-one deed

Festus. The value of a thought cannot be told ; REDEEM We time—its loss we dearly buy. But it is clearly worth a thousand lives,

No blank, no trifle, nature made or meant. Like many men's. And yet men love to live, Virtue, or purposed virtue, still be thine : As if mere life were worth their living for.

This cancels thy complaint at once ; this leaves What but perdition will it be to most?

In act no trifle, and no blank in time.
Life's more than breath and the quick round of blood. This greatens, fills, immortalizes all ;
It is a great spirit and a busy heart.

This, the bless'd art of turning all to gold;
The coward and the small in soul scarce do live. This, the good heart's prerogative, to raise
One generous feeling-one great thought-on A royal tribute from the poorest hours :
Of good, ere night, would make life longer seem Immense revenue ! every moment pays.
Than if each year might number a thousand days, If nothing more than purpose is thy power,
Spent as is this by nations of mankind.

Thy purpose firm is equal to the deed ;
We live in deeds, not years ; in thoughts, not breaths; Who does the best his circumstance allows
In feelings, not in figures on a dial.

Does well, acts nobly; angels could no more. We should count time by heart-throbs. He most

Young lives Who thinks most,-feels the noblest, -acts the best. 31. ACTION. Record of

Philip James Bailey.

Though history, on her faded scrolls,

Fragments of facts and wrecks of names enrolls, 29. ACTION. Present

Time's indefatigable finger writes
HEART gazing mournfully

Men's meanest actions on their souls,
Back through past years-

In lines which not himself can blot :
Bringing sad memories,

These the last day shall bring to light,
Laden with tears-

Though through long centuries forgot,
Life's hours wasted,

When hearts and sepulchres are bared to sight.
Talents abused,

Ah! then shall each of Adam's race,
Bright opportunities

In that concentred instant, trace,
Blindly refused -

Upon the tablet of his mind,
Close up the record

His whole existence in a thought combined,
Fraught with such pain ;

Thenceforth to part no more, but be
Years that have vanish'd

Impictured on his memory ;
Return not again.

-As in the image-chamber of the eye,
Grasp thou the Present,

Seen at a glance, in clear perspective, lie
Be earnest and bold-

Myriads of forms of ocean, earth, and sky.
Fleeting its moments,

James Montgomery.
More precious than gold.

32. ACTION. Resolution in
Watch and fight bravely
Against sloth and sin;

Be just in all thy actions, and if join'd
Pray for the Spirit,

With those that are not, never change thy mind ;
The victory to win.

If aught obstruct thy course, yet stand not still,
Cometh the future

But wind about till thou hast topp'd the hill.
Veiled and slow?

Denham.
Go forth to greet her,
For weal or for woe.

33. ACTION. Room for
Bringeth she gladness ?

THROUGH the blue Immense
Praise thou the Lord.

Strike out, all swimmers ! cling not in the way
Bringeth she sadness ?

Of one another, so to sink, but learn
Bow to His word.

The strong man's impulse, catch the fresh’ning spray
O'er Past and o'er Future

He throws up in his motions, and discern
Dim shadows recline.

By his clear, westering eye, the time of day.
Heart, be thou manful ;

Thou, God, hast set us worthy gifts to earn,
The Present is thine !

Besides Thy heaven and Thee! and when I say

air.

There's room here for the weakest man alive

Balm wouldst thou gather for corroding grief? To live and die,--there's room too, I repeat, Pour blessings round thee like a shower of gold. For all the strongest to live well and strive,

'Tis when the rose is wrapt in many a fold, Their own way, by their individual heat,

Close to its heart, the worm is wasting there Like a new bee-swarm leaving the old hive,

Its life and beauty; not when, all unroll’d, Despite the wax which tempts so violet-sweet. Leaf after leaf, its bosom, rich and fair, Then let the living live, the dead retain

Breathes freely its perfumes throughout the ambient Their grave-cold flowers ! through honour's best supplied,

Wake, thou that sleepest in enchanted bowers, By bringing actions to prove theirs not vain.

Lest these lost years should haunt thee on the night Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

When death is waiting for thy number'd hours

To take their swift and everlasting flight ; 34. ACTIONS. Good

Wake ere the earth-born charm unnerve thee quite, Good actions crown themselves with lasting bays, And be thy thoughts to work divine address'd : Who deserves well needs not another's praise. Do something--do it soon-with all thy might;

Heath. An angel's wing would droop if long at rest, If thou doest ill, the joy fades, not the pains ;

And God himself, inactive, were no longer blest. If well, the pain doth fade, the joy remains.

Some high or humble enterprise of good
George Herbert.

Contemplate till it shall possess thy mind, 35. ACTIONS: how their moral quality is to be And kindle in thy heart a flame refined.

Become thy study, pastime, rest, and food, determined.

Pray Heaven for firmness thy whole soul to bind
The body sins not, 'tis the will

To this thy purpose—to begin, pursue,
That makes the action good or ill.

With thoughts all fix'd and feelings purely kind;
Herrick.

Strength to complete, and with review,

And grace to give the praise where all is ever due.
Of every noble action, the intent
Is to give worth reward, -vice punishment. Rouse to some work of high and holy love,
Beaumont and Fletcher. And thou an angel's happiness shalt know,

Shalt bless the earth while in the world above : 36. ACTIONS: must not be indiscreet.

The good begun by thee shall onward flow For good and well must in our actions meet;

In many a branching stream, and wider grow;

The seed that, in these few and fleeting hours,
Wicked is not much worse than indiscreet.

Thy hands unsparing and unwearied sow,
Donne.

Shall deck thy grave with amaranthine flowers, 37. ACTIONS. Sudden

And yield thee fruits divine in heaven's immortal Actions rare and sudden, do commonly

bowers.-Carlos Wilcor. Proceed from fierce necessity : or else

41. ACTIVITY : how much it accomplishes. From some oblique design, which is ashamed To show itself in the public road.

The keen spirit
Sir William Davenant. Seizes the prompt occasion, -makes the thought

Start into instant action, and at once 38. ACTIVITY: admired.

Plans and performs, resolves and executes ! CELERITY is never more admired

Hannah More. Than by the negligent. - Ben Jonson.

42. ACTIVITY. Incentives to 39. ACTIVITY : characteristic of the wise.

MAKE haste, O man, to live,

For thou so soon must die;
Wise men ne'er sit and wail their loss,
But cheerly seek how to redress their harm.

Time hurries past thee like the breeze;

How swift its moments fly!
Shakespeare.

To breathe, and wake, and sleep, 40. ACTIVITY. Christian

To smile, to sigh, to grieve; WOULDST thou from sorrow find a sweet relief?

To move in idleness through earth, Or is thy heart oppress'd with woes untold ?

This, this is not to live!

O sight of strange surprise

55. ADVENT, THE SECOND : importance of That fills our gazing eyes !

preparation for it.
A manger coldly strew'd,
And swaddling-bands so rude,

BEHOLD, the Bridegroom cometh in the middle of A leaning mother poor, and child that helpless lies.

the night, Art Thou, O wondrous sight,

And blest is he whose loins are girt, whose lamp is

burning bright;
Of lights the very Light,

But woe to that dull servant whom the Master shall
Who holdest in Thy hand
The sky and sea and land, -

surprise Who than the glorious heavens art more exceeding With lamp untrimm'd, unburning, and with slumber bright?

in his eyes! 'Tis so : Faith darts before,

Do thou, my soul, beware, beware, lest thou in sleep And, through the cloud drawn o'er,

sink down, She sees the God of all,

Lest thou be given o'er to death, and lose the golden Where angels prostrate fall,

crown ; Adoring, tremble still, and trembling still adore. But see that thou be sober, with watchful eyes, and Within us, babe Divine,

thus Be born, and make us Thine;

Cry 'Holy, holy, holy God, have mercy upon us !' Within our souls reveal

That day, the day of fear, shall come: my soul, Thy love and power to heal ;

slack not thy toil, Be born, and make our hearts Thy cradle and Thy But light thy lamp, and feed it well, and make it shrine.- Isaac Williams.

bright with oil; 54. ADVENT, THE SECOND : its approach. Who knowest not how soon may sound the cry at O'ER the distant mountains breaking

eventide, Comes the redd’ning dawn of day,

• Behold, the Bridegroom comes ! Arise ! Go forth Rise, my soul, from sleep awaking,

to meet the Bride.' Rise and sing, and watch and pray:

Beware, my soul; beware, beware, lest thou in 'Tis thy Saviour

slumber lie, On His bright returning way.

And, like the five, remain without, and knock and O Thou long-expected ! weary

vainly cry ; Waits mine anxious soul for Thee,

But watch, and bear thy lamp undimm'd, and Christ Life is dark and earth is dreary

shall gird thee on Where Thy light I do not see ;

His own bright wedding-robe of light,--the glory of O my Saviour !

the Son.— Tr. from the Greek by G. Moultrie. When wilt Thou return to me? Long, too long, in sin and sadness,

56. ADVENT, THE SECOND: its nearness. Far away from Thee I pine,

BRIDE of the Lamb, awake! awake!
When, O when, shall I the gladness

Why sleep for sorrow now?
Of Thy Spirit feel in mine?

The hope of glory, Christ, is thine,
O my Saviour !

A child of glory thou.
When shall I be wholly Thine ?
Nearer is my soul's salvation,

Thy spirit, through the lonely night,

From earthly joy apart,
Spent the night, the day at hand;

Hath sigh’d for one that's far away,
Keep me in my lowly station,

The Bridegroom of thy heart.
Watching for Thee, till I stand,
O my Saviour !

But see! the night is waning fast,
In Thy bright and promised land.

The breaking morn is near ;
With my lamp well trimm'd and burning,

And Jesus comes, with voice of love,
Swift to hear, and slow to roam,

Thy drooping heart to cheer.
Watching for Thy glad returning

He comes-for oh ! His yearning heart
To restore me to my home,

No more can bear delay-
Come, my Saviour !

To scenes of full, unmingled joy,
O my Saviour, quickly come!

To call His bride away.