At once he rose, and left his gold; His treasure and his heart Transferred, where he shall safe behold Earth and her idols part; While he beside his endless store Shall sit, and floods unceasing pour Of Christ’s true riches o’er all time and space, First angel of His Church, first steward of His Grace. Nor can ye not delight to think Where He vouchsafed to eat, How the Most Holy did not shrink From touch of sinner’s meat; What worldly hearts and hearts impure Went with Him through the rich man’s door, That we might learn of Him lost souls to love, And view His least and worst with hope to meet above. These gracious lines shed Gospel light On Mammon’s gloomiest cells, As on some city’s cheerless night The tide of sunrise swells, Till tower, and dome, and bridge-way proud Are mantled with a golden cloud, And to wise hearts this certain hope us given; “No mist that man may raise, shall hide the eye of Heaven.” And oh! if e’en on Babel shine Such gleams of Paradise, Should not their peace be peace divine, Who day by day arise To look on clearer heavens, and scan The work of God untouch’d by man? Shame on us, who about us Babel bear, And live in Paradise, as if God was not there! St. Michael and All Angels. Are they not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation? _Hebrews_ i. 14. YE stars that round the Sun of righteousness In glorious order roll, With harps for ever strung, ready to bless God for each rescued soul, Ye eagle spirits, that build in light divine, Oh! think of us to-day, Faint warblers of this earth, that would combine Our trembling notes with your accepted lay. Your amarant wreaths were earned; and homeward all, Flush’d with victorious might, Ye might have sped to keep high festival, And revel in the light; But meeting us, weak worldlings, on our way, Tired ere the fight begun, Ye turned to help us in th’ unequal fray, Remembering Whose we were, how dearly won: Remembering Bethlehem, and that glorious night When ye, who used to soar Diverse along all space in fiery flight, Came thronging to adore Your God new-born, and made a sinner’s child; As if the stars should leave Their stations in the far ethereal wild, And round the sun a radiant circle weave. Nor less your lay of triumph greeted fair Our Champion and your King, In that first strife, whence Satan in despair Sunk down on scathèd wing: Abuse He fasted, and alone He fought; But when His toils were o’er, Ye to the sacred Hermit duteous brought Banquet and hymn, your Eden’s festal store.