By our human weal and woe, By our life of toil below, By our sorrow and our pain, By our hope of heavenly gain, By these cherished forms of clay, Fading from our sight away, Do we plead for light, more light, From that world beyond our sight. Never, till our hearts are dust, Till our souls shall cease to trust, Till our love becomes a lie, And our aspirations die, Shall we cease with hope, to gaze On that veil’s mysterious haze, Or the presence to implore Of the loved ones gone before. Holy spirit! quickening all, On thy boundless love we call; Send thy messengers of light, To unseal our inward sight; Lift us from our low estate, Make us truly wise and great, That our lives, through love, may be Full of peace and rest in Thee. NEARER TO THEE. The following Poem was given at the conclusion of a lecture on “The Present Condition of Theodore Parker in Spirit Life” NEARER, my God, to Thee, Nearer to Thee.[36] YES, I _am_ nearer Thee! for flesh and sense Have been exchanged for an eternal youth; My spirit hath been born anew, and hence I worship Thee “in spirit and in truth.” Yes, I _am_ nearer Thee! Though still unseen, Thy presence fills my life’s diviner part. Now that no earthly shadows intervene, I feel a deeper sense of what Thou art. Yes, I _am_ nearer Thee! Thy boundless love Fills all my being with a rich increase, And soft descending, like a heavenly dove, I feel the benediction of Thy peace. Yes, I _am_ nearer Thee! All that I sought Of Truth, or Wisdom, or Eternal Right, Is clearly present to my inmost thought, Like the uprising of a glorious light. Yes, I _am_ nearer Thee! O, calm and still, And beautiful and blest beyond degree, Is this surrender of my finite will-- Is this absorption of my soul in Thee. “O Thou! whom men call God and know no more!” When they shall leave the worship of the Past, And learn to _love_ Thee rather than _adore_, All souls shall draw thus near to Thee at last. THE SACRAMENT. THE aged pastor broke the bread-- With trembling hands he poured the wine-- “Eat--drink”--in earnest tones he said-- “These emblems of a life divine-- His body broken for your sins; His blood for your salvation shed; The priceless sacrifice that wins Life and redemption from the dead. “See how with tender love he stands, And calls you to his faithful heart; Lo! from his wounded side and hands Again the crimson life-drops start. O sinner! wherefore will you stay, Regardless of your lost estate? Come at your Saviour’s call to-day, Before, alas! it is too late.”