Good is it for Thy church's sake; A pillar in that church shall make, And goodly is the portion still Of him, whoe'er he be, Who early knows thought, word, and will, Subjected unto Thee. His shall be light in darkest hour, In Thy unfailing arm of power He shall sit silently, alone, To see Thy holier hope made known, To him, in Thy appointed time, A NEW HEART, AND A NEW SPIRIT. 'A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you; and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh."— Ezekiel, xxxvi. 26. CHRISTIAN, behold a simple test, Which, in the light of truth, makes known, As God can only manifest, Who are, and who are not his own. What know'st thou of a heart thus chang'd? Or is thine what it was of old, From God and things divine estrang'd, Obdurate, earthy, stony, cold? What know'st thou of the holy birth Trust not a name, whate'er it be, If still thy nature be the same :— Will prove, indeed, an empty name. Turn inward to the work afresh, Humbly implore, for Jesu's sake, Whose name is yet with power endued, That through His grace thou may'st partake A spirit livingly renew'd. No outward homage of the lip 1 Can christian fellowship impart; The badge of true discipleship Is change of spirit, and of heart. HOPE LEFT WHILE THE ROOT LIVES. Nevertheless leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, in the tender grass of the field, and let it be wet with the dew of heaven."- Daniel, iv. 15. HATH not the vision now Its sure interpretation? Are there not ng in the earth, unseen, forgot? Is there not, known to Thee, Full many a goodly tree Whose early shoots by Thee were nurtur'd, fed ? But when thou hadst a right To look for fruit, on these no fruit was found: With brass and iron thou their root hast bound. Such are existing yet, And tender grass its nourishment still give. That so each hidden root Spared by Thy mercy thus to live unseen, And once more wave its branches fresh and green. Thy hand, which did not spare The barren beauty of its earlier days, May cause it yet to bear Immortal fruit to Thy eternal praise. THE FRAILTY OF MAN'S GOODNESS. "O Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee? O Judah, what shall I do unto thee? for your goodness is as a morning cloud, and as the early dew it goeth away."-Hosea, vi. 4. SUCH the transient influence now Goodness deem'd innate in man. Like a morning cloud it flies, Clouds which bear the welcome shower Wait not on man's fancied power; Dews that nourish where they fall Blossoms time may not impair |