Tell Me, You Bright Stars That Shine

 TELL ME, YOU BRIGHT STARS THAT SHINE

From Hickes' Devotions

Tell me, you bright Stars that shine

Round about the Lamb's high throne;

How, through bodies once like mine,

How are you thus glorious grown?

Hark! with one voice they reply;

This was all our happy skill;

We on Jesus fixed our eye,

And His eminent followers' still.

As we clearly saw their mind

Set and ruled, we ordered ours:

Both this state alone designed,

Up towards this strained all our powers.

Taught by Temperance we abstained

From all less — for greater goods:

Slighting little drops, we gained

Full, and sweet, and lasting floods.

Arm'd with Fortitude, we bare

Lesser evils, worse to fly:

Mortal death we durst out-dare,

Rather than for ever die.

Justice we observed, by giving

Every one their utmost due:

That in peace and order living,

All might freely heaven pursue.

Prudence governed all the rest;

Prudence made us still apply

What was fittest, what was best,

To advance great Charity.

On these golden wheels of grace,

That Love's fiery chariot bear,

We arrived at this blest place:

Follow us and never fear.

Day-By-Day Virtures

 The prayer contained in these verses,
by Ethelwyn Wetherald, is a good one
for everybody to offer:

 

Day-By-Day Virtues 

For strength we ask
For the ten thousand times repeated task.
The endless smallnesses of every day.

No, not to lay
My life down in the cause I cherish most,
That were too easy. But whate'er it cost,

To fail no more
In gentleness toward the ungentle, nor
In love toward the unlovely, and to give

Each day I live.
To every hour with outstretched hand its
meed
Of not-to-be-regretted thought or deed.

Inspiration

 The following lines on "Inspiration" were penned by Bishop Doane, of Albany N.Y.:

Inspiration

Chisel in hand stood a sculptor boy,

With his marble block before him;

And his face lit up with a smile of joy

As an angel dream passed o'er him.

He carved that dream on the yielding stone

With many a sharp incision;

In heaven's own light the sculptor shone,

He had caught that angel vision.

Sculptors of life are we, as we stand,

With our lives uncarved before us;

Waiting the hour when, at God's command,

Our life dream passes o'er us.

Let us carve it then on the yielding stone,

With many a sharp incision;

Its heavenly beauty shall be our own--

Our lives, that angel vision

Peace

 The following outlook toward universal peace was written by George Frederick Knowles:

Peace

When navies are forgotten

And fleets are useless things,

When the dove shall warm her bosom

Beneath the eagle's wings;

When memory of battles

At last is strange and old,

When nations have one banner

And creeds have found one fold;

When the Hand that sprinkles midnight

With its powdered drifts of suns

Has hushed this tiny tumult 

Of sects and swords and guns;

Then hate's last note of discord

In all God's worlds shall cease,

In the conquest which is service,

In the victory which is peace.

Life of St. James Major in Stained Glass Design

An elaborate execution of important events in St. James Major's life in stained glass design.

Description of Illustration: the first Apostle to die for his faith in Christ, son of Zebedee, cousin to Jesus, "greater" meaning the older of two Apostles named James the younger was brother to John the Apostle, stained glass design

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Elijah rides away in a firey chariot...

Description of Illustration: chariot on fire, friends part, horses gallop toward Heaven, departure of a prophet, scripture reference 2 Kings 2:11, old manuscript

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The simple shepherd and his flock banner

 

Description of Illustration: shepherd and sheep dog watch his flock, lambs, sheep, trees, potted plants, shepherds staff, cartoon

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Walking to church...

Description of Illustration: black and white illustration, church in distance, couple embrace and walk to worship, trees, clouds, landscape

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A Christ filled home banner...

Description of Illustration: adobe brick building, door with cross inside, Christ protects our home, windows, doors, roof tiles

Have a question about the illustration? Just type it in the comment box and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. I only publish content that is closely related to the subject, folks.