8 Father in heav'n, thy will be done,--I cheerfully resign;
Make me in life, in death, thine own; This year, for ever thine.
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.
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,
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.
« AnteriorContinuar » |