6 The hour of my departure's come;

I hear the voice that calls me home
Now, O my God! let trouble cease,
Now let thy servant die in peace.

P. M. 481.

Life resigned; or, waiting to der ri. 1 Chron. xxix. 28. Job viii. 16. Phu - 23 10 TIS enough! I ask no more,

Full of a few sad sinful days,
Sated with life, till life is o'er,

I languish to conclude my race,
And silently resign my breath,

And sink into the shades of death. 2 This earth without regret I leave;

Impatient for my heav'nly rest;
Saviour, my weary soul receive,

Take a sad pilgrim to thy breast,
I only live, and die, to be

Restor’d, resorb'd, and lost in thee. 482.

(493.) P. M.

Dying Saint to his Soul.
1 VITAL spark of heavenly flame!

Quit, o quit this mortal frame:
Trembling, hoping, ling'ring, flying,
O the pain, the bliss of dying!
Cease, fond nature, cease thy strife,

And let me languish into life.
2 Hark! they whisper, angels say,

“ Sister spirit, coine away;'.
What is this absorbs me quite?
Steals my senses, shuts my sight.
Drowns my spirit, draws my breath!

Tell me, my soul,can this be death? s The world recedes, it disappears!

Heaven opens on my eyes--my ears
With sounds seraphic ring!
Lend, lend your wings, I mount! I fly!
O grave, where is thy victory?
o death, where is thy sting?

THE MEANS OF GRACE.

1. THE WORD OF GOD.

♡ See Hymns from 1 to 12 inclusive.

2. PRAYER-PRIVATE.

L, M. 483.

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thes. v. 17, 1 PRAY'R was appointed to convey.

The blessings God designs to give; Long as they live should christians

pray,
For only while they pray, they live.
2 The christian's heart his pray’r indites,

He speaks as prompted from within;
The Spirit his petition writes,

And Christ receives, and gives it in. 4 And shall we in dead silence lie,

When Christ stands waiting for our pray’r? My soul, thou hast a friend on high;

Arise, and try thy interest there.
6 If pains afflict, or wrongs oppress

If cares distract, or fear's dismay-
If guilt deject--if sin distress,
The remedy's before thee!-pray.
'Tis prayer supports the soul that's weak,
Tho' thought be broken-language lame;
Pray, if thou canst, or canst not speak,
But pray with faith in Jesus' name.

L. M. 484.

Exhortation to Prayer.
I WHAT various hino’rances we meet

In coming to a mercy-seat!
Yet who that knows the worth of pray’r,

But wishes to be often there! 2 Pray’r makes the darken'd cloud withdraw Pray'r climbs the ladder Jacob sawa

Gives excercise to faith and love

Brings ev'ry blessing from above.
3 Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;

Pray’r makes the christian's armour bright;
And satan trembles when he sees

The weakest saint upon his knees.
& Have you no words? ah! think again:

Words flow apace when you complain,
And fill your fellow-creature's ear

With the sad tale of all your care.
5 Were half the breath thus vainly spent, 3

To heaven in supplications sent-
Your cheerful songs should oftener be,
“ Hear what the Lord has done for ine:”

S. M. 485. Importunate prayer forvaline madh Gna

Luke xviii. 1-7.
1
THE Lord, who truly knows

The heart of ev'ry saint,
Invites us by his holy word,

To pray and never faint. 2

He bows his gracious ear;

We never plead in vain;
Yet we must wait till he appear

And pray, and pray again.
Tho' unbelief suggest,
Why should we longer wait?
He bids us never give him rest.

But be importunate.
'Twas thus a widow poor,
Without support or friend,
Beset the unjust judge's door,

And gain'd at last her end.
And shall not Jesus hear
His children when they cry!

3

4

5

Yes, tho’he may awhile forbear,

He'll not their suit deny. 6 Then let us earnest be,

And never faint in pray’r; He loves our importunity,

And makes our cause his care.

486.

1

C. M.
Private devotion. Matt. vi. 6
FATHER Divine, thy piercing eye

Sees thro’ the darkest night:
In deep retirement thou art nigh,

With heart-discerning siglat.
2 There may thy piercing eye survey

My solemn homage pad,
With ev'ry morning's dawning ray,

Aud ev'ry evening's shade. 3 Oh, let thy own celestial fire

The incense still inftame;
While my warm vows to thee aspire,

Thro' my Redeemer's name. 4 So shall the visits of thy love

My soul in secret bless;
So shalt thou deign in worlds above,

Thy suppliant to confess,

1

C. M. 487.

Behold he prayeth. Acts ix. tl. PRAY'R is the soul's sincere desire,

Utter'd or unexpress'd, 'The motion of a hidden fire

That trembles in the breast.

2 Pray’r is the burden of a sigh,

The falling of a tear;
The upward glancing of an eye
When none but God is near.

Pray'r is the simplest form of speech

That infant lips can try;
Pray' the sublimest strains that reach

The majesty on high.
$ Pray’r is the christian's vital breath,

The christian's native air,
His watchword at the gate of death-

He enters heav'n with pray’r.
5 Pray’r is the contrite sinner's voice

Returning from his ways,
While angels in their songs rejoice

and say,--"Behold he prayed

SOCIAL.

P. M.
488. Private Meeiings. Matt. xviii. 8).
WHERE two or three together meet,

My love and mercy to repeät,
And tell what I have done,
There will I be,' saith God, “to bless,
And ev'ry burden'd soul redress,

Who worships at my throne.”
2 Make one in this assembly, Lord,
Speak to each heart some cheering word,

To set the spirit free:
Impart a kind celestial show'r,
And grant that we may spend an hour
In fellowship with thee.

C. M. 489. Reviewing the Mercies of God. 2 Sani

vii. 13. FAIN would any soul with wonder trace

Thy mercies, O my God; And tell the riches of thy grace

The merits of thy blood. 2 With (srael's King, my heart would cry, While I review thy ways,

1