Where are the _cities_ which of old in mighty grandeur rose! Amid the desert’s burning sands, or girt with frozen snows; Is there no vestige now remains their wondrous tale to tell, Of how they blazed, like meteor-stars, and how, like them, they fell? Hark! hark! the voice of prophecy comes o’er the desert wide, Come down, come down, and in the dust thy virgin beauties hide; Oh “Daughter of Chaldea,” thou no more enthroned shall be, For the desert and the wilderness alone shall tell of thee. Though old Euphrates still rolls in his everlasting stream, Thy brazen gates and golden halls, as though they ne’er had been; Where stood thy massy tower-crowned walls, and palaces of pride, The dragon and the wild beast now therein securely hide. The “besom of destruction” o’er thee hath swept its way In wrath, because thine impious hand on God’s Anointed lay. _H. Brownlee._ This is the _city_ John did once discern Descend from heaven apocalyptical, Whereof “his thoughts do breathe, his words do burn.” Beautiful _city_! Mother of us all! Vision of Peace! white bride of Deity! Whose Glory clothes thine apostolic walls! Angels thy gates encompass lovingly, Equal in all dimensions as beseems, And like an angel’s thy capacity. Death is not in thee, nor the fierce extremes Of pain or sorrow, nor anxiety. Here evil comes not, neither evil dreams; No temple hast thou, for the Lord Most High Thy temple is. No sun thou hast, nor moon, His Glory is thy light eternally. Lo! every nation brings to thee a boon; Thy gates shall not be shut at all by day, Nor night be thine, land of perpetual noon; The kings of earth to thee their homage pay. But no defiled thing shall enter thee, Loving a lie, or tempting to betray. _J. A. Heraud._ Jehovah is great, and great be his praise; In the _city_ of God He is King; Proclaim ye his triumphs in jubilant lays, On the mount of his holiness sing. The joy of the earth, from her beautiful height, Is Zion’s impregnable hill; The Lord in her temple still taketh delight, God reigns in her palaces still. Go walk about Zion, and measure the length, Her walls and her bulwarks mark well; Contemplate her palaces, glorious in strength, Her towers and her pinnacles tell. Then say to your children:--Our stronghold is tried; This God is our God to the end; His people for ever his counsel shall guide; His arm shall for ever defend. _J. Montgomery._ CLOTHES.