*

CXXX.

Quiescere faciamus omnes dies festos Dei a terra.

WHEN first earth's rulers welcomed home

The Church, their zeal impressed

Upon the seasons, as they come,

The image of their guest.

Men's words and works, their hopes and fears,

Henceforth forbid to rove,

Paused, when a Martyr claimed her tears,

Or Saint inspired her love.

But craving wealth, and feverish power,

Such service now discard;

The loss of one excited hour

A sacrifice too hard!

And e'en about the holiest day,

God's own in every time,

They doubt and search, lest ought should stay

The cataract of crime.

Where shall this cease! must Crosiers fall,

Shrines suffer touch profane,

Till, cast without his vineyard wall,

The Heaven-sent Heir is slain ?

d.

CXXXI.

CHRIST'S Church was holiest in her youthful days,
Ere the world on her smiled;

So now, an outcast, she would pour her rays
More keen and undefiled;

Yet would I not that hand of force were mine,
Which thrust her from her awful ancient shrine.

'Twas duty bound each convert-king to rear His Mother from the dust,

And pious was it to enrich, nor fear

Christ for the rest to trust;

But who shall dare make common or unclean

What once has on the Holy Altar been?

*

Dear Brothers!—hence, while ye for ill prepare,

Triumph is still your own;

Blest is a pilgrim Church!-Yet shrink to share
The curse of breaking down.

So will we toil in our old place to stand,
Still calmly looking for the spoiler's hand.

CXXXII.

d.

UZZAH AND OBED-EDOM.

Μὴ κίνει Καμαρίναν· ἀκίνητος γὰρ ἄμεινων.

THE ark of God has hidden strength :

Who reverence or profane,

They or their seed, shall find at length,
The penalty or gain.

While as a sojourner it sought

Of old its destined place,

A blessing on the home it brought
Of one who did it grace.

*

But there was one, outstripping all

The holy-vestured band,
Who laid on it, to save its fall,

A rude corrective hand.

Read, who the Church would cleanse, and mark

How stern the warning runs :

There are two ways to aid her ark,

As patrons and as sons.

δ.

CXXXIII.

ΠΕΡΙ ΤΗΣ ΜΙΣΗΤΟΥ ΣΤΑΣΕΩΣ,

"The Powers that be are ordained of God."

YES, mark the words, deem not that Saints alone

Are Heaven's true servants, and His Laws fulfil Who rules o'er just and wicked. He from ill Culls good, He moulds the Egyptian's heart of stone To do him honour, and e'en Nero's* throne

Claims as His ordinance; before Him still

Pride bows unconscious, and the rebel will Most does His bidding, following most its own.

*Rom. xiii. 1-8.

*

Then grieve not at their high and palmy state, Those proud bad men, whose unrelenting sway Has shattered holiest things, and led astray

Christ's little ones: they are but tools of Fate,

Duped rebels, doomed to serve a POWER they

hate,

To earn a traitor's guerdon, yet obey.

В.