In the midnight of your grief
Jesus doth his mourners cheer;
Lo, he brings you sure relief;
Believe, and feel him here.
HYMN 761.

67. Altered. An exhortation to prepare for the coming of the Bridegroom. 4 lines 6's & 2-8's.

1

YE

E virgin souls, arise,-
With all the dead, awake;
Unto salvation wise,

Oil in your vessels take:
Upstarting at the midnight cry
Behold the heavenly Bridegroom nigh!
2 The Bridegroom soon will call
The nations to his bar,

And take to glory all

Who fit for glory are:

Be ready for your full reward;

With joy you then shall meet your Lord. 3 Go, meet him in the sky,

Ye

Your everlasting Friend;

Your Head to glorify,

With all his saints ascend:

pure in heart, obtain the grace To see, without a veil, his face.

SPECIAL PERIODS OF TIME-NEW YEAR.

HYMN 762.

108. Altered. The rapid flight of the past year under solemn review, and prayer that the new year may be one of great good. 4 lines 7's.

1

TIME, by moments, steals away,

First the hour, and then the day;
Small the daily loss appears,
Yet it soon amounts to years:
2 Thus another year is flown;
Now it is no more our own,—

year,

If it brought or promis'd good,—
Than the years before the flood.
3 Spared to see another
Lord, in mercy, meet us here;
Now thy glorious work revive,
Bid thy drooping vineyard thrive:
4 Sun of Righteousness, arise;
Warm our hearts, refresh our eyes;
Let our prayer thy pity move;
Make this year a year of love.

HYMN 763.

Important questions and prayer respecting the soul's future wellbeing. L.M.

1 ANOTHER solemn

year is gone,

And never shall return to me;
How soon its golden hours are flown,
And lost in vast eternity!

last:

2 I stand upon the verge of Time,
And know this year may be my
O God! what portion shall be mine?
Where shall my changeless lot be cast?
3 The young and fair, in loveliest bloom,
From sweetest earthly joys are torn;
They moulder in an early tomb,-
Their sun descends at rising morn.
4 I know in thine Almighty Hand
My endless chain of being lies,
To be disposed by thy command,
Where'er my deathless spirit flies.
5 Quick as the evening beams retire,
My transitory hours decay;

Like them, all earthly joys expire,-
They shine awhile, then pass away.

6 Beyond the dark, cold, threat'ning grave, A deep and boundless ocean lies,

Where everlasting tempests rave, And waves of flaming horrors rise. 7 Shall my frail bark on those dark seas, Through all eternity be driven? Or, safely shall I rest in peace,Enjoy an endless place in heaven? 8 To thee my failing heart I'll raise;

Thy smile alone can cheer my breast; Let heaven-born peace crown all my days, And then with heaven may I be blest. HYMN 764.

L. 49. A call to improve the flight of time so as to have the approval of the Lord at his coming. P.M. 10, 5, 11.

1

COME, let us anew our journey pursue,

Roll round with the year,

And never stand still till the Master appear;His adorable will let us gladly fulfil,

And our talents improve,

By the patience of hope and the labour of love. 2 Our life is a dream; our time, as a stream, Glides swiftly away,

And the fugitive moment refuses to stay. The arrow is flown,-the moment is gone,The millennial year

Rushes on to our view, and eternity's here. 3 O that each, in the day of his coming, may say, I have fought my way through,

I have finish'd the work thou didst give me to do. O that each from his Lord may receive the glad word,

"Well and faithfully done;

Enter into my joy, and sit down on my throne."

HYMN 765. [Lord's. C.M.

L.454. Believers uniting incovenant to be afresh and ever the

1 COME, let us use the grace divine,

And all, with one accord,

In a perpetual cov❜nant join
Ourselves to Christ the Lord;-

2 Give up ourselves, through Jesus' power, His Name to glorify,

And promise, in this sacred hour,
For God to live and die.

3 The cov'nant we this moment make
Be ever kept in mind;

We will no more our God forsake,
Or cast his words behind:

4 We never will throw off his fear,
Who hears our solemn vow;

If, Lord, thou art well pleased to hear,
Come down, and meet us now.

5 Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Let all our hearts receive;

Thou, present with the heavenly host,
The peaceful answer give.

6 To each the cov'nant blood apply,
Which takes our sins away,
And register our names on high,
And keep us till that day.
HYMN 766.

Praise for the mercies of the past year, and

prayer that the new year may be fruitful in holiness and usefulness.

4 lines 6's and 2-8's.

1

HE Lord of earth and sky,

THE

The God of ages, praise,

Who reigns enthroned on high,
Ancient of endless days,-

Who lengthens our probation here,
And spares us yet another

2 Barren and wither'd trees,

year.

We cumber'd long the ground;

No fruit of holiness

On our dead souls was found;

Yet doth he us in mercy spare,
Another and another year.

3 When justice bared the sword
To cut the fig-tree down,
The pity of the Lord

Cried,-Let it still alone:
The Father, lo! inclined his ear,
And spared us yet another year.
4 Jesus, thy speaking blood

From God obtain'd the grace;
He therefore hath bestow'd
On us a longer space;
Thou didst in our behalf appear,
And, lo! we see another year.
5. Then dig about the root,

Break up our fallow ground,
And let our gracious fruit

To thy great praise abound;
O let us all thy love declare,
And fruit unto perfection bear.
HYMN 767.

Various characters exhorted how to improve the new

1

YE

year. C. M.

E heralds of the Lamb of God,
Be faithful in your sphere;
Proclaim the virtue of his blood,
As time makes up the year.

2 Ye leaders of the Saviour's flock,

Your charges tend with care,

In pastures green, 'neath shelt'ring rock,
As rolls the passing year.

3 All ye who are for prayer combined,
To God in fervour cry,

That souls enslaved may freedom find,
As time shall swiftly fly.