RUTH.

That God beneath "whose wings I come to trust"
An ear of mercy to our wants hath leaned,
Behold this token, shown us who are dust:-
An ephah full of barley I have gleaned !

NAOMI.

O blessed be His name-and blest be he

Amid whose full-ear'd sheaves thou wroughtst to-day, May blessings, too, my daughter, light on thee, Who raisest up a friend our woes to stay.

RUTH.

Boaz, "the man of wealth," whose fields I trod,
Hath spoken words of comfort and of love;
'Tis thus towards all who put their trust in GoD,
He turns the hearts of men his power to prove

THE PRAYER OF RUTH.

O UNSEEN God! whose secret, wondrous ways
Have saved a soul that idols false obeyed,
Look down with pity upon one who

Thine holy aid!

prays

Fountain of Mercy! Should I dare require
Aught in my sinful ignorance, of ill,
Punish me not by granting my desire-
Reveal thy will!

Omniscient Lord! who seest our utmost heart,
My soul is set on one, e'en as it clave
In former time to him who did depart
Down to the grave.

He, who relieved the widow's woes, doth cause
My breast with hope and gratitude to fill-
His love to seek shall I transgress thy laws?
Reveal thy will!

THE SONG OF BOAZ TO RUTH.

DAMSEL, thou hast so nobly trod the path
Of peril and good works-so meekly sought
To be the handmaid of that God who hath
Alone the power to raise up faith from naught-
So firmly hast thou bid a long farewell

To birth-place, kindred, home, and heritage,
That with a holy zeal my heart doth swell

To join thee in thy Heavenward pilgrimage.

Damsel, the traveller o'er the desert's blight
Leapeth for joy the limpid spring to see,
So was my soul athirst for one who might,
As Rachael was to Jacob, be to me.
And now my prayers are answered from above:

Thou art my rich reward! By nuptial gage Our hearts both knit in bonds of earthly love Shall join to end our Heavenward pilgrimage!

SIX SONGS FROM THE BOOK OF

RUTH.

THE SONG OF RUTH TO NAOMI.

RUTH, CHAP. I.

I WILL not leave thee, Mother, now that grief Strikes with a heavy hand thy widowed heart ; The blooming flower shuns not the blighted leaf, Shall I, then, from thy woe-worn spirit part? For thee, will I forsake my native land,

Where every tie hath bound me heretofore, With thee, I'll wend to Israel, hand in hand, Thy kindred I will claim, thy God adore!

Where thou dost pillow, there my head shall lie;
E'en as the dove doth seek its mother's nest,
So, where thou layest thine aged form to die,
There too will I take up eternal rest.
For that, I now from kinsmen turn away,

And leave their idols, they will curse me sore; This last sad look their years of love shall pay

THY Country I will claim,―thy God adore!

SONG OF THE GLEANERS.

CHAP. II.

PRAISE the Lord for his bounty! while nations around,

Are groaning with famine, our garners abound!
The heathen who setteth up gods of his own,

In vain seeks to reap when he lately hath sown;
Unblest by the Lord, he can harvest no more
Than we glean, when the work of the reaper is o'er.

Praise the Lord for his bounty! while nations around
Are groaning with famine, our garners abound!

Praise the Lord for his mercy! with meekness there came
A maid out of Moab to worship His name;
We will welcome her hither with song and with prayer,
In the field of our master the corn she shall share.
Who will turn from idolatry, thus, will the Lord
With friends and with plenty and honour reward.

Praise the Lord for his bounty! while nations around,
Are groaning with famine, our garners abound!

NAOMI AND RUTH.

CHAP. III.

NAOMI.

My father land! O Canaan, I rejoice
Upon thy treasure-teeming soil to be ;
Yet midst thy plenty, who shall hear the voice
Of helpless, friendless, widowed poverty?

с

SONG OF THE PROPHETS.

CHAP. IV.

PRAISE be to God! who in his might

Shall Pharez' house replace

Blessed be she who shall unite
Her master's failing race!

Behold! from them shall spring a son,
A King; of whose increase
Lo! there shall come a mightier one,
JEHOVAH! PRINCE OF PEACE.

W. H. WILLS.

LO, THE LILIES OF THE FIELD.

ST. MATTHEW, CHAP. VI.

Lo, the lilies of the field,

How their leaves instruction yield;
Hark to Nature's lesson given
By the blessed birds of heaven!
Every bush, and tufted tree
Warbles sweet philosophy;

Mortal, fly from doubt and sorrow,

God provideth for to-morrow.