We never befought him in vain,
When burden'd with forrow or fin,
He help'd us again and again,
Or where, before now, had we been?
3 His gofpel, throughout the long year,
From fabbath to fabbath he gave;
How oft has he met with us here,
And fhewn himself mighty to fave?
His candlestick has been remov'd
From churches once priviledg'd thus ;
But tho' we unworthy have prov'd,
It ftill is continued to us.
4 For fo many mercies receiv'd,
Alas! what returns have we made?
His fpirit we often have griev'd,
And evil for good have repaid:
How well it becomes us to cry,
"Oh, who is a GoD like to thee?
Who paffeft iniquities by,
And plungeft them deep in the fea!"
5 TO JESUS, who fits on the throne,
Our best hallelujahs we bring;
To thee it is owing alone,
That we are permitted to fing:
Affift us, we pray, to lament
The fins of the year that is paft;
And grant that the next may be spent
Far more to thy praise than the latt.
XLII. Another.
ILET hearts and tongues unite
And loud thanksgivings raife;
'Tis duty mingled with delight,
To fing the Saviour's praise.
To him we owe our breath,
He took us from the womb,
Which elfe had fhut us up in death, And prov'd an early tomb.
When on the breast we hung
Our help was in the LORD;
'Twas he first taught our infant tongue To form the lifping word.
When in our blood we lay
He would not let us die,
Because his love had fix'd a day
To bring falvation nigh.
In childhood and in youth
His eye was on us ftill;
Tho' ftrangers to his love and truth,
And prone to cross his will.
And fince his name we knew,
How gracious has he been!
What dangers has he led us thro'
What mercies have we feen!
Now thro' another year
Supported by his care;
We raise our Ebenezer here,
"The LORD has help'd thus far,"
Unable to forefee;
He kindly to prevent our fears,
Yea, LORD, we wish to caft
Our cares upon thy breaft!
Help us to praise thee for the past,
And truft thee for the reft.
ORDINANCES.
XLIII. On opening a place for focial prayers
LORD, our languid fouls infpire,
For here, we truft, thou art!
Send down a coal of heav'nly fire,
To warm each waiting heart.
2. Dear Shepherd of thy people, hear,
Thy prefence now display;
As thou haft giv'n a place for pray'r,
So give us hearts to pray.
3. Shew us fome token of thy love,
Our fainting hope to raise;
And pour thy bleffing from above
That we may render praife.
4 Within thefe walls let holy peace,
And love, and concord dwell;
Here give the troubled confcience ease,
The wounded spirit heal.
5 The feeling heart, the melting eye,
The humbled mind beftow;
And thine upon us from on high,
To make our graces grow!
6 May we in faith receive thy word,
In faith present our pray❜rs,
And, in the presence of our LORD,
Unbofom all our cares.
And may the gofpel's joyful found
Enforc'd by mighty grace,
Awaken many finners round,
To come and fill the place.
ESUS, where'er thy people meet,
There they behold thy mercy-feat;
Where'er they feek thee thou art found,
And ev'ry place is hallow'd ground.
5 For thou, within no walls confin'd,
Inhabiteft the humble mind;
Such ever bring thee, where they come,
And going, take thee to their home.
3 Dear Shepherd of the chofen few!
Thy former mercies here renew;
Here, to our waiting hearts, proclaim
The sweetness of thy faving name.
4 Here may we prove the pow'r of pray'r,
To ftrengthen faith, and fweeten care;
To teach our faint defires to rise,
And bring all heav'n before our eyes.
5 Behold at thy commanding word,
We ftretch the curtain and the cord(a);
Come thou, and fill this wider space,
And blefs us with a large encrease.
LORD, we are few, but thou art near;
Nor fhort thine arm, nor deaf thine ear;
Oh rend the heav'ns, come quickly down, And make a thousand hearts thine own!
XLV. The LORD's day.`
HOW welcome to the faints, when
With fix days noife, and care, and toil,
Is the returning day of rest,
Which hides them from the world awhile? 2 Now, from the throng withdrawn away, They seem to breathe a diff'rent air; Compos'd and foft'ned by the day, All things another afpect wear. 3 How happy if their lot is caft, Where ftatedly the gospel sounds! The word is honey to their tafte, Renews their ftrength, and heals their wounds!
4 Tho' pinch'd with poverty at home,
With sharp afflictions daily fed;
It makes amends, if they can come
To God's own house for heav'nly bread!
5 With joy they haften to the place,
Where they their Saviour oft have met;
And while they feast upon his grace,
Their burdens and their griefs forget.
6 This favour'd lot, my friends is ours,
May we the priviledge improve;
And find these confecrated hours,
Sweet earnefts of the joys above!
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