UNIV. OF

POEMS.

A MOTHER'S REMONSTRANCE.

Attend in youth to wisdom's voice,
And make her happy paths your choice;
Nor madly her rich gifts disdain,
When you these blessings may obtain;
You need not lean on earth for rest,

A broken reed it is at best:

But often proves a spear to those
Who on its bosom seek repose:

But if, unlike all else below,

Your joys are never dashed with woe,

How short will their duration be,

Compared with vast eternity!

Three score and ten, or four score years,

When past, how short the term appears:

Death's scythe spares none, but mows down all,

The noble, and ignoble fall;

The rich, the poor, the wise, the brave,

Alike descend into the grave;

And you must yield your fleeting breath,
Although possessed of India's wealth.
Nor friends can stay the Monarch's hand,
Though weeping 'round your bed they stand,
Wiping the sweat from your cold brow,
Would fain detain you here below;
Yea! would themselves descend the grave,
If they your precious life could save;

But unavailing is their pain,
Physician's art is also vain;
For you the summons must obey,
And quit the tenement of clay.
What then can dissipate the gloom,
Or what can this dark vale illume?
You sure will need some timely aid,
To cheer that cold and dismal shade.

If you the Savior's love have slighted,
Will he deign your friend to be?
He has said, "I will acknowledge
Those who have acknowledged me;
From the grave and death I ransom,
They must yield to me their prey!
I will make that dreaded valley
Pervious to the realms of day.
Wide unfold the pearly portals!
Here's the purchase of my pain;
These acknowledged me as sovreign,
They with me shall ever reign.
Here's an end of all their sorrows,
Here they lay their burdens down;

Through my mighty name they 've conquered,
And they shall receive their crown.

Mine the power, and mine the glory,

Theirs the joy and victory;

None shall ever be confounded

Who have placed their trust in me."

"Glory be to him who loved us,"

Sounds through Heaven's unbounded space;

Joy ecstatic fills each bosom,

While they praise redeeming grace!
What would these enraptured spirits
Compensate for half their bliss?
Would they forfeit their enjoyments
For ten thousand worlds like this?
But those joys none can imagine,
Clouds and darkness veil the throne;
As through glass we see but darkly,
Only what the word makes known.
In life's morning seek the Savior,
It is madness to delay;

Do not barter your salvation,
For the trifles of a day.

Glad my heart with this reflection,
(Ere the lamp of light grows dim ;)
You will praise my God and Savior,
You will place your hope on Him!
When life's crimson flow is ceasing,
Oh! what joy will this afford!
Though in dust I'm doomed to moulder,
You will live to praise the Lord.
He's the God of all my mercies,
He has been my friend and guide;
If you choose Him for your portion,
He will for your wants provide.

Though life's joys are dashed with sorrows,
He will consolation send;

He will be your strength and refuge,

And your never failing friend.

Through youth's paths He 'll safely guide you,

And should days and years increase,

He will crown them all with goodness,

And their end with lasting peace.

THE RETROSPECT.

They told me in my childhood hours
Sorrows perchance would rise,

And darken with their saddening powers,
My then unclouded skies.

That childhood must to youth give place,

And youth to age resign

Her brilliant glories, and my brow

With furrows deep entwine;—

"That life was like a mighty sea,
And its last billowy wave

Would land my slender, timorous bark,
On lands beyond the grave."

They told me of a tree of life,
And river pure and clear,
Where myriads of ransomed ones,

In shining ranks appear;

Who, though of different tribes and tongues, This one glad anthem raise,

"To Him who saves us by his blood,
Be never ceasing praise."

That in those realms of peace and joy,
No clouds of sorrow rise

For one short moment to obscure
The ever-during skies.

Even then, I thought life's utmost joys
Were scarcely worth my care,
And I would try by righteous deeds
To gain admittance there.

My every path seemed strewed with flowers,
And blithe as child could be,

My first twelve years were nearly past

In sweet tranquility:

And then I deeply realized

Life was a turbid sea;

My bark by adverse winds was tossed,

And dark my destiny.

And oft I wished that time's last wave
Would finish my career;

For all below the skies appeared
A waste, most wild and drear;

And had death been a lasting sleep,
Perhaps uncalled had made
My exit from this toilsome world,
To its less dreaded shade.

But after death the judgment came,
And I irresolute stood;

I feared the righteous scrutiny,

And shrunk from death's cold flood;

And almost desperate, resolved
Again to breast the wave,
If peradventure Heaven at last
My hapless bark would save;

When hope, bright "star resplendent rose
Upon the turbid sea,"
And pointed to serener skies,

Where waves less boisterous be.

And as the great Apostle saw

A place "Three Taverns called," And met his friends, and courage took, By dangers unappalled,

So I took courage, though my path Through rocks and quicksands lay; For this bright star begemmed my skies, And cheered the darksome way.

With prayers, and faith, and rectitude,
I wrapt myself around,

And though I met with many a storm,
Sweet calms I also found.

"When to my view a mountain rose, And on its summit stood,

A standard, and a banner,

Marked with Jesus' name in blood!

I knew 'twas Calvary," and approached
Where this rich banner waved,

Became obedient to the faith,

And ranked among the saved.*

And how I in a slender bark,

On life's momentous sea,

Could steer so long without a chart,

Seems very strange to me.

When Heaven, indulgent to my wants,
This richest blessing gave,

Mark xvi. 16.