LONELINESS.

LXXXV.

THE COURSE OF TRUTH.

"Him God raised up the third day, and showed Him openly, not to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God."

WHEN royal Truth, released from mortal throes,
Burst His brief slumber, and triumphant rose,
Ill had the Holiest sued

A patron multitude,

Or courted Tetrarch's eye, or claimed to rule

By the world's winning grace, or proofs from learned school.

But, robing Him in viewless air, He told

His secret to a few of meanest mould:

They in their turn imparted

The gift to men pure-hearted.

*

*

While the brute many heard His mysteries high,

As some strange fearful tongue, and crouched they knew not why.

Still is the might of Truth, as it has been:
Lodged in the few, obeyed, and yet unseen.
Reared on lone heights, and rare,

His saints their watch-flame bear,

And the mad world sees the wide-circling blaze, Vain-searching whence it streams, and how to quench

its rays.

LXXXVI.

TIME was, though truth eterne I felt my creed,
That when men smiled and said, "thy words are

strong,

But others think not thus; and dar'st thou plead
That thou art right, and all beside thee wrong?"
I shrunk abashed, nor dared the theme prolong.

Now, in that creed's most high and holy strain
Led to revere the Church's solemn tone,

The calm, clear accents of the chosen One,
CHRIST's mystic Bride, ordained with him to reign,
I hear with pitying sigh such taunts profane;
Taught that my faith, in hers, is based secure
On the unshaken Rock, that shall for aye

endure.

a.

LXXXVII.

THE WATCHMAN.

"Quit you like men, be strong."

FAINT not, and fret not, for threatened woe,
Watchman on Truth's gray height!

Few though the faithful, and fierce though the foe,
Weakness is aye Heaven's might.

Infidel Ammon and niggard Tyre,

Ill-attuned pair, unite;

Some work for love, and some work for hire,

But weakness shall be Heaven's might!

Eli's feebleness, Saul's black wrath,

May aid Ahitophel's spite;

And prayers from Gerizim, and curses from Gath... Our weakness shall be Heaven's might.

Quail not, and quake not, thou Warder bold,
Be there no friend in sight;

Turn thee to question the days of old,

When weakness was aye Heaven's might.

Moses was one, yet he stayed the sin

Of the host, in the Presence bright;

And Elias scorned the Carmel-din,

When Baal would scan Heaven's might.

Time's years are many, Eternity one,

And one is the Infinite;

The chosen are few, few the deeds well done,
For scantness is still Heaven's might.

8.

LXXXVIII.

VEXATIONS.

EACH trial has its weight; which whoso bears, Knows his own woe, and need of succouring grace; The martyr's hope half wipes away the trace of flowing blood; the while life's humblest cares Smart more, because they hold in Holy Writ no place.

This be my comfort, in these days of grief

Which is not Christ's, nor forms heroic tale.
Apart from Him, if not a sparrow fail,

May not He pitying view, and send relief

When foes or friends perplex, and peevish thoughts prevail.

Then keep good heart; nor take the selfwise course

Of Thomas, who must see ere he would trust.
Faith will fill up God's word, not poorly just

To the bare letter, heedless of its force,

But walking by its light amid earth's sun and dust.