Life a field of battle is,
Thousands fall within our view; And the next death-bolt that flies, May be fent to me or you :
While we preach, and while we hear, Help us, LORD, each one to think, Vaft eternity is near,
I am standing on the brink. 4 If from guilt and fin fet free, By the knowledge of thy grace; Welcome, then, the call will be To depart and fee thy face: To thy faints, while here below, With new years, new mercies come But the happiest year they know Is their laft, which leads them home.
IV. A new year's thought and prayer. TIME, by moments steals away,
Firft the hour, and then the day, Small the daily lofs appears,. Yet it foon amounts to years: Thus another year is flown, Now it is no more our own; If it brought or promis'd good, Than the years before the flood. 2 But (may none of us forget ) It has left us much in debt; Favors from the LORD receiv'd, Sins that have his Spirit griev'd, Mark'd by an unerring hand, In his book recorded stand;
Who can tell the vaft amount, Plac'd to each of our account? 3 Happy the believing foul!
CHRIST for you has paid the wholes While you own the debt is large, You may plead a full difcharge: But, poor careless finner fay, What can you to justice pay? Tremble, left when life is past, Into prifon you be caft!
4 Will you ftill increase the score? Still be carelefs as before? Oh, forbid it, gracious LORD, Touch their spirits by thy word! Now, in mercy to them, fhow, What a mighty debt they owe! "All their unbelief fubdue, Let them find forgiveness too. 5 Spar'd to fee another year, Let thy bleffing meet us here; Come, thy dying work revive, Bid thy drooping garden thrive: Sun of righteousness arife!
Warm our hearts and bless our eyes; Let our pray'r thy bowels move,
Make this year a time of love.
V. Death and War. 1778.
ARK! how time's wide-founding bell Strikes on each attentive ear!
Tolling loud the folemn knell
Of the late departed Year:
Years, like mortals wear away, Have their birth and dying day; Youthful fpring, and wintry age Then to others quit the ftage. 2 Sad experience may relate What a year the laft has been! Crops of Sorrow have been great, From the fruitful feeds of fin: Oh! what numbers gay and blithe, Fell by death's unfparing fcythe? While they thought the world their own, Suddenly he mow'd them down.
3 See how war, with dreadful ftride, Marches at the LORD's command d; Spreading defolation wide,
Thro' a once much-favoured land: War, with heart and arms of steel, Preys on thousands at a meal; Daily drinking human gore, Still he thirfts and calls for more. 4 If the GoD whom we provoke, Hither fhould his way direct; What a fin-avenging stroke May a land like this expect! They who now fecurely fleep, Quickly then would wake and weep; And too late would learn to fear, When they faw the danger near.
5 You are fafe, who know his love, He will all his truth perform; To your fouls a refuge prove From the rage of ev'ry form:
But we tremble for the youth;
Teach them, LORD, thy faving truth;
Join them to thy faithful few,
Be to them a refuge too.
VI. Earthly prospects deceitful.
FT in vain the voice of truth, Solemnly and loudly warns; Thoughtless, unexperienc'd youth, Tho' it hears, the warning fcorns : Youth in fancy's glafs furveys Life prolong'd to diftant years, While the vaft imagin'd space Fill'd with fweets and joys appears. 2 Awful difappointment, foon Overclouds the prospect gay; Some their fun goes down at noon, Torn by death's ftrong hand away : Where are then their pleasing schemes? Where the joys they hop'd to find? Gone for ever, like their dreams, Leaving not a trace behind.
3 Others, who are spar'd awhile, Live to weep o'er fancy's cheat; Find diftrefs, and pain, and toil, Bitter things instead of sweet: Sin has spread a curfe around, Poifon'd all things here below; On this bafe polluted ground, Peace and joy can never grow. I 3
4 Grace alone can cure our ills, Sweeten life with all its cares ; Regulate our ftubborn wills, Save us from furrounding fnares; 'Tho' you oft have heard in vain, Former years in folly spent ; Grace invites you yet again, Once more calls you to repent. Call'd again, at length, beware, Hear the Saviour's voice and live; Left he in his wrath fhould fwear, He no more will warning give: Pray, that you may hear and feel, Ere the day of grace be paft; Left your hearts grow hard as fteel, Or this year fhould prove your last.
HYMNS before annual Sermons to young people, on new-years evenings. VII. Prayer for a bleffing.
NOW, gracious LORD, thine arm reveal, And make thy glory known;
Now let us all thy prefence feel,
And foften hearts of stone !
2 Help us to venture near thy throne, And plead a Saviour's name; For all that we can call our own, Is vanity and shame.
3 From all the guilt of former fin May mercy fet us free;
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