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Poetry.

HYMN FOR ALL SAINTS' DAY.

O heavenly Jerusalem,
Of everlasting halls,
Thrice-blessed are the people
Thou storest in thy walls!

Thou art the golden mansion,
Where saints for ever sing;
The seat of God's own chosen,
The palace of the King.
There God for ever sitteth,
Himself of all the crown;
The Lamb the light that shineth,
And never goeth down.
Nought to this seat approacheth,
Their sweet peace to molest;
They sing their God for ever,
Nor day nor night they rest.

Calm hope from thence is leaning,
To her our longings bend;
No short-lived toil shall daunt us,
For joys that cannot end.

To Christ, the sun that lightens
His Church, above, below;

To Father and to Spirit,

All things created bow.

THE ARK.

WITH Sure and steady motion
The ark securely glides,
On through the troubled ocean
Triumphantly she rides.

Though furious winds are blowing,
And tempests raging high-
Though bubbling tides are flowing,
She floats uninjured by.

Though torrents fierce are rushing
Each mountain-crevice down,
With whelming fury crushing
Tower, citadel, and town.

Yea, though such force assail her,
Unharmed she beats along;
For succour never fails her,

She's stronger than the strong.
How could that bark go stemming
Alone the swelling tide,
The world of waters hemming
Her close on every side?

How could that bark, so fearless,
Survive amid the shocks,
And gain a triumph peerless
O'er powers that rent the rocks?
Because the Lord, all gracious,
Had bade one righteous man
To raise that vessel spacious
Upon a heavenly plan.
Because th' Almighty lent her
His power above the wave;
And wondrously He meant her
A rebel world to save.

Because that vessel lowly
Was set up as a sign
Of something still more holy,
Of something more divine.

For as the ark so surely

Was built life whole to save, And bear her freight securely Above the watery grave;

And as her patient builder

Was raised the world to warn ; And gladly would have filled her With those who died in scorn ;

So sure as Scripture spoken
Is holy, good, and true,
So sure the ark's a token

Of Christ's own Church to you:

So sure the Church securely
Bears up through waves of sin;
And Christ's own promise surely
Shuts her true children in :
So sure the Church's preachers
Of truth and righteousness,
Are Christ's appointed teachers,
A sinful world to bless :

So sure, when life is ended,
The Church, beset no more,
Will land her sons defended
Upon a happy shore.

O, may I never faulter

To enter her low door;
Nor seek Christ's laws to alter,

Like rebels proud of yore.

That so, when life is over,

The Church, at Christ's command,

May to my soul discover

That bright and happy land.

November.

THE festivals of this month are, All Saints' Day on the 1st, and St. Andrew's Day on the 30th.

Advent Sunday will be on the 27th, being the Sunday next before the feast of St. Andrew.

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Robson, Levey, and Franklyn, Great New Street, Fetter Lane.

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Innocents' Day

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Poetry: St. Thomas's Day; Christmas-Day; St. Stephen's Day 282 Calendar for December

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WHEN she had been two or three Sundays, Mr. Chaloner called, and said that he was glad to see her remembering her duty at last; and he hoped she would not neglect it again as she had done. "I am always very sorry," he said, "when those whom I have met over a death-bed do not meet me in the house of God. It seems strange, that those whose dear friends have just been removed from them into the unseen world, should not wish to come to the church, No. XII.

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where they may hear about another world and about things unseen, and learn how to live so as they may meet again. When joining with Christians on earth in the worship of God, we feel more bound to departed Christians, who make up together with us one great family. At home earthly things are about you, and toil and care may oppress you; but at church you hear about heavenly things, and you are brought nearer to God."

Lydia's looks and her tears shewed that she felt her pastor's words: she did not try to excuse herself, for she could not expect him to understand her difficulties, and she knew she had been partly wrong; so she took meekly the reproof that was given her. Afterwards Mr. Chaloner spoke kindly, and encouraged her, and heard her say part of her Catechism; and he talked to her a good deal about the great blessings and privileges given us at baptism, which are ours to keep or to lose. He said that we had most precious gifts entrusted to us; that we could not have gained them ourselves, and could only keep them by prayer and watchfulness. And that whatever troubles might meet her, she might keep that greatest blessing of belonging to the Church of Christ, and being an inheritor of the kingdom of heaven.

The good old gentleman took leave of her kindly, and said, as he went away, “Mind you keep the cottage comfortable for your father. Your not having done so has sometimes driven him to the publichouse, which is a very sad thing. He has always been a sober man, and he tells me he only went there for comfort and company, because every thing was cheerless and untidy at home; and when he was out at sea late, he felt this very much. I do not know how it was; but it must be your business that it does not happen again, or you will have a great deal to answer for. I am no judge of these things; but your house seems to me tidy now, and I hope you will keep it so. You would be the loser, if your father's money went to the public-house; but that would be

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