1064.

C. H. M.

JANE TAYLOR.

What is your Life?

1 O, WHAT is life?-'tis like a flower
That blossoms and is gone;

It flourishes its little hour,
With all its beauty on:

Death comes, and, like a wintry day,
It cuts the lovely flower away.

2 O, what is life?-'tis like the bow
That glistens in the sky:

We love to see its colors glow;
But while we look, they die:
Life fails as soon:-to-day 'tis here;
To-morrow it may disappear.

3 Lord, what is life?—if spent with thee,
In humble praise and prayer,

How long or short our life may be,
We feel no anxious care:

Though life depart, our joys shall last
When life and all its joys are past.

MEETING AND PARTING.

1065.

7s.

Parting of Christians.

1 FOR a season called to part,
Let us now ourselves commend
To the gracious eye and heart
Of our ever-present Friend.

2 Jesus, hear our humble prayer:
Tender Shepherd of thy sheep,
Let thy mercy and thy care

All our souls in safety keep.

3 In thy strength may we be strong;
Sweeten every cross and pain;
And our wasting lives prolong,
Till we meet on earth again.

NEWTON.

1066. 8s & 7s.

[Peculiar.1

PARTING GIFT.

Hope of Meeting.

1 WHEN forced to part from those we love,
Though sure to meet to-morrow,
We still a painful anguish prove,
We feel a pang of sorrow.

2 But who can e'er describe the tears
We shed when thus we sever,

If doomed to part for months, for years, -
To part, perhaps, forever?

3 Yet, if our aims are fixed aright,
A sacred hope is given,

Though here our prospects end in night,
We'll meet again in heaven.

4 Then let us form those bonds above
Which time can ne'er dissever,
Since, parting in a Saviour's love,
We part to meet forever.

Hope of Reunion above.

1 WHEN floating on life's troubled sea,
By storms and tempests driven,
Hope, with her radiant finger, points
To brighter scenes in heaven.

2 She bids the storms of life to cease,
The troubled breast be calm;

And in the wounded heart she pours
Religion's healing balm.

ANON.

3 Her hallowed influence cheers life's hours
Of sadness and of gloom;

She guides us through this vale of tears,
To joys beyond the tomb.

4 And when our fleeting days are o'er,
And life's last hour draws near,
With still unwearied wing she hastes
To wipe the falling tear.

5 She bids the anguished heart rejoice:
Though earthly ties are riven,
We still may hope to meet again
In yonder peaceful heaven.

Christian Fellowship.

1 BLEST be the tie that binds
Our hearts in Christian love;
The fellowship of kindred minds
Is like to that above.

2 Before our Father's throne

FAWCETT.

We pour our ardent prayers;
Our fears, our hopes, our aims are one,
Our comforts and our cares.

3 We share our mutual woes,
Our mutual burdens bear;
And often for each other flows
The sympathizing tear.

4 When we asunder part,
It gives us inward pain;
But we shall still be joined in heart,
And hope to meet again.

5 This glorious hope revives

Our courage by the way;
While each in expectation lives,
And longs to see the day.

6 From sorrow, toil, and pain,
And sin, we shall be free,

And perfect love and friendship reign
Through all eternity.

Gratitude for Preservation.

1 COME, let us strike our harps afresh
To great Jehovah's name;

Sweet be the accents of our tongues
When we his love proclaim.

2 'Twas by his bidding we were called
In pain awhile to part;

"Tis by his care we meet again,
And gladness fills our heart.

3 Blest be the hand that has preserved
Our feet from every snare,

And blest the goodness of the Lord,
Which to this hour we share.

REED.

4 O, may the Spirit's quickening power
Now sanctify our joy,

And warm our zeal in works of love
Our talents to employ.

5 Fast, fast our minutes fly away;
Soon shall our wanderings cease;
Then with our Father we shall dwell,
A family of peace.

1070.

6s & 5s. [Peculiar.] SEL. HYMNS. Reunion in Heaven.

1 WHEN shall we meet again?

Meet ne'er to sever?

When will Peace wreath her chain
Round us forever?

Our hearts will ne'er repose

Safe from each blast that blows

In this dark vale of woes
Never-no, never!

2 When shall love freely flow
Pure as life's river?

When shall sweet friendship glow
Changeless forever?

Where joys celestial thrill,

Where bliss each heart shall fill,
And fears of parting chill

Never-no, never!

3 Up to that world of light
Take us, dear Saviour;
May we all there unite,
Happy forever:

Where kindred spirits dwell,
There may our music swell,
And time our joys dispel

Never-no, never!

4 Soon shall we meet again -
Meet ne'er to sever;

Soon will Peace wreath her chain

Round us forever:

Our hearts will then repose

Secure from worldly woes;

Our songs of praise shall close
Never-no, never!

1071.

DEATH.

L. M.

Men die, but the Saviour lives.

WATTS.

1 IT is the Lord our Saviour's hand
Impairs our strength amid the race;
Disease and death, at his command,
Arrest us, and cut short our days.

2 Spare, gracious Lord, O, spare, we pray,
Nor let our sun go down at noon:
Thy years are one eternal day;

And must thy children die so soon? 3 Yet, in the midst of death and grief, This thought our sorrows shall assuage"Our Father and our Saviour lives; Thou art the same through every age." 4 Before thy face thy church shall live, And on thy throne thy children reign; This fading world shall they survive, And rise to glorious life again.

1072.

L. M.

Death disarmed.

WATTS.

1 WHY should we start, and fear to die? What timorous worms we mortals are! Death is the gate of endless joy,

And yet we dread to enter there.

2 The pains, the groans, and dying strife,
Fright our approaching souls away;
Still we shrink back again to life,
Fond of our prison and our clay.

3 O, if my Lord would come and meet,

My soul should stretch her wings in haste,
Fly, fearless, through death's iron gate,
Nor feel the terrors as she passed.

4 Jesus can make a dying bed

Feel soft as downy pillows are,
While on his breast I lean my head,
And breathe my life out sweetly there.