Page:Moral Pieces in Prose and Verse.pdf/50

 That taught to shun the beaten track of vice, And love the path of duty, love the way Of meekness and of mercy, not to prize That loud applause which captivates the ear And cheats the heart; but seek to follow Him, Whose pure and spotless words will lead the soul To better mansions, and a better life.

These were thy words, O meek and lowly saint! But thou art taken from me—thou art gone Far from my sight, and never must my ear Receive the music of thy voice again.

Much I could mourn that thou art absent now, For much I need thy counsel and thy love, And oft I find my wayward footsteps stray From the blest boundary of that narrow path Leading to life. But yet an higher pow'r, A nobler principle, forbids to mourn That thou art taken from me, since my loss Is thine eternal gain: for so I trust That in the realm of joy thou art at rest. Oh, may I meet thee in the cloudless light Of that bright world, which no unhallow'd eye Or mortal passion ever shall pollute.

Were we assur'd this glory would be ours, How should we bless the hour of our release, Which seals the lips in silence, dims the eye,