6. The glow of Venus1 and the glare of Mars,2 The tranquil beauty of the lesser stars; The eagle soaring in majestic flight, The morning bursting from the clouds of night; — 7. The child's fond prattle and the mother's prayer, Angelic voices floating in the air,— Mind, heart, and soul, the ever-restless breath, 8. Beware, ye doubting, disbelieving throng, 1. 0 LESSON XXXV. THE PRESENCE OF GOD. AMELIA B. WELBY. THOU, who fling'st so fair a robe Of clouds around the hills untrod, Whose peaks sustain Thy throne, O God! Their trembling folds are lightly furled, The glories of yon upper world; For Thou, the God of love, art there. 2. The summer flowers, the fair, the sweet, In whose soft looks we seem to meet, 3. The birds among the summer-blooms Pour forth to Thee their strains of love, They leave the earth and soar above. Till, melting on the realms of air, Thy still small voice seems whispering there. 4. The stars, those floating isles of light, Round which the clouds unfurl their sails, That trembles round the form it vails,- And oh, how sweet the tales they tell!- They speak of Thee, for Thou art there. 5. The spirit oft oppressed with doubt, May strive to cast Thee from its thought; But who can shut Thy presence out, Thou mighty Guest, that com'st unsought? Whate'er our thoughts, where'er we be, And points, all trembling, up to Thee. 6. Yet, far beyond the clouds outspread, That sparkles from Thy radiant throne! THERE LESSON XXXVL INTEGRITY. D. S. DICKINSON. HERE is yet another rule for the guidance of the young business-men, more important than any to which I have adverted, and without which the subtle deductions of polit ical economy and the ornate science of commercial law would be useless. It is not defined by the chapters of statutes, nor divided into sections; nor has it grown up with the progress of civilization, to suit the demands of society, or answer the exigencies of trade; but it is coëval with human existence, and is written upon the tablet of every heart. 2. It comprises a code of exquisite completeness for man's moral government, and points the pathway for his footsteps, which, carefully pursued, will place length of days in his right hand; and in his left, riches and honor: and it admonishes with startling significance of the terrible penalties which await those who disobey or seek to evade its mandates. This law is as unalterable as the renowned Medes and Persians* fancied were their far-famed edicts. "It lives through all time, Operates unspent." 3. It is not taught in the schools, nor is study requisite to its possession; but the young and the old, the ignorant and the learned, the rich and the poor, the lofty and the low, * Daniel, vi. chap. 8 verse. understand it alike, by that spark of divinity which electrifies the soul, and gives the conscience intuition. It is INTEGRITY,— integrity, including all the cardinal and social virtues which form a code for the moral government of man. It is a capital which never depreciates with fluctuations, is never at a discount, but is a sure reliance in every vicissitude and trial. It points to honorable success in life's pilgrimage with unerring certainty; and is both sword and shield to him who would. wage, with the true heart of manhood, the great battle of life. 4. What though the tempests howl, the storms beat, the lightnings flash, the thunders roar, and the angry ocean cast up its mire and dirt: he who holds fast to his integrity will outride the danger, and may laugh at the fury of the elements. His bow of promise will arch itself up again in the heavens, more beautiful than ever, as a living witness that truth can never die. The slaves of vice, and the votaries of indolence and fraud, may flourish for a season; but they perish by a law of being as fixed and certain as the power of gravitation; and, when they have closed their ignoble existence, the devotees of truth will rise above their ruin, like the flowers of spring upon the bleak desolations of winter. 5. Go forth, then, young man, into this broad field of labor, and hope, and reward, and peril! Be temperate, industrious, frugal, and self-reliant; and whenever temptations shall cross your pathway and seek to allure you, pause and reflect, — remember this time and occasion, your associates and him who addresses you; and remember, too, and repeat this one word which I give you, as a talisman or charm to shield and protect you from all evil, and bear you through life's journey in safety; and that word isINTEGRITY! |