The following is the unfinished piece just alluded to:--
And thus it was, as drew the moments nearer That stamp'd their record deep oil every heart; As day by day thy presence grew yet dearer, By how much sooner thou shouldst hence depart.
Love wept indeed, though she might seem a sleeper, Long ere descending tears the signs betray'd; And the heart's fountain was but so much deeper, The longer was its overflow delay'd.
The page my unapt heart has learn'd so newly In the dark lessons which afflictions teach-- Oh, it were vain to try to utter truly In the cold language of unapter speech.
That hearts when thus their very depths are burning Alone should know their bitterness, is well; But, oh, my heart more joys than aches in learning Another lesson, would that words could tell.
New depths of love in measure unsuspected, Ties closer than I knew, were round my heart; And half I thank the wrench that has detected How thoroughly and deeply dear thou art.
And 'twas to tell thee this that I have taken The tuneless lyre I thought to use no more, Yet once at thy returning may it waken, Then sleep forever, silent as before.
And not more narrow than the dome of ether Beams heaven's unbounded, earth-embracing scroll; Then be it thine and ours to read together Of Him who loves not less than rules the whole.
And not more slow than was the bark that bore thee To an untried and dimly-distant land-- Our hearts' affections thither flew before thee, And now are ready waiting on the strand.
_10th Mo. 1st_. Much struck with the suitability of the expression, "under the yoke," truly _subjugated_. not merely offering this or that, but _being offered_ "a living sacrifice." Oh for a thorough work like this! This is "when the yoke Is easy and the burden light." I know almost nothing of it by experience, but think it is "now nearer than when I first believed." For a day or two I have been given to desire it earnestly.
_10th Mo. 12th_. Evening. Many thoughts about faith in Christ. But oh for the reality, the living essence of it! We can be Christians, not because we believe that the blood of Christ cleanses from sin, but because we _know_ the blood of Christ to cleanse us from sin.
About this date, in the diary of daily affairs, is the following:--