God grant to those that white hairs have, No worse them take than I have meant; That after they be laid in grave, Their souls may joy, their lives well spent; God grant, likewise, that you may see Upon my _head_ such hairs to be. _Lord Vaux._ _Head_ of the church triumphant, We joyfully adore thee! Till thou appear, Thy members here, Shall sing like those in glory. We lift our hands and voices, With blest anticipation, And cry aloud, and give to God The praise of our salvation. _De Courcey._ HEALING. _Heal_ me, O Lord, and I shall be _healed_: save me, and I shall be saved: for Thou art my praise.--Jeremiah, xvii. 14. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with _healing_ in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.--Malachi, iv. 2. And when Jesus was entered into Capernaum, there came unto Him a centurian, beseeching Him, And saying, Lord, my servant lieth at home sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. And Jesus saith unto him, I will come and _heal_ him.--Matthew, viii. 5, 6, 7. Now there is at Jerusalem by the sheep-market a pool, which is called in the Hebrew tongue Bethesda, having five porches. In these lay a great multitude of impotent folk, of blind, halt, withered, waiting for the moving of the water. For an angel went down at a certain season into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in, was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.--John, v. 2, 3, 4. Around Bethesda’s _healing_ wave, Waiting to hear the rustling wing Which spoke the angel nigh, who gave Its virtues to the holy spring,-- With earnest, fixed solicitude, Were seen the afflicted multitude. Among them there was one whose eye Had often seen the waters stirred; Whose heart had often heaved the sigh-- The bitter sigh of hope deferred; Beholding, while he suffered on, The _healing_ virtue giv’n and gone; No pow’r had he; no friendly aid To him the timely succour brought; But while his coming he delayed, Another won the boon he sought; Until the Saviour’s love was shown, Which _healed_ him by a word alone. Bethesda’s pool has lost its power! No angel, by his glad descent, Dispenses that diviner dower Which, with its _healing_ waters, went; But He, whose word surpassed its wave, Is still omnipotent to save. _B. Barton._ Oh! Thou who driest the mourner’s tear, How dark this world would be, If, when deceived, and wounded here, We could not fly to Thee! The friends who in our sunshine live, When winter comes are flown, And he who has but tears to give, May weep those tears alone.