing onward as we can,

Still to this our life shall tend: Where life's earliest steps began, May life's latest moments end.

Till amid the hosts of light,

We, in Thee redeem'd, complete, Through Thy cross made pure and bright,

Cast our crowns before Thy feet.

"WHO CAN FORGIVE SINS, BUT GOD ONLY?”

NE priest alone can pardon me,
Or bid me "Go in peace;"

Can breathe that word, "Absolvo te,"

And make these heart-throbs cease: My soul hath heard His priestly voice; It said, "I bore thy sins,―rejoice!

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He show'd the spear-mark in His side,
The nail-print on His palm;

Said, "Look on me, the crucified;
Why tremble thus? Be calm!
All power is mine-I set thee free,-
Be not afraid-Absolvo te."

In chains of sin once tied and bound,
I walk in life and light;

Each spot I tread is hallow'd ground
Whilst Him I keep in sight,

Who died a victim on the tree,

That He might say, "Absolvo te."

By Him my soul is purified,
Once leprous and defiled,

Cleansed in the fountain from His side,

God sees me as a child:

No priest can heal or cleanse but He; No other say, "Absolvo te."

He robed me in a priestly dress
That I might incense bring,
Of prayer and praise and righteousness,
To heaven's Eternal King:

And when He gave this robe to me,
He smiled and said, "Absolvo te."

In heaven He stands before the throne,
The great High Priest above,
"Melchisedec,"-that name alone
Can sin's dark stain remove :
To Him I look on bended knee,

And hear that sweet-" Absolvo te."

A girded Levite here below,

I willing service bring,

And fain would tell to all I know

Of Christ, the Priestly King:
Would win all hearts from sin to flee,
And hear Him say, "Absolvo te."

A little while, and He shall come
Forth from the inner shrine,
To call His pardon'd brethren home;
O bliss supreme, divine!

When every blood-bought child shall see

The Priest who said, "Absolvo te."

C. S.

"THOU SHALT STAND IN THY LOT AT THE END OF THE DAYS."

NELL of departed years,

Thy voice is sweet to me:

It wakes no sad foreboding fears,
Calls forth no sympathetic tears,

Time's restless course to see;

From hallow'd ground

I hear the sound,

Diffusing through the air a holy calm around.