4 See the fond father clasp his child;
Hark! how his bowels move:
"Shalt thou, my offspring, be exil'd
From God my Father's love?

5 Shall cruel spirits drag thee down
To darkness and despair;
Beneath th' Almighty's angry frown,
To dwell for ever there?

6 Kind heaven, the dreadful scene forbid!
Look down, dear Lord, and bless;
I'll wrestle hard, as Jacob did-
May I obtain success!"

658.

S. M.

Prayer for infants; or, Children, day by day, given to God.

GREAT God, now condescend

To bless our rising race;

Soon may their willing spirits bend
To thy victorious grace!

2 O what a vast delight

Their happiness to see! Our warmest wishes all unite To lead their souls to thee.

3 Dear Lord, thy Spirit pour
Upon our infant seed;

O bring the long'd-for happy hour
That makes them thine indeed,

4 May they receive thy word,

Confess the Saviour's name; Then follow their despised Lord Through the baptismal stream

5 Thus let our favour'd race

Surround thy sacred board, There to adore thy sovereign grace, And sing their dying Lord.

659.

L.M.

Prayer of parents for their offspring. 1 NOW, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, To whom we for our children cry! The good desir'd and wanted most, Out of thy richest grace supply!

2 Error and ignorance remove,

The blindness of their heart and mind; Give them the wisdom from above, Spotless, and peaceable, and kind.

3 Answer on them the end of all

Our cares, and pains, and studies here! On them recover'd from their fall, Stamp'd with the humble character! 4 Unite, what long has been disjoin'd, Knowledge and vital piety; Learning and holiness combin'd,

And truth and love let all men see.

5 Father, accept them through thy Son,
And ever by thy Spirit guide!
Thy wisdom in their lives be shown,
'Thy name confess'd and glorified.

660.

זי

P. M.

AND my house will serve the Lord:
But first obedient to thy word

I must myself appear:

By actions, words, and tempers, show
That I my heavenly Master know,
And serve with heart sincere.

2 I must the good example set
To those that on my pleasure wait;
The stumbling-block remove:
Their duty by my life explain,
And still in all my works maintain
The dignity of love.

3 Easy to be entreated, mild,
Quickly appeas'd and reconcil'd,
A foll'wer of my God:

A saint indeed 1 long to be,
And wish to lead my family
In the celestial road.

4 A sinner sav'd myself from sin,
I strive my family to win,

That they may be forgiven;

The children, Lord, and servants bless,
And through the paths of righteousness
Conduct us all to heaven.

661.

10. COLLECTIONS.

L. M.

Liberality.

OH, what stupendous mercy shines
Around the majesty of Heaven!
Rebels he deigns to call his sons,
Their souls renew'd, their sins forgiven.

2 Go, imitate the grace divine,-
The grace that blazes like a sun;
Hold forth your fair, though feeble light,
Through all your lives let mercy run!

3 Upon your bounty's willing wings
Swift let the great salvation fly;
The hungry feed, the naked clothe;
To pain and sickness help apply.

4 Pity the weeping widow's wo,
And be her counsellor and stay;
Adopt the fatherless, and smooth
To useful, happy life, his way.

5 Let age, with want and weakness bow'd,
Your bowels of compassion move;
Let e'en your enemies be bless'd,-
Their hatred recompens'd with love.

6 When all is done, renounce your deeds→→→ Renounce self-righteousness with scorn: Thus will you glorify your God,

And thus the Christian name adorn.

C. M.

662. Providing Bags that wax not old.

Luke xii. 33.

1 YES, there are joys that cannot die,

With God laid up in store;
Treasure, beyond the changing sky,
Brighter than golden ore.

2 The seeds which piety and love
Have scatter'd here below,

In the fair, fertile fields above,
To ample harvests grow.

3 The mite my willing hands can give,
At Jesus' feet I lay:

Grace shall the humble gift receive,
And grace at large repay.

663.

L. M.
Liberality-Hag. ii. 8.
THE gold and silver are the Lord's
And ev'ry blessing carth affords;
All come from his propitious hand,
And must return at his command.

2 The blessings which I now enjoy,
I must for Christ and souls employ;
For if I use them as my own,
My Lord will soon call in his loan.
3 When I to him in want apply,
He never does my suit deny;
And shall I then refuse to give,
Since I so much from him receive?
4 Shall Jesus leave the realms of day
And clothe himself in humble clay?
Shall he become despis'à and poor,
To make me rich for ever more?

5 And shall I wickedly withhold
To give my silver or my gold?
To aid a cause my soul approves,
And save the sinners Jesus loves?

6 Expand my heart-incline me, Lord,
To give the whole I can afford;
That what thy bounty render'd mine,
1 may with cheerful hands resign.

(131.) L. M.

664. Imitation of Christ in doing good. 1 WHEN Jesus dwelt in mortal clay,

What were his works from day to day,
But miracles of pow'r and grace
Which spread salvation thro' our race.
2 Teach us, O Lord! to keep in view
Thy pattern, and thy steps pursue:
Let alms bestow'd, let kindness done,
Be witness'd by each rolling sun.

9 That man may last, but never lives,
Who much receives, but nothing gives;
Whom none can love, whom none can thank,
Creation's blot, creation's blank.

4 But he, who marks from day to day
In gen'rous acts his radiant way,

Treads the same path the Saviour trod,
The path to glory and to God.

665.

C. M.

Relieving Christ in his Members.
Matt. xxv. 40.

JESUS, my Lord, how rich thy grace!
Thy bounties how complete!
How shall I count the matchless sum?
How pay the mighty debt?

2 High on a throne of radiant light
Dost thou exalted shine;