196

mf 3 Lord God our Saviour,

Thy love o'erflows,
Making our wilderness
Bloom as the rose.
Thou with true liberty
Makest us free,
Knowing no master,
No king, but Thee;
cr Lord God our Saviour,
Failing us never,
Lord God our Saviour,
Reign Thou for ever.
mf 4 Spirit of unity,

Crown of all kings,
Find us a resting place
Under Thy wings:
By Thine own presence
Thy will be done,
Millions of free men
Banded as one.
f Lord God Almighty,

Failing us never,
Thine be the glory,
Now and for ever.
J. H. Hopkins.
6.6.4.6.6.6.4.

mf OUR

UR Fathers' God! to Thee,
Author of liberty,

To Thee we sing:

cr Long may our land be bright With freedom's holy light; Protect us by Thy might,

f Great God, our King!

f 2 Bless Thou our native land! Firm may she ever stand,

p

Through storm and night; When the wild tempests rave, cr Ruler of wind and wave,

Do Thou our country save
By Thy great might.

mf 3 For her our prayer shall rise
To God, above the skies;
On Him we wait;

197

cr Thou Who art ever nigh,

Guarding with watchful eye, f To Thee aloud we cry, God save the State!

mf ()

S. F. Smith, 1832, CT Brooks, 1835; J. S. Dwight, 1844.

L.M.

LORD of Hosts! Almighty King! Behold the sacrifice we bring: To every arm Thy strength' impart; Thy Spirit shed through every heart.

f 2 Wake in our breast the living fires, The holy faith that warmed our sires; Thy hand hath made our nation free; To die for her is serving Thee. mf 3 Be Thou a pillared flame to show

The midnight snare, the silent foe; f And when the battle thunders loud, mf Still guide us in its moving cloud. f 4 God of all nations! Sovereign Lord! In Thy dread Name we draw the We lift the starry flag on high [sword, That fills with light our stormy sky. mf 5 From treason's rent, from murder's stain, [reign, Guard Thou its folds till peace shall cr Till fort and field, till shore and sea, f Join our loud anthem, (f) praise to Thee!

mf LORD God, we worship Thee!

In loud and happy chorus

cr We praise Thy love and power, Whose goodness reigneth o'er us. To heaven our song shall soar, For ever shall it be f Resounding o'er and o'er,

Lord God, we worship Thee! f 2 Lord God, we worship Thee! For Thou our land defendest; Thou pourest down Thy grace, And strife and war Thou endest. Since golden peace, O Lord, Thou grantest us to see, Our land, with one accord,

mf

cr

p

Lord God, gives thanks to Thee! mf 3 Lord God, we worship Thee! Thou didst indeed chastise us, Yet still Thy anger spares, And still Thy mercy tries us: Once more our Father's hand Doth bid our sorrows flee, And peace rejoice our land: Lord God, we worship Thee! J. Franck; TR. C. Winkworth, 1863. 8.7.8.7.

cr

f

201

mf DREAD Jehovah, God of nations, From Thy temple in the skies, p Hear Thy people's supplications, Now for their deliverance rise. p 2 Lo, with deep contrition turning, Humbly at Thy feet we bend; Hear us, fasting, praying, mourning; Hear us, spare us, and defend. mf 3 Though our sins, our hearts confounding,

Long and loud for vengeance call, Thou hast mercy more abounding,

Jesus' blood can cleanse from all.

cr 4 Let that love veil our transgression, Let that blood our guilt efface: mf Save Thy people from oppression, Save from spoil Thy holy place.

202 mf

p

The Old Year.

Anon.

8.7.8.7.8.8.7.
CROSS the sky the shades of night
This winter's eve are fleeting:
We deck Thine altar, Lord, with light,
In solemn worship meeting:
And as the year's last hours go by,
We lift to Thee our earnest cry,

Once more Thy love entreating. p 2 Before the Cross, subdued we bow, To Thee our prayers addressing; cr Recounting all Thy mercies now, And all our sins confessing; mf Beseeching Thee, this coming year, cr To hold us in Thy faith and fear, And crown us with Thy blessing. p 3 And, while we kneel, we lift our To dear ones gone before us, [eyes Safe housed with Thee in Paradise, Whose peace descendeth o'er us: And beg of Thee, when life is passed, To re-unite us all, at last,

And to our lost restore us.

mf 4 We gather up, in this brief hour, The memory of Thy mercies:

cr Thy wondrous goodness, love, and Our grateful song rehearses: [power, For Thou hast been our strength and p In many a dark and dreary day [stay,. Of sorrow and reverses.

p 5 In many an hour, when fear and

dread,

Like evil spells have bound us, And clouds were gathering

cr Thy Providence he'

u us:

ead,

mf In many a night when waves ran high,

p

Thy gracious Presence drawing nigh
Hath made all calm around us.

mf 6 Then, O great God, in years to come,
Whatever fate betide us, [home
Right onward through our journey
Be Thou at hand to guide us:
Nor leave us till, at close of life,
cr Safe from all perils, toil, and strife,
ƒ Heaven shall unfold and hide us.
J. Hamilton, 1882.

joyous song;

As on the King's own highway, we bravely march along.

From glory unto glory! O word of stirring cheer,

mf As dawns the solemn brightness of another glad New Year.

f 2 From glory unto glory! What great things He hath done,

What wonders He hath shown us, what triumphs He hath won! From glory unto glory! What mighty blessings crown

p The lives for which our Lord hath laid His own so freely down!

mf 3-The fulness of His blessing encompasseth our way;

The fulness of His promises crowns every brightening day;

cr The fulness of His glory is beaming from above,

While more and more we learn to know the fulness of His love.

mf 4 And closer yet and closer the golden bonds shall be, [sincerity; Uniting all who love our Lord in pure cr And wider yet and wider shall the circling glory glow,

As more and more are taught of God that mighty love to know.

Peal out beyond the stars of God, while voice and life are one;

cr

earthly sun,

Yet pour on it Thy light Of faith, and hope, and joyful love,

deep, and true:

O even now our hearts shall bow, and joyful vows renew.

ƒ 6 Now onward, ever onward, from strength to strength we go, While grace for grace abundantly shall from His fulness flow, To glory's full fruition, from glory's foretaste here,

f Until His very presence crown our happiest New Year.

207

O Triune God.

A. Knapp; TR. C. Winkworth, 1858. 8.7.8.7.

mf SAVIOUR, Who Thy flock art feeding,

With the shepherd's kindest care,
All the feeble gently leading,

While the lambs Thy bosom share; mf 2 Now, these little ones receiving, Fold them in Thy gracious arm; There we know, Thy word believing, Only there secure from harm. mf 3 Never from Thy pasture roving Let them be the lion's prey;

cr Let Thy tenderness, so loving,

Keep them all life's dangerous way. f 4 Then, within Thy fold eternal, Let them find a resting-place; Feed in pastures ever vernal, Drink the rivers of Thy grace. W. A. Muhlenberg, 1826.

mfFATHER, bless the children
Brought hither to Thy gate;
Lift up their fallen nature,
Restore their lost estate;
Renew Thy image in them,
And own them, by this sign,
Thy very sons and daughters,
New born of birth divine.
mf 2 O Jesu, Lord, receive them;
Thy loving arms of old
Were opened wide to welcome
The children to Thy fold;
p Let these, baptized, and dying,
Then rising from the dead,
Henceforth be living members
Of Thee, their living Head.
mp3 O Holy Spirit, keep them;
Dwell with them to the last,
Till all the fight is ended,
And all the storms are past.
mf Renew the gift baptismal,

cr

cr

From strength to strength, till each,
The troublous waves o'ercoming,
The land of life shall reach.

f 4 O Father, Son, and Spirit,
O Wisdom, Love, and Power,

And vow to hold the world but loss For thy Redeemer's Name. mf 2 Arise, and be baptized,

cr

And wash thy sins away;

Thy league with God be solemnized,
Thy faith avouched to-day.

f 3 Thine is our country now,

Our Lord and Master thine,

p Receive, imprinted on thy brow, His Passion's awful sign.

mf 4 No more thine own, but Christ's; With all the saints of old, Apostles, seers, evangelists,

And martyr throngs enrolled.

f 5 O bright the conquerer's crown,
The song of triumph sweet,
When faith casts every trophy down
At our great Captain's feet.

Bishop E. H. Bickersteth, 1870.
Also the following:

278 O Lord, our strength in weakness. 509 Soldiers of Christ, arise. 510 Go forward, Christian soldier.

211

mf

Confirmation.

L.M.D.

GOD, in Whose all-searching eye Thy servants stand, to ratify The vow baptismal, by them made When first Thy hand was on them laid; Bless them, O Holy Father, bless, cr Who Thee with heart and voice confess; [own, May they, acknowledged as Thine f Stand evermore before Thy throne.

mf 2 O Christ, Who didst at Pentecost
Send down from heaven the Holy
And at Samaria baptize [Ghost;
Those whom Thou didst evangelize;
And then on Thy baptized confer
The best of gifts, the Comforter,
By apostolic hands, and prayer; [there.
Be with us now, (cr) as Thou wert
f 3 Arm these Thy soldiers, mighty
Lord,
[sword;
With shield of faith, and Spirit's
Forth to the battle may they go,
And boldly fight against the foe,
With banner of the Cross unfurled,
And by it overcome the world;
And so at last receive from Thee
The palm and crown of victory.
p 4 Come, ever blessèd Spirit, come,
And make Thy servants' hearts Thy
home;

Thus consecrated, Lord, to Thee,
May each a living temple be.

mf Enrich that temple's holy shrine
With sevenfold gifts of grace divine;
With wisdom, light, and knowledge,
bless,
[ness.
Strength, counsel, fear, and godli-
Bishop C. Wordsworth, 1862.
S M.

212