AROUSE THEE, SOUL! AROUSE thee, Soul! God made not thee to sleep Thy hour of earth, in doing naught,-away; Arouse thee, Soul! Oh there is much to do For thee, if thou wouldst work for humankind— The misty Future through, A greatness looms—'tis MIND, awaken'd MIND! Arouse thee, Soul! Arouse thee, Soul! Shake off thy sluggishness, As shakes the lark the dew-drop from its wing; Make but one Error less, One Truth-thine offering to MIND's altar bring! Arouse thee, Soul! Arouse thee, Soul! Be what thou surely art, An emanation from the Deity, A flutter of that heart Which fills all Nature, sea, and earth, and sky. Arouse thee, Soul! Arouse thee, Soul! And let the body do Some worthy deed for human happiness To join, when life is through, Unto thy name, that angels both may bless! Arouse thee, Soul! Arouse thee, Soul! Leave nothings of the earth;- Arouse thee, Soul? Arouse thee, Soul! Or sleep for evermore, And be what all nonentities have been,— Crawl on till life is o'er : If to be aught but this thou e'er dost mean, · Arouse thee, Soul! ROBERT NICOLL, 1814-1837. HYMN TO CONTENTMENT. LOVELY, lasting peace of mind! With more of happiness below Ambition searches all its sphere And seeks (as I have vainly done) No real happiness is found In trailing purple o'er the ground; To range the circuit of the sky; The rest it seeks, in seeking dies, Lovely, lasting peace, appear! Is once again with Eden blest, 'Twas thus, as under shade I stood, I sung my wishes to the wood, And, lost in thought, no more perceived Know God, and bring thy heart to know The joys which from religion flow: Then every grace shall prove its guest, And I'll be there to crown the rest. Oh! by yonder mossy seat, Pleased and bless'd with God alone : D The sun that walks his airy way, To light the world, and give the day; Should be sung, and sung by me: Go search among your idle dreams, Or own the next begun in this. THOMAS PARNELL, 1679-1717. THE STAR OF STRENGTH. THE night is come, but not too soon; And sinking silently, All silently, the little moon Drops down behind the sky. |