FROM THE LIBRARY OF REV. LOUIS FITZGERALD BENSON, D. D. BEQUEATHED BY HIM TO THE LIBRARY OF PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY 3 U c 03 . o ft bjo ■ W 3 A COLLECTION , H Y M N S, AND / A LITU FOR THE USE OF V ANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCHES; TO WHICH ARE ADDED PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS. PUBLISHED BY ORDER OF THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK. 1 will firay with the spirit, and Iwillfiray with the un- derstanding also. I will sing with the sfiirit> and I willsing with the understanding also" 1 Cor. xiv.\5, PHILADELPHIA: PRINTED AND SOLD BY G. & D. BILLMEYER. 1814. DISTRICT OF PENNSYLVANIA, to wjt: f LXl BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the ******** seventh day of July, in the thirty ninth year of the Independence of the United States of 'America., A. D. 1814, George and Daniel Billmeyer of the said District, have deposited in this office the Title of a Book the right whereof they claim as Pro- prietors in the words following, to wit : " A Collection of Hymns, and a Liturgy, for the use of Evangelical Lutheran Churches ; to which are added Prayers for Families and In- dividuals. Published by order of the Evan- gelical Lutheran Synod of the State of New* York." " I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also. I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also." 1 Cor. xiv, iff. In conformity to the Act of the Congress of the United States, intituled, « An Act for the Encourage - ment of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts and Books, to the Authors and Proprietors of such copies during the times therein mentioned** — And also to the Act, entitled, " An Act supple- mentary to An Act, entitled "An act for the Encour- agement of Learning, by securing the copies of Maps, Charts, and Books, to the Authors and Pro* prietors of such copies during the times therein men- tioned,^ and extending the benefits thereof to the Arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical ajid other prints'* D. CALDWELL, Clerk of the District of Pennsylvania. PREFACE. THE singing of hymns is justly considered a delightful and important part of public worship. It was in use even among the ancient heathens. Moses introduced it, by divine command, into his religious institution ; and David raised it to high perfection by his poetical talents and musical skill. Our blessed Saviour has recommended this pious exercise to his followers by his own practice ; and St. Paul exhorts us to " teach and admonish one " another in spiritual songs, singing with grace in « our hearts to the Lord." No act of social reli- gion is either more pleasing in itself, or more hap- pily adapted to cherish the love of God and man, than that which is enforced by these high author- ities. The Lutheran church in Germany is distin- guished for its attachment to sacred music, and is possessed of, perhaps, the best and most numerous collections of hymns extant in the Christian world. From this source, our congregations in the United X 3 PREFACE. States have derived abundant supplies. The pre- valence of the English language, however, make& it necessary for many members of our communion to conduct their public worship, altogether, or in part, in that language, and of course to provide for them a compilation of English hymns. This has indeed been already attempted by several in- dividuals. But as the selections, published by them, evidently admit of great improvement, an- other was ordered to be prepared by a committee appointed for that purpose by the Lutheran Synod of the State of New-York, convened at Rhinebeok in September, A. D. 1812; and, in compliance with this order, the following work is printed. It is not pretended to be as perfect as could be wished, nor are all its parts of equal value. But the materials, of which it is composed, have been chosen with no little care and consideration ; a large number of hymn-books of various denomi- nations has been consulted ; and it is hoped, that it will receive in a good degree the approbation of those for whom it is intended, and become a means of promoting their edification. The same committee was charged with the preparation of a new and enlarged Liturgy for our- PREFACE. churches. Forms of prayer, with necessary di- rections and addresses to congregations, are, accord- ingly, presented in this volume, proper to be em- ployed in divine service generally, in the ad- ministration of the sacraments, and in the cele- bration of other solemn rites customary amongst us. But the use of these forms is left entirely to the discretion of congregations and ministers, the Synod having no design to make them binding upon any in connection with us, but judging that the leaders of the devotions of their brethren should be at perfect liberty to address the throne of grace in their own words. It will, perhaps, be found most expedient, that such forms and the free or precomposed prayers of ministers should be used alternately. At all events, the Liturgy will, we trust, prove serviceable to young clergy- men, to vacant churches, and to persons remote from Christian temples and desiring to unite to- gether in the adoration of the most High. Along with devotional exercises for congrega- tions, it has been thought proper to publish others for families and individuals, adapted to a variety of situations, relations, and characters. Some of these, as well as several parts of the Liturgy, PREFACE. have been translated from the German; others have been taken from English authors and col- lections ; and a considerable degree of freedom has been used in selecting and framing them. We commend this part of the work particularly to the attention of our brethren in their domestic and private worship ; believing, that it breathes a spirit of pure Christian piety and love ; and hoping, that it will assist in instructing the young and un- informed how to pray, in comforting the distressed, in awakening a sense of religion in the careless, and in quickening the faith, hope, and charity of upright believers in the Lord Jesus Christ. To the whole of this book, as far as it agrees with his truth in scripture, may it please Almigh- ty God to give his blessing, and make it instru- mental in glorifying his name. FREDERICK H. QUITMAN, D.D. President of the Evangelical Lutheran Sijnod of the State of New- York. AUGUSTUS WACKERHAGEN, Secretary , fi. t. A COLLECTION OF HYMNS, FOR EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCHES. ORDER AND SUBJECTS OF THE HYMNS. Page I. PRAISE and Thanksgiving, - - 1 II. Character and Perfections of God, - 22 III. Works of God in nature, 44 IV. Divine Providence and Government, 52 V. Mission and Nativity of Christ, - 69 VI. Office and Mediation of Christ, - 77 VII. Example of Christ. - - 93 VIII. Sufferings and Death of Christ, - 97 IX. Resurrection and Glory of Christ, 112 X. Kingdom and Church of Christ, - 124 XI. The Influence of God's holy Spirit, 131 XII. The Scriptures, - - - 14Q XIII. Supplication for the divine Favour and Assistance, ^ - 147 XIV. The Danger and Misery of Sin, - 158 SUBJECTS OF HYMNS*. Page XV. Repentance and Conversion, - 167 XVI. The Joy and Happiness of true Christians, - - - 179 XVII. The Christian Character and Life, in general, 189 XVIII Faith, 202 XIX. Duties of Piety, 209 XX. Personal Duties, - 221 XXI. Social Duties, - - 229 XXII. Public Worship, 244 XXIII Baptism, * - 258 XXIV The Lord's Supper, 261 XXV. Particular Occasions and Circum- stances, - 267 1. Morning, - 267 2. Evening, - 271 3. New- Tear, - 274 4. Public and National Blessings and Afflictions, 276 5. For a Congregation, 287 6. Sickness and Recovery, 291 7. On the Death of Relatives or Friends, 297 8. For the Young, and Old, - - 302 SUBJECTS OF HYMNS. Page XXVI. The Troubles of Life, - - 306 XXVII. Death, - - - 316 XXVIII. Resurrection, - - - 332 XXIX. Judgment and End of the World, 335 XXX. Heaven, - - - 342 I, PRAISE AND THANKSGIVING, HYMN 1. l.m. 1. "OEFORE Jehovah's awful throne, ■O Ye nations bow with sacred joy: Know that the Lord is God alone ; He can create, and he destroy. 2. His sov'reign pow'r, without our aid, Made us of clay, and form'd us men; And, when like wand' ring sheep we stray'd, He brought us to his fold again. 3. We are his people, we his care, Our souls and all our mortal frame : What lasting honours shall we rear, Almighty Maker, to thy name ? 4. We'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs ; High as the heav'ns our voices raise ; And earth, with her ten thousand tongues, Shall fill thy courts with sounding praise. A. Wide as the world is thy command; Vast as eternity thy love ; Firm as a rock thy truth must stand, When rolling years shall cease to move. A 2 PRAISE AND HYMN 2. l. m. 1. 7UF Y God, my Life, thy various praise -*-*-*■ Shall fill the remnant of my days ; Thy grace employ my thankful tongue, Till death improve the grateful song. 53. The wings of ev'ry hour shall bear Some thankful tribute to thine ear ; And ev'ry setting sun shall see New works of duty done for thee. 3. But who can speak thy wondrous deeds ? Thy greatness all our thoughts exceeds. Vast and unsearchable thy ways, Vast and unceasing be thy praise. 4. Let endless honours crown thy head ; Let ev'ry age thy praises spread % While we with cheerful songs approve. The condescension of thy love. HYMN 3. cm. 1. VE humble souls, approach your God -*■ With songs of sacred praise ; For he is good^ immensely good, And kind are all his ways. *. All nature owns his guardian care ; In him we live and move i But nobler benefits declare The wonders of his love. 3. He gave his Son, his only Son, To ransom rebel worms. 'Tis here he makes his goodness known In its diviner forms. 4. To this dear refuge, Lord, we come ; 'Tis here our hope relies ; A safe defence, a peaceful home, When storms of trouble rise. THANKSGIVING. 5. Thine eye beholds with kind regard The souls who trust in thee ; Their humble hope thou wilt reward With bliss divinely free. 6. Great God, to thy almighty Jove What honours shall we raise ? Not all the raptur'd songs above Can render equal praise. HYMN 4. cm. 1. T ORD, when our raptur'd thought surveys ■" Creation's beauties o'er ; All nature joins to teach thy praise, And bids our souls adore. 2. Where'er we turn our gazing eyes, Thy radialit footsteps shine ; Ten thousand pleasing wonders rise, And speak their source divine. 8. The living tribes of countless forms In earth and sea and air, The meanest flies, the smallest worms, Almighty pow'r declare. 4. Thy wisdom, pow'r, and goodness, Lord, In all thy works appear : And, O ! let man thy praise record, Man, thy distinguish'd care ! 3. From thee the breath of life he drew ; That breath thy pow'r maintains ; Thy tender mercy, ever new, His brittle frame sustains. 6. Yet nobler favours claim his praise, Of reason's light possess'd, By revelation's brightest rays Still more divinely bless'd. * PRAISE AND 7. On us thy providence has shone With gentle, smiling rays : O may our lips and lives make known Thy goodness and thy praise ! HYMN 5. l.mw 1. I^JJVE to our God immortal praise! " Mercy and truth are all his ways. Wonders of grace to God belong : Repeat his mercies in your song. 2. Give to the Lord of lords renown, The King of kings with glory crowi>. His mercies ever shall endure, When lords and kings are known no more^. 3. He built the earth, he spread the sky, And fix'd the starry lights on high. Wonders of grace to God belong : Repeat his mercies in your song. 4. He fills the sun with morning light; He bids the moon direct the night. His mercies ever shall endure, When suns and moons shall shine no more. 5. He sent his Son with pow'r to save From guilt, and darkness, and the grave Wonders of grace to God belong : Repeat his mercies in your song. 6. Through this vain world he guides our feet, And Jeads us to his l}eav*nly seat. His mercies ever shall endure,' When this vain world shall be no more. HYMN 6 x. m. t. T^ROM all that dwell below the skifis, -T Let the Creator's praise arise ; Let the Redeemer's name be sung Thrpughev'ry land* by ev'ry tongue. THANKSGIVING. I 2, Eternal are thy mercies, Lord, Eternal truth attends thy word. Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore, Till suns shall rise and set no more. HYMN 7. p. m. l.T'LL praise my Maker, whilst I've breath; •*■ And, when my voice is lost in death, Praise shall employ my nobler pow'rs. My days of praise shall ne'er be past Whilst life and thought and being last. Or immortality endures. 2, Happy the man, whose hopes rely On Israel's God, who made the sky, And earth, and seas, with all their train. His truth for ever stands secure ; He saves th' oppress'd, he feeds the poor ; And none shall find his promise vain. S. The Lord pours eye-sight on the blind ; The Lord supports the fainting mind ; He sends the lab'ring conscience peace7; He helps the stranger in distress, The widow and the fatherless, And grants the pris'ner sweet release, 4. I'll praise him, while he lends me breath ; And, when my voice is lost in death, Praise shall employ my nobler pow'rs. My days of praise shall ne'er be past, Whilst life and thought and being last, Or immortality endures. HYMN 8. r m. i. f\ PRAISE ye the Lord ! prepare anew song; *-* And let all his saints in full concert join : With voices united the anthem prolong, And shew forth his praises with music divine. A5 # PRAISE AND 2. Let praise to the Lord, who made us, ascend; Let each grateful heart be glad in its king. The God, whom we worship, our songs will attend, And view with complacence the off 'ring we bring. 3. Be joyful, ye saints, sustain'd by his might, And let your glad songs awake with each morn : For those, who obey him, are still his delight ; His hand with salvation the meek will adom. 4. Then praise ye the Lord ! prepare a glad song ; And let all his saints in full concert join : With voices united the anthem prolong, And shew forth his praises with music divine. HYMN 9. p. m. lirpO your Creator God, -*• Your great Preserver, raise, Ye creatures of his hand, Your highest notes of praise. Let ev'ry voice Proclaim his pow'r, His name adore, And loud rejoice. 2, Thou source of light and heat, Bright sov'reign of the day, Dispensing blessings round, With all-diffusive ray ; From morn to night, With ev'ry beam, Record his name, Who made thee bright. o. Fair regent of the night, With all thy starry train, Which rise in silent hosts, To gild the azure plain ; With countless ray& Declare his name, THANKSGIVING. Prolong the theme, Reflect his praise. 4. Let all the creatures join To celebrate his name, And all their various pow'rs Assist th' exalted theme. Let nature raise From ev'ry tongue A gen'ral song Of grateful praise. 3. But oh ! from human tongues Should nobler praises flow ; And ev'ry thankful heart With warm devotion glow. Your voices raise, Ye highly blest Above the rest ; Declare his praise. HYMN 10. p. x. i. ri LORY be to God on high, ^-^ God, whose glory fills the sky ; Peace on earth to man forgiv'n, Man, the well belov'd of heav'n. Glory be to God on high, God, whose glory fills the sky. 2. Favour'd mortals, raise the song ; Endless thanks to God belong ; Hearts o'erflowing with his praise, Join the hymns your voices raise : . Glory be Sec, 3. Call the tribes of beings round, From creation's utmost bound ; Where the Godhead shines confess'd, There be solemn praise address'd : Glory be Sec. PRAISE AND 4. Mark the wonders of his hand i Pow'r, no empire can withstand ; Wisdom, angels -glorious theme ; Goodness, one eternal stream : Glory be Sec. 5. Awful Being ! from thy throne Send thy promis'd blessings down. Let thy light, thy truth, thy peace, Bid our raging passions cease : Glory be &c. HYMN 11. s.m. 1. pOME, sound his praise abroad, ^ And hymns of glory sing ! Jehovah is the Sov'reign God, The universal King. 2. He form'd the deeps unknown ; He gave the seas their bound ; The wat'ry worlds are all his own, And all the solid ground. 3. Come, worship at his throne ; Come, bow before the Lord. We are his works and not our own ; He form'd us by his word. 4. To day attend his voice, Nor dare provoke his rod ; Come, like the people of his choice, And own your gracious God ! P. M. i. TTOLY, holy, holy Lord ! *"■ Be thy glorious name ador'd Lord, thy mercies never fail : Hail, celestial Goodness, hail ! . THANKSGIVING. 3. Though unworthyj Lord, thine ear, Deign our humble songs to hear. Purer praise we hope to bring, When around thy throne we sing. 3. There no tongue shall silent be ; All shall join in harmony ; That thro' heav'ns capacious round Praise to thee may ever sound. *. Lord, thy mercies never fail : Hail, celestial Goodness, hail ! Holy, holy, holy Lord ! Be thy glorious name ador'd. HYMN 13. p. m. 1. "D EGIN, my soul, th' exalted lay ; " Let each enraptur'd thought obey, And praise th' almighty name. Let heav'n and earth, and seas and skies, In one harmonious concert rise, To swell the glorious theme. 2. Ye angels, catch the joyful sound, While all th' adoring throngs around His wondrous mercy sing. Let all who fill the realms above, Awake the tuneful soul of love, And touch the sweetest string. 3. Thou heav'n of heav'ns, his vast abode, Ye clouds, proclaim your Maker, God ; Ye thunders, speak his pow'r. Lo ! on the lightning's gleamy wing, In triumph rides th' eternal King ; Th' astonish'd worlds adore. 4. Ye deeps, whose roaring billows rise To join the thunders of the skies, Praise him who bids you roH. 10 PRAISE AND His praise in softer notes declare, Each whisp'ring breeze of yielding air, And breathe it to the soul. &. Wake, all ye feather* d throngs, and sing ; Ye cheerful warblers of the spring, Harmonious anthems raise To him, who shap'd your liner mould, Who tipp'd your glitt'ring wings with golds And tun'd your voice to praise. 6. Let man, by nobler passions sway'd, The feeling heart, the judging head, In heav'nly praise employ ; Spread the Creator's name around, Till heav'n's extended arch rebound The gen'ral burst of joy. HYMN 14- c. m. i. TNDULGENT Father ! how divine, -*- How bright thy bounties are ! Through nature's ample round they shine. Thy goodness to declare. 2. But in the nobler work of grace, What sweeter mercy smiles In my benign Redeemer's face, And ev'ry fear beguiles I 3. Such wonders, Lord, while I survey, To thee my thanks shall rise, When morning ushers in the day, Or ev'ning veils the skies. 4. When glimm'ring life resigns its flame, Thy praise shall tune my breath. The sweet remembrance of thy name Shall gild the shades of death. 5. But, oh ! how blest my song shall rise, When free'd from feeble clay, THANKSGIVING. n And all thy glories meet mine eyes In one eternal day. 6. Not seraphs, who resound thy name Through yon ethereal plains, Shall glow with a diviner flame, Or raise sublimer strains. HYMN 15. p. m. 1. r^LORY be to God on high, " God, whose glory fills the sky I Lift your voice, ye people all, Praise the God, on whom ye call, 2. God his sov'reign sway maintains ; King o'er all the earth he reigns. All to him lift up their eye ; He does ev'ry want supply. 3. Sons of earth, the triumph join, Praise him with the host divine. Emulate the heav'nly pow'rs : Their all gracious God is ours, 4. Happy, who his laws obey ! Them he rules with mildest sway. Pure and holy hearts alone He hath chosen for his own. 3. Him, whose joy is to restore, Him let all our hearts adore : Earth and heav'n repeat the cry, Glory be to God on high ! HYMN 16- l. m. i.TTIGH in the heav'ns, eternal God ! -"- Thy goodness in full glory shines. Thy truth shall break through ev'ry cloud, That veils and darkens thy designs. la PRAISE AND % For ever firm thy justice stands, As mountains their foundations keep. Wise are the wonders of thy hands ; Thy judgments are a mighty deep. 0. Thy providence is kind and large ; Both man and beast thy bounty share : The whole creation is thy charge ; But saints are thy peculiar care. 4f. My God ! how excellent thy grace, Whence all our hope and comfort springs ! The sons of Adam in distress Fly to the shadow of thy wings. 7i. From the provisions of thy house, We shall be fed with sweet repast. There mercy like a river flows, And brings salvation to our taste. 6. Life, like a fountain rich and free, Springs from the presence of the Lord : And in his light our souls shall see The glories promis'd in his word. HYMN 17. c. m. 1. T ONG as I live, I'll bless thy name, -*^ God of eternal love \ My work and joy shall be the same, In the bright world above. 2. Great is the Lord, his pow'r unknown And let his praise be great : I'll sing the honours of thy throne, Thy works of grace repeat. 3. Thy grace shall dwell upon my tongue; And, while my lips rejoice, The men that hear my sacred song Shall join their cheerful voice. THANKSGIVING. 48 4. Fathers to sons shall teach thy name, And children learn thy ways ; Ages to come thy truth proclaim, And nations sound thy praise. 9. Thy glorious deeds of ancient date Shall through the world be known : Thine arm of pow'r, thy heav'nly state, With public splendour shown. 6. The world is manag'd by thy hands, Thy saints are rul'd by love ; And thine eternal kingdom stands, Tho' rocks and hills remove. HYMN 18. p. m. 1 . \TE works of God ! on him alone, •*- His footstool earth, high heav'n his throne. Be all your praise bestow'd. His hand the beauteous fabric made. His eye the finish'd work survey'd, And saw that all was good. 2. Ye sons of men ! his praise display, Who stamp'd his image on your clay, And gave it pow'r to move. Where'er ye go, where'er ye dwell, From age to age successive tell The wonders of his love. 3. Ye spirits of the just and good! Who, panting for that blest abode, To heav'ns bright mansions soar : O let your songs his praise display, Till nature's self shall waste away, And time shall be no more. 4. Praise him, ye meek and humble train ! Who shall those heav'nly joys obtain, Prepar'd for souls sincere. B 14 PRAISE AND Now praise him till you take your way To regions of eternal day, To dwell for ever there. HYMN 19. p. m. 1. 1V§Y soul, praise the Lord, -*•" Speak good of his name 1 His mercies record, His bounties proclaim. To God, their Creator, Let all creatures raise The song of thanksgiving, The chorus of praise ! 2. Though, hid from man's sight, God sits on his throne, Yet here by his works Their Author is known. The world shines a mirror, Its Maker to show ; And heav'n views its image Reflected below. 3- By knowledge supreme, By wisdom divine, God governs this earth With gracious design. O'er beast, bird, and insect, His providence reigns, Whose will first created, Whose love still sustains. 4. And man, his last work, With reason endu'd, Who, falling through sin, By grace is renew'd : — To God, his Creator, Let man ever raise The song of thanksgiving, The chorus of praise ! THANKSGIVING 15 HYMN 20. p m. 1 . HPhou pow'r supremely whose command we live ! -■- The grateful tribute of our praise receive : To thy indulgence we our being owe, And all the joys which from that being flow. 2. Thy skill our elemental clay refin'd, And all its various parts in order join'd ; With perfect symmetry compos'd the whole, And stamp'd thy sacred image on the soul : 3. A soul, susceptible of endless joy, Whose frame nor force, nor time,shall e'er destroy; Which shall survive,though nature claim our breath, And bid defiance to the darts of death. 4-. How shall our hearts their grateful sense reveal. When all the energy of words must fail ? O may its influence in our lives appear, And ev'ry action prove our thanks sincere. HYMN 21. s. m. 4."VfY Maker, and my King ! ***■ To thee my all I owe. Thy sov'reign bounty is the spring, From whence my blessings flow. 2. Thou ever good and kind ! A thousand reasons move, A thousand obligations bind My heart to grateful love. 3. The creature of thy hand, On thee alone I live. My God ! thy benefits demand More praise than tongue can give. 4. O what can I impart, When all was thine before ? i« PRAISE AND Thy love demands a thankful heart : The gift, alas ! how poor ! ?. Shall I withhold thy due ? And shall my passions rove ? Lord, make me to thy service true, And fill me with thy love. 6. O let thy grace inspire My soul with strength divine ; Let all my pow'rs to thee aspire, And all my days be thine. HYMN 22. s. m. Is |^| bless the Lord, my soul I ^-^ Let all within me join, And aid my tongue to bless his namej Whose favours are divine. 2. O bless the Lord, my soul ! Nor let his mercies lie Forgotten in unthankfulness, And without praises die. 3. JTis he forgives thy sins; 5Tis he relieves thy pain ; 'Tis he that heals thy sicknesses, And gives thee strength again. 4 . He crowns thy life with love, When rescu'd from the grave ; He, that redeem'd our souls from death, Hath boundless pow'r to save. 9. He fills the poor with good ; He gives the suff'rers rest. The Lord hath justice for the proud, And mercy for th' oppress'd. ft, His wondrous works and ways He made by Moses known ; THANKSGIVING. £ But scut the world his truth and grace By his beloved Son. HYMN 23. l. m. 1. |^REAT source of life, our souls confess " The various riches of thy grace ; Crown'd with thy mercy, we rejoice, And in thy praise exalt our voice. 2. By thee the vault of heav'n was spread ; By thee the earth's foundations laid ; And all the scenes of man's abode Proclaim a wise and gracious God. 3. Thy quick'ning hand restores our breath, When trembling on the verge of death ; Gently it wipes away our tears, And lengthens life to future years. 4. Our lives are sacred to the Lord, Kindled by him, by him restor'd ; And, while our hours renew their race, May sin no more these hours disgrace ! B. So when, at length, by thee we're led Through unknown regions of the dead, With hope triumphant may we move To scenes of nobler life above. HYMN 24. L. M. i> TN glad amazement, Lord, I stand, -*- Amidst the bounties of thy hand. How numberless those bounties are ! How rich, how various, and how fair ! 2. But O ! what poor returns I make ! What lifeless thanks I pay thee back ! Lord ! I confess with humble shame, My offerings scarce deserve the name. B 5 18 PRAISE AND 3. Fain would my lab'ring heart devise To bring some nobler sacrifice. It sinks beneath the mighty load : What shall I render to my God ? 4. To him. I consecrate my praise, And vow the remnant of my days. Yet, what, at best, can I pretend, Worthy such gifts from such a friend ? 3. In deep abasement, Lord, I see, My emptyness and poverty. Enrich my soul with grace divine, And make me worthier to be thine. 8. Give me at length an angel's tongue, Thatheav'n may echo with my song. The theme, too great for time, shall be The joy of long eternity. HYMN 25. s. m. 1. f~\ Lord, our heav'nly King 1 "-^ Thy name is all divine. Thy glories round the earth are spread^ And o'er the heav'ns they shine. 2. When to thy works-above I raise my wond*ring eyes, And see the moon thy hands have formed In all her splendour rise :■ 3. When I survey the stars, That fill the vaulted sky : — Lord, what is man, that he should stand In thy regard so. high ? 4. Or what the son of man, That he should be thy care, And in the bounties of thy grace Possess so large a share ? THANKSGIVING. 19 3. Tho* offspring of the dust, (How vast the debt we owe!) Next to thine angels are we plac'd, And lords of all below. 6. Appointed for our use, The subject beasts obey, And birds that cut the air with wings, And fish that cleave the sea. 7. How rich thy favours are ! How wondrous are thy ways ! Of dust and worms thy pow'r can frame, A monument of praise. HYMN 26. c. *. 1. ALMIGHTY Father! Gracious Lord ! -**- Kind Guardian of my days ! Thy mercies let my heart record In songs of grateful praise. 2. In life's first dawn, my tender frame Was thy indulgent care, Long ere I could pronounce thy name,, Or breathe the infant pray'r. 3. When reason with my stature grew, How weak her brightest ray ! How little of my God I knew ! How apt from thee to stray ! 4. Around my path what dangers rose I What snares o'erspread my road ! No pow'r could guard me from my foes? Rut my Preserver, God. 5. When life hung trembling on a breath, 'Twas thy unceasing love That sav'd me from impending death5 And bade my fears remove. 20 PRAISE AND 6. Lord, though this mortal frame decays, And earthly comfort flies ; Complete the wonders of thy grace, And raise me to the skies. 7. Then shall my joyful pow'rs unite In more exalted lays, And join the happy sons of light In everlasting praise. HYMN 27. c. m. l.\l"Y God, what blessings round me shorn IT A Where'er I turn'd mine eye ! How many pass'd, almost unknown, Or unregarded, by ! 2. Each rolling year new favours brought From thy exhaustless store. But, ah ! in vain my lab 'ring thought Would count thy mercies o'er : 3. While sweet reflection, thro' my days, Thy bounteous hand would trace ; Still dearer blessings claim my praise, The blessings of thy grace. 4. Yes, I adore thee, gracious Lord ! r For favours more divine ; That I have known thy sacred word, Where all thy glories shine. 5. My highest praise, alas, how poor ! How cold my warmest love 1 My Father ! teach me to adore As angels do above. HYMN 28. c. u. 1. TI/"HEN all thy mercies, O my God ! ™ ™ My rising soul surveys : THANKSGIVING. 21 Transported with the view, I'm lost In wonder, love, and praise. 2. O how shall words with equal warmth The gratitude declare, That glows within my ravish'd heart ! But thou canst read it there. 3. Thy providence my life sustain'd, And all my wants redress'd, When in the silent womb I lay Or hung upon the breast. 4. To all my weak complaints and cries Thy mercy lent an ear, Ere yet my feeble thoughts had learnt To form themselves in pray'r. 3. Unnumbered comforts on my soul Thy tender care bestow'd, Before my infant heart conceiv'd From whom those comforts flow'd. $. When in the slipp'ry paths of youth, With heedless steps, I ran ; Thine arm, unseen, convey'd me safe, And led me up to man. 7. Through hidden dangers, toils and deaths, It gently clear'd my way ; And through the pleasing snares of vice, More to be fear'd than they. 8. When worn with sickness, oft hast thou With health renew'd my face ; And, when in sins and sorrows sunk, Reviv'd my soul with grace. 9. Thy bounteous hand with worldly bliss Hath made my cup run o'er, And in a kind and faithful friend, Hath doubled all my store. 22 CHARACTER AND 10. Ten thousand thousand precious gifts My daily thanks employ ; Nor is the least a cheerful heart Which tastes those gifts with joy. 11. Through ev'ry period of my life Thy goodness I'll pursue ; And, after death, in distant worlds, The glorious theme renew. 12. When nature fails, and day and night Divide thy works no more ; My ever grateful heart, O Lord ! Thy mercy shall adore. 13. Through all eternity to thee A joyful song I'll raise : — But oh ! eternity's too short To utter ali thy praise. ii. character AND PERFECTIONS OF GOD. HYMN 29. l. m. God incomfirehensible. 1. jTi RE AT God, in vain man's narrow view " Attempts to look thy nature through. Our lab'ring pow'rs with rev'rence own, Thy glories never can be known. 3. Not the high seraph's mighty thought, Who countless years his God has sought PERFECTIONS OF GOD 53 Such wondrous height or depth can find, Or fully trace thy boundless mind. 3. Yet, Lord, thy kindness deigns to show Enough for mortal men to know ; While wisdom, goodness, pow'r divine Thro' all thy works and conduct shine. 4. O ! may our souls with rapture trace Thy works of nature and of grace, Explore thy sacred truth, and still Press on to know and do thy will i HYMN 30. l. m. The Majesty of God. YE weak inhabitants of clay, Yp. triflincr inserts nf n nnv. 1, m/ i^i WLaMniiauuiima ui tiaj. Ye trifling insects of a day, Low in your native dust bow down Before th' Eternal's awful throne* 2. Let Lebanon her cedars bring, To blaze before the sov'reign King ; And all the beasts, that on it feed, As victims at his altar bleed. 3. Loud let ten thousand trumpets sound, And call remotest nations round, Assembled on the crowded plains, Princes and people, kings and swains. i>. Join'd with the living, let the dead, Rising, the face of earth o'erspread ; And, while his praise unites their tongues, Let angels echo back the songs. 5. The drop that from the bucket falls, The dust that hangs upon the scales, Is more to sky and earth and sea, Than all this pomp, great God ! to thee. 24 CHARACTER AND HYMN 3L l. m. 1. VE sona of men, in sacred lays, -*- Attempt the great Creator's praise : But who an equal song can frame ? What verse can reach the lofty theme ? 2. He sits enthron'd amidst the spheres, And glory like a garment wears ; While boundless wisdom, pow'r, and grace* Command our awe, transcend our praise. 3. Before his throne a shining band Of cherubs and of seraphs stand ; Ethereal spirits, who in flight Outstrip the rapid speed of light. 4. To God all nature owes its birth, He form'd this pond'rous globe of earth. He rais'd the glorious arch on high, And measur'd out the azure sky. 5. In all our Maker's grand designs, Omnipotence with wisdom shines. His works, through all this wondrous frame, Bear the great impress of his name. 6. Rais'd on devotion's lofty wing, Let us his high perfections sing : O let his praise employ our tongue, Whilst list'ning worlds applaud the song ! HYMN 32. c. m. *God eternal and unchangeable. i. f^i RE AT God, how infinite art thou! ^ How frail and weak are we ! Let the whole race of creatures bow, And pay their praise to thee. 2. Thy throne eternal ages stood, Ere earth or heav'n was made; PERFECTIONS OF GOD. Thou art the ever-living God, Were all the nations dead. 3. Nature and time all open lie To thine immense survey, From the formation of the sky, To the last awful day. 4. Eternity, with all its years, Stands present to thy view. To thee there's nothing old appears ; Great God ! there's nothing new. B. Our lives thro' various scenes are drawn, And vex'd with trifling cares ; While thine eternal thought moves on Thine undisturb'd affairs. 6. Great God, how infinite art thou ! How frail and weak are we ! Let the whole race of creatures bow, And pay their praise to thee. HYMN 33. l. m. 1. A LL-PCWRFUL, self-existent God, -^ Who all creation dost sustain I Thou wast, and art, and art to come ; And everlasting is thy reign. Fix'd and eternal as thy days, Each glorious attribute divine, Thro' ages infinite, shall still With undiminish'd lustre shine. Fountain of being ! source of good ! Immutable dost thou remain ; Nor can the shadow of a change Obscure the glories of thy reign-. C 2© CHARACTER AND 4. Nature her order shall reverse, Revolving seasons cease their round ; Nor spring appear with blooming pride, Nor autumn be with plenty crown' d : £. Yon shining orbs forget their course ; The sun his destin'd path forsake ; And burning desolation mark Amid the world his wand'ring track : 6. Earth may with all her pow'rs dissolve, If such the great Creator's will : But thou for ever art the same. "I am" is thy memorial still. HYMN 34 l. m. God almighty. 1. tfjJIVE to the Lord, ye sons of fame, *-* Give to the Lord renown and pow'r ; Ascribe due honours to his name, And his eternal might adore. 2. The Lord proclaims his pow'r aloud, O'er the vast ocean and the land j His voice divides the wat'ry cloud, And lightnings blaze at his command. 3. He speaks, and howling tempests rise, And lay the forest bare around ; The fiercest beasts, with piteous cries, Confess the terror of the sound. 4. His thunders rend the vaulted skies, And palaces and temples shake. The mountains tremble at the noise, The valleys roar, the deserts quake. .3 The Lord sits sov'reign o'er the flood ; The Thund'rer reigns for ever King ; PERFECTIONS OF GOD 2l But makes his church his blest abode, Where we his awful glories sing. 6. We see no terrors in his nam?, But in our God a Father find. The voice, that shakes all nature's frame, Speaks comfort to the pious mind. HYMN 35. c. m. 4. 1 LMIGHTY God, thy pow'rful word ■**- From nothing all things brought ; Earth, seas, and skies, by thee their Lord, With skill divine were wrought. 2. Thy pleasure heav'nly hosts fulfil ; For thee each planet rolls ; Earth, sun, and stars perform thy will ; Thy nod the world controls. 3. Thou over all art Lord supreme ; All else from the derive. No being can dispute thy claim, Or independent live. 4. To thee, our Lord, we therefore bow ; To thee, our all resign. Entire to thee ourselves we vow, For we are wholly thine. HYMN 36. c. m. 1. VT1WAS God who hurl'd the rolling spheres, ■*- And stretch'd the boundless skies ; Who form'd the plan of endless years, And bade the ages rise. 2. From everlasting is his might, Immense and unconfin'd : He pierces through the realms of light, And rides upon the wind. 28 CHARACTER AND 3. He darts along the burning skies j Loud thunders round him roar: All heav'n attends him, as he flies ; All hell proclaims his pow'r. t>. He scatters nations with his breath ; The scatter'd nations fly : Blue pestilence and wasting death Confess the Godhead nigh. 9. Ye worlds, with ev'ry living thing, Fulfil his high command : Mortals, pay homage to your King,- And own his ruling hand. HYMN 37. l. m. God omnipresent and omniscient. 1 . T ORD, thou hast search'd and seen me through; -"-^ Thine eye commands, with piercing view, My rising and my resting hours, My heart and flesh, with all their powr's. 2. Could I so false, so faithless prove, To quit thy service and thy love ; Where, Lord, could I thy presence shun, Or from thy dreadful glory run ? 3. If, mounted on a morning ray, I fly beyond the western sea ; Thy swifter hand would first arrive, And there arrest thy fugitive. 4. Or should I try to shun thy sight Beneath the spreading veil of night; One glance of thine, one piercing ray- Would kindle darkness into day. 5. The veil of night is no disguise, No screen from thy all-searching eyes. PERFECTIONS OF GOD. 29 Thy hand can seize thy foes as soon Through midnight shades, as blazing noon. 6. O may these thoughts possess my breast, Where'er I rove, where'er I rest ! Nor let my weaker passions dare Consent to sin, for God is there. HYMN 38. cm. 1. T ORD, all I am is known to thee ! " In vain my soul would try To shun thy presence, or to flee The notice of thine eye. 2. Thy all-surrounding sight surveys My rising and my rest, My public ways, my private ways, And secrets of my breast. 3. My thoughts lie open to thee, Lord, Before they're form'd within ; And ere my lips pronounce the word, Thou know'st the sense I mean. i4. O wondrous knowledge, deep and high ! Where can a creature hide ? Within thy circling arms I lie, Beset on ev'ry side. 8. So let thy grace surround me still, And like a bulwark prove, To guard my soul from ev'ry ill, Secur'd by sov'reign love. HYMN 39. s. m. 4. "Vf Y heart and ways, O God ! ■*•"■*■ By thee are search'd and seen ; My outward acts thine eye observes, My secret thoughts within. e 5 m CHARACTER AND 2. No spot the realms of space, Whence thou art absent, know. In heav'n thou reign'st a glorious King, A righteous Judge below. 3. Lord I if within my heart Thou aught should'st disapprove : The secret evil bring to light, And by thy grace remove. 4. If e'er I've been perverse Or foolish in thy view : Recall my steps to thy commands, And form my life anew. HYMN 40. c. m. i . HpO thee, my God ! my days are known -*- My soul enjoys the thought. My actions all before thee lie, Nor are my wants forgot. 2. Each secret wish devotion breathes. Is vocal to thine ear ; And all my walks of daily life Before thine eye appear. 3. The vacant hour, the active scene, Thy mercy shall approve ; And ev'ry pang of sympathy, And ev'ry care of love. 4. Each golden hour of beaming light Is gilded by thy rays ; And dark affliction's midnight gloo^nt A present God surveys. 5. Full in thy view thro' life I pass, And in thy view I die. Lord ! when all mortal bonds shall breaks May I still find thee nigh PERFECTIONS OF GOD. 81 HYMN 41. cm. God's Wisdom. 1. QONGS of immortal praise belong ^ To my almighty God : He hath my heart, and he my tongue. To spread his name abroad. 2. How great the works his hand hath wrought ! How glorious in our sight ! And men in ev'ry age have sought His wonders with delight. 3. How most exact is nature's frame ! How wise th' eternal mind ! His counsels never change the scheme, That his first thoughts design'd. 4. W hen he redeem'd the sons of men, He fix'd his cov'nant sure : The orders, that his lips pronounce, To endless years endure. 5. Nature, and time, and earth, and skies, Thy heav'nly skill proclaim. What shall we do to make us wise, But learn to read thy name ? 6. To fear thy pow'r, to trust thy grace, Is our divinest skill ; And he's the wisest of our race, Who best obeys thy will. HYMN 42. c. m. l.VE/"HEN I with curious eyes survey » * My complicated frame, I read on ev'ry part inscrib'd My great Creator's name. 32 CHARACTER AND 2. With nicest art, in secret, God Did ev'ry member write ; And, when the model was complete, My eyes beheld the light. 3. He bade the purple flood of life In circling streams to flow ; And sent the genial heat around Through ev'ry part to glow. 4. Why was my body form'd erect, Whilst brutes bow down to earth ? But that my soul should learn to know, And claim it's nobler birth. 5. Author of life ! my tongue shall sing The wonders of my frame. Long as I breathe, and think and speak, I'll praise thy glorious name. HYMN 43. c. m. God holy and just. l.TTOLY and rev'rend is the name -*--*- Of our eternal King. Thrice holy, Lord ! the angels cry :— Thrice holy, let us sing. 2. Holy is he in all his works, And saints are his delight ; But sinners and their wicked ways Are hateful in his sight. 3. The deepest rev'rence, homage, love, Pay, O my soul, to God ; Lift with thy hands a holy heart- To his sublime abode. 4. Thou, righteous God ! preserve my mind From all pollution free j PERFECTIONS OF GOD. S3 Thine image form within my breast, That I thy face may see. HYMN 41. c. m. J^OD is a spirit, just and wise ; " He sees our inmost mind. In vain to heav'n we raise our cries, And leave our souls behind. # 2. Nothing but truth before his throne With honour can appear. The painted hypocrites are known Through the disguise they wear. 3. Their lifted eyes salute the skies, Their bended knees the ground : But God abhors the sacrifice, Where not the heart is found. 4. Lord ! search my thoughts, and try my ways, And make my soul sincere : Then shall I stand before thy face, And find acceptance there. HYMN 45. l. m. i.TJRAISE ye the Lord ! 'tis good to raise -■- Our hearts and voices in his praise : His nature and his works invite To make this duty our delight. 2. He loves the meek, rewards the just, Humbles the wicked in the dust, Melts and subdues the stubborn soul, And makes tne broken spirit whole. 3. His saints are precious in his sight ; He views his children with delight; He sees their hope, he knows their fear, Approves and loves his image there. 3* CHARACTER AND HYMN 46. c. m. l."IM/*ITH eye impartial, heav'ns high King * * Surveys each human tribe ; No earthly pomp his eyes can charm, Nor wealth his favour bribe . 2. The rich and poor, of equal clay, His pow'rful hand did frame ; All souls are his, and him alike Their common Parent claim. 3. Ye sons of men of high degree, Your great Superior own ; Praise him for all his gifts, and pay Your homage at his throne. 4. Trust in the Lord, ye humble poor, And banish ev'ry fear : The God you serve will ne'er forsake The man of heart sincere. HYMN 47. l. m. i» lMf HAT eyes like thine, eternal Sire, * ~ Through sin's obscurest depths inquire ? What judge, like thee, on virtue's foes The needful vengeance can impose ? 2. The meek observer of thy laws To thee commits his injur'd cause : In thee, each anxious fear resign'd, The fatherless a father find. 3. Thine is the throne ; beneath thy reign, Immortal King, the tribes profane Behold their dreams of conquest o'er, And vanish to be seen no more. 4. 'Tis thine the orphan's cheek to dry, The guiltless suff'rer's cause to try, PERFECTIONS OF GOD. 3* To rein each earth-born tyrant's will, And bid the sons of pride be still. HYMN 43 l. m. 1. nHHOU suit'st, O Lord, thy righteous ways -*- To various paths of human kind : They, who for mercy merit praise, With thee shall wondrous mercy find. 2. Such, as perversely choose to go, Shall meet with due returns from thee : Thou to the just wilt justice show ; The pure thy purity shall see. 3. For seeds are sown of glorious light, A future harvest for the just ; And gladness for the heart that's right, To recompense its pious trust. 4. Rejoice, ye righteous, in the Lord ; . Memorials of his holiness Deep in your faithful breasts record, And with your thankful tongues confess. HYMN 49. l. m. 1. PTTHE heart, dejected, sighs to know, -■- Why vice triumphant reigns below ; Why saints have fall'n in ev'ry age, The victims of tyrannic rage. 2. Fast roll successive years away ; Fast hastens on th' important day, When, to th' astonish'd world's surprise, God's high tribunal shall arise. 3. Hark, 'tis the trumpet's piercing sound.; The rising dead assemble round ; In close procession, see, they come, Each to receive his final doom. 36 CHARACTER AND 4. Lo ! there, a vile, degenerate race ; Pale terror sits on ev'ry face : Here, on the right, a joyful band, The sons of suffering virtue stand. 9. The sentence pass'd, lo ! these arise To bliss and glory in the skies : While those, who once stood high in fame, Sink to contempt, remorse, and shame. ft. Thus shall God's government appear Without a shade, divinely fair ; And blushing doubts, with joy, confess, The Lord's a God of righteousness. HYMN 50. p. m. God faithful. l.npHE promises I sing, ■*■ Which love supreme hath spoke; Nor will th' eternal King His words of grace revoke. They stand secure And steadfast still : Not Sion's hill Abides so sure. 2. The mountains melt away, When once the Judge appears; And s*n and moon decay, That measure mortal years : But still the same, In radiant lines,- His promise shines Through all the flame. 3. Their harmony shall sound Thro' my attentive ears, When thunders cleave the ground. And dissipate the spheres. PERFECTIONS OF GOD. *r Midst all the shock Of that dread scene, I'll stand serene, Thy word my rock. HYMN 51. c. m. God benevolent and merciful. i. HPHY ceaseless, unexhausted love, "P- Unmerited and free, Delights our evil to remove, And help our misery. 2. Thou waitest to be gracious still ; Thou dost with sinners bear ; That, sav'd, we may thy goodness feel, And all thy grace declare. .3. Thy goodness and thy truth, to me, To ev'ry soul abound ; A vast, unfathomable sea, Where all our thoughts are drown'i 4. Its streams the whole creation reachj So plenteous is the store ; Enough for all, enough for each, Enough for evermore. 5. Faithful, O Lord, thy mercies are ; A rock, which cannot move : A thousand promises declare Thy constancy of love. 6. Throughout the universe it reigns, Unalterably sure ; And, while the truth of God remains, His goodness must endure. D 38 CHARACTER AND HYMN 52, p. m. l-\/|Y God, thy boundless love I praise; How bright on high its glories blaze ! How sweetly bloom below ! It streams from thy eternal throne ; Through heav'n its joys for ever run, And o'er the earth they flow. 2. 'Tis love that paints the purple morn, And bids the clouds, in air upborne, Their genial drops distil ; In ev'ry vernal beam it glows, And breathes in ev'ry gale that blows, And glides in ev'ry rill. 3. It robes in cheerful green the ground, And pours its flowery beauties round, Whose sweets perfume the gale ; Its bounties richly spread the plain, The blushing fruit, the golden grain, And smile on ev'ry vale. 4. But in thy gospel see it shine With grace and glories more divine, Proclaiming sins forgiv'n. There faith, bright cherub, points the way To realms of everlasting day, And opens all her heav'n. 3. Then let the love, that makes me blest, With cheerful praise inspire my breast, And ardent gratitude ; And all my thoughts and passions tend To thee, my Father and my Friend, My soul's eternal good. HYMN 53. l. m. l.npRIUMPHANT, Lord ! thy goodness reigns •■- Thro* all the wide celestial plains ; PERFECTIONS OF GOD. And its full streams redundant flow Down to th' abodes of men below. 2. Thro' nature's works thy glories shine ; The cares of providence are thine; And thou hast rais'd within our frame A fairer temple to thy name. 3. O give to ev'ry human heart, To taste and feel, how good thou art ; With grateful love, and rev'rend fear, To know how blest thy children are. 4. Let nature burst into a song : Ye echoing hills, the notes prolong ! Earth, seas, and stars, your anthems raise, All vocal with your Maker's praise ! 5. Join, O my soul ! the gen'ral song ; To thee its sweetest notes belong. Blest above all by love divine, To praise is eminently thine. HYMN 54. c. m. 1. QWEET is the mem'ry of thy grace, ^ O God, my heav'nly King ! Let age to age thy righteousness In sounds of glory sing. 2. God reigns on high, but not confines His goodness to the skies. Through the whole earth his bounty shines. And ev'ry want supplies. 3. With longing eyes, thy creatures wait Oa thee for daily food ; Thy lib'ral hand provides their meat, And fills their mouths with good. 4. How kind are thy compassions, Lord ! How slow thine anger moves ! . - X 40 CHARACTER AND But soon he sends his pard'ning word, To cheer the souls he loves. 5. Creatures, with all their endless race, Thy pow'r and praise proclaim ; But saints, who taste thy richer grace, Delight to bless thy name. HYMN 55. c. m. 1. |^UR souls with pleasing wonder view " The bounties of thy grace ; How much bestow'd, how much reserv'dj For those that seek thy face. %. Thy lib'ral hand with worldly bliss Oft makes their cup run o'er; And in the cov'nant of thy love They find diviner store. 3. Here mercy hides their num'rous sins ; Here grace their souls renews ; Here hope, and love, and joy, and peace Their heav'nly beams diffuse. % But oh ! what treasures yet unknown Are lodg'd in worlds to come ! If these th' enjoyments of the way, How happy is their home ! 5. And what shall mortal worms reply ? Or how such goodness own ? But 'tis our joy, that^Lord, to thee Thy servants' hearts are known. 6. Since time's too short, all- gracious Gad, To utter half thy praise ; J^oud, to the honour of thy name, Eternal hymns we'll raise. PERFECTIONS OF GOD 41 HYMN 56. s. m. l.AI Y soul, repeat his praise, -*-*-■• Whose mercies are so great : Whose anger is so slow to rise, So ready to abate. 2. God will not always chide ; And, when his wrath is felt, His strokes are fewer than our crimes, And lighter than our guilt. 3. High as the heav'ns are rais'd Above the ground we tread, So far the riches of his grace Our highest thoughts exceed. 4. His grace subdues our sins ; And his forgiving love, Far as the east is from the west, Doth all our guilt remove. 9. The pity of the Lord To those who fear his name, Is such as tender parents feel ; He knows our feeble frame. 6. Our days are as the grass, . Or like the morning flower ! If one sharp blast sweep o'er the field, It withers in an hour. 17. But thy compassions, Lord, To endless years endure ; And children's children ever find Thy words of promise sure. HYMN 57. c. m. i. tf~| THOU, the wretched's sure retreat, " -* Who dost our cares controul, And, with the cheerful smile of peace. Revive the fainting soul ! D 5 4# CHARACTER AND 2. Did ever thy propitious ear The humble plea disdain ? Or when did plaintive mis'ry sigh, Or supplicate in vain ? . Opprest with grief and shame, dissolv'd In penitential tears, Thy goodness calms our anxious doubts. And dissipates our fears. 4. New life from thy refreshing grace Our sinking hearts receive ; Thy gentlest, best-lov'd attribute, To pity and forgive. 5, From that blest source, propitious hope Appears serenely bright, And sheds her soft and cheering beam O'er sorrow's dismal night. I. Our hearts adore thy mercy, Lord* And bless the friendly ray, Which ushers in the smiling morn Of everlasting day. HYMK 58. l. m. .&. TTP to the Lord, who reigns on high? *-' And views the nations from afar, Let everlasting praises fly, And tell how large his bounties are. %, He overrules all mortal things, And manages our mean affairs ; On humble souls the King of kings Bestows his counsels and his cares, 3. Our sorrows and our tears we pour Into the bosom of our God j He hears us in the mournful hour, And helps to bear the heavy load-, PERFECTIONS OF GOD $ 4. In vain might lofty princes try- Such condescension to perform ; For worms were never rais'd so high Above their meanest fellow-worm. 5. O could our thankful hearts devise A tribute equal to thy grace ; To the third heav'n our songs should rise., And teach the golden harps thy praise. HYMN 59. c. m. 1. T ET ev'ry tongue thy goodness speak, •" Thou sov'reign Lord of all : Thy strength'ning hands uphold the weak, And raise the poor that fall. 2. When sorrow bows the spirit down, Or virtue lies distress*d Beneath some proud oppressor's frown, Thou giv'st the mourner rest. 3. Thou know' st the pain thy servants feel ■ j Thou hear'st thy children cry ; And, their best wishes to fulfil, Thy grace is ever nigh. 4. Thy mercy never shall remove From men of heart sincere ; Thou sav'st the souls, whose humble love Is join'd with holy fear. 3, My lips shall dwell upon thy praise, And spread thy fame abroad. Let all the sons of Adam raise The honours of their God. HYMN 60. s. m. 4-. |^J.RACE, 'tis a charming sound ! " Harmonious to the ear ! Heav'n with the echo shall resound, And all the earth shall hear. 44 WORKS -OF GOD 2. Grace first contriv'd a way To save rebellious man ; And all the steps that grace display, Which drew the wondrous plan. 3. Grace leads my roving feet To tread the heav'nly road ; And new supplies each hour I meet, While pressing on to God. 4. Grace all the work shall crown, Through everlasting days ; It lays in heav'n the topmost stone, And well deserves the praise. III. WORKS OF GOD IN NATURE. HYMN 61. l. m. 1. npHE spacious firmament on high, -*- With all the blue ethereal sky, And spangled heav'ns, a shining frame, Their great original proclaim. 2. Th' unwearied sun, from day to day, Does his Creator's pow'r display, And publishes to ev'ry land The work of an almighty hand. 3. Soon as the ev'ning shades prevail, The moon takes up the wondrous tale, And nightly to the listening earth Repeats the story of her birth : IN NATURE. 45 4. Whilst all the stars that round her burn, And all the planets in their turn, Confirm the tidings, as they roll, And spread the truth from pole to pole. 0. What though in solemn silence all Move round the dark terrestrial ball ? What tho' nor real voice nor sound Amidst their radiant orbs be found In reason's ear they all rejoice, And utter forth a glorious voice, For ever singing, as they shine — \ The hand that made us is divine. HYMN 62. l. m. 1. HpHERE is a God, all nature speaks, ■*■ Through earth, and air, and seas, and s\ies. See, from the clouds his glory breaks, When the first beams of morning rise. 2. The rising sun, serenely bright, O'er the wide world's extended frame, Inscribes in characters of light His mighty Maker's glorious name. 3. Diffusing life, his influence spreads. And health and plenty smile around ; And fruitful fields, and verdant meads, Are with a thousand blessings crown'd. 4. Almighty Goodness, Power divine, The fields and verdant meads display ; And bless the hand, which made them shine With various charms profusely gay. 5. For man and beast^here daily food In wide diffusive plenty grows ; And there for drink, the crystal flood In streams sweet winding gently flowj. 46 WORKS OF GOD 6. By cooling streams and soft'ning show'rs, The vegetable race are fed ; And trees, and plants, and herbs, and flow'rs, Their Maker's bounty smiling spread. HYMN 63. c. * 1. TTYAIL, great Creator, wise and good ! ■*r* To thee our songs we raise. Nature, thro' all her various scenes, Invites us to thy praise. 2. At morning, noon, and ev'ning mild, Fresh wonders strike our view ; And while we gaze, our hearts exult, With transports ever new. 3. Thy glory beams in ev'ry star, Which gilds the gloom of night ; And decks the smiling face of morn With rays of cheerful light. 4. The lofty hill, the humble lawn, With countless beauties shine ; The silent grove, the awful shade, Proclaim thy pow'r divine. 5. Great nature's God! still may these scenes Our serious hours engage ! Still may our grateful hearts consult TLy works' instructive page J 6. And while in all thy wondrous works, Thy varied love we see ; Still may the contemplation lead Our hearts, O God, to thee ! HYMN 64. c m. 1. XXTE sing th* almighty pow'r of God, * t Who bade the mountains rise, IN NATURE. 47 Who spread the flowing seas abroad, And built the lofty skies. 3. We sing the wisdom that ordain'd The sun to rule the day ; The moon shines full at his command, And all the stars obey. 3. We sing the goodness of the Lord, Who fills the earth with food ; • Who form'd his creatures by a word, And then pronoune'd them good. 4. Lord, how thy wonders are displayed, Where'er we turn our eyes ; Whether we view the ground we tread, Or gaze upon the skies ! 5. There's not a plant nor flow'r below, But makes thy glories known ; And clouds arise, and tempests blow. By order from thy throne. 6. Creation, vast as it may be, Is subject to thy will. There's not a place, where we can flee, But God is with us still. 7. On him each moment we depend ; If he withdraw, we die. Oh may we ne'er that God offend, Who is for ever nigh ! HYMN 65. l. M. 1. T ET the high heav'ns your songs invite ; -*^ Those spacious fields of brilliant light, Where sun* and moon, and planets roll, And stars that glow from pole to pole. 48 WORKS OF GOD 2. Sing earth in verdant robes array'd, Its herbs and flowers, its fruits and shade ; Peopled with life of various forms, Of fish, and fowl, and beasts, and worms; 3. View the broad sea's majestic plains, And think how wide its Maker reigns. That band remotest nations joins ; And on each wave his goodness shines. 4. But O ! that brighter world above, Where lives and reigns incarnate love 1 God's only son, in flesh array'd, For man a bleeding victim made ! 5. Thither, my soul, with rapture soar ; There in the land of praise adore ! The theme demands an angel's lay, Demands an everlasting day. HYMN 66. l. u. 1. T? TERNAL source of ev'ry joy ! -"-* Well may thy praise our lips employ, While in thy temple we appear, Whose goodness crowns the circling year. 3. The flow'ry spring, at thy command, Perfumes the air, and paints the land ; The summer-rays with vigour shine, To raise the corn and cheer the vine. 3. Thy hand, in autumn, richly pours Through all our coasts redundant stores; And winters, soften'd by thy care, No more a face of horror wear. 4. Seasons, and months, and weeks, and days, Demand successive songs of praise. Still be the cheerful homage paid, With morning light, and er'ning shade IN NATURE. || 5. I^ere in thy house let incense rise, And circling sabbaths bless our eyes ; Till to those lofty heights we soar, Where days and years revolve no more. HYMN" 67. c. m. TiriTH songs and honours sounding loud, * * Address the Lord on high : Over the heav'ns he spreads his cloud, And waters veil the sky, 2. He sends his show'rs of blessings down, To cheer the plains below ; He makes the grass the mountains crown, And corn in valleys grow. 3. He gives the gracing ox his meat ; He hears the ravens cry : But man, who tastes his finest wheat, Should raise his honours high. 4. His steady counsels change the face Of the declining year ; He bids the sun cut short his race, And wintry days appear. 6. His hoary frost, his fleecy snow, Descend and clothe the ground ; The liquid streams forbear to flow, In icy fetters bound. 6. He sends his word, and melts the snow* The fields no longer mourn. He calls the warmer gales to blow, And bids the spring return. .7. The changing wind, the flying cloud, Obey his mighty word. With songs and honours sounding loud. Praise ye the sov'reign Lord. E 50 WORKS OF GOD HYMN 68. c. m. 1 W^^E beauty clothes the fertile vale, '*'.." And blossoms on the spray, And fragrance breathes in ev'ry gale, How sweet the vernal day ! 2. How kind the influence of the skies ! Soft show'rs, with blessings fraught, Bid verdure, beauty, fragrance rise, And fix the roving thought. 3. O let my wond'ring heart confess, With gratitude and love, The bounteous hand that deigns to bless The garden, field, and grove. 4. That bounteous hand my thoughts adore, Beyond expression kind, Hath sweeter, nobler gifts in store, To bless the craving mind. j. Inspir'dto praise, I then shall join Glad nature's cheerful song ; And love and gratitude divine Attune my joyful tongue. HYMN 69. l. m. F¥*HE rising morn, the closing day, -*- Repeat thy praise with grateful voice ; Both in their turns thy pow'r display, And, laden with thy gifts, rejoice. 2. Earth's wide-extended, varying scenes, All smiling round, thy bounty show. From seas or clouds, full magazines, Thy rich diffusive blessings flow. 3. Now earth receives the precious seed, Which thy indulgent hand prepares : IN NATURE. 51 And nourishes the future bread, And answers all the sower's cares. 4. Thy sweet refreshing show'rs attend And through the ridges gently flow, Soft on the springing corn descend ; And thy kind blessing makes it grow. 5. Thy goodness crowns the circling year ; Thy paths drop fatness all around ; Ev'n barren wilds thy praise declare, And echoing hills return the sound. 6. Here, spreading flocks adorn the plain ; There plenty ev'ry charm displays. Thy bounty clothes each lovely scene ; And joyful nature shouts thy praise. HYMN 70. l. m. 1. p RE AT God, at whose all-pow'rful call, *^ At first arose this beauteous frame ! By thee the seasons change, and all The changing seasons speak thy name. 2. Thy bounty bids the infant year, From winter storms recover'd, rise ; When thousand grateful scenes appear, Fresh op'ning to our wond'ring eyes. 3. O how delightful 'tis to see The earth in vernal beauty drest ! While in each herb, and flow'r, and tree, Thy blooming glories shine confest ! 4. Aloft, full beaming, reigns the sun, And light and genial heat conveys ; And, while he leads the seasons on, From thee derives his quick'ning rays. 5. Around us, in the teeming field, Stands the rich grain or purpled vine. B2 DIVINE PROVIDENCE At thy command they rise, to yield Tae strengthening bread or cheering wine, ft. Indulgent God ! from ev'ry part Thy plenteous blessings largely flow. We see ; we taste ; — let ev'ry heart With grateful love and duty glow. IV. DIVINE PROVIDENCE AND GOVERNMENT. HYMN 71. c. m. 1. T ET the whole race of creatures lie •" Abas' d before the Lord ! Whate'er his pow'rful hand has form'd, He governs with a word. 2. Ten thousand ages ere the skies Were into motion brought, All the long years and worlds to come Stood present to his thought. 3. There's not a sparrow or a worm O'erlook'd in his decrees. He raises monarchs to a throne, Or sinks with equal ease. 4. If light attend the course I go, 'Tis he provides the rays ; And 'tis his hand that hides the sun, If darkness cloud my days. AND GOVERNMENT. 53 5. Trusting his wisdom and his love, I would not wish to know, What in the book of his decrees Awaits me here below. 6. Be this alone my fervent pray'r : Whatever my lot shall be, Or joys, or sorrows, may they form My soul for heav'n and thee ! HYMN 72. c. m. 1. npHE Lord, how fearful is his name ! -*- How wide is his command ! Nature, with all her moving frame, Rests on his mighty hand. 2. Immortal glory forms his throne, And light his awful robe, Whilst, with a smile or with a frown, He manages the globe. 3. Adoring angels round him fall, In all their shining forms. His sov'reign eye looks thro* them all, And pities mortal worms. 4. His bowels to our worthless race In sweet compassion move ; He clothes his looks with softest grace, And takes his title, love. 5. Now, let the Lord for ever reign, And sway us as he will. Sick, or in health, in ease, or pain, We are his fav'rites still. 6. No more shall peevish passion rise ; The tongue no more complain. 'Tis sov'reign love that lends our joys, And love resumes again. E5 5i DIVINE PROVIDENCE HYMN 73. p. m. 1. VE subjects of the Lord, proclaim -*■ The royal honours of his name. " Jehovah reigns," be all your song, 'Tis he, thy God, O Zion ! reigns. Prepare thy most harmonious strains, Glad hallelujahs to prolong. 2. Ye princes, boast no more your crown, But lay the glitt'ring trifle down In lowly honour at his feet. A span your narrow empire bounds : He reigns beyond created rounds, In self-sufficient glory great. 3. Tremble, ye pageants of a day, Form'd, like your slaves, of brittle clay ; Down to the dust your sceptres bend. To everlasting years he reigns, And undiminish'd rule maintains, When kings, and suns, and time shall end. 4. So shall his favoured Zion live ; In vain confed'rate nations strive Her sacred turrets to destroy. Her sov'reign sits enthron'd above ; And endless pow'r and endless love Insure her safety and her joy. HYMN 74 p. m t. HPHE Lord of glory, reigns supremely great, -*- And o'er heav'ns arches builds his royal seat. Thro'' worlds unknown his sov'reign sway extends, Nor space, nor time, his boundless empire ends. His eye beholds th* affairs of ev'ry nation, And reads each thought thro' his immense creation AND ". GOVERNMENT. 35 2. Lightnings and storms his mighty word obey, And planets roll, where he has mark'd their way Unnumber'd cherubs veil'd before him stand, And at his signal all their wings expand. His praise gives harmony to all their voices, And ev'ry heart thro' the full choir rejoices. 3. Rebellious mortals, cease your tumults vain, Nor longer such unequal war maintain. Let clay with fellow-clay in combat strive : But dread to brave the pow'r, by which you live. With contrite hearts fall prostrate, and adore him; For, if he frown, ye perish all before him. HYMN 75. l. m. 1. |^l REATEST of beings, source of life, ^ Sov'reign of air, and earth, and sea ! All nature feels thy pow'r ; but man A grateful tribute pays to thee. 2. Subject to wants, to thee he looks, And from thy goodness seeks supplies ; And, when oppress'd with guilt, he mourns, Thy mercy lifts him to the skies. 3. Children, whose little minds, unform'd, Ne'er rais'd a tender thought to heav'n ; And men, whom reason lifts to God, Tho' oft by passion downward driv'n ; •i. Those, too, who bend with age and care, And faint and tremble near the tomb, Who, sick'ning at the present scenes, Sigh for that better state to come : — 5- All, great Creator! all are thine; All feel thy providential care ; And, thro' each varying scene of life. Alike thy constant pity share. - 36 DIVINE PROVIDENCE 6. And, whether grief oppress the heart, Or whether joy elate the breast, Or life still keep its little course, Or death invite the heart to rest :-— 7. All are thy messengers, and all Thy sacred pleasure, Lord, obey ; And all are training man to dwell Nearer to bliss, and nearer thee. HYM1NT 76. l. m. l.Tl^HO, gracious Father ! can complain, * » Under thy mild and gentle reign ? Who does a weight of duty share, More than his aids and pow'rs can bear ? 2. With diff 'ring climes, and diff 'ring lands, With fertile plains and barren sands, Thy hand hath fram'd this earthly round, And set each nation in its bound. 3. So various, thy celestial ray Here sheds a full, there fainter day. The God of all, unkind to none, To all the path of life hath shown. 4. Large is the bounty of his hand : He will a large return demand. Haste then, my soul ! thy work pursue,. And keep the heav'nly prize in view. HYMN 77. l. m. i.nPHROUGH all the various shifting scene -■- Of life's mistaken ill or good, Thy hand, O God, conducts, unseen, The beautiful vicissitude. 2. Thou give st with paternal care, Howe'er unjustly we complain, AND GOVERNMENT. To all their necessary share Of joy and sorrow, health and pain. 3. Trust we to youth, or friends, or pow'r ? Fix we on this terrestrial ball ? When most secure, the coming hour. If thou see fit, may blast them all. 4. Thy pow'rful consolations cheer ; Thy smiles suppress the deep-fetch'd sigh Thy hand can dry the trickling tear, That secret wets the widow's eye. *. All things on earth, and all in heav'n On thy eternal will depend ; And all for greater good were giv'n, Would man pursue th' appointed end. 6. Be this my care : — To all beside, Indiff'rent let my wishes be. Passion be calm, abas'd be pride, And fix'd my soul, great God ! on thqe. HYMN 78. c. m. 1. fJ-OD moves in a mysterious way,' *-* His wonders to perform. He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm. 2. Deep in unfathomable mines Of never-failing skill, He treasures up his bright designs, And works his sov'reign will. 3. Ye fearful saints ! fresh courage take : The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy, and will break In blessings on your head. 4. Judge not the Lord by feeble sensej But trust him for his grace j i8 DIVINE PROVIDENCE Behind a frowning providence, He hides a smiling face. 5. His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding ev'ry hour. The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flow'r. 6. Blind unbelief is sure to err, And scan his work in vain. God is his own interpreter, And he will make it plain. HYMN" 79. l. m. i . T 7^AST are thy works, almighty Lord ! * All nature rests upon thy word. Thy glories in the heav'ns we see ; The spacious earth is full of thee. 2. The various tribes of creatures stand, Waiting their portion from thy hand ; And, while they take their ditf 'rent food, Their cheerful looks pronounce thee good. 3. Whene'er thy face is hid, they mourn, And, dying, to their dust return ; Both man and beast their souls resign ; Life, breath, and spirit, all are thine. 4. Yet thou canst breathe on dust again, And fill the world with beasts and men. A word of thy creating breath Repairs the wastes of time and death. 5. The earth stands trembling at thy stroke, And at thy touch the mountains smoke. Yet humble souls may see thy face, And tell their wants to sov'reign grace. 6. In thee my hopes and wishes meet, And make my meditations sweet. I to my God, my heav'nly King, Immortal hallelujahs sing. AND GOVERNMENT. 59 HYMN 80. l. m. 1. fi RE AT Ruler of the earth and skies i *~* A word of thine almighty breath Can sink the world, or bid it rise. Thy smile is life, thy frown is death. 2. When angry nations rush to arms, And rage, and noise, and tumult reign, And war resounds its dire alarms, And slaughter dyes the hostile plain : 3. Thy sov'reign eye looks calmly down, And marks their course, and bounds their pow'r; Thy law the angry nations own, And noise and war are heard no more. 4. Then peace returns with balmy wing, Sweet peace ! with her what blessings fled ! Glad plenty laughs, the vallies sing, Reviving commerce lifts her head. 5. To thee we pay our grateful songs ; Thy kind protection still implore. O may our hearts, and lives, and tongues, Confess thy goodness, and adore ! HYMN 81. l. m. 1. fXOD is the refuge of his saints, " When storms of deep distress invade. Ere we can offer our complaints, Behold him present with his aid. 2. Let mountains from their seats be hurl'd Down to the deep, and buried there ; Convulsions shake the solid world : Our faith shall never yield to fear. 3. Loud may the troubled ocean roar : In sacred peace our souls abide ; While ev'ry nation, ev'ry shore Trembles and dreads the swelling tide 6§ DIVINE PROVIDENCE t. 'Midst storms and tempests, Lord ! thy word Does ev'ry rising fear control. Sweet peace thy promises afford, And well sustain the fainting soul. HYMN 82. s. m. 1. |^J.IVE to the winds thy fears ; " Hope, and be undismay'd : God hears thy sighs, and counts thy tears, God shall lift up thy head. 2. Through waves and clouds and storms, He gently clears thy way : Wait thou his time, so shall this night Soon end in joyous day. 3. What though thou rulest not ; Yet heav'n, and earth, and hell Proclaim, God sitteth on the throne, Art! ruleth all things well. 4. Thine everlasting truth, Father, thy ceaseless love, Sees all thy children's wants, and knows What best for each will prove. 9. And whatsoe'er thou will'st, Thou dost, O King of kings ; What thine unerring wisdom chose, Thy pow'r to being brings. 0. Thou seest our weakness, Lord ; Our hearts are known to thee. O lift thou up the sinking head, Confirm the feeble knee. V. Let us in life, in death, Thy steadfast truth declare ; And publish with our latest breath. Thy love and guardian care. AND GOVERNMENT. ai HYMN 83. l. m. 1. 1VTOT from relentless fate's dark womb, -^ Or from the dust, our troubles come. No fickle chance presides o'er grief, To cause the pain, or send relief. 2. Look up, and see, ye sorrowing saints I The cause and cure of your complaints. Know, 'tis your heav'nly Father's will : Bid ev'ry murmur then be still. 3. He sees, we need the painful yoke j Yet love directs his heaviest stroke. He takes no pleasure in our smart, But wounds to heal and cheer the heart. 4. Blest trials those that cleanse from sin, And make the soul all pure within, Wean the fond mind from earthly toys1, To seek and taste celestial joys 1 HYMN 84. C M. A ( calm the sorrows of the mind, Our heav'nly Friend is nigh, To wipe the anxious tear that starts Or trembles in the eye. 2. Thou canst, when anguish rends the heart, The secret woe control j The inward malady canst heal, The sickness of the soul. 3. Thou canst repress the rising sigh ; Canst sooth each mortal care ; And ev'ry deep and heart-felt groan Is wafted to thine ear. 4. Thy gracious eye is watchful still ; Thy potent arm can save F 63 DIVINE PROVIDENCE From threatening danger and disease, And the devouring grave. 5. When, pale and languid all the frame, The ruthless hand oi pain Arrests the feeble pow'rs of life, The help of man is vain. 6. 'Tis thou, great God ! alone canst check The progress of disease ; And sickness, aw'd by pow'r divine, The high command obeys. 7. Eternal source of life, and health, And ev'ry bliss we feel ! In sorrow and in joy, to thee Our grateful hearts appeal. HYMN 85. s. m. i. QURE there's a righteous God, ^ Nor is religion vain ; Tho' men of vice may boast aloud, And virtuous men complain. •2. 1 saw the wicked rise, And felt my heart repine, While haughty fools, with scornful eyes, In robes of honour shine. S. Their impious tongues blaspheme The everlasting God ; Their malice blasts the good man s name, And spreads their lies abroad. 4. The tumults of my thought Held me in deep suspense, Till to thy house my feet were brought, To learn thy justice thence. 5. Thy word, with light and pow'r, " Did my mistakes amend ; AND GOVERNMENT. I view'd the sinners' life before. But here I learnt their end. 6. Lord, at thy feet I bow ; My thoughts no more repine. I call my God my portion now, And all my pow'rs are thine. HYMN 86. c. m 1. T ET others boast how strong they be, -*^ Nor death nor danger fear ; While we confess, O Lord, to thee. What feeble things we are. 2. Fresh as the grass our bodies stand, And flourish bright and gay : A blasting wind sweeps o'er the land, And fades the grass away. 3. Our life contains a thousand springs, And dies if one be gone. Strange ! that a harp of thousand strings Should keep in tune so long. 4. But 'tis our God supports our frame, The God that form'd us first. Salvation to th' almighty name, That rear'd us from the dust. 6. While we have breath, or life, or tongues, Our Maker we'll adore. His spirit moves our heaving lungs, Or they would breathe no more. HYMN 87. p.m. 1. TTPWARD I lift mine eyes, ^ From God is all my aid ; The God who built the skies, And earth's foundations laid. *i > 64- DIVINE PROVIDENCE God is the tow'r, To which I fly : His grace is nigh In ev'ry hour. 2. My feet shall never slide Or fall in fatal snares ; Since God, my guard and guide, Defends me from my fears. Those wakeful eyes, That never sleep, His children keep, When dangers rise. 8, No burning heats by day, Nor blasts of ev'ning air, Shall take my health away, If God be with me there. Thou art my sun, And thou my shade, To guard my head By night or noon. 4. Hast thou not giv'n thy word, To save my soul from death ? And I can trust the Lord, To keep my mortal breath, I'll go and come, Nor tear to die, Till from on high He call me home. HYMN 88. l. m. 1. npHEY, that have made their refuge God, ■*- Shail find a most secure abode ; Shall walk all day beneath his shade, And there at night shall rest their head. 2. If burning beams of noon conspire To dart a pestilential fire : AND GOVERNMENT. *5 God is their life ; his wings are spread, To shield them 'midst ten thousand dead. 3. If vapours with malignant breath Rise thick, and scatter midnight death : Still they are safe ; the poison'd air Again grows pure, if God be there. 4r. But if the fire, or plague, or sword, Receive commission from the Lord, To strike his saints among the rest : Their very pains and deaths are blest. 5. The sword, the pestilence, or fire, Shall but fulfil their best desire ; From sins and sorrows set them free, And bring thy children, Lord ! to thee. HYMN 89. c. m. 1. A ND art thou with us, gracious Lord, ■**- To dissipate our fear ? Dost thou proclaim thyself our God, Our God for ever near ? 2. Doth thy right hand, which form'd the earth, And bears up all the skies, Stretch from on high its friendly aid, When dangers round us rise ? 3. And wilt thou lead our weary souls To that delightful scene, Where rivers of salvation flow Through pastures ever green ? 4. On thy support our souls shall lean, And banish ev'ry care ; The gloomy vale of death will smile, If God be with us there. 3. While we his gracious succour prove, 'Midst all our various ways, F 5 m DIVINE PROVIDENCE The darkest shades, thro' which we pags. Shall echo with his praise. HYMN 90, p. m. i. HpHELord my pasture shall prepare, -"• And feed me with a shepherd's care ; His presence shall my wants supply, And guard me with a watchful eye ; My noon- day walks he shall attend, And all my midnight hours defend. .2. When on the sultry glebe I faint, Or on the thirsty mountain pant ; To fertile vales and dewy meads My weary wand'ring steps he leads, Where peaceful rivers, soft and slow, Amid the verdant landscape flow. 3. Though in a bare and rugged way, Through devious lonely wilds I stray ; Thy bounty shall my pains beguile, The barren wilderness shall smile, With sudden greens and herbage crown'd, And streams shall murmur all around. 4. Though in the paths of death I tread, With gloomy horrors overspread ; My steadfast heart shall fear no ill, For thou, O Lord, art with me still ; Thy friendly crook shall give me aid, And guide me through the dreadful shade. HYMN 91. e. m. i. QHINE on our souls, eternal God ! £3 With rays of mercy shine : O let thy favour crown our days, And their whole course be thine, AND GOVERNMENT. 2. Did we not raise our hands to thee, Our hands might toil in vain : Small joy success itself could give, If thou thy love restrain. 3. 'Tis ours' the furrows to prepare, And sow the precious grain ; 'Tis thine, to give the sun and air, And to command the rain. 4. With thee let ev'ry week begin, With thee each day be spent, For thee each fleeting hour improv'd, Since each by thee is lent. 5. Thus cheer us thro' this toilsome road, Till all our labours cease ; And thus prepare our weary souls For everlasting peace. HYMN 92 e. m. In travelling. !• IJOW are thy servants blest, O Lord ! ■*--*- How sure is their defence ! Eternal wisdom is their guide, Their help omnipotence. 2. In foreign realms and lands remote, Supported by thy care, They pass unhurt thro* burning climes, And breathe in tainted air. 3. Thy mercy sweetens ev'ry soil. Makes ev'ry region please. The hoary frozen hills it warms,- And smooths the boist'rous seas. 4. Tho' by the dreadful tempest toss'd, High on the broken wave, 6* DIVINE PROVIDENCE They know thou art not slow to hear, Nor impotent to save. 5. The storm is laid, the winds retire, Obedient to thy will ; The sea, that roars at thy command, At thy command is still. 6. From all my griefs and straits, O Lord ! Thy mercy sets me free ; Whilst in the confidence of pray'r My heart takes hold on thee. 7. In midst of dangers, fears, and deaths, Thy goodness I'll adore ; And praise thee for thy mercies past, And humbly hope for more. 8. My life, while thou preserv'st my life, Thy sacrifice shall be ; And, oh ! may death, when death shall coms as shepherds sat, " Watching their flocks by night, The angel of the Lord appear'd, Clad in celestial light. 2. Awe-struck the vision they regard, AppallM with trembling fear ; When thus a cherub-voice divine Breath'd sweetly on their ear. 3. « Shepherds of Judah ! cease your fears, And calm your troubled mind ; Glad tidings of great joy I bring To you and all mankind. 4. This day almighty love fulfils Its great eternal word ; This day is born in Bethlehem A Saviour, Christ the Lord. 5. There shall you find the heav'nly babe In humblest weeds array'd ; All meanly wrapp'd in swaddling clothes, And in a manger laid." 6. He ceas'd, and sudden all around Appear'd a radiant throng Of angels, praising God, and thus Warbling their choral song: T. " Glory to God, from whom on high All- gracious mercies flow ! Who sends his heav'n- descended peace To dwell with man below." HYMN 97. p. m. 1. TTARK ! what celestial notes, ** What melody we hear ! 72 MISSION AND NATIVITY Soft on the morn it floats, And fills the ravish'd ear. The tuneful shell, The golden lyre, And vocal choir The concert swell. 2. Th' angelick hosts descend, With harmony divine : See how from heav'n they bend, And in full chorus join. Fear not, say they, Great joy we bring : Jesus, your King, Is born to day. 3. He comes from error's night Your wand'ring feet to save ; To realms of bliss and light He lifts you from the grave. This glorious morn, (Let all attend !) Your matchless friend, Your Saviour's bora. 4. Glory to God on high ! Ye mortals, spread the sound, And let your raptures fly To earth's remotest bound : For peace on earth, From God in heav'n, To man is giv'n, At Jesus' birth. HYMN 98. c m. 1. Tl IGH let us swell our tuneful notes, ■■"■- And join th' angelick throng ; For angels no such love have known, T' awake a cheerful song. OF CHRIST. 2. Good will to guilty men is shewn, And peace on earth is giv'n ; For, lo ! th* incarnate Saviour comes. With messages from heav'n. 3. Justice and grace, with sweet accord, His rising beams adorn : Let heav'n and earth in concert join, Now such a child is born. 4. Glory to God, in highest strains, In highest worlds be paid ! His glory by our lips proclaim'd, And by our lives display'd ! o. When shall we reach those blissful realms, Where Christ exalted reigns, And learn of the celestial choir Their own immortal strains ? HYMN 99. c. m. i. TOY to the world ; the Lord is come ! *J Let earth receive her King. Let ev'ry heart prepare him room, And heav'n and nature sing. 2. Joy to the earth ; the Saviour reigns ! Let men their songs employ ; While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains. Repeat the sounding joy. 3. No more let sins and sorrows grow, Nor thorns infest the ground. He comes to make his blessings flow Far as the curse is found. 4. He rules the world with truth and grace, And makes the nations prove The glories of his righteousness, And wonders of his love. G 74 MISSION AND NATIVITY HYMN 100. l. m. i. Y¥/"ELCOME the hope of Israel's race " " The messenger of truth and grace ! Your hearts in righteousness prepare ; Behold your wish'd redemption near ! 2. See glory bursting from the skies, O'er Judah's land effulgent rise ; And fix amidst her coasts its seat, Where justice, truth, and mercy meet : 3. While faith and hope, their offspring dear, Attendant on their steps appear ; And join'd in friendly compact move, Bless'd with philanthropy and love. 4. Truth in thy lands, O earth ! shall spring j And righteousness, her healing wing Expanding, downward cast her eye ; While heav'n's great Monarch, from on high; 5. The heathen gloom shall chase away, And usher in a glorious day ; And from his own propitious will The promis'd grace to man fulfil. HYMN 101. l.m. 1.J3RAISE ye the Lord, who reigns above, •*- Fix'd on his throne of truth and love : Behold the finger of his pow'r ; Contemplate, wonder, and adore. 2. When man, debas'd and guilty man, From crime to crime with madness ran ; Well might his arm its thunders launch, And blast th' ungrateful, root and branch. 3. But clemency with justice strove, To save the people of his love. OF CHRIST. 75 * Go, my beloved Son !" he cried, « Be thou their Saviour, thou their guide." 4. The eastern star with glory streams ; It comes, with healing on its beams. Dark mists of error fleet away, And Judah hails the rising day. 3. His sacred memory we bless, Whose holy gospel we profess ; And praise that great Almighty name, From whom such light and favour came, HYMN 102. l. m. 1. npO those who fear and trust the Lord, ■*■ His mercy stands for ever sure. From age to age his promise lives, And the performance is secure. 2. He spake to Abr'am and his seed : « In thee shall all the world be bless'd 1" The mem'ry of that ancient word Lay long in his eternal breast. 3. But now no more shall Israel wait ; No more the Gentiles iie forlorn. Lo ! the desire of nations comes ; Behold ! the promis'd seed is born. HYMN 103. p. m. 1. ^ONS of Adam ! join to raise ^ Songs of gratitude and praise. Emulate the choirs above ; Celebrate eternal love. 2. Endless ages saw the scheme ; Endless ages sang the theme : Man, in God's own image made, ; Honour, glory on his head. 76 MISSION AND NATIVITY 3. Raptur'd, all the sons of light Hail'd the moment, mercy-bright, When to Jesus, Lord from heav'n, Thus the glorious charge was giv'n : 4. " Go, proclaim Jehovah's grace ; Fear destroy, and guilt efface ; Conquer death, unbar the grave : Lo ! thy work — the world to save." 9. Speak your pleasures, happy race, Objects of your Father's grace I All the family of earth Glory in your Saviour's birth ! HYMN 104. p. m. 1. rjiVE thanks to God most high, *-* The universal Lord, The sov'reign King of kings ; And be his grace ador'd. His pow'r and grace Are still the same ; And let his name Have endless praise, 2. He saw the nations lie All perishing in sin, And pitied the sad state The ruin'd world was in. Thy mercy, Lord, Shall still endure ; And ever sure Abides thy word. $. He sent his only Son To save us from our woe, From Satan, sin, and death, And ev'rv hurtful foe. OF CHRIST. 7T His pow'r and grace Are still the same ; And let his name Have endless praise. 4. Give thanks aloud to God, To God the heav'nly King ; And let the spacious earth His works and glories sing. Thy mercy, Lord, Shall still endure ; And ever sure Abides thy word. VI. OFFICE A1NTD MEDIATION OF CHRIST. 1 HYMN 105. l. m. MMORTAL God ! on thee we call, The great original of all. From thee we are, to thee we tend, Our sure support, our glorious end. 2. We praise that wise, that wondrous grace, That pitied our revolted race, And Jesus, our victorious head, The captain of salvation made. 3. He, thine eternal love decreed, Should many sons to glory lead : And sinful worms to him are giv'n, A colonv to people heav'n. G5 rs OFFICE AND MEDIATION l. Jesus for us (O gracious name !) Encounter'd agony and shame ; Jesus, the glorious and the great, Was by dire sufferings made complete. &. A scene of wonders here we see, Worthy thy Son, and worthy thee ; And, while this theme employs our tongues, All heav'n unites its sweetest songs. HYMN 106. l. m. 1. HpH' eternal Sov'reign from on high ■*■ Cast on the sons of men his eye, To see, if any understood, And fear'd, and lov'd their Maker, God. 2. But all were so degen'rate grown, None the true God had fully known ; Both Jew and Gentile long had been By lust enslav'd, and dead in sin. 3. Both gone from wisdom's path astray, Pursu'd the errors of their way, With dismal superstition blind ; And causeless terrors fill'd their mind. 4. Who, gracious God ! to sinners' eyes Could bid the wish'd salvation rise ? Thy Son did light and truth display, And turn their darkness into day. 5. No flesh shall boast of righteousness, But guilty shall themselves confess ; And, when they hear thy pard'ning voice, In thy salvation shall rejoice. l, HYMN 107. l. m. "O EHOLD, the blind their sight receive I -** Behold, the dead awake and live I OF CHRIST. 79 The dumb speak wonders, and the lam« Leap like the hart, and bless his name. 2. Thus doth th' eternal Spirit own And seal the mission of the Son ; The Father vindicates his cause, While he hangs bleeding on the cross. 3. He dies ; the heav'ns in mourning stood : He rises, and appears a God. Behold the Lord ascending high," No more to bleed, no more to die. 4. Hence, and for ever, from my heart I bid my doubts and fears depart ; And to those hands my soul resign, Which bear credentials so divine. HYMN 108. l. m. 1. ITirHAT works of wisdom, pow'r and love, ' ™ Do Jesus' high commission prove I Attest his heav'n-derived claim, And glorify his Father's name ! 2. On eyes that never saw the day, He pours the bright celestial ray ; And deafen'd ears, by him unbound, Catch all the harmony of sound. 3. Lameness takes up its bed, and goes Rejoicing in the strength that flows Through ev'ry nerve ; and, free from pain, Pours forth to God the grateful strain. 4*. The shatter'd mind his word restores, And tunes afresh the mental pow'rs ; The dead revive, to life return, And bid affection cease to mourn. 5. Canst thou, my soul, these wonders trace, And not admire Jehovah's grace ? 80 OFFTCK AND MEDIATION Canst thou behold thy Saviour's pow'r, And not believe, obey, adore ? HYMN 109. l. m. 1. HPO thee, O God ! we homage pay, -*- Source of the light that rules the day ! Who, while he gilds all nature's frame, Reflects thy rays, and speaks thy name. 2. In louder strains we sing that grace, Which gives the sun of righteousness, Whose nobler light salvation brings, And scatters healing from his wings. 3. Still on our hearts may Jesus shine With beams of light and love divine ! Quicken'd by him, our souls shall live, And, cheer'd by him, shall grow and thrive. 4. O may his glories stand confess'd, From north to south, from east to west ; Successful may his gospel run, Wide as the circuit of the sun, 5. When shall that radiant scene arise, When, fix'd on high, in purer skies, Christ all his lustre shall display On all his saints through endless day ! HYMN 110. l.m. 1. IT1HOU,Lord, by mortal eyes unseen, -*- And by thy offspring here unknown, To manifest thyself to men, Hast set thine image in thy Son. 2. As the bright sun's meridian blaze O'erwhelms and pains our feeble sight, But cheers us with his softer rays, When shining with reflected light j OF CHRIST. si 3. So, in thy Son, thy pow'r divine, Thy wisdom, justice, truth and love, With mild and pleasing lustre shine, Reflected from thy throne above. 4. Though Jews, who granted not his claim, Contemptuous turn'd away their face ; Yet those, who trusted in his name, Beheld in him thy truth and grace. 5. O thou ! at whose almighty word Fair light at first from darkness shone, Teach us to know our glorious Lord, And trace the Father in the Son. 0. While we thine image, here display'd, With love and admiration view ; Form us in likeness to our head, That we may bear thy image too. HYMN 111. s.m. 1. MOW beauteous are their feet, -*--■- Who stand on Zion's hill ! Who bring salvation on their tongues, And words of peace reveal. 2. How charming is their voice ! How sweet the tidings are ! " Zion, behold thy Saviour King ; " He reigns and triumphs here." 3. How happy are our ears, That hear this joyful sound, Which kings and prophets waited for, And sought, but never found ! 4. How blessed are our eyes, That see this heav'nly light ! Prophets and kings desir'd it long, But died without the sight. %-2 OFFICE AND MEDIATION 5. The watchmen join their voice, And tuneful notes employ ; Jerusalem breaks forth in songs, And deserts learn the joy. 6. The Lord makes bare his arm Thro' all the earth abroad ; Let ev'ry nation now behold Their Saviour and their God. HYMN 112. s. m. 1. |3 EHOLD, the Prince of peace ! "*-* The chosen of the Lord, God's well-beloved Son, fulfils The sure prophetic word. 2. No royal pomp adonis This King of righteousness : Meekness and patience, truth and love. Compose his princely dress. 3. Jesus, thou light of men ! Thy doctrine life imparts. O may we feel its quick'ning pow'r. To warm and glad our hearts ! 4. Cheer'd by its beams, our souls Shall run the heav'nly way. The path, which Christ unwearied trod, Will lead to endless day. HYMN 113. l. m. 1, MOW to the Lord a noble song ! -*-^ Awake my soul, awake my tongue. Hosannah to th' eternal name, And all his boundless love proclaim. 2. See where it shines in Jesus' face, The brightest image of his grace ! OF CHRIST. 83 God, in the person of his Son, Has all his noblest works outdone. 3. The spacious earth and spreading flood Proclaim the wise and pow'rful God ; And thy rich glories, from afar, Sparkle in ev'ry rolling star. 4. But in thy Son a glory shines. Drawn out in far superior lines; The lustre of redeeming grace Outshines the beams of nature's face. I 5. Grace ! 'tis a sweet, a charming theme ; My thoughts rejoice at Jesus' name. Ye angels, dwell upon the sound ! Ye heav'ns, reflect it to the ground ! If. O may I reach that happy place; Where he unveils his lovely face ! Where all his saints, from death restor'd, Shall be forever with the Lord. !HYMjNT 114. p.m. 1. TOIN all the glorious names *^ Of wisdom, love, and pow'r, That ever mortals knew, That angels ever bore : All are too mean To speak his worth ; Too mean to set My Saviour forth. 2. But O what gentle terms, What condescending ways, Doth our Redeemer use, To teach his heav'nly grace ! Mine eyes with joy And wonder see, What forms of love Ho bears for me. 84 OFFICE AND MEDIATION 3. Array 'd in mortal flesh, He like an angel stands, And holds the promises And pardons in his hands ; Commission'd from His Father's throne, To make his grace To mortals known. 4. Great Prophet of my God ! My tongue would bless thy name. By thee the joyful news Of our salvation came : The joyful news Of sin forgiv'n, Of hell subdu'd, And peace with heav'n. HYMN 115. p. m. 1. \\fITH ecstacyof joy * ~ Extol his glorious name, Who rear'd the spacious earth, And rais'd our mortal frame. He built the church, Who spread the sky : Shout and exalt His honours high. 2. See the foundation laid By pow'r and love divine ; Jesus, his first-born Son, How bright his glories shine ! Low he descends, In dust he lies, That from his tomb A church might rise. 3. But he for ever lives, Nor for himself alone : OF CHRIST. 9$ Each saint new life derives From him, the living stone. His influence spreads Through ev'ry soul, And in one house Unites the whole. 4. To him with joy we move ; In him cemented stand ; The living temple grows, And owns the founder's hand. That structure, Lord, Still higher raise, Louder to sound Its builder's praise HYMN 116. p. m. 1 . YM^E sing the wise, the gracious plan, * * Which God devis'd, ere time began, At length disclos'd in all its light ; We bless the wondrous birth of love, Which beams around us from above, With grace so free and hope so bright. 2. Here has the wise eternal mind In Christ, their common head, conjoin'd Gentiles and Jews, and earth and heav'n. Through him, from the great Father's throne, Rivers of bliss come rolling down, And endless peace and life are giv'n. 3. No more the awful cherubs guard The tree of life with flaming sword, To drive afar man's trembling race. At Salem's pearly gates they stand, And smiling wait, a friendly band, To welcome strangers to the place. 4. While we expect that glorious sight, Love shall our hearts with theirs unite, H S6 OFFICE AND MEDIATION And ardent hope our bosoms raise. From earth's low cottages of clay, To those resplendent realms of day, We'll try to send the sounding praise. 1, HYMN 117. cm. <2 ALVATION, O the joyful sound ! ^ 'Tis music to our ears ; A sov'reign balm for ev'ry wound, A cordial for our fears. 2. Buried in sorrow and in sin, At hell's dark door we lay : But we arise by grace divine, To see a heav'nly day. 3. Salvation ! let the echo fly The spacious earth around ; While all the armies of the sky Conspire to raise the sound. CHORUS. Glory, honour, praise, and power, Be unto the Lamb for ever ! Jesus Christ is our Redeemer ! Hallelujah ! praise the Lord ! HYMN 118. l. m. 1. A LL-glorious God ! what hymns of praise ■*■- Shall our transported voices raise ? What ardent love and zeal are due, While heav'n stands open to our view ! 2. Once we were fall'n, and O how low I Just on the brink of hopeless woe ! When Jesus, from the realms above, Borne on the wings of boundless love, OF CHRIST. 87 3. Scatter'd the shades of death and night, And Spread around his heav'nly light. By him what wondrous grace is shown To souls impov'rish'd and undone ! 4. Far, far beyond these mortal shores, A bright inheritance is ours ; Where saints in light our coming wait, To share their holy happy state. HYMN 119. p.m. 1. 1VTOW I have found the ground wherein -^ Sure my soul's anchor may remain :. The love of God forgiving sin, Through Jesus crucified and slain; His mercy shall unshaken stay, When heav'n and earth have pass'd away. 2. Father ! thine everlasting grace Our scanty thought surpasses far ; Thine heart still melts with tenderness, Thine arms of love still open are ; And Jesus' blood, through earth and skies, Mercy, free, boundless mercy, cries. 3. Tho' waves and storms go o'er my head, Tho' strength and health and friends be gone, Tho' joys be wither'd all and dead, Tho' ev'ry comfort be withdrawn : On this my steadfast soul relies, Father, thy mercy never dies. 4. Fix'd on this ground will I remain, Tho' my heart fail and strength decay. This anchor shall my soul sustain, When earth's foundations melt away. Mercy's full pow'r I then shall prove, Lov'd with an everlasting love. 38 OFFICE AND MEDIATION HYMN 120. p. m. 1« I~$NE there is, above all others, " Well deserves the name of friend ; His is love beyond a brother's, Costly, free, and knows no end. They who his salvation prove, Find it everlasting love. 2. Which of all our friends, to save us, Could or would have shed his blood ? But this Saviour died to have us Reconcil'd in him to God. It was boundless love, to bleed : Jesus is a friend indeed. 3. When he liv'd on earth abased, Friend of sinners, was his name. Now, above all glory raised, He rejoices in the same. Still he calls them brethren, friends, And to all their wants attends. 4. Oh I for grace our hearts to soften ! Teach us, Lord, at length to love. We, alas ! forget too often, What a friend we have above. When to heav'n our souls are brought, We will love thee as we ought. HYMN 121. p. m. I- "XTOW begin the heav'nly theme, ' -i^i Sing aioud in Jesus' name ! Ye, who his salvation prove, Triumph in redeeming love. 3. Ye, who see the Father's grace, Beaming in the Saviour's face, As to heav'n ye onward move, Triumph in redeeming love. OF CHRIST. 39 3. Mourning souls ! dry up your tears ; Banish all your guilty fears. See your guilt and care remove, Cancell'd by redeeming love. 4. Ye, alas ! who long have been Willing slaves of death and sin ! Now from bliss no longer rove ; Stop, and taste redeeming love. 5. Christ subdu'd th' infernal pow'rs ; His tremendous foes, and our's, From their cursed empire drove, Mighty in redeeming love. 6. Hither, then, your music bring ; Strike aloud the joyful string. Mortals ! join the host above, Join to praise redeeming love. HYMN 122. p. m. l..riOME, said Jesus* sacred voice, ^ Come, and make my paths your choice : I will guide you to your home ! Weary pilgrim, hither come! 2. Thou, who, houseless, sole, forlorn, Long hast borne the proud world's scorn. Long hast roam'd the barren waste ; WTeary pilgrim, hither haste ! 3. Ye, who, toss'd on beds of pain, Seek for ease, but seek in vain : Ye, whose swoll'n and sleepless eyes Watch to see the morning rise : 4. Ye, by fiercer anguish torn, Guilt, in strong remorse, who mourn : Here repose your heavy care : Conscience wounded who can bear ? H 5 90 OFFICE AND MEDIATION 5. Sinner, come ! for here is found Balm that flows for ev'ry wound ; Peace that ever shall endure ; Rest eternal, sacred, sure. HYMN 123, s. m. 1 . T ET ev'ry ear attend, ■" And ev'ry heart rejoice ; The trumpet of the gospel sounds, With an inviting voice. 2. Ho ! all ye starving souls, That feed upon the wind, And vainly strive with earthly toys To fill an empty mind : 3. Here wisdom has prepar'd A soul-reviving feast, And bids your longing appetites The rich provision taste. 4. Ho ! ye that pant for streams, And pine away and die : Here you may quench your raging thirst. With springs that never dry. 3. Rivers of mercy here In a rich ocean join ; Salvation in abundance flows, Like floods of milk and wine. 6. The gates of gospel grace Stand open night and day : Lord! we are come to seek supplies,. And drive our wants away. HYMN 124. l. m. 1. «^OME hither, all ye weary souls ! ^ Ye heavy-laden sinners ! come : OF CHRIST. 91 I'll give you rest from all your toils, And raise you to my heav'nly home." 2. " They shall find rest, that leam of me ; I'm of a meek and lowly mind : But passion rages like the sea, And pride is restless as the wind." 3." Bless'd is the man, whose shoulders take My yoke, and bear it with delight ! My yoke is easy to his neck ; My grace shall make the burden light.*' 4*. Jesus ! we come at thy command, With faith, and hope, and humble zeal ; Resign our spirits to thy hand, To mould and guide us at thy will . HYMN 125. l. m. 1. r^OME, weary souls, with sin distrest, " -^ Come, and accept the promis'd rest ; The Saviour's gracious call obey, And cast your gloomy fears away. 3. Oppress'd with guilt, a painful load, O come, and spread your woes abroad. Divine compassion, mighty love Will all the painful load remove. 3. Here mercy's boundless ocean flows, To cleanse your guilt and heal your woes ; Pardon, and life, and endless peace ; How rich the gift ! how free the grace ! 4. Lord, we accept, with thankful heart, The hope thy gracious words impart. We come with trembling, yet rejoice, And bless thy kind inviting voice. 92 OFFICE AND MEDIATION HYMN 126. c. m. 1. npHE Saviour calls ; let ev'ry ear -*- Attend the heav'nly sound. Ye doubting souls ! dismiss your fear ; Hope smiles reviving round. 2. For ev'ry thirsty longing heart, Here streams of bounty flow ; And life, and health, and bliss impart, To banish mortal woe. 3. Here springs of sacred pleasure rise, To ease your ev'ry pain : Immortal fountain I full supplies I Nor shall you thirst in vain. 4. Ye sinners ! come, 'tis mercy's voice ; The gracious call obey. Mercy invites to heav'nly joys : — And can you yet delay ? ft Dear Saviour ! draw reluctant hearts ; To thee let sinners fly ; And take the bliss thy love imparts> And drink, and never die. HYMN 127. c. M. l.^jpHE King of heav'n his table spreads, ■*■ And dainties crown the board. Not all the boasted joys of earth Could such delight afford. 2. Pardon and peace to dying men, And endless life are giv'n ; And the rich blood, which Jesus shed, To raise the soul to heav'n. 5. Ye hungry poor, who long have stray'd In sin's dark mazes, come ; OF CHRIST. U3 Come from the hedges and highways, And grace will find you room. 4. Thousands of souls, in glory now, Were fed and feasted here; And thousands more, still on the way, Around the board appear. 3. Yet is his house and heart so large, That thousands more may come ; Nor could the wide assembling world O'erfill the spacious room. 6. All things are ready : enter in, Nor weak excuses frame. Come, take your places at the feast, And bless the Founder's name. VII. EXAMPLE OF CHRIST. HYMN 128. c. m. 1. AfY dear Redeemer, and my Lord ! ■*■▼-■■ I read my duty in thy word : But in thy life the law appears, Drawn out in living characters. 2 Such was thy truth, and such thy zeal, Such def'rence to thy Father's will, Thy love and meekness so divine, I would transcribe and make them mine. 3. Cold mountains and the midnight air Witness'd the fervour of thy pray'r : y4 EXAMPLE OF CHRIST, The desert thy temptations knew, Thy conflict and thy vict'ry too ! 4. Be thou my pattern ; let me bear More of thy gracious image here. Then God the Judge shall own my name Among the fol'wers of the Lamb. HYMN 129. l. m. 1. A ND is the gospel peace and love ? «**- Such let our conversation be ; The serpent blended with the dove, Wisdom and meek simplicity. 2. Whene'er the angry passions rise, And tempt our thoughts or tongues to strif. On Jesus let us fix our eyes, Bright pattern of the Christian life. 3. O how benevolent and kind ! How mild ! how ready to forgive ! Be this the temper of our mind, And these the rules by which we live. 4. To do his heav'nly Father's will, Was his employment and delight : Humility and holy zeal Shone thro' his life divinely bright. 5. Dispensing good where'er he came, The labours of his life were love. If then we love the Saviour's name, Let his divine example move ! HYMN 130. c. m. 1. "O EHOLD, where in a mortal form -*-* Appears each grace divine ! The virtues, all in Jesus met, With mildest radiance shine. EXAMPLE OF CHRIST. 0-5 2. To spread the rays of heav'nly light, To give the mourner joy, To preach glad tidings to the poor, Was his divine employ. 3. Lowly in heart, to all his friends A friend and servant found, He wash'd their feet, he wip'd their tears, And heal'd each bleeding wound. 4. 'Midst keen reproach and cruel scorn, Patient and meek he stood. His foes, ungrateful, sought his life ; He labour'd for their good. 5. To God he left his righteous cause, And still his task pursu'd ; While humble pray'r and holy faith His fainting strength renew'd. 6. In the last hours of deep distress, Before his Father's throne, With soul resign'd he bow'd, and said, " Thy will, not mine, be done !" 7. Be Christ our pattern and our guide ! His image may we bear ! O may we tread his holy steps, His joy and glory share 1 HYMN 131 L. M. 1. "Vl^HEN Jesus dwelt in mortal clay, " ™ What were his works from day to day But miracles of pow'r and grace, Which spread salvation thro' our race ? 2. Teach us, O Lord ! to keep in view Thy pattern, and thy steps pursue. Let alms bestow'd, let kindness done Be witness'd by each rolling sun. 90 EXAMPLE OF CHRIST. 3. That man may last, but never lives, Who much receives, but nothing gives, Whom none can love, whom none can thank, Creation's blot, creation's blank. 4. But he, who marks from day to day In gen'rous acts his radiant way, Treads the same path his Saviour trod, The path to glory and to God. HYMN 132. c. m. 1. |~^ OD of my mercy and my praise ! " Thy glory is my song ; Though sinners speak against thy grace With a blaspheming tongue. '2. When in the form of mortal man Thy Son on earth was found, With cruel slanders, false and vain, They compass'd him around. 3. Their mis'ries his compassion mov'd ; Their peace he still pursu'd : They render* d hatred for his love, And evil for his good. 4. Their malice rag'd without a cause ; Yet with his dying breath He pray'd for murd'rers on his cross, And bless'd his foes in death. 5. O may his conduct, all-divine, To me a model prove ! Like his, O God ! my heart incline My enemies to love. HYMN 133. l. m. 1. « "pATBER divine," the Saviour cried, -*- While horrors press'd on ev'ry side, EXAMPLE OF CHRIST. And prostrate on the ground he lay, " Remove this bitter cup away." 2. " But if these pangs must still be borne, And stripes, and wounds, and cruel scorn 9 I bow my soul before thy throne, And say, Thy will, not mine, be done/' 3. Thus our submissive souls would bow, And, taught by Jesus, lie as low. Our heart s, and not our lips alone, Would say, " Thy will, not our's, be done." 4. Then, though like him in dust we lie, We'll view the blissful moment nigh, Which, from our portion in his pains, Calls to the joy in which he reigns. VIII. SUFFERINGS AND DEATH OF CHRIST. HYM1V 134 . S. M. , A UTHOR of life and bliss ! ■^*- Thy goodness I adore. O give me strength to speak thy praise. And grace to love thee more i 1 2. First for this world, so fair, My daily thanks shall rise ; For ev'ry comfort, ev'ry joy, Thy bounteous hand supplies 98 SUFFERINGS AND DEATH 3. But yet a nobler cause Demands my warmest love. Can words describe the wond'rous gift Descending from above ? 4. The Saviour dwelt on earth ; He died, that we might live ; Endur'd the sorrows of the cross, Immortal hope to give. 5. Ah who can tell the scorn, The dear Redeemer bore ? ..Or who describe the mental grief, Which his blest bosom tore ? 6. Low in the grave he lay, While darkness veil'd the skies. But lo ! — he bursts the bands of death ; To glory see him rise ! K. Father ! this work is thine ; For us thou gav'st thy Son. O may we all devoted be And live to thee alone ! HYMN 13p. C M. 1. " "XTOW, in the hour of deep distress, -^ My God, support thy Son. When horrors dark my soul oppress, O leave me not alone !" 2. Thus did our suff'ring Saviour pray, With mighty cries and tears. God heard him in that dreadful day, And chas'd away his fears. 3. Great was the vict'ry of his death : His throne exalted stands ; And all the nations of the earth Shall bow to his commands. OF CHRIST. 9§ 4. The meek and humble souls shall see His table richly spread ; And all, that seek the Lord, shall be With joys immortal fed ! HYMN 136. l. m. 1. r^OME, let our mournful songs record ^ The dying sorrows of our Lord, When he expir'd in shame and blood, Like one forsaken of his God. 2. The Jews beheld him thus forlorn, And shook their heads, and laugh'd in scorn ; " He rescu'd others from the grave ; Now let him try himself to save." 3. O harden'd people ! cruel priests ! How they stood round like savage beasts ! Like lions gaping to devour, When God had left him in their pow'r ! 4. They wound his head, his hands, his feet, Till streams of blood each other meet ; By lot his garments they divide, And mock the pangs in which he died. 5. But, gracious God ! thy pow'r and love Have made his death a blessing prove. Tho' once upon the cross he bled, Immortal honours crown his head. 6. Thro' Christ thy Son our guilt forgive, And let the mourning sinner live ! The Lord will hear us in his name ; Nor shall our hope be turn'dto shame. HYMN 137. l. M. 1. VT^WAS for our sake, eternal God, *• Thy Son sustain'd that heavy load. 100 SUFFERINGS AND DEATH Of base reproach and sore disgrace, And shame defil'd his sacred face. 2. The Jews, his brethren and his kin, Abus'd him when he check'd their sin ; While he fuifili'd thy holy laws, They hate him, but without a cause. £. Zeal for the temple of his God Consum'd his life, expos*d his blood ; Reproaches at thy glory thrown He felt, and mourn'd them as his own. 4. His friends forsook, his followers fled, While foes and arms surround his head. They nail him to the shameful tree ; There hung my Lord, who died for me. 5. But God his Father heard his cry; Rais'd from the dead, he reigns on high ; The nations learn his righteousness, And humble sinners taste his grace. HYMN 138. o. m. l.FlpHE Saviour, what a noble flame ■*■ Was kindl'd in his breast, When, hasting to Jerusalem, He march'd before the rest ! 2. Good-will to men and zeal for God His ev'ry thought engross ; He longs to be baptiz'cl with blood ; He pants to reach his cross. 3. With all his sufferings full in view. And woes to us unknown, Forth to the task his spirit flew ; 'Twas love that urg'd him on. 4. Lord ! we return thee what we can, Our hearts shall sound abroad OF CHRIST. lot Solvation to the dying man, And to the rising God 1 5. And while thy bleeding glories here Engage our wond'ring eyes ; We leam our lighter cross to bear, And hasten to the skies. HYMN 139. s.m. l.TIEHOLD th' amazing sight, -*-* The Saviour lifted high 1 Behold the Son of God's delight Expire in agony ! 2. For whom, for whom, my heart, Were all these sorrows borne ? Why did he feel that piercing smart. And meet that various scorn ? 3. For love of us he bled, And all in torture died ; 'Twas love that bow'd his fainting head, And op'd his gushing side. *. In sympathy of love Let all the earth combine ; And, drawn by cords so gentle, prove The energy divine. 5. In him our hearts unite, Nor share his griefs alone ; But from his cross pursue their flight To his triumphant throne. HYMX 140. c. m. I, pOME, let us lift our voices high, , ^ High as our joys arise ; And join the songs above the sky, Where pleasure never dies. 15 102 SUFFERINGS AND DEATH 2. Jesus, the Lord that fought and bled, How kind his smiles appear ! What melting, soothing words he says To ev'ry humble ear ! 3. « For you, the objects of my love, " It was for you I died. " Behold my hands, behold my feet, " And look into my side. 4. " These are the wounds for you I bore- " The tokens of my pains, " When I was sent to free your souls " From misery and chains. M & We give thee, Lord, our highest praise For goodness so divine. O may we ever feel thy grace, And die to ev'ry sin ! HYMN 141. p.m. i . TT ARK ! the voice of love and mercy -*-*- Sounds aloud from Calvary ; Rending rocks the work attesting, Shaking earth and veiled sky. « It is finished *." Was the dying Saviour's cry. 2. O the life, the peace, the pleasure, Which these charming words afford I Heav'nly blessings without measure Flow to us thror Christ the Lord. "It is finiah'd l'r Let our joyful words record. S. Tune your harps anew, ye seraphs I Sound aloud Invmanuel's name. All creation swell the chorus, Dwell on this delightful theme., "Itisfinish'd!" Glory to the worthy Lamb L OF CHRIST. «B HYMN 142. l. m. 1. « >r*MS finish'd .'" — so the Saviour cried, -*- And meekly bow'd his head and died. 'Tis finish'd — yes, the race is run, The battle fought, the vict'ry won. 2. 'Tis finish'd ! — all that heav'n decreed, And all the ancient prophets said, Is now fulfil'd, as was design 'd, In thee the Saviour of mankind. 3. 'Tis finish'd 1 — Aaron now no more Must stain his robes with purple gore. The sacred veil is rent in twain, And Jewish rites no more remain* 4. 'Tis finish'd! — man is reconcil'd To God, and pow'rs of durknsss spoil'd- Peace, love, and happiness again Return and dwell with sinful men. 5. 'Tis finish'd I — let the joyful sound Be heard thro' all the nations round. 'Tis finish'd I — let the echo fiy Thro' heav'n and hell, thro' earth and sky I HYMN 143. cm. 1. |^l OME, let us join our cheerful songs ^ With angels round the throne. Ten thousand thousand are their tongues, But all their joys are one. 2. " Worthy the Lamb that died," they cry,. " To be exalted thus. " Worthy the Lamb," our lips reply, For he was slain for us. 3. Jesus is worthy to receive Honour and pow'r divine j. ±0* SUFFERINGS AND DEATH And blessings, more than we can give, Be, Lord ! for ever thine. 4. Let all that dwell above the sky, And air, and earth, and seas, Conspire to lift thy glories high, And speak thine endless praise ! HYMN 144. S. M. l.TTOSANNAH to the Son •Q Of David and of God, Who brought the news of pardon downr And seal'd it with his blood ! 2. To Christ th' anointed King, Be endless blessings giv'n ! Let the whole earth his glory sing, Who made our peace with heav'n. HYMN 145. l.m. 1. Tl/'ORTHY is he, that once was slain, ™ I The Prince of peace that groan'd and died^ Worthy to rise, and live, and reign, At his almighty Father's side. 2. Pow'r and dominion are his due, Who stood condemn'd at Pilate's bar. Wisdom belongs to Jesus too, Though he was charg'd with madness her*e. 3. Honour immortal must be paid, Instead of scandal and of scorn ; While glory shines about his head, And a bright crown without a thorn. 4-. Blessings for ever on the Lamb, Whose blood speaks peace to wretched mert Let angels sound his sacred name ; And ev'ry creature say, Amen. OF CHRIST. 105 HYMN 146. o. m. t. A ND are we now brought near to God, ■**- Who once at distance stood ? And, to effect this glorious change, Did Jesus shed his blood ? 2. O for a song of ardent praise. To bear our souls above ! What should allay our lively hope, Or damp our flaming love ? 9. Then let us join the heav'niy choirs, To praise our heav'niy King. O may that grace, which he has shown, Inspire us while we sing : — 4. Glory to God in highest strains, And to the earth be peace ! Good-will from heav'n to men is come, And let it never cease ! HYSfN 147. o. *. 1> TOEHOLD the Saviour of mankind -*-* Nail'd to the shameful tree. How vast the love that him inclin'd To bleed and die for thee ! 2. Hark, how he groans ! while nature shakes, And earth's strong piilars bend ! The temple's veil in sunder breaks, The solid marbles bend. 3. 'Tis done I the precious ransom's paid ; " Receive my soul !" he cries : See where he bows his sacred head 1 He bows his head and dies ! 4. But soon he'll break death's envious chain, And in full glory shine. 106 SUFFERINGS AND DEATH O Lamb of God ! was ever pain, Was ever love like thine ! HYMN 148. c. m. 1. A LAS ! and did my Saviour bleed ■**■ And did my Sov'reign die ? Would he devote that sacred head For such a worm as I ? 2. Well might the sun in darkness hide, And shut his glories in, When Christ, the mighty Saviour, died, For man the creature's sin I 3. Thus might I hide my blushing face, While his dear cross appears ; Dissolve my heart in thankfulness, And melt my eyes to tears. 4. But drops of grief can ne'er repay The debt of love I owe. Here, Lord, I give myself away : 'Tis all that I can do. HYMN 149. p. m. ■1. 4H! see him writhe, and bleed, and die ! •**- Give thanks, my soul, and offer praise. See Christ with God's command comply, And execute his work of grace. He bows his head upon the tree, To save, to bless, to comfort me. 2. Great God ! the cov'nant now is seal'd j The arduous work of love is done. Thy mercy fully stands reveal'd, For thou hast given us thy Son. What gift can ever be denied To those3 for whom the Saviour died ? OF CHRIST. lor 3. My soul upon thy word relics, Thy gracious message, glad, receives ; Assur'd by such a sacrifice, In all thy promises believes. No gloomy fears my peace molest, Since Jesus bled to give me rest. 4. Assist me, Lord, to keep his cross For ever present to my heart ; Like him, to count all things but loss, That from thy service me would part ; In virtue's cause to persevere, And only love what he held dear. 5. Like Jesus, may I bear, resign'd, The ills of life, the wrongs of foes ; In hope that I may mercy find, Forgive the authors of my woes ; To reach my goal, on thorns proceed,' From all complaints and murmurs freed. 6. Like Jesus, may I ev'n in death Enraptur'd say, " my Father, Friend ;" Confide in thee, and yield my breath, Assur'd that with him I'll ascend To mansions of celestial joy, And pleasures which shall never cloy. 7. Eternal glory, praise, to thee, Who sit'st supreme upon the throne ! Salvation, honour, blessings be For ever given to the Son ! In heav'n more worthy thanks shall rise For his vast love and sacrifice. HYMN 150. l. if. 1. "VTOW let us raise our cheerful strains^ -*-^ And join the blissful choir above. There our exalted Saviour reigns, And there they sing his wondrous love 10S SUFFERINGS AND DEATH 2. Jesus, who once upon the tree In agonizing pains expir'd, To save us rebels^ — yes, 'tis he ! How bright, how lovely, how admir'd \ 3. Jesus, who died that we might live, And rise to his own heav'nly place : O what returns can mortals give For such immeasurable grace ! 4. Were universal nature our's, And art with all her boasted store ; Nature and art, with all their pow'rs, Would still confess the off'rer poor. 5. Yet, tho' for bounty so divine We ne'er can equal honours raise : Jesus ! may ail our hearts be thine, And all our tongues proclaim thy praise. HYMN 151. c. m. .1. TOEHOLD the bleeding Lamb of God, JLJ The spotless sacrifice ! By hands of barb'rous sinners seiz'd, Nail'd to the cross he dies. 2. Blest Jesus, whence this streaming blood ? And whence this foul disgrace ? Whence all these pointed thorns, that rentl Thy amiable face ! 3. « I sanctify myself, (he cries) " That thou may'st holy be. " Come, trace my life ; come, view my death; " And learn to copy me." 4. Dear Lord, we pant for holiness, And ev'ry sin we mourn : To the bright path of thy commands Ourwand*ring footsteps turn. OF CHRIST. t*M 5. 'Not more sincerely would we wish To climb the heav'nly hill, Than here with all our utmost pow'r Thy model to fulfil. HYMN 152. s. m. 1. 4 ND shall we still be slaves, -**- And in our fetters lie, When summon'd by a voice divine T' assert our liberty ? 2. Did the great Saviour bleed, Our freedom to obtain ? And shall we trample on his blood, And glory in our chain ? 3. Shall we go on to sin, Because thy grace abounds ; Or crucify the Lord again And open all his wounds ? 4. Forbid it, mighty God ! Nor Jet it e'er be said, That those, for whom thy Son has died. In vice are lost and dead. 5. The man, that durst despise The law that Moses brought, Behold ' how terribly he dies For his presumptuous fault, 0. But sorer vengeance falls On that rebellious race, Who hate to hear when Jesus calls, And dare resist his grace. HYMN 153. l. m. 1; 1VTOW be that sacrifice survey'd, -^ Which for our souls the Saviour made« While love to sinners tir'd his heart, And conquer'd all the killing smart. K 110 SUFFERINGS AND DEATH 2. Blest Jesus, while thy grace I sing, What grateful tribute shall I bring, That earth and heav'n and all may see My love to him, who died for me ? 3. That off'ring, Lord, thy word hath taught; Nor be thy new command forgot, That, if their Master's death can move, Thy servants should each other love. 4. When on thy cross I fix mine eye, Let ev'ry savage passion die ; And may I ever ready be To serve, forgive, and love like thee. HYMN 154. t. M. . TIOW let my soul with transport rise, -*--*- And range thro' earth and mount th< ige thro' earth and mount the skies,, And view each various form of good, Where angels hold their high abode. 2. Hath not the bounteous King of heav'n His chief belov'd already giv'n I And what shall mercy hold too good For sinners ransom' d with his blood ? 3. My soul, with fearless faith embrace The sacred cov'nant of his grace ; With joyful hope, obedient, wait The issues of a love so great. HYMN 155. c. m. 1. TTARK ! 'tis our heav'nly Leader's voice^ •"- From the bright realms above ; Amidst the war's tumultuous rage, A voice of pow'r and love. 2. " Maintain the fight, my faithful band, " Nor fear the mortal blow ; OF CHRIST. ill " He, that in such a warfare dies, " Shall speedy vict'ry know. 3. " I have my days of combat seen, " And in the dust was laid : " But now I sit upon my throne, " And glory crowns my head. 4. " This throne, this glory shall be your's ; " My hands the crown shall give ; a And you the blest reward shall share, « While God himself shall live." 5. Lord ! 'tis enough ; our souls are fir'd With courage and with love, Vain are th' assaults of earth and hell ; Our hopes are fix'd above. 6. We'll trace the footsteps thou hast drawn To triumph and renown ; Nor shun thy combat and thy cross, May we but share thy crown. HYMN 156. l. m. l.npHE God, who once to Israel spoke -■- From Sinai's top in fire and smoke, In gentler strains of gospel grace, Invites us now to seek his face. 2. He wears no terrors on his brow ; He speaks in love from Zion now. It is the voice of Jesus' blood, That calls us wand'rers back to God. 3. Hark ! how from Calvary it sounds, From the Redeemer's bleeding wounds : " Pardon and grace I freely give ; " Then, sinner, 112 RESURRECTION AND 4. What other arguments can move The heart, that slights a Saviour's love ? O may that heav'nly pow'r be felt, And cause the stony heart to melt ! IX. RESURRECTION AND GLORY OF CHRIST. HYMN- 157. l. m. *" "W^ ^es> tne friena< of sinners dies I -■-*- Lo ! Salem's daughters weep around* A solemn darkness veils the skies ; A sudden trembling shakes the ground, 3, Here's love and grief beyond degree : The Lord of glory dies for man I But lo ! — what sudden joys we see ! Jesus, the dead, revives again. 3. The rising God forsakes the tomb : In vain the tomb forbids his rise. Cherubic legions guard him home, And shout him welcome to the skies. 4. Break off your tears, ye saints and tell, How high our great Deliv'rer reigns. Sing, how he spoil'd the hosts of hell, And led the monster, death, in chains. 5* Say : « Live for ever, wondrous King ! " Born to redeem, and strong to save \" Then ask the monster : " where's thy sting ! tf And where's thy vict'ry, boasting grave V GLORY OF CHRIST. iu. HYMN 158. c. m. 1. VE humble souls, that seek the Lord, * Chase all your fears away ; And bow with pleasure down to see The place where Jesus lay. 2. Thus low the Lord of life was brought ! Such wonders love can do ! Thus cold in death that bosom lay, Which throbb'd and bled for you I 3. A moment give a loose to grief; Let grateful sorrows rise ; And wash the bloody stains away With torrents from your eyes. 4. Then dry your tears, and tune your songs ; The Saviour lives again ! Not all the bolts and bars of death The Conq'ror could detain. 5. High o'er th' angelick bands he rears His once dishonour* d head ; And thro' unnumber'd years he reigns, Who dwelt among the dead. 6. With joy like his, shall ev'ry saint His empty tomb survey ; And rise with his ascending Lord Thro' all his shining way. HYMN 159. r. k 1. rHiRIST, the Lord, is ris'n to day, ^ Sons of men and angels say. Raise your joys and triumphs high ; Sing, ye heav'ns, and earth reply. 2. Love's redeeming work is done ; Fought the fight, the battle won. K5 114 RESURRECTION AN.1T Lo ! our sim's eclipse is o'er. Lo ! he sets in blood no more. 3. Vain the stone, the watch, the seal f Christ has burst the gates of hell. Death in vain forbids his rise ; Christ h?„s open'd Paradise. 4. Lives again our glorious King : Where, O death, is now thy sting ? Dying once, he all doth save : Where thy victory, O grave t HYMN 160. p. m. 1 . A NGEL, roll the rock away : ^*- Hallelujah 1 Death, yield up thy mighty prey. See, he rises from the tomb, Glowing in immortal bloom. 2. 'Tis the Saviour ! angels, raise Fame's eternal trump of praise. Let the world's remotest bound Hear the joy-inspiring sound. 3. Hail ! victorious Jesus, hail I On thy cloud of glory sail In long triumph through the sky, Up to waiting worlds on high. 4. Heav'n displays her portals wide : Glorious hero ! thro' them ride. King of glory ! mount thy throne, Thy great Father's, and thine own. 0. Hosts of heav'n, seraphic fires ! Raptur'd, sweep your sounding lyres. Sons of men ! in humbler strain Sing your mighty Savioltr's- reign\ GLORY OF CHRIST. lis #, Ev'ry note with wonder swell ; Sin o'erthrown, and captiv'd hell ! Where is now, O death ! thy sting ? Where thy terrors, vanquished King ? HYMN 161, s.m. 1. ^EE what a living stone ^ The builders did refuse ! Yet God hath built his church thereon? Tn spite of envious Jews. 2. The work, O Lord, is thiner And wondrous in our eyes t. This day declares it all divine, This day did Jesus rise. 3. Since he hath left the grave, His promises are true ; And each exalted hope he gave,. Confirm'd of heav'n we view. $. Hosannah to the King Of David's royal blood ! Bless him, ye saints ; he comes to bring Salvation from your God. 5. O come the happy hour, When all the world shall own Thy Son, O God, declar'd with pow'r. And worship at thy throne ! f>> We bless thy holy word, Which all this grace displays ; And offer on thine altar, Lord ! Our sacrifice of praise. HYMN 162. r. w. l.TTES,.the Redeemer rose ; -■- The Saviour left the dead. 116 RESURRECTION AND And o'er our hellish foes High rais'd his conq'ring head. In wild dismay, The guards around Fall to the ground, And sink away. 2. Lo ! the angelick bands In full assembly meet, To wait his high commands, And worship at his feet. Joyful they come, And wing their way From realms of day To Jesus' tomb. 3. Then back to heav'n they fly, The joyful news to bear. Hark ! as they soar on high, What music fills the air ! Their anthems say : " Jesus, who bled, " Hath left the dead ; " He rose to-day.'' 4. Ye mortals, catch the sound, Redeem'd by him from hell; And send the echo round The globe on which you dwell. With Christ we rise, With Christ we reign, And empires gain Bevond the skies. HYMN 163. C. M. 1."PATHER of Jesus Christ, my Lord, *- My Saviour, and my Head ! I trust in thee, whose pow'rful word Hath rais'd him. from the dead. GLORY OF CHRIST. 117 3. Eternal life to all mankind Thou hast in Jesus giv'n ; And all who seek, thro' him, shall find The happiness of heav'n. 3. Obedient faith, that waits on thee, Thou never wilt reprove ; But thou wilt form thy Son in me, And perfect me in love. ■*. To thee the glory of thy pow'r And faithfulness I give. I shall in Christ, at that glad hour, And Christ in me shall live. HYMN 164. s. m. 1. "DLESS'D be th' eternal God, ** The Father of our Lord ! Be his abounding mercy prais'd, His majesty ador'd. 2. From death he rais'd his Son, And call'd him to the sky ; And gave our souls a lively hope, That they should never die. 3. What though his will requires, That we should see the dust : Since Christ, our pledge and pattern, rose, So all his followers must. 4. There's an inheritance Reserv'd against that day ; 'Tis uncorrupted, undefii'd, And cannot fade away. HYMN 165. l. m. 1. TTOSANNAH ! let us join to sing ■■-■- The glories of our rising King ; 118 RESURRECTION AND Recount his victories, and tell, How Jesus triumph'd when he fell. 2. Soon as the morning's earliest ray Brings on the third, th9 appointed day- Behold the angel cleave the skies, Roll back the stone, and Jesus rise. 3. Ye tribes of Adam, raise the song, And bid angelick harps prolong The triumphs of that day of grace, Which seal'd salvation to our race. 4. Salvation ! joy-inspiring theme ! Best gift of him who reigns supreme ; Sweet balm of ev'ry human woe, And source of boundless joy below. 5. Salvation ! sons of men, record The glories of your rising Lord. The triumphs of the Saviour tell, Who died, and conquer'd when he fell. HYMN 166. l. m. 1. TJEJOICE, ye shining worlds on high A* Behold the King of glory nigh ! Who can this King of glory be ? The mighty Lord, the Saviour's he. ft. Ye heav'nly gates, your leaves display, To make the Lord, the Saviour, way. Laden with spoils from earth and hell, The Conq'ror comes, with God to dwell. 3. Rais'd from the dead, he goes before, He opens heavVs eternal door, To give his saints a blest abode, Near their Redeemer and their God, GLORY OF CHRIST. ll* HYMN 167. c. m. ■l.TN raptures let our hearts ascend, -■- Our heav'nly seats to view, And grateful trace that shining path Our rising Saviour drew. 2. " Up to my Father and my God, " I go ;" (the Conq'ror cries) " Up to your Father and your God, " My brethren, lift your eyes." | 3. And doth the Lord of glory call Such worms his brethren dear ? And doth he point to heav'n's high throne, And shew our Father there ? 4. And doth he teach my feeble tongue That tuneful sound, « rry God V* And breathe his spirit on my heart To shed his grace abroad I 3. O world, produce a good like this, And thou shalt have my love. Till then, my Father claims it all, And Christ who dwells above. HYMN 168. c. m. 1. TIE ACE, all ye sorrows of the heart, -*- And all my tears be dry : That Christian's courage ne'er can sink, Who views his Lord on high. 2." I live for ever, (Jesus saith) And you with me shall live ; Receive with pleasure ev'ry pledge My pow'r and love can give. 3. « Fair mansions in my Father's house For all his children wait ; 120 RESURRECTION ANB And I, your elder brother, go To open wide the gate. 4. " United in eternal love, My follVers shall remain ; And with rejoicing hearts shall share The honours of my reign." 9. Yes, Lord, thy gracious words we hear, And cordial joys they bring. Frail nature may extort a groan, But faith thy name shall sing. HYMN 169. r. m. 1. T ESUS, our triumphant Head, ** Ris'n victorious from the dead, To the realms of glory's gone, To ascend his rightful throne. 2. Cherubs on the Conq'ror gaze, Seraphs glow with brighter blaze ; Each bright order of the sky Hails him, as he passes by. 3. Heav'n its King congratulates, Opens wide her golden gates. Angels songs of vict'ry bring ; All the blissful regions ring. 4. Sinners, join the heav'nly pow'rs j For redemption all is ours. Humble penitents shall prove Blood-bought pardon, dying love. # Hail, thou dear, thou worthy Lord I Holy Lamb ! incarnate word ! Hail, thou suff'ring Son of God! Take the trophies of thy blood. T GLORY OF CHRIST. 42! HYMN 170. l. m. IHE Lord of life, with glory crown'd. On heav'ns exalted throne, Forgets not those, for whom on earth He heav'd his dying groan. 2. His greatness now no tongue of man Or seraph bright can tell : Yet still the chief of all his joys, That souls are sav'd from hell. S. For this he taught, and toil'd, and bled ; For this his life was giv'n ; For this he fought, and vanquish' d death $ For this he reigns in heav'n. 4. Join, all ye saints beneath the sky, Your grateful praise to give ; Sing loud Hosannahs to his name, With whom you too shall live- I, HYMN 171. l. m. T^THERE high the heav'nly temple stands, " ™ The house of God not made with hands, A great Highpriest our nature wears, The guardian of our souls appears. 2. His race for ever is complete, For ever undisturb'd his seat ; Myriads of angels round him fly, And sing his well-gain'd victory. 3. The Saviour and the Friend of man Pursues in heav'n his gracious plan ; And, though ascended up on high, He bends on earth a brother's eye. ■1. Raise, raise, my soul, thy raptur'd sight,, With sacred wonder and delight.; L 122 RESURRECTION AND At God's right hand thy Saviour see, Enter 'd within the veil for thee. 5. With filial boldness, at the throne, Make all thy cares and sorrows known ; And ask the aids of heav'nly pow'r, To help thee in the evil hour. HYMN 172. r. m. 1. J3EJOICE, the Lord is King; -*-*' Your God and King adore. Mortals, give thanks and sing, And triumph evermore ! Lift up your hearts, lift up your voice, Rejoice aloud, ye saints, rejoice. .2. Rejoice, the Saviour reigns ; He reigns in truth and love. When he had wash'd our stains, He took his seat above. Lift up your hearts &c. £. His kingdom cannot fail ; He rules o'er earth and heav'n ; The keys of death and hell Are to our Jesus giv'n. Lift up 8c c. 4i. He all his foes shall quell, Shall all our sins destroy ; And ev'ry bosom swell With pure seraphic joy. Lift up &c. 6, Rejoice in glorious hope : Jesus, the Judge, shall come, And take his servants up To their eternal home. We soon shall hear th' archangel's voice ; The trump of God shall sound, rejoice I GLORY OF CHRIST. 125 HYMN 173. cm. 1. f\ the delights, the heav'nly joys, " " The glories of the place, Where Jesus sheds the brightest beams Of his o'erflowing grace ! 2. Princes to his imperial name Bend their bright sceptres down; Dominions, thrones, and pow'rs rejoice. To see him wear the crown. 3. Archangels sound his lofty praise, Thro* ev'ry heav'nly street ; And lay their highest honours down, Submissive, at his feet. 4. While angels shout and praise their King, Let mortals learn their strains. Let all the earth his honours sing ; O'er all the earth he reigns. 3. Now to the Lamb, that once was slain, Be endless blessings paid ; Salvation, glory, joy, remain For ever on thy head ! 6. Thou hast redeem'd our souls with blood, Hast set the pris'ners free, Hast made us kings and priests to God, And we shall reign with thee. HYTV1N 174. p. m. i, T O 1 he comes, from heav'n descending, -*-* Sent to judge both quick and dead. Midst ten thousand saints and angels, See our great exalted Head. Hallelujah I Welcome, welcome, Son of God! i£» KINGDOM AND CHURCH 2. Full of awful expectation, Ail before the Judge appear. Truth and justice go before him ; Now the joyful sentence hear. Hallelujah ! Welcome, welcome, Judge divine ! 3. " Come, ye blessed of my Father; Enter into life and joy. Banish ail your fear and sorrow ; Endless praise be your employ." Hallelujah 1 Welcome, welcome to the skies ! 4. Now at once they rise to glory ; Jesus brings them to the King. There, with all the hosts of heaven, They eternal anthems sing. Hallelujah I Boundless glory to the Lamb ! X. KINGDOM AND CHURCH OF CHRIST. HYMN 175 l. m. Effusion of the spirit on the day of 'Pentecost 1. I^.REAT was the day, the joy was great, " When the divine disciples met ; While on their heads the spirit came, And sat like tongues of cloven Same OF CHRIST: 125 2. What gifts, what miracles he gave ! And pow'r to kill, and pow'r to save 1 Furnish'd their tongues with wondrous words, Instead of shields, and spears, and swords. 3. Nations, the learned and the rude, Were by these heav'nly arms subdu'd. The heathens saw thy glory, Lord I And, wond'ring, bless'd thy gracious word. •i. Come the great day, the glorious hour, When all shall feel thy saving pow'r, And the whole race of man confess The beauty of thy holiness ! HYMX 176 s. M. 1. "V/TAKER, and sov'reign Lord -L*-"- O f heav'n, and earth, and seas i Thy providence confirms thy word, And answers thy decrees. 2. Why did the Gentiles rage, And Jews, with one accord, Bend all their counsels to destroy Th' anointed of the Lord ? 3. Rulers and kings agree To form a vain design ; Against the Lord their pow'rs unite, Against his Christ they join. i. The Lord derides their rage, And will support his throne. He, that hath rais'd him from the dead, Hath own'd him for his Son. '*. He asks, and God bestows A large inheritance. Far as the earth's remotest ends,. His kingdom shall advance. L5 i 26 KINGDOM AND CHURCH HYMN 177. l. m. 1. TESUS shall reign, where'er the sun •f Does his successive journies run ; His kingdom stretch from shore to shore. Till moons shall wax and wane no more. 2. People and realms of ev'ry tongue Dwell on his love with grateful song ; And with united hearts proclaim, That grace and truth by Jesus came. 3. Blessings abound where'er he reigns; The prisoner leaps to lose his chains ; The weary find eternal rest) And all the sons of want are blest.. 4. Where he displays his healing pow'r, The sting of death is known no more. In him the sons of Adam boast More blessings, than their father lost.. HYMN 178. l. & tifpHUS God, th' eternal Father, spake -*- To Christ his Son : " Ascend and sit "•At my right hand, till I shall make " Thy foes submissive at thy feet. "2. " From Zion shall thy word proceed ; " Thy word, the sceptre in thy hand,. " Shall make the hearts of rebels, bleed, " And bow their wills to thy command. ;5." That day shall show thy pow'r is great, " When saints shall flock with willing minds. " And sinners crowd thy temple gate, " Where holiness in beauty shines." 4. O blessed pow'r ! O glorious day ! What a large viet'ry shall ensue ! OF CHRIST. ir And converts, who thy grace obey, Exceed the drops of morning dew* HYMX 179. l. m. 1. |^ RE AT God I whose universal sway ^-* The known and unknown worlds obey ; Extend the kingdom of thy Son, Till ev'ry land his laws shall own. 2. They form to righteousness the mind. To all that's candid, gentle, kind ; Inspire with love the human breast, And stormy passions sooth to rest. 3. As gentle ram on parching ground, His gospel sheds its influence round ; Its grace on fainting souls distils, Like heav'nly dew on thirsty hills. ±. The heathen lands, that lie beneath The shades of darkness and of death,. Revive at its first dawning light, And deserts blossom at the sight. S. The saints shall flourish in his days, Dress'd in the robes of joy and praise ; Peace, like a river, from his throne, Shall flow to nations yet unknown. HYMN 180. c. m. 1. rjJREAT God ! the nations of the earth ^* Are by creation thine ; And in thy works, by all beheld, Thy radiant glories shine. 2. But, Lord, thy greater love has sent Thy gospel to mankind, Unveiling what rich stores of grace Are treasur'd in thv mind. 12$ KINGDOM AND CHURCH 3. Lord! when shall these glad tidings spread The spacious earth around, Till ev'ry tribe, and ev'ry soul Shall hear the joyful sound ? 4. O when shall Afric's sable sons Enjoy the heav'nly word, And vassals lone--enslav'd become The freemen of the Lord ? 5. When shall th* untutor'd heathen tribes? A dark bewilder'd race, Sit down at our Immanuel's feet, And learn and feel his grace ? 6. Haste, sov'reign mercy, and transform Their cruelty to love ; Soften the tiger to a lamb, The vulture to a dove. 7. Smile, Lord, on each divine attempt To spread the gospel's rays ; And build, on sin's demolish'd throne, The temples of thy praise. HYMN 181. s.m. 1. r< REAT God ! arise and shine, " With beams of heav'nly light ; From this dark world of sin dispel The long and doleful night. 2. No more may idols share The honours due to thee : May ev'ry nation know thy name, And thy salvation see. 3. No more may malice dare To lift her iron rod ; No longer shed the blood of saints, And plead a zeal for God, OF CHRIST. *2f With its own native light, Lord, may thy gospel shine : May error fly like noxious mists Before this light divine. Whilst truth her charms reveals, May love each breast inspire ; Nor one base passion ever mix, To quench this sacred fire. HYMN 182. i. m, Isaiah lx. 1. 1. f~\ Zion, tune thy voice, 7 * And raise thy hands on high ; Tell all the earth thy joys, And boast salvation nigh. Cheerful in God, Arise and shine, While rays divine Stream all abroad. 2. He gilds thy mourning face With beams that cannot fade ; His all-resplendent grace He sheds upon thy head. The nations round Thy form shall view, With lustre new Divinely crown'd. 3. In honour to his name, Reflect that sacred light ; And loud that grace proclaim, Which makes thy darkness bright. Pursue his praise, Till sov'reign love In worlds above The glory raise. 130 KINGDOM AND CHURCH 4. There, on his holy hill, A brighter sun shall rise, And with his radiance fill Those fairer, purer skies ; While round his throne Ten thousand stars In nobler spheres His influence own. HYMN 183. p. m. Isaiah xli. 18, 19. 1. A MAZING, beauteous change ! •**- A world created new ! Our thoughts with transport range. The lovely scene to view. In all we trace, Father divine, The work is thine ; Be thine the praise ! 2. See crystal fountains play Amidst the burning sands ! The river's winding way Shines through the thirsty lands New grass is seen, And o'er the meads Its carpet spreads Of living green, 3. Where pointed brambles grew, Entwin'd with horrid thorn, Gay flow'rs, for ever new, Th' enamell'd fields adorn. The blushing rose, And lily there, In union fair Their sweets disclose. OF CHRIST. 1S1 4. Where the bleak mountain stood, All bare and disarray'd, See the wide-branching wood, Diffuse its grateful shade ! Tall cedars nod, And oaks and pines, And elms and vines Confess the God. 0. The tyrants of the plain Their savage chase give o'er ; No more they rend the slain, And thirst for blood no more ; But infant hands Fierce tigers stroke, And lions yoke In flow'ry bands. 6. O when, almighty Lord, Shall these glad scenes arise, To verify thy word, And bless our wond'ring eyes ? That earth may raise, With all her tongues, United songs Of ardent praise. XI. THE INFLUENCE OF GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT. HYMN 184. l. m. 1. pOME, gracious Spirit, heavenly Dove., ^ With light and comfort from above. Be thou our guardian, thou our guide ; O'er ev'ry thought and step preside. 132 (THE INFLUENCE OF 2. Conduct us safe, conduct us far From ev'ry sin and hurtful snare ; Lead to thy word that rules must give, And teach us lessons how to live* 3. The light of truth to us display, That we may know and love thy way j Plant holy fear in ev'ry heart, That we from thee may ne'er depart. 4. Lead us to righteousness, the road That we must take, to dwell with God ; Lead us to heav'n, the seat of bliss, Where pleasure in perfection is. HYMN 185. c. m. 1. j^OME, holy Spirit, heav'nly Dove,, ^ With all thy quick'ning pow'rs j Kindle a flame of sacred love In these cold hearts of ours. 2. See, how we grovel here below, Fond of these earthly toys ! Our souls, how heavily they go, To reach eternal joys ! 3. Dear Lord ! and shall we always live At this poor, dying rate ? Our love so cold, so faint to thee, And thine to us so great ? 4. Come, holy Spirit, heav'nly Dove, With all thy quick'ning pow'rs. Come, shed abroad a Saviour's love, And that shall kindle our's HYMN 186. s. m. 1.PT1HINE influence, Lord! is felt ■■* Through nature's ample round. In heav'n, on earth, thro' air and skies. Thine energy is found. UOIVS HOLY SPIRIT. 133 2. Let others, swell'd with pride, Of wisdom make their boasts : Our wisdom and our strength must come From thee, the Lord of hosts. 3. Father ! thy Spirit grant, To guide our doubtful way. Thy truth shall scatter ev'ry cloud, And make a glorious day. 4. Supported by thy grace, We'll do and bear thy will. That grace shall make each burden light, And ev'ry murmur still. 5. Cheer'd by thy smiies, we'll tread The gloomy path of death ; And, with the hope of endless bliss. Resign to thee our breath. HYMN 187. p. m. t. "VJARK the soft-falling snow, -*-"-■- And the descending rain : To heav'n, from whence it fell, It turns not back again ; But waters earth Through ev'ry pore, And calls forth all Her secret store. 2. Array'd in beauteous green, The hills and vallies shine ; And man and beast are fed By providence divine. The harvest bows Its golden ears, The copious seed Of future years. M 134 THE INFLUUENCE OF 3. " So," saith the God of grace, " My gospel shall descend, « Almighty to effect " The purpose I intend. " Millions of souls " Shall feel its pow'r, " And bear it down " To millions more." HYMN 188. s. m. i . npO God the only wise, *- Our Saviour and our King, Let all the saints below the skies Their humble praises bring. 2. 'Tis his almighty love, His counsel and his care, Preserves us safe from sin and death, And ev'ry hurtful snare. S. He will present our souls Unblemish'd and complete, Before the glory of his face, With joys divinely great. 4. Then all his faithful sons Shall meet around the throne, Shall bless the conduct of his grace. And make his wonders known. 5. To our Redeemer, God, Wisdom and pow'r belongs, Immortal crowns of majesty, And everlasting songs. HYMN 189 c. m. l.TUjY hope, my portion, and my God, -*-" How little art thou known By all the judgments of thy rod, And blessings of thy throne I GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT. 435 f. How cold and feeble is my love ! How negligent my fear ! How low my hope of joys above ! How few affections there ! 3. Great God ! thy gracious aid impart. To give thy word success. Write thy salvation in my heart, That I may learn thy grace. 4. Shew my forgetful feet the way That leads to joys on high. There knowledge grows without decay, And love shall never die. HYMN 190. cm, 1. T^OR ever blessed be the Lord, -*- My Saviour and my shield 1 He sends his Spirit with his word, To arm me for the field. 2. When all my foes their force unite, He makes my soul his care ; Instructs me in the heav'nly fight, And guards me thro' the war. 3. A friend and helper so divine My fainting hope shall raise. He makes the glorious vict'ry mine, And his shall be the praise. HYMN 191. c. m. \. A RE not thy mercies sov'reign still, A And thou a faithful God ? Wilt thou not grant me warmer zeal, To run the heav'nly road ? 2. 1 need the influence of thy grace, To speed me in thy way ; 136 THE INFLUENCE OF Lest I should loiter in my race, Or turn my feet astray. ..3. Does not my heart thy precepts love, And long to see thy face ? And yet how slow my spirits move, Without enliv'ning grace 1 4. Then shall I love thy gospel more, And ne'er forget thy word, When I have felt its quick'ning pow'r, To draw me near the Lord. HYMN 192. p.m. is "Jf TERNAL Spirit, source of light, -" Enliv'ning, consecrating fire,, Descend, and, with celestial heat, Our dull, our frozen hearts inspire ; Our souls refine, our dross consume ; Come, condescending Spirit, come ! ,2..In our cold breasts O strike a spark Of that pure flame which seraphs feel j Nor let us wander in the dark, Or lie benumb'd and stupid still. Come, vivifying Spirit, come ! And make our hearts thy constant home. 3. Let pure devotion's fervours rise I Let ev'ry pious passion glow ! O let the raptures of the skies Kindle in our cold hearts below. Come, purifying Spirit, come, And make our souls thy constant home ! HYMN 193. s. m. i. |~^OD, who is just and kind, " Will those who err instruct, And to the paths of righteousness Their wand' ring steps conduct. GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT. isr 2. The humble soul he guides, Teaches the meek his way ; Kindness and truth he shows to all, Who him in truth obey. 3. Give me the tender heart, That mixes fear with love ; And lead me thro' whatever path Thy wisdom shall approve. 4. O ever keep my soul From error, shame, and guilt ; Nor suffer the fair hope to fail, Which on thy truth is built. HYMN 194. l. m. 1. TJRAISE to the Lord of boundless might, -■- With uncreated glories bright 1 His presence gilds the worlds above, Th' unchanging source of life and love. 2. " Let there be light," Jehovah said ; And light o'er all the earth was spread. Nature, array'd in charms unknown, Gay with its new-born lustre, shone. 3. He sees the mind, when lost it lies In shades of ignorance and vice ; And darts from heav'n a vivid ray, And changes midnight into day. 4. Shine, mighty God, with vigour shine On this benighted heart of mine ; There be thy brighter beams reveal'd, As in the Saviour's face beheld. 5. Thine image, on my soul impress'd, In radiant lines shall stand confess'd ; While all my faculties unite To praise the Lord who gives me light. M 5 438 THE INFLUENCE OF HYMN 195. l. m. 1. QURE the blest Comforter is nigh, ^ 'Tis he sustains my fainting heart ; Else would my hope for ever die, And ev'ry cheering ray depart. 2. When some kind promise glacis my soul, Do I not find his healing voice The tempest of my fears control, And bid my drooping pow'rs rejoice ? 3. What less than thine almighty word Can raise my heart from earth and dust, And bid me cleave to thee, my Lord, My life, my treasure, and my trust ? 4. And when my cheerful hope can say, " I love my God and taste his grace ;" Lord, is it not thy blissful ray, Which brings this dawn of sacred peace ? ?. Let thy kind spirit in my heart For ever dwell, O God of love ; And light and heav'nly peace impart, Sweet earnest of the joys above. HYMN 196. l. m. 4*. A MIDST a world of hopes and fears* ** A world of cares, and toils, and tear% Where foes alarm, and dangers threat, And pleasures kill, and glories cheat : .3. Send down, O Lord ! a heav'nly ray To guide me in the doubtful way ; And o'er me hold thy shield of pow'r, To guard me in the dang'rous hour. ,3. Teach me the flatt'ring paths to shun, Tn which the thoughtless many run. GOD'S HOLY SPIRIT. 139 Who for a shade the substance miss, And grasp their ruin in their bliss. 4. May never pleasure, wealth, or pride, Allure my wand'ring soul aside ; But thro' this maze of mortal ill, Safe lead me to thy heav'nly hill. HYMN 197. l. m. 1. rpEACH me, O teach me, Lord ! thy way ; -■- That, to my life's remotest day, By thy unerring precepts led, My feet thy heav'nly paths may tread. 2. Inform' d by thee, with sacred awe My heart shall meditate thy law ; And, with celestial wisdom fill'd, To thee a pure obedience yield. 3. Give me to know thy will aright, Thy will, my glory and delight ; That, rais'd above the world, my mind In thee its highest good may find. 4. O turn from vanity mine eye ; To me thy quick'ning strength supply ; And with thy promis'd mercy cheer A heart devoted to thy fear. HYMN 198, c. m. 1. |~| that the Lord would guide my ways. " To keep his statutes still ! O that my God would grant me grace, To know and do his will ! 2. Order my footsteps by thy word. And make my heart sincere ; > Let sin have no dominion, Lord, But keep ray conscience clear. 140 THE SCRIPTURES. 3. Assist my soul, too apt to stray, A stricter watch to keep ; And, should I e'er forget thy way, Restore thy wand'ring sheep. 4. Make me to walk in thy commands ; 'Tis a delightful road : Nor let my head, or heart, or hands < O ff end against my God. XII. THE SCRIPTURES. HYMN 199. s. m. i. ID EHOL.D ! the morning sun **-* Begins his glorious way ; His beams through all the nations run,, And life and light convey. 2. But where the gospel comes, It spreads diviner light ; It calls dead sinners from their tombs, And gives the blind their sight. 3. How perfect is thy word ! And all thy judgments just ! For ever sure thy promise, Lord, And men securely trust. 4. My gracious God ! how plain Are thy directions giv'n i O may I never read in vain, But find the path to heav'n ! THE SCRIPTURES. 141 HYMN 200. p. m. 1. T love the volumes of thy word : •*■ What light and joy those leaves afford To souls benighted and distrest ! Thy precepts guide my doubtful way ; Thy fear forbids my feet to stray ; Thy promise leads my heart to rest. 1. From the discov'ries of thy law, The perfect rules of life I draw ; These are my study and delight : Not honey so invites the taste, Nor gold that hath the furnace past Appears so pleasing to the sight. 3. Thy threat'nings wake my slumb'ring eyes, And warn me where my danger lies ; But 'tis thy blessed gospel, Lord, That makes my guilty conscience clean, Converts my soul, subdues my sin, And gives a free, but large reward. 4. Who knows the errors of his thoughts ? My God ! forgive my secret faults, And from presumptuous sins restrain. Accept my poor attempts of praise, That I have read thy book of grace And book of nature not in vain. HYMN 201. s. m. 1.T3EHOLD ! the lofty sky -*-* Declares its Maker God ; And all his starry works on high Proclaim his pow'r abroad. 2. The darkness and the light Still keep their course the same ; While night to day, and day to night, Divinely teach his name. 142 THti SCRIPTURES. 3. Ye Christian lands rejoice ; Here he reveals his word : We are not left to nature's voice, To bid us know the Lord. 4* His statutes and commands Are set before our eyes ; He puts his gospel in our hands, Where our salvation lies. tf. His laws are just and pure, His truth without deceit, His promises for ever sure, And his rewards are great. f>. While of thy works I sing, Thy glory to proclaim ; Accept the praise, my God, my King, In my Redeemer's name. HYMN 202. c. m. 1. T ET all the heathen writers join, -*-* To form one perfect book : Great God ! if once compar'd with thine, How mean their writings look ! 2. Not the most perfect rules they gave Could shew one sin forgiv'n, Nor lead a step beyond the grave : But thine conduct to heav'n. 3. Lord, I have made thy word my choice, My lasting heritage ; There shall my noblest pow'rs rejoice, My warmest thoughts engage. 4. I'll read the hist'ries of thy love, And keep thy laws in sight, While through thy promises I rove With ever fresh delight. THE SCRIPTURES. 148 5 'Tis a broad land of wealth unknown, Where springs of life arise, Seeds of immortal bliss are sown, And hidden glory lies. HYMN 203. o. m. 1. T ET av'rice, borne from shore to shore, " Her fav'rite god pursue : Thy word, O Lord, we value more Than India or Peru. 2. Here mines of knowledge, love, and joy. Are open'd to our sight ; The purest gold without alloy, And gems divinely bright. 3. The counsels of redeeming grace These sacred leaves unfold i And here the Saviour's lovely face Our raptur'd eyes behold. 4. Here light, descending from above, Directs our doubtful feet ; Here promises of heav'nly love Our ardent wishes meet. 5. Our num'rous griefs are here redrest, And all our wants supplied : Nought we can ask to make us blest Is in this book denied. 6. For these inestimable gains, That so enrich the mind, O may we search with eager pains, Assur'd that we shall find ! HYMN 204. c. m. 1. TJ'ATHER of mercies, in thy word *■ What endless glory shines ! For ever be thy name ador'd For these celestial lines. 444 THE SCRIPTURES. 2. Here may the wretched sons of want Exhaustless riches find ; Riches, above what earth can grant, And lasting as the mind. 3. Here the fair tree of knowledge grows, And yields a free repast ; Sublimer sweets than nature knows Invite the longing taste. 4. Here the Redeemer's welcome voice Spreads heav*nly peace around ; And life and everlasting joys Attend the blissful sound. 5. O may these heav'nly pages be My ever dear delight ; And still new beauties may I see;, And still increasing light ! 6. Divine Instructor, gracious Lord ! Be thou for ever near. Teach me to love thy sacred word, And view my Saviour there. HYMN 205. l. ^ 1. T^AR hence, each superstition vain, -*- Wild offspring of the human brain ! The truths, that fill thy hallow' d page, My happier choice, great God ! engage* 2. O ever faithful to thy word, Do thou thy vital strength afford ; Thy help impart, eternal Sire ! Nor let my hope in shame expire, 3. Sustain'd by thy almighty aid, What danger shall my soul invade ? •Nor error's cloud, nor arts of sin My soul from thy obedience win* THE SCRIPTURES. 14* HYMN 206. c. m. 1. TI'OW precious is the book divine, -"■ By inspiration giv'n ! Bright as a lamp its doctrines shine, To guide our souls to heav'n. 2. It sweetly cheers our drooping hearts In this dark vale of tears ; Life, light, and joy, it still imparts, And quells our rising fears. 3. This lamp, through all the tedious night Of life, shall guide our way, Till we behold the clearer light Of an eternal day. HYMN 207. c. m. i . Tf "HAT glory giids the sacred page, ** Majestic like the sun ! It gives a light to ev'ry age ; It gives, but borrows none. 2. The hand, that gave it, still supplies His gracious light and heat. His truths upon the nations rise ; They rise, but never set. 3. Let everlasting thanks be thine, For such a bright display, As makes a world of darkness shine With beams of heav'nly day. 4. My soul rejoices to pursu© The paths of truth and love, Till glory breaks upon my view In brighter worlds above. HYMN 208. c. iff. l. T ADEN with guilt, and full of fears ■M I fly to thee, my Lord ; N 146 THE SCRIPTURES. And not a ray of hope appears, But in thy written word. 2. The volume of my Father's grace Does ail my grief assuage ; Here I behold my Saviour's face Almost in ev'ry page. 3. This is the field, where hidden lies The pearl of price unknown ; That merchant is divinely wise, Who makes the pearl his own. 4. This is the Judge, that ends the strife, Where wit and reason fail ; My guide to everlasting life, Through all this gloomy vale. 3. O may thy counsels, mighty God ! My roving feet command ; Nor I forsake the happy road, That leads to thy right hand ! HYMN 209- l. m. 1 . jT1 OD, in the gospel of his Son, " Makes his eternal counsels known : 'Tis here his richest mercy shines, And truth is drawn in fairest lines. 2. Wisdom its dictates here imparts, To form our minds, to cheer our hearts ; Its influence makes the sinner live, It bids the drooping saint revive. 3. Our raging passions it controls, And comfort yields to contrite souls ; It brings a better world in view, And guides us all our journey through. 4. May this blest volume ever lie Close to my heart, and near my eye ; THE SCRIPTURES. 147 Till life's lasl hour my soul engage. And be my chosen heritage ! HYMN 210. l. m. i. 'np\VAS by an order from the Lord, -■- The ancient prophets spoke his word ; His spirit did their tongues inspire, And warm'd their hearts with heav'nly fire. 3. The works and wonders, which they wrought; Confirmed the messages they brought. The prophet's pen succeeds his breath, To save the holy words from death. 3. Great God ! mine eyes with pleasure look On the dear volume of thy book ; There my Redeemer's face I see, And read his name who died for me. 4. Let the false raptures of the mind Be lost, and vanish in the wind. Here I can fix my hope secure : This is thy word, and must endure. XIII. SUPPLICATION FOR THE DIVINl? FAVOUR AND ASSISTANCE. ■♦» HYMN 211. c. m. .. TfATHER of all ! eternal mind ! -*- Immensely good and great ! Thy children, form'd and bless'd by thee,; Approach thy heav'nly seat-. 14S SUPPLICATION FOR THE :3. Thy name in hallow'd strains be sung : We join the solemn praise ; To thy great name, with heart and tongue, Our cheerful homage raise. 3. Thy milcl, thy wise, and righteous reign, Let ev'ry being own : And in our minds, thy work divine. Erect thy gracious throne. 4. As angels in the heav'nly worlds Thy bless'd commands fulfil ; ' So may thy creatures here below Perform thy holy will. 3. On thee we day by day depend : Our daily wants supply ; With truth and virtue feed our souls, That they may never die. 6. Extend thy grace to ev'ry fault ; Oh ! let thy love forgive. Teach us divine forgiveness too, Nor let resentments live. 7. Where tempting snares bestrew the way? Permit us not to tread ; Or turn all real evil far From our unguarded head. 8. Thy sacred name we would adore With cheerful humble mind ; And praise thy goodness, pow'r and truth. Eternal, unconfin'd ! HYMN 212. C M. 1. A UTHOR of good ! we rest on thee *£*■ Thine ever-watchful eye Alone our real wants can see; Thy hand alone supply. DIVINE FAVOUR, &c. 1*9- 2. Oh ! let thy pow'r within us dwell, Thy love our footsteps guide ! That love shall vainer loves expel, That fear all fears beside. 3. And since, by passion's force subdu'd, Too oft, with stubborn will, We blindly shun the latent good, And grasp the specious ill : 4. Not what we wish, but what we want^ Let mercy still supply : The good, unask'd, let mercy grant, The il], though ask'd, deny. HYMN 213. c. m. 1. f\ God of Jacob, by whose hand " Thy people still are fed ; Who, through his weary pilgrimage,, Hast all our fathers led ! 2. To thee our humble vows we raise, To thee address our prayer ; And in thy kind and faithful breast Deposit all our care. 3. Through each perplexing path of life Our wand'ring footsteps guide ; Give us by day our daily bread, And raiment fit provide. 4. O 1 spread thy cov'ring wings around, Till all our wand'rings cease ; And at our fathers' lov'd abode Our souls arrive in peace ! 5. To thee, as to our cov'nant-God, We'll our whole selves resign j And thankful own, that all we are", And all we have, is thine. N5 150 SUPPLICATION FOR THE HYMN 214 cm. 1. T^ATHER of all ! whose cares extend ■*• To earth's remotest shore : Through ev'ry age let praise ascend, And ev'ry clime adore. 2. If I am right, thy grace impart, Still in the right to stay ; If I am wrong, O teach my heart, To find that better way ! 3. What conscience dictates to be done, Or warns me not to do : This, teach me more than hell to shun j That, more than heav'n pursue. \>. Save me alike from foolish pride, Or impious discontent At aught thy wisdom has deny'd, Or aught thy goodness lent. 5. Let not this weak unknowing hand Presume thy bolts to throw, And deal damnation round the land On each I judge thy foe. %. Teach me to feel another's woe, To hide the fault I see. That mercy I to others show, That mercy show to me. 7. This day be bread and peace my lot : — All else beneath the sun, Thou know' st if best bestow'd or not ; And let thy will be done. S. To thee, whose temple is all space ; Whose altar, earth, sea, skies : One chorus let all beings raise, All nature's incense rise ! DIVINE FAVOUR, toe, 15 1 HYMN 215. s. m. 1. 1 LMIGHTY Lord of all ! •**- Of life the only spring 1 Creator of unnumber'd worlds ! Supreme, eternal King.' 2. Preserve me from deceit, Impenitence, and pride ; Nor let me in forbidden paths, With thoughtless sinners, glide. 3. What thine unerring eye Sees for thy creature fit : I'll bless the good, and to the ill Contentedly submit. 4. With pleasure let me view The prosp'rous and the great ; Malignant envy let me fly, And odious selfconceit. 0. Let no despair, revenge, Be to my bosom known : Oh ! give me tears for others' woes, And patience for my own. 6. Feed me with needful food : I ask not wealth or fame. Give me an eye to see thy will, A heart to bless thy name. 7\ Still let my days be past Without remorse or care ; And growing holiness my soul For life's last hour prepare !. HYMN 216. c. m. i. "pATHER of mercies! God of love ! *- My father and my God ! 152 SUPPLICATION FOR THE I'll sing the honours of thy name, And spread thy praise abroad. 2. In ev'ry period of my life, Thy thoughts of love appear : Thy mercies gild the transient scene, And crown each passing year. 3. In all these mercies may my soul A Father's bounty see ; Nor let the gifts thy grace bestows,; Estrange my heart from thee. 4. Teach me, in times of deep distress, To own thy hand, O God ! And in submissive silence hear The lessons of thy rod. 3. Through ev'ry changing state of life, Each bright, each clouded scene, Give me a meek and humble mind, Still equal and serene. 6. Then may I close my eyes in death, Free from all anxious fear : For death itself is life, my God ! If thou art with me there. HYMN 217. c. m. 1. PflO thee, O God ! my pray'r ascends, -*- But not for golden stores ; Nor covet I the brightest gems On the rich eastern shores : — 2. Nor that deluding empty joy Men call a mighty name, Nor greatness with its pride and state, My restless thoughts inflame : — 3. Nor pleasure's fascinating charms My fond desires allure : DIVINE FAVOUR,* Sec. 15; But nobler things than these, from thee, My wishes would secure. I. The faith and hope of joys to come My best affections move ; Thy light, thy favour, and thy smiles. Thine everlasting iove. 6. These are the blessings I desire : Lord, be these blessings mine ! And all the glories of the world I cheerfully resign. HYMN 218. c. m. 1. "\€ Y God, my portion, and my love I IT J. ]yjy everlasting all ! I've none but thee in heav'n above, Or on this earthly ball. 2. In vain the bright meridian sun Scatters his feeble light : Thy brighter beams create my noon ; If thou withdraw, 'tis night. 3. And while upon my restless bed, Amongst the shades I roll ; If God his light around me shed, 'Tis morning with my soul. 4. To thee I owe my wealth and friends, And health, and safe abode. Thanks to thy name for meaner things ; But they are not my God. 5. If I possess'd the spacious earth, And call'd the stars my own : Without thy mercy and thy love, I were a wretch undone. G. Let others stretch their arms like seas. And grasp in all the shore : , . , 154 SUPPLICATION FOR THE Grant me to see thy blissful face, And I desire no more ! HYMN 219. c. m. 1. tf^OD, my supporter and my hope, " -* My help for ever near ! Thine arm of mercy holds me up, And saves me from despair. '2. Thy counsels', Lord ! shall guide my feet Through this dark wilderness ; Thy hand conduct me near thy seat, To dwell before thy face. 3. What if the springs of life were broke5 And flesh and heart should faint ? God is my soul's eternal rock, The strength of ev'ry saint. 4. Behold, the sinners, that remove Far from thy presence, die : Not all the idol- gods they love Can save them, \?hen they cry. 6. But to draw near to thee, my God I Shall be my sweet employ. My tongue shall sound thy works abroad. And tell the world my joy. HYMN 220. l. m. 1, r^REAT God, indulge my humble claim : "- Be thou my hope, my joy, my rest ! The glories, that compose thy name, Stand all engag'd to make me blest. 2. Thou great and good, thou just and wise, Thou art my Father and my God i And I am thine by sacred ties, Thy child and servant, bought with blood. DIVINE FAVOUR, Sec. 10* 3. With heart and eyes and lifted hands, For thee I long, for thee I look, As travellers in thirsty lands Pant for the cooling water-brook. 4. Ev'n life itself, without thy love, No lasting pleasure can afford : Yea, 'twould a tiresome burden prove, If I were banish'd from thee, Lord. 5. I'll lift my hands, I'll raise my voice, While I have breath to pray or praise. This work shall make my heart rejoice, Throughout the remnant of my days. I. HYMN 221. l. m. Othou, to whose all-searching sight, The darkness shineth as the light ! Search, prove my heart ; it pants for thee O burst these bonds, and set it free. 2. Wash out its stains, refine its dross ; Nail my affections to the cross ; Hallow each thought ; let all within Be clean, as thou, my Lord, art clean. 3. If in this darksome wild I stray, Be thou my light, be thou my way. No foes, no violence I fear, No fraud, while thou, my God, art near. 4-. When rising floods my soul o'erflow, When sinks my heart in waves of woe ; Saviour, thy timely aid impart, And raise my head, and cheer my heart. 5. If rough and thorny be the way, My strength proportion to my day ; Till toil, and grief, and pain shall cease", Where all is calm and joy and peace, 156 SUPPLICATION FOR THE HYMN 222. I 9. i. "OESET with snares on ev'ry hand, -*-* In life's uncertain path I stand : Father divine ! diffuse thy light, To guide my doubtful footsteps right. 2. Engage this frail, this wav'ring heart, Wisely to choose the better part; To scorn the trifles of a day, For joys that never fade away. 3. Then let the wildest storms arise ; Let tempests mingle earth and skies : No fatal shipwreck shall I fear, But all my treasures with me bear. 4. If thou, my Father ! still be nigh, Cheerful I live, and joyful die ; Secure, when mortal comforts flee, To find -ten thousand worlds in thee. HYMN 223. c. m 1. "\/|Y God, the visits of thy face -l-'-*- Afford superior joy To all the flatt'ring world can give, Or mortal hopes employ. 2. But clouds and darkness intervene, My brightest joys decline ; And earth's gay trifles oft ensnare This wand'ring heart of mine. 3. Lord, guide this wand'ring heart to thecj. Unsatisfied I stray ; Break through the shades of sense and sin With thy enliv'ning ray. 4. O let thy beams resplendent shine, And ev'ry cloud remove ; Transform my pow'rs, and fit my soul For happier scenes above. DIVINE FAVOUR, &c. 4K 5TLord, raise my faith, my hope, my heart, To those transporting joys ; Then shall I scorn each little snare, Which this vain world employs. 6. Then, though I sink in death's cold sleep, To life I shall awake ; And, in the likeness of my God, Of heav'nly bliss partake. HYMN 224. l. m. 1. "IN vain my roving thoughts wouM find -"- A portion worthy of the mind : On earth my soul can never rest, For earth can never make me blest. 2. Can lasting happiness be found, Where seasons roll their hasty roundy And days and hours with rapid flight Sweep cares and pleasures out of sight i 3. Arise, my thoughts ! my heart arise ! Leave this vain world, and seek the skies : There joys for evermore shall last, When seasons, days, and hours are past. \. Thy mercy, Lord, to me impart : O raise my thoughtless, wand'ring, heart To pleasures perfect and sublime, Unmeasur'd by the wings of time. 5. Let those bright worlds of endless joy My thoughts, my hopes, my cares employ. No more, ye restless passions, roam : Ood is my bliss, and heav'n my home. D 138 THE DANGER AND XIV. THE DANGER AND MISERY OF SIN. HYMN 225. l. m. 1. "VJ'AN lias a soul of vast desires ; It A jje burns within with restless fires. Tost to and fro, his passions fly From vanity to vanity. 2. In vain on earth we hope to find Some solid good to fill the mind ; We try new pleasures, but we feel The inward thirst and torment still. 3. So, when a raging fever burns, We shift from side to side by turns ; And 'tis a poor relief we gain, To change the place, but keep the pain. 4. Great God I subdue this vicious thirst, This love to vanity and dust ; Cure the vile fever of the mind, And feed our souls with joys refiVd. HYMN 226. c. m. 1. Tl/TEEN in the light of faith divine * \ We look on things below ; Honour, and gold, and sensual joy, How vain and dang'rous too ! 2. Honour's a puff of noisy breath : Yet men expose their blood, j And venture everlasting death, To gain that airy good. MISERY OF SIN. 159 3. Whilst others starve the nobler mind, And feed on shining dust, They sacrifice eternal bliss To mean and sordid lust. 1. The pleasures, which allure our sense, Are dang'rous snares to souls : There's but a drop of flatt'ring sweet, And dash'd with bitter bowls. 5. God is my all-sufficient goodj My portion and my choice ; In him my vast desires are fill'd, And all my pow'rs rejoice. HYMN 227. c. m. i. ^NNERS ! the voice of God regard: ^ 'Tis mercy speaks to day ; He calls you by his gracious word From sin's destructive way. 2. Like the rough sea that cannot rest, You live devoid of peace ; A thousand stings within your breast Deprive your souls of ease. 3. Your way is dark, and leads to hell : Why will you persevere ? Can you in frightful torments dwell, Shut up in black despair ? *. Bow to the sceptre of his word, Renouncing ev'ry sin ; Submit to him your sov'reign Lord, And learn his will divine. HYMN 228. l. m. i . Tl^HY will ye lavish out your years " ? Amidst a thousand trifling cares ? *60 THE DANGER AN1> While, in the various range of thought. The one thing needful is forgot. 5. Why will ye chase the fleeting wind,. And famish an immortal mind ; While angels with regret look down, -■To see you spurn a heav'nly crown ? 3. Th' eternal God calls from above, And Jesus pleads his dying love ; AwakenM conscience gives you pain-: And shall they join their pleas in vain?- 4. Not so your dying eyes shall view Those objects, which ye now purstfe.. Not so shall heav'n and hell appear, When the decisive hour is near. 9. Almighty God ! thine aid impart, To fix conviction on the heart. Thy pow'r can clear the darkest eyes, And make the haughtiest scorner wise. . HYMN 229. o. m. 1.JTQW long shall dreams of creature-bliss -"- Our flattering hopes employ, And mock our fond deluded eyes With visionary joy ? Q. How wretched they, that leave the Lord And from his word withdraw, That lose his gospel from their sight And wander from his law ! 3. O thou eternal spring of good, Whence living waters flow ! Let not our thirsty erring souls To broken, cisterns go. 4. Like characters inscrib'd in dust. Are sinners borne awav ; MISERY OF SIN 1 4. But feeble my compassion proves, And can but weep, where most it loves. Thy own all -saving arm employ, And turn these drops of grief to joy. HYMN 232. c. m. 1. TNDULGENT God ! with pitying eye -*- The sons of men survey. Alas ! how thoughtless mortals sport In sin's destructive way ! 2. Ten thousand dangers lurk around* To bear them to the tomb : Each passing hour may place them where Repentance cannot come. 3. Reclaim, O Lord ! their wand'ring minds, Amusrd by airy dreams ; That heav'nly wisdom may dispel Their visionary schemes. f . Guide and direct them by thy word, Their dang'rous state to see ; That they may seek and find the path, That leads to heav'n and thee. HYMN 233. s. & .Evil effects of neglected education. -.fc.'DEHOLD, O Israel's God! " From thine exalted throne, And view the dang'rous state of those Thtfu call'st to be thy own. MISERY OF SIN. m '2. The children of thy flock, By early cov'nant thine, See, how they pour their bleeding souls, On cv'ry idol's shrine ! 3. To indolence and pride What piteous victims made ! Crush'd in their parents' fond embrace, And by their love betray'd. 4. By pleasure's polish'd dart What numbers here are slain ! What numbers there for slaughter bound In Mammon's golden chain ! 5. O let thine arm awake And dash the idols down : O call the captives of their pow'r, Thy treasure and thy crown. 6. Thee let the fathers own, And thee the sons adore ; Join'd to the Lord by solemn vowB, To be forgot no more ! HYMN 234. s. m. 4. nnHE man is ever blest, -*- Who shuns the sinners* ways ; Amongst their councils never stands, Nor takes the scorner's place j 2. But makes the law of God His study and delight, Amidst the labours of the day, And watches of the night. 3. He like a tree shall thrive, With waters near the root ; Fresh as the leaf, his name shall live ; Hh} works are heav'nlv fruit. lft* THE DANGER AND 4. Not so th' ungodly race, They no such blessings find; Their hopes shall flee like empty chaff Before the driving wind. 5. How will they bear to stand Before that judgment-seat, Where all the saints at Christ's right hand In full assembly meet ? 6. He knows and he approves The way the righteous go : But sinners and their work.6 shall meet A dreadful overthrow. HYMN 235. c. m. 1- fX^L ! how my fears the dangers move, *-* That virtue's path inclose ! While I the wise pursuit approve, Alas, what toils oppose ! %. For see ! ah see ! while yet her ways With doubtful step I tread, A hostile world its terrors raise, Its snares delusive spread. 3. Oh ! how shall I, with heart prepar'd, Those terrors learn to meet j HoW, from the thousand snares, to guard And to restrain my feet ? 4». But, why art thou cast down, my soul ? Say why, distrustful still, 'Thy thoughts with vain impatience roll O'er scenes of future ill! 5. Let faith suppress each rising fear, Each anxious doubt exclude : Thy Maker's will hath plac'd thee here? Thy Maker wise and good. MISERY OF SIN. 165 ft. He to thy cv'ry trial knows Its just restraints to give ; . Attentive to behold thy woes, And faithful to relieve. y. Though griefs unnumbered throng thee round. Still in thy God confide ; Whose finger marks the seas their bound, And curbs the rolling tide. HY3ENT 236. l. m. 1. A WAKE, my soul ! lift up thine eyes ; ■**- See where thy foes against thee rise In long array, a num'rous host : Awake, my soul I or thou art lost. ■2. Here giant danger threat'ning stands, Must'ring his pale terrific bands ; There pleasure's silken banner's spread, And willing souls are captive led. 3: See where rebellious passions rage, And fierce desires and lusts engage ; The meanest foe of all the train Has thousands and ten thousands slain, 4. Thou tread'st upon enchanted ground ; Perils and snares beset thee round : Beware of all, guard ev'ry part, But most, the traitor in thy heart, 5. Come then, my soul ! now learn to wield The weight of thine immortal shield ; Put on the armour from above Of heav'nly truth and heav'nly love. 6. The terror and the charm repel, And pow'rs of earth, and pow'rs of hell. Thy Lord and Captain triumph'd here : Whv should his faithful follVers fear ? d*6 THE DANGER AND HYMN 237. c. m. i. T ORD, when iniquities abound, -" And growing crimes appear ; We view the deluge rising round> With sorrow and with fear. 2. Yet, when its waves most fiercely beat. And spread destruction wide ; Thy spirit can a standard raise To stem the roaring tide. 8. May thy triumphant arm awake, ».Thy sacred cause to plead; And let the multitude confess, That thou art God indeed. 4. O let thy grace dispose their hearts, To bow before thy hand ; And let their stubborn necks be bent, To own thy just command. 8. Our feeble souls do thou support ; In us thy pow'r display : And multitudes shall strive in vain To draw us from thy way. HYMN 238. c. m. 1. HPIHE Lord into his vineyard comes, -*- Our various fruit to see ; His eye, more piercing than the light, Examines ev'ry tree. , 2. Tremble ye sinners, at his frown, If barren still ye stand ; And fear that keenly- wounding ax,, Which arms his awful hand. 3. Lord, we adore thy sparing love, Thy long- expecting grace : MISERY OF SIN. IT Else had we low in ruin fall'n, And known no more our place. 4. Succeeding years thy patience waits { Nor let it wait in vain : But form in us abundant fruit, And still this fruit maintain. HYMN 239. l.m. t. TJAISE, thoughtless sinner, raise thine eye ; ■■* Behold God's balance lifted high: There shall his justice be display 'd, And there thy hope and and life be weigh'd. 2. See in one scale his perfect law ; Mark with what force its precepts draw : Would' st thou the awful test sustain, Thy works how light ! thy thoughts how vain ! 3. Great God ! exert thy pow'r to save ; Deep on the heart this truth engrave ; Disperse the mist from sinners' eyes, And make the wretched triflers wise. 4?. O let them seize the present day, Nor risk salvation by delay ; And, while they tremble, let them flee^ And find their help, their life, in thee. XV. REPENTANCE AND CONVERSION HYMN 240. l. m. 1. ^HEW pity, Lord ! O Lord, forgive ! ^ Let a repenting sinner live. Are not thy mercies large and free ? May not the contrite trust in thee ? 168 REPENTANCE AND 2. With shame my num'rous sins I trace Against thy law, against thy grace ; And, though my pray'r thou shouldst not he*i : My doom is just, and thou art clear. 3. Yet save a penitent, O Lord \ Whose hope, still hov'ring round thy word^ Seeks for some precious promise there, Some sure support against despair. 4. My sins are great, but don't surpass The riches of eternal grace. Great God ! thy nature hath no bound ; So let thy pard'ning love be found. p. O wash my soul from ev'ry stain, Nor let the guilt I mourn remain. Give me to hear thy pard'ning voice, And bid my bleeding heart rejoice. 0. Then shall thy love inspire my tongue ; Salvation shall be all my song ; And ev'ry power shall join to bless The Lord, my strength and righteousness, HYMN 24L l. m. ■%. f\ thou that hear' st when sinners cry ! " Though all my crimes before thee lie, Behold them not with angry look, But blot their mem'ry from thy book. 2. Create my nature pure within, And form my soul averse to sin : Let thy good Spirit ne'er depart, Nor hide thy presence from my heart. 3. 1 cannot live without thy light, Cast out and banish'd from thy sight; Thy holy joys, O God, restore, And guard me that I fall no more? CONVERSION. 454 4. A broken heart, my God, my King, Is all the sacrifice I bring : The God of grace will ne'er despise A broken heart for sacrifice. 5. My soul lies humbled in the dust, And owns thy dreadful sentence just : Look down, O Lord, with pitying eye, And save the soul condemn'd to die. HYMN 242. l. m. 1. ^kPPRESS'D with guilt, or grief, or care. " " Great God ! thy humble suppliants hear. Though sunk, we ne'er can sink so low, But thou canst hear the voice of woe. 2. Should'st thou against each evil deed In strict severity proceed : By merit, without mercy, tried, None could be clear'd and justified. 3. But thou forgiveness dost proclaim, That men may turn and fear thy name, To thy rich grace, O Lord ! we fly, And on thy promises rely. 4. Ye contrite hearts, who guilt deplore ! Come, seek his face, and sin no more. Then shall ye know that God is kind, And full redemption with him find. HYMN 243. c. m. i. ^VrHEN rising from the bed of death, * " O'erwhelmM with guilt and fear, I see my Maker face to face, O how shall I appear ! 2. If yet, while pardon may be found, And mercy may be sought, P 1F0 REPENTANCE AND My heart with inward horror shrinks, And trembles at the thought : — 3. When thou, O Lord ! shalt stand disclos'd In majesty severe, And sit in judgment on my soul, O how shall I appear ! 4. But there's forgiveness, Lord, with thee ; Thy nature is benign. Thy pard'ning mercy I implore ; For mercy, Lord, is thine. 3. O let thy boundless mercy shine On my benighted soul ! Correct my passions, mend my heart** And all my fears control. 6. And may I taste thy richer grace In that decisive hour, When Christ to judgment shall descend, And time shall be no more. HYMN 244. c. m. 1. T3ERPETUAL source of light and grace I -*- We hail thy sacred name. Through ev'ry year's revolving round, Thy goodness is the same. f2. Inconstant service we repay, And treach'rous vows renew, False as the morning's scatt'ring cloud, And transient as the dew. 3. Low at thy feet our guilt we mourn^ AncJ loud implore thy grace, To bear our feeble footsteps on In all thy righteous ways. 4-. Arm'd with this energy divine, Our souls shall constant prove., CONVERSION. 17* And with increasing transport press On to thy courts above. f . So, by thy pow'r, the morning sun Pursues his radiant way, Brightens each moment in his race. And shines to perfect day. HYMN 245. p. L 1. f< OD of mercy ! God of grace I " Hear our sad repentant songs. O restore thy suppliant race, Thou to whom our praise belongs ! 2. Deep regret for follies past, Talents wasted, time mispent ; Hearts debas'd by worldly cares, Thankless for the blessings lent j o« Foolish fears and fond desires, Vain regrets for things as vain ; Lips too seldom taught to praise, Oft to murmur and complain ; 4. These, and ev'ry secret fault, Fill'd with grief and shame we own. Humbled at thy feet we lie, Seeking pardon from thy throne. 5. God of mercy ! God of grace ! Hear our sad repentant songs. O restore thy suppliant race, Thou, to whom our praise belongs ! HYMN 246. p. m. i« "D LEST Instructor ! from thy ways, -"-^ Who can tell, how oft he strays ! Save from error's growth my mind; Leave not, Lord, one root behind, tf2 REPENTANCE AND 2. Cleanse me from the guilt, that lies Wrapt within my heart's disguise ; Let me thence, by thee renew'd, Each presumptuous sin exclude. 3. Let my tongue, from error free, Speak the words approv'd by thee ; To thy all-observing eyes Let my thoughts accepted rise. 4. So my lot shall ne'er be join'd With the men, whose impious mind, Fearless of thy just command, Braves the vengeance of thy hand. 9. While I thus thy name adore, And thy healing grace implore, Blest Redeemer, bow thine ear ! God, my strength, propitious hear ! HYMN 247. c. m. 1, f\ thou, whose tender mercy hears " Contrition's humble sigh ; Whose hand, indulgent, wipes the tears From sorrow's weeping eye ! 2. See ! low before thy throne of grace, A wretched wand'rer mourn. Hast thou not bid me seek thy face ? Hast thou not said, return ? 3» Absent from thee, my guide, my light 1 Without one cheering ray ; Through dangers, fears, and gloomy night, How desolate my way ! 4, O shine on this benighted heart, With beams of mercy shine ; And let thy healing voice impart A taste of joys divine, CONVERSION. 173 5» Thy presence only can bestow Delights, which never cloy. Be this my solace here below, And my eternal joy ! HYMN 248. o. m. 1. HHHE Lord, how kind are all his ways,, ■*- When most they seem severe ! He frowns, and scourges, and rebukes^ That we may learn his fear. 2. With thorns he fences up our path, And builds a wall around, To guard us from the death that lurks In sin's forbidden ground. S. Return, ye wand'ring souls, return, And seek his tender breast ; Call back the mem'ry of the days, When there you found your rest. 4. Behold, O Lord ! we fly to thee, Tho' blushes veil our face ; Constraint our last retreat toseek- In thy much injur'd grace. HYMN 249. s. m. *. ^ARCHER of hearts! to thee ^ I all my soul display ; And, conscious of its innate arts, Intreat thy strict survey. 2. If, lurking in its folds, I any sin conceal : O let a ray of light divine The secret guile reveal I 3. If, in these fetters bound, A wretched slave I lie : P 5 1?4 REPENTANCE AND Smite off my chains, and wake my soul To light and liberty ! 4. To penitence and pray'r Be gentle pity giv'n ; Speak ample pardon to my heart, And seal its claim to heav*n. HYMN 250. l. m. *'• O turn>- great Ruler of the skies, ^-^ Turn from my sins thy searching eyes I My mind from ev'ry fear release, And sooth my troubled thoughts to peace. 2. Prompt is thy pow'r, when ills invade, The weak and contrite soul to aid: Then let thy clemency divine Conspicuous in my pardon shine. 3. O let the fulness of thy grace Each error of my life efface ! — But thy decrees, almighty Sire I Integrity of heart require. 4. Give me a will to thine subdu'd, A conscience pure, a soul renew'd j Nor let me, wrapt in endless gloom, An outcast from thy presence roam. 3, The heart, that, taught its guilt to know?>, Repentant heaves with inward woe, Shall find its pray'rs, its groans, its sighs, To thee in full acceptance rise. HYMN 251. l.m. 1. T ORD I we have wander'd from thy way, •" Like foolish sheep have gone astray ; Our pleasant pastures we have left, And of their guard our souls bereft-, CONVERSION. 175 2. Expos'd to want, expos'd to harm, Far from our gentle Shepherd's arm ; Nor will these fatal wand'rings cease, Till thou reveal the paths Of peace. 3. O seek thy thoughtless servants, Lord 1 Nor let us quite forget thy word. Our erring souls do thou restore, And keep us, that we stray no more. HYMN 252. s. m. 1. A TTEND, my soul, with awe, ■**- The dictates of thy God ; Silent and trembling hear the voice Of his appointed rod. 2. Now let me search my ways, And prostrate seek his face ; Conscious of guiit, before his throne In dust my soul abase. 3. O teach me what's unknown, And all my crimes forgive. Those crimes I would no more repeat? But to thy honour live. 4. My sorrows plainly show, That all on earth is vain. In God my wounded heart confides, True rest and bliss to gain. HYMN 253. c. m. 1. ^WEET is the friendly voice which speaks ^ The words of life and peace ; Which bids the upright heart rejoice, And sin and sorrow cease. 2. Thou, Lord ! in mercy wilt regard The humble and sincere ; 176 REPENTANCE AND Thou wilt with gracious eye behold The penitential tear. 3. Thou canst restrain wild passion's sway, The pow'r of vice control, Restore bright reason's ray divine, And purify the soul. 4*. O God ! from error turn my feet, That I no more may stray ; And guide my steps direct and safe In virtue's peaceful way. 5. Let me no more, with wilful mind, Thy righteous laws offend. Then shall I know nor guilt nor fear, If thou be still my friend. HYMN 254. s. m. 1. f\ blessed souls are they, " Whose sins are cover'd o'er ! Divinely blest, to whom the Lord Imputes their guilt no more I 2. They mourn their follies past, And keep their hearts with care ; Their lips and lives without deceit, Shall prove their faith sincere. 3. Let sinners learn to pray; Let saints keep near the throne. Our help in time of deep distress, Is found in God alone. HYMN 255. l. m. The joy of conversion from sin. l.TM^HENGodreveal'd his gracious name? " And chang'd my mournful state, My rapture seem'd a pleasing dream. The grace appear'd so great. CONVERSION. 477 2. The world beheld the glorious change, And did thy hand confess ; My tongue broke out in unknown strains, And sung surprising grace. 3. " Great is the work," my neighbours cried, And own'd thy pow'r divine ; « Great is the work," my heart replied, " And be the glory thine." 4. The Lord can clear the darkest skies, Can give us day for night ; Make drops of sacred sorrow rise To rivers of delight. 5. Let those, that sow in sadness, wait, Till the fair harvest come ; They shall confess their sheaves are great, And shout the blessings home. HYMN 256. s. m. 1. XTOW* various and how new ■*■-*■ Are thy compassions, Lord 1 Each morning shall thy mercies shew, Each night thy love record. 2. Thy goodness, like the sun, Dawn'd on our early days, Ere infant reason had begun To form our lips to praise. 3. Each object we beheld Gave pleasure to our eyes ; And nature all our senses held In bands of sweet surprise. i. But pleasures more refin'd Awaited that blest day, When light arose upon our mind To chase our sins awav. 178 REPENTANCE, Sec. 9. How various and how new Are thy compassions, Lord ! Eternity thy truth shall shew, And all thy love record. HYMN 257. s. m. Thanksgiving for deliverance from the Jiower of sin, 1. HpHE trav'ller, lost in night, -*- Breathes many a longing sigh, And marks the welcome dawn of light With rapture in his eye. 2. Thus sweet the dawn of day Lost weary sinners find, When mercy with reviving ray Beams o'er the fainting mind. 3. To slaves opprest with chains, How kind, how dear the friend, Whose gen'rous hand relieves their pains, And bids their sorrows end ! 4. Thus dear that friend divine, Who rescues captive souls, Unbinds the galling chains of sin, And all its pow'r controls. 5. My God I to gospel light My dawn of hope I owe ; Once, wand'ring in the shades of night, And sunk in hopeless woe. 6. Thy hand redeem'd the slave, And set the pris'ner free. Be all I am, and all I have, Devoted, Lord, to thee ! THE JOY AND HAPPINESS, &c. m XVI. THE JOY AND HAPPINESS OF TRUE CHRISTIANS. HYMN 258. s. m. 1. i^OMEj ye that love the Lord, ^ And let your joys be known; Join in a song with sweet accord, Whilst ye surround the throne. 2. Let those refuse to sing, Who never knew our God : But servants of the heav'nly King May speak their joys abroad. ■3. The God, who rules on high, Who all the earth surveys, Who rides upon the stormy sky, And calms the roaring seas : 4. This awful God is ours, Our Father and our love ; He will send down his heav'nly pow'rs, To carry us above. a. There we shall see his face, And never, never sin ! There, from the rivers of his grace^ Drink endless pleasures in. 6. Yea, and before we rise To that immortal state, The thoughts of such amazing bliss Should constant joys create. 7. The men of grace have found Glory begun below. ISO THE JOY AND HAPPINESS Celestial fruit on earthly ground From faith and hope may grow. 8. Then let our songs abound, And ev'ry tear be dry : We're marching through Immanuel's ground To fairer worlds on high. HYMN 259. s. m. 1. MOW let our voices join ■*r™ To form a sacred song ; Ye pilgrims in Jehovah's ways, With music pass along. 2. How straight the path appears I How open and how fair ! No lurking snares t'entrap our feet ; No fierce destroyer there. 3. But flow'rs of Paradise In rich profusion spring ; The sun of glory gilds the path^ And dear companions sing. 4. See Salem's golden spires In beauteous prospect rise ; And brighter crowns than mortals wear, Which sparkle through the skies. 5. All honour to his name, Who marks the shining way ; To him, who leads the wand'rers on To realms of endless day. HYMN 260. o. m. i. ^TE trembling souls ! dismiss your fears ; A Be mercy all your theme ; Mercy, which like a river flows In one continued stream. OF TRUE CHRISTIANS. isi 2. Fear not the pow'rs of earth and hell : God will tnese pow'rs restrain ; His mighty arm their rage repel, And make their efforts vain. 3. Fear not the want of outward good : He will for his provide, Grant them supplies of daily food, And give them heav'n beside. 4. Fear not, that he will e'er forsake, Or ieave his work undone : He's faithful to his promises, And faithful to his Son. &. Fear not the terrors of the grave, Nor death's tremendous sting : He will from endless wrath preserve. To endless glory bring. 6. You in his wisdom, pow'r, and grace, May confidently trust : His wisdom guides, his pow'r protects, His grace rewards the just. HYMN 261. c. m. !• TJI7"HEN 1 can read my title clear " " To mansions in the skies, I bid farewell to ev'ry fear, And wipe my weeping eyes. 3. Should earth against my soul engage., And hellish darts be hurl'd : Then I can smile at Satan's rage, And face a frowning world. 3. Let cares like a wild deluge come, And storms of sorrow fall : May I but safely reach my home., Mv God, my heav'n, my all ! Q 182 THE JOY AND HAPPINESS 4. There shall I bathe my weary soul In seas of heav'nly rest ; And not a wave of trouble roll Across my peaceful breast. HYMN 262. l. m. .. "TV^OT all the nobles of the earth, ««» » \A7nrk 1-»r>oe+ +1-10 lmnnnro r\f tlioii Who boast the honours of their birth, Such real dignity can claim, As those who bear the Christian name. 2. To them the privilege is giv'n, To be the sons and heirs of heav'n ; Sons of the God who reigns on high, And heirs of joy beyond the sky. 3. His will he makes them early know, And teaches their young feet to go ; Whispers instruction to their minds, And on their hearts his precepts binds. 4. Their daily wants his hands supply ; Their steps he guards with watchful eye ; Leads them from earth to heav'n above,, And crowns them with eternal love. &. If I've the honour, Lord ! to be One of this num'rous family : On me the gracious gift bestow, To call thee Abba, Father, too. ft. So may my conduct ever prove My filial piety and love ! Whilst all my brethren clearly trace Their Father's likeness on my face. HYMN 263. c. m. 1. "l^ORSAKE, my soul ! the tents of sia: -*• How false her joys appear ! OF TRUE CHRISTIANS. 183 Noise and confusion dwell within ; Peace is a stranger there. 2. The men, who keep the laws of God, His choicest blessings share ; Or, if he lifts his chast'ning rod, 'Tis with a Father's care. 3. His mighty pow'r shall guard the just j His wisdom point their way ; His eye shall watch their sleeping dust ; His hand revive their clay. 4. Begin, ye saints, the joyful task ; His praise employ your tongue ; And soon eternity will ask A more exalted song. HYMN 264. c. m. 1. T \riTH transport, Lord ! we view the page, * * Where all thy mercies shine ; And joy to tell the rising age, What boundless grace is thine. 2. The world, with all its shifting schemes, Time, with its fleeting hours, Life, with its gay and flatt'ring dreams, Its hopes and fears, is ours. 3. Death, also, at our Father's word, Lays all its terrors by ; Gently divides the silver cord, And calls us to the sky. 4. Fain would our hearts a tribute bring, Before our Father's throne ; A tribute worthy of our King, Whose mercies are unknown. HYMN 265. c. it. 1. f\ happy soul that lives on high ! " While men lie grov'ling here. 184 THE JOY AND HAPPINESS His hopes are fix'd above the sky, And faith forbids his fear. 2. His conscience knows no secret stings ; While grace and joy combine To form a life, whose holy springs Are hidden and divine. S. He waits in secret on his God; His God in secret sees. Let earth be all in arms abroad, He dwells in heav'nly peace. 4. His pleasures rise from things unseen, Beyond this world and time, Where neither eyes nor ears have been. Nor thoughts of mortals climb. 5. He looks to heav'n's eternal hill, To meet that glorious day, When Christ his promise shall fulfil And call his soul away* HYMN 266. L» M. i. "O^HILE some in folly's pleasures roll, * And court the joys which hurt the soul ; Be mine that silent calm repast, A peaceful conscience to the last : 2. That tree which bears immortal fruit, Without a canker at the root ; That friend, who never fails the just, When other friends desert their trust* 3. With this companion in the shade, My soul no more shall be dismay'd ;. But fearless meet the midnight gloom,. And the pale monarch of the tomb. 4). Though heav'n afflict, I'll not repine ; The noblest comforts still are mine ; OF TRUE CHRISTIANS. 1S*5 Comforts , which over death prevail, And journey with me through the vale, 0. The Lord will smooth my rugged way, And lead me to the realms of day, To milder skies and brighter plains, Where everlasting pleasure reigns. HYMX 267- c. m. 1. £~\ happiness, thou pleasing dream ! ^-* Where is thy substance found ? Sought through the varying scenes, in vain Of earth's capacious round. 2. Religion's sacred lamp alone Unerring points the way, Where happiness for ever shines With unpolluted ray. HYMN 268. s. m. 1. "tTrHEN gloomy thoughts and fears * " The trembling heart invade, And all the face of nature wears An universal shade : j3. Religion can assuage The tempest of the soul ; And ev'ry fear shall lose its rage At her divine control. 3. Through life's bewilder'd way, Her hand unerring leads ; And o'er the path her heav'nly ray A cheering lustre sheds. *. When reason, tir'd and blind, Sinks helpless and afraid ; Thou blest supporter of the mind. How pow'rful is thine aid ! Q5 186 THE JOY AND HAPPINESS 5. O let me fee] thy pow'r, And find thy sweet relief,. To brighten ev'ry gloomy homy And soften ev'ry grief. HYMN 269. l. m. 1. 1XOW blest the man, how more than blestr A J. Whose heart no guilty thoughts employ ! God's endless sunshine fills his breast, And conscience whispers peace and joy. 2. Pure rectitude's- unerring way His heav'n-conducted steps pursue ; While crowds in guilt and error stray, Unstain'd his soul, and bright his view, 3. By God's almighty arm sustained, True virtue soon or late shall rise 5 Enjoy her conquest, nobly gain'd, And share the triumph of the skies. 4. But fools, to sacred wisdom blind, Who vice's tempting call obey, A diff'rent fate shall quickly find, To ev'ry storm an easy prey. HYMN 270. l. m. L. rjpHERE is a glorious world on high, •J*- Resplendent with eternal day ; Faith views the blissful prospect nigh, While God*s own word reveals, the way, "2. There shall the fav'rites of the Lord With never-fading lustre shine. Surprising honour I vast reward ! Conferred on man by love divine. 3. How blest are those, how truly wise, Who learn and keep the sacred roa&L OF TRUE CHRISTIANS. is; Happy the men, whom heav'n employs To turn rebellious hearts to God ; 4. To win them from the fatal way, Where erring folly thoughtless roves ; And that blest righteousness display, Which Jesus taught and God approves. £. The shining firmament shall fade, And sparkling stars resign their light : But these shall know nor change nor shade, For ever fair, for ever bright. 8. On wings of faith and strong desire,, O may our spirits daily rise ; And reach at last the shining choir, In the bright mansions of the skies 1 HYMN 271. p. m. 1. k LL earthly charms, however dear, J-*- Howe'er they please the eye or ear? Will quickly fade and fly. Of earthly glory faint the blaze, And soon the transitory rays In endless darkness die. 2. The nobler beauties of the just Shall never moulder in the dust, Or know a sad decay -r Their honours time and death defy, And round the throne of heav'n on high Beam everlasting day. HYMN 272. l. m. i. XTE humble souls, complain no *- Let faith survey your future more store- How happy, how divinely blest, The sacred words of truth attest. X8S THE JOY AND HAPPINESS 2. When conscious grief laments sincere, And pours the penitential tear ; Hope points to your dejected eyes A bright reversion in the skies. 3. In vain the sons of wealth and pride Despise your lot, your hopes deride ; In vain they boast their little stores ; Trifles are theirs, a kingdom yours : 4. A kingdom of immense delight, Where health and peace and joy unite Where undeclining pleasures rise, And ev'ry wish hath full supplies : 5. A kingdom which can ne'er decay, Though time sweep earthly thrones away, The state, which pow'r and truth sustain, Unmov'd for ever must remain. 6. Great God ! to thee we breathe our pray'r If thou confirm our interest there, Enroll'd among thy happy- poor, Our largest wishes ask no more. HYMN 273. c. m. 1 . TTO W happy is the man, who hears -"- Instruction's warning voice ; And who celestial wisdom makes His early, only, choice ! 2. Wisdom has treasures greater far Than east or west unfold ; And her rewards more precious are Than is the gain of gold. 3. In her right hand she holds to view A length of happy years ; And in her left the prize of fame And honour bright appears. OF TRUE CHRISTIANS. 189 4. She guides the young with innocence, In pleasure's path to tread : A crown of glory she bestows Upon the hoary head. m. According as her labours rise, So her rewards increase ; Her ways are ways of pleasantness, And all her paths are peace. XVII. THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER AND LIFE, IN GENERAL. HYMN 274. l. m. 1. CO let our lips and lives express ^ The holy gospel we profess ; So let our works and virtues shine, To prove the doctrine all divine ! 2. Thus shall we best proclaim abroad The honours of our Saviour God, When the salvation reigns within, And grace subdues the pow'r of sin. 3. Our flesh and sense must be deny'd, Passion and envy, lust and pride ; Whilst justice, temperance, truth, and love Our inward piety approve. 4. Religion bears our spirits up, Whilst we expect that blessed hope, The bright appearance of the Lord, And faith stands leaning on his word, 190 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER HYMN 275. c. m. A. T want a principle within -* Of jealous godly fear, A dread and hatred of all sin, A pain to feel it near. 3. That I from thee no more may part, No more thy goodness grieve : The filial awe, the loving heart, The tender conscience give; 3. A heart resign'd, submissive, meek, My great Redeemer's throne, Where only Christ is heard to speak., Where Jesus reigns alone. 4, Quick as the apple of an eye, O God ! my conscience make ; Awake my soul when sin is nigh, And keep it still awake. W, If to the right or left I stray, That moment, Lord, reprove ; And let me mourn, and weep, and pray, For having griev'd thy love ! 6. O ! may the least omission pain My well-instructed soul ; That I may find that grace again, Which makes the wounded whole. HYMN 276. l. m. 1. TETHAT strange perplexities arise ! *» What anxious fears and jealousies ! What crowds in doubtful light appear ! How few, alas, appro v'd and clear ! 2. And what am I ? — My soul, awake. And an impartial survey take. AND LIFE, IN GENERAL. 191 Does no dark sign, no ground of fear. In practice or in heart appear ? 3. What image does my spirit bear ? Is Jesus form'd and living there ? Say, do his lineaments divine In thought, and word, and action shine ? 4. Searcher of hearts, O search me still ; The secrets of my soul reveal ; My fears remove ; let me appear To God and my own conscience clear 1 HYMN 277. l. m. 1. T^HO shall ascend thy heav'nly place, * " Great God, and dwell before thy face ? The man, who loves religion now, And humbly walks with God below ; 2. Whose hands are pure, whose heart is cleam Whose lips still speak the thing they mean. No slanders dwell upon his tongue ; He hates to do his neighbour wrong. 3. He will not trust an ill report, Nor vent it to his neighbour's hurt ; Sinners of state he can despise, But saints are honour'd in his eyes. 4. Firm to his word he ever stood, And always makes his promise good : Nor will he change the thing he swears^. Whatever pain or loss he bears. 5. He never deals in bribing gold, And mourns that justice should be sold. If others vex and grind the poor, Sweet charity attends his door. 6. He loves his enemies, and prays For those who curse him to his face : 19* THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER And doth to all men still the same, That he could hope or wish from them. y. Yet, when his holiest works are done, His soul depends on grace alone. This is the man thy face shall see, And dwell for ever, Lord ! with thee. HYMN 278. l. m. 1. |~^REAT God ! whose all-pervading eye *-* Sees ev'ry passion of my soul 1 When sunk too low, or rais'd too high, Teach me those passions to control. 2. Temper the fervours of my frame ; Be charity their constant spring ; And O, let no unhallowed flame Pollute the offerings I bring. 3. Let peace with piety unite, To mend the bias of my will ; While hope and heav'n-ey'd faith excite^ And wisdom regulates, my zeal : 4. That wisdom, which to meekness turns ; Wisdom descending from above ; And let my zeal, whene'er it burns, Be kindled by the fire of love. HYMN 279. l. m 1. ^UPREME and universal light ! ^ Fountain of reason I Judge of right ! Without whose kind, directing ray, In everlasting night we stray : 2. Assist us, Lord, to act, to be, What all thy sacred laws decree ; Worthy that intellectual flame, Which from thy breathing spirit came. AND LIFE, IN GENERAL. 198 3. No slaves to profit, shame, or fear, O may our steadfast bosoms bear The stamp of heav'n, an honest heart, Above the mean disguise of art ! 4. May our expanded souls disclaim The narrow view, the selfish aim ; But with a Christian zeal embrace Whate'er is friendly to our race. 0. O Father ! grace and virtue grant : No more we wish, no more we want. To know, to serve thee, and to love3 Is peace below, is bliss above. HYMN 280. l. m. 1. HHH' uplifted eye, and bended knee, -■- Are but vain homage, Lord ! to thee. . In vain our lips thy praise prolong, The heart a stranger to the song. 2. Can rites, and forms, and flaming zeal The breaches of thy precepts heal ? Or fasts and penance reconcile Thy justice, and obtain thy smile ? 3. The pure, the humble, contrite mind, Sincere, and to thy will resign'd, To thee a nobler off' ring yields, Than Sheba's groves, or Sharon's fields. 4». Love God and man : — this great command Doth on eternal pillars stand. This did thine ancient prophets teach, This did the great Messiah preach. HYMN 281. l. m 1. TTAD I the tongues of Greeks and Jews, -*-*- And nobler speech than angels use ; R ifl-* THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER If love be absent, I am found, Like tinkling brass, an empty sound. 3. Were I inspir'd to preach and tell All that is done in heav'n and hell, Or could my faith the world remove, Still I am nothing without love. 3. Should I distribute all my store, To feed the bowels of the poor ; Or give my body to the flame, To gain a martyr's glorious name: 4. If love to God, and love to men Be absent, all my hopes are vain ; Nor tongues, nor gifts, nor fiery zeal i The work of love can e'er fulfil. HYMN 282, c. m. i.npHOU art my portion, O my God! *- Soon as I know thy way, My heart makes haste t' obey thy wor^, And suffers no delay. 2. 1 choose the path of heav'nly truth, And glory in my choice ; Not all the riches of the earth Could make me so rejoice. 3. "She testimonies of thy grace I set before mine eyes ; Thence I derive my daily strength, And there my comfort lies. 4. Whene'er I wander from thy path) I think upon my ways ; Then turn my feet to thy commands, And trust thy pard'ning grace. 5. Now I am thine, for ever thine : O Save thy servant, LordJ. AND LIFE, IN GENERAL. ±3? Thou art my shield, my hiding place ; My hope is in thy word. ft. Thou hast inciin'd this heart of mine Thy statutes to fulfil ; And thus, till mortal life shall end, Would I perform thy will. HYMN 233. c. m. i.Tl/'HILST sinners, who presume to bea? *" The Christian's sacred name, Throw up the reins to ev'ry lust, And glory in their shame : 2. Ye saints, preserv'd in Christ and call'd, Detest their impious ways, And on the basis of your faith An heav'nly temple raise. 3. Upon the Spirit's promis'd aid Depend from day to day; And, whilst he breathes his quick'ning grace, Adore, and praise, and pray. 4. Preserve unquench'd your love to God, And let the flame arise, And higher and still higher blaze, 'Till it ascends the skies. 5. With a transporting joy expect The grace your Lord shall give, When all his saints shall from his hands" Their crowns of life receive. HYMN 284. c. m. 1, T> LEST are the undefil'd in heart, •* * Whose ways are right and clean ; Who never from thy law depart, But fly from ev'ry sin. 196 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER 2. Blest are the men that keep thy word, And practise thy commands ; With their whole heart they seek the Lorct, And serve thee with their hands. 3. Great is their peace, who love thy law ; How firm their souls abide ! Nor can a bold temptation draw Their steady feet aside. 4. Then shall my heart have inward joy, And keep my face from shame, When all thy statutes I obey, And honour all thy name. HYMN 285. l. m. l.TSLESS'D are the humble souls, who see ■*-* Their ignorance and poverty : Treasures of grace to. them are giv'n, And crowns of joy laid up in heav'n. 2. Biess'd are the men of broken heart, Who mourn for sin with inward smart ; For them divine compassion flows, A healing balm for all their woes. 3. Biess'd are the meek, who stand afar From rage and passion, noise and war : God will secure their peaceful state* And plead their cause against the great. 4. Biess'd are the souls, who thirst for grace* Hunger and long for righteousness : They shall be well supplied and fed With living streams and living bread. 5. Biess'd are the men, whose hearts still move And melt with sympathy and love ; They shall themselves from God obtain Lake sympathy and love again. AND LIFE, IN GENERAL. I9f 6. Bless'd are the pure, whose hearts are clean From the defiling pow'r of sin : With endless pleasure they shall see A God of spotless purity. 7. Blessed are the men of peaceful life, Who quench the coals of growing strife v: They shall.be call'd the heirs of bliss, The sons of God, the God of peace. 8. Bless'd are the suff'rers who partake Of pain and shame for Jesus' sake : Their souls shall triumph in the Lord^ Glory and joy are their reward. HYMN 286. l. u. 1. "T|OST thou my worthless name record^ •*-* Free of thy holy city, Lord ? Am I, a sinner, call'd to share The precious privileges there ? 2. Art thou my King, my Father styl'd ? Am I thy servant and thy child ? Whilst wretched millions draw their breath. In lands of ignorance and death. 3. Shall I receive this grace in vain ? Shall I my great vocation stain ? Away, ye works in darkness wrought ! Away each sensual, wanton thought ! 4. My soul, I charge thee to excel In thinking right and acting well. Deep let thy searching pow'rs engage, Unbiass'd, in the sacred page. 3. Strong, and more strong, thy passions rule, Advancing still in virtue's school ; Contending still, with noble strife, To imitate thy Saviour's life. #5 ids THE CHRISTIAN GHAKACTBft HYMN 287. l. m. 1. AH wretched souis, who strive in vain,. ■**- Slaves to the world, and slaves to sin i A nobler toil may I sustain, A nobler satisfaction win. 2. 1 would resolve with all my heart, With all my pow'rs to serve the Lord i Nor from his precepts e'er depart, Whose service is a rich reward. 3. O be his service all my joy ! Around let my example shine; Till others love the blest employ, And join in labours so divine. L Be this the purpose of my soul, My solemn, my determin'd choice,^ To yield to his supreme control, And in his kind commands rejoice. 5. O may I never faint nor tire, Nor wander from thy sacred way*. Great God ! accept my soul's desire, And give me strength to live thy praise, HYMN 288. i.m. t\ A WAKE, our souls ! away our fears ! ■**■ Let ev'ry trembling thought be gone. Awake, and run the heav'nly race, And put a cheerful courage on. % True, 'tis a strait and thorny road, And mortal spirits tire and faint ; But they forget the mighty God, Who strength imparts to ev'ry saint : 3- The mighty God, whose matchless pow'r is ever new and ever young, AND LIFE, IN GENERAL. 199 And firm endures, while endless years Their everlasting circles run. 1. Swift as an eagle cuts the air, We'll mount aloft to thine abode ; On wings of love our souls shali fly, Nor tire amidst the heav'nly road. HYMN 289. c. u. 1. A WAKE my soul ! stretch ev'ry nerve: -^*- And press with vigour on : A heav'nly race demands thy zeal, And an immortal crown. 2. A cloud of witnesses around Hold thee in full survey :> Forget the steps already trod, And onward urge thy way. •9. 'Tis God's all-animating voice. That calls thee from on high j 'Tis his own hand presents the prize To thine aspiring eye : 4. That prize, with peerless glories bright, Which shall new lustre boast, When victors' crowns and monarch s' gents Shall blend in common dust. HYMN 290. c. m. i. |~|UR country is Immanuel's ground ; " We seek that promis'd soil : The songs of Zion cheer our hearts, While strangers here we toil. 2. Oft do our eyes with joy o'erflow, And oft are bath'd in tears : Yet nought but heav'n our- hopes can raise. And nought but sin, our fears. 200 THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER 3. The flow'rs, that spring along the road> We scarcely stoop to pluck ; We walk o'er beds of shining ore, Nor waste one anxious look. 4. We tread the path our Master trod j We bear the cross he bore ; And ev'ry thorn, that wounds our feet, His temples pierc'd before. 5. Our pow'rs are oft dissolv'd away In ecstacies of love ; And, while our bodies wander here, Our souls are fix'd above. 6. We purge our mortal dross away, Refining as we run ; But, while we die to earth and sense, Our heav'n is here begun. HYMN 291. l. m. ' 1. T ET sorrow, Lord, my bosom fill, •^4 When impious men transgress thy will) Teach me to mourn, when lips profane Take thy tremendous name in vain. j3. With indignation may I treat The works of malice and deceit ; And ever from their friendship flee, Who dare to scorn thy laws and thee. 3. Doth secret mischief lurk within ? Do I indulge some unknown sin ? O turn my feet whene'er I stray, And lead me in thy perfect way. Y HYMN 292. s. *t. E servants of the Lord, Each in his office wait, AND LIFE, IN GENERAL. 301 Observant of his heav'nly word, And watchful at his gate. 2. Let all your lamps be bright, And trim the golden flame , Gird up your loins, as in his sight, For awful is his name. 3. Watch ! 'tis your Lord's command ; And while we speak, he's near. Mark the first signal of his hand, And ready all appear. 4. O happy servant he, In such a posture found I He shall his Lord with rapture see, And be with honour crown'd. HYMN 293. t. m. i. A SSIST us, Lord, thy name to praise, **• For this rich gospel of thy grace ; And, thr.t our hearts may love it more, Teach them to feel its vital pow'r. 2. With joy may we our course pursue, And keep the crown of life in view ; That crown, which in one hour repays The labour of ten thousand days. 3. Should bonds or death obstruct our way, Unmov'd their terrors we'll survey ; And the last hour improve for thee, The last of life or liberty. 4. Welcome those bonds, which may unite Our souls to their supreme delight ! Welcome that death, whose painful strife Bears us to Christ, our better life, 202 FAITH. XVIII. FAITH, HYMN 294. c m. 1. TpAITH adds new charms to earthly bliss3 *■ And saves me from its snares ; Its aid in ev'ry duty brings, And softens all my cares ; 2. Extinguishes the thirst of sin, And lights the sacred fire Of love to God and heav'nly things, And feeds the pure desire. 3. The wounded conscience knows its pow'r The healing balm to give ; That balm the saddest heart can cheer, And make the dying live. 4. Wide it unveils celestial worlds, Where deathless pleasures reign f And bids me seek my portion there, Nor bids me seek in vain, 5. Shews me the precious promise seal'd With the Redeemer's blood ; And helps my feeble hope to rest Upon a faithful God. 6. There, there unshaken would I rest, 'Till this vile body dies ; And then on Faith's triumphant wing*. At once to glory rise. HYMN 295. t. i* 1, 'HpIS by the faith of joys to come, •*■ We walk through deserts dark as night ; FAITH. 203 Till we arrive at heav'n our home, Faith is our guide, and faith our light. Q. The want of sight she well supplies ; She makes the pearly gates appear ; Far into distant worlds she pries, And brings eternal glories near. 3. Cheerful we tread the desert through, While faith inspires a heav'nly ray ; Though lions roar, and tempests blow, And rocks and dangers fill the way. 4. So Abrah'm, by divine command, Left his own house to walk with God. His faith beheld the promis'd land, And fir'd his zeal along the road. HYMN 296. l. m. -1. "D Y various maxims, forms, and rules, -*-* That pass for wisdom in the schools? I strove my passions to restrain ; But all my efforts prov'd in vain. 2. But since the Saviour I have known, My rules are all reduc'd to one : — To keep my Lord, by faith, in view. This strength supplies and motives too. 3. 1 see him lead a suff'ring life, Patient amidst reproach and strife ; And from this pattern courage take To bear and suffer for his sake. 4, Upon the cross I see him bleed, And by the sight from fear am freed. This sight destroys the life of sin, And quickens heav'nly life within. 5i To look to Jesus as he rose,' Confirms my hope, disarms my foes. 30* FAITH. The world I shame and overcome^ By pointing to my Saviour's tomb, 6. 1 see him look with pity down, And hold in view the conq'ror's crown. If press'd with griefs and cares before, My soul revives, and asks no more, 7. By faith I see the hour at hand, When in his presence I shall stand. Then it will be my endless bliss, To see him where and as he is. HYMN 297. l. m. 1. T ORD, dost thou shew a corner-stone, -*-^ For us to build our hopes upon, That the fair edifice may rise Sublime in light beyond the skies ? 2. Thy people long this stone have try'd^ And all the pow'rs of hell defy'd. Floods of temptation beat in vain ; Well doth this rock the house sustain. 3. When storms and tempests round prevail, Whirlwind and thunder, fire and hail j 'Tis here our trembling souls shall hide, And here securely they abide. HYMN 298. l. m. 1. TN vain would boasting reason find -*- The path to happiness and God ; Her weak directions leave the mind Bewilder'd in a doubtful road. :3. Jesus, thy words alone impart Eternal life ; on these I live ; Diviner comforts cheer my heart, Than all the pow'rs of nature giTer FAITH. W 3. Here let my constant feet abide ; Thou art the true, the living way : Let thy good Spirit be my guide To the bright realms of endless day. 4. The various forms that men devise, To shake my faith with treach'rous art? I scorn as vanity and lies, And bind thy gospel to my heart. HYMN 299. l. m. 1. TESUS ! and shall it ever be, ** A mortal man asham'd of thee ! Asham'd of thee, whom angels praise. Whose glory shines thro' endless days. •2. Asham'd of Jesus, that dear friend, On whom my hopes of heav'n depend ! No ; when I blush, be this my shame., That I no more revere his name. 5. Asham'd of Jesus ! yes, I may, When I've no guilt to wash away, No tears to wipe, no good to crave, No fears to quell, no soul to save. $. His institutions will I prize ; Take up the cross, the shame despise * Dare to defend his noble cause, And yield obedience to his laws. HYMN 300. l. m. 1. ^HALL I forsake that heav'nly Friend, ^ On whom my noblest hopes depend ? Forbid it, that my wand'ring heart From thee, my Saviour, should depart ! % First let the wheels of life stand still, Ere I forget thy gracious will ; S 206 FAITH. Ere I submit to guilty shame, And bring dishonour on thy name. 3. Faithful to thee, and to thy laws, With zeal I would maintain thy cause, The cause of truth and righteousness, 'Midst trial, suff'ring, and distress. I. If e'er I'm call'd t'encounter death For thee, may I resign my breath ; And reap at last the bright reward, Which waits the servants of the Lord. HYMN 301. l. m. 1. T^rHAT mean these jealousies and fears, " ™ As if my Lord were loth to save ? Or lov'd to see us steep'd in tears, And sink with sorrow to the grave ? 2. Does he want slaves to grace his throne ? Or crush them with an iron rod ? Is he refreshed to hear us groan ? Is he a tyrant, or a God ? 8. Not all th' iniquities thou'st wrought So much his tender bowels grieve, As this unkind injurious thought,— That he's unwilling to forgive. HYMN 302. l. m 1. "llfHEN darkness long has veil'dmy mind, * * And smiling day once more appears ; Then, my Creator ! then I find The folly of my doubts and fears. 2. Straight I upbraid my wand'ring hearty And blush that I should ever be Thus prone to act so base a part, Or harbour one hard thought of thee. FAITH. 3. O let me then be fully taught, What I am still so slow to learn, That God is love, and changes not, Nor knows the shadow of a turn. HYMN 303. l. m. 1. ^ING to the Lord, who loud proclaims ^ His various and his saving names. O may they not be heard alone, But by our sure experience known. 2. Awake, our noblest pow'rs, to bless The God of Abra'm, the God of peace ; Now by a dearer title known, Father and God of Christ his Son. 3. Through ev'ry age his gracious ear Is open to his servants' pray'r ; Nor can one humble soul complain, That it hath sought its God in vain. 4. What unbelieving heart shall dare In whispers to suggest a fear, While still he owns his ancient name, The same his pow'r, his love the same : 5. To thee our souls in faith arise, > To thee we lift expecting eyes, And boldly through the desert tread ; For God will guard, where God shall lead. HYMN 304. c. m. 1. TTAPPY the man, whose wishes. climb -*-*- To mansions in the skies ! He looks on all the joys of time With undesiring eyes. 2. In vain soft pleasure spreads her charms. And throws her silken chain ; 508 FAITH. And wealth and fame invite his arms, And tempt his ear in vain. 3. He knows, that all these glitt'ring thifigs Must yield to sure decay ; And sees on time's extended wings How swift they flee away ! 4. To things unseen by mortal eyes, A beam of sacred light Directs his view ; his prospects rise All permanent and bright. B. His hopes are fix'd on joys to come : Those blissful scenes on high Shall flourish in immortal bloom, When time and nature die. HYMN 305. c. m. i. TMT ISTAKEN souls, that dream of heav'fl, -*-*-*- And make their empty boast Of inward joys and sins forgiv'n, While they are slaves to lust 1 % Vain are our fancies, airy flights, If faith be cold and dead ; None but a living pow'r unites To Christ the living Head : — 3. A faith that changes all the heart; A faith that works by love ; That bids all sinful joys depart, And lifts the thoughts above. 4. Faith must obey our Father's will, As well as trust his grace : A pard'ning God requires us stiU To perfect holiness. DUTIES OF PIETY. #)ti XIX. DUTIES OF PIETY. HYMN 306. l. m. 4. "p TERNAL God, almighty cause ,-" Of earth, and seas, and worlds unknown ! All things are subject to thy laws ; All things depend on thee alone. 2. Thy glorious being singly stands, Of all within itself possest ; By none control'd in thy commands, And in thyself completely blest. 8. To thee alone ourselves we owe ; Let heav'n and earth due homage pay : All other gods we disavow, Deny their claims, renounce their sway. -*. In thee, O Lord, our hope shall rest, Fountain of peace and joy and love ! Thy favour only makes us blest ; Without thee all would nothing prove. 5. Worship to thee alone belongs ; Worship to thee alone we give ; Thine be our hearts and thine our songs, And to thy glory we would live. 6. Spread thy great name through heathen lands'; Their idol-deities dethrone ; Subdue the world to thy commands, And reign as thou art, God alone, §5 2io DUTIES OF PIETY. HYMN 307. l. m. 1. jH REAT God ! thy peerless excellence " Let all created natures own : Deep on our minds impress the sense Of glories which are thine alone. 2. Let these our admiration raise, And fill us with religious awe ; Tune all our hearts and tongues to praise, And bend us to thy holy law. §. Pure may we be, averse to sin, Just, holy, merciful, and true ; And let thine image, form'd within, Shine out m all we speak and da. HYMN 308. c m. t. *\/| Y soul, before thy Maker bow ; iTE j^is wondrous works admire, Till rev'rence and religious awe Thine inmost thoughts inspire. 2. With humble trust dismiss thy care^sy And on his love depend ; Leave him to manage thine affairs, To him thyself commend. 3. Let high esteem affection raise ; Devotion warm thy breast ; Let thankful love excite thy praise ; In him alone be blest. 4. To him thy solemn homage pay ; His constant aid implore ; drive thanks for mercies ev'ry dayr And thus prepare for more. DUTIES OF PIETY. 211 3. Without reserve to him submit ; All his commands fulfil ; Acknowledge all his actions fit, Nor e'er oppose his will. HYMN 309. l. * 1. "1^ TERNAL and immortal King 1 ■" Thy peerless splendours none can bear ; But darkness veils seraphic eyes ; When God with all his glory's there. 2. Yet faith can pierce the awful gloom, The great Invisible can see : And with its tremblings mingle joy, In fix'd regards, great God ! to t hee. S. Then ev'ry tempting form of sin, Aw'd by thy presence, disappears ; And all the glowing raptur'd soul The likeness, it contemplates, wears. 4. O ever conscious to my heart ! Witness to its supreme desire ; Behold it presses on to thee, For it hath caught the heav'nly fire. 5. This one petition would I urge : To bear thee ever in my sight ! In life, in death, in worlds unknown, My only portion and delight. HYMN 103. c. m. 1. npHRICE happy souls, who, born of heav*n, -*■ Whilst yet they sojourn here, Humbly begin their days with God, And spend them in his fear ? 3, So may our eyes with holy zeal Prevent the dawning day. 2X2 DUTIES OF PIETY. And turn the sacred pages o'er, And praise thy name and pray. 3. Midst hourly cares may love present Its incense to thy throne ; And, while the world our hands employs, Our hearts be thine alone ! 4. As sanctify'd to noblest ends, Be each refreshment sought ; And by each various providence Some wise instruction brought. 5. When to laborious duties call'd, Or by temptations try'd ; We'll seek the shelter of thy wings, And in thy strength confide. 6. As diff'rent scenes of life arise, Our grateful hearts would be With thee amidst the social band, In solitude with thee. 7. At night we lean our weary heads On thy paternal breast ; And, safely folded in thine arms, Resign our pow'rs to rest. 8. In solid pure delights, like these, Let all my days be past : Nor shall I then impatient wish, Nor shall I fear the last. HYMN 311. cm. 1. TM/TIILE thee I seek, protecting Pow'r J ** Be my vain wishes still'd ; And may this consecrated hour With better hopes be fill'd. 2. Thy love the pow'rs of thought bestow'cU To thee my thoughts would soar. DUTIES OF PIETY. 213 Thy mercy o'er my life has flow'd : That mercy I adore. 3. In each event of life, how clear Thy ruling hand I see ! Each blessing to my soul more dear, Because bestow'd by thee. 4. In ev'ry joy that crowns my days, In ev'ry pain I bear, My heart shall find delight in praise. Or seek relief in pray'r. 0. When gladness wings my favour'd hour? Thy love my thoughts shall fill : Resign'd, when storms of sorrow low'r, My soul shall meet thy will. 6. My lifted eye, without a tear, The low'ring storm shall see ; My steadfast heart shall know no fear : That heart will rest on thee ! HYMN 312. l. m. 1. f~$UR Father, thron'd above the sky, *-^ To thee our empty hands we spread ; Thy children at thy footstool lie, And ask thy blessings on their head. 2. With cheerful hope and filial fear, In that august and precious name, By thee ordain'd, we now draw near, And would the promis'd blessing claim 8. Does not an earthly parent hear The cravings of his famish'd son ? Will he reject the filial pray'r, Or mock him with a cake of stone ? •i. Our heav'nly Father, how much more Will thy divine compassions rise ; 214 DUTIES OF PIETY. And open thy unbounded store, To satisfy thy children's cries ? 5. Yes, we will ask, and seek, and press For gracious audience at thy seat ; Still hoping, waiting for success, If persevering to entreat. 6. For Jesus in his faithful word The upright supplicant has blest ; And all thy saints with one accord The prevalence of pray'r attest. HYMN 313. c. m. 1. TTAPPY the' heart, where graces reignj -" Where love inspires the breast : Love is the brightest of the train, And strengthens all the rest. 2. Knowledge, alas ! 'tis all in vain, And all in vain our fear : Our subborn sins will fight and reign, If love be absent there. 3. 'Tis love, that makes our cheerful feet In swift obedience move. The devils know, and tremble too ; But devils do not love. 4. This is the grace, that lives and sings, When faith and hope shall cease. 'Tis this shall strike our joyful strings In the sweet realms of bliss. HYTVIN 314. P. M. f 1. HPHOU hidden love of God, whose height, -*- Whose depth unfathom'd no man knows : I see from far thy beauteous light, I only sigh for thy repose ; DUTIES OF PIETY. 3t* My heart is pain'd, nor can it be At rest, till it finds rest in thee. 2. Is there a thing beneath the sun, That strives with thee my heart to share ? Ah ! tear it thence, and reign alone, The Lord of ev'ry motion there. Then shall my heart from earth be free, When it hath found repose in thee. 3. Each moment draw from earth away My heart, that lowly waits thy call. Speak to my inmost soul, and say : " I am thy love, thy God, thy all !" To feel thy pow'r,to hear thy voice, To taste thy love, be all my choice. HYMN 315. p. m. i. T3ARENT of good ! thy works of might ■*- I trace with wonder and delight ; Thy name is all divine. There's nought in earth or sea or air, Or heav'n itself, that's good or fair, But what is wholly thine. 2. Immensely high thy glories rise ; They strike my soul with sweet surprise, And sacred pleasure yield : An ocean wide without a bound, Where ev'ry noble wish is drown'd, And ev'ry want is fill'd. 3. To thee my warm affections move, In sweet astonishment and love, While at thy feet I fall ; I pant for nought beneath the skies ; To thee my ardent wishes rise, Q my eternal All ! 316 DUTIES OF PIETY. 4. What shall I do to spread thy praise, My God! through my remaining days., Or how thy name adore ? To thee I consecrate my breath ; Let me be thine in life and death, And thine for evermore. HYMN 316. l. m. 1. r^REAT God ! our joyful thanks to thee " Shall, like thy gifts, continual be : In constant streams thy bounty flows, Nor end nor interruption knows. ■2. From thee our comforts all arise, Our numerous wants thy hand supplies j Nor can we ever, Lord, be poor, Who live on thy exhaustless store. 3. Deep, Lord, upon our thankful breast Let all thy favours be imprest ; That we may never more forget The whole or any single debt. .4. May we with grateful hearts each day For all thy gifts our praises pay ; And still delighted may we be, In all things to give thanks to thee. HYMN 317. l. m. 1. f^ OD of my life, through all its days " My grateful pow'rs shall sound thy praise,; The song shall wake with op'ning light, And cheer the dark and silent night. 2. When anxious cares would break my rest, And griefs would rend my throbbing breast* Thy tuneful praises rais'd on high Shall check the murmur and the sigh. DUTIES OF PIETY. 217 3. When death o'er nature shall prevail, And all its pow'rs of language fail ; Joy through my swimming eyes shall break, And mean the thanks I cannot speak. 4. But O when that last conflict's o'er, And I am chain'd to earth no more ; With what glad accents shall I rise, To join the music of the skies ! 5. Soon shall I learn th' exalted strains, Which echo o'er the heav'nly plains ; And emulate, with joy unknown, The glowing seraphs round thy throne. HYMN 318. s. m. 1. ]V|"Y Father ! cheering name ! -L*-*- O may I call thee mine ! Give me with humble hope to claim A portion so divine. 2. This can my fears control, And bid my sorrows fly : What real harm can reach my soul Beneath my Father's eye ? 3. Whate'er thy will denies, I calmly would resign ; For thou art just, and good, and wise : O bend my will to thine I 1. Whate'er thy will ordains, O give me strength to bear ; Still let me know, a Father reigns, And trust a Father's care. 5. If anguish rend this frame, And life almost depart : Is not thy mercy still the same, To cheer my drooping heart ? T 218 DUTIES OF PIETY. 6. Thy ways are little known To my weak erring sight ; Yet shall rny soul, believing, own. That all thy ways are right. 7. My Father ! blissful name ! Beyond expression dear : If thou admit my humble claim, 1 bid adieu to fear. HYMN 319. c. m- 1. f\ Lord ! my best desires fulfil, ^■■* And help me to resign Life, health, and comfort to thy will, And make thy pleasure mine. 2. Why should I shrink at thy command, Whose love forbids my fears ? Or tremble at thy gracious hand, That wipes away my tears ? 3. No ; let me rather freely yield What most I prize to thee, Who never hast a good withheld, Or wilt withhold from me. 4. Wisdom and mercy guide my way ; Shall I resist them both ? Short-sighted creature of a day, And crush' d before the moth ! 5. But ah ! my heart within me cries, Still bind me to thy sway ; Else the next cloud, that veils the skies, Drives all these thoughts away. HYMN 320. c. m. 1. Tl^HEN present sufferings pain my heart, * * Or future terrors rise, DUTIES OF PIETY. 219 And life and hope almost depart From these dejected eyes : 2. Thy pow'rful word supports my hope. Sweet cordial of the mind ! And bears my fainting spirit up, And bids me wait resign'd. 3. And oh ! whate'er of earthly bliss Thy providence denies, Accepted at thy throne of grace Let this petition rise : 4. Give me a calm, a thankful heart, From ev'ry murmur free ; The blessings of thy grace impart, And let me live to thee.- 5. Let the sweet hope, that I am thine, My path of life attend ; Thy presence through my journey shine, And crown my journey's end ! HYMN 321. u m. 1. Tl[rHY sinks my weak desponding mind ? " ™ Why heaves my heart the anxious sigh ? Can sovereign goodness be unkind ? Am I not safe, if God be nigh ? 2. He holds all nature in his hand : That gracious hand, on which I live, Does life, and time, and death command, And has immortal joys to give. 3. Infinite wisdom ! boundless pow'r ! Unchanging faithfulness and love !■ — Here let me trust, while I adore, Nor from my refuge e'er remove. 4. Forgive my doubts, O gracious Lord ! And ease the sorrows of my breast ; 220 DUTIES OF PIETY. Speak to my heart the healing word, That thou art mine, — and I am blest. HYMN 322. l. m. 1. TS/'HY is my heart with grief opprest ? * * Can all the pains I feel or fear Make thee, my soul, forget thy rest, Forget that God, thy God is near ? 2. Mortality's unnumber'd ills Are all beneath his sov'reign hand ; Each pain, which this frail body feels, Attends, obedient, his command. 3. Lord, form my temper to thy will ! If thou my faith and patience prove, May ev'ry painful stroke fulfil The purposes of faithful love ! -h O may this weak, this fainting mind A Father's hand adoring see ; Confess thee just, and wise, and kind, And trust thy word, and cleave to thee ! HYMN 323. s. m. 1. T17HEN ovenvhelm'd with grief, * * My heart within me dies ; Helpless, and far from all relief, To heav'n I lift mine eyes. 2. O lead me to the rock That's high above my head ; And make the covert of thy wings, My shelter and my shade. 3. Within thy presence, Lord ! For ever I'll abide : Thou art the tow'r of my defence. The refuge where I hide. DUTIES OF PIETY. 4s Thou givest mc the lot Of those that fear thy name. If endless life be their reward, I shall possess the same. HYMN 324. l. m. 1. riOURAGE,my soul ! while God is near, ^-y/ What enemy hast thou to fear ? How canst thou want a sure defence, Whose refuge is omnipotence ? 2. Tho' thickest clangers crowd my way, My God can chase my fears away : My steadfast heart on him relies, And all those dangers still defies. 3. Tho' billows after billows roll, To overwhelm my sinking soul ; Firm as a rock my faith shall stand, Upheld by God's almighty hand. 1. In life, his presence is my aid ; In death, 'twill guide me thro' the shade ; Chase all my rising fears away, And turn my darkness into day. XX. PERSONAL DUTIES. HYMN 325. s. a. i. TMPOSTURE shrinks from light, •*- And dreads the curious eye : But Christian truths the test invite, They bid us search and try, T 5 .121 PERSONAL DUTIES. 2. A meek inquiring- mind, Lord, help us to maintain ; That growing knowledge we may find, And growing virtue gain. 3. With understanding bless'd, Created to be free, Our faith on man we dare not rest, Subject to none but thee. 4. Lord, give the light we need ; With soundest knowledge fill ; From noxious error guard our creed, From prejudice our will. 5. The truth thou shalt impart, May we with firmness own ; Abhorring each evasive art, And fearing thee alone. ■o HYMN 326. l. m. 1. 4 WAKE, my soul I rouse ev'ry pow'r ; -£*■ Thy Christian dignity display : Let lust aud passion reign no more j No longer own their lawless sway. 2. Thy temper meek ond humble be, Content and pleas'd with ev'ry state ; From dire revenge and envy free, And wild ambition to be great. 3. Confine thy roving appetites ; From this vain world withdraw thine eyes ; Fix them on those divine delights, Which angels taste above the skies. 4. With eager zeal pursue the prize ; Each fleeting hour of life improve : This course will speak thee truly wise, And raise thee to the world above. PERSONAL DUTIES. 22» HYMN 327. l. m. 1. 4\ Thou, "whose scales the mountains weigh I ^ Whose will the raging seas obey ! Thou, who canst boist'rous winds control ! Subdue the tumults of my soul. 2. May I with equal mind sustain My lot of pleasure and of pain ; May joys and sorrows gently flow, Nor rise too high, nor sink too low. 3. Do thou my passions, Lord, restrain, And in my soul unrivail'd reign. Then, with whatever loads oppress'd, Center'd in thee, my soul shall rest. •i. O when shall my still wav'ring mind This sweetest self-possession find! Fountain of joy ! I long to see In thee my peace, my heav'n in thee I HYMN 328* c. sr. 1. i~| 'tis a lovely thing to see " * A man of prudent heart, Whose thoughts and lips and life agree To act an useful part. 2. When envy, strife, and war begin In little angry souls ; Mark, how the sons of peace come in And quench the kindling coals. 3. Their minds are humble, mild, and meek ; No furious passions rise ; Nor malice moves their lips to speak, Nor pride exalts their eyes. 4. Their lives are prudence mix'd with love ; Good works employ their day ; 224 PERSONAL DUTIES. They join the serpent with the clove, But cast the sting away. 5. Such was the Saviour of mankind ; Such pleasures he pursu'd ; His manners gentle and refin'd, His soul divinely good. HYMN 329. l, m. 1. 1%/|"ARK ! when tempestuous winds arise, lri fiie wild confusion and uproar ; All ocean mixing with the skies, And wrecks are dash'd upon the shore. 3. Not less confusion racks the mind, By its own fierce ideas tost ; Calm reason is to rage resign'd, And in the whirl of passion lost. 3. O self-tormenting child of pride, Anger, bred up in hate and strife I Ten thousand ills, by thee supply'd, Mingle the cup of bitter life. 4r. Happy the meek, whose gentle breast, Clear as the summer's ev'ning ray, Calm as the regions of the blest, Enjoys on earth celestial day ! 5. No friendships broke their bosoms sting, No jars their peaceful tent invade ; Secure beneath th* almighty wing, And, foes to none, of none afraid. 8. Spirit of grace, all meek and mild ! Inspire our hearts, our souls possess 3 Repel each passion rude and wild, And bless us as we aim to bless> PERSONAL DUTIES. 225 HYMN 330. r. m. 1. TF solid happiness we prize, -*- Within our breasts this jewel lies ; And they are fools who roam. The world has little to bestow : From our own selves our joys must flow ; Our bliss begins at home. 2. We'll therefore relish with content Whate'er kind providence has sent, Nor aim beyond our pow'r : And if our store of wealth be small, With thankful heart improve it all, Nor waste the present hour. 3. To be resign'd, when ills betide, Patient, when favours are denied, And pleas'd with favours giv'n : This is the wise, the virtuous part ; This is that incense of the heart, Whose fragrance reaches heav'n. 4. Thus thro' life's changing scenes we'll go, Its chequer'd paths of joy and woe With cautious steps we'll tread ; Quit its vain scenes without a tear, Without a trouble or a fear, And mingle with the dead : 5. While conscience, like a faithful friend, Shall thro' the gloomy vale attend, And cheer our dying breath ; Shall, when all other comforts cease, Like a kind angel, whisper peace, And smooth the bed of death. HYMN 331. c. m. L "V I Y gracious God, accept my pray'r i ^-*- If e'er thy love divine 226 PERSONAL DUTIES. Should prosper my well-meaning care, And wealth should e'er be mine : 2. May humble worth without a fear j Approach my open door ; Nor may I ever view a tear, Regardless, from the poor. 3. O bless me with an honest mind, Above all selfish ends ; Humanely warm to all mankind, And cordial to my friends. 4. Thee in remembrance may I bear, To thee my tribute raise ; Conclude each day with fervent pray'r,. And wake each morn with praise. 5. Thus through my life may I approve The gratitude I owe ; And share at length thy bliss above, Whose laws I keep below ! HYMN 332. l. m. 1. TirHEREFORE should man, frail child of clay, * * Who, from the cradle to the shroud, Lives but the insect of a day, — O why should mortal man be proud ? 2. His brightest visions just appear, Then vanish, and no more are found : The stateliest pile his pride can rear, A breath may level with the ground. 3. By doubts perplex'd, in error lost, With trembling step he seeks his way : How vain of wisdom's gift the boast ! Of reason's lamp how faint the ray ! 4. Follies and crimes, a countless sum, Are crowded in life's little span : PERSONAL DUTIES. i>& How ill, alas, does pride become That erring, guilty creature, man I 5. God of my life ! Father divine ! Give me a meek and lowly mind ; In modest worth O let me shine, And peace in humble virtue find. HYMN 333. l. m. 1. |"|FT have I turn'd my eye within, ~~* And brought to light some latent sin j But pride, the vice I most detest, Still lurks securely in my breast. 2. She hides my follies from mine eyes, And lifts my virtues to the skies ; And, while the specious tale she tells. Her own deformity conceals. 3. Rend, O my God ! the veil away ; Bring forth the monster to the day ; Expose her hideous form to view, And all her restless pow'r subdue. •i. So shall humility divine Again possess this heart of mine ; And form a temple for my God, Which he will make his lov'd abode. HYMN 334. l. m. 1. HPHEman, whose firm and equal mind *■ To solid glory is inclin'd, Determin'd will his path pursue, And keep the godlike prize in view. 2. His calm, undaunted, manly breast, Of virtue, honour, truth possest, Will stem the torrent of the age, And fearless tread this mortal stage. 228 PERSONAL DUTIES. 3. Amidst th' assailing ills of life, Pride, passion, malice, envy, strife, He'll act his part without disguise, Intrepid, gen'rous, just, and wise. 4. In conscious rectitude secure, This man unshaken shall endure Of human woes thenum'rous train, Oppression, bondage, sickness, pain. 5. And when, at last, th' eternal Pow'r Shall fix th' irrevocable hour, That solemn hour which none can fly, Since 'tis decreed that all must die : 6. Conscious of sov'reign mercy near, Its voice shall banish ev'ry fear ; While faith and hope in joys to come Waft him to realms beyond the tomb. HYMN 335. l. m. 1. ~]V§Y God ! permit me not to be lTi A stranger to myself and thee : Amidst a thousand thoughts I rove, Forgetful of my highest love. 2. Why should my passions mix with earth, And thus debase my heav'nly birth ? Why should I cleave to things below, And let my God, my Father, go ? 3. Call me away from flesh and sense ; Thy gracious word can draw me thence. Why should I cleave to things below, And let my God, my Father, go ? 4. Be earth, with all her cares, withdrawn ; Let noise and vanity be gone : In secret silence of the mind, My heav'n, and there my God, I find. PERSONAL DUTIES. 221 HYMN 33(3. l. m. 4. T> ETURN, my roving heart, return, -"' And chase these shadowy forms no more ; Seek out some solitude to mourn, And thy forsaken God implore. 2. Wisdom and pleasure dwell at home ; Retir'd and silent seek them there : This is the way to overcome, The way to break the tempter's snare. 3. And thou, my God, whose piercing eye Distinct surveys each deep recess, In these abstracted hours draw nigh, And with thy presence fill the place. 4. Through all the mazes of my heart, My search let heav'nly wisdom guide ; And still its radiant beams impart, Till all be search'd and purified. 5. Then with the visits of thy love Vouchsafe my inmost soul to cheer ; Till ev'ry grace shall join to prove, That God hath fiVd his dwelling there. XXI. SOCIAL DUTIES. HYMN 337 . L. M. 1. TF high or low our station be, -*- Of noble or ignoble name; By uncorrupted honesty, Thy blessing, Lord, we'll humbly claim. U 230 SOCIAL DUTIES. 2. Enrich'd with that, no want we'll fear, Thy providence shall be our trust. Thou wilt supply our portion here, Thou friend and guardian of the just i a. Oh ! may we, with sincere delight, To all the task of duty pay ; Tender of ev'ry social right, Obedient to thy lawful sway! 4. Such virtue thou wilt not forget In that blest world, where virtue shares A fit reward ; though not of debt, But what thy boundless grace prepares. HYMN 338. c. m. 1. ^OME, let us search our ways and try; ^ Have they been just and right ? Is the great rule of equity Our practice and delight ? 2. What we would have our neighbour do, Have we still done the same ? From others ne'er withheld the due, Which we from others claim ? 3. Ha\e we ne'er envied others' good, Nor envied others' praise ? In no man's path malignant stood, Nor us'd detraction's ways ? 4. Have we not, deaf to his request, Turn'd from another's woe ? The scorn, whicn wrings the su 'rer's heart, Have we abhorr'd to shew ? 5. Then may we raise our modest pray'r To God, the just and kind ; May humbly cast on him our care, And hope his grace to find. SOCIAL DUTIES. 231 %. Religion's path they never trod, Who equity contemn ; Nor ever are they just to God, Who prove unjust to men. HYMN 339. l. m. i. f\ God, my Saviour, and my King, " Of all I have or hope the spring ! Send down thy spirit from above, And warm my heart with holy love. 3. May I from ev'ry act abstain, That gives another grief or pain ; Still may I feel my heart inciin'd, To be the friend of all mankind. 3. With pity let my breast o'erflow, When I behold a brother's woe ; And bear a sympathizing part, Whene'er I meet a wounded heart. 4. And let my neighbour's prosp'rous state A mutual joy in me create ; His virtuous triumph let me join ; His peace and happiness be mine. 5. Yea, though my neighbour's hate I prove, Still let me vanquish hate with love ; Slow to resent, though he would grieve, But always ready to forgive. 6. Let love through all my conduct shine, An image fair, though faint, of thine ; Let me thy humble follower prove, Father of men, great God of love ! HYMX 340. c. m. 1. T ET Pharisees of high esteem <*-^ Their faith and zeal declare : ?m SOCIAL DUTIES. All their religion is a dream, If love be wanting there. %. Love suffers long with patient eye. Nor is provok'd in haste ; She lets the present inj'ry die, And long forgets the past. 3. Malice and rage, those fires of hell, Siie quenches with her tongue £ Hopes and believes and thinks no ill, Tho' she endures the wrong. 4. She ne'er desires nor seeks to know The scandals of the time ; Nor looks with pride on those below, Nor envies those that climb. 0. She lays her own advantage by, To seek her neighbour's good. So God's own Son came down to die, And save us by his blood. 6. Love is the grace that keeps her pow'r In a.il the realms above ; There faith and hope are known no more, But saints for ever love. HYMN 341. l. m. BLEST is the man, whose heart is kind And melts with pity to the poor j Who, with a sympathizing mind, Feels what his fellowmen endure. His heart contrives for their relief More good than his own hands can do ; He in the time of gen'ral grief Sl^all find, the Lord hath pity too. SOCIAL DUTIES. 21 3. This man shall live secure on earth, With secret blessings on his head ; Though sword, or pestilence, or dearth, Around him multiply their dead. 1. Or, if with mortal sufferings try'd, Sufferings shall all his soul refine ; Sweet hope his refuge shall provide, And minister a bliss divine. HYMN 342. p. m. 1. T^ATHER of our feeble race, -*- Wise, beneficent, and kind ! Spread o'er nature's ample face, Flows thy goodness unconfin'd. Musing in the silent grove, Or the busy walks of men, Still we trace thy wond'rous love, Claiming large returns again. 2. Lord, what offering shall we bring, At thine altars when we bow ? Hearts, the pure unsullied spring, Whence the kind affections flow ; Soft compassion's feeling soul, By the melting eye express'd ; Sympathy, at whose control Sorrow leaves the tortur'd breast ; 3. Willing hands to lead the blind, Bind the wound, or feed the poor ; Love, embracing all our kind ; Charity, with lib'ral store. Teach us, O thou heav'nly King, Thus to show our grateful mind ; Thus th' accepted off'ring bring, Love to thee and all mankind. U.5 2Zl> SOCIAL DUTIES, HYMN 343. c. m. 2. 13 RIGHT source of everlasting love-! •*-* To thee our souls we raise ; And to thy matchless bounty rear A monument of praise. 3. Thy mercy gilds the path of life With ev'iy cheering ray j Kindly restrains the rising tear, Or wipes that tear away. 3. When, sunk in guilt, our race approach'd The borders of despair ; Thy grace through Jesus' blood proclaim'd A free salvation near. 4. What shall we render, bounteous Lord, For all the grace we see I Alas ! the goodness worms can yield Extendeth not to thee. a. To tents of woe, to beds of pain, Our cheerful feet repair ; And, with the gifts thy hand bestows, Relieve the mourners there. 0. The widow's heart shall sing for joy; The orphan shall be glad ; And hung'ring souls we'll gladly point To Christ the living bread. 7. Thus, passing through this vale of tears, Our useful light shall shine ; And others learn to glorify Our Father's name divine. HYMN 344. l. m. >. f\ what stupendous mercy shines ™-J Around the majesty of heav'n I SOCIAL DUTIES. 235 Rebels he deigns to call his sons, Their souls renew'd, their sins forgiv'n. 2. Go, imitate the grace divine, The grace that blazes like a sun ; Hold forth your fair, though feeble light, Through all your lives let mercy run. 3. Upon your bounty's willing wings, Swift let the needed blessings fly ; The hungry feed, the naked clothe, To pain and sickness help apply. 4. Pity the weeping widow's woe, And be her counsellor and stay ; Adopt the fatherless, and smooth To useful, happy life his way. £. Let age with want and weakness bow*d Your mercy and compassion move ; Let e'en your enemies be biess'd, Their hatred recompens'd with love. HYMN 345. l. m. 1. r< RE AT God ! whilst I thy love admire*, " Grant me to catch the sacred fire : Thus shall my heav'nly birth be known, And as thy child thou wilt me own. 2. Father, 1 see thy sun arise, To cheer thy friends and enemies ; Aiid when from heav'n thy rain descends. Thy bounty both alike befriends. 3. Enlarge my soul with love like thine ; My mortal pow'rs by grace refine : So shall I feel another's woe, And freely feed a hungry foe. *» I hope for pardon, through thy Son, For all the crimes which I have done : 2U SOCIAL DUTIES. Then may the grace, that pardons me, Constrain me to forgive like thee. HYMN 346. svm. 1. "O EHOLD, where, breathing love, ■*-* Our dying Master stands ! His weeping follow'rs, gath'ring rounds Receive his last commands. 2. From that mild Saviour's lips What tender accents fell ! The gentle precept, which he gave, Became its author well. 3. Blest is the man, whose heart Feels all another's pain ; To whom the supplicating eye Was never rais'd in vain ; 4>. Whose breast expands with warmth, A stranger's woe to feel, And bleeds in pity o'er the wound He wants the pow'r to heal. 5. To offices of love His feet are never slow ; He views through mercy's melting eye A brother in a foe. 6. Peace from his Father God, My peace to him I give ; And, when he kneels before the throne, His trembling soul shall live. 7. To him shall grace be shewn ; And mercy from above Descend on those, who thus fulfil- The perfect law of love. SOCIAL DUTIE6. 237 HYMN 347. o. m. 1. T\ AUGHTERS of pity, tune the lay ; ■U To mourners joy belongs ; While he, that wipes ail tears away, Accepts our thankful songs. %. No altars smoke, no off' rings bleed. No guiltless lives expire ; To help a brother in his need, Is all our rites require. 3. Our off 'ring is a willing mind To comfort the distrest ; In others' good our own we find, In others' blessing blest. 4. Go to the pillow of disease, Wiiere night gives no repose, And on the cheek, where sickness preys, Bid health to plant a rose. 5. Go where the friendless stranger lies ; To perish is his doom : Snatch from the grave his closing eyes, And bring his blessing home. 6. Thus, what our heav'nly Father gave, Shall we as freely give ; Thus copy him, who liv'd to save, And died that we might live. HYMN 348. c. m. Charity or Sunday school. 1. 13 LEST is the man whose heart expands ■U At melting pity's call, And the rich blessings of whose hands Like heav'nly manna fall. 238 SOCIAL DUTIES. 2. Be ours the bliss in wisdom's way To guide untutored youth, And lead the mind that went astray To virtue and to truth. 3. Children our kind protection claim ; And God will well approve, When infants learn to lisp his name, And their Creator love. 4>. Delightful work, young souls to win, And turn the rising race From the deceitful paths of sin, To seek redeeming grace ! 5. Almighty God ! thy influence shed, To aid thfs good design : The honours of thy name be spread, And all the glory thine. HYMN 349- l. m. Candour and toleration. 1. A LL- seeing God ! 'tis thine to know ■**- The springs whence wrong opinions flow ; To judge, from principles within, When frailty errs, and when we sin. 2. Who among men, great Lord of all ! Thy servant to his bar shall call ? Judge him, for modes of faith, thy foe, And doom him to the realms of woe ? 3. Who with another's eye can read ? Or worship by another's creed ? Trusting thy grace, we form our own, And bow to thy commands alone. 4. If wrong, correct ; accept, if right ; While faithful we improve our light, Condemning none, but zealous still To learn and follow all thy will. SOCIAL DUTIES. fH HYiMN 350. l. m. 1. 4 BSURD and vain attempt ! to bind ^*- With iron chains the free-born mind, To force conviction, and reclaim The wand'ring by destructive flame. 2. Bold arrogance ! to snatch from heav'n Dominion not to mortals giv'n ; O'er conscience to usurp the throne, Accountable to God alone. 3. Jesus ! thy gentle law of love Does no such cruelties approve ; Mild as thyself, thy doctrine wields No arms but what persuasion yields. 4. By proofs divine, and reason strong, It draws the willing soul along ; And conquests to thy church acquires By eloquence which heav'n inspires. 5. O happy, who are thus compell'd To the rich feast, by Jesus held I May we this blessing know, and prize The light which liberty supplies. HYMN 351. s. m. Christian unity. 2. ■" ET party-names no more -*-* The Christian world o'erspread : Gentile and jew, and bond, and free,. Are one in Christ their head. 2. Among the saints on earth Let mutual love be found : Heirs of the same inheritance, With mutual blessings crown/d. 240 SOCIAL DUTIES. 3. Let envy, child of hell I Be banish'd far away : Those should in strictest friendship dwell, Who the same Lord obey. 4. Thus will the church below Resemble that above, Where streams of pleasure ever flow, And ev'ry heart is love. HYMN 352. S. M. 1. "O LEST be the tie, that binds -*-» Our hearts in Christian love ! The fellowship of kindred minds Is like to that above. 2. Before our Father's throne, We pour our ardent pray'rs : Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, Our comforts and our cares. 3. We share our mutual woes, Our mutual burdens bear ; And often for each other flows The sympathizing tear. 4. When we asunder part, It gives us inward pain : But we shall still be join'd in heart, And hope to meet again. 3. From sorrow, toil, and pain, And sin, we shall be free ; And perfect love and friendship reign Through all eternity. HYMN 353. c. m. Virtuous love of country, 1. *OARENT of all, Omnipotent *■- In heav'n, and earth below ! SOCIAL DUTIES. 4*1 -Through all creation's vast extent, Whose streams of goodness flow : 2. Teach me to know, from whence I rose, And unto what design'd ; Nor selfish aims may I propose, Since link'd with human kind. 3. But chief to hear my country's voice May my best thoughts incline : 'Tis reason's law, 'tis virtue's choice, 'Tis nature's call, and thine. 4. Me from fair freedom's sacred cause May nothing e'er divide ; Nor grandeur, gold, nor vain applause, Nor friendship false misguide. 0. To duty, honour, virtue true, In all my country's weal, Let me my public walk pursue : So, God, thy favour deal ! HYMN 354. l. m. Pious friendship. 1. TTOW blest the sacred tie, that binds, -*--■- In union sweet, according minds ! How swift the heav'nly course they run, Whose hearts, whose faith, whose hopes are one 1 2. To each, the soul of each how dear ! What watchful love, what holy fear 1 How doth the gen'rous flame within Refine from earth, and cleanse from sin ! 3. Their streaming eyes together flow For human guilt and mortal woe ; Their ardent pray'rs together rise, Like mingling flames in sacrifice, X 242 SOCIAL DUTIES. 4. Together both they seek the place, Where God reveals his awful face ; How high, how strong, their raptures swell, There's none but kindred souls can tell. 0. Nor shall the glowing flame expire 'Midst nature's drooping sick'ning fire: Soon shall they meet in realms above, A heav'n of joy, because of love. HYMN 355. l. m. Family duties. i. f^ATHER of men ! thy care we bless, * Which crowns our families with peace. From thee they spring, and by thy hand They have been and are still sustain'd. 2. To God, most worthy to be prais'd, Be our domestic altars rais'd : Who, Lord of heav'n, scorns not to dwell With saints in their obscurest cell. 3. To thee let each united house, Morning and night, present its vows ; Our servants there, and rising race, Be taught thy precepts and thy grace. 4. O may each future age proclaim The honours of thy glorious name ; Wnile, pieas'ci and thankful, we remove To join the family above. HYMN 356. c. m. 1. £\F justice and of truth I sing, * Jf And pay to God my vows : With truth and justice, heav'nly King ! Teach me to rule my house. SOCIAL DUTIES. 243 2. Now to my tent, O God ! be near, And make thy servant wise ; And let me suffer nothing there, That shall offend thy eyes. 3. The man who doth his neighbour wrong, Or dares oppress the poor, The scornful eye, the sland'rous tongue, Be distant from my door. 4. Still may I seek the good and just, And still their help enjoy ; Such be the friends that I shall trust, The servants I employ. 5. While sin in others I reprove, Be ev'ry virtue mine ; And let the wisdom from above Through all my conduct shine. Q. Who shall the most in love abound, Our sole contention be : So shall my house be ever found A dwelling clear to thee ! HYMN 357. s. m. 1. T O, what a pleasing sight -■-* Are brethren that agree I How blest are all, whose hearts unitr In bonds of piety ! 2. From those celestial springs, Such streams of comfort flow, As no increase of riches brings, Nor honours can bestow. 3. All in their stations move, And each performs his part, In all the cares of life and love. With sympathizing heart. 24* PUBLIC WORSHIP, 4. Form'd for the purest joys. By one desire possest, One aim the zeal of all employs, To make each other blest. B. No bliss can equal theirs, Where such affections meet ; While praise devout, and mingl'd pray'rs Make their communion sweet. 6. 'Tis the same pleasure fills The breast in worlds above ; Where joy like morning-dew distils, And all the air is love. XXII. PUBLIC WORSHIP. HYMN 358. c m. 1. TDfOW did my heart rejoice, to hear -" My friends devoutly say : '< In Zion let us all appear, " And keep the solemn day." } 2% I love her gates, I love the road : The church, adorn'd with grace. Stands like a palace built for God, To show his milder face, 3. Peace be within this sacred place, And joy a constant guest ! With holy gifts and heav'nly grace Be her attendants blest ! PUBLIC WORSHIP. 216 4. My soul shall pray for Zion still, While life or breath remains. There my best friends, my kindred dwell ; There God, my Saviour, reigns. HYMN 359. s. m. 1. T love thy Zion, Lord ! -* The house of thine abode ; The church, O blest Redeemer ! sav'd With thy own precious biood. 2. I love thy church, O God ! Her wails before thee stand, Dear as the apple of thine eye, And graven on thy hand. 3. If e'er to bless thy sons My voice or hands deny : These hands let useful skill forsake, This voice in silence die. 4. If e'er my heart forget Her welfare or her woe : Let ev'ry joy this heart forsake, And ev'ry grief o'erflow. 5. For her my tears shall fall ; For her my pray'rs ascend ; To her my cares and toils be giv'n, 'Till toils and cares snail end. 0. Beyond my highest joy I prize her neav'nly ways, Her sweet communion, solemn vows, Her hymns of love and praise. HYMN 3o0. c. m. *' 1 W"AKE> ye saints, to praise your King, ■*■*- Your sweetest passions raise j X5 m PUBLIC WORSHIP, Your pious pleasures, while you sing, Increasing- with the praise. '. Great is the Lord, and works unknown Are his divine employ : But still his saints are near his throne. His treasure and his joy. >-« O Zion, trust the living God ; Serve him with faith and fear : He makes thy courts his blest abode. And claims thine honours here. HYMN 361. l. m. |^OME, let our voices join to raij ^ A sacred song of solemn praise -aise 'aise. God is a sov'reign King : rehearse His honours in exalted verse. 2.. Come, let our souls address the Lord, Who fram'd our natures with his word. He is the Shepherd ; we the sheep His mercy chose, his pastures keep. 3. Seize the kind promise, while it waits, And march to Zion's heav'nly gates. Believe, and take i±rc-promis'd rest ^ Obey, and be for ever blest. HYMN 362. l. m. i,~JTf APPY the men, whom strength divine JDL with ardent love and zeal inspires I Whose steps to thy blest way incline, With willing hearts and warm desires. %» One day within thy sacred gate Affords more real joy to me, Than thousands in the tents of state ; The meanest place is bliss with thee. PUBLIC WORSHIP. *# 9< God is a sun : our brightest day From his reviving presence flows. God is a shield, through all the way, To guard us from surrounding foes. 4. O Lord of hosts, thou God of grace ! How blest, divinely blest is he, Who trusts thy love, and seeks thy face, And fixes all his hopes on thee ! HYMN 363. p. m. 1. T ORD of the worlds above, -*-^ How pleasant and how fair. The dwellings of thy love, Thine earthly temples are I To thine abode My heart aspires, With warm desires To see my God. 2. O happy souls that pray Where God appoints to hear ! O happy men that pay Their constant service there i They praise thee still ; And happy they, Who love the way To Zion's hill. 3. They go from strength to strength, Through this dark vale of tears ; Till each arrives at length, Till each in heav'n appears : O glorious seat, When God our King Shall tnither bring Our willing feet ! tea PUBLIC WORSHIP, HYMN 364. p. m. 1. J^REAT Father of mankind ! ^ We bless that wondrous grace, Wnich could for Gentiles find Within thy courts a place. How kind the care Our God displays, For us to raise A house of pray'r ! 2. To thee ourselves we join, And love thy sacred name ; No more our own, but thine, We triumph in thy claim. Our Father-king, Thy cov'nant-graee Our souls embrace, Thy titles sing. 3. May all the nations throng To worship in thy house ; And thou attend the song, And smile upon their vows, Indulgent still, Till earth conspire To join the choir On Zion's hill. HYMN 365. c. m. i.npHE Lord in Zion plac'd his name, *- His ark was settled there ; To Zion the whole nation came To worship thrice a year. 2, But we have no such lengths to go, Nor wander far abroad ; Where'er thy saints assemble now, There is a house for God. PUBLIC WORSHIP. 249 3. Here, mighty God ! accept our vows ; Here let thy praise be spread. Bless the provisions of thy house, And fill thy poor with bread. 4. Here let the son of David reign, Let God's anointed shine ; Justice and truth his court maintain, With love and pow'r divine. HYMN 366. l. m. " 1. T ORD ! 'tis a pleasant thing, to stand -" In gardens planted by thy hand. Let me within thy courts be seen, Like a young cedar, fresh and green. 2. There grow thy saints in faith and love, Blest with thine influ'nce from above : Not Lebanon, with all its trees, Yields such a comely sight as these. 3. The plants of grace shall ever live ; Nature decays, but grace must thrive ; Time, that doth all things else impair, Shall make them flourish strong and fair. 4. Laden with fruits of age, they show, The Lord is holy, just, and true. None, that attend his courts shall find A God unfaithful or unkind. HYMN 367. c. m. 1. "WHEREWITH shall I approach the Lord, * * And bow before his throne ? Oh ! how procure his kind regard, And for my guilt atone ; 2. Shall altars flame, and victims bleed, And spicy fumes ascend ? 350 PUBLIC WORSHIP. Will these my earnest wish succeed, And make my God my friend ? 3. O no, my soul ! 'twere fruitless all ; Such offerings are vain : No fatlings from the field or stall His favour can obtain. 4. To men their rights I must allow, And proofs of kindness give ; / To God with humble rev'rence bow, And to his glory live. 5. Hands that are clean, and hearts sincere, He never will despise ; And cheerful duty he'll prefer To costly sacrifice. HYMN 368. s. m. 1. "l^riTH joy we lift our eyes * " To those bright realms above. That glorious temple in the skies, Where dwells eternal love. 2. Thee we adore, O Lord ! And filial duty pay. Thy service, unconstrain'd and free, Conducts to endless day. 3. While in thy house we kneel With trust and holy fear ; Thy mercy and thy truth reveal, And lend a gracious ear. 4. O teach our hearts to pray, And tune our lips to sing i Nor from thy presence cast away The sacrifice we bring. PUBLIC WORSHIP. 251 HYMN 369. l. m. 1. A WAY from ev'ry mortal care, J-*- Away from earth, our souls retreat ; We leave this worthless world afar, And wait and worship near thy seat. 2. Lord, in the temple of thy grace, We bow before thee and adore ; We view the glories of thy face, And learn the wonders of thy pow'r. 3. Whilst here our various wants we mourn, United pray'rs ascend on high ; And faith expects a sure return Of blessings in variety. -i. Father ! my soul would here abide ; Or, if my feet must hence depart, Still keep me, Father, near thy side, Still keep thy dwelling in my heart. HYMN 370. c. m. i.V ARLY, my God, without delay, -" I haste to seek thy face ; My thirsty spirit faints away, Without thy cheering grace. 2. So pilgrims on the scorching sand, Beneath a burning sky, Long for a cooling stream at hand, And they must drink or die. 3. I've seen thy glory and thy pcw'r Through all thy temple shine: My God, repeat that heav'nly hour^ That vision so divine. 4. Not all the blessings of a feast Can please my soul so well, tm PUBLIC WORSHIP. As when thy richer grace I taste, And in thy presence dwell. ^. Not life itself, with all her joys, Can my best passions move, Or raise so high my cheerful voice, As thy forgiving love. HYMN 371. p. m. 1. "DRAISE to God, the great Creator, -■- Bounteous source of all our joy ! He whose hand upholds all nature, He whose nod can all destroy. Saints, with pious zeal attending, Now the grateful tribute raise ; Solemn songs to heav'n ascending, Join the universal praise. 2. Round his awful footstool kneeling, Lowly bend with contrite souls ; Here, his milder grace revealing, Here his wrath no thunder rolls. Lo, the sacred page before us Bears the cov'nant of his love ; Full of mercy to restore us, Mercy beaming from above. 3. Ev'ry secret fault confessing, Deed unrighteous, thought of sin, Seize, O seize the proffer'd blessing, Grace from God and peace within. Heart and voice with rapture swelling, Still the song of glory raise ; On the theme immortal dwelling, Join the universal praise. HYMN 372. l. m. The Lord's day. 1 . A NOTHER six days' work is done. ■**- Another sabbath is begun : PUBLIC WORSHIP. 253 Return, my soul, enjoy thy rest, Improve the day thy God has blest. 3. Come, bless the Lord, whose love assigns So sweet a rest to wearied minds; Provides an antepast of heav'n, And gives this day the food of sev'n. 3. O that our thoughts and thanks may rise. As grateful incense, to the skies ; And draw from heav'n that sweet repose, Which none, but he who feels it, knows. 4. With joy, great God ! thy works we view In various scenes both old and new ; With praise we think on mercies past, With hope we future pleasures taste. 8. In holy duties let the day, In holy pleasures pass away. How sweet, a sabbath thus to spend, In hope of one that ne'er shall end. HYMN 373. l. m. l.T ORD of the sabbath ! hear our vows JLi On this thy day, in this thy house ; And own, as grateful sacrifice, The songs which from thy churches rise. 2. Thine earthly sabbaths, Lord ! we love ; But there's a nobler rest above. Thy servants to that rest aspire With ardent hope and strong desire. 3. There languor shall no more oppress; The heart shall feel no more distress ; No groans shall mingle with the songs, That dwell upon immortal tongues. *. No gloomy cares shall there annoy, No conscious guilt disturb our joy -9 Y 254 PUBLIC WORSHIP. But ev'ry doubt and fear shall cease, And perfect love give perfect peace. 5. When shall that glorious day begin, Beyond the reach of death or sin ; Whose sun shall never more decline, But with unfading lustre shine ! HYMN 374. c> m. 1. T^REQUENT the day of God returns, *- To shed its quick'ning beams i And yet how slow devotion burns ! How languid are its flames ! 2. Accept our faint attempts to love ; Our frailties, Lord ! forgive. We would be like thy saints above, And praise thee while we live. 3. Increase, O Lord ! our faith and hope, And fit us to ascend Where the assembly ne'er breaks up, The sabbath ne'er shall end ; 4. Where we shall breathe in heav'nly air, With heav'nly lustre shine ; Before the throne of God appear, And feast on love divine. HYMN 375. l. m. 1. QWEET is the work, my God, my King ! ^ To praise thy name, give thanks, and sing ; To show thy love by morning light, And talk of all thy truth at night. 2. Sweet is the day of sacred rest : No mortal care shall nil my breast ; My heart shall triumph in the Lord, And bless his works, and bless his word. PUBLIC WORSHIP. 266 3. And I shall share a glorious part, When grace hath well refin'd my heart, When doubts and fears no more remain, To break my inward peace again. 4. Then shall I see, and hear, and knowr All I desir'd or wish'd below ; And ev'ry pow'r find sweet employ In the eternal world of joy. HYMN 376, c. m. 1. PJ^HIS is the day the Lord hath made ; ■*- He calls the hours his own. Let heav'n rejoice, let earth be glad, And praise surround the throne. 2. To-day arose our glorious head, And death's dread empire fell, To-day the saints his triumph spread, And all its wonders tell. 3. Hosannah ! the anointed King Ascends his destin'd throne : To God your grateful homage bring, And his Messiah own. 4% Blest be the Lord, who came to men With messages of grace ; Who came in God his Father's name, To save our sinful race. 5. Hosannah in the highest strains The church on earth can raise ! The highest heav'ns, in which he reigns, Shall give him nobler praise. HYMN 377. s. m. i. A GAIN the Lord of light ■**■ Awakes the kindling ray ; 256 PUBLIC WORSHIP. Unseals the eyelids of the morn, And pours increasing day. 2. O what a night was that Which wrapt mankind in gloom ! O what a sun, which broke this day Triumphant from the tomb ! 3. This day be homage paid, And loud hosannahs sung ; Let gladness dweil in ev'ry heart, And praise on ev'ry tongue. 4. Ten thousand lips shall join To hail this welcome morn, Which scatters blessings from its wings To nations yet unborn. HYMN 378. o. m. i.TTAIL, happy morn! whose early my -■"■- Beheld the Saviour rise. Welcome again, auspicious day ! To our reviving eyes. 2. On this blest morn, birth-day of hope ! Let not one soul be sad. This is the day the Lord hath made, And bids his saints be glad. 3. Come, and the wonders of the day In notes harmonious sing ; Tell to the world the conquests gain'd By your victorious King. 4. O happy souls, that feel the pow'r Of his attractive love ! With him they die, with him they live, And seek the things above. PUBLIC WORSHIP. 251 HYMN 379. p. m. Close of the service, 1. T ORD, dismiss us with thy blessing ; " Fill our hearts with joy and peace 1 Let us each, thy love possessing, Triumph in redeeming grace. O refresh us, Traveling through this wilderness. 2. Thanks we give and adoration For thy gospel's joyful sound. May the fruits of thy salvation In our hearts and lives abound ! May thy presence With us evermore be found ! HYMN 380. p. m. 1. HPHANKS for mercies past receive ;. ■*- Pardon of our sins renew ; Teach us henceforth how to live, With eternity in view. 2. Bless thy word to old and young ; Grant us, Lord ! thy peace and love ; And, when life's short course is run, Take 113 to thy house above. HYMN 381. l. m. The Christian farewell. 1. rpHY presence, everlasting God ! -■- Wide through all nature spreads abroad : Thy watchful eyes, which never sleep, In ev'ry place thy children keep. 2. While near each other we remain, . Thou dost our lives and pow'rs sustain ; Y5 2tK BAPTISM. When sep'rate, we rejoice to share Thy counsels and thy gracious care. 3. To thee we now commit our ways, And still implore thy heav'nly grace. Still cause thy face on us to shine, And guard and guide us still as thine. 4. Give us, in thy beloved house, Again to pay our grateful vows ; Or, if that joy no more be known, Give us to meet around thy throne. XXIII. BAPTISM. HYMN 382. e. m. Of Adults. i. « "pROCLAIM," said Christ; « God's won -*- drous grace To all the sons of men : He who believes and is baptis'd, Salvation shall obtain." 2. Let plenteous grace descend on those? Who, hoping in his word, This day have publicly declar'd, That Jesus is their Lord. S. With cheerful feet may they go on, And run the Christian race ; And, in the troubles of the way, Find all-sufficient grace. BAPTISM. m 4r. And when the awful message comes, To call their souls away ; May they be found prepar'd to live In realms of endless day. HYMN 383. s. m. Bafitism of children. 1. T ORD ! what our ears have heard, L T Our eyes delighted trace, hy love in long succession shown To ev'ry virtuous race. 2. Our children thou dost claim, And mark them out for thine : Ten thousand blessings to thy name For goodness so divine ! 3. Thy cov'nant may they keep, And bless the happy bands. Which closer still engage their hearts To honour thy commands. 4. How great thy mercies, Lord ! How plenteous is thy grace, Which in the promise of thy love Includes our rising race ! 5. Our offspring, still thy care, Shall own their fathers' God, To latest times thy blessings share, And sound thy praise abroad. HYMN 384. c. m. i. ^EE Israel's gentle Shepherd stand, ^ With all-engaging charms ! Hark ! how he calls the tender lambs, And takes them in his arms ! 9 260 BAPTISM. 2. " Permit them to approach, (he cries) Nor scorn their humble name ; It was to save such souls as these, With pow'r and love I came." 3. We bring them, Lord, with grateful hearts, And yield them up to thee ; Rejoic'd that we ourselves are thine, Thine let our offspring be ! 4. Thus Lydia's 'house was sanctified, When she receiv'd the word ; Thus the believing jailor gave His family to the Lord. 5. Ye little flock, with pleasure hear ; Ye children, seek his face ; And fly with transport to receive The gospel of his grace. 6. If orphans they are left behind, Thy care, O God ! we trust ; And let thy promise cheer our hearts, If weeping o'er their dust. HYMN 385. c. m. Practical improvement of baptism, 1. A TTEND, ye children of your God, ■**- Ye heirs of glory, hear ; Let accents so divine as these Engage th' attentive ear : — 2. Baptis'd into your Saviour's death, Your souls to sin must die ; With Christ your Lord ye live anew, With Christ ascend on high. 3. Rise from these earthly trifles, rise, On wings of faith and love ; In heav'n your choicest treasure lies. And bg your hearts above. THE LORD'S SUPPER. 261 XXIV. THE LORDS SUPPER. HYMN 386. c. m. 1. pOME, let us join our souls to God *-' In everlasting bands ; And seize the blessings he bestows,' With eager hearts and hands. 2 . Come, let us seal, without delay, The cov'nant of his grace ; Nor shall the years of distant life Its memory efface. 3. Thus may our rising offspring haste To seek their fathers* God ; Nor e'er forsake the happy path Their youthful feet have trod. HYMN 387. l. m. 1. TpWAS on that dreadful, doleful night, -*- When the whole pow'r of darkness rose Against the Son of God's delight, And friends betray'd him to his foes ; 2. Before the mournful scene began, He took the bread, and bless'd, and brake : What love through all his actions ran ! What wondrous words of grace he spake ! 3. " This is my body broke for sin ; " Receive and eat the living food." Then took the cup and bless'd the wine : " 'Tis the new cov'nant in my blood." 264 THE LORD'S SUPPER. 4. " Do this (he cried) till time shall end, " In mem'ry of your dying friend : " Meet at my table, and record " The love of your departed Lord." HYMN 388. l. m. 1. "T^ AT, drink, in mem'ry of your friend !" -" Such was our Master's last request ; Who all the pangs of death endur'd, That we might live for ever blest. 2. Yes, we'll record thy matchless grace, Thou dearest, tend'rest, best of friends ! Thy dying love the noblest praise Of long eternity tranrcends. 3. 'Tis pleasure more than earth can give, Thy goodness through these veils to see. Thy table food celestial yields ; And happy tliey, who sit with thee. 4. But oh ! what vast transporting joys Shall fill our breasts, our tongues inspire, When, join'd with the celestial train, Our grateful souls thy love admire ! HYMN 389- l. m. 1. npHIS feast was Jesus' high behest, -*- This cup of thanks his last request. Ye, who can feel his worth, attend : Eat, drink, in mem'ry of your friend. 2. Around the patriot's bust ye throng ; Him ye exalt in swelling song ; For him the wreath of glory bind, Who freed from vassalage his kind. 3. And shall not he your praises reap, Who rescues from the iron sleep I THE LORD'S SUPPER. 268 The great Deliverer, whose breath Unbinds the captives ev'n of death ? 4. Shall he, who, sinful men to save, Became a tenant of the grave, Unthank'd, uncelebrated, rise, Pass unremember'd to the skies ? 5, Christians ! unite with loud acclaim, To hymn the Saviour's welcome name. On earth extol his wondrous love ; Repeat his praise in worlds above. HYMN 390. s. m. 1. TESUS invites his saints ** To meet around his board : Here those he died to save may hold Communion with their Lord. 2. Our heav'nly Father calls Christ and his members one : We are the children of his love, And he the first-born Son. 3. We are but sev'ral parts Of the same broken bread ; One body with its sev'ral limbs, But Jesus is the head. 4. Let all our pow'rs be join'd, His glorious name to raise : Pleasure and love fill ev'ry mind, And ev'ry voice be praise ! HYMN 391. cm. 1. VEfoll'wers of the Prince of peace, ■*■ Who round his table draw ! Remember what his spirit was, What his peculiar law. 264 THE LORD'S SUPPER. %. The love, which all his bosom fill'd, Did all his actions guide : Inspir'd by love, he livM and taught ; Inspir'd by love, he died. 3. And do you love him ? do you feel Your warm affections move ? This is the proof which he demands, That you each other love. 4. Let each the sacred law fulfil ; Like his be ev'ry mind; Be ev'ry temper form'd by love, And ev'ry action kind. 5. Let none, who call themselves his friends, Disgrace the honour'd name ; But by a near resemblance prove The title which they claim. HYMN 392. l. m. 1. TESUS is gone above the skies, ** Where our weak senses reach him not; And carnal objects court our eyes, To thrust our Saviour from our thought. 2. He knows, what wand'ring hearts we have, Apt to forget his lovely face ; And, to refresh our minds, he gave These kind memorials of his grace. 3. Let sinful sweets be all forgot, And earth grow less in our esteem ; Christ and his love fill ev'ry thought, And faith and hope be fix'd on him. 4. While he is absent from our sight, 'Tis to prepare our souls a place ; That we may dwell in heav'uly light, And live for ever near his face. THE LORD5* SUPPER. 206 HYMN 393. l. m. 1. 1TOW rich are thy provisions, Lord, -"- Thy table furnish'd from above 1 The fruits of life o'erspread the board ; The cup o'erflows with heav'nly love. 2. Thine ancient family, the Jews, Were first invited to the feast : We humbly take what they refuse, And Gentiles thy salvation taste. 3 . Let the vain world pronounce its shame, And fling their scandals on thy cause : We come to boast our Saviour's name, And make our triumphs in his cross. 4. With joy we tell the scoffing age : He, that was dead, hath left the tomb. He lives above their utmost rage, And we are waiting till he come. HYMN 394. l. m. 1. TBITE praise the Lord for heav'nly bread, * * With which his favour'd sons are fed j We praise thee for that heav'nly feast, Which Jesus with delight could taste. 2. He, while he sojourn'd here below, Had meat which strangers could not know. That meat he to his people gives ; And he, that tastes the banquet, lives, 3. So let us live, sustain'd by grace, Regal'd with fruits of righteousness. Enter our hearts, all-gracious Lord ! And sup with us, and deck thj board, 4. Devotion, faith, and zealous love, And hope that bears the soul above : Z 266 THE LORD'S SUPPER - Be these our dainties, till we rise, And taste the joys of paradise. HYMN 395. l. m. 1. ~\M Y God ! and is thy table spread ? -^-*- And does thy cup with love o'erflow ? Thither be all thy children led, And let them all its sweetness know. 2. O let thy table honour' d be, And furnish'd well with joyful guests ; And may each soul salvation see, That here its sacred pledges tastes. 3. Let crowds approach, with hearts prepar'd j With warm desire let all attend ; Nor, when we leave our Father's board, The pleasure or the profit end. 4. Revive thy dying churches, Lord ! And bid our drooping graces live ; And more that energy afford, A Saviour's death alone can give. 5. Nor let thy spreading gospel rest, Till through the world thy truth has run, Till with this bread ail men be blest Who see the light or feel the sun ! HYMN 396. c. m. 1." rpHE promise of my Father's love -*- « Shall stand for ever good :" He said, and gave his soul to death, And seal'd the grace with blood. Z. To this dear cov'nant of thy word I set my worthless name ; I seal th' engagement to my Lord, And make my humble claim. MORNING. 267 3. The light, and strength, and pard'ning grace, And glory, shall be mine ; My life and soul, my heart and flesh, And all my pow'rs are thine. 4. Sweet is the mem'ry of his name, Who biess'd us in his will, And to his testament of love Made his own life the seal. HYMN 397. c. u. 1. T3ITY the nations, O our God ! -■- Constrain the earth to come. Send thy victorious word abroad, And bring the strangers home. 2. We long to see thy churches full, That all thy faithful race May, with one voice and heart and soul, Sing thy redeeming grace. XXV. PARTICULAR OCCASIONS AND CIRCUMSTANCES. i. MORNING. HYMN 398. l. m. i- "\M Y God, how endless is thy love ! -LTA Thy gifts are ev'ry ev'ning new • And morning mercies from above Gently descend like early dew. 368 MORNING. 2. Thou spread' st the curtains of the night, Great Guardian of my sleeping hours ! Thy sov'reign word restores the light, And quickens all my drowsy pow'rs. 3. 1 yield myself to thy command ; To thee devote my nights and days. Perpetual blessings from thy hand Demand perpetual hymns of praise. HYMN 399. o. m. 1. F JOS ANN AH with a cheerful sound " To God'* upholding hand ! Ten thousand snares our path surround, And yet secure we stand. 2. How wondrous is that mighty pow'r,- Which form'd us with a word I And ev'ry day, and ev'ry hour, We lean upon the Lord. 3. The ev'ning rests our weary head, And mercy guards the room. We wake, and we admire the bed That was not made our tomb. 4. The rising morn cannot assure, That we shall end the day ; For death stands ready at the door, To take our lives away. 5. God is our sun, whose daily light Our joy and safety brings. Our feeble frame. lies safe at night Beneath his shady wings. HYMN 400. c. m. ' i, T ORD of my life ! O may thy praise -*-^ Employ my noblest pow'rs, MORNING. 269 Whose goodness lengthens out my days, And fills the circling hours ! 2. Preserved by thy almighty arm, I pass the shades of night, Serene and safe from ev'ry harm, And see returning light. 3. While many spent the night in sighs, And restless pains and woes, In gentle sleep I clos'd my eyes And undisturb'd repose. 4. When sleep, death's semblance, o'er me spread, And I unconscious lay ; Thy watchful care was round my bed, To guard my feeble clay. 5. O let the same almighty care My waking hours attend ; From ev'ry trespass, ev'ry snare, My heedless steps defend. 6. Smile on my minutes as they roll, And guide my future days ; And let thy goodness fill my soul With gratitude and praise. HYMN 401. l. m. 1. TN sleep's serene oblivion laid, -■- I safely pass'd the silent night : Again I see the breaking shade, I drink again the morning light. 2. New-born, I bless the waking hour ; Once more, with awe, rejoice to be : My conscious soul resumes her pow'r, And springs, my guardian God ! to thee, 3. O guide me through the various maze, My doubtful feet are doom'd to tread : Z5 270 MORNING. And spread thy shield's protecting blaze, Where dangers press around my head. 4. A deeper shade shall soon impend ; A deeper sleep my eyes oppress : Yet then thy strength shall still defend, Thy goodness still delight to bless. 8. That deeper shade shall break away ; That deeper sleep shall leave my eyes : Thy light shall give eternal day ; Thy love, the raptures of the skies. HYMN 402. l.m. 1. A WAKE, my soul ! and with the sun ■**- Thy daily stage of duty run ; Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise, To pay thy morning sacrifice. 2. By influ'nce of the light divine, Let thy own light to others shine; Reflect all heav'ns propitious rays* In ardent love and cheerful praise. 3. Lord ! I my vows to thee renew : Disperse my sins as morning dew ; Guard my first springs of thought and wilj, And with thyself my spirit fill. *. Direct, control, suggest, this day, All I design to do or say ;. That all my pow'rs, with all their might, In thy sole glory may unite. f. All praise to thee, who safe hast kept, And hast refresh'd me, while I slept ! Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,, I may of endless light partake. HYMN 403. e. m. i* ^j^O thee let my first offerings rise,, ■*• Whose sun creates my day ; EVENING. m Swift as his gladd'ning influ'nce flies, And spotless as his ray. 2. This day thy fav'ring hand be nigh., So oft vouchsaf 'd before ! Still may it lead, protect, supply, And I that hand adore. 8. If bliss thy Providence impart, For which, resign'd I pray : Give me to feel the grateful heart, That, without guilt, is gay. 4. Affliction shoulds't thou please to send", As sin's or folly's cure : Patient, to gain that blessed end, May I the means endure. 5. Be this and ev'ry future day Still wiser than the past ; That, from the whole of life's survey, I may find peace at last. 2. EVENING. HYMN 404. l. h. 1. A LL praise to thee, my God ! this night, ■*■■ For all the blessings of the light. Keep me, O keep me, King of kings! Beneath thy own almighty wings. 2. Forgive me, Lord, through thy dear Son, The ill that I have ever done ; That with the world, myself, and thee, I, e'er I sleep, at peace may be. 3. Teach me to live, that I may dread The grave as little as my bed ; To die, that this frail body may Rise glorious at the awful day. m% EVENING. HYMN 405- l. M. 1. HPHUS far the Lord has led me on ; *- Thus far his pow'r prolongs my days ; And ev'ry ev'ning shall make known Some fresh memorial of his grace. 2. Much of my time has run to waste, And I, perhaps, am near my home : But he forgives my follies past, And strength supplies for days to come. 3. I lay my body down to sleep ; Peace is the pillow of my head : His ever- watchful eye will keep Its constant guard around my bed. 4. Faith in his name forbids my fear : O may thy presence ne'er depart ! And in the morning may I bear Thy loving kindness on my heart ! HYMN 406. c. m. i. TNDULGENT God ! whose bounteous care -*- O'er all thy works is shown : O let my grateful praise and pray'r Ascend before thy throne. 2. What mercies has this day bestow'd ! How richly hast thou bless'd ! My cup with plenty overflow'd, With cheerfulness my breast. 3. Now may sweet slumbers close my eyes, From pain and sickness free ; And let my waking thoughts arise, To meditate on thee. 4*. So bless each future day and night, Till life's fond scene is o'er ; EVENING. 373 And then to realms of endless light O let my spirit soar ! HYMN 407. c. m. 1. T ORD ! thou wilt hear me, when I pray ; -^ I am for ever thine : I fear before thee all the day, Nor would I dare to sin. 2. And, while I rest my weary head, From cares and business free ; 'Tis sweet conversing on my bed With my own heart and thee. 3. I pay this ev'ning sacrifice ; And, when my work is done, Great God, my faith and hope relies Upon thy grace alone. HYMN 408. p. m. 1. TNTERVAL of grateful shade, -* Welcome to my weary head ! Welcome, slumber, to my eyes, Tir'd with glaring vanities. .2. My great Master still allows Needful periods of repose : By my heav'nly Father blest, Thus, I give my pow'rs to rest. 3. Heav'nly Father ! gracious name i Night and day his love the same ! Far be each suspicious thought, Ev'ry anxious care forgot ! 4-. Thou, my ever-bounteous God ! Crown'st my days with various good. Thy kind eye, which cannot sleep, My defenceless hours shall keep, m NEW-YEAR. 5. What if death my sleep invade ? Should I be of death afraid ? While encircled by thine arm, Death may strike, but cannot harm. 6. With thy heav'nly presence blest, Death is life, and labour rest. Welcome sleep or death to me, Still secure, for still with thee ! 3. NEW-YEAR. HYMN 409. l. m. V OREAT God ! we sing that mighty hand, " By which supported, still we stand. The op'ning year thy mercy shows : Let mercy, crown it, till it close. 2. By day, at night, at home, abroad, Still we are guarded by our God ; By his incessant bounty fed, By his unerring counsel led. 3. With grateful hearts the past we own ; The future, all to us unknown, We to thy guardian-care commit, And, peaceful, leave before thy feet. 4. In scenes exalted or depress'd, Be thou our joy, and thou our rest : Thy goodness all our hopes shall raise, Ador'd through all our changing days. 5. When death shall interrupt our songs, And seal in silence mortal tongues ; Our helper God, in whom we trust, In better worlds our souls shall boast, NEW-YEAR. 27 HYMN 410. l. m. 1. f* OD of our lives ! thy constant care ^-* With blessings crowns each op'ning year. These lives, so frail, dost thou prolong, And wake anew our annual song. 2. How many precious souls are fled To the dark regions of the dead, Since, from this day, the changing sun Through his last yearly course has run ! 3. We yet survive : but who can say, Or through the year, or month, or day, I shall retain my vital breath, Thus far at least in league with death ? 4. That breath is thine, eternal God ! 'Tis thine to fix the soul's abode. « We hold our lives from thee alone, On earth, or in the world unknown. 5. To thee we all our pow'rs resign ; Make us and own us still as thine : Then shall we smile, secure from fear, Though death should blast the rising year. 6. Thy children, eager to be gone, Bid time's impetuous tide roll on, And land them on that blooming shore Where years and death are known no more. HYMN 411. cm. 1. TJEMARK, my soul ! the narrow bounds -*-*J Of the revolving year. How swift the weeks complete their rounds i How short the months appear ! 2. So fast eternity comes on, And that important day, 276 PUBLIC BLESSINGS When all that mortal life has done God's judgment shall survey. 3. Yet like an idle tale we pass The swift advancing year ; And study artful ways t\ increase The speed of its career. 4. Waken, O God ! my trifling heart, Its great concern to see ; That I may act the Christian part, And give the year to thee. 9. Thus shall their course more grateful run, If future years arise ; And bear me, swift as time can move, To joy that never dies. * PUBLIC AND NATIONAL BLESSINGS AND AFFLICTIONS. HYMN 412. l. m. Thanksgiving1. l.T>RAISE, happy land ! Jehovah's name ; -*- His goodness, and thy bliss proclaim. For thee each blessing largely flows, That freedom's lib'ral hand bestows. 2. Thy children are secure and blest ; Thy shores have peace, thy cities rest ; He feeds thy sons with finest wheat, And adds his blessing to their meat. 3. Thy changing seasons he ordains, Thine early and thy latter rains ; His flakes of snow like wool he sends# And well the springing corn defends. AND AFFLICTIONS. 4. But he hath nobler works and ways, To call his people to his praise : To all our land his laws are shown ; His gospel's through the nation known. HYMN 413. p. m. 1. 1TOW rich thy gifts, Almighty King I -*-*- From thee our varied comforts spring : Th' extended trade, the fruitful skies, The blessings liberty bestows, Th' eternal joys the gospel shows. — All from thy boundless goodness rise. 2. Here commerce spreads the wealthy store, That pours from ev'ry foreign shore ; Science and art their charms display : Religion teaches us to raise Our voices to our Maker's praise, As truth and conscience point the way. 3. With grateful hearts, with joyful tongues, To God we raise united songs ; His pow'r and mercy we proclaim : This land through ev'ry age shall own* Jehovah here has fix'd his throne, And triumph in his mighty name. 4. Long as the moon her course shall run, Or man behold the circling sun, O still may God amidst us reign : Crown our just counsels with success, With peace and joy our borders bless, And all our sacred rights maintain. HYMN 414. c. m. National security from God. 1 . TN vain opposing nations rage, •*- If God with us abide : A A 278 PUBLIC BLESSINGS One word of his dissolves their strength, And humbles all their pride. 2. His wisdom sees correction meet ; He gives the dread command, And war its desolation spreads Through ev'ry trembling land. 3. His purpose wrought, again he speaks, And desolations cease ; War's loud alarms are heard no more, And all the world is peace. 4. Mortals, adore his sov'reign pow'r, Nor dare provoke his rod : Through all your various tribes be still, And know that he is God. HYMN 415. l. m. In time of war. 1. ^l/f'HILE sounds of war are heard around, And death and ruin strew the ground To thee we look, on thee we call, The Parent and the Lord of all. 2. Thou, who hast stamp'd on human kind The image of a heav'n-born mind, And in a Father's wide embrace Hast cherish'd all the kindred race : 3. O see, with what insatiate rage Thy sons their impious battles wage ; How spreads destruction like a flood, And brothers shed their brothers' blood ! 4. See guilty passions spring to birth, And deeds of hell deform the earth ; Whilst righteousness and justice mourn, And love and pity droop forlorn. AND AFFLICTIONS. 279 b. Great God I whose pow'rful hand can bind The raging waves, the furious wind : O bid the human tempest cease, And hush the madd'ning world to peace. 6. With rev'rence may each hostile land Hear and obey that high command, Thy Son's blest errand from above :— " My creatures, live in mutual love \" HYMN 416. s. m. 1. C* OD, to correct the world, " In wrath is slow to rise ; But comes at length, in thunder cloth'd, And darkness veils the skies. 2. His banners, lifted high, The nations' God declare, And, stain'd with blood, with terrors mark'd, Spread wonder and despair. 3. All earthly pomp and pride Are in his presence lost ; Empires o'erturn'd, thrones, sceptres, crownf In wild confusion tost. 4. While war and woe prevail, And desolation wide; In God, the sov'reign Lord of all, The righteous still confide. 5. Mysterious is the course Of his tremendous way : His path is in the trackless winds, And in the foaming sea. 6. Yet, though now wrapt in clouds, And from our view conceaPd, The righteous Judge will soon appear, In majesty reveal'ci ! £80 PUBLIC BLESSINGS 7. He'll curb the lawless pow'r, The deadly wrath of man ; And all the windings will unfold Of his own gracious plan. $. The sons of tyranny In ruin shall be hurl'd ; And light, and liberty, and bliss, Embrace the new-born world. HYMN 417. l.-m. i. ^ come, behold a scene of dread ! " Behold a world with slaughter spread { And know, 'tis God who bids each land Thus feel the terrors of his hand. 2. 'Tis his again the earth to cheer, To break the bow, to snap the spear, To wrap in flames the glitt'ring car, And hush the tumult of the war. 8. Behold us, Lord! oppress'd with woe, As exil'd from thy care we go : Rebuk'd for sin, chastis'd by thee, Grant us again thy face to see. 4. O thou, the God whom we adore ! Our breaches heal, our peace restore. Our hope, on man repos'd in vain, O let thy strength, great God ! sustain. 5. The objects of thy tend*rest love O save, propitious from above ! Let us with them thy mercy share ? And hear, O hear our ceaseless pray'r. HYMN 418. l. m. 4. "I1TE feel thy awful chast'ning rod, * ™ Thy sovereign justice we adore ; AND AFFLICTIONS. Ml Yet we approach thy feet, O God, Thy boundless mercy to implore. 2. Teach us to mourn for all our guilt ; May reformation fill the land ; No more may human blood be spilt, But love and joy each heart expand. 3. To thee, O Lord, to thee alone, We look for help, while drown'd in tears. Send down salvation from thy throne ; Subdue our hearts, remove our fears. £. Unite our souls to trust thy grace ; Portentous, angry clouds dispel ; Let party -feuds no more have place^ Nor tongues be u set on fire ot hell.'* 5. May the kind spirit of thy Son Preside and rule in evYy soul ; That wars may cease, thy will be done, And praise resound from poie to pole. HYMN 419. c m. Prayer for victory over invading foes* i. C\ Lord, our fathers oft have told, " In our attentive ears, Thy wonders in their days performed, And in more ancient years. 2. 'Twas not their courage, nor their sword To them salvation gave ; 'Twas not their number, nor their strength, That did their country save. 3. But thy right hand, thy pow'rful arm; Whose succour they implor'd ; Thy Providence protected those, Who thy great name ador'd. A a 5 383 PUBLIC BLESSINGS 4. As thee, their God, our fathers own'd, So thou art still our King. O therefore, as thou didst to them, To us delfv'rance bring. 5. To thee, the glory we'll ascribe, From whom salvation came ; In God our shield we will rejoice, And ever bless thy name. HYMN 420. l. m. f • I^OW may the God of grace and pow V -L* Attend his people's humble cry ; Defend them in the needful hour, And send deliv'rance from on high. 3. In his salvation is our hope ; And in the name of Israel's God, Our troops shall lift their banners up, Our navies spread their flags abroad. 3. Some trust in horses train'd for war, And some of chariots make their boast ; Our surest expectations are From thee, the Lord of heavenly hosts. 4. Now save us, Lord, from slavish fear ; Now let our hope be firm and strong ; Till thy salvation shall appear, And hymns of peace conclude our song*. HYMN 421. l. m. Public Humiliation. i. pi REAT framer of unnumber'd worlds, " And whom unnumber'd worlds adore ! Thy goodness all thy creatures share, And nature trembles at thy pow/r.. AND AFFLICTIONS, 28; 2. While suppliant crowds implore thine aid, To thee we raise the humble cry : Thine altar is the contrite heart ; Thine incense a repentant sigh. 3. But if injustice grind the poor, Or av'rice stain the sordid hand, Or stern ambition thirst for blood, Or rude oppression waste the land : 4. The God, who hears the orphan's cry, The martyr's pray'r, and pris'ner's groan, Still list'ning to the poor opprest, Would spurn th' oppressor from his throne. 9. Yet, though enormous crimes abound, Should but a genuine sorrow rise ; And, as new troubles threaten round 'Midst wasting wars and angry skies, 6\ Should, in her sober hour, our land Confess thy hand and bless the rod r Thou still wouldst love to be her friend, Who lov'd to own thee as her God. HYMN 422, c. m 1. VirHEN Abrah'm, full of sacred awe, * ^ Before Jehovah stood, And, with an humble fervent pray'r, For guilty Sodom sued ; 2. With what success, what wondrous grace, Was his petition crown'd ! The Lord would spare, if in this place Ten righteous men were found. 3. And could a single pious soul So rich a boon obtain ? Good God ! and shall agnation cry, And plead with thee in vain • 28* PUBLIC BLESSINGS 4. Are not the righteous clear to thee Now, as in ancient times ? Or does this sinful land exceed Gomorrah in her crimes ! 5. Still we are thine, we bear thy name ; Here yet is thine abode. Long has thy presence blest our land : Forsake us not, O God ! 6. O may our people, rulers, priests, Thy choicest blessings share ; And know thee by that glorious name, " The God who heareth pray'r I" HYMN 423. c. m. i.npHY gracious favour, Lord ! display, -*- Which we have long implor'd ; And, for thy wondrous mercies sake, Thy wonted aid afford. 2. God's answer patiently I'll wait ; For he, with glad success, If they no more to folly turn, His morning saints will bless. 3. To all, that fear his holy name, His sure salvation's near ; And in its former happy state, Our nation shall appear. 4. Truth from the earth shall spring, whilst heav'n Shall streams of justice pour; And God, from whom all blessings flow, Shall endless plenty show'r. HYMN 424. l. m. Praise for deliverance and fieace. l.TJRAISE to the Lord, who bows his ear -t Propitious to his people's pray'r ; AND AFFLICTIONS. sas And, though deliv'rance long delay, Answers in his well chosen day. 2. Salvation doth to God belong ; His pow'r and grace shall be our song ; The tribute of our love we bring To thee our Saviour and our King. 3. Our temples, guarded from the flame, Shall echo thy triumphant name ; And ev'ry peaceful private home To thee a temple shall become. 4. Still be it our supreme delight, To walk as in thy honour' d sight ; Still in thy precepts and thy fear, Till life's last hour, to persevere. 5. O when shall time the period bring, When peace shall stretch her balmy wing O'er ev'ry land and ev'ry shore, And raging war shall waste no more ! 1 HYMN 425. l. m. TT AD not the Lord, may Israel say, -■"■- Had not the Lord maintain'd our side, When men, to make our lives a prey, Rose like the swelling of the tide ; 2. The swelling tide had stopt our breath, So fiercely did the billows roll : We had been swallow'd up in death ; The waters had o'erwhelm'd our soul. 3. For ever blessed be the Lord, Who broke the fowler's deadly snare ; Who sav'd us from the threat'ning sword, And made our lives his watchful care. 1. Our help is in Jehovah's name, Who form'd the earth and built the skies ; 286 PUBLIC BLESSINGS Who still upholds all nature's frame, And guards his church with wakeful eyes4 HYMN 426. p. u. i. MOW let our songs address the God of peace, -^ Who bids the tumult of the battle cease ; The pointed spears to pruning hooks he bends, And the broad falchion in the plough-share ends. His pow'rful word unites contending nations In kind embrace and friendly salutations. 2. While we beneath our vines and fig-trees sit, Or thus within thy sacred temple meet, Accept, great God ! the tribute of our song, And all the mercies of this day prolong. Then spread thy peaceful word thro' ev'ry nation, That all the earth may hail thy great salvation. HYMN 427. cm. 1. T>E ACE ! the welcome sound proclaim ; -*- Dwell with rapture on the theme. Loud, still louder swell the strain : Peace on earth ! good-will to men ! 2. Breezes ! whisp'ring soft and low, Gently murmur as ye blow, Now, when war and discord cease, Praises to the God of peace. 3. Ocean's billows ! far and wide, Rolling in majestic pride ! Loud, still louder swell the strain : Peace on earth 1 good-will to men I 4. Vocal songsters of the grove ! Sweetly chant in notes of love, Now, when war and discord cease, Praises to the God of peace. FOR A CONGREGATION. 2h: 5. Mortals, who these blessings feel ! Christians who before him kneel ! Loud, still louder swell the strain : Peace on earth, good-will to men ! 5. FOR A CONGREGATION. HYMN 428- l. m. On opening a new place of worship. 1. A ND will the great eternal God ■**• On earth establish his abode ? And will he from his radiant throne Regard our temples as his own ? 2. We bring the tribute of our praise ; And sing that condescending grace, Which to our notes will lend an ear, And call us sinful mortals near. 3. Our Father's watchful care we bless, Which guards our house of pray'r in peace, That no tumultuous foes invade, To fill the worshippers with dread. 4. These walls we to thy honour raise : Long may they echo with thy praise ; And thou, descending, fill the place With choicest tokens of thy grace. 5. And in the great decisive day, When God the nations shall survey, May it before the world appear, That crowds were born to glory here ! HYMN 429. p. m. I. TN sweet exalted strains ■*- The King of glory praise : 28S FOR A CONGREGATION. O'er heav'n and earth he reigns, Through everlasting days. He with a nod the world controls, Sustains or sinks the distant poles. 2. To earth he bends his throne, His throne of grace divine ; Wide is his bounty known, And wide his glories shine. Fair Saiem, still his chosen rest, Is with his smiles and presence blest. 3. Then King of glory ! come ; And with thy favour crown This temple as thy dome, This people as thy own. Within this house O deign to show, How God can dwell with men below. 4. Here may thine ears attend Our interceding cries, And grateful praise ascend All fragrant to the skies. Here may thy word melodious sound, And spread the joys of heav'n around. 5. Here may th* attentive throng Imbibe thy truth and love ; And converts join the song Of Seraphim above ; And willing crowds surround thy board. With sacred joy and sweet accord. 6. In peace, here may our sons And daughters sound thy praise j And shine like polish'd stones, Through long succeeding days. Here, Lord 1 display thy saving pow'r, While churches stand and saints adore, FOR A CONGREGATION. 2S» HYMN 430. l. m. At the crdination or settlement of a minuter. 1. HPHUS spake the Saviour, when he sent -*- His ministers to preach his word ; They through the world obedient went, And spread the gospel of their Lord. 2. " Go forth, ye heralds, in my name ; Bid the whole earth my grace receive ; The gospel jubilee proclaim, And call them to repent and live. 3. u The joyful news to all impart, And teach them where salvation lies; Bind up the broken bleeding heart, And wipe the tear from weeping eyes. 4. ** Be wise as serpents where you go, But harmless as the peaceful dove ; And let your heav'n-taught conduct show, That you're commission'd from above. 5. " Freely from me ye have receiv'd ; Freely in love to others give : Thus shall your doctrines be believ'd, And by your labour sinners live." 6. Happy those servants of the Lord, Who thus their Master's will obey ! How rich, how full is their reward, Reserv'd until the final day ! HYMN 431. l. m. 1. |~"1 RE AT Lord of angels ! we adore " The grace that builds thy courts below ; And, midst ten thousand sons of light, Stoops to regard what mortals do I Bb 290 FOR A CONGREGATION. 2. Amidst the wastes of time and death, Successive pastors thou dost raise, Thy kingdom and thy truth to spread, And form a people for thy praise. 3. At length, dismiss'd from feeble clay, Thy servants join th' angelick band, With them thro* distant worlds they fly, With them before thy presence stand. 4*. O blest employment ! glorious hope ! Sweet lenitive of grief and care ! When shall we reach those radiant courts, And all their joys and honours share ? 5. Yet while these labours we pursue, Tho* distant from thy heav'nly throne, Give us a zeal and love like theirs, And half their heav'n shall here be known. HYMN 432. l. m. On the dangerous sickness of a minister. 1. &\ thou, before whose gracious throne V We bow our suppliant spirits down ! Thou know'st the anxious cares we feel, And all our trembling lips would tell. 2. Avert thy desolating stroke, Nor smite the shepherd of the flock ; Restore him, sinking to the grave ; Stretch out thine arm, make haste to save. 3. But if our supplications fail, And pray'rs and tears cannot prevail : Be thou his strength, be thou his stay ; Support him through the gloomy way. 4. Around him may thy angels stand, Waiting the signal of thy hand, SICKNESS AND RECOVERY. 291 To bid his happy spirit rise, And bear him to their native skies. HYMN 433. c. m. For a vacant congregation on the death of its minister. 1. ^VTOW let our drooping hearts revive, -^ And let our tears be dry : Why should those eyes be drown'd in grief, Which view a Saviour nigh ? 2. Though earthly shepherds dwell in dust, The aged and the young ; The watchful eye in darkness clos'd, And mute th' instructive tongue : 3. Th' eternal shepherd still survives, New comfort to impart. His hand still guides us, and his voice Still animat&s our heart. 4. The pow'rs of nature, Lord ! are thine, And thine the aids of grace. Thine arm has borne thy churches up, Through ev'ry rising race. 5. Exert thy sacred influ'nce here ; Thy mourning servants bless. O change to strains of cheerful praise Their accents of distress. 6. SICKNESS AND RECOVERY. HYMN 434. c. m. CONSIDER all my sorrows, Lord ! And thy deliverance send. My soul for thy salvation faints ; When will my troubles end ? 292 SICKNESS AND RECOVERY. 2. Yet I have found, 'tis good for me To bear my Father's rod : Afflictions make me learn thy law, And live upon my God. 3. This is the comfort I enjoy, When new distress begins ; I read thy word, I run thy ways, And hate my former sins. 4>. Had not thy word been my delight, When earthly joys were fled ; My soul, oppress'd with sorrow's weight* Had sunk amongst the dead. 3 . 1 know, thy judgments, Lord! are right, Though they may seem severe. The sharpest sufferings I endure Flow from thy faithful care. HYMN 435. s. u. 1. "OEACE, my complaining heart ! ■f- Ye busy cares, be still ! Adore the just, the sov'reign Lord, Nor murmur at his will. 2# 'Tis wisdom guides his hand ; Nor dares my guilty fear, Amidst the sharpest pains I feel, Pronounce his hand severe, 3, To soften ev'ry stroke, Indulgent mercy bends ; And, unrepining when I plead, His gracious ear attends. 4. Let me reflect with awe, Whene'er my heart complains : Compar'd with what my sins deserve^ How easy are my pains ! SICKNESS AND RECOVERY. 293 5. Yes, Lord, I own thy hand, Thou just, and wise, and kind ! Be ev'ry anxious thought supprcss'd, And all my soul resign'd. HYMN 436. c. m. l.~TJISEASES are thy servants, Lord I *J They come at thy command. I'll not attempt a murm'ring word Against thy chastening hand. 2. I'm but a sojourner below, As all my fathers were : May I be well prepar'd to go, When I the summons hear. 3. But, if my life be spar'd awhile, Before my last remove : Thy praise shall be my business stilly And 1*11 declare thy love. HYMN 437. c. m. 1. ~\ g~Y soul, the awful hour will come, -i-*-*- Apace it passeth on, To bear this body to the tomb, And thee to scenes unknown. 2. My heart, long lab' ring with its woes, Shall pant and sink away; And you, my eye-lids, soon shall close On the last glimm'ring ray. 3. Whence in that hour shall I receive A cordial for my pain, When, if earth's monarchs were my friends* ■ Those friends would weep in vain ? 4. Great King of nature and of grace ! To thee my spirit flies, Bb 5 29* SICKNESS AND RECOVERY And opens all its deep distress Before thy pitying eyes. 8. All its desires to thee are known, And ev'ry secret fear ; The meaning of each broken groan Well-notic'd by thine ear. 6. O fix me by that mighty pow'r, Which to such love belongs, Where darkness veils the eyes no more, And groans are chang'd to songs. HYMN 438. p. m. On recovering1 from disease. t. TJOW vast is the tribute I owe ■"■ Of gratitude, homage, and praise^ To the giver of all I possess, The life and the length of my days ! 2. When the sorrows I boded were come, I pour'd out my sighs and my tears ; And to him, who alone can relieve, My soul breath'd her vows and her pray*r&» 3. When my heart throbb'd with pain and alarm? When paleness my cheek overspread, When sickness pervaded my frame ; — Then my soul on my Maker was staid. *. When death's awful image was nigh, And no mortal was able to save ; Thou didst brighten the valley of death, And illumine the gloom of the grave. i. In mercy thy presence dispels The shades of calamity's night, And turns the sad scene of despair To a morning of joy and delight. SICKNESS AND RECOVERY. 296 6. Great source of my comforts restor'd ! Thou healer and balm of my woes ! Thou hope and desire of my soul ! On thy mercy I'll ever repose, 7. How boundless the gratitude due To thee, O thou God of my praise ! The fountain of all I possess, The life and the light of my days ! HYMN 439. l. m. 1. ~C*IRM was my health, my day was bright, *■ And I presum'd 'twould ne'er be night*; Fondly I said within my heart, Pleasure and peace shall ne'er depart. 2. But I forgot, thine arm was strong, Which made my mountain stand so long ; And, when thy face was turn'd aside, My health was gone, my comforts died. 3. Hear me, O God of grace ! I said, And raise me from among the dead. Thy word rebuk'd the pains I felt ; Thy pard'ning love remov'd my guilt. 4. 1 will extol thee, Lord, on high : At thy command diseases fly. Who but a God can speak and save From the dark borders of the grave ? 5. Thine anger but a moment stays ; Thy love is life and length of days. Though grief and tears the night employ, The morning-star restores the joy. HYMN 440. c. m. 1. T love the Lord ; he heard my cries, ■*- And pity'd ev'ry groan : ^96 SICKNESS AND RECOVERY* Long as I live, when troubles rise, I'll hasten to his throne. 2. 1 love the Lord ; he b'ow'd his ear, And chas'd my griefs away. O let my heart no more despair, While I have breath to pray ! 8. Among the saints that fill thine house. My off'ring shall be paid ; There shall my zeal perform the vows My soul in anguish made. 4. The Lord beheld me sore distrest ; He bade my pains remove. Return, my soul, to God, thy rest ; For thou hast known his love. HYMN 441. c. m. i. QOVREIGN of life, I own thy hand ^ In ev'ry chast'ning stroke ; And, while I smart beneath thy rod, Thy presence I invoke. 2. To thee in my distress I cried, And thou hast bow'd thine ear. Thy pow'rful word prolong'd my life^ And brought salvation near. 3. Unfold the gates of righteousness, That, with the pious throng, I may record my solemn vows, And tune my grateful song. 4. Praise to the Lord, whose gentle hand Renews our lab' ring breath ! Praise to the Lord, who makes his saints Triumphant ev'n in death. 5. My God ! in thine appointed hour, Those heav'nly gates display, SICKNESS AND RECOVERY. 29I Where pain and sin, and fear and death, For ever flee away. (J. There, while the nations of the bless'd With raptures bow around ; My anthems to deliv'ring grace In sweeter strains shall sound. HYMN 442. c. m. 1. "ll^HEN o'er the trodden paths of life " * Backwards I turn mine eyes : What varied scenes throughout the road Awaken my surprise ! 2. Thousands, to whom my natal hour Imparted vital breath, Just look'd on life, and clos'd their eyes In the fast sleep of death. 3. Thousands, who climb'd to manhood's stage, Safe through unnumber'd snares, Travell'd not far, before they sunk Amidst its thorns and cares. 4. Follow'd, through ev'ry changing stage, With goodness all my days : Deny me not a heart to love, A tongue to speak thy praise. §. Ten thousand thousand thanks to thee Echo along the road. O may I join those endless songs, That fill thy blest abode. 7. ON THE DEATH OF RELATIVES OR FRIENDS. HYMN 443. l. m. 1. rpHE God of love will sure indulge *- The flowing tear, the heaving sigh, 398 ON THE DEATH OF When righteous persons fall around, When tender friends and kindred die. 2. Yet not one anxious murm'ring thought Should with our mourning passions blend ; Nor should our bleeding hearts forget Th' almighty ever-living Friend. 3. Parent, Protector, Guardian, Guide ! Thou art each tender name in one. On thee we cast our ev'ry care, And comfort seek from thee alone. 4. Our Father God, to thee we look, Our rock, our portion, and our Friend ! And on thy gracious love and truth Our sinking souls shall still depend. HYMN 444. o. m. 1. IkM, UST friends and kindred droop and die, -L'A And helpers be withdrawn ; While sorrow, with a weeping eye, Counts up our comforts gone ? 2. Be thou our comfort, mighty God ! Our helper and our friend ; Nor leave us in this dang'rous road, Till all our trials end. 3. O may our feet pursue the way Our pious fathers led ; While love and holy zeal obey The counsels of the dead. 4. Let us be wean'd from earthly joys ; Let hope our grief dispel : The dead in Jesus shall arise, In endless bliss to dwell. RELATIVES OR FRIENDS. 299 HYMN 445. c. u. On the death of a young' person. 1. VffHEN blooming youth is snatch'd away ™ " By death's resistless hand : Our hearts the mournful tribute pay, Which pity must demand. 2. While pity prompts the rising sigh, O may this truth, imprest With awful pow'r, — I too must die, Sink deep in ev'ry breast. 3. Let this vain world delude no more ; Behold the gaping tomb : It bids us seize the present hour ; To-morrow death may come. 4. The voice of this alarming scene May ev'ry heart obey ; Nor be the heav'nly warning vain, Which calls to watch and pray. HYMN 446. c. m. On the death of a child. 1. T IFE is a span, a fleeting hour ; -" How soon the vapour flies ! Man is a tender transient flow'r, That ev'n in blooming dies. 2. Death spreads like winter's frozen arms, And beauty smiles no more. Ah ! where are now those rising charms, Which pleas'd our eyes before ? 3. The once lov'd form, now cold and dead, Each mournful thought employs ; And nature weeps her comforts fled, And wither'd all her joys. 300 ON THE DEATH OF 4. But wait the interposing gloom, And lo ! stern winter flies ; And, drest in beauty's fairest bloom, The flow'ry tribes arise. 0. Hope looks beyond the bounds of time., When what we now deplore Shall rise in full immortal prime, And bloom to fade no more. 6. Then cease, fond nature ! cease thy tears ; Religion points on high : There everlasting spring appears, And joys that cannot die. HYMN 447. c. m. 1. VE mourning saints, whose streaming tears -*■ Flow o'er your children dead : Say not in transports of despair, That all your hopes are fled. 2. While, cleaving to that darling dust, In fond distress ye lie ; Rise, and with joy and rev'rence view A heav'nly Parent nigh. 3. " I'll give the mourner," saith the Lord, " In my own house a place ; il No names of daughters and of sons " Could yield so high a grace. 4. u Transient and vain is ev'ry hope " A rising race can give. « In endless honour and delight, " My children all shall live," 5. We welcome, Lord ! those rising tears, Through which thy face we see ; And bless those wounds, which, thro' our hearts, Prepare a way for thee. RELATIVES OR FRIENDS. 3ti HYMN 448. l. m. On the death of a parent. i.PpHOUGH nature's voice you must obey, •*■ Think, while your swelling griefs o'erflow, That hand, which takes your joys away, That sov'reign hand can heal your woe. 2. And, while your mournful thoughts deplore The parent gone, remov'd the friend ! With hearts resign'd, his grace adore, On whom your nobler hopes depend. 3. Does he not bid his children come Through death's dark shades to realms of light? Yet, when he calls them to their home Shall fond survivors mourn their flight ? 4. His word — here let your souls rely— Immortal consolation gives : Your heav'nly Father cannot die, Th' eternal Friend for ever lives. 5. O be that best of friends your trust ; On his almighty arm recline. He, when your comforts sink in dust, Can give you comforts more divine. HYMN 449. l. m. The orphan's prayer. 1. f\ hear me, Lord ! on thee I call, " And prostrate at thy footstool fall ; Propitious in my cause appear, And bow to my request thine ear. 2. Look down, my only hope ! look down , Behold me, but without a frown : And ne'er to my desiring eye Thy presence, heav'nly Lord I deny, Cc 302 FOR THE YOUNG, 3. O let me, on thy aid reclin'd, Thee still my great salvation find ; Nor leave me, helpless and forlorn, The absence of thy grace to mourn. 4. Though, doom'd the orphan's lot to bear, No father's kind concern I share, Nor o'er me wakes a mother's eye My wants attentive to supply :— 5. Adopted by thy care, in thee The Parent and the Friend I see ; And, nourish'd by thy fos'tring hand, Within thy courts secure I stand. s. FOR THE YOUNG, AND OLB. HYMN 450. l. m. Youth instructed. 1. 4^HILDREN, in years and knowledge young, \L Your parents' hope, your parents' joy i Attend the counsels of my tongue : Let pious thoughts your minds employ. 2. If you desire a length of days, And peace to crown your mortal state : Restrain your feet from wicked ways, Your lips from slander and deceit. 3. The eyes of God regard his saints ; His ears are open to their cries : He sets his frowning face against The sons of violence and lies. 4. To humble souls and broken hearts, God with his grace is ever nigh : Pardon and hope his love imparts, When men in deep contrition lie. AND OLD. 303 HYMN 4,51. c. m. l.TTAPPY is he, whose early years ■*■■*• Receive instruction well ; Who hates the sinner's path, and fears The road that leads to hell. 2. "Fis easier work, if we begin To serve the Lord betimes ; While sinners, who grow old in sin, Are harden'd by their crimes. 3. It saves us from a thousand snares, To mind religion young : With joy it crowns succeeding years, And makes our virtue strong. 4*. To thee, almighty God ! to thee Our hearts we now resign : 'Twill please us, to look back and see, That our whole lives were thine ! 9. Let the sweet work of pray'r and praise Employ our daily breath : Thus we're prepar'd for future days, Or fit for early death. HYMN 452. l. m. 1. ]yrOW, in the heat of youthful blood, -^ Remember your Creator, God. Behold, the months come hast'ning on, When you shall say, " my joys are gone." 2. God from on high beholds your thoughts ; His book records your secret faults : The works of darkness men have done Must all appear before the sun. 3. Behold, the aged sinner goes, leaden with guilt and heavy woes. 301 FOR THE YGtfNft, Down to the regions of the dead, With bitt'rest curses on his head. 4. The dust returns to dust again ; The soul, in agonies of pain, Ascends to God, not there to dwell, But hears her doom, and sinks to hell. 3. God of the young ! turn off their eyes From earth's alluring vanities ; And let the warnings of thy word Awake their souls to fear the Lord 1 HYMN 453. s. m. 1. T\riTH humble heart and tongue, ™ My God ! to thee I pray : O let me learn, whilst I am young, How I may cleanse my way. 3. Make an unguarded youth The object of thy care ; Help me to choose the path of trutl^, And fly from ev'ry snare. 3. My heart, to folly prone, Inspire with love divine ; Unite it to thyself alone, And make me wholly thine. 4. O let thy word of grace My warmest thoughts employ ; Be this, through all my following days, My treasure and my joy. 5. To what thy laws impart Be my whole will inclin'd ; O let them dwell within my heart, And sanctify my mind. 0. May thy young servant learn, By these to cleanse his way ; AND OLD *05 And may Inhere the path discern That leads to endless day. HYMN 454. c. m. Prayer of the aged. 1. A/| Y God, my everlasting hope \ -*-*-*- I live upon thy truth ; Thy hands have held my childhood up, And strengthen'd all my youth. 2. My frame was fashion'd by thy pow'r, And shows thy skill divine ; And from my mother's painful hour, I've been entirely thine. 3. Still has my life new wonders seen, In each revolving year : Behold, my days that yet remain, I trust them to thy care. i. Cast me not off, when strength declines-, When hoary hairs arise : And round me let thy glory shine, Whene'er thy servant dies. HYMN 455, c. m. 1. T^TERNAL Sire, enthron'd on high ! -" Whom heav'nly hosts adore, Who yet to suppliant dust art nigh : Thy presence I implore. 2* Wilt thou forsake my hoary hairs, And leave my fainting heart ? Who shall sustain my sinking years, If God, my strength, depart ? 3. O guide me down the steep of age', And keep my passions cool ; Cc5 306 THE TROUBLES OF LIFE Teach me to scan the sacred page, And practise ev'ry rule. 4. Let me thy pow'r and truth proclaim To the surviving age ; And leave a savour of thy name, When I shall quit the stage. o. That solemn day is hast'ning on ; My frame must soon decay. My friends, my youth's companions gone, Can I expect to stay ? 6. My God! O smooth the mortal hour; On thee my hope depends. Support me with almighty pow'r, While dust to dust descends. 7. Then let my soul, O gracious Gtid^ Ascend to realms of day ; And in that sacred blest abode Its endless anthems pay. XXVI THE TROUBLES OF LIFE. HYMN 456. P. M . i. "ORAISE to God, immortal praise *- For the love that crowns our days : Bounteous source of ev'ry joy ! Let thy praise our tongues employ. % All, that spring, with bounteous hand> Scatters o'er the smiling land j All, that lib'ral autumn pours From her rich o'erflowing store's : THE TROUBLES OF LIFE. S07 3. These to thee, our God ! we owe, Source whence all our blessings flow 1 And for these our souls shall raise Grateful vows and solemn praise. 4. Yet should rising whirlwinds tear From its stem the rip'ning ear ; Should the fig-tree's blasted shoot Drop her green untimely fruit : 5. Should the vine put forth no more, Nor the olive yield her store : Though the sick'ning flocks should fall, And the herds desert the stall : 6. Should thine alter'cl hand restrain Vernal show'rs and latter rain, Blast each op'ning bud of joy, And the rising year destroy : 7. Yet to thee our souls shall raise Grateful vows and solemn praise ; And, when ev'ry blessing's flown, Love thee — for thyself alone ! HYMN 457. s. M. LIS various as the moon •**- Is man's estate below : To his bright day of gladness soon Succeeds a night of woe. 2. The night of woe resigns Its darkness and its grief; Again the morn of comfort shines, And brings our souls relief. 3. Yet not from fickle chance These varying scenes arise : Our dark and brighter hours advance, By laws supremely wise. 308 THE TROUBLES OF LIFE. 4. God measures out to all Their lot of good and ill ; Nor this too great, nor that too small, Ordain'd by heav'n's high will. 5. Hopeful and humble bear Thy evil and thy good ; Nor by presumption, nor despair, Weak mortal, be subdu'd. HYMN 458. p.m. 1. "OROVIDENCE, profusely kind, -*- Wheresoe'er you turn your eyes, Bids you with a grateful mind View a thousand blessings rise. 2. Thankful own what you enjoy : But a changing world like thisf Where a thousand fears annoy, Cannot give you perfect bliss. S. Perfect bliss resides above, Far above yon azure sky ; Bliss, that merits all your love, Merits ev'ry anxious sigh. 4. What like this has earth to give ? O ye righteous ! in your breast Let the admonition live, Nor on earth desire to rest. 5. When your bosom heaves a sigh, Or your eye emits a tear, Let your wishes rise on high, Ardent rise to bliss sincere. '■H0, HYMN 459. s. fe OW gracious and how wise s our chastising God ! THE TROUBLES OF LIFE. 309 And O ! how rich the blessings are, That blossom from his rod 1 2. He lifts it up on high, With pity in his heart ; That ev'ry stroke his children feel May grace and peace impart. 3. Instructed thus, they bow And own his sov'reign sway ; They turn their erring footsteps back To his forsaken way. 4. His cov'nant love they seek, And seek the happy bands That closer still engage their hearts-, To honour his commands. 5. Submissive, Lord! we yield To discipline divine, And bless the pains that make us still More uniformly thine. HYMN 460. l. m. 4. T^ATHER ! I bless thy gentle hand : -*- How kind was thy chastising rod, That forc'd my conscience to a stand, And brought my wand'ring soul to God I 2. Foolish and vain I went astray, Ere I had felt thy scourges, Lord \ I left my guide, and lost my way ; But now I love and keep thy word. 3. 'Tis good for me to wear the yoke, For pride is apt to rise and swell ; 'Tis good to bear my Father's stroke, That I might learn his statutes well. 4. The law, that issues from thy mouth, Shall raise my cheerful passions more 310 THE TROUBLES OF LIFE. Than all the treasures of the south, Or western hills of golden ore. 5. Thy hands have made my mortal frame, Thy spirit form'd my soul within : Teach me to know thy wondrous name, And guard me safe from death and sin. 8. Then all, that love and fear the Lord, At my salvation shall rejoice ; For I have trusted in thy word, And made thy grace my only choice. HYMN 461. l. m. 4. T¥OW well our great Preserver knows, -■"■- To weigh and to relieve our woes ! Behold his wrath's avenging blast, How slow to rise, how soon o'erpast ! 2. How prompt his favour to dispense Its life -imparting influence ! How speedy his paternal love Our deep afflictions to remove I 3. Grief for anight, obtrusive guest, Beneath our roof perhaps may rest; But joy, with the returning day, Shall wipe each transient tear away, 4. With what delight, great God, I trace The acts of thy stupendous grace ! To count them, were to count the sand That lies upon the sea-beat strand. HYMN 462. c. m. 1. "VpAKED as from the earth we came -^ And crept to life at first, Wc to the earth return again, And mingle with our dust. THE TROUBLES OF LIFE. 311 2. 'Tis God, who lifts our comforts high, Or sinks them in the grave. He gives ; and, blessed be his name, He takes but what he gave. 3. Peace, all our angry passions then ; Let each rebellious sigh Be silent at his sov'reign will, And ev'ry murmur die. 4. If smiling mercy crown our lives, Its praises shall be spread ; Nor will we call unjust the hand, That strikes our comforts dead. HYMN 463. l. m. 1. HHHE darken'd sky, how thick it low'rs ! -■- Troubl'd with storms, and big with show'rs ; No cheerful gleam of light appears, But nature pours forth all her tears. 2. Yet let the sons of grace revive : God bids the soul, that seeks him, live ; And, from the gloomiest shade of night, Calls forth a morning of delight. 3. The seeds of ecstacy unknown Are in these water'd furrows sown. See the gr£en blades, how thick they rise, And with fresh verdure bless our eyes ! 4. In secret foldings they contain Unnumber'd ears of golden grain ; And heav'n shall pour its beams around, Till the ripe harvest load the ground. 5. Then shall the trembling mourner come, And find his sheaves and bring them home ; The voice, long broke with sighs, shall sing, Till heav'n with hallelujahs ring. U2 THE TROUBLES OF LIFE. HYMN 464. l. m. l."\/|Y God, whose all-pervading eye ■U-* Views earth beneath, and hesrv'n above Witness, if here or there thou seest An object of mine equal love. 3. Not the gay scenes, where mortal men Pursue their bliss and find their woe, Detain my rising heart, which springs The nobler joys of heav'n to view. 3. Fix'd near th' immortal seat of bliss, Dauntless, and joyous, it surveys Each form of horror and distress, That all its deadliest foes can raise. 4. This feeble flesh shall faint and die, This heart renew its pulse no more ; Ev'n now it views the moment nigh, When life's last movements all are o'er. 5. But come, thou vanquished King of dread ! With thy own hand thy pow'r destroy. 'Tis thine to bear me to my God, My portion, my eternal joy. HYMN 465. c. m. 1. HHHE evils that beset our path, ■*- Who can prevent or cure ? We stand upon the brink of death, When most we seem secure. 2. If we to-day sweet peace possess, It soon must be withdrawn ; Some change may plunge us in distress* Before to morrow's dawn. 3. Disease and pain invade our health,. And find an easy prey ; THE TROUBLES OF LIFE. 315 And oft, when least expected, wealth Takes wings and flies away. 4. Since sin has fill'd the world with woe, And creatures fade and die ; Lord ! wean our hearts from things below, And fix our hopes on high ! HYMN 466. l. m. 1. T^EARY of these low scenes of night, ™ " My fainting heart grows sick of time, Sighs for the dawn of sweet delight, Sighs for a distant happier clime. 2. 'Tis just, 'tis right : thus he ordains^ Who form'd this animated clod ; That needful cares, instructive pains, May bring the restless heart to god. 3. In him, my soul ! behold thy rest j Nor hope for bliss below the sky. Come, resignation, to my breast, And silence ev'ry plaintive sigh. 4. Then cheerful shall my heart survey The toils and dangers of the road ; And patient keep the heav'nly way, Which leads me homeward to my God. HYMN 467. C M. f^ RE AT Ruler of all nature's frame, " We own thy pow'r divine ; We hear thy breath in ev'ry storm, For all the winds are thine. Wide as they sweep their sounding way, They work thy sov'reign will ; And, aw'd by thy majestic voice* Confusion shall be still. Dd 314 THE TROUBLES OF LIFE. 3. Thy mercy tempers ev'ry blast To those who seek thy face ; And mingles, with the tempest's roar, The whispers of thy grace. 4. Let me those gentle whispers hear, Till all the tumult cease ; Sicep in thine arms, and wake in realms Of everlasting peace ! HYMN 468. l. m. 1. TV/g Y God, my hope ! if thou art mine, J.tJB. "w hy should my soul with sorrow pine ? On thee alone I cast my care : O leave me not in dark despair. 2. Though ev'ry comfort should depart, And life forsake this drooping heart ; One smile from thee, one blissful ray, Can chase the shades of death away. 3. My God, my Life ! if thou appear, Not death itself can make me fear. Thy presence cheers the sable gloom, And gilds the horrors of the tomb. 4. Not all its horrors can affright, If thou appear, my God, my light ! Thy love shall all my fears control, And glory dawn around my soul. 1, HYMN 469. l. m. QHOULD famine o'er the mourning field ^ Extend her desolating reign, Nor spring her blooming beauties yield, Nor autumn swell the fruitful grain : THE TROUBLES OF LIFE. 3itf % Should lowing herds, and bleating sheep, Around their famish'd master die ; And hope itself despairing weep, While life deplores its last supply : 3. Amid the dark, the deathful scenef If I can say, the Lord is mine ! The joy shall triumph o'er the pain, And glory dawn, though life decline. 4. The God of my salvation lives ; My nobler life he will sustain ; His word immortal vigour gives, Nor shall my glorious hopes be vain. 5. Thy presence, Lord, can cheer my heart, Though ev'ry earthly comfort die ; Thy smile can bid my pains depart, And raise my sacred pleasures high. 6. O let me hear thy blissful voice, Inspiring life and joys divine I The barren desert shall rejoice ; *Tis paradise, if thou art mine. L HYMN 470. s. m, ORD, in this vale of tears, What various woes we feel ! Diseases, pains, and doubts, and fears, Surround thy children still. 2, What dangers fill the road ! What storms, and tempests roar \ But we march onward to our God, And trust his guardian pow'r. 3. No lasting comfort's found Through this long wilderness : But when we reach the heav'nly ground, Pleasures shall never cease. *16 DEATH. 4. Support us in the way, Lord ! let our faith be strong ; Direct our footsteps, lest we stray.. And guard our souls along. 5. Death shall convey us home ; Thither our hearts aspire : There no disease shall ever come, But joy shall be entire. HYMN 471. l.m. 1, PglHQU, Lord, through ev'ry changing scene;, -■- Hast to thy saints a refuge been : Through ev'ry age, eternal God, Their pleasing home, their safe abode. Si. Lo, we are ris'n, a feeble race, Awhile to fill our father's place : Our helpless state with pity view, And let us share their refuge too. 3. Through all the thorny paths we trace In this uncertain wilderness, When friends desert, and foes invade, Revive our heart and guard our head. 4. So, when this pilgrimage is o'er, And we shall dwell in flesh no more, To thee our sep'rate souls shall come, And find in thee a surer home. XXVII. DEATH. H HYMN 472. c m. ARK ! from the tombs a doleful sound ; My ears attend the cry : DEATH. 317 a Ye living men, come, view the ground, " Where you must shortly lie. 2. " Princes, this clay must be your bed, " In spite of all your towers ! " The tall, the wise, the rev'rend head, " Must lie as low as our's." 3. Great God ! is this our certain doom ? And are we still secure ? Still walking downward to the tomb, And yet prepare no more ! -*. Grant us the pow'r of quick'ning grace, To fit our souls to fly : Then, when we drop this dying flesh. We'll rise above the sky. HYMN 473. c. m. 1. HpEACH me the measure of my days, ■*■ Thou Maker of my frame ! I would survey life's narrow space, And learn how frail I am. 2. A span is all that we can boast ; A fleeting hour of time. Man is but vanity and dust, In all his flow'r and prime. 3. See the vain race of mortals movey Like shadows o'er the plain : They rage and strive, desire and love, But all the noise is vain. 4. Some walk in honour's gaudy show ; Some dig for golden ore ; They toil for heirs they know not who, And straight are seen no more* Dd 5 aiff DEATH. 5. What should I wish or wait for^theii, From creatures, earth and dust I They make our expectations vain. And disappoint our trust. 6. Now I resign my earthly hope, My fond desires recall ; I give my mortal int'rest up, And make my God my all. HYMN 474. e. m. 1. PJpHEE we adore, eternal Name ! ■*■ And humbly own to thee, How feeble is our mortal frame, What dying worms are we. %. Our wasting lives are shortening still. As months and days increase ; And ev'ry beating pulse we tell Leaves but the number less. 3. Dangers stand thick through all the ground. To push us to the tomb ; And fierce diseases wait around? To hurry mortals home. 4. Good God 1 on what a slender thread. Hang everlasting things ! Th' eternal states of all the dead, Upon life's feeble strings. h. Yet while a world of joy or woe Depends on ev'ry breath, Thoughtless and unconcern'd we go Upon the brink of death. €. Waken, O Lord ! our drowsy sense? To walk this dang'rous road ; And if our souls are hurried hence* May they be found with God ! DEATH. 319 HYMN" 475. l. m. 1. n^HAT awful hour will soon appear, -■- Swift on the wings of time it flies, When all that pains or pleases here, Will vanish from my closing- eyes. 2. Death calls my friends, my neighbours hence, And none resist the fatal dart. Continual warnings strike my sense : And shall they fail to strike my heart ? 3. Think, O my soul ! how much depends On the short period of to-day : Shall time, which heav'n in mercy lends, Be negligently thrown away ? 1. Thy remnant minutes strive to use ; Awake, rouse ev'ry active pow'r ; And not in dreams and trifles lose This little, this important hour ! *. Lord of my life, inspire my heart With heav'nly ardour, grace divine ; Nor let thy presence e'er depart, For strength, and life, and death are thine, $. O teach me the celestial skill, Each awful warning to improve ; And, while my days are short'ning still, Prepare me for the joys above I HYMN 476. s. m. t. XTOW swift the torrent rolls, -*--*- That bears us to the sea ! The tide that bears our thoughtless souls To vast eternity ! 3. Our fathers, where are they, With all they caii'd their own I 320 DEATH. Their joys and griefs, and hopes and cares, And wealth and honour, gone. 3. There, where the fathers lie, Must all the children dwell ; Nor other heritage possess, But such a gloomy cell. 4. God of our fathers I hear, Thou everlasting friend ! While we, as on life's utmost verge, Our souls to thee commend. 3. Of all the pious dead May we the footsteps trace ; Till with them, in the land of light. We dwell before thy face. '£>' HYMN 477. l. m. 1. "DEHOLD the path which mortals tread -*-* Down to the regions of the dead ! Nor will the fleeting moments stay, Nor can we measure back our way. 2. Our kindred and our friends are gone ; Know, O my soul, this doom thy own. Feeble as theirs thy mortal frame, The same thy way, thy home the same, 3. From vital air, from cheerful light, To the cold grave's perpetual night, — From scenes of duty, means of grace, Must I to God's tribunal pass ! 4. Awake, my soul 1 thy way prepare, And lose in this each meaner care ; With steady feet that path be trod, Which, thro' the grave, conducts to GocL DEATH. 321 9. Father ! to thee my all I trust ; And, if my flesh return to dust, *Tis thy decree, I bless thy hand, And die resign'dto thy command. HYMN 478. l. m. 1. |~1 OD of eternity ! from thee " Did infant time his being draw ; Moments and days, and months and years, Revolve, by thy unvaried law. 2. Silent and slow they glide away ; Steady and strong the current flows ; Lost in eternity's wride sea, The boundless gulf from which it rose. 3. Thoughtless and vain, our mortal race Along the mighty stream are borne On to their everlasting home, — That country whence there's no return. 4. Yet while the shore on either side Presents a gaudy ftatt'ring show, We gaze, in fond amazement lost, Nor think to what a world we go. 5. Great source of wisdom ! teach my heart To know the price of ev'ry hour ; That time may bear me on to joys Beyond its measure and its pow'r, HYMN 479. s. m. 1. nPHE swift declining day, *- How fast its moments fly ! While ev'ning's broad and gloomy shade Spreads o'er the western sky. 322 DEATH. 2. Ye mortals ! mark its pace ; Improve the hours of light ; And know, your Maker can command An instantaneous night. 3. His word blots out the sun In its meridian blaze, And cuts from smiling vig'rous youth The remnant of its days. 4. On the dark mountain's brow Your feet shall quickly slide ; And from its airy summit dash Your momentary pride. 5. Give glory to the Lord, Who rules the rolling sphere ; Submissive at his footstool bow, And seek salvation there. 6. One thing demands your care : O be it still ^ursu'd ! Lest, slighted once, the season fair Should never be renew'd. JIXM.fl 480. s. m. 1. nPO -morrow, Lord, is thine, -*- Lodg'd in thy sov'reign hand ; And if its sun arise and shine, It shines by thy command. 2. Our moments fly apace, Nor will a minute stay : Just like a flood our hasty days Are sweeping us away. 3. Well, if our days must fly, We'll keep their end in sight ; We'll spend them all in wisdom's way, And let them speed their flight, DEATH. 323 4. They'll waft us sooner o'er This life's tempestuous sea : Soon we shall reach the peaceful shore Of blest eternity. HYMN 481. l. u. 1. HTIIE morning flow'rs display their sweets, -*■ And gay their silken leaves unfold, As careless of the noon-day heats, And fearless of the ev'ning cold. 2. Nipt by the wind's'untimely blast," Parch'd by the sun's directer ray, The momentary glories waste, The short-liv'd beauties die away. 3. So blooms the human face divine, When youth its pride and beauty shows ; Fairer than spring the colours shine, And sweeter than the virgin rose. 4. Or worn by slowly rolling years, Or broke by sickness in a day, The fading glory disappears, The short-liv'd beauties die away. 5. Yet these, new-rising from the tomb, With lustre brighter far shall shine ; Revive with ever-during bloom, Safe from diseases and decline. 6. Let sickness blast and death devour, If heav'n must recompense our pains ; Perish the grass, and fade the flow'r, If firm the word of God remains. . QUR ^ Ou HYMN 482. c m. God ! our help in ages past, r hope for years to come, 324 DEATH. Our shelter from the stormy blast. And our eternal home ! 2. Before the hills in order stood. Or earth receiv'd her frame, From everlasting thou art God, To endless years the same ! 3. Thy word commands our flesh to dust, " Return, ye sons of men." All nations rose from earth at first, And turn to earth again. 4. The busy tribes of flesh and blood, With all their hopes and fears, Are carried downwards by the flood. And lost in foll'wing years. 5. Our God ! our help in ages past, Our hope for years to come I Be thou our guard, while troubles last, And our eternal home. HYMN 483. C. M. 1. T ORD ! we adore thy wondrous name; -*-^ And make that name our trust, Which rais'd at first this curious frame From mean and lifeless dust. 2. Awhile these frail machines endure, The fabric of a day ; Then, know their vital pow'rs no more., But moulder back to clay. 3. Yet, Lord ! whate'er is felt or fear'd, This thought is our repose, That he, by whom our frame was rear'd, Its various frailties knows. 4. Thou view'st us with a pitying eye, While struggling with our load; DEATH. ?** In pains and dangers thou art nigh, Our Father, and our God. 5. Gently supported by thy love, We tend to realms of peace ; Where ev'ry pain shall far remove, And ev'ry weakness cease. HYMN 484. s. u, ' 1.TIEHOLD the gloomy vale, " Which thou, my soul, must tread, Beset with terrors fierce and pale, That leads thee to the dead. 2. Ye pleasing scenGs, adieu ! Which I so long have known. My friends, a long farewell to you ! For I must pass alone. 3. But see ! a ray of light, With splendours all divine, Breaks through these dreary realms of night, And makes its horrors shine. 4. Where death, where darkness reigns, Jehovah is my stay : His rod my trembling feet sustains, His staff defends my way. 5. Great Shepherd ! lead me on ; My soul disdains to fear. Death's gloomy phantoms all are flown. Now life's great Lord is near. HY~MN 485. c. m. i, T-TOW still and peaceful is the grave ! J. I. Where, life's vain tumults past, Th' appointed house, by heavVs decree. Receives us all at last. Ee 326 DEATH. 2. The wicked there from troubling cease j There passions rage no more ; And there the weary pilgrim rests From all the toils he bore. 3. There rest the pris'ners, now releas'd From slavery's sad abode ; No more they hear th' oppressor's voice, Or dread the tyrant's rod. 4. There, servants, masters, small and great, Partake the same repose ; And there, in peace, the ashes mix Of those who once were foes. 5. All, levell'd by the hand of death, Lie sleeping in the tomb ; Till God, in judgment, call them forth, To meet their righteous doom. HYMN 486. c. m. 1. A WAKE, ye saints I and raise your eyes, ■**- And raise your voices high : Awake, and praise your Maker's love, Which shows salvation nigh. 2. Swift on the wings of time it flies ; Each moment brings it near : Then welcome each declining day, Welcome each closing year ! 3. Not many years their round shall run, Nor many mornings rise, Ere all its glories stand reveaPd To our admiring eyes. 4. Ye wheels of nature ! speed your course ; Ye mortal pow'rs ! decay : Sure as ye bring the night of death, Ye bring eternal day. DEATH. 327 HYMN 487. c. m. 1. TlfHILE to the grave our friends are borne, * Around their cold remains How all the tender passions mourn, And each fond heart complains ! 2. But down to earth, alas ! in vain We bend our weeping eyes. Ah ! let us leave these seats of pain, And upwards learn to rise. 3. Hope cheerful smiles amid the gloom, And beams a healing ray ; And guides us from the darksome tomb, To realms of endless day. 4. To those bright courts when hope ascends, She calms the swelling woe ; In hope we meet our happy friends, And tears forget to flow. 5. Then let our hearts repine no more, That earthly comfort dies ; But lasting happiness explore, And ask it from the skies. HYMN 48S. c. be. 1."1I^"HEN death appears before my sight, * * In all his dire array ; Unequal to the dreadful tight, My courage dies away. 52. How shall I meet this potent foe, Whose frown my soul alarms ? Dark horror sits upon his brow, And vict'ry waits his arms. 3, But see my glorious Leader nigh ! Jesus, my Saviour, lives : 328 DEATH. Before him death's pale terrors fly, And my faint heart revives. 4. O may I meet the final hour With fortitude divine ! Sustain'd by God's almighty pow'r, The conquest must be mine. 5. Lord ! I commit my soul to thee : Accept the sacred trust ; Receive this nobler part of me, And watch my sleeping dust. %. O let me join angelick lays, And, with the blissful throng, Resound salvation, pow'r, and praise, In everlasting song ! HYMN 489. l. m. 1 . "Vlf^HEN all the pow'rs of nature fail, * * When sickness shall my heart assail, Shall ev'ry nobler part pervade, And ev'ry earthly wish shall fade : 2. When pain, of ev'ry nerve possest, Shall vibrate in my throbbing breast ; And languor o'er my senses steal, And med'cine lose its pow'r to heal : 3. When my dim eyes are sunk in death, And God, who gave, shall take my breath : Do thou sustain my fainting heart, And comfort to my soul impart. 1. May thy bright presence bring relief Prom fear, despondency, and grief; Thy cheering voice direct my way To regions of eternal day ! DEATH. 329 HYMN 490. p. m. 1. XI rHEN life's tempestuous storms are o'er, " How calm he meets the friendly shore, Who liv'd averse from sin ! Such peace on virtue's path attends, That, where the sinner's pleasure ends, The Christian's joys begin. 2. See smiling patience smooth his brow ! See bending angels downwards bow, To lift his soul on high ! While, eager for the blest abode, He joins with them to praise the God, Wo taught him how to die. 3. No sorrow drowns his lifted eyes ; No horror wrests the struggling sighs, As from the sinner's breast : His God, the God of peace and love5 Pours kindly solace from above, And heals his soul with rest. 4. O grant, my Saviour and my friend ! Such joys may gild my peaceful end, So calm my ev'ning close ; While, loos'd from ev'ry earthly tie, With steady confidence I fly To thee from whom I rose ! HYMN 491. c. m. i- "JTARK ! from on high a solemn voice ; -"- Let all attentive hear ! 'Twill make each pious heart rejoice, And vanquish ev'ry fear. 2. " Thrice blessed are the pious dead, Who in the Lord shall die ; Their weary flesh, as on a bed, Safe in the grave shall lie. E.e 5 330 DEATH. 3. " Their holy souls, at length releas'd, To heav'n shall take their flight ; There to enjoy eternal rest, And infinite delight. 4. " They drop- each load as they ascend,. And quit this world of woe ; Their labours with their lives shall end, Their rest no period know. 5. " Their conflicts with their busy foes For evermore shall cease ; None shall their happiness oppose, Nor interrupt their peace. 6. " But bright rewards shall recompense Their faithful service here ; And perfect love shall banish thence Each gloomy doubt and fear." HYMN 492. l. i*. The dying Christian. I. HpHE hour of my departure's come ; •*- I hear the voice that calls me home At last, O Lord ! let trouble cease, And let thy servant die in peace. 3. The race appointed I have run ; The combat's o'er, the prize is won ; And now my witness is on high, And now my record's in the sky. .3. Not in mine innocence I trust ; I bow before thee in the dust; And through my Saviour's blood alone, I look for mercy at thy throne. 4. 1 leave the world without a tear, Save for the friends I held so dear. DEATH. 331 To heal their sorrow, Lord, descend, And to the friendless prove a friend. 5. I come, I come at thy command ; I give my spirit to thy hand ; Stretch forth thine everlasting arms, And shield me in the last alarms ! 6. The hour of my departure's come ; I hear the voice that calls me home : Now, O my God ! let trouble cease, Now let thy servant die in peace. HYMN 493. p. m. 1. TXITAL spark of heav'nly flame,' * Quit, O quit this mortal frame ! Trembling, hoping, lingering, flying : O the pain, the bliss of dying ! Cease, fond nature, cease thy strife, And let me languish into life. 2. Hark ! they whisper ; angels say, " Sister spirit, come away." What is this absorbs me quite, Steals my senses, shuts my sight, Drowns my spirit, draws my breath ? Tell me, my soul, can this be death ? 3. The world recedes ; it disappears. Heav'n opens on my eyes ; my ears With sounds seraphic ring. Lend, lend your wings : I mount, I fly O grave, where is thy victory ? O death, where is thy sting ? 332 RESURRECTION. XXVIII. RESURRECTION. HYMN 494. p. m. 1. |7 TERNAL God ! how frail is man I -" How few his hours, how short his span i Short, from the cradle to the grave. Who can secure his vital breath Against the bold demands of death, With skill to fly or pow'r to save ? 2. But shall it, therefore, Lord ! be said, The race of man was only made For sickness, sorrow, and the dust ? Or if thy servants, day by day, Sink to their graves and turn to clay, Thou hast no kindness for the just ! 3. Hast thou not given to thy Son An endless life, a heav'nly crown ? Why then should flesh and sense despair ? For everblessed be the Lord, That we can read his holy word, And find a resurrection there. 4. For ever blessed be the Lord, Who gives his saints a long reward For all their toil, reproach, and pain. Let all below and all above Join to proclaim thy wondrous love, And each repeat their loud " Amen." HYMN 495. c. m. 1. TJOW long shall death, the tyrant, reign, -*--*- And triumph o'er the just, While the rich blood of martyrs slain Lies mingled with the dust ? RESURRECTION. 333 2. Lo ! I behold the scatter'd shades! The dawn of heav'n appears : The sweet, immortal morning spreads Its blushes round the spheres. 3. I hear the voice, " ye dead, arise,'* And lo ! the graves obey ; And waking saints with joyful eyes Salute th' expected day. 4. They leave the dust, and on the wing Rise to the mid-way air ; In shining garments meet their King, And bow before him there. 5. O may our humble spirits stand Among them cloth'd in white ! The meanest place at his right hand Is infinite delight. HYMN 496. l. m. 1. "I^ATHER of all ! my soul defend : •*■ On thee my steadfast hopes depend. Thee let me bless, the faithful guide, Whose counsels o'er my life preside. 2. Though to the grave I must descend, (For thus has heav'n's high will ordain'd) Yet hope e'en there, my constant guest, Shall smooth the pillow of my rest. 3. Though death awhile reign o'er my frame. Thou from the grave my life wilt claim ; And, to my eyes, in full survey, The op'ning paths of life display : 4. Those paths that to thy presence bear ; For plenitude of bliss is there ; And pleasure's streams, unmix'd with woe, At thy right hand for ever flow, 334 RESURRECTION. HYMN 497'. l. m. 1. "O/'HAT sinners value, I resign : * " Lord ! 'tis enough, that thou art mine ! I shall behold thy blissful face, And stand complete in righteousness. 2. This life's a dream, an empty show ; But the bright world, to which I go, Hath joys substantial and sincere : When shall I wake and find me there ! 3. O glorious hour ! O blest abode ! I shall be near, and like my God ; And flesh and sin no more control The sacred pleasures of the soul. 4. My flesh shall slumber in the ground, Till the last trumpet's joyful sound ; Then burst the chains with sweet surprize, And in my Saviour's image rise. HYMN 498. l. m. 1. ^\TO, I'll repine at death no more ; -*^ But, calm and cheerful, will resign To the cold dungeon of the grave, These dying, with'ring limbs of mine. 2. JLet worms devour my wasting flesh, And crumble all my bones to dust ; My God shall raise my frame anew At the revival of the just. 3. Break, sacred morning ! through the skies, And usher in that glorious day. Come quickly, Lord ! cut short the hours : Thy lingering wheels, how long they stay ! RESURRECTION. 3&5 HYMN 499. s. m. 1. A ND must this body die ? ■**• This well-wrought frame decay ? And must these active limbs of mine Lie mouid'ring in the clay ! 2 God, my Redeemer, lives, And ever from the skies Looks down, and watches all my dust, Till he shall bid me rise. 3. Array 'd in glorious grace, Shall all his servants shine ; And, fashion'd like their ris'n head, Be heav'nly and divine. 4. These lively hopes we owe To Jesus' dying love : O may we bless his grace below, And sing his grace above ! XXIX. JUDGMENT AJNTD END OF THE WORLD. HYMN 300. C- M. 1. TTEAV'N has confirm'd the great decree -*--*- That Adam's race must die : One gen'ral ruin sweeps them down, And low in dust they lie. 2. Ye living men, the tomb survey, Where you must quickly dwell. 336 JUDGMENT AND END Hark, how the awful summons sounds , a In ev'ry fun'ral knell ! 3. Once you must die, and once for all : The solemn purport weigh ; For know, that heav'n and hell are hung On that important day. 4. Those eyes, so long in darkness veil'd, Must wake, the Judge to see ; And ev'ry word, and ev'ry thought Must pass his scrutiny. B. O may I in the Judge behold My Saviour and my friend ; And far beyond the reach of death With all his saints ascend ! HYMN 501. l. m. 1. "V/f Y waken'd soul, extend thy wings -*-"■*- Beyond the ve^ge of mortal things ; See this vain world in smoke decay, And rocks and mountains melt away. 2. Behold the fiery deluge roll Through heav'n's wide arch from pole to pole ! Pale sun, no more thy lustre boast ; Tremble and fall, ye starry host. 3. The wreck of nature all around, The angel's shout, the trumpet's sound, Loud the descending Judge proclaim, And echo his tremendous name. 4. Children of Adam, all appear With rev'rence round his awful bar ; For, as his lips pronounce, ye go To endless bliss or unknown woe. 5. Lord ! to my eyes the scene display, Frequent through each returning dayj OF THE WORLD. 837 And let thy grace my soul prepare To meet its full redemption there ! HYMN 502, c. m. i. rpHE day approaches, O my soul ! -*- The great decisive day, Which from the verge of mortal life Shall bear thee far away. 2. Auotlierday more awful dawns, And, lo, the Judge appears. Ye heav'ns, retire before his face ; And sink, ye darken'd stars. 3. Yet does one short preparing hour, One precious hour remain : Rouse thee, my soul, with all thy pow'r, Nor let it pass in vain. 4. With me, my brethren soon must die, And at his bar appear f Then be our intercourse improv'd To mutual comfort here, B. For this, thy temple, Lord ! we throng \ For this, thy board surround. Here may our service be approval, And in thy presence crown'd. HYMN 503. p. m. npHE God of glory sends his summons forth, -*- Calls the south nations, and awakes the north; From east to west his sov'reign orders spread, Through distant worlds and regions of the dead. The trumpet sounds : hell trembles ; heav'n rejoices ; Lift up yom* heads, ye saints, with cheerful voices.- Ff 33S JUDGMENT AND END 2. No more shall atheists mock his long delay-; His vengeance sleeps no more ; behold the day i Behold, the Judge descends ! his guards are nigh; Tempests and fire attend him down the sky. When God appears, all nature shall adore him r While sinners tremble ; saints rejoice before him. 3. Sinners, awake betimes ; ye fools, be wrise ; Awake, before this dreadful morning rise. Change your vain thoughts, your wicked ways amend ; Fly to the Saviour, make the Judge your friend. Then join the saints; wake ev'ry cheerful passion : When Christ returns, he comes for your sal- vation. HYMN 504. l. m. 1. npHE Lord, the Judge, his churches warns : -*- Let hypocrites attend and fear, Who place their hopes in rites and forms, But make not faith nor love their care. 2. They dare rehearse his awful name With lips of falsehood and deceit; A friend or brother they defame, And sooth and flatter those they hate. 3. They watch to do their neighbours wrong, Yet dare to seek their Maker's face ; They take his cov'nant on their tongues, But break his laws, abuse his grace. 4. And, while his judgments long delay, They grow secure and sin the more ; They think, he sleeps as well as they ; And put far off the evil hour. 5. O dreadful hour, when God draws near, And sets their crimes before their eyes ! OF THE WORLD. 3«ti Anguish their guilty souls shall tear, And no deliv'rer dare to rise. HYMN 505. p. m. l.T O! he cometh! countless trumpets -*-^ Blow to raise the sleeping dead ; Midst ten thousand saints and angels, See their great exalted head. Hallelujah, Welcome, welcome, Son of God. 2. Ev'ry island, sea, and mountain, Heav'n and earth shall flee away. All, who hate him, must, confounded, Hear the trump proclaim the day : Come to judgment ! Come to judgment ! come away ! 3. At his call, the dead awaken, Rise to life from earth and sea j , All the pow'rs of nature, shaken By his looks, prepare to flee. Careless sinner, What will then become of thee ? 4. But to those, who have confessed, Lov'd and serv'd the Lord below, He will say, " come near, ye blessed, " See the kingdom I bestow : ° You for ever " Shall my love and glory know." B. Under sorrows and reproaches, . May this thought our courage raise ! Swiftly God's great day approaches, Sighs shall then be chang'd to praise. May we triumph, When the world is in a blaze ! . UO JUDGMENT AND END HYMN 506. l. m. t.HPHE mighty deep gives up her trust, -*■ Aw*d by the Judge's high command , Both small and great now quit their dust, And round the dread tribunal stand. &. Behold the awful books displayed, Big with th' important fates of men ; Each deed and word now public made, As wrote by heav'n's unerring pen. 3. To ev'ry soul the books assign The joyous or the dread reward : Sinners in vain lament and pine ; No plea the Judge will here regard. 4. Lord ! when these awful leaves unfold, May life's fair book my soul approve ; There may I read my name enroll'd, And triumph in redeeming love ! HYMN 507. p. m. Transitory nature and end of the world. 1. SPRING up, my soul, with ardent flight,. ^ Nor let this, earth delude thy sight With glitt'ring trifles, gay and vain. Wisdom divine directs thy view To objects ever grand and new And faith displays the shining train. 2. Be dead, my hopes, to all below ; Nor let unbounded torrents flow, When mourning o'er my wither'd joy?. So this deceitful world is known : Possess'd, I call it not my own, Nor glory in. its painted toys.. OF THE WOULD. 341 3. The empty pageant rolls along ; The giddy inexperiene'd throng Pursue it with enchanted eyes : It passeth in swift march away ; Still more and more its charms decay > Till the last gaudy colour dies. 4. My God ! to thee my soul shall turn ; To thee my noblest passions burn, And drink in bliss from thee alone. I fix on that unchanging home, Where never-fading pleasures bloom, Fresh-springing round thy radiant throne HYMN 508. c. m. 1. YM/TIY should this world delight us so I ™ ™ Why should we fix our eyes On these low grounds, where sorrows grow. And ev'ry pleasure dies ? Z. While time his sharpest teeth prepares, Our comforts to devour ; There is a land above the stars, And joys above his pow'r. 3. Nature shall be dissolv'd and die ; The sun must end his race ; The earth and sea for ever fly Before my Maker's face. \. When will that glorious morning rise. When the last trumpet's sound Shall call the nations to the skies, From underneath the ground ? Ff 5 m& HEAVKft XXX. HEAVEN HYMN 509. l. to l . nPO heav'n, my longing soul ! aspirer *- And soar aloft with strong desire. Here choose thy lotv here fix thy rest? And aim for ever to he blest. 3. Still keep yon blissful world in view, And close the glorious chase pursue The way leads up to rest above. Through paths of purity and love. B. This track pursue with ardent zeal ; Eeah lust subdue, each foe repel ; Still stretch thy wings, and upwards vise a Eternal glory is the prize I HYMN 510. c. m. V. XT OR eye hath seen, nor earth hath heartf -^ Nor sense nor reason known r What joys the Father has prepared For those that love the Son. 2. But the good Spirit of the Lord Reveals a heav'n to come ; The beams of glory in his word Allure and guide us home. 3. Pure are the joys above the sky, And all the region peace ; No wanton lips, nor envious eye. Can see or taste the bliss. 4. Those holy gates for ever bar Pollution, sin, and shame :. HEAVEN. 343 None shall obtain admittance there, But foll'wers of the Lamb. 3. He keeps the Father's book of life ; There all their names are found ; The hypocrite in vain shall strive To tread the heav'nly ground. HYMX 511. s. m. ■t. T^AR from these scenes of night. ■*- Unbounded glories rise, And realms of infinite delight, Unknown to mortal eyes. 2. Fair land ! could mortal eyes But half its charms explore ; How would our spirits long^ to rise? And dwell on earth no more 1 3. There sickness never comes ; There grief no more complains ; Health triumphs in immortal bloom-. And purest pleasure reigns. 4. No strife, nor envy there The sons of peace molest ; But harmony and love sincere Fill ev'ry happy breast. 5. No cloud those regions knowy For ever bright and fair ; For sin, the source of mortal woe, Can never enter there. 8. There's no alternate night, Nor sun's faint sickly ray ; But glory, from th' eternal throne, Spreads everlasting day. *. Oh ! may this prospect fire Our hearts. with ardent love y 34* HEAVEN. May lively faith and strong desire- Bear ev'ry thought above ! HYMN 512. p. m. 1. |~|N wings of faith, mount up my soul and rise, ^* View thine inheritance beyond the skies. Nor heart can think, nor mortal tongue can tell, What endless pleasures in those mansions dwell. Here our Redeemer lives, all bright and glorious; O'er sin and death and hell he reigns victorious. 2. No gnawing grief, no sad heart-rending pain, In that blest country can admission gain ; No sorrow there, no soul-tormenting fear ; For God*s own hand shall wipe the falling tear. Here our Redeemer lives, &c. 3. Before the throne a crystal river glides ; Immortal verdure decks its cheerful sides ; Here the fair tree of life majestic rears Its blooming head, and sov'reign virtue bear&> Here our Redeemer lives, &c. HYMJV 513. c. m. 1. XTE golden lamps of heav'n ! farewell; -*- With all your feeble light. Farewell, thou ever-changing moon5 Pale empress of the night ! 2. And thou, refulgent orb of day, In brighter flames array'd ! My soul, which springs beyond thy sphere? No more demands thine aid. 3. Ye stars are but the shining dust Of my divine abode, The pavement of those heav'nly courts* Where I shall reign with God. HEAVEN. U5 4. The Father of eternal light Shall there his beams display ; Nor shall one moment's darkness mix With that unvary'd day. #. No more the drops of piercing grief Shall swell into mine eyes ; Nor the meridian sun decline Amidst those brighter skies. fi. There all the millions of his saints Shall in one song unite, And each the bliss of all shall share With infinite delight HYMN 514. l. m. ROM north and south, from east and west, Advance the myriads of the blest ; From ev'ry clime of earth they come, And find in heav'n a common home. 1>Y 2. Howe'er divided here below, One bliss, one spirit now they know ; And, all their doubts and darkness o'er, One common Parent now adore. 3. On earth, according to their light, They strove to practise what was right ; Hence all their errors are forgiv'n, And Jesus welcomes them to heav'n. 4. See, how along th* immortal meads His glorious host the Saviour leads 1 And brings the myriads none can count, To seats of joy on Zion's mount 1 HYMN 515. c. m. i. '\TOT to the terrors of the Lord, -^ The tempest, fire, and smoke ; 346 HEAVEN. Not to tne thunder of that word, Which God on Sinai spoke : 2. But we are come to Zion*s hill, The city of our God, Where milder words declare his will, And spread his love abroad. 3. Behold th' innumerable host Of angels, cloth'd in light ! Behold the spirits of the just, Whose faith is turn'd to sight ! 4. Behold the blest assembly there, Whose names are writ in heav'n ! And God, the Judge of all, declares Their num'rous sins forgiv'n. d. The saints .on earth, and all the dead; But one communion make : All join in Christ, the living head, And heav'nly joys partake. 6. In such society as this My weary soul would rest ! The man, that dwells where Jesus is. Must be for ever blest. HYMN 516. p. m. 1. |^OME, Lord, and warm each languid heart ^ Inspire each lifeless tongue ; And let the joys of heav'n impart Their influence to our song. 2. Sorrow, and pain, and ev'ry care, And discord there shall cease j And perfect joy and love sincere Adorn the realms of peace. 3. The soul, from sin for ever free, Shall mourn its pow'r no more ; HEA VEX 34* But, cloth'd in spotless purity, Redeeming love adore. 4. There, on a throne, how dazzling bright, Th' exalted Saviour shines, And beams ineffable delight On all the heav'nly minds. 5. There shall the foll'wers of the Lamb Join in immortal songs, And endless honours to his name Employ their tuneful tongues. >>. Lord, tune our hearts to praise and love. Our feeble notes' inspire ; Till, in thy blissful courts above. We join th' angelick choir. HYMN 517. c. m. 1. "VTOW let a true ambition rise, ■^ And ardour fire our breasts, To reign in worlds above the skies, In heav'nly glories drest. 2. Behold Jehovah's royal hand A radiant crown display, Whose gems with vivid lustre shine, While suns and stars decay. 3. No more I seek for transient good, Nor longer call it mine : I spring to seize superior joys, Immortal and divine. 4. Ye hearts, with youthful vigour warra, The glorious prize pursue ; Nor shall ye want the goods of earth, While heav'n is kept in view. 3iS HEAVEN. HYMN 518. c. m 1. PpHERE is a land of pure delight, -*- Where saints immortal reign ; Infinite day excludes the night, And pleasures banish pain. 2. There everlasting spring abides, And never-with'ring flow'rs. Death, like a narrow sea, divides This heav'nly land from ours. 3. Sweet fields, beyond the swelling flood, Stand dress'd in living green: So to the Jews old Canaan stood, While Jordan roll'd between. *. But tim'rous mortals start and shrink, To cross this narrow sea ; And linger, shivering, on the brink, And fear to launch away. 3. O ! could we make our doubts remove, Those gloomy doubts that rise j And view the Canaan that we love With unbeclouded eyes ! 6. Could we but climb where Moses stood, And view the landscape o'er : Not Jordan's stream, nor death's cold flood, Should fright us from the shore. HYMN 519. cm. 1. JHPHOSE happy realms of joy and peace, *■- Fain would my heart explore, Where grief and pain for ever cease, And I shall sin no more. 3. No darkness there shall cloud the eyes, No languor seize the frame : HEAVEN. S4H But ever active vigour rise To feed the vital flame. 3. But ah! a dreary vale between, Extends its awful gloom : Fear spreads, to hide the distant scene, The horrors of the tomb. 4. O for the eye of faith divine, To pierce beyond the grave ! To see that friend, and call him mine. Whose arm is strong to save ! 5. Here fix, my soul I for life is here j Light breaks amid the gloom. Trust in Jehovah's love, nor fear The horrors of the tomb. HYMN 520. l. m. l.T^ROM this world's joys and senseless mirth, •*■ O come, my soul ! in haste retire ; Assume the grandeur of thy birth, And to thy native heav'n aspire. 2. 'Tis heav'n alone can make thee blest, Can ev'ry wish and want supply ; Thy joy, thy crown, thy endless rest, Are all above the lofty sky. 3. Eternal mansions ! bright array ! O blest exchange ! transporting thought I Free from th' approaches of decay, Or the least shadow of a spot. 4. There shall mortality no more Its wide extended empire boast ; Forgotten all its dreadful pow'r, In life's unbounded ocean lost. GfSr 350 HEAVEN. 5. There dwells the sov'reign Lord of all, The God that all the worlds adore ; With whom is bliss that cannot pall, And joys that last for evermore. FJJVIS. A TABLE TO FIND ANY HYMN BY THE FIRST LINE. Page. A BSURD and vain attempt! to bind - 239 **■ Again the Lord of light - - 255 Ah ! see hirn writhe, and bleed, and die 106 Ah wretched souls, who strive in vain - 198 Alas! and did my Saviour bleed - 106 All earthly charms, however dear - - 187 All-glorious God ! what hymns of praise - 86 All-pow'rful, self-existent God - - 25 All praise to thee, my God ! this night - 271 All-seeing God! 'tis thine to know - 238 Almighty Father ! gracious Lord 19 Almighty God, thy pow'rful word - 27 Almighty Lord of all - - 15 1 Amazing, beauteous change - - 130 Amidst a world of hopes and fears - 138 And are we now brought near to God - 105 And art thou with us, gracious Lord - 65 And is the gospel peace and love - 94 And must this body die - - - 335 And shall we still be slaves - , - 109 And will the great eternal God - - 287 Angel, roll the rock away - - 114 Another six days' work is done - *- 252 Are not thy mercies sov'reign still - 135 Arise my tend'rest thoughts, arise - - 161 Assist us, Lord, thy name to praise - 201 As various as the moon - - 307 Attend, my soul, with awe - - \75 Attend ye children of your God *. - 260 TABLE OF FIRST LINES. Page. Author of good ! we rest on thee - HS Author of life and bliss - - 97 Awake, my soul ! and with the sun - 270 Awake, my soul ! lift up thine eyes - - 165 Awake my soul ! rouse ev'ry pow'r - 222 Awake my soul ! stretch ev'ry nerve - 199 Awake, our souls ! away our fears - - 198 Awake, ye saints ! and raise your eyes - 326 Awake, ye saints, to praise your King - 24,5 Away from ev'ry mortal care - - 251 "13EFORE Jehovah's awful throne - 1 A3 Begin, my soul, th' exalted lay - 9 Behold,' O Israel's God - - 162 Behold, th' amazing sight - - 101 Behold the bleeding Lamb of God - 108 Behold, the blind their sight receive - 78 Behold the gloomy vale - 325 Behold ! the lofty sky - - 141 Behold the morning sun - - 145 Behold the path which mortals tread - 320 Behold the Prince of peace - - 82 Behold the Saviour of mankind - 105 Behold, where, breathing love - - 236 Behold, where in a mortal form - 94 Beset with snares on ev'ry hand - - 156 Bless'd be th' eternal God - - 117 Blest are the humble souls, who see - 196 Blest are the undefil'd in heart - 195 Blest be the tie, that binds - - 240 Blest Instructor ! from thy ways - 171 Blest is the man, whose heart expands - 237 Blest is the man, whose heart is kind - 232 Bright source of everlasting love - * 234 By various maxims, forms, and rules - 203 CHILDREN, in years and knowledge young 302 Christ, the Lord, is ris'n to day - 113 TABLE OF FIRST LINES. Page, Come gracious Spirit, heav'hly Dove - 131 Come hither, all ye weary souls - - 90 Come, holy Spirit, heav'nly Dove - 132 Come, let our mournful songs record - 99 Come, let our voices join to raise - - 246 Come let us join our cheerful songs - 103 Come, let us join our souls to God - 261 Come, let us lift our voices high - 101 Come, let us search our ways and try - 230 Come, Lord, and warm each languid heart 346 Come, said Jesus* sacred voice 39 Come sound his praise abroad - - 8 Come, weary souls, with sin distrest - - 9 1 Come, ye that love the Lord - - 179 Consider ail my sorrows, Lord - - 291 Courage, my soul ! while God is near - 221 X|AUGH TERS of pity, tune the lay - 237 " Diseases are thy servants, Lord - 29§ Dost thou my worthless name record - 197 T^ ARLY, my God, without delay - 25 1 -*-^ " Eat, drink, in mem'ry of your friend" 262 Eternal and immortal King - - * 211 Eternal God, almighty cause - - 209 Eternal God ! how frail is man - - 332 Eternal Sire, enthron'd on high - - 3u5 Eternal source of ev'ry joy - -48 Eternal Spirit, source of light '- - 136 T^AITH adds new charms to earthly bliss 202 -*- Far from these scenes of night - - 343 Far hence each superstition vain - - 144 " Father divine," the Saviour cried 96 Father, I bless thy gentle hand - - 309 Father of all! eternal mind - - - 147" Father of all ! my soui defend - - 333 Father of all ! whose cares extend - 150. Gg5 TABLE OF FIRST LINES. Pagre. Father of Jesus Christ, my Lord - - 116 Father of men ! thy care we bless - 242 Father of mercies ! God of love - - 151 Father of mercies, in thy word - - 143 Father of our feeble race - - .233 Firm was my health, my day was bright - 295 For ever blessed be the Lord - - 135 Forsake, my soul! the tents of sin - 182 Frequent the day of God returns - - 254 From all that dwell below the skies 4 From north and south, from east and west 345 From this world's joys and senseless mirth 349 C< IVE thanks to God most high - 76 ^ Give to our God immortal praise - 4 Give to the Lord, ye sons of fame - - 26 Give to the winds thy fears - 68 Glory be to God on high - - -7 Glory be to God on high - 1 1 God in the gospel of his Son - 146 God is a spirit, just and wise 33 God is the refuge of his saints « 59 God moves in a mysterious way 57 God, my supporter and my hope - - 1 54 God of eternity ! from thee - - 321 God of mercy! God of grace - - • 171 God of my life, through all its days - 216 God of my mercy, and my praise - - 96 God of our lives ! thy constant care - 275 God, to correct the world - 279 God, who is just and kind - 4 186 Grace, 'tis a charming sound - - 4S Greatest of beings, source of life - 55 Great Father of mankind - - 248 Great framer of unnumber'd worlds - - 282 Great God, arise and shine - - 128 Great God, at whose all-pow'rful call - 5 1 ©re at God, how infinite art thou - - 24 TABLE OF FIRST LINES. Page. Great God, indulge my humble claim - 154 Great God, in vain man's narrow view - 22 Great God ! our joyful thanks to thee - 216 Great God ! the nations of the earth - 127 Great God ! thy peerless excellence - - 210 Great God 1 we sing that mighty hand - 274 Great God ! whilst I thy love admire - 235 Great God ! whose all-pervading eye - - 192 Great God ! whose universal sway - 127 Great Lord of angels ! we adore - - 289 Great Ruler of all nature's frame - 313 Great Ruler of the earth and skies - 59 Great source of life, our souls confess - 17 Great was the day, the joy was great - - 124 TTAD I the tongues of Greeks and Jews 193 •"--*- Had not the Lord, may Israel say - 285 Hail, great Creator, wise and good - - 46 Hail, happy morn! whose early ray - 25 6 Happy is he, whose early years - - 303 Happy the heart, where graces reign - 214 Happy the man, whose wishes climb - 207 Happy the men, whom strength divine - 246 Hark ! from on high a solemn voice - - 329 Hark ! from the tombs a doleful sound - 316 Hark, the glad sound, the Saviour comes - 69 Hark ! the voice of love and mercy - 1 02 Hark ! 'tis our heav'nly Leader's voice - 1 10 Hark ! what celestial notes - - 71 He dies, the friend of sinners dies - - 1 12 Heav'n has confirm'd the great decree - 335 High in the heav'ns, eternal God - 1 1 High let us swell our tuneful notes - 72 Holy and rev'rend is the name - 32 Holy, holy, holy Lord - 8 Hosannah ! let us join to sing - - 117 Hosannah to the Son - * - 104 TABLE OF FIRST LINES. Page. Hosannah with a cheerful sound - - 268 How are thy servants blest, O Lord - 67 How beauteous are their feet - 81 How blest the man, how more than blest - 186 How blest the sacred tie, that binds - - 241 How did my heart rejoice, to hear - - 244 How gracious and how wise - - 308 How happy is the man, who hears - - 1 88 How long shall death, the tyrant, reign - 332 How long shall dreams of creature-bliss - 160 How precious is the book divine - - 145 How rich are thy provisions, Lord - 265 How rich thy gifts, Almighty King - - 277 How still and peaceful is the grave - - 325 How swift the torrent rolls - - 319 How various and how new - 177 How vast is the tribute I owe - - 294 How well our great Preserver knows - 310 T love the Lord ; he heard my cries - - 295 ■*- I love the volumes of thy word - - 141 I love thy Zion, Lord - - 245 I want a principle witu in - - 190 If high or low our station be - - 229 If solid happiness we prize - - - 225 I'll praise my Maker, whilst I've breath - 5 Immortal God '. on thee we call - - 77 Imposture shrinks from light - 221 Indulgent Father ! how divine - - 10 Indulgent God! whose bounteous care - 272 Indulgent God ! with pitying eye - - 162 In glad amazement, Lord, I stand - - 17 In raptures let our hearts ascend - - 119 In sleep's serene oblivion laid - - 269 In sweet exalted strains - 287 Interval of grateful shade - - 273 In vain my roving thoughts would find - 157 TABLE OF FIRST LINES. Page. In vain opposing nations rage - -277 In vain would boasting reason find - 204 JESUS ! and shall it ever be - - 205 •i Jesus invites his saints - - 263 Jesus is gone above the skies - - 264 Jesus, our triumphant Head - - - 120 Jesus shall reign, where'er the sun - 126 Join all the glorious names - - - 83 Joy to the world ; the Lord is come - 73 LADEN with guilt, and full of fears - 145 Let all the heathen writers join - 142 Let av'rice, borne from shore to shore - 148 Let coward guilt with pallid fear - - 68 Let ev'ry ear attend - - - 90 Let ev'ry tongue thy goodness speak - 4* Let others boast how strong they be - 6$ Let party-names no more - - 23 1 Let Pharisees of high esteem - - 231 Let sorrow, Lord, my bosom fill - - 209 Let the high heav'ns your songs invite - 47 Let the whole race of creatures lie - - 52 Life is a span, a fleeting hour - - 299 Lo 1 he comes, from heav'n descending - 123 Lo ! he cometh ! countless trumpets - 339 Lo ' what a pleasing sight - 243 Long as I live, I'll bless thy name - 12 Lord, all I am is known to thee - - 29 Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing - 257 Lord, dost thou shew a corner-stone - 204 Lord- in this vale of tears - - 315 Lord of my life ! O may thy praise - - 268 Lord of the sabbath ! hear our vows - 253 Lord of the worlds above - - - 247 Lord, thou hast search'd and seen me through 28 Lord ! thou "wilt hear me when I pray - 273 TABLE OF FIRST LINES. Page. Lord ! 'tis a pleasant thing, to stand - - 249 Lord ! we adore thy wondrous name - 324* Lord ! we have wander'd from thy way - 174 Lord! what our ears have heard - - 259 Lord, when iniquities abound - 166 Lord, when our raptur'd thought surveys - 3 MAKER, and sov'reign Lord - - 125 Man has a soul of vast desires - 158 Mark the soft- falling snow - 133 Mark ! when tempestuous winds arise - 224 Mistaken souls, that dream of heav'n - 208 Must friends and kindred droop and die - 298 My dear Redeemer, and my Lord - - 93 My Father ! cheering name - 2 1 7 My God ! and is thy table spread - - 266 My God, how endless is thy love - - 267 My God, my everlasting hope - - 305 My God, my hope 1 if thou art mine - 314 My God, my life, thy various praise * 2 My God, my portion, and my love - - 153 My God ! permit me not to be - ■ 228 My God, the visits of thy face - - - 156 My God, thy boundless love I praise - 38 My God, what blessings round me shone - 20 My God, whose all-pervading eye - - 312 My gracious God, accept my pray'r - 225 My heart and ways, O God - - 29 My hope, my portion, and my God - 134 My Maker, and my King - 15 My soul, before thy Maker bow - - 210 My soul, praise the Lord - - - 14 My soul, rapeat his praise - 41 My soul, the awful hour will come - - 293 My waken'd soul, extend thy wings - 336 "VTAKED as from the earth we came - 310 ^ No> I'll repine at death no more * 334 TABLE OF FIRST LINES. Page. Nor eye hath seen, nor earth hath heard - 342 Not ail the nobles of the earth - - 182 Not from relentless fate's dark womb - 61 Not to the terrors of the Lord - -345 Now begin the heav'nly theme 88 Now be that sacrifice survey'd - 109 Now I have found the ground wherein - 87 Now, in the heat of youthful blood - 303 Now, in the hour of deep distress - - 98 Now let a true ambition rise - - 347 Now let my soul with transport rise - - 1 10 Now let our drooping hearts revive - 291 Now let our songs address the God of peace 286 Now let our voices join - - - 180 Now let us raise our cheerful strains - 107 Now may the God of grace and pow'r - 282 Now to the Lord a noble song - 82 f\ blessed souls are they - - 176 " O bless the Lord, my soul - 16 O come, behold a scene of dread - 280 Of justice and of truth I sing - - 242 Oft have I turn'd my eye within - - 227 O God, my Saviour, and my King - 231 O God of Jacob, by whose hand - - 149 O happiness, thou pleasing dream - 185 O happy soul that lives on high - - 183 O hear me, Lord ! on thee I call - 301 O ! how my fears the dangers move - - 164 O Lord ! my best desires fulfil - - 218 O Lord, our fathers oft have told - - 28 1 O Lord, our heav'nly King - - 18 One there is, above all others - - 88 On Judah's plains as shepherds sat - 7\ On wings of faith, mount up my soul and rise 344 Oppress'd with guilt, or grief, or care - 169 O praise ye the Lord ! prepare a new song - 5 TABLE OF FIRST LINES. Prge. 0 that the Lord would guide my ways - 139 O the delights, the heav'nly joys - - 12S O thou, before whose gracious throne - 290 O thou that hear'st when sinners cry - - 1 68 O thou, the wretched's sure retreat - 4 1 O thou, to whose all-searching sight - - 155 O thou, whose scales the mountains weigh 223 O thou, whose tender mercy hears - \72 O 'tis a lovely thing to see - 223 O turn, great Ruler of the skies - - 1 74 Our country is Immanuel's ground - - 199 Our Father, thron'd above the sky - 213 Our God ! our help in ages past - - 323 Our souls with pleasing wonder view - 40 Q what stupendous mercy shines - - 234 O Zion, tune thy voice - - - 129 "OARE NT of all, Omnipotent - - 240 -*- Parent of good ! thy works of might - 215 Peace, all ye sorrows of the heart - - 119 Peace, my complaining heart - 292 Peace ! the welcome sound proclaim - 286 Perpetual source of light and grace - - 170 Pity the nations, O our God - - 267 Praise, happy land 1 Jehovah's name - - 276 Praise to God, immortal praise - - 306 Praise to God, the great Creator - - 252 Praise to the Lord of boundless might - 137 Praise to the Lord, who bows his ear - 284 Praise ye the Lord ! 'tis good to raise - - 33 Praise ye the Lord ! who reigns above - 74 "Proclaim," said Christ, " God's wondrous 258 Providence, profusely kind - - 308 T|AISE, thoughtless sinner, raise thine eye 167 -*-if Raise your triumphant songs 70 Rejoice, the Lord is King - - 122 Rejoice, ye shining worlds on high - - 118 FABLE OF FIRST LINKS. Page. Remark, my soul ! the narrow bounds - 275 Return, my roving heart, return - - 229 SALVATION, O the joyful sound - 86 Searcher of hearts ! to thee - - ITS See Israel's gentle Shepherd stand - 259 See what a living stone - - - 115 Shall I forsake that heav'nly Friend - 205 Shew pity, Lord ! O Lord, forgive - - 1 67 Shine on our souls, eternal God - - 66 Should famine o'er the mourning field - -314 Sing to the Lord, who loud proclaims - 207 Sinners! the voice of God regard - - 159 So let our lips and lives express - - 189 Songs of immortal praise belong - - 31 Sons of Adam ! join to raise - 75 Sov'reign of life, I own thy hand - - 296 Spring up, my soul, with ardent flight - 340 Supreme and universal light - - - 19fc Sure the blest comforter is nigh - - 13$ Sure there's a righteous God - - 62 Sweet is the friendly voice which speaks - 175 Sweet is the mem'ry of thy grace 39 Sweet is the work, my God, my King - 254 TEACH me, O teach me, Lord ! thy way 13* Teach me the measure of my days - 3 If Thanks for mercies past receive - - 257 That awful hour will soon appear - 319 The darken'd sky, how thick it low'rs - 311 The day approaches, O my soul - - 33f The evils that beset our path - - - 312 Thee we adore, eternal Name - - 318 The God of glory sends his summons forth 337 The God of love, will sure indulge - - 297 The God, who once to Israel spoke - 111 The heart, dejected, sighs to know - 35 The hour of my departure's come - 330 H H TABLE OF FIRST LINES. Page. What eyes like thine, eternal Sire 34 What glory gilds the sacred page - - 145 What mean these jealousies and fears - 200 What sinners value, I resign - - 334» What strange perplexities arise - - 190 What works of wisdom, pow'r and love - 79 When Abrah'm full of sacred awe - - 28S When all the pow'rs of nature fail - - 328 When all thy mercies, O my God 20 When blooming youth is snatch'd away - 299- When darkness long has veil'd my mind 206 When death appears before my sight - 327 When gloomy thoughts and fears - - 185 When God reveal'd his gracious name - IT& When I can read my title clear - 18! When I with curious eyes survey - 31 When in the light of faith divine - - L5B When Jesus dwelt in mortal clay - 95 W'hen life's tempestuous storms are o'er - 329 When o'er the trodden paths of life - 297 When overwhelm'd with grief - - 220 When present sufferings pain my heart - 21# When rising from the bed of death - - 1 69 Wherefore should man, frail child of clay 22$ Where high the heav'nly temple stands - 121 Wherewith shall I approach the Lord - - 249 While beauty clothes the fertile vale - 50 While some in folly's pleasures roll - - 1 84 While sounds of war are heard around - 278 While thee I seek protecting pow'r - 212 While to the grave our friends are borne - 327 Whilst sinners, who presume to bear - 195 Who, gracious Father ! can complain - 56 Who shall against the Lord prevail - - 161 Who shall ascend thy heav'nly place - , 191 Why is my heart with grief opprest - - 520 Why should this world delight us so - 341 TABLE OF FIRST LINES, Pagc„ Why sinks my weak desponding mind - 219 Why will ye lavish out your years - - 159 Withecstacy of joy - - - 84 With eye impartial, heav'ns high King - 34 With humble heart and tongue - - 304 With joy we lift our eyes - - 250 With songs and honours sounding loud - 49 With transport Lord ! we view the page - 183 Worthy is he, that once was slain - - 104 TTEfoll'wers of the prince of peace - 263 -*- Ye golden lamps of heav'n ! farewell - 344 Ye humble souls, approach your God - 2 Ye humble souls, complain no more - - 187 Ye humble souls, that seek the Lord - 113 Ye mourning saints, whose streaming tears 300 Ye servants of the Lord - - 200 Ye sons of men, in sacred lays - • 24 Ye subjects of the Lord, proclaim - - 54 Yes, the Redeemer rose - - 115 Ye trembling souls ! dismiss your fears - 1 80 Ye weak inhabitants of clay - 23 Ye works of God ! on him alone - (5 LITURGY VOll THE USE OF EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN CHURCHES, PUBLISHED BY ORDER ft* THE EVANGELICAL LUTHERAN SYNOD OP THE STATE OF NEW YORK. PHILADELPHIA / fJMWTED AND SOLD BY G. 8c D. BILLMEYER. 1814. CONTENTS. SECT. I. TWO Forms of Confession of Sin, and two other Introductory Prayers. II. Eight general Prayers. JY.B. If any of these prayers should be considered too long) to be used at once, it may be easily divided into tivofiarts : — the first to be used before^ and the second aft er sermon. HI. Four Prayers after sermon. IV. Scriptural Benedictions for the conclusion of public worship. V. A table of the sel ections from the Scriptures, commonly called " the gospels and epis- tles." VI. The Ministration of Baptism to infants. VII. The Ministration of Baptism to such as are of riper years. VIII. The Order of Confirmation. IX. Order of the service preparatory to the Cel- ebration of the Lord's Supper* X. The Administration of the Lord's Supper. XI. A Form for the Inauguration of the ruling officers of a Congregation. XII. The Solemnization of Matrimony. XIII. The Burial of the Dead. A LITURGY, &c SECTION I. TWO FORMS OF CONFESSION OF SIN, and TWO OTHER PRAYERS, firofier to be used in the Morning-Service, immediately after its introduction by the singing of a hymn. 1 1~| EARLY beloved, the holy scripture3 declare, -*-^ that, when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. The sa* crifices of God are a broken and a contrite heart. To the Lord belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him. Let us, therefore, arise, and confess our sins unto our Father, with sincere, humble and obedient hearts, that we may obtain remission of the same by his infinite goodness and mercy. Almighty and most merciful Father, unto whom all hearts are open and all desires are known, all whose commandments are just, necessary, and good ! we confess unto thee, that we have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. Wc have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things, •which we ought to have done ; and we have done those things which we ought not to have 4oj>e, 4 INTRODUCTORY PRAYERS. But enter hot, we beseech thee, into judgment with us ; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. As thou hatest nothing which thou hast made, and desirest not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live, — have mercy, O Lord, upon us miserable of- fenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are truly pen- itent, according to thy gracious promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, that we may here- after live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of thy holy name, through thy blessed Son, our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen. T\ EARLY beloved, " If we say that we have no " " sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is " not in us. But if we confess (and forsake) our " sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our « sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Encouraged by this merciful assurance of his word, let us renounce every evil thought and way, and with penitent and humble hearts implore the for- giveness of all our transgressions. Holy, holy, holy art thou, Lord God Almighty, the merciful Ruler, the righteous Judge of all thine intelligent creatures in heaven and on earth 1 Thou dwellest in a light unto which no man can approach, and canst not look with pleasure upon sin. We confess unto thee, the Searcher of hearts, that we are justly chargeable with numerous trans- gressions and omissions of duty. We acknowl- edge with sorrow and repentance, that we have been unmindful of thy goodness and disobedient to thy laws, that we haye cherished evil disposition^ INTRODUCTORY PRAYERS. 5 inordinate affections, and sinful passions ; and that we have rendered ourselves obnoxious to thy dis- pleasure, and deserving of the punishments due to the guilty. O Lord, righteousness belongeth un- to thee ; but unto us shame and confusion of face. Our only hope is in thy tender mercy ; and we praise thee, that thou hast graciously revealed to us thy readiness to receive into favour all who cease to do evil and learn to do well. In the name of thy Son Je6us Christ, whom thou hast sent into the world to save us from our sins and miseries, we implore the forgiveness of all our offences ; seriously renouncing whatever is contrary to thy will, and sincerely resolving to foliow after holi- ness of heart and life. Vouchsafe to direct and assist us by thy Spirit, in carrying these purposes into effect. And grant, O thou God of compassion, that our hearts may be established in the love and fear of thee, in a cheering sense of thy goodness, and in a joyful hope of everlasting life and happi- ness, through the mediation of our crucified and exalted Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. 3. ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who art the author of every good and perfect gift; what fer- vent gratitude do we owe to thee for the privilege of assembling together in thy house, of holding communion with thee, of confirming our faith in thy blessed Son, and of nourishing our souls with the bread of eternal life! How rich is the provision, which thou hast been pleased to make for the sup- ply of all our spiritual wants ! Accept, we beseech thee, the thankful acknowledgements of our hearts for the ordinances of thy gospel, and for the insti- tution of this day of sacred rest ; and enable us t<* 6 INTRODUCTORY PRAYERS. make a wise and a profitable use of them. Assist us to worship thee, who art a Spirit, in spirit and in truth. Dispose us so to understand, to recol- lect, and to apply the discoveries and precepts of thy word, that we may perfecly love and serve, thee, and cordially confide in thy government and prom- ises. Grant, especially, that the serious remem- brance of the triumphant resurrection of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ, of which we are remin- ded this day, may animate us to the steadfast profes- sion of his name, raise our affections and wishes to the things which are above, incite us to follow him in his holy and benevolent life, and fill us with joy, peace, and hope in believing. — Save now, O Lord, we beseech thee. In thee do we put our trust : let lis never be ashamed. Amen. 4. OThou ever-blessed and most glorious God, who art the object of supreme veneration, on whom all the families of the earth continually depend ! we, thine unworthy servants, would come before thee with reverence and thanksgiving. We esteem it good for us to draw near unto thee, and we desire to serve thee with filial joy and godly fear. May the various exercises, in which we engage, be accepta- ble in thy sight and be accompanied with thy bles- sing. May we celebrate thy praises with under- standing and devotion ; and to remember thy great goodness to us and to all men, that we may be in- clined to love thee and to cherish good will towards one another. May we confess our sins unto thee with unfeigned sorrow and steadfast purposes of amendment. May we offer up our supplication* with humble confidence in thy wisdom and kindness. May our intercessions be accompanied with upright charity towards all mankind. May we receive in- GENERAL PRAYERS. « struct ion with attention, candour, and meekness ; lay it up in our hearts, and bring forth the fruits of righteousness in our lives. May no vain thoughts distract our minds, no unworthy object withdraw our affections. May we so carefully improve all the means of religion, that we may grow wiser and better ; be gradually trained up for thy heaven- ly kingdom ; and at last be made partakers of that happiness, which eye hath not seen, which ear hatn not heard, and which it hath not entered into the neart of man to conceive, through the riches of thy redeeming grace in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. • vV. B. The following portions of scri/iture may also be used with great propriety, for the intro- duction of public worship : viz. Psalm XVI XIX. XXVII. LXVII. LXXXIV. XCVIII. C. CHI. CXLV. SECTION II. EIGHT GENERAL PRAYERS, proper to (e used in public worship. 1. \ LMIGHTY and most merciful God, we desire ■**- to lift up our hearts unto thee, the hearer of prayer, from whom alone cometh our help. We adore thee as the great Parent of the Universe, from whom all things proceed, and on whom all creatures depend. Thou art worthy of all possible veneration, gratitude, and obedience. Thou art the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords. Thou alone hast immortality, and art unchangeable in wisdom and holiness. Thy truth endureth to all generations ; thy mercy is B S GENERAL PRAYERS. from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear thee ; and thy righteousness unto children's chil- dren,— We thine unworthy servants would give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all men. We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life ; but, above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And we be- seech thee to give us that due sense of all thy mer- cies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we may show forth thy praise not only with our lips, but in our lives. Grant, that we may de- vote ourselves to thy service, and walk before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days. Enable us to cherish and to exercise habitually every pious and virtuous affection; thatwe may enjoy the tes- timony of a good conscience and the hope of thy favour, be sustained and comforted under the troubles of this life, and finally be received into thine everlasting kingdom, through thine infinite mercy in Jesus Christ our Saviour. Thou hast directed us, almighty God, to offer up our supplications for all our fellowmen. We humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men ; that thou wouldst be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, the saving gospel of thy Son unto all nations ; that idolatry, superstition, and vice may be banished from the earth ; and that war, oppression, and injustice, may for ever cease. WTe pray, that the church of Jesus throughout the world may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all, who profess themselves Christians, may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. We commend to thy father- ly goodness all those? who are afflicted or distressed GENERAL PRAYERS. 9 in mind, body, or estate ; that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them according to their several necessities ; giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. We implore thy heavenly blessing especially upon the land, in which we live. Give success, we pray thee, to the lawful and virtuous labours of its inhabitants; and provide the necessary supplies for all their wants. Behold with thy favour the President of the United States, the Governor of this State, and all who are invested with legislative, judicial, or executive authority; and so replenish them with thy grace, that they may always incline to thy will and walk in thy way, and be enabled to promote and secure the national peace, liberty, safety, and prosperity. Send down upon all mini- sters of the gospel and upon all congregations com- mitted to their charge the needful spirit of thy grace, that they may truly please thee ; and give such efficacy to the means of education with which thou hast furnished us, that we may become a wise and righteous people, whom thou wilt delight to protect and favour. Hear us, most merciful God, we beseech thee, in these our supplications and intercessions, which we offer up unto thee as disciples of thy Son ; and pardon and accept us, through him, now and ever- more. Amen. 2. G*LORY and honour be unto thee, the self-exist- * ent and infinite Jehovah, who art and wast, and shalt be from eternity to eternity ! Adoration and praise be unto thee, the omnipotent, all-wise, all- gracious Being, who fillest the heavens and the earth with thy presence and thy love ! 10 GENERAL PRAYERS. Glory and honour be unto thee, the Creator an excite in us due returns of love and obedience ; and constrain us to exercise sincere kindness, tenderness, and forgiveness to all our brethren. Let the remembrance of death, judg- ment, and eternity, effectually lead us to purify Our minds, to imitate the pattern of our blessed Master, and never to be weary in well-doing. Let the assurances and pledges, which thou hast given us of thy love to all thy upright and faithful child- ren, fill our hearts with joyful hope and with a firm reliance upon thy divine assistance. Safe under thy protection, and happy in thy favour, may we cheer- fully follow where thou pleasest to conduct us, de- sire only what thou shalt see fit to give us, and en- dure with fortitude the trials which thou shalt ap- point for us In health and in sickness, in life and in death, may we lift up our souls unto thee, anil CiKXEKATi PIIAYERS. !•• make thy goodness and mercy in the Mediator of our race our only confidence and joy- And having; lived, by thy grace, in a state of continual improve- ment and preparation for thy heavenly kingdom, may we finally be received into the same, to the praise and glory of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. O God, who art the Father of all mankind, fill the minds of thy reasonable creatures, we beseech thee, with the knowledge of thy truth, and deliver them from every evil affection. Cause the gospel of thy Son to prevail through the world, to enter the hearts and govern the lives of all its inhabitants, and to make all nations righteous and happy. Re- form the disorders, which arise from the evil pas- sions of men ; and prosper the just designs of all who delight in peace. Grant, that the blessings of free and equal government may become universal, the advantages of civil society be widely extended, the best interests of every community be fully se- cured, and all thy children be united in the praise of thee and the love of one another. We commit to thee, our righteous Governor, all the important concerns of our country We pray, that we may live in safety, and enjoy thy blessings in tranquillity and peace ; that we may escape the destructive evils, which thou hast appointed for wicked nations ; and that religion and virtue may so prevail among us, that our privileges may be transmitted to succeeding ages Be pleased to give us the fruits of the earth in their seasons, and to bless all orders of men in the diligent discharge of their respective duties. Give success to all the means employed among us for instructing the young, for reclaiming the vicious, and for establish- ing the well-disposed. Enlighten, direct, ana prosper the President of the United States, and all who are C 20 GENERAL PRAYERS. invested with authority. May they be men fearing thee, and hating covetousness and all manner of iniquity ; may all their power and influence be exerted for the promotion of the welfare of the people, and the advancement of thy glory ; and, under their government, may justice and judgment be impartially administered. Finally, we beseech thee, O God of mercy, to extend thy favourable regard to all our brethren who are in affliction . May thy wisdom be their direction, thy power their support, thy goodness their confidence By patience and a serious improve- ment of their sufferings, may they be prepared for unmixed happiness in that better world, where all thy ways will be completely justified, and ever- lasting praise will ascend to thy throne. And unto thee, the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, be all honour and glory, through Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Redeemer, now and evermore. Amen. 1^ TERN AL and most merciful God, unto whom, -A all hearts are open, and from whom no secrets can be hid ! we would raise our thoughts and af- fections to thee, as the greatest and the best of beings, the object of supreme veneration, the high and mighty Ruler of the Universe. The heavens are thy throne, the earth is thy foot-stool. Honour and majesty are before thee ; strength and beauty are in thy sanctuary ; holiness becometh thine house for ever. Powerful is thine arm ; unsearch- able are thy judgments j righteous is thy reign ; With thee there is no respect of persons. Thy wrath is revealed against all ungodliness and wicked- ness ; thy mercy is sure to every humble and peni- GENERAL PRAYERS. 21 tent soul ; thy counsels are counsels of peace, and not of evil. We address ourselves to thee as de- pendant, frail, and guilty creatures, who cannot exist without thy support, who cannot be happy without thy love. We acknowledge, that all our faculties are the work of thy hand, that all our out- ward advantages and enjoyments are the gifts of ihy Providence, that all our consolation and improve- mj.it flow from thy grace. We bless thee for all those satisfactions and comforts, which have sus- tained, cheered, and gladdened us in every stage of our pilgrimage. We praise thee, that we are made but a little lower than the angels, and formed with capacities to know, to love, and to rejoice in thee for ever We thank thee, above all, for the mission of thy beloved Son, for redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins, for the pos- session of his precious gospel, for the privilege of freely enquiring into its meaning, and for the li- berty of openly professing our faith What ever- lasting gratitude is due to thee, that his doctr.nes perfectly enlighten the human mind, that his pre- cepts clearly point out to us the path of duty, that his example incites and encourages our works of love, that his death speaks peace and joy to the up- right believer, that his resurrection from the grave establishes our confidence in him as our divine Mediator and Redeemer, and that his ascension to glory enlivens our best and dearest hopes \ O God i accept, we beseech thee, the expressi- ons of our thankfulness for these inestimable mer* cies. Pardon, of thine infinite goodness, whatever of lukewarmness and disobedience thy pure eyes have seen in our minds and in our lives^ Give us grace to make a diligent and faithful use of every talent committed to our care. Vouchsafe to direct tre in all our religious enquipie^. Help us to shurt M GENERAL PRAYERS. all presumption, and to maintain a humble and teachable disposition. Preserve us Lorn, those pre- judices which pervert the judgment, from those passions which debase the understanding, from those mistakes which weaken the principles and obstruct the practice of Christian virtue, from those superstitious imaginations and fears which betray men into dishonourable and unworthy conceptions of ihee. Assist us to know thee more and more perfectly, to understand thy will and our exalted destination, to make thee the object of our highest confidence, reverence and joy, to love thee with all our souls, and to walk with circumspection and alacrity according to thy holy commandments. May we daily learn more of that Saviour who was meek and lowly in heart, take his yoke upon us, and find his promised rest and peace. May our faith in him continually grow stronger and more effica- cious, and that same mind and spirit be in us which was in him* May his gospel be completely success- ful in correcting our errors, in forming within us the amiable graces of the Christian character, in supporting us under the difficulties and sufferings of this transitory life, and in preparing us for tlie glory which is about to be revealed. Having lived as his true followers, may the remembrance of his crucifixion and triumph banish every fear from our bosoms in the hour of death. And, in the day of judgment, may thy grace give us the portion of those, to whom our Lord shall say : " come, ye " blessed of my Father, inherit the Kingdom pre- u pared for you from the foundation of the world.*' Almighty God, thou desirest not the destruction of any, but hast loved the whole world and given thy Son to taste death for every man. O grant, we beseech thee, that all the children of Adam may rejoice in the light oi his gospel, and experience GENERAL PRAYERS. the invaluable blessings, which are bestowed upon us through his mediation. Be pleased so to direct the affairs of this world, and to smile upon all proper means for the advancement of thy kingdom, the kingdom of truth, purity, and righteousness, that it may soon be completely and universally esta- blished. Put an end, we pray thee, to tyranny and violence, to the desructive schemes of ungodly am- bition, to the effusion of human blood, and to the unnatural devastations and calamities of war. Dis- pose all, who bear the name of thy Son, to speak the truth in love, to honour each other, and to live as brethren. And let every plant, which thou, our heavenly Father, hast not planted, be root- ed up. We pray for the various tribes of the human fa- mily. May it please thee to favour all virtuous and pious communities with thy special protection, and to employ all the methods of thy government for the reformation of such as are vicious and corrupt. We implore thy blessing, especially, upon the land in which we live. Pour out upon us, O God, a spirit of repentance and reformation of all our national sins. Grant, that our civil and religious liberties may be secured and preserved, and that our public counsels* founded upon truth and righteousness, may be crowned with success. May all our magistrates, judges, and rulers, be inspired with wisdom and energy, with a love of justice, with a zeal for religion, and with a generous con- cern for the happiness of the people May all the ministers of thy word be found faithful, helpers of the joy of their fellow-Christians, not lords over thine heritage, but ensamples to the flock. May it please thee to smile upon the useful labours of the various classes of our cilizens, to give us the fruits of the earth, and to preserve tre from the horrors of G5 24 GENERAL PRAYERS. war, of famine, of pestilence, of conflagrations, and other public calamities. Or, shouidst thou, in thine infinite wisdom, visit us with such chastise- ments ; grant, we beseech thee, that they may not terminate in our destruction, but cooperate with all other events for our improvement and ever- lasting felicity. We pray thee, O thou God of compassion 1 to have mercy upon the sonsanddaughtersof affliction. Ease the pained, restore the sick, strengthen the feeble, support the aged, assist the tempted, satisfy the doubting, feed the poor with bread, plead the cause of the oppressed and persecuted. Preserve those who travel by land or water ; show pity upon pri- soners and captives ; do thou, the Father of the fatherless, the widow's God, bind up the broken- hearted, and comfort those that mourn. Turn the wicked from every evil way ; let one spirit, the spirit of harmony, piety, love, and joy, be diffused over thy creation ; and raise all men to those pure and endless pleasures, which are found at thy right hand. And now to thee, O God, who hast created usy to thee who hast redeemed us, to thee who art sanctifying the hearts of thy faithful servants, .be. everlasting honour and glory. Amen. 6. INFINITE and incomprehensible Jehovah, whpm angels and archangels delight to worship, whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain : we look up unto thy throne with a deep conviction, that it is our *Iuiy to acknowledge thee in all our ways, and de- voutly to offer unto thee our thanks and prayers. We praise thee that thou hast been pleased to %- riish us with all things necessary to life aad godl£ GENERAL PRAYERS: 25 liCbb in the doctrines of thy holy gospel ; and we would implore thy gracious assistance, to enable us to walk worthy of our high vocation. Thou hast revealed thyself to us as the Creator and Ruler of heaven and of earth, in whom we and all other beings live and move, jndm whr.se hands our times and our fates are Veposed. — Help us, therefore, to venerate thee with the deepest humil- ity, to be always sensible of thy majesty and power, to subject ourselves to thee with obedient hearts, to remember our entire dependance upon thy will, and to look up to thee alone for temporal and eter- nal happiness. Thou hast made us acquainted with thy charac- ter, as the omnipresent and omniscient, the holy and righteous God, to whom the thoughts of all are perfectly known, who continually beholds both the evil and the good, who is able to save or to des- troy, and who will not fail to reward or punish men according to the state of their hearts and the tenour of their lives. — Grant O Lord, we beseech thee, that, under the influence of such views of thy per- fections, we may walk before thee with holy care, dread and fly from every secret sin, cherish a sacred regard to thine authority at all times and in all pla- ces, zealously strive to perform whatever thou cora- mandest, prefer thy friendship and approbation to every other object, and never despond whilst thou the Lord God omnipotent art with us. Thou hast taught us to contemplate thee as a gracious and merciful Father, delighting to do good to thy children, exercising forbearance towards our infirmities, and pardoning those who renounce their transgressions and walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit. Dispose us, by such considerations, to love thee supremely, to rejoice in thee evermore, to adore thee with filial confidence, and to comtru'r *% GENERAL PRAYERS. our bodies and souls to thee with immovable tran- quillity and hope. " Thou hast given us thy beloved Son Jesus Christ, to be the light of the world, the conductor of our souls in the path of righteousness and peace, the Mediator between ^s and thee, the Redeemer who is able to save unto xhe uttermost and to raise his followers to his own honour and felicity. — Grant, O God, that we may fully realize the worth of his gos- pel, and profess it openly before the world. May we rejoice in his doctrines, death, and resurrection, and entertain the strongest trust in his promises. May we place ourselves under his direction and guidance, keep his character continually before our eyes, and look unto him in life and in death as the author and finisher of our faith. Almighty God, thou hast connected us together in a state of society by the tenderest ties, and appoint- ed us to instruct, to counsel, to encourage, to re- lieve, to console, and to support one another.—- May we ever take pleasure in promoting the wel- fare and cheering the minds of our fellow-travellers to eternity. May we always cordially love our friends, and forgive and do good to our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers. May we faithfully serve one another with the talents and possessions, which thou hast confided to us as thy stewards. May we feel and act as brethren, the servants of one common Master, the children of the same Fath- er in heaven, the heirs of the same blessings be- yond the grave. Thou hast ordained, that, after a short pilgrim- age on earth, our bodies shall die and our spirits- ascend unto thee their Maker. Thou hast taught us, that we shall all be placed before the judg- ment-seat of Jesus Christ, that men shall reap what they have sown on earth, and that an endless GENERAL PRAYERS. 27 duration awaits each one of us. — O God ! may we never boast of tomorrow, nor delay the perform- ance of the work which thou hast given us to do, nor attach ourselves immoderately to this world. May the thought of death and judgment lead us to frequent and serious self-examination, and pre- serve us from engaging in vain and criminal pur- suits. May it be our first concern, to be found iaithful by thee, to improve and exalt the faculties of our immortal souls, to lay up treasures in heaven, to keep our loins girt and our lamps burning, and to hold ourselves in constant readiness for the coming of the great God and of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. May every truth of religion be rendered im- pressive to our minds, and duly influence us in all we think and feel, and say and do; that, forgetting the things which are behind, we may press for- ward continually to the mark of our high calling, and obtain the prize of eternal life, which thy gracs is about to bestow upon thy faithful servants. Almighty God, thou art the Father of all man- kind. To the protection and blessing of thy Pro- vidence we commend ail our brethren, the high, and the low, the rich and the poor ; beseeching thee to enable them to discharge their respective duties, and to enjoy contentedly whatever thou bestowest on them. May our rulers and the rulers of all communi- ties and nations be duly sensible of thy sovereign authority, and of the rights of those by whom they are intrusted with the weighty charge of govern* ment ; obey thee in all humility ; and exercise their power with wisdom, fidelity, and clemency. May all, who are subject to lawful authority, set a just value on the blessings of good govern*- ment, contribute their several parts towards the 3S GENERAL PRAYERS. public order and happiness, and conscientiously fulfil their obligations. Bless the rich, O Lord, with a disposition to do good. Teach the poor to be sober, honest, in- dustrious, and contented with their lot. Help all who suffer distress to rejoice in the discoveries of thy word, and to commit themselves to thy keeping impatience and well-doing. Lead all classes of men amongst us to labour in their vocations with in- tegrity, diligence and zeal. And grant, that, by constantly obeying thy laws, by mutually exercising equity and kindness, we and all our fellow-crea- tures may enjoy the blessings which thou givest us in this world, and be trained up for the partici- pation of endless felicity in the world to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen. 7. A LMIGHTY and most merciful God, who art ■**- infinitely exalted above every created being ! we rejoice that we are permitted to raise our thoughts unto thee, and to call thee our Father. We adore thee as the Parent of angels and of men, and praise thee for the gracious care with which thou providest for our temporal and spiritual wel- fare. And we pray, that we may be animated with a spirit of filial piety, that we may delight in the contemplation of thy character and govern- ment, and call upon thee at all times with that cheerfulness and confidence, with which affection- ate children approach a kind and indulgent Parent. Grant, for this purpose, we beseech thee, that we and all our fellow -men may see thee more and more perfectly as thou art, and entertain worthy conceptions of thy nature, government, and will. May that pure and undefiled religion, which Jesus taught, and which is the fountain of all our GENERAL PRAYERS. tH knowledge of thee, be universally diffused, re- ceived, obeyed, and demonstrated to be the pov. *.»* of God unto salvation to all who sincerely believe it. Under its influence, may thy laws be fulfilled with alacrity and pleasure ; and all thy rational creatures on earth emulate the zeal and devotion of angels and good men made perfect. Thou alone knowest, great God, what measure of health and prosperity is good for man all the days of his life on earth. Bestow upon us, We beseech thee, what thy wisdom sees to be necessary. Pre- serve us from anxious cares and restless desires. Teach us to moderate our attachment to the world, to be content with our lot, and to be thankful for the blessings which we receive from thy liberal hand. We confess, that we are unprofitable servants, that we have not deserved thy favours, and that we have often offended against thy holy command- ments. But we implore from thee, who delightest to show compassion unto the contrite, the re- mission of all our errors and sins, upon the gracious terms proposed in thy gospel. Incline our hearts, by a lively sense of our many frailties and of our great need of thy mercy, to forgive and do good to those who may injure us. And as we are con- scious of our own weakness, we intreat thee, the Governor of the Universe, to place us in circum- •stances favourable to our improvement. Assist us to shun the snares and temptations of vice, to avail ourselves of every means of grace, to fight the good fight of faith, to watch, to pray, and to be sober, to take up the cross and deny ourselves, following our great Saviour and Example with fidelity and constancy. Finally, we pray, that we and all our fellow- men may be enabled to bear whatever afflictions tTioti sendest us, and that in thine own good season 3d GENERAL PRAYERS, we may be delivered from every sorrow and distress. Deliver the nations from all ignorance, injustice, tyranny and bloodshed. Deliver our country from every evil which we feel or fear. Deliver the sick and the unhappy from the calamities which they suffer. Deliver the souls of the dying from gloomy fears, and grant them an abundant entrance into the land of eternal love and joy. We offer up these our supplications unto thee as the disciples of thy Son, and with full reliance upon his assurance that those who ask with sin- cerity and faith shall receive. Thy power is equal to thy goodness. All things in heaven and on earth are at thy disposal. And thine be the honour, the glory, the gratitude and the praise, for ever and ever, through Jesus Christ our Mediator and Re- deemer. Amen. 8. OUR Father who art in heaven ! look down in mercy upon thy needy and dependant children, who have come to thine altar with the sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving. We approach thee with the persuasion, that thou art elevated above all our praise, and that no tribute from mortals can add to thy happiness or glory. The faculties, with which we worship thee, are thy gift ; of thee, and through thee, and to thee, are all things. But we rejoice, that, though thou art too great to need our offerings, thou art too good to despise them. We bless thee, that we are indulged in the in- valuable honour and privilege of spreading our wants before thee. We bless thee, that whilst thou art superintending the concerns of ten thou- sand worlds, thou coiidescendest to hear our sup- plications, and to number the very hairs of our GENERAL PRAYERS. 3* (heads. Wc bless thee for the promise of thy word, that thou wilt be nigh unto all those who call upon thee in sincerity and truth. Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires -and petitions of thy servants, as shall be most expedient for them. May it please thee, of thine infinite mercy, to give us health of body and cheerfulness of mind, to prosper our honest industry, and to protect us from danger and distress, if thine unerring wisdom shall perceive this to be good for us. Vouchsafe, of thine in- finite mercy, to blot out our many sins and in- iquities, and to spare and save the souls of thy servants, who with unfeigned contrition draw near to thy throne through the blood of the everlasting Covenant. Conduct us by thy Spirit and Prov- idence, in safety, through this transitory world. Lead us to the perception of every necessary truth* Implant and nourish in our hearts pious principles and virtuous affections. Sanctify us in the springs of action ; assist us to govern our tempers and passions ; enable us to live not by sight, but by faith, the faith of that Lord who hath loved us and given himself for us, and to adorn our profession by an unblamable walk and conversation. Vouch- safe to prepare each one of us for our respective situations, circumstances and trials. Incline the young, O God, to cultivate a sober mind, to re- member thee their Creator, Redeemer, and Judge, and to acquire those habits, which will secure their present peace and usefulness, and qualify them for celestial felicity. Lead those, who have arrived to the middle stage of life, to labour while it is day in thy service and for the benefit of their fellow- men, before the night cometh when no man can work. Support thine aged servants under all their infirmities, and help them by their example to con- vince the rising generation, that religion has power fo shed comfort upon the decline of life and to D si PRAYERS AFTER SERMON. smooth the passage to the tomb. Dispose such as are possessed of this world's goods, to enjoy them with a temperate and thankful" soul, and to be ready to distribute their treasures for the relief of the necessitous. Inspire the poor and the af- flicted with submission and hope, and assist them to secure themselves unfading riches beyond the grave. Grant that, as parents or children, as masters or servants, as members of families and citizens of the state, we may discharge our obli- gations with diligence and care, and shine as lights in thy church on earth. While we are fervent in spirit and zealous of good works, may we possess that peace which the world is unable to give, and go on our way rejoicing. In every situation in which we shall be placed, may it be our chief care to be found doing justly, loving mercy, walking, humbly before thee the Lord our God, following our Saviour Jesus Christ, and seeking thy heaven- ly kingdom. In joy and sorrow, in life and death, may our souls be stayed upon thee, and triumph in the assurance of thy love and of the resurrection of the just. These blessings, which we solicit for ourselves, we beseech thee, Father of mercies, to extend un- to all our brethren, and finally to receive them and us into the mansions of everlasting life and bliss, through thy rich and free grace in Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord and Saviour. Amen. SECTION III. FOUR PRAYERS after sermon. I. OGod, the eternal source of wisdom and purity, from whom all good counsels, all holy desires, and all just works do proceed ; we offer up our PRAYERS AFTER SERMON. 33 prayers unto thee, beseeching thee to sanctify our hearts by thy holy word. What \vc know not, teach thou us. Whatever is wrong in us, dispose and enable us to reform. Whatever in us is good, as- sist us to carry forward to perfection. Grant that we mav go forth into the world with the spirit of true religion in our souls, and spend all our days in thy fear and love ; that we may depart from this scene of discipline, whenever thou shalt take us away, with Christian hope, and be admitted into thy sacred temple above, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 2. 4 CCEPT, O thou God of compassion, the thank - -"*- ful acknowledgments of our hearts for the priv- ileges which we have enjoyed at this time. Forgive the imperfection of our devotions and whatever thy pure eyes may have seen amiss in us. Of thy great mercy, grant us such things as shall be good for us, though we may neglect to pray for them ; and deny us such things as would be hurtful to us, though we should earnestly desire them. Impress upon our minds the solemn counsels of thy word, and let not the cares or pleasures of trie world pre- vent or impair their efficacy. Help us to walk as in thy sacred presence ; and at last vouchsafe to receive us into glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen. 3. 4 LMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, through ^*- whose infinite goodness we have been permit-' ted to offer up our united supplications and to med- itate upon the interests of our immortal souls: hear thou in heaven, we beseech thee, the petitions of 34 BENEDICTIONS. our hearts, and give thy blessing to the lessons which we have learned, as far as they agree with thy truth in scripture. Establish our minds in the love of every Christian ordinance and duty. Grant, that this house of prayer may become and contin- ue to us the gate of heaven, the temple of devout and holy joy, the refuge of our souls from the trials and temptations of life, the school of genuine wisdom and virtue. Fit us more and more perfect- ly for glorifying thy name upon earth, and for sing- in^ thy praise in the mansions of thy house above, tr . ,h Jesus Christ our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen. 4. tf^ RANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that ^-* the words, which we have heard this day with our outward ears, may be so grafted inwardly in our hearts, that they may bring forth in us the fruit of good living, to the honour and praise of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, &c. Sec. SECTION IV. SCRIPTURAL BENEDICTIONS, for the\con* elusion of public worship. 1. THE Lord bless thee and keep thee. The Lord make his face to shine on thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance on thee, and give thee peace,. Amen. GOSPELS AND EPISTLES. 3 J THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God our heavenly Father, and the communioh of his holy Spirit, be with us and with all our brethren of mankind, now and evermore. Amen. 3. MAY grace and peace be multiplied unto us and all men, through the knowledge of God and of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 4. THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen. 5. THE God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting cov- enant, make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. 6. THE God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, make you per- fect, stablish, strengthen, settle you. To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. SECTION V. A Table of the selections from the Scrijitures com- monly called " the gosfiela and epistles." N. B. — These selections are added to the Li- turgy, because it has been customary in many of the Lutheran churches in the United States to T> 5 m GOSPELS AND EPISTLES. have them read regularly in public worship. But it is necessary to remark concerning them, that there is an impropriety in congregations confining themselves, year after year, to these portions of the sacred volume, and neglecting all the rest, when they meet together for instruction and prayer; Besides, although some of these selections are ex- cellent, not a few of them have been chosen inju- diciously, or are so unnaturally torn away from the context, as to be dark and unedifyingr instead of exhibiting a clear and connected view of the great facts, truths, and lessons, contained in holy writ, especially of those which are most interesting to Christians. It is very desirable, that other and larger sections of the scriptures should be read in our religious assemblies ; and it is pleasing to find,, that this is done in the Evangelical Lutheran Churches in Saxony, Wirtemberg, and other Prov testant countries in Germany. The 1 Sunday in Advent. The Gos/W.—Matth. 21. 1—9. TJie Epistle.—Rom. 13. 11—14. The 2 Sunday in Advejii, Luke 21. 25— 36. Rom. 15. 4—-13. The 3 Sunday in Advent* Matth. 11.2—10. 1 Cor. 4. 1—5. The 4 Sunday in Advent* John 1. 19 — 28. Philipp. 4. 4— 7. Christmas Day, Luke 2. 1—14. Titus 2. 11—14. The Sunday after Chris tmits> Luke 2. 33—40. Gal, 4. 1—7. GOSPELS AND EPISTLES. 37 J* €W- Year* s Day, or the Circumcision of Christ. Luke 2. 21. Gal. 3. 23—29. The 1 Sunday after Neiv-year. Matth. 2. 13 — 23, or Matth. 3. 13—17. 1 Peter 4. 12 — 19, or Titus 3. 4— 7. The JEjufihany) or Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles. Matth. 2. 1—12. Isaiah 60. 1 — 6, or Ephes. 3. 1 — 12. The 1 Sunday after Efnfihany. Luke 2. 41 — 52. Rom. 12. 1 — 6. The 2 Sunday after Efiiphany,. John 2. 1 — 1 1. Rom. 12. 6 — 16. The 3 Sunday after Efiijihany , Matth. 8. I — 13. Rom. 12. 17—21. The 4< Sunday after Efiifihany. Matth. 8. 23 — 27. Rom. 13. 8 — 10. The 5 Sunday after Epiphany, Matth. 13. 24 — 30. Coloss. 3. 12— 17. The 6 Sunday after Efiiphany, Matth. 17. 1—9. 2 Peter 1. 16 — 21. Scjituagesima, or the 3 Sunday before Lent. Matth. 20. 1—16. 1 Cor. 9. 24 — 27. Sexagesimal or the 2 Sunday before Lent, Luke 8. 4 — 15. 2 Cor. 11. 19— 31. S3 GOSPELS AND EPISTLES. Quinguagesima, or the Sunday before Lent. Luke 18. 31—43. 1 Cor. 13. The 1 Sunday in Lent. Matth. 4. 1 — li. 2 Cor. 6. 1 — 10. The 2 Sunday in Lent. Matth. 15. 21—28. 1 Thess. 4. 1 — 7. 27j but to our children.- BAPTISM. H Among the people of Israel, infants were received, by the divine command, into the covenant which was made with Abraham and his descendants. When heads of families were converted to Christ- ianity by the agency of the Apostles, not only they, but their household, were baptised. And we have, moreover, the strongest proof of the love of God to young children, and of their fitness for his King- dom, in the declaration of our blessed Saviour, the image and representative of his Father. " They " brought young children unto him," says St. Mark, "that he should touch them; and his disci- " pies rebuked those that brought them. But " when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased and " said unto them: Suffer the little children to come 11 unto me, and forbid them not; for of such is the " kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, who- " soever shall not receive the kingdom of heaven " as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And rt he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon u them, and blessed them." Thus encouraged, you bring this child to be add- ed to the church of the Redeemer, professing your own Christian faith, and your desire that he (she) should realize the blessings of the gospel, and prom- ising to employ your best endeavours for the ac- complishment of this object. I ask you, therefore, before God and these wit- nesses : Do you renounce, and will you faithfully exhort this child to renounce, the devil and all his works and ways ? — Answ. Yes. Do you believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth ? And in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Vir- gin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was cru- ctfieU, dead and buried ; who descended into hell, E 44 BAPTISM. the third day arose from the dead, ascended int» heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, from whence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead ? Do you also believe in the Holy Ghost, the holy catholic church, the communion of saints, the for- giveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting ? — Answ. Yes. Is it your desire, that this child shall be baptized into the Christian faith ; and are you resolved to instruct him carefully in the gospel of our Lord Jesus, and to teach him to walk according to its holy commandments ? — Answ. Yes. Instead of the preceding questions, the following may be firofiosed : Do you sincerely believe in the divine authority of the religion of Jesus, as it has been handed down to us in the writings of the Evan- gelists and Apostles? Is it your intention to edu- cate this child in the knowledge and love of the gospel ? And do you engage to use all necessary care and diligence, by instruction, admonition, ex- ample, and discipline, that he shall renounce and avoid every thing that is evil, and that he shall keep God's holy will and commandments as declared in his sacred word ? — If this be your faith and serious resolution, please to profess the same, by answer- ing, "Yes." N. I baptize thee in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Let us pray.— Almighty and everlasting God ! we adore thee as the great Parent of the children of men, as the Father of our spirits and the Former of our bodies. We praise thee for giving existence to this infant, and for preserving him until this day. We bless thee, that he is called to virtue and glory, that he has now been dedicated to thee and brought withift BAPTISM. 43 the pule of the "Christian church. We thank thee, that by the gospel of thy Son he is furnished with every thing necessary to his spiritual happiness ; that it supplies light for his mind and comfort for Ms heart, encouragement and power to discharge his duty, and the precious hope of mercy and im- mortality to sustain and make him faithful And we beseech thee to grant, O most merciful God, that this child may be enlightened and sanctified from his early years by thy Holy Spirit, and be everlastingly saved by thy mercy. Direct and bless thy servants, who are intrusted with the care of him, in the momentous work of his education. In- spire them with just conceptions of the absolute necessity of religious instructions and principles. Forbid that they should ever forget, that their off- spring belong to thee ; and that, if, through their criminal neglect or bad example, thy reasonable creature be lost, thou wilt require it at their hands. Give them a deep sense of the dignity of his nature, of the worth of his soul, and of the dangers to which he will be exposed ; of the honour and felicity to which he is capable of ascending with thy blessing, and of the ruin in this world and the misery in the world to come which spring from wicked passions and conduct. Give them grace to check the first risings of forbidden inclinations in his breast, to be his defence against the temptations incident to childhood and youth, and as he grows up, to enlarge his understanding and to lead him to an acquaint- ance with thee and wilh Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent. Give them grace to cultivate in his heart a supreme reverence and love for thee, a grateful attachment to the gospel of thy Son his Saviour, a due regard for all its ordinances and in- stitutions, a temper of kindness and good-will to all mankind, and an invincible love of sincerity and .truth. Help them to watch continually over him 40 BAPTISM. with tender solicitude, to be studious that by their conversation and deportment his heart may not be corrupted, and at all times to set before him such an example that he may safely tread in their foot- steps. If it please thee to prolong his days on earth, grant that he may prove an honour and a comfort to his parents and friends, be useful in the world, and find in thy Providence an unfailing de- fence and support. Whether he live, let him live to thee ; or whether he die, let him die to thee. And, at the great day of account, may he and his parents meet each other with rapture, and rejoice together in thy redeeming love through Jesus Christ, for ever and ever. Amen. The folloiving exhortation, or any other which the minister may judge firo/ier, may be addressed to the iiartnts. Solemn and momentous indeed is your duty, my friends, and great your responsibility to the Judge of all. To guide this feeble and ignorant creature in the road to happiness ; to contribute to the un- folding of his powers, and to teach him to make a worthy use of them ; to cherish the good, and to repress the evil dispositions, which may rise up in his mind ; to guard him from error, vice, and mise- ry ; to make him acquainted with the great design of his being ; to lead him to truth, wisdom, piety, and virtue ; to fit him for acting his part well on the theatre of this world ; and to prepare him for endless bliss in the world to come : — what a noble, delight- ful, and arduous employment! What a recompence will attend it, if well performed, both here and here- after! What cutting sorrow would you be doomed to feel, should you neglect this duty, or acquit your- selves ill in it ! — Let it be your great aim to dis- charge this obligation with fidelity ; and, having been the instruments of giving life to this infant, let it be the subject of your prayers ar.d the end of BAPTISM. *i your endeavours, that you may meet him among the spirits of just men made perfect before the throne of God and the Lamb. Amen. SECTION VII. THE MIXISTRATION OF BAPTISM to such as are ofrifier years. Dearly Beloved^ OUR blessed Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ, having himself published his religion for the salvation of the world, to the Jewish nation, com- missioned his apostles to compieat the work which ha had begun. " All power," said he, " is given " unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye, there- " fore, and teach all nations, baptising them in the " name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the " Holy Ghost ; teaching them to observe all things " whatsoever I have commanded you." In obedi- ence to this direction, his disciples preached his gospel in various parts of the earth ; and as many, as professed " repentance toward God and faith " toward our Lord Jesus Christ," were received and acknowledged by baptism as members of his church. The Jews were required to renounce their corrupt prejudices and customs; the heathens, to forsake their idolatry and superstition : and it was enjoined upon both, that they should relinquish every evil thought and way, enter upon a new and better course of thinking and living, and be guid- ed in all respects by the sacred principles of the gospel, if they were desirous of securing the blessedness of true Christians. By the ordinance of Baptism, Christ has most wisely provided for preserving his church and for maintaining among us a sense of the holiness and E 5 *s BAPTISM. regenerating influence of his doctrine. Water was appointed by him to be employed as an emblem of spiritual purity, or of that moral and religious im- provement in which all our Christian advantages are to terminate. And it is designed by him, that it shall be said of all who embrace his religion i u ye are washed, ye are sanctified, ye are justified, iC in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the spirit * of our God." Such is the origin and nature of this rite. You, my brother (sister) in the profession of your Christian faith, present yourself to be baptized ac- cording to this institution. I ask you, therefore, in the presence of these witnesses, and before that august being who searcheth the heart, Q. Do you sincerely believe in the divine au- thority of the religion of Jesus, as it is contained in holy scripture, receiving it as the rule of your faith and as your guide through all the changes of this life to that which is to come ? Answ. I do. Q. I}o you renounce all sinful desires and works, and promise, by the help of God, to adorn your profession with an holy life and conversation ? A. I do ; and, by the help of God, I will en- deavour to fulfil tliis promise. Upon this your solemn profession and promise, 1 baptize thee, N, in the name of the Father, and af the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Let us firay. Almighty and most merciful God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath taught us by his own conduct to fulfil all righteousness; we offer unto thee aur thankful acknowledgments, that this thy servant has now been engrafted into the body «>f Christ's church, and been made a partaker of those heavenly blessings which we have received through our great Mediator. Accept, we beseech BAPTISM. & dice, this instance of his obedience to thy will and this manifestation of his desire to please thee. If, through his own neglect and the temptations which are in the world, he has entertained any evil affection or offended against thy holy laws ; we be- seech thee in thine infinite mercy to pardon him. Pour out upon hint thy Holy Spirit, and assist him to accomplish his vows. Incline his heart to study with diligence and meekness the sacred records of our religion, to receive with all readiness the doctrines and instructions of thy Son, to submit faithfully to the authority of his laws, and on no occasion to be afraid or ashamed of confessing his name. Give him strength to triumph over every allurement and terror, that would draw him aside from the path of duty ; that, as Christ died and rose again, so he, being baptized, may die unto sin and rise unto righteousness. Help him to avail himself of all the means which thou hast appointed for his improvement, that he may grow daily in every virtue which relates to thee, to his neigh- bour, and himself. Assist him to be fervent in spirit, rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing instant in prayer, blessing those who persecute him, rejoicing with them that rejoice, and weeping with them that weep. May his de- portment contribute to confute the enemies of Christianity, to edify its friends, and to prove to the doubting that it is the power of God unto salvation to all who uprightly believe and seriously apply it. Experiencing that the yoke of Christ is easy and his burden light, and blessed with a large measure of that consolation and cheerfulness which flow from the discoveries, the cross, and the re- surrection of his Lord, may he prove faithful unto death, and finally through thy grace receive the crown of life ! 3 eat, this is my body which E5 60 THE LORD'S SUPPER. u is given for you. Do this in remembrance of M me. And, at the same time, after supper* he " took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, « saying, drink ye all of this; this cup is the New « Testament in my blood, which is shed for you and " for many for the remission of sins. Do this, as " often as ye drink it, in remembrance of me." Thus commanded and invited, let us approach the table of the Lord, My Brethren, with devotion and faith, with gratitude and charity, with penitence and holy joy. In the name of Christ our common and only Master, I say to all who own h'im as their Saviour, and resolve to be his faithful subjects: ye are welcome to this feast of love. When the minister prevents the bread to the com- municants, he says to them : Jesus said, take and eat, this is my body which is given for you ; do this in remembrance of me. IVhen the minister delivers the cup, to them, he nays : Jesus said, drink ye all of this ; this cup is the New Testament in my blood, which is shed for you and for many for the remission of sin. Do this in remembrance of me. 71ie minister is at liberty to substitute any other words in the place of these ; audit is desirable, that he should endeavour to keep alive the devotion of the communicants by appropriate addresses to them, cr by suitable passages of scripture like the follow- ing. — John ill. 16. Matth. xi. 28. 29. 30. John xv. 13. Rom. iii. 24. 25. Rom. v. 7. 8. Rom. viii. 1. Rom. viii. 32. 31. 2 Cor. v. 19. 1 Tim. i. 15. 1 John ii. 1. 2. iv. 10. Isaiah i. 16. 17. ±8. Isaiah Iv. 7. Ezekiel xxxiii. 11. Hebrews xii. 22.23. 2-f. 2 Tim. ii. 11. 12. 13. Rom. viii. 17. 18. 1 Cor. ii. 9. xv. 55. 56. 57. 1 John iii. 2. John xiv. 2. 3. — These express the comfort and hope of Chris- tians.-—-The sanctity of our profession as followers of Christ is exhibited in su through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. r« PRAYER FOR THE LORD'S £>AY Evening. FATHER of mercies, by whose goodness we have been preserved, we come before thee to acknowledge the riches of thy grace. Thy name is excellent ; thy works are marvellous ; in thy favour there is life ; and much peace have they who love thy laws. We thank thee for all the hap- piness of our lives, for the stores of nature, for the advantages of society, for the comforts of friend- ship, and for the satisfactions which flow from our domestic relations. We thank thee for every op- portunity of improving our mental faculties, for the inestimable discoveries and hopes of thy gos- pel, and for the appointment of public worship. We thank thee for the blessings bestowed upon us this sacred day. We are ashamed to reflect, with how little ardour we engage in thy work, and acknowledge before thee our manifold errors and sins. Thou pure and perfect Spirit, forgive of thine infinite compassion any distraction'of mind or coldness of affection, which may have attended the discharge of our religious duties ; and assist us to love thee more and to serve thee better in the time to come. Preserve us from being satisfied with the form of godliness. Whatever seeds of truth may have rallen into our hearts, grant that they may take deep root and be abundantly fruitful. By the lessons we have learnt, prepare us for resuming and prosecuting our worldly employments with a becoming frame of mind; and help us to pass through every future scene of life under the guid- ance of Christian principles. Whilst thou shalt see fit to continue us in this world, it is our earnest desire and steadfast reso- lution to answer the ends for which thou hast made H 80 PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. us. In the presence of each other, and before thee the all-seeing witness and judge, we do at this time form the most serious purpose to guard against all vicious appetites and passions, to behave with fideli- ty, prudence, and kindness towards one another, to be diiigent in the business of our several stations, to perform every social office with conscientious eare, and to remember the account which we must render unto thee for our deportment here. Strengthen us by thy Spirit, O God, in this re- solution. Protect us this night against the dan- gers to which we may be exposed. And, when death shall be uur lot, enable us to observe its ap- proach with composure, and receive us into thy presence where there is fullness of joy, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen. PRAYER FOR MONDAY Morning. ff^ THOU Creator, Governor, and supporter of ^-* men ! thou dwellest in light, and art the father of lights. Grateful for the care which thou hast exercised over us during the night past, we would cheerfully submit ourselves to thy guidance through the day upon which we have entered. Keep us in thy faith and fear, and secure us from every evil of •soul and body Impress on our hearts a solemn sense of thy universal presence Preserve us from any snares which may lie in our way, and especially from the sins which most easily beset us. Prepare us for new occurrences, whether prosperous or ad- verse, and quicken us in the discharge of every ob- ligation- Let not continued peace and comfort make us forgetful of thee, or corrupt our minds. PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. 81 Thou prolongest our lives, that we may attain more and more the true end of life vlay this clay witness some improvement in knowledge, piety, and virtue. May it witness our diligence in that occu- pation, to which thou callest us — We desire and purpose to keep consciences void of offence : but the experience which *ve have had of our frailty makes us diffident of our strength. Our confidence is in thy power to confirm our faith and invigorate our obedience. We implore thine aid, that we may run in the way of thy commandments. Smile on our endeavours after righteousness and usefulness. Teach us to feel the whole value of our days on earth ; and when they shall be finished, vouchsafe to receive us into the light and bliss of thy glorious presence, through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen. PRAYER FOR MONDAY Evening. £~\ THOU infinitely great and adorable Majesty ^ of heaven and earth 1 thou art ever present to all thy creatures. Thou knowest our down sitting and our up rising ; thou compassest our path and our lying down, and art acquainted with all our ways. Preserver of men ! at the close of another day, we would render unto thee our thinks for all the mercies, by which our lives have been supported and rendered happy. Thy sun has cheered us with its rays, thy air has fanned the spark of life within us, and by thy goodness we have been fed with food convenient for us. In grateful confidence of thy mercies, we will now lay ourselves down in peace ; assured, that, if it be thy will, we shall sleep in 82 PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. safety, and rise on another morning with Venewed health and vigour. Forgive the transgressions of the past day and of all past time. Whatever has been irregular in our dispositions, whatever we have done which we ought not to have done, or omitted which we ought to have performed, be pleased mercifully to pardon; and grant that our circumspection in future may be increased Hitherto thou hast helped us, provided for our necessities, and crowned our lives with loving kind- ness Truly our hope is in thee, and under the shadow of thy wings will we put our trust. We dedicate ourselves unto thee as our God and guide through life, our support and comfort in death, and after death our everlasting portion and felicity. Let thy goodness continue to follow us ; and enable us to express our thankfulness by a growing holiness and resemblance of thee. Holy Watchman of thy people, who dost never slumber nor sleep; thou King eternal, immortal and invisible I unto thee be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen. PRAYER FOR TUESDAY Morning. A LMTGHTY and everlasting God, we thy needy ■£*■ creatures render thee our humble praise for thy preservation of us from the beginning of our lives to this day, and especially for having delivered us from the dangers of the past night To thy watch- ful providence we owe it, that we have been kept in safety, and that no disturbance hath come nigh our dwelling. For these thy mercies we bless and praise thee, beseeching thee to accept this morning sacrifice. And since it is of thy goodness, O gra- PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES- S3 cious Father, that our existence is prolonged ; we here devote both our bodies and souls to thy ser- vice, in a godly, righteous, and sober life. Strength- en us, we beseech thee, in this resolution ; that, as we grow in age, we may grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Have compassion, we pray thee, on our infirmities; and give us the constant assistance of thy Holy Spirit, that we may be effectually restrained from sin and excited to our duty Imprint upon our hearts such a dread of thy displeasure, such a re- membrance of the great day of judgment, and such a grateful sense ot thy goodness to us, as may make us both afraid and ashamed to offend ttiee. Keep us temperate in our enjoyments and diligent in our callings, just and upright in our dealings, peaceable, compassionate, and ready to do good to all men. Direct us in all our ways; prosper the work of our hands; defend us from calamities and sufferings; or, if thou shalt be pleased fo visit us with them, enable us to bear them with patience, and to be con- tented with our condition — These things, and what- ever else is necessary and good for us, we implore, with humble reliance upon thine infinite clemency in Christ Jesus our Mediator and Redeemer Amen* 6. PRAYER FOR TUESDAY Evening. ~\ JOST merciful God, who art of purer eyes than ™ to behold iniquity, and hast promised forgive- ness to all those who confess and forsake their sins ; we come before thee sensible of our own unworthi- ness, and acknowledge our numerous transgressions of thy righteous laws. Look upon us, we beseech thee, with compassion ; pardon, of thy free grace, H 5 ez PRAYER8 FOR FAMILIES. all our errors and sins ; give us proper views of the great evil of them ; amend the tempers and dispo- sitions of our souls ; and cleanse us from all vicious thoughts, unlawful designs, and inordinate desires. May we never suffer the sun to go down upon our ■wrath, but always retire to our rest in peace, chari- ty, and good-will, with a conscience void of offence towards thee and towards men. Accept, O Lord, our intercessions for all man- kind. Be gracious unto thy church ; let the light of thy gospel shine upon all nations ; bless all in authority over us ; do good to our relations, friends, and neighbours; reward our benefactors; pardon those who have done or wish us evil, and give them better minds ; be merciful to all who are in any trouble ; and do thou, the God of pity, minister to their several necessities. Receive our thanks, great God, for our being, our reason, our health, our friends, our food, our rai- ment, and all the other comforts and conveniencies of life. Above all, we adore thy mercy in sending thine only Son to redeem us from sin and eternal death* and to give us the knowledge of our duty to thee. We bless thee for thy patience with us, not- withstanding our many and great provocations ; for all the directions, assistances and comforts of thy Holy Spirit ; and for all thy benefits and favours. Continue them to us, we beseech thee ; and give us grace to shew our thankfulness by sincere obe- dience to thy laws- Defend us this night from all dangers and mis- chiefs, and bestow on us such refreshing sleep as may fit us for the duties of the following day, if it shall pfease thee to prolong our lives. Make us ever mindful of the time when we shall lie down in the dust ; and grant us grace always to live in such a manner, that we may never be afraid to dae. PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. 85 Whether living or dying, may we be thine, through the mediation of thy Son Jesus Christ, in whose name we offer up these our imperfect prayers. Amen. PRAYER FOR WEDNESDAY Morning. LORD God Almighty, we will praise thee with our whole hearts, and shew forth thy goodness to the children of men. Thou hast placed the sun and the moon in the heavens, to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and the night. All creatures wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou hast preserved us and provided for us in the helpless state of infancy, and guided us in the dangerous paths of youth. Thou hast supplied our daily wants, and brought us to the present moment in peace and safety . Through the darkness of the night, thine eye has been upon us ; and we appear before thee this morning, surrounded with the gifts of thy bounty. Accept, O merciful Father, our unfeigned thanks- givings for these, and for all our spiritual blessings ; and help us so to improve and apply them, that we may be happy in thy favour, both in this world, and that which is to come. May we be in thy fear all the day long, serve thee with pure affection, and enjoy the good things of life in innocence In our domestic relations, may we be all of one mind, love as brethren, and live in peace ; that thou, the God of peace and love, mayest be with us. May all holy dispositions be establish- ed in our souls, and our lives be adorned with all 80 PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. good actions. May we rejoice habitually in thy government, and in the hope of thine approbation ; and finally be received into thine everlasting king- dom, through thy grace in thy blessed Son, our Sa- viour, Jesus Christ. Amen. 8. PRAYER FOR WEDNESDAY Evening. f\ MOST merciful and gracious God ! we thy "^ servants present ourselves before thee, this evening, to render thanks unto thee for all thy mercies, to confess our sins, to renew our good resolutions, and to commend ourselves to the care of thy providence. Blessed be thy name for all the powers, supports and enjoyments of our nature ; for all our opportu- nities of securing happiness ; for our advantages as the disciples of thy Son, for his doctrines, precepts, example, sufferings, and resurrection. Great is thy goodness to us and to all the children of men ; and we confess, that we are not worthy of the mercies which we have received at thy hands. In many things, we have all offended. Thou knowest our follies, and our sins are not hidden from thee We acknowledge them with sorrow and penitence ; we desire to walk before thee in newness of life ; and we beseech thee, who despise st not a contrite heart, to pardon all our iniquities and to be merciful unto us. Teach us, O God, to discern between good and evil; and enable us, in the midst of the tempta- tions of the world, to hold fast our integrity and to persevere in well-doing. Grant, that neither hope nor fear may ever lead us to desire or to do what thou forbiddest. Help us to be harmless and un- dented, to aim continually at the mark of our high PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. *7 calling, and to fight the good fight of faith, that we may obtain the prize. Our outward circumstances in life we leave en- tirely to the disposal of thy wisdom and goodness. We commit ourselves to thy care through the ensuing night and the remainder of our days, with a steadfast persuasion, that, if it be best for us, thou wilt defend us from evil. Whatever thou shalt appoint, help us to place our whole confidence in thee. Leave us not, neither forsake us, O thou God of our salvation. Bless our friends, and guide them by thine unerring Spirit. Have pity upon all to whom wearisome nights and restless days are appointed. And raise all men to that land of perfect felicity, where Jesus reigns for ever and ever. Amen. PRAYER FOR THURSDAY Morning. OGOD, the giver of all good, who delightestih the happiness of thy creatures ! we would raise our hearts to thee in the exercise of devout affections. Having daily united to partake of thy bounty, we would unite to give our thanks unto thee. Thou hast been continually with us, rejoicing to do us good ; and thy mercies are more than can be numbered. Thou hast upheld our souls in life, and been our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Thou hast continually fed and clothed us, and given us many things to enjoy. When we lie down to rest, thou art our defence ; and when we awake, we are still with thee. Thou art leading us by the mediation of thy Son to a better world, and causing all things to work to- gether for our good. is PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. Father, we praise thee and rejoice in thy good- ness ; and we desire at all times to approve our- selves unto thee. Preserve us, we beseech thee, from every secret sin. Dispose and assist us to keep our hearts, and to watch over our tongues. Enable us faithfully to obey thee in every situation, and till our minds with religious veneration and gratitude. Grant, that we may heartily unite our endeavours to promote each other's happiness, bear with each other's infirmities, reprove each other in the spirit of meekness, put away all pride and envy, all discontent and fretfulness, all sus- picion and jealousy, and travel together with in- creasing affection to the land of everlasting joy and love. Encouraged by our past experience, we humbly commit our persons and concerns to thy direction, and confide in thine unbounded mercy, as revealed and pledged to us in Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen. 10. PRAYER FOR THURSDAY Evening. ALMIGHTY God, who art the Rewarder of all them that diligently seek thee ! receive in mercy the prayers and the praises of thy children. We adore thee as the greatest and the best of beings, the source of all power, wisdom, good- ness, and happiness. Without thee we can do nothing ; and on thee we depend from day to day. Thine energy sustains, thy presence animates, thy gracious influence blesses the Universe. Our times are in thy hands ; our advantages and sor- rows are dispensed by thy Providence. Thy mer- cy has given us a Redeemer, who is able to save unto the uttermost ; and thine unmerited love adds FltAYERS FOR FAMILIES. 89 to our days and satisfactions, that we may be drawn to devote our hearts to thy service. We confess, O Lord, that we have disobeyed thy laws and been unmindful of thy goodness. We lament with sincere sorrow our errors and trans- gressions. We desire to forsake every evil way ; and we humbly trust in thy grace for the for- giveness of our sins. Being justified by faith, may we have peace with thee, be saved from the dominion of vice, and be filled with the fruits of thy Spirit. May we be at all times sensible of the vanity of the world, of the deceitfulness of sin, and of its certain tendency to make us miserable. May we entertain just convictions of the worth of our own souls, and of the value and importance of the glory to which we are called. May we set our affections upon the things above, be armed against the allurements and terrors of this transitory state, and hold ourselves in constant readiness to depart hence and to stand before our Judge. Keep us this night, Almighty Guardian, under thy watchful eye. If it be agreeable to thy will, let no evil befall us or ours. Have mercy upon those, for whose welfare we feel particularly so- licitous. Comfort and sustain all who are in trouble and adversity. Order all things for us as seemeth right in thy sight ; and do us good now and evermore according to thy promises declared unto us by Jesus Christ our Lord. And through him be glory unto thee for ever and ever. Amen. 11. PRAYER FOR FRIDAY Morning. ETERNAL and incomprehensible Jehovah, Father and Friend of the children of men i we would acknowledge thy perfections and feel 9* PRAtERS FOR FAMILIES. •ur dependance on thee. Thou art from everlast- ing to everlasting, and with thee there is no va- riableness nor shadow of turning. Thou art "the righteous Lord, whose countenance beholdeth the upright. Thou acceptest not the persons of men, but wilt render unto the rich and the poor accord- ing to their works. Thou art good, and ever ready to forgive the penitent. We thank thee, Lord of heaven and earth, for all that thou hast done for us. Thou hast brought us into life, and continually watched over us. Thou hast again preserved us, and granted us the re- freshment of quiet repose. Through thy goodness we appear before thee at this time, in health and ease, with the free use of our reason, and in the enjoyment of many blessings. What shall we render unto thee for all thy benefits ? We desire to show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives ; and to spend this day and the re- mainder of our days in a uniform obedience to thy holy commands. Incline our hearts, we beseech thee, to thy pre- cepts. Endue us with that simplicity and godly sincerity, which are well-pleasing unto thee. Teach us to live by the faith of thy Son, who hath loved us and given himself for us. Preserve us from thinking of ourselves more highly than we ought to think, and clothe us with the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit Assist us to take heed unto our ways, to direct our affairs with discretion, to be temperate in all things, to walk within our house with perfect hearts, and to order our whole conversation and conduct according to thy will. Through all the changes of our lives, grant, O God, that we may be without covetousness, re- ceive thy gifts with thankful hearts, enjoy them with sobriety and benevolence, and endure af- flictions with such patience that they may wofk PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. H out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. And unto thee, the God of all consolation and grace in Christ Jesus, be endless honour and praise. Amen. A 12. PRAYER FOR FRIDAY Evening. LMIGHTY God, the Parent of all the families of the earth ! we thy children unite to present unto thee the tribute justly due to thy name. We thank thee, that thou hast created us in thine own image, made us capable of knowledge and wisdom, endowed us with social affections, and implanted in us a sense of good and evil. We praise thee for our continual support, and acknowl- edge that thou daily loadest us with benefits. Above all, we bless thee for thine inestimable love in sending thine only-begotten Son, to instruct, to guide, to save us from sin and misery, and to elevate us to an inheritance which is incorruptible in heaven. We will bless thee, O Lord, at all times; thy praise shall be continually in our mouths. While we acknowledge before thee, O God, thine incessant bounty and eternal love ; we confess with shame, that we have not been as careful to improve and make suitable returns for them, as it was our duty to be. Though thou hast nourished and brought us up as children, we have rebelled against thee. But we desire to become wiser and better ; and we beseech thee, who art slow to anger, to pardon all our transgressions. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us, and grant us thy salvation. Lead us by thy gracious hand in the path of our duty ; and, in the time of temptation, let thy good Spirit be with us, to keep us from falling. May 92 PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. our minds be purified from all sinful affections, and be deeply impressed and regularly influenced by every religious truth. May we be steadfast and immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Thou art the Protector of all that put their trust in thee. We pray thee to show compassion to such as are in pain, sickness, or distress. We commend ourselves, our friends, and all our con- cerns to thy holy keeping. Defend us by thy power, direct us by thy wisdom, provide for us by thy goodness ; and, when our heart and our flesh shall fail, be thou, O God, the strength of our hearts and our portion forever. Amen. 13. PRAYER FOR SATURDAY Morning. |*| GOD, who givest unto all creatures life and " breath and all things ! we thy servants would reverence thine infinite perfections, and adore thee as the fountain of all virtue and felicity. Thou art the same in power, wisdom, and good- ness, throughout all generations. Thou upholdest every being by thy mighty word, and preservest the regular succession of day and night, of summer and winter, of seed-time and harvest. By thine appointment, the sun ariseth, and man goeth forth to his work. The earth is thine and the fullness thereof. Blessed be thou, our merciful Father, for the protection afforded us, for the refreshment of sleep, for our measure of ease and health, for every pre- sent comfort, and for all our hopes of future good. To thy tender compassion alone we ascribe them, jand are sensible of the vast obligation which they PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. 03 lay upon us to love and serve thee with every faculty oi" our bodies and souls. Let the consciousness of the homage and fidelity we owe to thee accompany us wherever we r^ ; that we may live in all good conscience; and that, whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, we may do all to thy glory. Teach us to be prudent in ordering our affairs, industrious in performing the business of our stations, moderate in our de- sires and innocent in our enjoyments, careful in redeeming the time, resigned under chastisement, courteous and candid to all around us, equitable and compassionate to those with whom we shall have to deal, grateful to our friends and benefac- tors, and generous and forgiving to any that may injure or offend us. Let the same mind be in us, which was also in Christ Jesus. Enable us heartily to rejoice in his salvation, and cause all things to work together for our eternal welfare through the riches of thy grace. Amen. 14. PRAYER FOR SATURDAY Evening-. f* RE AT and glorious God ! the heavens are thy " throne, and the earth is thy footstool. Thou art nigh unto all them that call upon thee in sin- cerity and truth. Thou art conducting thy child- ren id the path of peace ; and thou continually affordest them the supplies which they need. We thank thee, that we have been preserved through another day and another week. We thank thee, that thine arm has been our support, thy shield our defence, thy Providence and Spirit our guardian and guide. We thank thee for our per- sonal and family blessings, (for our deliverance from dangers and calamities,"! and for. every agree- 94 PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. able and happy circumstance of our condition. We thank thee, above all, that we are brought to the. knowledge of thee and of Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent; that we have the promises of thy mercy; and that, though this frail existence is fleeting away, we have the assured hope of immortal feli- city.— Thy compassions fail not, great God, though our days on earth are diminishing. Be thou exalt- ed above the heavens ! and be thy sacred name praised for ever and ever 1 Merciful Father! blot out, we pray thee, the sins that have been committed by us in the week which is now drawing to a close, and in the whole course of our departed days. We lament, that we have often been led astray and have been charge- able with many negligences and omissions. We confess them unto thee with an humble and con- trite spirit ; and beseech thee to cleanse our con- sciences from evil works, to lift on us the light of thy countenance, and to give us the blessedness of those whose transgressions are covered. Dispose us to realize fully, that we are the mon- uments of thy sparing mercy ; in order that our hearts may be consecrated to thee. Illuminate our minds with thy heavenly truth. Preserve us from all false judgments concerning the ends of living and the way to happiness. Secure us from the in- fluence of vain customs and evil examples. In- crease our faith ; enliven our hope ; enlarge our charity ; inspire us with every pious, virtuous, and amiable disposition ; and help us to become Chris* tians, not in name only, but in deed. Another step has been taken towards eternity ; week after week, and month after month, are pass- ing away ; and we know, that our times are in thy hand, and that there may be to us but a few more days in this world. Gracious God, suffer us not to forget the shortness and precariousness of life3 o$v PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. 9* the solemnities of judgment and eternity. Prepare us to meet our last end with a serene and peaceful mind. Incline us so to pass through things temporal, that we may not forget the things which are eternal. Help us to love each other as beings, who have each other's immortal happiness at heart; and, af- ter we shall have been separated from one another by death, be pleased to unite us in holy fellowship before the throne of God and the lamb. We commend our bodies and our souls to thy care ; and beseech thee to do good unto all men. We offer up these our prayers in the name of Jesus, through whom we trust that we shall be pardoned and accepted now and evermore. Amen. 15. GRACE BEFORE AJVD JETER MEAT. k LMIGHTY Father ! the blessings, which we- ■**- are about to receive, are thy gift. May they be enjoyed with a sense of thy love to us and all mankind. Amen. WE acknowledge, heavenly Father, that thou art the source of all our enjoyments. Help us to receive thy bounty with grateful, contented, and obedient hearts. Amen. THE eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord ; and thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire q£ every living thing. Amen. >*> PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. BLESSED be thy name, O thou author of all good, for this present refreshment and for all other mercies. May they strengthen us to the perform- ance of every duty as disciples of thy Son. Amen. AGAIN we experience, O God, that thou art good. May thy goodness be continued to us, and be extended to all mankind. Amen. THOU hast afforded us another proof of thy benevolent care, O thou Parent of men ! may it iill us with gratitude to thee, and dispose us to be kind to others even as thou art kind unto us. Amen. THOU, Lord, art our Shepherd ; we shall not want. May we never be wanting in our duty to thee ; and may thy mercy follow us all the days of our lives. Amen. GOO of compassion ! thou fillest our hearts with food and gladness. Make us duly thankful, we beseech thee ; and be pleased to feed the hungry, and to provide for all the needy, now and evermore. Amen. DIVINE Benefactor J thou hast blessed our labours for the meat which perisheth. Hftlp us to labour successfully for that meat, which en- dure th unto everlasting life. Amen. HtAYERS FOR FAMILIES. »r 16. PRAYER FOR A FAMILY at the close of the year* Xj1 TERNAL Jehovah ! in thee we live and move -*-^ and have our being*. In thy hand is our breath j it is because thou hast sustained us, that we have continued to this day. With praise to thee, the God of our lives, we come into thy presence ; with thanks to thee, the unfailing source of mercy ! Thou didst bring us into tins world, and place us on this stage of action. Thou didst uphold us in the helpless days of infancy, and preserve us from the innumerable evils to which we were then ex- posed. We tasted of thy bounty, before we were capable of perceiving the hand from which it came. With every returning year thy favours have been multiplied upon us. Thou hast been with us and hast helped us in all our troubles. Often hast thou healed our diseases, removed our sorrows, and renewed our strength. Thy candle has shined upon our tabernacle ; thy corn has nourished us ; thy smiles have gladdened our hearts. Whilst many have been cut off and have passed into an awful eternity, we are yet numbered with the living. Whilst thousands have fallen at our right hand and our left, we continue to stand, witnesses that thou art good to the evil and unthankful. Through the riches of thy forbearance and long- suffering, thou art continuing us in a state of trial, giving unto us space for repentance, and favouring us with thy holy gospel and with all necessary means of grace and reformation. God of compassion, take not thy Spirit from us. Continue to us thy heavenly blessings. Prepare u.s for future changes in our condition, and let them be sanctified to our truest interest and hap- 93 PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. piness. We commit ourselves to thy care ; we devote ourselves to thy service ; we refer all events concerning us to thine infinite wisdom and fatherly goodness. Lead us seasonably to consider the things which belong to our peace. Give us real- izing views of death and a judgment to come. En- able us to depart from the world, when thou shalt call us away, with tranquillity and comfort of mind, exempt from the terrours of guilt ; and bring us to the enjoyment of thy favour in the realms of flory, through the mediation of Jesus Christ, thy on, our Lord. Amen. 17. PRAYER FOR A FAMILY at the beginning of the year. ALMIGHTY God, God of the spirits of all flesh, Preserver and Ruler of the children of men ! hear in mercy thy servants, who raise their hearts unto thee. We acknowledge, that, in seasons past, we have often been too earnest about the things of sense and time, too regardless of the ob- jects of faith and futurity. We confess, that we have too often walked in a vain show, and dis- quieted ourselves in vain. We cannot attempt to deny, that we have been frequently undutiful and unthankful. Wouldst thou judge us without mer- cy, we should be utterly destitute of hope. Wouldst thou deal with us according to our sins, we should be miserable indeed. But we rejoice, that thou desirest not the ruin of thy creatures, but rather that they should repent and live. It is our desire to cast off all the unfruitful works of darkness, and to walk as children of the light and of the day. It is our purpose, that this year shall witness our PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. 99 gueater reformation from every thing that is amiss in us, and our increasing improvement in the graces of the Christian character. If it be consistent with the purposes of thine inscrutable wisdom, we pray that our lives may be spared ; not merely that we may enjoy an animal existence, but that we may be furnished with an opportunity of doing good and becoming better. We commit all our concerns to thee ; and would submit to those circumstances, which thou, who alone knowest what is best for us, shalt ordain. If thou wilt, we desire the continuance of health and comfort. If thou shouldst send sickness or adversity to us, may we be prepared for these and all other changes of our situation. If it be thy decree, that this year any of us shall die ; may we be ready for our departure. We dare not say, that we will do this or that : but we would cherish one resolution, to become and always to be such persons as thou shalt be pleased to approve. Heavenly Father ! do thou preserve us from every injurious delay. Let not the night of dark- ness, in which no man can work, overtake us un- awares. Forbid, that we should ever presume on life, or boast of to morrow, or be immoderately attached to earthly things. May we always do with diligence what thou appointest us to perform. If death shall approach us by slow advances, may it find us well employed ; and if we are suddenly called to exchange worlds, may it not be our lot to have treasured up fear and remorse. — Hear us, we beseech thee, in these our supplications, which we offer up in the name of our great Mediator. And unto thee, the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, be honour and glory, for ever and ever, thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, 100 PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. 18. PRAYER FOR A FAMILY in behalf of a sick Jierson. OGOD, who hast taught us, at all times and in every condition, to make our requests known unto thee J We would adore thee as the author and arbiter of life, and the disposer of sickness and of death. We offer up our humble supplications in behalf of thy servant, who is labouring under pain and disease. Look down upon him (her) with mercy ; let the consideration of thy goodness and wisdom strengthen and comfort his soul ; and let the precious doctrines and example of thy Son enable him to suffer with patience. We pray with submission to thy Providence, that thou wouldst be pleased to remove his disorder, and restore him to health. Graciously prolong his days upon earth; and grant, that his affliction may produce in him the fruits of righteousness, to the honour of thy name. By the sadness of his countenance, may his heart be made better ; and may he long live, to manifest his thankfulness to thee, and to do good in his generation. But, if this affliction should be unto death, may thy servant be prepared to give himself up into thy hands, with Christian fortitude, in joyful ex- pectation of thy mercy unto eternal life. Give him unfeigned repentance for all his sins, and a firm reliance on thy gracious promises in Christ Jesus our Lord. May the hope of thy favour support him in his last hour; may he leave the world in peace of mind, and in charity with all men ; and may he be received into thy heavenly kingdom, and be made a partaker of that happiness, which eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, and which it hath Jiot entered into the heart of man to conceive. PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES- 10| 0 God, teach us to be wise ; console our hearts; and command thy blessing upon thy servant, even life evermore, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen. 19. PRAYER FOR A FAMILY in behalf of a sick child. A LMIGHTY and most merciful God, thou art ***- the fountain of all good, the refuge of the dis- tressed, the friend and comforter of those who look up to thy throne for help- We would offer up our prayers unto thee in behalf of the child, on whom thou hast seen fit to lay thine afflicting hand. We beseech thee, if it be consistent with thy wise and holy will, to bless the means employed for his re- covery, and to raise him up to health and strength. Suffer not the wishes of his parents to be disappoint- ed ; but in thy great mercy spare him, to be the comfort and support of their advancing years, and to glorify thy name by obeying thee and becoming useful in the world. But, whatever thou hast de- termined concerning him, thy will, O God, be done ! Preserve us from fainting under thy chastisements ; and, if thou takest him away from the world, vouch- safe to receive his soul into that blessed land, where sorrow and death are unknown. Into thy hands we commit him, ourselves, and all whom we love; and we humbly pray, that, by all the dispensation* of thy Providence, we may be trained up for that state, where thou wilt wipe away all tears from the eyes of mournei s, and where pious friends and re- lations shall rejoice with each other for ever and ever, through thine unspeakable love in Christ Jc- sus our Lord. Amen. 102 PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. 20. THANKSGIVING OF A FAMILY, for thr recovery of a Member of the same from danger- ous sickness, Tk/j OST merciful and gracious God, the Creator -*•*-*- and Preserver of the universe ! we would raise our hearts with grateful sentiments unto thee, from whom aione cometh our help. We acknowl- edge, that thou rulest over all ; that of thee, and through thee, and to thee are all things. Thou speakest, and it is done ; thou commandest, and it stands fast. The skill of the physician, and the power of medicine are derived from thee. It is thou, who healest all our diseases, who redeemest our lives from destruction, and renewest our strength ; and to thy name alone be all the glory and honour. We render unto thee our united and hearty thanks for thy great goodness, manifested to thy servant, whom thou hast been pleased to raise from the bed of sickness, and to restore to a capacity of perform- ing the duties and enjoying the comforts of life. To thy kind Providence we ascribe it, that this, affliction hath not been unto death, and that the voice of health and rejoicing is again heard in our habitation. We praise thee, O Lord, for thou hast dealt bountifully with us. May thy servant, whom thou hast rescued from the devouring grave, mani- fest his (her) sense of thy loving kindness, by de- voting the remainder of his days to thee, as a true disciple of his Master and Redeemer, in a constant obedience to thy holy commandments. May the remembrance of what thou hast done for his soul confirm and establish his good resolutions, and in- spire him with a lively confidence in thy protection and care. May this instance of thy mercy to our PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. ios family engage ns all to love thee with our "whole hearts, and to rejoice in thy Providence. While we have health and life, may we never abuse or i rifle with them, but be careful to improve them well, and promote each other's happiness to the utmost of our ability. It is better to trust in thee, O Lord, than to put confidence in man. Thou art our refuge and our God, and we will praise thee. We will give thanks unto thee; for thou art good, and thy mercy en- dureth for ever. Amen. 81* A PRAYER on the death of any person in « Family. INTERNAL God, without whose direction and -" Providence nothing can happen to us in life or death ! out of the depths of affliction and sorrow we lift up our souls unto thee ; for in thee alone are our help and hope. Our existence is in thy hands, and all our enjoy- ments are at thy disposal. Thou didst at first call us into being by thy mighty power; and, when thou takest away our breath, we die and return to the dust. In the midst of life, we are in death. To whom may we seek for succour, but unto thee, O Lord, who changest not, and who hast been the refuge of thy children in all generations? The Lord liveth; let our hearts rejoice ; and let the God of our salva- tion be for ever exalted. Under all the troubles of this life, thy mercy is our confidence and support. Even as a father pitieth his children, so thou hast compassion upon the sons of men. Infinite wisdom and love direct all thy dispensations. Behold thy K 101 PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. servants, O Lord; do with us whatsoever seemeth good in thy sight. The Lord gave ; and the Lord hath taken away : blessed be the name of the Lord. Blessed be thy name, especially, that, according to thine abundant mercy, thou hast begotten us again, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ thy Son, to the lively hope of an inheritance, that is undented and fadeth not away. Teach us, O most gracious God, by the instances of mortality which are before our eyes, and particu- larly by the present mournful event, to see how short and uncertain our abode on earth is, and so to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom and seek the things which are above. May we spend the remainder of our time in this world in the faithful discharge of every Christian duty ; and study to live in such a manner, as we shall wish to have done, when we come to die. Give us grace to follow the good examples of those, who have departed hence in thy faith and fear; that we may with them be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom. Grant, that we may labour with increasing zeal to become the true disciples of our blessed Saviour; and, after believing in him and obeying him here below, be united with him at thy right hand, and, with all whom we love and with the virtuous and pious of all nations and tongues, praise thee through endless ages. Amen. 22. A PRAYER FOR PARRATS, on the death of a young child. OTHOU, who hast appointed unto all men once to die, and who alone knowest what is really good for us \ we fly to thee> beseeching thee to sane- PRAYERS FOR FAMILIES. 105 tify unto us the bereavement, which nils our hearts with grief- Thou hast united us to the objects of our innocent affection by the tenclerest ties; and we bless thee, that thou wast pleased to give us our de- parted child, and to bestow on us the satisfactions and joys which parents feel. Thou hast with the arrow of death taken away from us this beloved ; ; and Ave would bow with resignation to ihy sovereign appointment. We commit its body to the grave, and its soul to thine infinite mercy. And we rejoice and thank thee, that our Lord Jesus Christ has declared : ** suffer the little children to " come unto me, and forbid it not, for of such is the " kingdom of God." Compassionate Father ! console our sorrows, we pray thee ; and prevent us from despising thy chastenings, or fainting when rebuked of thee. Teach us more perfectly to do and suffer thy wiH, and to draw instruction from the adversities which we experience. Affect us with just convictions of the vanity of human life, and the uncertainty of earthly comforts. Dispose us to work out our own salvation with fear and trembling, and to give the most serious attention to the religious instruction and improvement of those whom thou hast pre- served to us. Instead of attempting fully to ex- plain the unsearchable mysteries of thy govern- ment, may our hearts rest assured, that all things shall work together for good to them that love thee ; and may we steadily look forward to the resurrec- tion of the just and the re-union of those who die in the Lord, through our exalted Saviour and Re- deemer. Amen. PART U, PRAYERS FOB THE USE OF INDIVIDUALS. L PRAYERS for the Morni??g. tf\ LORD, my heavenly Father, who hast safely 5-?* brought me to the beginning of this day : de- fend me through the same by thy mighty power, and grant that I may neither fall into sin, nor run into any kind of danger. May all my words and doings be ordered agreeably to thy holy will ; and my heart be pure and acceptable in thy sight ! May it please thee to give such success, as thou seest to be" best for me, to my labours and pursuits ; to bless my friends ; to do good unto all men ; and to raise them and me to thy heavenly king- dom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ALMIGHTY God, the gracious Preserver of the children of men I accept the thanks of thy ser- vant for the continual protection of thy providence. When I retire to rest, thou coverest me with the shades of the evening; and, when I arise, thou visitest me with the day-spring from on high. Thy blessing is ever upon me, and day and night thy loving-kindness follows me. Enable me to be duly and[ habitually sensible of what I owe to. thee, and I'KAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. lor to rely upon thy care. I devote myself to thy ser- vice, and rejoice that my time's are in thy hand. Help me, while I live, to live to thee ; that, when 1 die, T may die to thee, and feel happy in the as- surance of thy mercy and the hope of everlasting- life, through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour. Amen. O QOD, by whose gracious Providence I have been preserved through the past night, and am risen this morning with the free use of my rational faculties and in the enjoyment of the blessings of life : I look up to thee as my highest benefactor and friend, and thank thee for the goodness which I have experienced, when unconscious of my being and incapable of guarding against danger and death. I humbly commit myself to thy prois ction this day, beseeching thee to defend me from evil and to give me those blessings which I need. Above all, be pleased, merciful Father, to pardon my errors ; and assist nie to shun temptation, to watch over my passions, to govern my tongue, to keep myself in- nocent and undefiled, and cheerfully to do that which is pleasing unto thee Henr my prayer, and accept of me according to the covenant of thy love through Jesus Christ. Amen. GOD of my life, another night has passed away \. and I arise from death-like insensibility to new ex- istence. Whether I sleep or am awake, I am en- circled by thy mighty arms, and share thy love. Thou hast preserved my breath ; thou inspirest rre with new vigour; and thou callest me to new en- joyments. To thee my spirit ascends on the wings of devotion and gratitude, and consecrates all its powers and faculties. What may I not hope for aos PKAVEKS FOH INDIVIDUALS. from thee, who continually watchest over me, and who hast not even spared thy well-beloved Son, but hast given him up freely for the children of men ? Animated by this confidence, I desire to go on my way rejoicing, to accomplish with cheerfulness whatever thou callest me to do, and to bear with •patience whatever thou appointest me to suffer. This day, too, Father, thou wilt in mercy direct and help thy feeble child, proportion my strength to my duties aud trials, and lead me in that path which thou knowest to be good for me. Let this persuasion support my soul, and enable me to en- tertain an habitual regard to thee. I am thine, by the strongest ties ; and thiBe may I remain in life and in death, through Jesus Christ, thy Son, my Saviour. Amen. 2. PRAYERS for the Evening. A LMJGHTY God, thou hast bestowed upon me ^*- innumerable benefits, and hast added to all thy former mercies the safety and happiness which I have this day enjoyed. Forgive, I beseech thee, whatever may have been wrong in my feelings-, conversation, or deportment ; and fill me with an ardent solicitude to serve thee faithfully in the time that may yet remain. I commit myself and all my friends to thy gracious protection this night, re- posing the confidence of my soul on thy Provi* dence. After having renewed my strength by a peaceful repose, may T return to the duties of life with a steadfast resolution to do all thy will with diligence ; that, when my days on earth shall be numbered, I may be received into thine eternal rest and joy through thy blessed Son Jesus Christ. Amen, PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 109 ALMIGHTY God, my heavenly Father, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift : I raise my soul to thee, intreating thee to keep me con- tinually under thy care. If it seem good in thy sight, grant me the blessing of quiet sleep; that I may arise in the morning in health, to labour in thy service and live in thy fear- Let it please thee to lift up the light ot thy countenance upon me, and to give me peace both now and evermore. Amen. O GOD, my great Creator, Preserver, and Bene" factor 1 I approach thee with the grateful acknowl- edgments of my heart for the mercies, by which I have been cheered, and blessed this day Whatever share of happiness I possess, whatever measure of prosperity I enjoy ; to thee belongs the praise, and to thine unmerited favour alone I ascribe it. \\ ith whatever neglect, imperfection, and transgression of duty, I am chargeable ; I take the shame of them to myself, and sincerely repent of them. Forgive me, I beseech thee, Parent of mercies, upon the gracious terms of thy gospel ; and implant a right spirit within me. Vouchsafe to take me, and all in whom I am concerned, into thy care and projection through this night ; and lead us, and the whole hu- man family, in the paths of thy good Providence, to everlasting life and happiness, through thine infinite love in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. GOD of compassion ! with what velocity all my days speed their flight and vanish away ! how few are the traces which they leave behind ! what is my existence on earth, but a dream, from which I shall awake, with joy or terror, to a new and never- ending life r 110 PUAYEUS FOR INDIVIDUALS. I will lay me down, and sleep in peace ; for thou, O Lord, makest me to dwell in safety. Thou con- tinually upholdest, and showerest down blessings upon me, and comfortest my soul in sorrow. All the successive periods of my pilgrimage are dis- tinguished by the proofs of thy benevolence and mercy. O that they may also be distinguished by numerous proofs of my gratitude and obedience to thee ! O that I may sleep in Jesus, when my last hour shall arrive, with the same composure with which I lie down upon my bed ; with a mind, free from the stings and reproaches of guilt, con- scious of inward sincerity and rectitude, firmly re- lying upon the promises sealed with my Saviour's blood, trusting through him in thy forbearance and paternal love, and rejoicing in the prospect of that blissful immortality which he brought to light ! My heavenly Father, establish thou this wish in my soul ; make it the chief principle and motive of all I think and say and do ; help me to revive and strengthen it every morning and evening. Make me perfect in every good work ; and to thy name be all the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. A PRAYER POR A YOUJVG PERSOjV. A LMIGHTY and most merciful God, who hast ***■ called me into being, that I might enjoy thy bounty here and be prepared for everlasting happi- ness hereafter! 1 look up to thee, the source of every blessing, beseeching thee to guide, to sup- port and strengthen me. Surrounded with dangers, to whom should I apply for succour but to thee, who hast promised, that those who seek thee early and diligently shall find thee ? O help me habitu* PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS, ill ally to remember thee, my Creator, Benefactor, Redeemer, and Judge. Impress on my mind that reverence of thee, which is the beginning of wisdom. Dispose me to value, as I ought, the religion of thy blessed Son, and to make his doctrine and example my only directory and rule. Preserve me from all corrupt communications, from those youthful lusts which war against the soul, from all unchastity in thought, Moid, and action. Preserve my tongue from uttering falsehood, deceit, or impiety, and my hands from committing injustice. Give me a cau- tious, sober, and devout mind, that I may tremble at the hazard of ever standing in the way of sinners, or walking after the counsel of the ungodly, or fol- io wing evil companions. Enable me to respect the lessons of age and experience ; clothe me with the ornament of a humble, meek and contented spirit ; and grant, that I may carefully avoid every thing, which I would blush to reveal to my fellow-men, and which would fill me with confusion and fear when I think of thee. Forbid, great God, that I should misapply or trifle with any portion of that precious time, for the use of which I am account- able at thy bar. Give me grace to find my highest delight in studying and obeying thy word, in ap- proving myself to thee, in discharging my duty to those with whom I am connected, in labouring to become useful in my day and generation, and in forming those habits which will qualify me for the felicity of heaven. I pray for these and for all other blessings in the name of thy Son Jesus Christ, through whom I humbly hope to be pardoned and accepted now an<3 evermore. Amen. 112 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 4. A PRAYER FOR AJY AGED PERSON, £\ THOU great author and supporter of life, who ^-^ hast been the refuge of thy children in every age ! to thee I raise my heart with thanksgiving and supplication. Thou hast maintained my frail existence, through many years, and crowned its successive periods with thy mercies. Where should I begin, or where should I cease, would I enume- rate the favours, which thy hand has bestowed on me ? With what incessant kindness hast thou sup- plied the wants both of my body and of my soul, opened to me many sources of satisfaction, shielded me from dangers and calamities, consoled and sus- tained me under trials and distresses, and conduct- ed my feet into the path of peace ! What gratitude do I owe to thee, especially, for the light and assist- ance of thy holy gospel, for its precious promises and animating hopes, and for the many opportuni- ties and means of improvement which I have en- joyed ! — Hitherto thou hast led and helped me; and my only trust is in thy sure and never-failing mercy. Heavenly Father! I confess to thee my many errors and transgressions, with sorrow and repent- ance. Of thine infinite goodness forgive whatever I have thought or said or done amiss in the whole course ef my pilgrimage. Let my hoary head be found in the way of righteousness. Whatever I may have neglected, whatever remains to be done, assist me to perform immediately and to the best of my ability. If I have injured any, enable me to discover it, that I may make due reparation before I go hence. Sanctify my mind, correct my pas- sions, preserve me from every sin to which I am exposed, Save me from a selfish, censorious, se- PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 113 vcve, impatient and dissatisfied temper. Teach me to be thankful to those who contribute to my ease and comfort, to rejoice in the happiness of all around me, and with a friendly spirit to instruct and admonish the rising generation. Help me, especially, to render the religion of thy Son, my Lord, amiable and venerable in the estimation of the young and of all around me, by setting them an example of cheerful piety and by entertaining an holy confidence in thy Providence and grace. God of compassion ! my strength is now often labour and sorrow, and I shall soon go down to the grave. Forsake me not, I beseech thee ; cast me not off in the time of my old age. Let my affections be fixed upon the things which are above ; let the prospect of heaven support me in every hour of suffering ; and, when my heart and my flesh fail, be thou the strength of my heart and my portion for ever. Amen. A PRAYER FOR A CHILD, OLORD '. thou art my Father and my God : early will I seek, praise, and love thee. I bless thee for all thy goodness to me, and in par- ticular for those tender ties which bind me to my parents. I thank thee for all their care and kind- ness ; and rejoice to behold, in their unabating solicitude for my welfare, the image of thy love. Enable me, I beseech thee, to render unto them due honour and obedience, affection and gratitude. Assist me to submit with pleasure to their friend- ly guidance, to be patient under reproof, to abhor falsehood, to discharge ail my obligations with a dutiful heart, and never to cause them tears and grief by any perverseness. Be pleased, O God, il4 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. to prolong their health and life, to uphold them by thy gracious Providence, to make them happy in me and in all who belong to their family. Let thy goodness follow them continually here, and re- ward them with eternal happiness beyond the grave. Blessed guide of my youth ! to thee I am in- debted for all the favours which I enjoy. Assist me to become thy child, to follow after thy friend- ship as the greatest of all blessings, and to dread displeasing thee as the greatest of all calamities. Help me, as I grow in stature, to grow in wis- dom and goodness, in favour with thee and with my fellow-men, like thy beloved Son Jesus Christ. I desire to understand and to rejoice in his gospel, to be his disciple and to walk as he Walked ; and I pray, that, after this short life on earth, I may be exalted with him for ever and ever. Amen. 6. A PRAYER FOR A HUSBA.YD OR WIFE. MOST merciful and gracious God ! I look up unto thee who rulest over heaven and earth, and desire to adore thee as my Guardian and Guide. It is thou who settest the solitary in fa- milies ; domestic life is thine institution ; and thou hast pronounced marriage to be honourable in all. Called to this state by thy Providence, I beseech thee to make me sensible of its duties, and to dis- pose me to fulfil them with a perfect heart and a willing mind. Let me ever act upon the convic- tion, that the covenant, into which I have entered with the chosen companion of my life, has been made in thy sacred presence, and that my vows of fidelity and affection have been witnessed by thee the righteous Judge. Enable me to live as a THAYEUS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 115 Christian in this relation, and to put away from me whatever would interrupt the pleasure and im- provement which it is adapted to yield. Give mc grace to correct what is wrong in my dispositions, to govern my passions, to be a severe censor of myself, but never to exact or expect too much from the friend and partner of my days. Assist me to become a blessing to him (her)) a sharer of his joys, a consoler of his sorrows, and a helper to him in all the changes of the world. Grant that we may live together in love and peace, exercising forbearance with each other's infirmities, serving and rejoicing in thee, and carrying our regard for each other beyond this fleeting and perishable world. Grant, that in our dwelling, as in the tabernacle of the righteous, the voice of salv- ation may be heard ; that we may keep a strict watch over ourselves and all who depend upon us; that we may suffer no vice to go unreproved, or to remain in our house persisted in and unamended ; and that all of us may cultivate a cheerful and ob- liging temper, and discharge our respective duties in quietness and contentment. By living together in virtue and holiness here, may we be fitted for perfect felicity in heaven; and be united together, at last, in indissoluble friendship, through Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Saviour and Lord. Amen. 7. PRAYER FOR A PARENT. A LMIGHTY God, Creator of men ! from thee L cometh every good and perfect gift. Thou hast given me children, and inspired my heart with ardent affection for them. Thou hast com- mitted them to my care, and commanded me to educate them as Christians, as intelligent and mv L 116 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. mortal beings. O make me fully sensible, I entreat thee, of the solemnity and importance of this charge ; and give me thy gracious assistance, that I may train up my offspring in the way in which they ought to go. Enable me to entertain abiding convictions of the value of good instruc- tion and the necessity of early religious impressions. Enlighten and direct me in the choice of proper means for cultivating pious and virtuous principles in their tender minds. Make me constant and faithful in sowing in their hearts the incorruptible seed of divine truth, that they may love religion early, and partake of thy divine nature. Increase my solicitude to set before them the pattern of a holy and good life ; and never suffer me to forget, that what I say and do cannot fail to influence the formation of their temper and character. Preserve me from the extremes of impatience and undue severity, and of excessive indulgence and mis- guided fondness. Direct me to the most rational and salutary expressions of my love to them ; and help me to adu^t my conduct to their several dis- positions. And while I study to bring them for- ward on the stage of action with those advantages which are suitable to their condition, let me always remember, that the care of the soul is the one thing needful, and let it be my highest concern to prepare them for eternity and heaven. Gracious God ! save me, I pray thee, from the most grievous calamity which a parent can feel, that of beholding children vicious and miserable. Protect and bless those, for whom my heart beats with the tenderest anxiety ; and let them never be led astray by wicked customs and examples. What- ever thou mayest deny me, O grant that I may see them walking in the truth, adorned with innocence, virtue and piety. Vouchsafe to forgive any errors in my conduct towards them, and to supply all my PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 11? deficiencies. When I shall be removal hence let me die with the consciousness that I have not wilfully neglected my duty to them. And in the great day of the resurrection and judgment, grant that we may be found together before thy throne, and that I may be enabled to say : Here am I, O God, and the children which thou hast given me.-»— I ask for these mercies in the name of Jesus Christ my Lord and Master. Amen. 8. A PRAYER FOR A PERSO.Y IX PROSPERITY. "OOUNTIFUL Benefactor 1 all that man pos- *■■* sesses or enjoys proceeds from thy muni- ficence. To thy sovereign goodness I am indebt- ed for all the advantages of my condition. Thou hast furnished me with many temporal blessings, and with the means of increasing my own happi- ness and the happiness of others. Preserve thy servant, I beseech ihee, from being high-minded and trusting in uncertain riches. Preserve me from the inordinate love of the good things which thou hast bestowed upon me, from every unlawful or intemperate pleasure, from all contempt of my fellow-men. Preserve me from the blindness and infatuation of such as take this world for their por- tion; and let me not be numbered among those fools, whose table is a snare to them and whose prosperity destroys them. Fill my heart with love and gratitude to thee, my Father, whose Providence has raised me to my present state ; and give me a deep and lively sense of the account which I must render at thy bar. Teach me to honour thee with my substance ; to employ it in a rational and useful 419 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. manner; and as a good steward, to minister thy gifts to others. Direct me in the most effectual way to relieve the poor, the sick, and the wretch- ed; to vindicate the cause of innocence; and to advance the interests of truth, virtue, religion, and public order. In my communications to the ne- cessities of my fellow-men, preserve me from the weakness and guilt of pride and ostentation ; and let me always remember, that thou lovest a cheer- ful giver. If it shall please thee, O Lord, either to increase or take away any of thy gifts, let it be my chief joy to serve thee, and my constant prayer, that thou wilt lift up the light of thy countenance upon me. If in thy Providence I am to be deprived of any temporal advantages, prepare me to meet the change with resignation. May I receive every allotment, whether prosperous or adverse, with Christian composure and fortitude ; and, when thou shalt call me from this state of change and trial, may 1 be permitted to participate in that inheritance which is promised to thy saints. My soul relies entirely upon thy mercy in Jesus Christ, who became poor that we might be made rich. Through him be glory unto thee for ever and ever. Amen. 9. A PRAYER Jor a fiersan suffering fioverty, or great losses. jpREAT and adorable God L thou rulest over the " armies of heaven, and thou distributest thy blessings among men, as it seemeth good in thy sight. Thou makest poor, and makest rich ; thou bringest low, and liftest up. Thou hast seen fit in thine infinite wisdom, to visit me with adversity and PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 119 to exercise me in a humble state. But thy pood Providence has preserved me hitherto, has saved me from overwhelming want, has given me many of the blessings of this life, and has set before mc the sweet hope of a better world. I would be grate- ful for what I enjoy ; and I desire to acquiesce in thy dispensations, and not to indulge discontent on account of those things which thou withholdest or takest away. Direct me, I beseech thee, in the use of honest means to repair my losses and to obtain a more comfortable subsistence : but, whether I obtain it or not, thy will be done. Thou alone knowest, if greater plenty would prove a blessing, or a snare to me and mine. Make me perfect in my sub- mission, O Lord; cleanse my heart from sinful affections ; and grant that I may be rich in faith and an heir of thy promises. Reward, I pray thee, those benefactors, who have been instruments in thy hand for doing me good. In every trouble let me experience, that thou art nigh unto them that put their trust in thee. Whilst I continue in straitened circumstances, preserve me from unlawful methods of supplying my necessities, from taking thy name in vain, and from asking with anxious distrustful thoughts, what shall I eat, or what shall I drink, or wherewith shall I be clothed. May I never feel envy at the sight of the great ; and rather choose to endure every bodily hardship, than to suffer the evil of spiritual poverty. May the ex- ample of Jesus, who was despised of men, who suffered hunger and thirst, and who had not where to lay his head, reconcile me to my condition. May it be enough for me, that I can please thee and hold fast my integrity. Whatever be my lot here, may I be enabled to lay up treasures in heaven, and finally be received into it, through the media* L 5 130 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. tion of that Saviour, who was made perfect through sufferings and is now set down at thy right hand. Amen. 10. A PRAYER FOR A WIDOW. A LMIGHTY and everlasting God, I fly to thee ■**- for that consolation which I need, and humble myself under thy mighty hand. Thou givest, and thou takest away ; and without thy permission not a hair of our heads cm fall to the ground. Thou hast been pleased to remove from me the husband of my affectionate choice, my support and comfort under the labours and anxieties of this mortal life. God of compassion, leave me not a victim to sor- row ; and, though thou hast not forbidden me to mourn, let me not mourn like those who are with- out Christian hope. I desire to cast all my cares upon thy good Providence ; assured, that I can never be destitute, whilst thou art my helper, or miserable, whilst I have thee for my portion. Whatever outward blessings thou mayest be pleas- ed to deny me, may I never be deprived of the comfort of thy love. Vouchsafe, I pray thee, t® raise up friends to assist me in my exigencies, and to counsel rae to manage my affairs with discretion. Taught by painful experience, let me never forget what instability attends all earthly enjoyments. Give me grace to behave with propriety and suit- ably to my condition ; that I may be enabled at all times to look with comfort to thee as my friend, my father, my life, my deliverer. (To thy tender mercy I commend the beloved children whom thou hast given me.) To thy direction I would entirely submit j into thy hands I resign all my interests in time and eternity j and my soul would triumph in PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. i->i the exalted and assvired hope of being eternally happy with all the objects of my affection, thro' thy grace in Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour. Amen. 11- A PRAYER FOR A SERVANT. OGOD, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth I it is the ordination of thy good Providence, that there should be various stations and conditions in the world. It is thou, who ap- pointest unto each the circumstances in which he is placed ; and I rejoice, that with thee there is no respect of persons, and that, whether men be high or low in society, all are thy children, all are furnished with the means of pleasing thee and be- coming happy. I would cheerfully submit to thy unerring direction ; and desire, with a contented and thankful heart, to accept of the portion which thou givest me. Establish me, I beseech thee, in the persuasion, that my present situation is good for me ; and give me grace to reflect, that every state of life has its peculiar advantages and trials. Help me to cherish a meek and humble temper, and to imitate my blessed Master, who took upon him the form of a servant and condescended to the meanest offices, that he might set his disciples an example, ilelp me to discharge the obligations incumbent upon me, with faithfulness and zeal, from a principle of obedience to thee my Judge, knowing that thou seest my inmost thoughts, and that whatsoever good thing any one doeth the same shall he receive at thy hands. Assist me to adorn my Christian vocation by a careful, diligent, respectful, and peaceable behaviour, by the strict- est sobriety and honesty, and by a solicitwle not to k22 FitAYfiRS FOK INDIVIDUALS. waste the goods of those with whom I live, nor to mispend that time which I am bound to devote to their service. Make me duly grateful for every benefit which I receive ; and let me patiently suffer the inconveniences which attend my lot. If it should please thee, O thou supreme Disposer of events, to make my outward condition more pros- perous ; let me improve it well. But, whatever thou shalt order, let me be solicitous, above all things, to obtain the forgiveness of my sins and to seek thy kingdom above ; that I may be exalted to it after death, through thy great mercy in Jesus Christ my Redeemer. Amen. 12. A PRAYER BEFORE A JOURNEY. A LMIGHTY God, I raise my heart to thee aS -**- the Father and Preserver of men, and rejoice, that I cannot go where thou art not present as the Ruler of nature, as the Guardian of the righteous, as the Hearer of prayer. Thine eye is continually upon me, and thy good Spirit conducts thy child- ren through every stage of their pilgrimage. I commend myself, O Lord, to the care of thy Providence, in the journey upon which I am enter- ing ; humbly beseeching thee to defend me from evil, to preserve me from all temptations to sin, and to prosper me in my lawful designs. To thy holy keeping I commit (my family and) my friends ; and I pray, that, if it be thy will, they may be blessed in body and in soul, that I may return to them in due season in safety, that I may have a fresh occasion to praise thy name, and that we may long live together, to enjoy the pleasures of domestic life, and to manifest our thankfulness for all thy mercies. Hear my petitions, G thou God PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 123 ©f compassion ; and let me rejoice in thy grace and favour through Jesus Christ for ever and ever. Amen. 13. A PRAYER FOR A PERSON GOING TO SEA, f\ Eternal and most merciful Jehovah, the Refuge ^-* and Protector of the sons of men : I lift up mine eyes unto thee, from whom alone cometh my help. Thou art the God of the sea, as well as of the dry land. Thou spreadest out the heavens, and rulest the raging of the ocean. At thy com- mand, winds and storms arise; and, at thy word, the waves are still. Support and preserve me, Almighty Father, I beseech thee, when embarked on the great deep. Guard me from its dangers, from sickness, from the violence of enemies, and from every evil to which I may be exposed. Save me, above all, from that greatest of evils, the com- mission of sin and the forfeiture of thy friendship. Let mo not utter thy name, but with the greatest reverence ; nor forget, that to thee I owe my se- curity, and that thou holdest my soul in life. May I see thy works and wonders in all the objects I behold ; and fortify my heart, in seasons of peril, not by blind courage or brutal insensibility, but by living a godly, righteous, and sober life, and by placing unbounded confidence in thy wisdom and goodness. May it please thee to give success to my undertaking, to conduct me in safety to the haven where I would be, and to bring me back with a grateful sense of thy mercies, and with an invincible determination to spend all my days to thy glory, through Jesus Christ my Lord anc* Saviour. Amen. 121- PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 14. THANKSGIVING for a safe return from travelling by land or by water. OMost gracious and all-powerful God, whose mercy is over all thy works, and who alone makest men to dwell in safety : I praise thy holy name, that thou hast been pleased to preserve me and to bring me back to my habitation in peace. Thou hast defended me by thy Providence from perils and death. I rejoice in thy goodness, and give thanks unto thee with my whole heart. O help me to manifest my thankfulness, by employ- ing the life, which thou hast preserved, in a dili- gent obedience to thy commandments ; and enable me at all times to cherish and exercise a filial trust in that paternal love, of which I have hid continual experience. Pardon of thine infinite goodness whatever has been wrong in my conduct. Let me not forget, that I am but a sojourner here, and that I have no abiding place on earth. Let me ardently desire that better and heavenly country, for which all my present changes are intended to prepare me. And wherever I am, or whatever I may do, whilst I continue in this world, let me become more and more qualified for the blessed- ness of that city which hath foundations, through the riches of thy grace in Jesus Christ ray Saviour. Amen. 15. A PRAYER for a person engaging in any important business. GREAT and merciful God, I look up unto thee, who teachest man knowledge, and givestboth PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. ±2U the skill and the power to accomplish useful pur- poses. Thou art my Guide, and my Help ; and without thee I can do nothing. Prosperity and adversity are dispensed by thee ; and thou alone seest what is good for thy creatures. With sub- mission to thy will) I implore thy blessing upon the work which is before me. Give me discretion and understanding to direct me. Preserve me from presumption, imprudence, indolence, and a confident expectation of success. Teach me to use with diligence and caution the means, which thou art pleased to afford me for the accomplish- ment of this design. Enable me, especially, I beseech thee, to maintain integrity and a good conscience. May 1 form no plan and engage in no enterprize, that may endanger the property, the comfort, or the virtue of my fellow-men ; but habitually dread and fly from every thing, which may injure my neighbour. May I always act under the influence of the truth, that thou lovest right- eousness and hatest iniquity, and that thou wilt reward every man according to his deeds. May I never fall into the temptations and snares of those, whose only aim is to be rich : but follow after justice, faith, love, patience and meekness ; and have the witness in my own heart, that godliness with contentment is great gain. Should it please thee to crown my efforts with success, may I be duly thankful to thee and make a worthy use of thy favours. Should disappointment await me, may I submit with resignation, bless thy name, and trust in thy Providence. Whatever be the event, O Lord, do thou keep me in the path of duty, in thy fear and thy love. Let me perform all things according to the directions of that blessed Redeemer, whose follower I desire to be. And, finally, vouchsafe to receive me into thy everlast- 126 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. ing kingdom through thine unspeakable love in Jesus Christ thy Son. Amen. 16. A PRAYER for a fierson under sufferings occasioned by the injustice or malice of others. ALMIGHTY and most merciful God ! I lift my heart unto thee, the refuge of the oppress- ed, the Friend and Patron of all thine upright ser- vants. I bless thee, that no malice of men can rob me of thy love, and that, whatever I may suffer, thou hast encouraged me to put my trust in thy name. Let it please thee, heavenly Father, to pro- tect me by thy power and to guide me by thy wis- dom. If it appear good in thy sight, prosper my lawful endeavours to guard against injuries, and to secure that honest reputation, which is connected with usefulness in society. Should my exertions be unavailing, let me be comforted by the persua- sion, that my witness is in heaven and my record on high. Help me to inspect my heart, and to re- view my life with the greatest seriousness, that I may see if there be any evil way in me ; and do thou, the God of mercy, forgive all my forsaken sins, and enable me to become faultless and accept- able to thee. Pardon, I pray thee, all who have done or wished ill to me, and change their tempers and conduct. Give me grace to follow in all re- spects that Saviour, who, when he was reviled, re- viled not again, when he suffered, threatened not, but committed himself to thee the righteous Judge, and implored the salvation even of his murderers. And, after faithfully doing and suffering thy will on earth, grant that I may be united with him in PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 127 heaven, praise thee for all the wonderful ways of thy Providence, and triumph in thy grace for ever and ever. Amen. 17. A PRAYER for a person exfiosed to consider- able perils or pains. f\ GOD, the refuge and strength of thy children ! " behold in mercy thy feeble and dependent crea- ture, who flies to thee for assistance and protec- tion. I have had much experience of thy good* ness in every stage and condition of life, and in every affliction thy mighty hand has sustained me. Let it please thee to continue thy compassion, and to uphold Tne in every hour of danger. Preserve me from all distressing fears, and establish my confidence in thy wise and gracious government. When my sorrows are enlarged, make haste for my deliverance, and bring me out of all my troubles, if it seem good to thee. In the midst of any pains which I may be appointed to endure, let my pa- tience be perfected and my fortitude be supported by thy promises and the example of thy Son. And though my heart and my flesh should fail, be thou, O God, the strength of my heart; and vouchsafe to give me the portion of those, who shall be rais- ed to the unfading joy and glory of heaven, through Jesus Christ my Lord and Saviour. Amen. 18. A PRAYER FOR A SICK PERSON. 4 LMIGHTY and most merciful God, who ' * hatest nothing that thou hast made ! I desire INI 128 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. humbly to own and to reverence thy hand in my present affliction. May my bodily suffering make my heart better, and lead me more justly to value health and strength, and to employ them to nobler purposes than I have done, if this sickness shall not be unto death. With submission to thy will, I pray for the re- moval of my disorder and for the perfect restoration of my health. Endue me with resignation, pa- tience, and meekness, under the pain of disease and the irksomeness of confinement. Above all, prepare me for death. Blot out my numerous im- perfections and sins by thine infinite mercy in Christ Jesus. Purify my heart, and make it the seat of faith, charity, and hope. Dispose and help me to set my house in order, and to do whatever is necessary in regard to my great change. And, when thou removest me hence, grant me an entrance into that world, where the inhabitant^ shall no more say, I am sick. Into thy hands, heavenly Father, I commit my- self, desiring, that no increase of pain may produce repining, that I may be numbered with those who love thee, and that I may find by experience all things and this sickness especially working my. spiritual good. In every alteration, let thy promises be precious to my soul, that 1 may come off a conqueror through thy blessed Son, and sing thy praises for ever and ever. Amen. 19. ANOTHER PRAYER for a sick jierson. OLORD my God, who givest life and breath and all things to thy creatures, and who hast not thought even a crown of everlasting life too much to promise to thy children : thou ^ilt not PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 129 deny me what is needful for my body and soul, in my passage thro' this world to that of honour and immortality. I would raise my heart unto thee with confidence in thine infinite compassion. Es- tablish, I beseech thee, in my soul the belief, that thou dost not willingly grieve the children of men, but intendest good to me by this thy fatherly cor- rection. Wherein soever I have neglected thee or committed any offence against thy laws, make me deeply sensible of it and heartily sorrowful for all my transgressions. Mercifully accept my earnest desires of forgiveness, and prosper my se- rious resolutions to live more circumspectly and righteously in the time to come. Assist me, gra- cious Lord, to give a proof of the sincerity of my present prayers and professions, by patiently sub- mitting to this distressing dispensation of thy Providence, and by cheerfully and meekly bearing whatever thou shalt inflict. Fill my mind with reverence of thy wisdom and authority, with a thankful remembrance of all thy past mercies, with an entire reliance on thy goodness, and with a supreme solicitude to delight in doing thy will. Thou, O God, art the author of every remedy, and thy power alone can check disease. I beseech thee to bless the means which are used for the recovery of my health ; that I may live, if it be thy will, to perform my duties with greater care. But, if thou hast otherwise appointed, accept, 1 pray thee, of thine unspeakable goodness, the sin- cerity of my repentance, according to the covenant to which thou hast called me in Jesus Christ thy Son. Help me to finish the work which thou hast given me to do, and without delay to make every necessary preparation; that, when the time of my dissolution draws near, I may have nothing else to do, but to resign myself to thee. If I have in- jured any, I would be reconciled unto them, and ISO PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. die in peace with all men. And when I shall suf- fer the last conflicts of nature, grant, great God, that I may keep my mind steadfastly fixed on that Saviour, who, after he had shed his blood for the remission of sin, led the way thro* the grave unto heaven. And through him be everlasting praises presented unto thee from all the children of Adam. Amen. 20. A PRAYER for the head of a family, under a/i/irehensions of death, in active life. J^ HEAT and adorable God, in whose hands my " time and fate are reposed ! hear the prayers of thine unworthy servant, and fortify my soul under the distresses which I feel. In the language of my Saviour, who suffered for me, leaving me an example, I would say : " Father, if it be pos- " sible, let this cup pass from me ; nevertheless, " not as I will, but as thou wilt." Spare me, I beseech thee, if it be agreeable to the purposes of thine infinite wisdom, that I may provide for my family and bring up my children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. But, if thou callest me hence, be thou, O God, the husband of my com- panion and the father of my offspring. Let thy kind Providence be their stay and support in this world, and thy love their inheritance in the world to come. Graciously supply their wants ; protect them from injury ; counsel them under every per- plexity ; and let them never by disobedience for- feit thy fatherly care. If I be no more in the world, holy Father ! keep those whom thou hast gives me j sanctify them through thy truth ; and PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS, m grant us a happy meeting in thy glorious presence above, through the infinite riches of thy grace in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 21. A PRAYER for a sincere Christian, when there appears but small hope of his recovery. GOD of the spirits of all flesh, Source of life and happiness, gracious Father and Friend i thou hast brought me to the gates of death, and the hour of my departure draweth nigh. Thou hast watched over me from my entrance into the world ; thy tender mercy has followed me all my days ; and thou hast assured me of an incorrupt- ible inheritance beyond the grave. Accept the thanks of thine unworthy servant for all thy loving- kindness. Accept my thanks for the gift of thy Son, for the promise of forgiveness, for the pre- cious hope of immortality. Thou hast gladdened and consoled me through the whole of my career with countless blessings and mercies, although I have not merited the smallest. Pardon, of thine infinite goodness, my many imperfections and sins ; and be pleased to accept my feeble, but sincere, endeavours to serve thee. Thou callest me away ; and I am ready to follow. I rejoice, that all my conflicts and pains are drawing to a close. I re- joice, that I shall soon be privileged to pay thee more worthily that homage, which is due to thee. I know, that in thy presence there is fulness of joy and pleasure for evermore. Keep me, I beseech thee, my heavenly Father, in humble dependance on thy rich and free grace in my blessed Redeemer. Help me to suffer patiently like him, while I am visited with sickness, and like him ta say at last M 3 132 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. with immoveable confidence, " Father into thy hand "I commit my spirit.'* Comfort the objects of my affection, when I am removed from the world; pro- vide for them by thy paternal love ; preserve them for thine everlasting kingdom. There may I find all for whom I am now particularly concerned, be united with every one whom I may have thought my foe, and triumph in thy redemption with all the children of Adam. Living or dying, I am thine ; and thy will be done. O death, where is thy sting ? O grave, where is thy victory ? Thanks be to God, who giveth me the victory through my Lord Jesus- Christ. Amen*. 22. i PRAYER for a fier&on recovered from alamU ing sickness. 12 LESS the Lord, O my soul, and all that is ** within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redcemeth thy life from destruc- tion, and crowneth thee with loving-kindness and with tender mercies. I praise thee, Great God, that, although thou hast chastened me, thou hast not given me over unto death. I praise thee, that thy powerful arm has arrested the progress of the destroyer and helped me out of all my troubles. I thank thee for every comfort and ©lleviaiion of pain, with which thou hast been pleased to furnish me, and especially for the love of my friends and the promises of thy gospel. I acknowledge thine inexpressible goodness in restoring me from the brink of the grave and from the anguish of suffer- ing, to endeared connections, to enlivened hopes, fo PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 13* new opportunities and increased motives for culti- vating Christian affections, for abounding in good works, and for laying up treasures in heaven. 0 God, let not these opportunities be neglected by me, but be wisely improved to thy glory. 1 have experienced thy power and compassion. May I ever live in the exercise of a grateful confi- dence in both, and be duly sensible of my total de- pendance upon thy Providence and government. I have been brought to feel the realities of the world to come, the worth of thy favour, the value of a conscience void of offence. Almighty God ! let the convictions which I have had of them never be extinguished in my breast. Enable me at all times to entertain that humble contrition for my sins and that penitential sense of my need of thy mercy, which the nearness of death was instru- mental in producing. Help me to appreciate, as I ought, eternal things, and to do all that thou re- quirest, in order that I may secure thine approba- tion and friendship. Thou hast enabled me to realize the vanity and uncertainty of the world Preserve me from at- taching too much importance to its pleasures, honours, and possessions ; and assist me constant- ly to remember, how rapidly it is passing away. Thou hast taught me, by sickness, the worth of friendship ; and the offices of kindness, which have been performed for me, have, with thy blessing, cheered, supported, and kept me alive. My God, let me never be insensible of the love of those, whose hearts thou hast warmed with good-will towards me Make me ready to return their be- nevolence on every occasion. Let me be softened with humanity towards all that suffer ; and let me never behold a sick-bed without sympathy and charity. 134 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. It was thy gospel, O thou God of all consolation in Christ Jesus, from which my hope was derived, when the shadows of death appeared to encompass me. The assurances which it contains of thy for- bearance and mercy, and of eternal life through thy Son, were the only support of my spirit. O give me grace to cling with faster hold than ever to this rock of salvation, to abide in the love of Jesus, to follow him undismayed, and constantly to hope through him for redemption and celestial happiness. Preserver of my being ! thou hast now shown me, how frail I am, hast given me a striking proof of the precariousness of life; and I know, that, ere long, I shall bid farewell to all whom I now behold. May I be better prepared, than I have been, for my departure hence May I walk by faith, and not by sight. May I be concerned to be always ready, and to be found in that frame of mind which will ena- ble me to welcome death as the messenger of peace. Hear my prayers, I beseech thee ; forgive my sins, and make me thine, for evermore, through Jesus Christ. Amen. 23. A PRAYER for an awakened sinner. f\ THOU righteous and holy Being, from whom ^-^ no secrets can be hid ! I am ashamed, and blush to lift up my face to thee. Mine iniquities are in- creased over my head, and my trespass is grown up unto the heavens ! I have slighted thine authority, forgotten the one thing needful, rebelled against thee, my Sovereign and my Father, and violated laws which are perfectly holy, just, and good. Un- thankful for thy mercies, and despising thine in- structions, I have cast off thy fear, pursued the PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 135 pleasures of sin, and nearly destroyed myself. My ex- ample has corrupted and emboldened others in vice. I tremble, -while I think of the injury which 1 may have done to my companions. I tremble, while I reflect upon the vile return which I have made to thee the best of beings, and upon the gulf of ruin towards which I have been approaching. Hadst thou entered into judgment with me, and rewarded me according to my deserts, how awful would have been my condition ! Wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me and break the power of my evil habils? God of compassion, be merciful to me a sinner. Unworthy as I am, cast me not away from thy presence ; deny me not the grace which thou hast encouraged me to implore ; help, Lord, or I perish ; save my sinking soul, and give me re- pentance unto life. Impute not unto me, I beseech thee, my transgressions; accept my humiliation and remorse; and grant me to say from experi- ence, with thee there is plenteous forgiveness and redemption. Create in me a clean heart, and re- new a right spirit within rne. Let not evil be pre- sent with me, when I would do good. Let me no longer run into the danger which I see. Let not unbelief and passion and temptation prevail against the convictions, which thou hast given me, of the malignity and danger of sin, of the vanity of the world, of the worth of the soul, and of the awful- ness of eternity. Preserve me from being fatally hardened and blinded. And though I have dis- honoured thee and depraved myself; Almighty God, let thy Spirit operate upon my mind, and raise me up from the death of sin unto a life of righteousness. Lord of life ! cut me not off from the land of the living, until I am fit for death and judgment. Spare me to bring forth fruits meet for repentance Give me grace to become such as I ought to be, to coua- 436 PliAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. teract the evil effects of the criminal course I have pursued, to make restitution to those I have injured, and to teach transgressors thy ways. Inspire me with a dread of relapsing into those iniquities, which have hidden from me the light of thy countenance. Whatever else may happen, whatever my vices and crimes may produce to me, let not the religious impressions of this moment be ever forgotten. O Lord, I am guilty and deserving of thy wrath : but thou hast revealed to me, that thou wilt not despise the sacrifices of a broken spirit. My whole reliance is on thy mercy in Jesus Christ, whom thou hast set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, and who is able to save to the uttermost all that come unto thee through him. In the name of this Mediator I offer up my prayers ; and I desire to glory in his cross and to be accepted through him now and evermore. Amen. 24. 'ANOTHER PRAYER for an awakened sinner. £\ THOU infinitely great and glorious Jehovah! Vf I would raise my heart to thee as the all-wise and righteous Governor of heaven and earth. From the habitation of thy holiness, thou beholdest all the children of men. Thou lovest righteousness, and hatest iniquity, wheresoever thou seest it ; neither can evil dwell with thee. I am convinced, great God, that thou hast an absolute right to my homage and allegiance. Thou art my Maker and my Sovereign ; thy laws are just and good in themselves, and adapted to answer the most beneficial purposes. Thou hast written thy will in the book of nature and the volume of revelation, and enforced it with the most solemn and awful sanctions. Thou hast set life and death. PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 15? heaven and hell before me ; my body and my soul, with all their faculties and interests, are every mo- ment in thy hand. And yet, in how many instances have I revolted from thee, and disregarded thy salu- tary counsels and commands ! how far has my heart been from thy service and thine ordinances ! what corrupt desires and passions have I harboured! what an excessive fondness for the world have I discovered I how foolishly have I preferred tempo- ral gratifications and pursuits to eternal joys ! how greatly must my behaviour and example have in- jured my fellow-creatures ! and what distress, dis- order, and remorse, have I prepared by my vices for my own soul ! — And, O thou most compassion- ate Father and Friend of the human race, how much more aggravated are my offences, when con- sidered as committed against the experience I have had of thy loving kindness, against the endearing ties of gratitude, as well as against the obligations of duty and interest 1 Thou hast nourished and brought me up as thy child; and yet I have re- belled against thee. Thou hast been my Guardian, my Guide, my unwearied Benefactor; to thee I am indebted for all my worldly comforts ; to thy rich and free grace I owe the discoveries and invitations of the gospel, the offers of pardon, and the hope of eternal felicity through the mediation of Christ Je- sus thy Son. And yet, how have I abused thy goodness, misapplied my advantages, despised thy grace, and rejected the offers of life and salvation ! Blessed God, I confess my guilt; I am sensible, that thy favour is life ; I feel that I must perish, if I remain far from thee. Have mercy upon me, miserable offender ; and teach me so to think on my ways, as to make haste and not delay to keep thy commandments. I adore thy forbearance in lengthening out the space given me for repentance^ m FllAYERS FOH INDIVIDUALS. though I have so long neglected this great and ne- cessary work; and I pray, that I may no longer draw back from the yoke of duty. Give me, O Lord, abiding views of the shortness and uncertain- ty of life, of the growing power of evil habits, and of the vanity of expecting greater assistances of thy Holy Spirit, if I resist those which thou hast alrea- dy afforded me. Enable me carefully to cherish every serious impression that may be made on my mind, and diligently to improve all the helps with which I am favoured. Dispose me to seek thee whilst thou mayest be found, and to call upon thee whilst thou art near. Assist me to leaVn that lesson which I am so slow to learn, and inspire me with a taste for the pleasures of religion and devotion. Spir- itualize my affections; ennoble my pursuits; quick- en my desires and endeavours ; and grant, that with full purpose of heart I may cleave unto thee the Lord. Gracious God, though I have sinned against light and knowledge, and have justly deserved to forfeit all thy friendship, yet I would rejoice that with thee my help is found. Thou art ready to receive the penitent, and art waiting to be gracious to them. Thou hast sent thine only-begotten Son to seek and to save those that are lost. Reconcile me to thyself, and forgive and accept of me, for thy mer- cy's sake in him. And grant, that, being made free from sin and become a servant to thee, I may pos- sess peace of heart, have my fruit unto holiness, and in the end receive the unspeakable and unmerited gift of eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. I'HAYEKS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 139 25. .1 PRAYER for a /icrson, recovered from a negligent viind to a serious view of religious truth. ALMIGHTY and most merciful Gael, the just and equitable Ruler of the children of men I behold in mercy thy frail and forgetful child, who turns unto thee with a penitent and humble heart. Blessed be thy name, that I am brought to see, how careless and unprofitable I am. Blessed be thy name, that, though I have been greatly incon- siderate and negligent, thy Providence and grace have prevented me from falling into presumptuous and atrocious transgressions. But, while I thank thee, my heavenly Father, for the restraints which have been laid upon me ; I confess with shame, that I have often been unmindful of what I owe to thee and thy beloved Son, and that I have not been duly influenced by the principles of thy sacred gospel. I have not been diligent in advancing the welfare of my fellow-men, have often lost sight of the concerns of my own soul and of the world to come, have been estranged from the worship and the love of thee, have not been studious to govern my heart, to rise above grovelling views, and to live by faith in him who loved me and gave himself for me. — But I purpose before thee, who knowest my heart with all its frailties, no longer to be like those who are without God in the world. And I beseech thee, from whom wisdom and virtue pro- ceed, to forgive the levity, the vanity, the folly, the worldly mind, with which I have been charge- able, and to inspire me with that Christian temper which I have neglected to cultivate. O give me fervent desires and abiding resolutions to serve and love thee, and to press towards the mark N 110 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS, for the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. Excite me to diligence in reading, meditation, and prayer. Assist me to delight in the ordinances of t!iy house, and in the study of thy holy word. Arm me against the influence of vain customs, and of careless companions. Lead me to make the re- gulation of my own mind and the practice of a pious and virtuous life, my chief care and business. Help me to keep the instructions and the model of my blessed Redeemer habitually before my eyes, to confess his name without fear before men, to follow no other maxims but his, to labour and cherish concern for his glorious cause, and to em- ploy my powers and possessions in the service of society according to his precepts. I would no longer live, with my wishes and endeavours all centering here ; but as a candidate for immortality, as a being who expects a judgment and an eternal state, as the disciple of a risen Redeemer who will come again and take his faithful followers to his o wn heavenly glory. Gracious God, be pleased to pardon my sins, to accept this act of self-devotion, aixl to establish my holy purposes. I have sworn, that I will keep thy righteous statutes. Do thou give me strength to fulfil my vows, to grow in grace ; and let nothing ever be able to separate me from the love of thee In Christ Jesus my Lord. Amen. 26. A PRAYER for a sincere penitent, distressed by the difficulties which attend his Christian im- provement. RATHER of mercies, whose strength upholds *• the weak I i come to thee for protection and PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. I4f assistance, and rejoice that thou hast encouraged me to seek thy f\tce. I have experienced that thou art good* and praise thee for what thou hast al reany done for my soul. From what threatening clangers lias thy paternal love delivered me ! what everlasting gratitude is due to thee for opening the eyes of my mind, and affecting my heart with a sense of my duty to thee ! what tribute can I offer, expressive of that divine goodness, to which it is owing, that I am not blind and dead in trespasses and sins, and that I have not been cut off from this probationary state, unconcerned about the fate which awaits me ! O God, I adore thee as my Father and my Sav- iour, and bless thee for the merciful promises which thou hast given me through thy Son. But I confess and lament, before thee, my weakness and unfruitfulness. I lament the sins, which so easily beset me. I lament the difficulties in dis- charging my obligations, which are the sad effects of my former carelessness and wickedness. I lament the wanderings of my mind, the coldness of my affections, the power which past follies and transgressions still exercise too frequently over my imagination. I confess, that I deserve to suffer, and that thou art righteous in all thy wa\ s and doings. But I beseech thee, Almighty God, to strengthen me by thy Spirit in the inner man, and to preserve me from fainting under the tribulations which attend me. O bend my will more perfectly to thine ; and let none of those things, which once subdued me, any longer prove a snare. Thou knowest, that I hunger and thirst after righteous- ness : give success, I pray thee, to my endeavours, my watchfulness, my supplications. Cleanse me from every pollution both of the mind and the flesh ; and cause me to know, that blessed is the man who endureth temptation. Save me from pre- Lh2 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. sumption and from despair of success. Teach me to labour with diligence, and to confide in thee. And grant me to realize, that wisdom's ways are ways of pleasantness, and that the path of the righteous is like the morning- light, which shineth brighter and brighter unto the perfect day. My soul looks for help unto thee, who art able to do exceeding abundantly above all that I ask or think. And unto thee be glory by Christ Jesus, World without end. Amen. .27. A PRAYER for an ujiright Christian) distressed by fears respecting his final acceptance and salvation, £\ THOU, before whose eyes all things are f-' naked and open, who triest the reins of the children of men ! I fly to thee oppressed with sad- ness and fear. Thou hast invited the w-eary and heavy-laden to partake of mercy : receive me, thy sorrowful suppliant, and revive my fainting soul. Thou delightest not in the misery of thy creatures : heal thou the wounds of my heart. I confess, O my God, that my sins have deserved more griev- ous punishments than I feel, and that it would be impossible for me to abide thy strict inquisition : but I plead the wonderful expressions of thy love and compassion to the contrite and humble, which are contained in thy word. Hast thou not declared, that ail thy thoughts are thoughts of peace, and not of evil ? Hast thou not assured thy people, that, altho* a mother should forget her child, yet thou wilt not forget or forsake thine offspring ? Hast thou not so loved the world as to give thine only- PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 148 begotten Son for us, and wilt thou not with him freely give us all things which we need ? O Lord, thou knowest my frame and remem- berest that I am but dust. Thou art acquainted with my frailties and apprehensions. Thou seest, that, infirm and guilty as I am, my soul thirsteth for thee the living God, as the Hart panteth after the water brooks. Be pleased to forgive my sins, to pardon my despondency ; and help me to serve thee with a quiet and cheerful heart. Remove my disease, whether of body or of mind, if this seem good to thine infinite wisdom : and forbid, that I should entertain one thought injurious to thee and dishonourable to the clemency of thy character as revealed in thy gospel. Preserve me from delu- sion; dispel my doubts ; confirm my faith in thy promises; clothe me with the garments of salva- tion. Above all, I beseech thee to give me grace perfectly to do and to suffer thy will. Help me to bring forth more of the fruits of the Spirit; that I may have the evidence in my temper and life, that 1 am led by thy Spirit and am authorized to call theo Abba, Father. Whatever conflicts I may now have to sustain, let me persevere in well-doing with increasing zeal and delight, persuaded that thou art greater and better than my heart, and wilt not reject any that sincerely seek thy face through him whom thou hast appointed the Mediator of our race. " Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and il why art thou disquieted within me ? hope thou in '* God, for I shall yet praise him, who is the health " of my countenance, and my God." Amen. N 5 144 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 28. A PRAYER for a communicant, before the cele- bration of the Lord's sujijier. QUPREMELY exalted and adorable God, unto *^ whom all hearts are open ! I desire to wor- ship thee as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named. I adore thine unspeakable goodness in raising up this great Deliverer from sin and death, for a benighted, guilty, and ruined world. I praise thee for the spiritual and heavenly blessings, which thou hast bestowed upon me through his media- tion, crucifixion and resurrection. What gracious instructions flowed from his tongue ! What spot- less purity marked his life I What love and zeal filled his heart I With what patience and kindness did he seek those that were lost ! What astonish- ing miracles attested his mission ! What a miracle of benevolence was exhibited in his painful and bloody death on the cross 1 How. triumphantly did he conquer the grave and ascend to thy throne in heaven ! Gracious God, how complete is his redemption, how amazing thy benignity, how at- tracting and transporting the thought of my Sa- viour's compassion and victory ! What could have been done for thy rebellious offspring, that has not been done ? What light, what comfort, what en- couragement, what hope can I need, which the gospel of Christ Jesus does not abundantly supply ? O thou who seest in secret ! I confess that I am unworthy of my Christian privileges, and that I have not adorned my profession in all respects, as I ought to have done, by an holy walk and con- versation. Who can tell, how oft he offendeth? My heart condemns me in many things ; and I am grieved, when I consider, in how small a degree I PttAYEKS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 4*5 possess the spirit and temper of my Lord. Help thou me to examine and judge myself, that I may not be condemned by thee. Lead me, I beseech thee, to a full acquaintance with the state of my soul, and prepare me for the holy exercises to which I am called. Save me from all delusion, pride, and self- deceit. Forgive, of thine infinite goodness, every offence which I have committed ; and accept the renewal, which I am about to make of my vows. Thou invitest me to the memorial of my Sa- viour's dying love ; and blessed be thy name for this means of enkindling and increasing my .affec- tion and gratitude to him. Take me into thy holy keeping, and grant that I may experience no dis- traction of mind. Let me not be an unfurnished guest, to whom it may be justly said, "how earnest " thou in hither, not having on a wedding garment V Let me approach the ordinance, with penitence, thankfulness, and faith, with love and charity to all mankind. Eating the bread and drinking the cup, which Jesus instituted, let me embrace and hold fast the covenant of mercy, and find redemption through his blood. Direct me to profitable medi- tations upon what he said, did, and suffered ; and let the remembrance of his love, his sacrifice, and his glory, comfort, support, and strengthen me, in. life and death. Heavenly Father ! be thou with thy servant who ministers to me in the sanctuary, with my fellow- communicants, with all my Christian brethren, and with every human being. Dispose all, who en- circle thine altar, to feel and to act as friends,, partakers of the same grace, and heirs of one bliss- ful inheritance through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen. 146 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 29. A PRAYER for a communicant, after the cel- ebration of the Lord's Sufijier. T^ATHER of mercies, and God of love ! thou * hast caused thy goodness to pass before me. this day. Follow with thy blessing what I have been permitted and enabled to perform, in obedience to the injunction of thy Son, my Lord. If thy pure eyes have seen any thing culpable in my religious services, I beseeh thee to pardon me. Let not the pious reflections which have occupied my attention, or the purposes which I have formed, in the com- pany of my fellow-worshippers, and in showing forth the death of Jesus, ever be strange to my heart. 1 have avowed thee, the Lord, to be my God, engaging to keep thy commandments and to hearken to thy voice. 1 have confessed thy Son before men, publicly receiving his testimony, solemnly acknowl- edging him to be my divine Master and Guide, my Saviour and Forerunner in the path of holiness and glory. — O forbid, that I should ever make ship- wreck of faith, by not holding fast a good con- science. Preserve me from the smallest degree of that spirit, which works in the children of dis- obedience. Preserve me from proving faithless to my vows, and from bringing reproach on the Christian name. Help me to follow the Lamb, whithersoever he goeth ; to abide in him, the true vine ; and to stand fast in the liberty wherewith he hath made his disciples free. Enable me at all times to remember his new command, that we should love one another, even as he has loved us. Save me from the shocking inconsistencies and the dreadful fate of those, who call him Lord, Lord, but unto whom he will say, " depart from me ye [* that work iniquity." Raise my affections from PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. ii7 tarth to heaven ; and assist me to be steadfast and immoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord. Merciful Father, I have found that it is good for me to draw nigh unto the table of my crucified and exalted Redeemer. Make me habitually at- tentive to this cheering institution. While I there- by learn to value the Saviour and his gospel more, let me rejoice in the persuasion, that there is no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, and that through him we have mercy and the for- giveness of sin. May I be privileged to come with boldness to thy throne, in his name, and his peace keep my heart in every changing scene. May I regard it as my highest honour, to be his disciple and an instrument for advancing his king- dom among men May I triumph in this, that my Lord, who was once dead, lives and reigns forever, and that where he is his faithful followers shall also be. When he comes to judge the world, may he not be ashamed of me, but receive me into his own mansions of love and joy. Once more, O thou Parent of all ! I implore thy blessing upon thy church universal, and upon the whole human family. Comfort every sorrow- ful soul. Bring into the way of truth all such, as have erred and gone astray. Convert all such, as are in the gall of bitterness and the bonds of iniqui- ty. Lead all Christians to be careful to maintain good works. Let thy grace be multiplied upon the religious society of which 1 am a member, and upon the pastor of the flock. Let all, with whom I am connected, and who are dear to me, be en- rolled in the book of life ; and let them and me be brought to sing the praises of God and ©f the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen. 113 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 30. A GENERAL PRAYER, which may be used at any time. f\ GOD, the Maker and Governor of the world ! ' I, thine unworthy servant, would appear be- fore thee, under the deepest sense of thy perfec- tions and of my total dependance upon thy Provi- dence and grace. I rejoice that I am privileged to worship thee, whose glories are far exalted above all that I can conceive, and before whom the hosts of heaven bow down with the profoundest reve- rence. I adore thee as possessed of all-compre- hending knowledge, unerring wisdom, unlimited power, impartial justice, unbounded goodness, un- spotted purity, unchangeable truth and faithfulness. I acknowledge thee to be the giver of all good gifts, and the disposer of all events. I confess, that thy favour alone is life, and that I oannot be happy without thy love. I am sensible, that thou art the tenderest Father and best Friend to thy creatures, prescribing only such laws to them as are highly salutary, ever disposed to lead them to their true felicity, ready to promote and assist their sincere endeavours to obtain it, and constantly exercising thy perfections for this purpose. Precious is the thought of thee to all who are acquainted with thy character and who study to accomplish thy gracious designs. Worthy art thou of the homage, affec- tion, and obedience of all intelligent beings in hea- ven and on earth. I praise thee, O Lord, that, amidst the multi- tude of thy creatures and subjects, I am not forgot- ten and overlooked; but that thou knowest, and lovest, and providest for me, as thy chiid, with paternal care. I praise thee, that thou hast pre- served me from many calamities and sufferings. I PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS, no thank thee for all the powers of my nature, for the satisfactions and comforts of society, for the kindness of my relations and friends, for every do- mestic enjoyment, for the measure of health and prosperity with which I am favoured, and for all those outward conveniences and advantages which thou hast been pleased to give me. I thank thee, that thou hast formed me after thine own image, made me free and intelligent, and destined me for an immortal existence. I bless thee for all the assistances which I have received for the cultiva- tion of my mind, and for all the means of education and religion. Above all, I desire to bless thee for the mission and gospel of Christ Jesus, thy well- beloved and only-begotten Son. I bless thee for the satisfactory evidences he gave, that he was truly sent by thee for the salvation of the world. I bless thee for his divine instructions, for his per- fect example, and for all his labours and sufferings. I bless thee for his humbling himself even to the death of the cross, and shedding his blood for the remission of our sins; for his resurrection from the grave, and for his entrance into heaven as our Cap- tain and Forerunner. I bless thee for the effu- sion of the Holy Spirit upon his Apostles, for the propagation of his doctrines, and for the preserva- tion of his church. How rich is the grace, which I have received through his mediation I How won- derfully hast thou provided for my improvement, my comfort, and my everlasting welfare ! What can I render unto thee, in return for that mercy, to which alone it is to be ascribed, that I am not wan- dering in a land of darkness, superstition and idol- atry, that I am not the victim of fear and despair ? What gratitude do I owe to thy dear Son, who submitted to the most cruel death, that I might re- joice in the hope of thy compassion and in the as- 150 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. surance of eternal life and glory I Never, O God, can I repay, never can I fully express or worthily praise thee for all that thou hast done for my soul, for all the benefits which thou art continuing to be- stow upon me from day to day. Encouraged, merciful Father, by the .invaluable promises of my Lord and Saviour, 1 draw near unto thy throne, to intreat of thee the pardon of what- soever thou hast seen amiss in me. I confess to thee, that my sins and infirmities are many and great, and that I could not expect any portion of thy favour, if thou shouldest be extreme to mark and to punish what is wrong. But it is the conso- lation and support of my mind, that thou hast sent Jesus Christ to save us from our sins, and that thou art pleased to accept the upright endeavours of the humble aud penitent to reform whatever has been criminal in t .eir hearts and conduct. Forgive, I beseech thee, every wilful thought, disposition, word, and deed, which has been displeasing in thy sight; and vouchsafe to justify me upon those terms, which thy holiness and mercy have laid -down in the gospel. I do willingly and entirely forgive all, who may have injured or offended me. If I have done wrong to any, I am ready to make all possible reparation. I seriously renounce all communication with whatsoever thou hast forbid- den, and devote myself to thy service and the per- formance of thy will. I am persuaded, that these are indispensible qualifications for thy favour ; and earnestly beseech thee to give success to my pur- poses, by the influences of thy Spirit, and the dis- pensations of thy Providence. May I never go astray from the truth as it is in Jesus, but seek for it with an impartial and unpre- judiced mind, be delivered from those passions which hinder its discovery, and obey it from the PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. iw heart. May I be animated by that faith, which overcomes the world, which purifies the soul, and which works by love. May I be filled with that hope, which will not suffer me to be ashamed, but will cause me to run with patience the race set before me. May I be possessed of that charity, which is the end of the commandment, and without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee. May I cherish a constant regard to thee as my Ruler and Judge, worship thee with a thank- ful and resigned temper, praise thee with gladness, and rejoice in thy protection. May I be concerned to resemble my honoured Master in every divine and amiable disposition, and imbibe his zeal, his devotion, his fortitude, his humility, his compas- sion, and benevolence. May I delight, like him, in doing good; and press forward with unremitting ardour towards the mark of the prize of my high calling. My outward condition, O Lord, it is my hap- piness and duty to refer wholly to thy wisdom. With submission to thy will, I implore from thee those things which are necessary to the security and comfort of life ; and pray, that I may be pre- served from great calamities and afflictions, if this be consistent with thy gracious purposes. Lead me in that path, which thou seest to be best for me. Help me to become perfectly contented, to repose unlimited confidence in thy government, and to improve health and sickness, joy and sor- row, to thy glory. May I so pass through things temporal, as not to forget the things which are eternal. May I so use the world, as not to abuse it. Moderate in my desires for its good things, temperate in every lawful gratification, and pa- tient under every disappointment, trial, or suffer- lig, may I constantly aspire to a higher bliss than O $&2 PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. any which can here be obtained, lay a good found*, ation against the time to come, and daily look for- ward to the glory which is about to be revealed to thy faithful servants. May I behold the approach of death with peace and satisfaction ; and, when ray. course is finished, be removed from this mixed State of discipline to the land of unfading happiness and perfect love. I praise thee, O God, that, thou art the merciful Parent of all men ; and I beseech thee to have com^ passion upon and to save every individual of the hu- man family. Be pleased to bless my friends, to re- ward my benefactors, and to take into thy holy keepr log the family with which I am connected. Visit with thy light and comfort all who are afflicted with sickness apd pain. Console and cheer all who are distressed in mind. Provide for the relief of those, who are suffering want. Pity the widow and orr phan ; gladden the hearts of such as mourn the loss of those they loved ; hear the cries of the perse- cuted and oppressed ; be nigh unto all, who are in circumstances of peril. Turn the ungodly to the love and fear of thy name; support and strengthen every upright soul ; give rest and joy to every weary and heavy-laden sinner. Spread the gospel of Christ Jesus throughout the earth ; put an end to all war, strife, tyranny, and injustice ; and let every nation become virtuous, enlightened, and Iioppy. Direct our rulers ; preserve our liberties ; prosper oi\r citizens; assist us to become a right- eous people, whom thou wilt bless and protect ; and let all our institutions for the education of youth, and for the maintenance and diffusion of. pure religion, be crowned with success. Accept, O God, I beseech thee, these sen- timents and desires of my heart, which I offer n$. PRAYERS FOR INDIVIDUALS. 15S in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ ; through whom I trust for the acceptance of my person, and all my sincere, but imperfect services. And unto thee be endless praise and glory. Amen. F I-JV I S.