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8 Father in heav'n, thy will be done,--I cheerfully resign;

94.

Make me in life, in death, thine own;
This year, for ever thine.

The same. (L. M.)

1GREAT God! let all my tuneful powers,
Awake, and sing thy mighty name:
Thy hand revolves my circling hours,
Thy hand from which my being came.
2 Seasons and moons still rolling round,
In beauteous order, speak thy praise;
And years, with smiling mercy crown'd,
To thee successive honours raise.
3 To thee I raise the annual song,
To thee the grateful tribute give;
My God doth still my years prolong,
And 'midst unnumber'd deaths, I live.
4 He bids each season on my soul,
Its sweetest, kindest influence shed;
And all the periods, as they roll,
Shower countless blessings on my head.
5 My life, my health, my friends, I owe,
All to thy vast, unbounded love;
Ten thousand precious gifts below,
And hope of nobler joys above.
6 Thus will I sing, till nature cease,
Till sense and language are no more;
And, after death, thy boundless grace,
Through everlasting years, adore.

195. New Year's Day; or, the right Improv of Life. (C. M.)

1 AND is this life prolong'd to me?

Are days and seasons given?

Shall I not then prepare to be
A fitter heir for heaven?..

2 I will not let these moments pass,
These golden hours be gone:
Lord, I accept thine offer'd grace,
I bow before thy throne.

3 Now cleanse my soul from every sin,
Through my Redeemer's blood:
Now let my flesh and heart begin,
The honours of my God.

4 Let me no more my soul defile,
With sin's deceitful toys:
Let cheerful hope increasing still,
Approach to heavenly joys.

50 may my thankful lips proclaim,
The wonders of thy praise,
And spread the savour of thy name,
Where'er I spend my days.

6 On earth let my example shine;
And when I leave this state,

May heaven receive this soul of mine,
To bliss divinely great.

196. The Year crowned with the Divine Goodness.

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Psalm lxv. 11. (L. M.)

TERNAL source of every joy!

Well may thy praise our lips employ; While in thy temple we appear,

Whose goodness crowns the circling year.

2 While as the wheels of nature roll,
Thy hand supports the steady pole:
The sun is taught by thee to rise,
And darkness when to veil the skies.
3 The flowery spring at thy command,
Embalms the air, and paints the land;
The summer rays with vigour shine,
To raise the corn, and cheer the vine.
4 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.

5 Seasons, and months, and weeks, and days,
Demand successive songs of praise;
Still be the cheerful homage paid,
With opening light, and evening shade.
6 Here in thy house shall incense rise,
As circling sabbaths bless our eyes;
Still will we make thy mercies known,
Around thy board, and round our own.
70 may our more harmonious tongues,
In worlds unknown pursue the songs;
And in those brighter courts adore,
Where days and years revolve no more

197. Reflections on our Waste of Years. (C. 1 REMARK, my soul, the narrrow bou

Of the revolving year;

How swift the weeks complete their rou
How short the months appear!

2 So fast eternity comes on,
And that important day,
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.

5 So shall their course more grateful roll, If future years arise;

Or this shall bear my smiling soul
To joy, that never dies.

198. A New Year's Thought and Prayer. (P.

IME, by moments, steals away,

1 TIM

First the hour, and then the day;

Small the daily loss appears,
Yet it soon amounts to years:
Thus another year is flown,
Now it is no more our own,
If it brought or promis'd good,
Than the years before the flood.

2 But (may none of us forget)
It has left us much in debt;
Favours from the Lord receiv'd,
Sins that have his Spirit griev'd,
Mark'd by an unerring hand,
In his book recorded stand;
Who can tell the vast amount,
Plac'd to each of our account?

3 Happy the believing soul!
Christ for you has paid the whole;
While you own the debt is large,
You may plead a full discharge:
But, poor careless sinner, say,
What can you to justice pay
Tremble, lest, when life is past,
Into prison you be cast!

?

4 Will you still increase the score?
Still be careless as before?
Oh, forbid it, gracious Lord,
Touch their spirits by thy word!
Now, in mercy, to them show
What a mighty debt they owe!
All their unbelief subdue;
Let them find forgiveness too.

5 Spar'd to see another year,
Let thy blessing meet us here;
Come, thy dying work revive,
Bid thy drooping garden thrive :
Sun of righteousness, arise!

Warm our hearts, and bless our eyes;

Let our prayer thy pity move,

Make this year a time of love.

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