216. c. M.

Supplication of Divine Mercy.

1.

WHEN rising from the bed of death,
O'erwhelm'd with guilt and fear,
I see my Maker face to face,
Oh how shall I appear!

2.

If yet while pardon may be found,
And mercy may be sought,

My heart with inward horror shrinks,
And trembles at the thought,-

3.

When thou, O LORD! shalt stand disclos'd

In majesty severe,
And sit in judgment on my soul,

Oh how shall I appear!

4.

But there's forgiveness, LORD! with thee; Thy nature is benign;

Thy pardoning mercy I implore,

For mercy, LORD! is thine.

5.

Oh let thy boundless mercy shine
On my benighted soul,

Correct my passions, mend my heart,
And all my fears control!

6.

And may I taste thy richer grace

In that decisive hour,

When Christ to judgment shall descend,

And time shall be no more.

217. c. M.

Inconstancy in Religion lamented.

1.

PERPETUAL Source of light and grace!
We praise thy sacred name;
Through every year's revolving round,
Thy goodness is the same.

2.

On us, unworthy as we are,
Its blessings still it pours;

Sure as the heavens' establish'd course,
And plenteous as the showers.

3.

Inconstant service we repay,

And transient vows renew, Fleeting too oft as morning clouds, And like the early dew.

4.

Our former follies, LORD! we mourn,
And now thy grace implore

To guide our often erring steps,
That we may stray no more.

5.

Aided by energy divine,

May we more steadfast prove; And, with determin'd zeal, press on To gain thy courts above.

6.

So by thy power the morning sun
Pursues his radiant way,

Brightens each moment in his course,
And shines to perfect day.

218. L. M.

Preservation from Sin implored.

1.

AMIDST a world of hopes and fears,
A wild of cares and toils and tears,
Where foes alarm, and dangers threat,
And pleasures kill, and glories cheat,-

2.

Shed down, O LORD! a heavenly ray To guide me in the doubtful way; And o'er me hold thy shield of power, To guard me in the dangerous hour.

3.

Teach me the flattering paths to shun, In which the thoughtless many run; Who for a shade the substance miss, And grasp their ruin in their bliss.

4.

Each noble principle impart,

The faith which sanctifies the heart, Hope that to heav'ns high vault aspires, And love that warms with holy fires.

5.

Whate'er is honest, pure, refin'd,
Just, generous, amiable, and kind,
That may my constant zeal pursue,
That may I love and practise too.

6.

May never pleasure, wealth, or pride,
Allure my wandering soul aside;
Nor tempt me from the narrow road,
Which leads to happiness and God.

219. L. M.

The Wise Choice.
1.

BESET with snares on every hand,
In life's uncertain path I stand:
Father divine! diffuse thy light,
To guide my doubtful footsteps right.

2.

Engage this frail and wavering heart,
Wisely to choose the better part;
To scorn the trifles of a day

For joys which never fade away.

3.

Then, though the wildest storms arise,
Though tempests mingle earth and skies,
No fatal shipwreck shall I fear,
But all my treasures with me bear.

4.

If thou, my Father! still be nigh,
Cheerful I live, and joyful die;
Secure, when mortal comforts flee,
To find ten thousand worlds in thee.

220. L. M.

Devout Wishes for Guidance and Success in the Christian Course.

1.

GOD of the morning, at whose voice
The cheerful sun makes haste to rise,
And rob'd in splendour, doth rejoice
To run his journey through the skies!

2.

Oh, like the sun, may we fulfil
The appointed duties of the day;
With steady mind, and active will,
Press on and keep our heavenly way!

3.

But we shall rove, and lose our race,
If God, our Sun, should disappear,
And leave us in the world's wide maze,
To follow every wandering star.

4.

LORD! thy commands are right and pure,
Enlightening our beclouded eyes;
Thy threatenings just, thy promise sure,
Thy gospel makes the simple wise.

5.

Give us thy counsel for our guide,
And then receive us to thy bliss;
May every wish and hope beside,
Be faint and cold compar'd with this!

221. L. M.

Desire of Wisdom and Obedience

1.

TEACH me, oh teach me, LORD! thy way, That to my life's remotest day,

By thy unerring precepts led,

My feet thy heavenly paths may tread.

2.

Inform'd by thee, with sacred awe
My heart shall meditate thy law;
And with celestial wisdom fill'd,
To thee a pure obedience yield.