4 O spread thy cov'ring wings around,
Till all our wand'rings cease,
And at our Father's loved abode,
Our souls arrive in peace.

5 Such blessings, from thy gracious hand,
Our humble prayers implore;
And thou shalt be our chosen God,
Our portion evermore.

59

L. M.

The bond of love.

PRAISE waits in Zion, Lord, for thee;

Thy saints

Thy creatures bend the obedient knee,
And, humbly, now thy presence claim.
2 Eternal Source of truth and light,
To thee we look, on thee we call;
Lord, we are nothing in thy sight,
But thou to us art all in all.

3 Still may thy children in thy word Their common trust and refuge see; O, bind us to each other, Lord,

By one great bond,-the love of thee. 4 So shall our sun of hope arise,

With brighter still and brighter ray, Till thou shalt bless our longing eyes With beams of everlasting day.

60.

C. M.

BEF

Divine guidance and safety.
EFORE thy mercy-seat, O Lord,
Behold, thy servants stand,
To ask the knowledge of thy word,
The guidance of thy hand.

2 Let thy eternal truths, we pray,
Dwell richly in each heart;
That from the safe and narrow way
We never may depart.

3 Lord, from thy word remove the seal,

Unfold its hidden store;

And as we hear, O may we feel
Its value more and more.

4 Help us to see the Saviour's love
Beaming from every page;
And let the thoughts of joys above
Our inmost souls engage.

5 Thus while thy word our footsteps guides,
Shall we be truly blest;

And safe arrive where love provides
Au everlasting rest.

61

O may we feel the sins we own,
And hate what we deplore.

C. M.

and praise.

Confession, prayer,
ORD! when we bend before thy throne,
And our confessions pour,

2 Our contrite spirits pitying see;
True penitence impart:

And let a healing ray from thee
Beam peace into each heart.

3 When we disclose our wants in prayer,
O let our wills resign;

And not a thought our bosom share,
Which is not wholly thine.

4 And when with heart and voice we strive

Our grateful hymns to raise,

Let love divine within us live,

And fill our souls with praise.

5 Then, on thy glories while we dwell,
Thy mercies we'll review;
With love divine, transported, tell-
Thou, God, art Father too!

62

L. M.

Grace, pardon, life.
ATHER of heaven, whose love profound

Before thy throne we sinners bend;
To us thy pard'ning love extend.
2 Almighty Son, incarnate Word,
Our Prophet, Priest, Redeemer, Lord!
Before thy throne we sinners bend;
To us thy saving grace extend.
3 Eternal Spirit, by whose breath
The soul is raised from sin and death,
Before thy throne we sinners bend;
To us thy quick'ning power extend.
4 Jehovah! Father, Spirit, Son,
Mysterious Godhead! Three in One!
Before thy throne we sinners bend;
Grace, pardon, life, to us extend.

63

L. M.
True worship everywhere accepted.

THOU, to whom, in ancient time,
The psalmist's sacred harp was strung,
Whom kings adored in song sublime,

And prophets praised with glowing tongue :2 Not now on Zion's height alone

The favour'd worshipper may dwell, Nor where, at sultry noon, thy Son

Sat weary by the patriarch's well. 3 From every place below the skies,

The grateful song, the fervent prayer, The incense of the heart, may rise

To heaven, and find acceptance there. 4 0 thou, to whom, in ancient time,

The holy prophet's harp was strung; To thee, at last, in every clime,

Shall temples rise, and praise be sung.

64

God seen in his works.

THERE is a God-all nature speaks,
Through earth, and air, and seas, and skies;
See from the clouds his glory breaks,
When earliest beams of morning rise.

L. M.

2 The rising sun, serenely bright, Throughout the world's extended frame, Inscribes, in characters of light,

His mighty Maker's glorious name.

3 Ye curious minds, who roam abroad,
And trace creation's wonders o'er,
Confess the footsteps of
your God;
Bow down before him and adore.

65

The heavens declare his glory.

THE spacious firmament on high,

blue

L. M.

And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim:
The' unwearied sun, from day to day,
Doth his Creator's power display,
And publishes to every land
The work of an Almighty Hand.

2 Soon as the evening shades prevail,
The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And nightly, to the list'ning earth,
Repeats the story of her birth;
While 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.

3 What, though in solemn silence all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball;
What, though no real voice nor sound
Amid the radiant orbs be found;
In reason's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice;
Forever singing as they shine,
The Hand that made us is divine.

66

C. M.

THERE

All His works praise Him.
seems a voice in every gale,
A tongue in every flower,
Which tells, O Lord, the wondrous tale
Of thy almighty power;

The birds, that rise on quiv'ring wing,
Proclaim their Maker's praise,
And all the mingling sounds of spring
To thee an anthem raise.

2 Shall I be mute, great God, alone 'Midst nature's loud acclaim?

Shall not my heart, with answ'ring tone,
Breathe forth thy holy name?

All nature's debt is small to mine,

Nature shall cease to be;
Thou gavest-proof of love divine-
Immortal life to me.

67

S. M.

His name is glorious.

How glorious is thy Name; Thy wonders how diffused abroad, Throughout creation's frame.

2 In native white and red.

The rose and lily stand,

And, free from pride, their beauties spread,
To show thy skilful hand.