IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) // '////>^ / / 'ty ^3 ^ M, 1.0 I.I 1.25 15 '""*'= ■^ I 3.2 m 2.5 2.2 :- 1: ii£ l^ '- I. |||||m i.4 11.6 v^ <^ /^ / 'ci^l ^.^^^' *><^^ '> /A '^i 7 Photographic Sciences Corporation 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14.f80 (716) 872-4503 ». ^ %' "4^ ^% t\:^lr 1 1 » < \ * ( 4. r J fy S.4-5 b5 •■y Voices from the Sick Room. »\^ •Q » f "SAVED BY HOPE." Romans viii. 24. By Rev. ROBERT FOWLER, MD, M.R.C.S.E. 'Mmm^^- •%$ ,*■ . 5»!%?!SW«SS«-*»?*-''«N»S I.. It Voices from the Sick Room. -^>*- (I SAVED BY HOPE. )} Romans viii. 24. By Rev. ROBERT FOWLER, M.D, M.R.C.S.E. TORONTO : W ILLIAM BRIGGS, 78 & 80 KING STREET EAST. MoNTRBAi, : O. W. COATES. Halifax : S. F. HUESTIS. 1887. -■q^***-'*; yrst«»f9^«*-: m "J PREFACE. Thr writer of tlie following lines liaving been con. fined to the bed of sickness for some months, was much touched with two poems of the late Thomas Hood. One, designated " I Remember, I Remember," closing with the sad and touching lines- - '• I remember, I remember The fir trees dark and high, I used to think their slender tops Were close against the sky. It was a childish ignorance ; But now 'tis little joy To know I'm further off from heaven The I when I was a boy." The other poem is designated " Autumn," and reads as follows : — "The autumn is old, The sere leaves are flying. He hath gathered up gold, And now he is dying : Old age, begin sighing. ' ' The vintage is ripe, The harvest is heapin^ But some that have sowed Have no riches for reaping ; Poor wretch, fall a- weeping. . ; Kr.'A'»Ht.«»r<»a»i-: t ) IV PfiKFACK. "The year's in the wane, There is nothing adorning, The night has no eve, ■ And the oul, 'tis only look — A simple, earnest, child-like look, Is all he asks to win His grace, To find Him in thi^ wilderness. Go mark the bliish of early dawn, CtO breathe the fi-eshening breeze of morn, Mark the ii?*st glowings of the sky, And hear the songsters' minstrelsy ; Oh, see the grass like emerald green, Above, around an ocean stream Of grand and glovious beauteousness — A feast of sweetest loveliness. What hast thou done to make this scene ?- One blade of grass ? one golden gleam Of Heaven's serene and holy light (Which has dethroned the ebon night) % Has He not spread the molten sky Like to a looking-glass on high, i»t,^!'-;m»isa«Kw«i»' ■ T^ 14 SA VED BY HOPE. And poured it forth before thy sight, Arrayed in pure and gorgeous light ? Do you not see the mystery plain ? 'Tis God's free gift to sinning man, And all you have to do is look — Then drink the sparkling, brimming cup. Look at thyself — ah, couldst thou make One single hair or white or black ? Or to thy stature He hath wrought. Hast thou or canst thou help Him aught % Art thou not then His work alone — His dear, His prized. His much-loved son? What wouldst thou do for thy own child If, on this night so dark and wild, He, in his childish ignorance, Had wandered in this wilderness ? A nd think you He forgets His son Lost in the wilderness, alone ? What must I do 1 all, all is dark, , 1 cannot see a single spark , mff.wmmtfimgmg(mts'i^ri'''iv^^mij?. n SAVED BY HOPE. 15 Of light. The heavens are black, The sky is girt with adamant To faith's calm gaze and voice of prayer That adamant must disappear. • Think, think, yea think, oh, think again. Behold upon the Syrian plain The rich and sparkling canopy Of golden lamps enthroned on high, And standing there a lonely man. What is his name ? 'Tis Abraham. His body now is old and dead (Life cannot spring from out the dead). But this he now considers not. Fixes his eyes on heaven's grand vault And hears the word of God on high: Behold, behold this glorious sky, Bedeck'd with shining, ^ kling gems, All clothed in heaven's magnificence; Such «hall thy future otFspring be, As numberless thy progeny — maiBix 16 SAVKI) BY HO PH. Nations as nuinorous as the sand, Thp.t circles round the ocean strand. He listened to thp miglity word — The word of an b]t>(^rnal God — And gave Him praise, uplift his voice In songs and thanks and raptured joys ; Full well he knew with God the Lord There nothiag is that is too hard. Do thou, like him, consider not Thy soul so dead by Him forgot. But trust the Gospel of the Lord, The oath of a most truthful God. But tell me, tell me, tell me when - Thou kind and good Samaritan — When is the time that I should look ? " Head for thyself the Holy Book." Himself has spoke the changeless word — " Now " is the time to trust the Lord ; " Now " is the time thou shouldst take hou\e, Home to thyself salvation. .i m ^*^:?< m wmmmgmm' .i»%'i«i»j5»>v«sKrs>''"-*»'''!?'''*i?-'"'™'^'tvs-;j3t?;A SA VEIJ BY HOPE. 17 i Thou never canst more needy br, Nor ever worthier to see His face in peace, or meiit grace, Add of thy own a righteonsness. * 'Twill ever be salvation free, A gift of God unwrought by thee. It S(!ems, it seems impossible That T should change this wilderness. This darkness dense, this desert vast, For the bright brightness of His face, For the refulgent shining light That blinds the seraph's dazed sight Of lieaven His home, its purity, Its endless, vast felicity ; — For just a look, a simple look, Will the black darkness pass away 1 Will the forked lightning cease to play And the wild storm, in full career, Hush to a calm ? Be still the air — Read thou again His holy Word, The everlasting Word of God. ■:•»«•)«•«»<•• 18 SA VEI) BY HOPE. a, '' Th<^ 'lying tliief exchanged the crosa ; Beside him Christ endured his curse, And, lo ! that day his soul did rise — With Jesus entered Paradise. Tis HelHshness has been thy bane, The secret root of all thy sin. No more let feeling and thy word Give lie to a most truthful God. Himself hath sworn, howe'er thy sin Hath overfloved and boundless been, Mucli more His mercy shall abound — Enfold, enwrap thee round and round. But, ah, how thankless have I been ; * My black ingratitude to Him Tells me I must be deep abhorred By such a holy, holy God. He saveth thee through faith alone. For sake of His beloved Son. What if, instead of unsheathed sword To slay the enemy of God, r ■ \ ?^:v*'!'Ni*'*P'fls>Swr»^/'*?.;*'i»:^'-^?PBf^ ; ifjs.f 8AVKD BY HOPM. 19 It pleaseth Him to load thee down With mercies from His great white throne t Stay thou thy reaHoning, give it o'er, It grieveth Him yet more and more ; , , . ... . . 1- Say to thy soul, " It is the Lord, Be it according to His word," For mercy's work delightetli Him — To pour an everlasting stream Of boundless grace to save the lost. The vilest, darkest, and the worst. He'll warm thee with a close embrace, And fi'om this howling wilderness Will bear thee all rejoicing home. Angels shall give thee grand welcome, Thy Heavenly Father clasp His son. He'll wipe the teai's from oft' thy face. He'll robe thee with His righteousness. And by His aide shalt thou sit down And share His everlasting throne. 20 SAVKI) liY llorE. The glory th>it thou iiiouiiKMlst mh gone, » Jt Hhall again to thtie :"turn ; With sevenfold brightnciHH it shall shine, And all its joy Vm> ever thine. Nor Hhall thy ain renjeinhored he Through all that vast eternity ; Like to the wtone by (labriel thrown Ten thousand thousand fathoms down, Hhall nevei* more be found or known. To (jrod my Saviour glory be, Who gave His blood to ransom me ; To Ood the Pother's boundless love His Son to deaj^h which Hiui did move Freely to render up for me ; And (xod the Spirit, Holy One, Who makes to me this Gospel k)iown. Glory for evermore shall be. Glory to all eternity ! . ■ '"^^"^i^'sc^' ■JWdATtf '■'■>!'* ■"»»■!•?«.■ , Ty!»rti «i,jv'iX9'&^-^«-r."^f'W ''••>^•*^; npmWHPqPBMPVi ^Wfl iUMitt ■HMHHiH