And sun and moon decay That measure mortal years; But still the same, in radiant lines, Thy promise shines through all the flame. 3 Their harmony shall sound

Through our attentive ears, When thunders cleave the ground And dissipate the spheres;

'Mid all the shock of that dread scene, We stand serene-thy word our rock.

97

L. M. 6 lines.

FAITHFUL art Thou in whom we trust,
Thy word shall be our stay

When hills depart, when stars are dust,
And skies have passed away;

For than the heavens and earth more sure
Thy blessed promises endure.

2 The vows of earthly friendship fail,
With love and faith forgot,

Through time's long waste, or fortune's gale,

Or man's unstable thought;

But there is neither change nor fraud
In thy sweet promises, O God.

WE trust thee, Lord;
Upon thy word

We rest our soul's well-being;
Our walk with thee,

Lord, here must be

By faith and not by seeing.

2 The only scheme

3

4

Man to redeem

From death, sin's fearful wages,
Would lie concealed,

But as revealed

In these, thy sacred pages.
By faith to live,

Its fruits to give,

This is the path to heaven;

All strength and skill
To do thy will

But through thy word are given.

Teach us, O Lord,

To prize thy word,

This gift of matchless favour;

Be it our health,

Be it our wealth,

Our strength and life for ever.

GOD AND HIS ATTRIBUTES.

99

BEING AND CREATIVE POWER.

GRE

C. M.

REAT First of beings! mighty Lord,
Of all this wondrous frame,

Produced by thy creating word,

The world from nothing came.

2 Lord, for thy glory shines the whole;
It all reflects thy light:

For this the planets ceaseless roll,
And day succeeds the night.

3 For this the earth its produce yields; For this the waters flow;

And blooming plants adorn the fields, And trees and herbage grow.

4 Inspired with praise may we pursue
This wise and noble end,

That all we think, or say, or do,
May to thy glory tend.

100

L

C. P. M.

ET all on earth their voices raise,
O, great Jehovah, to thy praise,
And bless thy holy name:

Thy glory let the people know,
Thy wonders to the heathen show,
Thy saving grace proclaim.

2 God framed the globe; God built the sky;
God made the shining worlds on high,
And reigns in glory there:
Thy beams are majesty and light;
Thy beauties, how divinely bright!
Thy dwelling-place, how fair!

3 Come the great day, the glorious hour, When earth shall feel thy saving power, All nations fear thy name!

Then shall the race of men confess
The beauty of thy holiness,
Thy saving grace proclaim.

THOU, Lord, of all the Parent art,
Of all things thou alone the end:
On thee still fix our wavering heart;
To thee let all our actions tend.

2 Thou, Lord, art light; thy native ray No change, nor shadow ever knows;

To our dark souls thy light display,
The glory of thy face disclose.

3 Thou, Lord, art love; the fountain thou
Whence mercy unexhausted flows;
On barren hearts, O shed it now,

And make the desert bear the rose!

4 So shall our every power to thee
In love and holy service rise;
And body, soul, and spirit be
Thy ever-living sacrifice.

SOURCE of being, source of light,

With unfading beauties bright;
Thee, when morning greets the skies,
Blushing sweet with humid eyes;
Thee, when soft declining day
Sinks, in purple waves away;
Thee, O Parent, will we sing,
To thy feet our tribute bring!
2 Yonder azure vault on high,
Yonder blue, low, liquid sky;
Earth, on its firm basis placed,
And with circling waves embraced;
All-creating power confess,
All their mighty Maker bless;
Shaking Nature with thy nod,
Earth and heaven confess their God.

3 Father, King, whose heavenly face
Shines serene upon our race;
Mindful of thy guardian care,
Slow to punish, prone to spare;

We thy majesty adore,

We thy well-known aid implore;
Not in vain thy aid we call,
Nothing want, for thou art all!

103

INFINITY.

C. M.

SOME seraph, lend your heavenly

tongue,

Or harp of golden string,
That we may raise a lofty song
To our eternal King!

2 Thy names, how infinite they be!
Great Everlasting One!
Boundless thy might and majesty,
And unconfined thy throne.

3 Thy glory shines immensely bright; Exhaustless is thy grace;

Immortal day breaks from thine eyes,
And Gabriel veils his face.

4 Thy Being is a vast abyss,
Which angels cannot sound;
A sum of dread infinities

104

That creature-powers confound.

ET

C. M.

TERNAL Power-Almighty God! Who can approach thy throne? Unfading light is thine abode,

To mortal man unknown.

2 Before the radiance of thine eye, The heavens no longer shine;