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THE SELF-CHALLENGE.

Wake, sluggish soul of mine!

So slow to break

The fond old dreams of long, long summerbloom,

The dear deception of an earthly home;
Awake, awake!

Laden with life's thick clay,
Clinging to dust,

Thou fightest against Him who fights for thee,
Thou claspest still thy bonds and misery ;—
Yet rise thou must!

Thy treasure is above!
Dost thou repine ?

Thy dross is changed to gold, thy gold to dross,
Thy loss to gain, and all thy gain to loss;
God's wealth is thine!

Thy shelter is the cross!
Thy peace the blood;

Thy light and guide the pillar-cloud above;
Thy resting-place the everlasting love
Of God, thy God!

Thy covert is the shade

Of heavenly wings;

Thy trustiest counsellor and bosom-friend,
Who loveth and will love thee to the end,
Is King of kings.

Foe of thy foes is He;

Thy shield and sword;

THE SELF-CHALLENGE.

85

He takes thy side against the proud and

strong,

He keeps thee from the spoiler's hate and wrong,

Thy God and Lord!

No ill can thee betide;
Life's shadiest mood

Brightens to sunshine in love's genial ray,
And sorrow's slowest clouds dissolve in day;
All ill is good.

Cheer up then, silent soul,

Press blithely on;

Watch not the clouds, nor shiver in the showers, Heed not the shadows, neither count the hours, Till heaven be won.

Work and deny thyself;

Take up thy cross;

Follow the Master wheresoe'er he leads,
Be a disciple not in words but deeds:
Shrink not from loss.

Count well, count well the cost,
Nor grudge to pay;

Be it reproach, or toil, or pain, or strife,
Be it the loss of all,-gold, fame, and life;-
The end is day!

THE CHRIST OF GOD.

To know the Christ of God,
The everlasting Son;
To know what He on earth,
For guilty man has done :
This is the first and last

Of all that's true and wise;
The circle that contains all light
Beneath, above, the skies.

Father, unseal my eyes,
Unveil my veiled heart,

Reveal this Christ to me!

The Christ, the Incarnate Son,
The Christ, the eternal Word;
The Christ, heaven's glorious King,
The Christ, earth's coming Lord.
The Christ, the sum of all

Jehovah's power and grace,

God's treasure-house of truth and love, The brightness of his face.

Father, unseal my eyes,

Unveil my veiled heart,

Reveal this Christ to me!

The Christ who took man's flesh;
Who lived man's life below;
Who died man's death for man,-
The death of shame and woe'

FOR LACK OF LOVE.

The Christ who from the Cross,
Descended to man's grave,
Then rose in victory and joy,
Mighty to bless and save!
Father, unseal my eyes,
Unveil my veiled heart,

Reveal this Christ to me!

FOR LACK OF LOVE.

FOR lack of love I languish,
For lack of light I pine;
Good Jesu, soothe my anguish,
And heal this soul of mine;
This soul whose only rest

Is on thy soft and loving breast.

From lack of strength I'm sinking,
O give me strength divine;
And let me still be drinking,

Each day, the heavenly wine;
The wine that cheers the heart
And bids its feebleness depart.

For lack of faith I'm failing,
Hand, heart, and head are low;
Exulting and prevailing,

Comes on my hellish foe.
Make haste, O Mighty One,
Help, Jesu, or my faith is gone

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88

FOR LACK OF LOVE.

For lack of joy I'm losing
All heart to work for thee;
At every pore out-oozing,

Life goeth fast from me.
Give back my joy and light,

Lest all with these should take their flight.

How little have I known thee,

Still less have served and loved;
Yet still I own, I own thee,
O keep my soul unmoved.
Teach me true service here,
The service of true love and fear.

I bargain not for blessing,
I leave that to thy will;
But keep me from transgressing,
O keep me faithful still.
O keep me true to thee,
Unchanged in fervent loyalty.
All that I need thou knowest,
Beyond what I can tell;
And all these thou bestowest;
Oh this contents me well!
In thy wise giving thus I rest,
Knowing how surely I am bless'd.