Thou know'st this will-how frail,
Thou know'st, though language fail,
My soul's mysterious tale,-

"Plead Thou my cause!"

WARING.

And does the Lord require my prayer,
To tell Him what the mercies are
Which evermore I want?

My every need the Saviour knows,
Yet ere His hand relief bestows,
He bids me ask the grant.
And shall I then my cry restrain?
No-let me ask, and ask again,

And though He tarry, wait.
Wisdom and love alike demand
This little offering at my hand,
For benefits so great.

The soul that loves Thy throne of grace,
And is familiar there,

In praise and lowly prayer,
Knows every feature of Thy face:
Nor when Thy judgment-seat shall rise,
In clouded majesty,

And heav'n and earth shall flee,

As blighted leaves across the skies,
Shall tremble at the dread assize.

EAST.

My Saviour, in that awful day,
Thy smile my soul shall cheer,
And calm my ev'ry fear;

For what shall then inspire dismay?
My Advocate shall fill the throne,
Himself the sentence give,

And bid me ever live,

And, 'midst the world's expiring groan,
My name amongst His saints will own.

EAST.

And dost Thou say, Ask what thou wilt?
Lord, I would sieze the golden hour;

I

pray

to be released from guilt, And freed from sin and Satan's power.

More of Thy presence, Lord, impart,
More of Thine image let me bear;
Erect Thy throne within my heart,
And reign without a rival there.

Give me to read my pardon sealed,
And from Thy joy to draw my strength;
To have Thy boundless love revealed
In all its height, and breadth, and length.

Grant these requests,-I ask no more,
But to Thy care the rest resign;
Sick or in health, or rich or poor,
All shall be well if Thou art mine.

Oft hast Thou, Lord, in tender love,
Prevented my request,

And sent Thy Spirit from above,
An unexpected guest;

Oft when my prayer was scarce begun,
Thou didst Thy grace impart,
And make Thy pardoning mercy known,
And seal it on my heart.

Why this profusion of Thy grace

On such a worm as me? Father, I ask, in fix'd amaze, Explain the mystery.

How canst Thou to a sinner's cry

Incline Thy pitying ear?

Thou hear'st mine Advocate on high,
And wilt for ever hear.

WESLEY.

In heav'n above, on earth below,

Where, save to Thee, Lord, could I go?
Where could I take my heart's despair?
Where could I pour its fervent prayer?
Where could I whisper all my fears,
And shew my anguish and my tears?
Where fly for strength 'mid mortal strife?

Thou hast the words of endless life!

"THOUGHTS OF PEACE."

XXII. MEDITATION AND SELF-EXAMINATION.

THUS saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your ways.-HAG. i. 7.

Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.PROV. iv. 23.

Examine yourselves whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves.2 COR. xiii. 5.

Gen. xxiv. 63-Deut. iv. 9, 39-xi. 16, 18-Josh. i. 8-1 Sam. vii. 3-xii. 24-2 Chron. xii. 14-xix. 3-Job xi. 13, 14—xxii. 21-xxxi. 4-xxxiv. 26, 27—Psalm i. 2—iv. 4—v. 1—viii. 3, 4— xix. 12, 14-xxvi. 2—xxxix. 1, 3-xlix 3—lxiii. 5, 6—lxiv. 9lxxiii. 28-lxxvii. 5, 6, 10-12-xc. 12-xciv. 19-civ. 34-cvii. 43-cxix. 9, 15, 23, 48, 52, 55, 59, 78, 95, 99, 148-cxxxix. 17, 18 cxliii. 5-Prov. iv. 23, 26-xiv. 15—xvi. 1, 3, 17-xxii. 5-xxiii. 19-Eccles. v. 2—vii. 13, 14—ix. 1–xii. 1—Cant. iii. 1—v. 2Isaiah i. 3-v. 12-xxvi. 9-xli. 20-lvii. 1-lxiv. 5-Lam. iii. 19-22, 40, 41-Ezek. xviii. 28-xx. 43-Hos. vii. 2—Jon. ii. 7— Hag. i. 7.

Matt. vii. 3-xxvi. 41-Luke ii. 19-xv. 17-xxi. 34, 361 Cor. x. 12-xi. 28, 31-2 Cor. xiii. 5-Gal. vi. 1, 3, 4-Eph. v. 15-Phil. iv. 8-Col. iii. 2-1 Tim. iv. 15-Heb. xii. 31 John iii. 20, 21-Rev. iii. 2, 3.

Far from the world, O Lord, I flee,
From strife and tumult far;

From scenes where Satan wages still
His unsuccessful war.

The calm retreat, the silent shade,
With praise and prayer agree;
And seem by Thy sweet bounty made
For those who follow Thee.

There, if Thy Spirit touch the soul,
And grace her mean abode,

Ah! with what peace, and joy, and love,
She communes with her God!

There, like a nightingale, she pours

Her solitary lays;

Nor asks a witness of her song,

Nor thirsts for human praise.

Author and Guardian of my life,
Sweet source of light divine;
And (all harmonious names in one)

My Saviour, Thou art mine!

What thanks I owe Thee, and what love,

A boundless, endless store

Shall echo through the realms above,

When time shall be no more.

CowPER.

'Tis evening-'tis the gentle hour
Of balmy peace and blessed rest,
When twilight, with its soothing pow'r,

Sinks sweetly in my troubled breast,