If his belief in paths of error rove,
Thy charities may win him back to love !

God says, ' behold how fair the lilies be ;'
Does God take care of flowers, and not of thee ?
Why should thy heart with want and sorrow bleed ;
Art thou more worthless than the desert weed ?
God's eye beholds the wounded sparrow fall,
Has he no care when wounded spirits call ?
Is there not love enough in heaven's vast store
To feast thy soul, and bid thee grieve no more ?
Yes, God is love — if human hearts were pure,
How sweet the bliss that love would then insure !

The strength of that almighty love was known,
When heaven's pure light on sacred Jordan shone ;
And the white dove came from the holy tree,
That blooms in Paradise eternally !
Then grateful man adored the power sublime
Which sent benevolence to rule o'er time.
Her accents flowed through Bethlehem's holy vale,
When seraph anthems bade the shepherds hail !
Her voice was heard on Carmel's sacred hill,
When words divine declared the holy will.
12 LOVE.
Then truth came down from heaven to seek and save,
Her lips to man a new commandment gave.
The listening earth with grateful wonder heard,
When her sweet voice pronounced the potent word ;
That word was love ! a word which shall restore
To earth the beauty it possessed of yore.
