the Psalmist. All her sweetest inspirations have come down like life-blood into our sacred verse. Besides, we have developed a subjectivity, calm, pure, and worshipful, wherein the Soul herself sings with a rapture above and beyond her Art. And not unwillingly have we felt the undertones of the old Church Life and Art breathing through new yet congenial forms with a young tenderness and beauty. It is a comfortable thought, in this connection, that the right and wrong, the woe and welfare of humanity, have largely tempered our verses with evangelic force. It would not be hard to show, that, in living sympathy with the purest school of English, in the natural use of its best and earliest graces, in the management and mastery of finest rhythms, in delicacy and energy, in subjection of words to the subtlest uses of thought and spirit, much of our later verse closely approaches, if it does not abundantly realize, the highest standard of excellence. This volume undertakes to gather in the best sacred verses from all available sources, entirely irrespective of Doctrinal or Ecclesiasti cal affinities, or individual preferences;-verses breathing something of a common Catholicity, while representing the Lyric spirit of our different Communions: and the compiler has taken especial pains to render it a discriminating and fairly proportioned representative of the whole subject. The limited number of pages, it is hoped, will sufficiently account for the absence of certain poems and authors entitled to consideration in any general, very comprehensive work. The compiler desires to express his obligations for the use of many public and private Libraries; and especially to convey his grateful thanks to those literary gentlemen and authors, who have largely aided him in the progress of this work. G. T. R. Beneath the shadow of the Cross Beside a massive gateway built up in years gone by Beyond where Cedron's waters flow Bow, angels, from your glorious state But Thee, O God! but Thee PAGE Calm on the listening ear of night Come, Kingdom of our God Creator Spirit! come and bless us 6 Day of vengeance without morrow I cannot plainly see the way If thou dost truly seek to live 249 127 226 100 200 III 20 PAGE In the tempest of life, when the wave and the gale Lord with glowing heart I'll praise Thee Lowly and solemn be My Faith looks up to Thee. Nearer my God to Thee No better days can ever rise. No bird-song floated down the hill Now gird your patient loins again O angel of the land of peace O blessed Jesus! When I see Thee bending O Bread to pilgrims given Oft in the summer days, I've marked some wild . 80 145 292 |