622

0

Peace, love, and unity.

LORD, another day has flown,
And we, a lowly band,

C. M.

Are met once more before thy throne,
To bless thy fost'ring hand.

2 Thy heavenly grace to each impart;
All evil far remove;

And shed abroad in every heart
Thine everlasting love.

3 Our souls, obedient to thy sway,
In Christian bonds unite:

Let peace and love conclude the day,
And hail the morning light.

4 Thus chasten'd, cleansed, entirely thine, A flock by Jesus led,

The sun of holiness shall shine

In glory on our head.

5 And thou wilt turn our wand'ring feet, And thou wilt bless our way,

Till worlds shall fade, and faith shall greet The dawn of endless day.

To thee our thankful hearts we raise,
And humbly, gladly hymn thy praise,
Preserver, God!

2 Thy gentle hand hath smooth'd our way; Fed and sustain'd us day by day;

In thee we move:

O may thy mercies, Lord, inspire
Our hearts with gratitude, and fire
Our souls with love,

624

Habitual devotion.

C. M.

WHILE

HILE thee I seek, protecting Power,
Be my vain wishes still'd;

And may this consecrated hour

With better hopes be fill'd.

2 Thy love the power of thought bestow'd;

To thee my thoughts would soar:

Thy mercy o'er my life has flow'd;
That mercy I adore.

3 In each event of life, how clear
Thy ruling hand I see;

Each blessing to my soul most dear,
Because conferr'd by thee.

4 In every joy that crowns my days,
In every pain I bear,

My heart shall find delight in praise,
Or seek relief in prayer.

5 When gladness wings my favour'd hour,
Thy love my thoughts shall fill;
Resign'd, when storms of sorrow lower,
My soul shall meet thy will.

6 My lifted eye, without a tear,
The gath'ring storm shall see:

My steadfast heart shall know no fear;
That heart will rest on thee.

625

Infinite indebtedness.

L. M.

GRE

REAT God, let all our tuneful powers T Awake, and sing thy mighty Name: Thy hand revolves the circling hours

Thy hand, from whence our being came. 2 Seasons and moons, still rolling round In beauteous order, speak thy praise; And years, with smiling mercy crown'd, To thee successive honours raise.

3 Our life, and health, and friends, we owe
All to thy vast, unbounded love;
Ten thousand precious gifts below,
And hope of nobler joys above.

4 Thus may we sing till nature cease,—
Till sense and language are no more;
And, after death, thy boundless grace
Through everlasting years adore.

626

I

4th P. M. 886, 886.

For the head of a family.

AND my house will serve the Lord:
But first, obedient to his word
I must myself appear;

By actions, words, and tempers, show
That I my heavenly Master know,
And serve with heart sincere.

2 I must the fair example set;
From those that on my pleasure wait
The stumbling-block remove;
Their duty by my life explain,
And still in all my works maintain
The dignity of love.

3 Easy to be entreated, mild,
Quickly appeased and reconciled,
A foll'wer of my God:
A saint indeed I long to be,
And lead my faithful family

In the celestial road.

4 Lord, if thou didst the wish infuse, A vessel fitted for thy use

Into thy hands receive:

Work in me both to will and do;

And show them how believers true,

And real Christians, live.

627

S. M.

Household consecration.

THE power to bless my house,
Belongs to God alone;

Yet rend'ring him my constant vows,
He sends his blessings down.
2 Shall I not then engage

My house to serve the Lord,-
To search the soul-converting page,
And feed upon his word:-
3 To ask, with faith and hope,
The grace which he supplies,
In prayer and praise to offer up
Their daily sacrifice ?

4 Let each his sin eschew,

Through thy restraining grace; Our father Abrah'm's steps pursue, And walk in all thy ways.

5 Saviour of men, incline

The hearts which thou hast made,Which thou hast bought with blood divine, To ask thy promised aid.

6 Me and my house receive,
Thy fam❜ly to increase;
And let us in thy favour live,
And let us die in peace.

628

Commencing the labours of the day.

FORTH in thy name, O Lord, I

My daily labours to pursue;

L. M.

go,

Thee, only thee, resolved to know,
In all I think, or speak, or do.
2 Thee will I set at my right hand,

Whose eyes mine inmost substance see;

And labour on at thy command,

And offer all my works to thee.

3 Give me to bear thy easy yoke,
And every moment watch and pray;
And still to things eternal look,

And hasten to thy glorious day :—

4 For thee delightfully employ

Whate'er thy bounteous grace has given; And run my course with even joy, And closely walk with thee to heaven.

629

C

1st P. M. 6 lines 8s.

For a blessing on the children.
APTAIN of our salvation, take
The souls we here present to thee,
And fit for thy great service make
These heirs of immortality:
And let them in thine image rise,
And then transplant to paradise.

2 Unspotted from the world, and pure,
Preserve them for thy glorious cause,
Accustom'd daily to endure

The welcome burden of thy cross;
Inured to toil and patient pain,
Till all thy perfect mind they gain.

3 Our sons henceforth be wholly thine, And serve and love thee all their days; Infuse the principle divine

In all who here expect thy grace; Let each improve the grace bestow'd; Rise every child a man of God.

4 Train up thy hardy soldiers, Lord, In all their Captain's steps to tread; Or send them to proclaim thy word,

Thy gospel through the world to spread; Freely as they receive to give,

And preach the death by which we live!