The Bible Story Part 117

With Thee when darkness brings The signal of repose, Calm in the shadow of Thy wings Mine eyelids I would close.

With Thee, in Thee, by faith Abiding I would be; By day, by night, in life, in death, I would be still with Thee.

--_James Drummond Burns_.

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THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD By William Holman Hunt (1827-1910)

The original of this famous picture is owned by Keble College, Oxford, and is hung in a small room adjoining the chapel.

"The legend beneath it is the beautiful verse--'Behold I stand at the door and knock. If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.' REV. iii.

26. On the left-hand side of the picture is seen this door of the human soul. It is fast barred; its bars and nails are rusty; it is knitted and bound to its stanchions by creeping tendrils of ivy, shewing that it has never been opened. A bat hovers about it; its threshold is overgrown with brambles, nettles, and fruitless corn,--the wild gra.s.s, 'whereof the mower filleth not his hand, nor he that bindeth the sheaves his bosom.' Christ approaches it in the night-time,--Christ, in his everlasting offices, of Prophet, Priest, and King. He wears the white robe, representing the power of the Spirit upon him; the jeweled robe and breastplate, representing the sacerdotal invest.i.ture; the rayed crown of gold, inwoven with the crown of thorns; not dead thorns, but now bearing soft leaves, for the healing of the nations.

"Now, when Christ enters any human heart, he bears with him a twofold light: first, the light of conscience, which displays past sin, and afterwards the light of peace, the hope of salvation. The lantern, carried in Christ's left hand, is this light of conscience.

Its fire is red and fierce; it falls only on the closed door, on the weeds which enc.u.mber it, and on an apple shaken from one of the trees of the orchard, thus marking that the entire awakening of the conscience is not merely to committed, but to hereditary guilt.

"The light is suspended by a chain wrapt about the wrist of the figure, shewing that the light which reveals sin appears to the sinner also to chain the hand of Christ. The light which proceeds from the head of the figure, on the contrary, is that of the hope of salvation; it springs from the crown of thorns, and, though itself sad, subdued, and full of softness, is yet so powerful that it entirely melts into the glow of it the forms of the leaves and boughs, which it crosses, shewing that every earthly object must be hidden by this light, where its sphere extends."--_Ruskin, "Arrows of the Chace._"

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LEAD, KINDLY LIGHT

Lead, kindly Light, amid th' encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on; The night is dark and I am far from home, Lead Thou me on; Keep Thou my feet; I do not ask to see The distant scene; one step enough for me.

I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou Should'st lead me on; I loved to choose and see my path, but now Lead Thou me on!

I loved the garish day, and spite of fears Pride ruled my will; remember not past years.

So long Thy power has blest me, sure it still Will lead me on O'er moor and fen, o'er crag and torrent, till The night is gone, And with the morn those angel faces smile Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile!

--_John Henry Newman_.

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NOW THE DAY IS OVER

Now the day is over, Night is drawing nigh, Shadows of the evening Steal along the sky.

Now the darkness gathers, Stars begin to peep; Birds and beasts and flowers Soon will be asleep.

Jesus, give the weary Calm and sweet repose: With Thy tenderest blessing May our eyelids close.

Grant to little children Visions bright of Thee; Guard the sailors tossing On the deep blue sea.

Comfort every sufferer Watching late in pain; Those who plan some evil From their sin restrain.

Through the long night watches May Thine angels spread Their white wings above me, Watching round my bed.

When the morning wakens, Then may I arise, Pure, and fresh, and sinless In Thy holy eyes.

--_S. Baring-Gould_.

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THE LITTLE MOTHER By Ferruzzi [End ill.u.s.tration]

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A FAREWELL

My fairest child, I have no song to give you, No lark could pipe to skies so dull and gray, Yet ere we part, one lesson I can leave you, For every day.

Be good, sweet child, and let who will be clever; Do n.o.ble things, not dream them all day long, And make life, death, and that vast forever, One grand, sweet song.

--_Charles Kingsley_.

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GOOD NIGHT AND GOOD MORNING

A fair little girl sat under a tree Sewing as long as her eyes could see; Then smoothed her work and folded it right, And said, "Dear work, good night, good night!"

Such a number of rooks came over her head Crying "Caw, caw!" on their way to bed; She said, as she watched their curious flight, "Little black things, good night, good night!"

The horses neighed and the oxen lowed; The sheep's "Bleat, bleat!" came over the road, All seeming to say, with a quiet delight, "Good little girl, good night, good night!"

She did not say to the sun "Good night!"

Though she saw him there like a ball of light; For she knew that he had G.o.d's own time to keep All over the world, and never could sleep.

The tall pink foxglove bowed his head, The violets curtsied and went to bed; And good little Lucy tied up her hair, And said, on her knees, her favorite prayer.

And while on her pillow she softly lay, She knew nothing more till again it was day, And all things said to the beautiful sun, "Good morning, good morning! our work is begun!"

--_Lord Houghton_.

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CHRISTMAS BELLS By Edwin Howland Blashfield (1848- )

"It is the calm and solemn night!

A thousand bells ring out, and throw Their joyous peals abroad, and smite The darkness, charmed and holy now!

The night that erst no name had worn, To it a happy name is given; For in that stable lay new born, The peaceful Prince of Earth and Heaven, In the solemn midnight Centuries ago!"

--_Alfred Domett_ [End ill.u.s.tration]