Grant us and all our children | 'Tis free mercy, we must own, (praise, And the gift of God alone. grace, In word and deed thy name to 865. T. 581 or 83. PARENTS, weigh before the Lord The importance of your state; Learn from his most holy Word Your whole walk to regulate, 2. All your children are his own, He hath bought them with his blood, Unto him their souls are known, Full of sin and void of good: Yet he saith most graciously, Suffer them to come to me." 3. 'Tis by you they should be led In the narrow way to bliss; Grace is not inherited As a worldly fortune is; And still in all my words maintain | Hear the parents' sighs and prayers, When for them before thee weepMercy for our children we, Gracious Lord, implore of thee. 869. (ing; B. La Trobe. T. 586. 2. Thou hast promis'd for our con- | But possess our souls in patience, YEAR after year commences, And, as our life advances, Of thy most Holy Spirit, 6. O God of our salvation, We, strength from Christ deriving, In this new year thy favour. Each year by faith are thriving. 2. As in tempestuous weather 5. O keep our souls and senses 874. P. Gerhard. T. 585. 3. Here is love divine portrayed, So that man the lines may trace; See, O man, God's love displayed In thy Saviour's marred face: Wouldst thou praise him, :||: Be thy theme redeeming grace. 4. Bear in mind how Jesus suffer'd, He, the righteous, for th' unjust; How his sinless soul he offer'd Unto God for sinful dust; Love thus triumph'd, :||: 5. Lo, the incarnate God ascended, Of his fall is now made good. 6. We shall see our Lord returning, Then the sav'd their heads shall (mourning He will change their grief and Into notes of endless praise: raise; As Jehovah :||: Every tongue will him confess. Hallelujah, :||: But hasten through this vale of woe, And, restless to behold thy face, 3. We've no abiding city here, high, Ancient of never-ending days; Who lengthens out our trial here, And spares us yet another year. 3. Now a new scene of time begins; | Who reigns, in light enthron'd on La Trobe. 877.* T. 167. FAITHFUL souls their Saviour's blessing Crave on each succeeding day, Asking, "Are we onward pressing? What may Jesus have to say? Are the ways of sin unpleasant? Do we hold our Saviour fast? Are we more like him at present, Than we were in seasons past?" 2. Great defects are still revealed; Short we fall of his blest aim; Then the conscious soul is filled With a deep, but wholesome shame; Earnest to improve the morrow, We adore thee, still proceeding We renew our vows of love, 2. Barren and wither'd, worthless trees, Alas! we cumber'd long the ground; O Lord, break up our fallow-ground, |