Diligence, faith, and contentment are Duty,
And if He blesses them all with increase

Thank Him, that earth in its bounty and beauty
Pours on us wealth, and abundance, and peace!

We are His children, and GOD our Father;

Then will we love one another the more ;While He is generous, let us the rather

Thank Him for blessing the basket and store!
Earth is Man's heritage, granted by heaven;

If the Great Master has made us His heirs
Here and hereafter redeem'd and forgiven,—
O let us greet Him with praises and pray'rs !

Bop-Picking.

A thyrsus grove it seem'd, of standing spears
Wildly festoon'd with gadding wreaths of green;
Yet, not as if old Bacchus and his
peers

In tipsy rout and frolic there had been

To hurl them up on end with all their sheen,—

But orderly set forth in warrior rank

Giants array'd, with fighting-room at flank,

Caparison'd, and heavily plumed a-top

With clustering bells :-and, are these Dryad bands,
Or groupes of Oreades, so blythely seen

To gather in with songs that golden crop,
Crushing its fragrance in their sportive hands?
No! dreamer-let Arcadian fancies drop;
These are but hop-pickers,-and that the Hop.

A Prayer for the Land.

AUGUST 6, 1848.

Almighty Father! hearken,—
Forgive, and help, and bless;
Nor let thine anger darken
The night of our distress;
As sin and shame and weakness
Are all we call our own,
We turn to Thee in meekness,
And trust on Thee alone.

O GOD, remember Zion,—
And pardon all her sin!
Thy mercy we rely on

To rein Thy vengeance in:
Though dark pollution staineth
The temple Thou hast built,
Thy faithfulness remaineth,—
And that shall cleanse the guilt!

To Thee, then, Friend All-seeing, Great source of grace and love,

In whom we have our being,

In whom we live and move,Jerusalem, obeying

Thy tender word, “Draw near,” Would come securely, praying In penitence and fear.

Thou knowest, LORD, the peril

Our ill deserts have wrought, If earth for us is sterile

And all our labour nought! Alas, our righteous wages Are famine, plague, and sword, Unless Thy wrath assuages In mercy, gracious LORD!

For lo! we know Thy terrors Throughout the world are rife, Seditions, frenzies, errors, Perplexities and strife!

Thy woes are on the nations,

And Thou dost scatter them,

Yet heed the supplications

Of Thy Jerusalem!

Truth, LORD, we are unworthy,

Unwise, untrue, unjust,
Our souls and minds are earthy,

And cleaving to the dust:
But pour Thy graces o'er us,
And quicken us at heart,-
Make straight Thy way before us,
And let us not depart !

Turn us, that we may fear Thee,

And worship day by day,Draw us, that we draw near Thee, To honour and obey;

H

Be with us all in trouble,
And, as our SAVIOUR still,
LORD, recompense us double
With good for all our ill!

Though we deserve not pity,
Yet, LORD, all bounty yield,—
All blessings in the city,

And blessings in the field,
On folded flocks and cattle,
On basket and on store,
In peace, and in the battle,
All blessings evermore!

All good for earth and heaven!—
For we are bold to plead
As through thy SON forgiven,
And in Him sons indeed!
Yea, FATHER! as possessing
In Thee our FATHER-GOD,
Give, give us every blessing,

And take away Thy rod!

Praise !

A RESPONSE TO "THE PRAYER FOR THE LAND."

September 18, 1848.

We thank Thee, King of Heaven!

We bless Thee, glorious LORD!

Because Thy grace hath given
The mercies we implored;

Because Thy love rejoices
To smile Thy wrath away,
We come with hearts and voices
To praise as well as pray!

O now regard with favour
The sacrifice we bring,
As incense of sweet savour,
As Abel's offering;

As Noah's, when he raised Thee

An altar near the ark;

As Jonah's, when he praised Thee
Beneath the waters dark!

For lo! Thy bounteous promise
Is sure to those who pray,

Averting evil from us,

And helping us alway;

And though we all have wander'd

In sinfulness and shame,-
Yet once again our standard
We set up in Thy name!