And lo! we see the vast reward,
Which waits us in the skies!

5 O let our hearts and mind
Continually ascend;

That heaven of repose to find,
Where all our labours end!

6 Where all our toils are o'er,
Our suff'rings and our pain;
Who meet on that eternal shore
Shall never part again.

7 O happy, happy place,

Where saints and angels meet;
There we shall see each other's face,
And all our brethren greet.

8 To gather home his own,

God shall his angels send,

And bid our bliss, on earth begun,
In deathless triumphs end.

650.

C. M.

At parting.

1 LORD, when together here we meet,
And taste thy heav'nly grace;
Thy smiles are so divinely sweet,
We're loath to leave the place.

2 But, Father, since it is thy will
That we must part again;
Oh, may thy special presence still
With ev'ry one remain.

3 And let us all in Christ be one,
Bound with the cords of love;
before thy glorious throne,
Shall joyful meet above.

Till

we,

4 All sin and sorrow from each heart,

Shall then for ever fly;

Nor shall a thought that we must part,
Once interrupt our joy.

651.

1 FOR

P. M.

The same.

a season call'd to part,
Let us now ourselves commend
To the gracious eye and heart
Of our ever-present Friend.

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:
Give us, if we live, ere long
In thy peace to meet again.

Then if thou thy help afford,
Ebenezers shall be rear'd;
And our souls shall praise the Lord
Who our poor petitions heard.

652.

1

8. FOR THE YOUNG AND THE OLD.

(451.) C. M. Advantages of religion in youth. HAPPY is he, whose early years

Receive instruction well;

Who hates the sinner's path, and fears
The road that leads to hell.

2 'Tis easier work, if we begin
To serve the Lord betimes;
While sinners, who grow old in sin,
Are harden'd by their crimes.

8 It saves us from a thousand snares,
To mind religion young:
With joy it crowns succeeding years,
And makes our virtue strong.

To thee, almighty God! to thee
Our hearts we now resign:

Twill please us, to look back and see,
That our whole lives were thine!

5 Let the sweet work of pray'r and praiso
Employ our daily breath:

Thus we're prepar'd for future days,
Or fit for early death.

653.

1

(452.)

L. M.

A call to the young.

NOW, in the heat of youthful blood,
Remember your Creator, God:

Behold, the months come hast'ning on,
When you shall say, "my joys are gone.'
God from on high beholds your thoughts;
His book records your secret faults:
The works of darkness men have done
Must all appear before the sun.

3 Behold the aged sinner goes,
Laden with guilt and heavy woes,
Down to the regions of the dead,
With bitt'rest curses on his head.
4 The dust returns to dust again;
The soul, in agonies of pain,
Ascends to God, not there to dwell,
But hears her doom, and sinks to hell,
5 God of the young! turn off their eyes,
From earth's alluring vanities;

And let the warnings of thy word
Awake their souls to fear the Lord!

654.

1

L. M.

Prayer for the children of the Church, DEAR Saviour, if these lambs should stray, From thy secure enclosure's bound; And, lur'd by worldly joys away, Among the thoughtless crowd be found; 2 Remember still that they are thine, That thy dear sacred name they bear, Think that the seal of love divine,The sign of cov'nant grace they wear. $ In all their erring, sinful years, Oh, let tnem ne'er forgotten be;

Remember all the pray'rs and tears,
Which made them consecrate to thee.

4 And when these lips no more can pray,
These eyes can weep for them no more,
Turn thou their feet from folly's way,
The wand'rers to thy fold restore.

(233.) S. M.

655. Evil effects of neglected education. BEHOLD, O Israel's God!

1

From thine exalted throne,

And view the dang'rous state of those
Thou call'st to be thy own.

The children of thy flock,
By early cov❜nant thine,

See how they pour their bleeding souls
On ev'ry idol's shrine!

3 To indolence and pride

What piteous victims made!
Crush'd in their parents' fond embrace,
And by their love betray'd.

By pleasure's polish'd dart

What numbers here are slain!
What numbers there for slaughter bound
In Mammon's golden chain!

5 O let thine arm awake

And dash the idols down:

O call the captives of their pow'r
Thy treasure and thy crown.

6 Thee let the fathers own,

And thee the sons adore;

Join'd to the Lord by solemn vows,
To be forgot no more!

C. M.

656. Qld Age. Isaiah xlvi. 4. MY flying years, time urges on;

1

What's mortal must decay;

My friends-my youth's companions gone,
Can I expect to stay?

2 Can 1 exemption plead, when death
Projects his awful dart'

Can med'cine then prolong my breath?
Or virtue shield my heart?

3 Oh! no-then smooth, O Lord, the hour;
On thee my hope depends:
Support me with almighty pow'r,
While dust to dust descends.

4 Then shall my soul, O gracious God!
(While angels guard the way,)
With rapture haste to thine abode,
To dwell in endless day.

5 Thro' heaven, howe'er remote the bound,
Thy love I'll then proclaim:

And join the choir of saints that sound
Their great Redeemer's name.

657.

S. PARENTS AND CHILDREN.

C. M.

Parents' Prayer for their Children. O that Ishmael might live before thee.-Gen. xvii. 18. 1 THUS did the pious Abrah'm pray

For his beloved son:

Let parents in the present day
His language make their own.

2 Tho' they with God in cov❜nant be,
And have their heav'n in view;
They are unhappy till they see
Their children happy too.

3 They warn, indulge, correct, beseech,
While tears in torrents flow;

And 'tis beyond the pow'r of speechTM
To tell the griefs they know.