160

Gratitude.

C. M.

HEN all thy mercies, O my God,
My rising soul surveys,

Transported with the view, I'm lost
In wonder, love, and praise.

20 how can words with equal warmth
The gratitude declare,

That grows within my ravished heart?
But thou canst read it there.

3 To all my weak complaints and cries,
Thy mercy lent an ear,

Ere yet my feeble thoughts had learned,
To form themselves in prayer.

4 When in the slippery paths of youth,
With heedless steps I ran,

Thine arm, unseen, conveyed me safe,
And led me up to man.

5 Through hidden dangers, toils, and deaths, It gently cleared my way;

And through the pleasing snares of vice,
More to be feared than they.

my life

6 Through every period of 1
Thy goodness I'll pursue;
And after death, in distant worlds,
The pleasing theme renew.
7 Through all eternity to thee
A grateful song I'll raise;
But O, eternity's too short
To utter all thy praise.

161

Joseph Addison.

C. M.

Verily, thou art a God that hidest thyself. -Isa. 45: 15.

GLOD

OD moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;

He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

2 Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,

He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.

3 Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take:
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.

4 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

5 His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour:

The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

6 Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain :
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.

162

William Cowper.

L. M.

Crowning God with praise.

INGDOMS and thrones to God belong;

K Crown him, ye nations, in your song:

His wondrous names and powers rehearse; His honors shall enrich your verse.

2 He shakes the heavens with loud alarms; How terrible is God in arms!

In Israel are his mercies known,
Israel is his peculiar throne.

3 Proclaim him King, pronounce him blest; He's your defense, your joy, your rest: When terrors rise and nations faint,

God is the strength of every saint.

Isaac Watts.

163

L. M.

God's presence with his people.
́HEN Israel, of the Lord beloved,
Out from the land of bondage came,
Her fathers' God before her moved,
An awful guide, in smoke and flame.
2 By day, along the astonished lands
The cloudy pillar glided slow;
By night, Arabia's crimsoned sands
Returned the fiery column's glow.
3 Thus present still, though now unseen,
When brightly shines the prosperous day,
Be thoughts of thee a cloudy screen,
To temper the deceitful ray.

4 And 0, when gathers on our path,
In shade and storm, the frequent night,
Be thou, long-suffering, slow to wrath,
A burning and a shining light.

164

The great Procider.

Sir Walter Scott.

L. M.

PEACE, troubled soul, thou need'st not fear;
Thy great Provider still is near;
Who fed thee last, will feed thee still:
Be calm, and sink into his will.

2 The Lord, who built the earth and sky,

In

mercy stoops to hear thy cry;

His promise all may freely claim:

Ask and receive in Jesus' name.

3 Without reserve give Christ your heart; Let him his righteousness impart;

Then all things else he 'll freely give; all things shall receive.

With him you

4 Thus shall the soul be truly blest,
That seeks in God his only rest;
May I that happy person be,
In time and in eternity.

Samuel Ecking.

165

THE

HE tempter to my soul hath said, There is no help in God for thee :” Lord, lift thou up thy servant's head; My glory, shield, and solace be. 2 Thus to the Lord I raised my cry: He heard me from his holy hill; At his command the waves rolled by; He beckoned, and the winds were still. 3 I laid me down and slept,—I woke; Thou, Lord, my spirit didst sustain; Bright from the east the morning broke, Thy comforts rose on me again.

4 I will not fear, though arméd throngs Surround my steps in all their wrath; Salvation to the Lord belongs;

His presence guards his people's path.

James Montgomery.

8, 7, 6.

A MIGHTY fortress is our God,

never failing:

Our Helper he, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe

Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.

2 Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right man on our side,
The man of God's own choosing.

Dost ask who that may be?

Christ Jesus, it is he;

Lord Sabaoth is his name,

From age to age the same,
And he must win the battle.

3 And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us;

We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us.
The Prince of darkness grim-
We tremble not for him;

His rage we can endure,

For lo! his doom is sure,

One little word shall fell him.

4 That word above all earthly powers-
No thanks to them-abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through him who with us sideth.
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also:
The body they may kill:
God's truth abideth still,
His kingdom is forever.

167

Martin Luther. Tr. by F. H. Hedge.

God's messengers of love.

L. M.

THEY come, God's messengers of love,
They come from realms of peace above,
From homes of never-fading light,
From blissful mansions ever bright.

2 They come to watch around us here,
To soothe our sorrow, calm our fear:
Ye heavenly guides, speed not away,
God willeth you with us to stay.

3 But chiefly at its journey's end
'Tis yours the spirit to befriend,
And whisper to the faithful heart,
"O Christian soul, in peace depart."

66

4 Blest Jesus, thou whose groans and tears Have sanctified frail nature's fears, To earth in bitter sorrow weighed, Thou didst not scorn thine angel's aid.