Chapter IX: Miscellaneous (1)

443. C. M. Keble.

Teaching Little Children.

1 O, say not, think not, heavenly notes
To childish ears are vain,--
That the young mind at random floats,
And cannot reach the strain.

2 Was not our Lord a little child,
Taught by degrees to pray,
By father dear and mother mild
Instructed day by day?

3 And loved he not of heaven to talk
With children in his sight,
To meet them in his daily walk,
And to his arms invite?

4 And though some tones be weak and low,
What are all prayers beneath,
But cries of babes, that cannot know
Half the deep thought they breathe?

5 In his own words we Christ adore;
But angels, as we speak,
Higher above our meaning soar
Than we o'er children weak.

6 And yet his words mean more than they,
And yet he owns their praise;
O, think not that he turns away
From infants' simple lays!

444. C. M. Heber.

The Holy Child.

1 By cool Siloam's shady rill
How sweet the lily grows!
How sweet the breath, beneath the hill,
Of Sharon's dewy rose!

2 Lo, such the child whose early feet
The paths of peace have trod;
Whose secret heart, with influence sweet,
Is upward drawn to God!

3 O Thou who giv'st us life and breath,
We seek Thy grace alone,
In childhood, manhood, age, and death,
To keep us still Thine own!

445. C. M. Flint's Coll.

Suffer Little Children to Come unto Me.

1 See Israel's gentle Shepherd stand
With all-engaging charms!
Hark, how he calls the tender lambs,
And folds them in his arms!

2 "Suffer the little ones," he says,
"Forbid them not to come;
Of such is heaven; and souls like these
Shall find in heaven their home."

3 We bring them, Lord, with thankful hands,
And yield them up to Thee;
Joyful that we ourselves are Thine,
Thine let our offspring be!

446. C. M. Briggs' Coll.

Remember Thy Creator in the Days of Thy Youth.

1 Ye joyous ones! upon whose brow
The light of youth is shed,
O'er whose glad path life's early flowers
In glowing beauty spread;
Forget not Him whose love hath poured
Around that golden light,
And tinged those opening buds of hope
With hues so softly bright.

2 Thou tempted one! just entering
Upon enchanted ground,
Ten thousand snares are spread for thee,
Ten thousand foes surround:
A dark and a deceitful band,
Upon thy path they lower;
Trust not thine own unaided strength
To save thee from their power.

3 Thou whose yet bright and joyous eye
May soon be dimmed with tears,
To whom the hours of bitterness
Must come in coming years;
Teach early thy confiding eye
To pierce the cloudy screen,
To look above the storms of life,
Eternally serene.

447. L. M. L. E. Landon.

Feed My Lambs!

1 While yet the youthful spirit bears
The image of its God within,
And uneffaced that beauty wears,
Which may too soon be stained by sin;

2 Then is the time for faith and love
To take in charge their precious care,--
Teach the young heart to look above,
Teach the young lips to speak in prayer.

3 The world will come with care and crime,
And tempt too oft that heart astray;
Still the seed sown in early time
Shall not be wholly cast away.

4 The infant prayer, the infant hymn,
Within the darkened soul will rise,
When age's weary eye is dim,
And the grave's shadow round us lies.

5 The infant hymn is heard again,
The infant prayer is breathed once more;
Reclasping thus the broken chain,
We turn to all we loved before.

448. L. M. Anonymous.

A Child's Prayer.

1 Great God! and wilt Thou condescend
To be my Father and my Friend?
I but a child,--and Thou so high,
The Lord of earth and air and sky!

2 Art Thou my Father?--Let me be
A meek, obedient child to Thee;
And try, in word and deed and thought,
To serve and please Thee as I ought.

3 Art Thou my Father?--I'll depend
Upon the care of such a friend;
And only wish to do and be
Whatever seemeth good to Thee.

4 Art Thou my Father?--Then, at last,
When all my days on earth are past,
Send down, and take me, in Thy love,
To be Thy better child above.

449. C. M. Mrs. Barbauld.

The Christian Pilgrim.

1 Our country is Immanuel's ground;
We seek that promised soil;
The songs of Zion cheer our hearts,
While strangers here we toil.

2 Oft do our eyes with joy o'erflow,
And oft are bathed in tears;
But only heaven our hopes can raise,
And sin alone, our fears.

3 We tread the path our Master trod;
We bear the cross he bore;
And every thorn that wounds our feet
His temples pierced before.

4 The flowers that spring along the road
We scarcely stoop to pluck;
We walk o'er beds of shining ore,
Nor waste one wishful look.

5 We purge our mortal dross away,
Refining as we run;
And while we die to earth and sense,
Our heaven is here begun.

450. C. M. Briggs' Coll.

The Spiritual World.

1 There is a world we have not seen,
That time can ne'er destroy,
Where mortal footstep hath not been,
Nor ear hath heard its joy.

2 There is a world,--and O how blest!
Fairer than prophets told;
And never did an angel guest
One half its peace unfold.

3 And this pure world is ever bright
With radiance all its own;
The streams of uncreated light
Flow round it from the throne.

4 Look not abroad with roving mind
To seek that fair abode;
It comes, where'er the lowly find
The perfect peace of God.

451. C. M. Croswell.

Hymn for Christmas.

1 Now gird your patient loins again,
Your wasting torches trim!
The chief of all the sons of men,
Shall we not welcome him?
Fill all his courts with sacred songs,
And from the temple wall
Wave garlands o'er the joyful throngs
That crowd his festival!

2 And still more freshly in the mind
Store up the hopes sublime
Which then were born for all mankind,
So blessed was the time;
And, underneath these hallowed eaves,
A Saviour will be born
In every heart that him receives,
On his triumphal morn.

452. 7s. M. Grant.

The Garden of Gethsemane.

1 Jesus, while he dwelt below,
As divine historians say,
To a place would often go,
Near to Kedron's brook that lay:
In this place he loved to be,
And 'twas named Gethsemane.

2 'Twas a garden, as we read,
At the foot of Olivet,
Low and proper to be made
The Redeemer's lone retreat:
When from noise he would be free,
Then he sought Gethsemane.

3 Thither, by their Master brought,
His disciples likewise came;
There the heavenly truths he taught
Often set their hearts on flame:
Therefore they, as well as he,
Visited Gethsemane.

4 Oft conversing here they sat;
Or might join with Christ in prayer;
O, what blest devotion that,
When the Lord himself is there!
All things there did so agree
To endear Gethsemane.

5 Full of love to man's lost race,
On the conflict much he thought;
This he knew the destined place,
And he loved the sacred spot:
Therefore Jesus chose to be
Often in Gethsemane.

453. C. M. C. Wesley.

The Communion of Saints.

1 The saints on earth and those above
But one communion make;
Joined to their Lord in bonds of love,
All of His grace partake.

2 One family, we dwell in Him;
One church above, beneath;
Though now divided by the stream,
The narrow stream of death.

3 One army of the living God,
To His command we bow;
Part of the host have crossed the flood
And part are crossing now.

4 O God, be Thou our constant guide!
Then, when the word is given,
Bid Thou death's flood its waves divide,
And land us safe in heaven.

454. C. M. Watts.

Law and Love.

1 Not to the terrors of the Lord,
The tempest, fire, and smoke;
Not to the thunder of that word
Which God on Sinai spoke;--

2 But we are come to Zion's hill,
The city of our God,
Where milder words declare His will,
And spread His love abroad.

3 Behold the great, the glorious host
Of angels, clothed in light!
Behold the spirits of the just,
Whose faith is turned to sight!

4 In such society as this,
My weary soul would rest;
For he who dwells where Jesus is
Must be forever blest.

455. P. M. J. H. Perkins.

Prayer and Labor.

1 By earth hemmed in, by earth oppressed,
'Tis hard to labor,--hard to pray;
And of the week, for prayer and rest,
We've but one Sabbath day.

2 But purer spirits walk above,
Who worship alway; who are blest
With an upspringing might of love
That makes all labor, rest.

3 Father, while here, we would arise
In spirit to that realm; and there
Be every act a sacrifice,
And every thought a prayer!

456. 7 & 6s. M. Anonymous.

Strength From Struggle.

1 Grows dark thy path before thee?
Press on! still undismayed;
Heaven shines resplendent o'er thee,
Though earth be wrapped in shade.

2 And God, thy trust, hath given,
With word from swerving free,
The angels of high heaven
A charge concerning thee.

3 Then though thy feet may falter
Even at early morn,
And from hope's burning altar
The light may be withdrawn,--

4 Yet from thy self-prostration
Thou shalt awake in power;
From tears and lamentation,
To conquest every hour.

5 Strong in thy perfect weakness,
Thy strength shall never fail;
Mighty in holy meekness,
Thine arm shall still prevail.

457. C. M. German.

The Heavenly Guide.

1 When thirst for power or for gold
Hath led our souls astray;
When, blind, by blinder guides we're told,
"Lo, here thou'lt find the way;"

2 Look down, O Father, from above;
Set us from error free;
Teach us to serve Thee here in love,
And find our home in Thee.

3 When faith Thy guidance humbly takes,
And seeks Thy will to do,
Clear light upon our pathway breaks,
The world to guide us through.

4 Thy spirit send, our souls to keep;
Thy wisdom make our own;
And though our way leads through the deep,
We wander not alone.

458. 7 & 6s. M. Anonymous.

Light For All.

1 The light pours down from heaven,
And enters where it may;
The eyes of all earth's children
Are cheered with one bright day.

2 So let the mind's true sunshine
Be spread o'er earth as free,
And fill men's waiting spirits,
As the waters fill the sea.

3 The soul can shed a glory
On every work well done;
As even things most lowly
Are radiant in the sun.

4 Then let each human spirit
Enjoy the vision bright;
The truth which comes from heaven
Shall spread like heaven's own light;

5 Till earth becomes God's temple;
And every human heart
Shall join in one great service,
Each happy in his part.

459. C. M. J. Weiss.

For a Summer Festival.

1 Beneath Thy trees to-day we met,
Amid Thy summer flowers;
And every heart is blessing yet
These happy, fleeting hours.

2 But creeping shades to vespers call,
And timely lore impart,
To make our latest shadows fall
From sunshine in the heart.

3 Yes, even so; the summer leaf,
The summer flowers, declare
Their childlike, chastening belief,
That Thou dost make them fair.

4 O, let us cherish nature's creed,
And live and bloom to Thee;
For only childlike hearts, we read,
Can grace eternity.

460. P. M. Anonymous.

Morning Hymn.

1 Our Father! we thank Thee for sleep,
For quiet and peaceable rest;
We bless the kind care that doth keep
Thy children from being distressed:
O, how in their weakness shall children repay
Thy fatherly kindness, by night and by day?

2 Our voices shall utter Thy praise,
Our hearts shall o'erflow with Thy love;
O, teach us to walk in Thy ways,
And lift us earth's trials above!
The heart's true affection is all we can give;
In love's pure devotion, O, help us to live!

3 So long as Thou seest it right
That here upon earth we should stay,
We pray Thee to guard us by night,
And help us to serve Thee by day;
And when all the days of this life shall be o'er,
Receive us in heaven, to serve Thee the more.

461. L. M. Goethe.

Even-Tide.

1 O'er silent field and lonely lawn
Her dusky mantle night hath drawn;
At twilight's holy, heartfelt hour,
In man his better soul hath power.

2 The passions are at peace within,
And stilled each stormy thought of sin;
The yielding bosom, overawed,
Breathes love to man, and love to God.

462. L. M. Edmeston.

Sabbath Evening.

1 Sweet is the light of Sabbath eve,
And soft the sunbeam lingering there;
Those sacred hours this low earth leave,
Wafted on wings of praise and prayer.

2 The time, how lovely and how still!
Peace shines and smiles on all below;
The plain, the stream, the wood, the hill,
All fair with evening's setting glow!

3 Season of rest! the tranquil soul
Feels thy sweet calm, and melts in love;
And while these sacred moments roll,
Faith sees a smiling heaven above.

4 Thou God of mercy, swift to hear,
More swift than man to tell his need;
Be Thou to us, this evening, near,
And to Thy fount our spirits lead!

463. S. M. Briggs' Coll.

Seasons for Prayer.

1 Come at the morning hour,
Come, let us kneel and pray;
Prayer is the Christian pilgrim's staff
To walk with God all day.

2 At noon, beneath the Rock
Of Ages, rest and pray;
Sweet is that shelter from the sun
In the weary heat of day.

3 At evening, in thy home,
Around its altar, pray;
And finding there the house of God,
With heaven then close the day.

4 When midnight veils our eyes,
O, it is sweet to say,
I sleep, but my heart waketh, Lord,
With Thee to watch and pray.

464. 11s. M. Mrs. Osgood.

Glad Worship.

1 Approach not the altar with gloom in thy soul,
Nor let thy feet falter from terror's control;
God loves not the sadness of fear and mistrust;
O, serve Him with gladness,--the Loving and Just!

2 His bounty is tender, His being is love;
His smile fills with splendor the blue arch above;
Confiding, believing, O, enter always
His courts with thanksgiving, His portals with praise!

3 Come not to His temple with pride in thy mien
But lowly and simple, in courage serene;
Bring meekly before Him the faith of a child,
Bow down and adore Him with heart undefiled!

465. 7s. M. Montgomery.

Praise Ye the Lord.

1 Heralds of creation! cry,--
Praise the Lord, the Lord most high!
Heaven and earth! obey the call;
Praise the Lord, the Lord of all.

2 For He spake, and forth from night
Sprang the universe to light;
He commanded,--nature heard,
And stood fast upon His word.

3 Praise Him, all ye hosts above;
Spirits perfected in love!
Sun and moon! your voices raise;
Sing, ye stars! your Maker's praise.

4 Earth! from all thy depths below,
Ocean's hallelujahs flow;
Lightning, vapor, wind, and storm,
Hail and snow! His will perform.

5 Birds! on wings of rapture soar,
Warble at His temple's door;
Joyful sounds from herds and flocks,
Echo back, ye caves and rocks!

6 High above all height His throne;
Excellent His name alone;
Him let all His works confess!
Him let all His children bless!

466. 8 & 7s. M. Anonymous.

"The Lord Is in His Holy Temple."

1 God is in His holy temple:
Thoughts of earth, be silent now,
While with reverence we assemble,
And before His presence bow.
He is with us now and ever,
When we call upon His name,
Aiding every good endeavor,
Guiding every upward aim.

2 God is in His holy temple;--
In the pure and holy mind;
In the reverent heart and simple;
In the soul from sense refined:
Then let every low emotion
Banished far and silent be!
And our souls, in pure devotion,
Lord, be temples worthy Thee!

467. 10s. M. Dr. Johnson.

God.

1 O Thou whose power o'er moving worlds presides,
Whose voice created, and whose wisdom guides!
On darkling man in pure effulgence shine,
And cheer the clouded mind with light divine!

2 'Tis Thine alone to calm the pious breast
With silent confidence and holy rest;
From Thee, great God! we spring, to Thee we tend,
Path, Motive, Guide, Original, and End!

468. 7s. M. Episcopal Coll.

Thanksgiving Hymn.

1 Praise to God, immortal praise,
For the love that crowns our days!
Bounteous Source of every joy,
Let Thy praise our tongues employ!
All to Thee, our God, we owe,
Source whence all our blessings flow!

2 All the blessings of the fields,
All the stores the garden yields,
Flocks that whiten all the plain,
Yellow sheaves of ripened grain;--
Lord, for these our souls shall raise
Grateful vows and solemn praise!

3 All that spring with bounteous hand
Scatters o'er the smiling land,
All the plenty summer pours,
Autumn's rich, o'erflowing stores;--
Lord, for these our souls shall raise
Grateful vows and solemn praise!

4 Peace, prosperity, and health,
Private bliss and public wealth,
Knowledge, with its gladdening streams,
Pure religion's holier beams;--
Lord, for these our souls shall raise
Grateful vows and solemn praise!

469. 7s. M. Merrick.

The Heavenly Shepherd.

1 Lo, my Shepherd's hand divine!
Want shall never more be mine.
In a pasture fair and large
He shall feed His happy charge,
And my couch with tenderest care
'Midst the springing grass prepare

2 When I faint with summer's heat,
He shall lead my weary feet
To the streams that, still and slow,
Through the verdant meadow flow:
When through devious paths I stray,
He shall teach the better way

3 Though the dreary vale I tread,
By the shades of death o'erspread,
I shall walk from terror free,
While each needed strength I see
By Thy rod and staff supplied;
This my guard, and that my guide.

4 Thou my plenteous board hast spread;
Thou with oil refreshed my head;
Filled by Thee, my cup o'erflows;
For Thy love no limit knows;
And unto my latest end
Thou my footsteps shalt attend.

470. C. M. Episcopal Coll.

Calm Trust.

1 Father, whate'er of earthly bliss
Thy sovereign will denies,
Accepted at Thy throne, let this,
My humble prayer, arise:--

2 Give me a calm and thankful heart,
From every murmur free;
The blessings of Thy grace impart,
And make me live to Thee;--

3 Let the sweet hope that Thou art mine
My life and death attend,
Thy presence through my journey shine,
And bless my journey's end.

471. L. M. *Browne.

The One God.

1 Eternal God! Almighty Cause
Of earth, and seas, and worlds unknown!
All things are subject to Thy laws;
All things depend on Thee alone.

2 Thy glorious being singly stands,
Of all within itself possessed;
By none controlled in Thy commands,
And in Thyself completely blessed.

3 Worship to Thee alone belongs,
Worship to Thee alone we give;
Thine be our hearts, and Thine our songs,
And to Thy glory may we live.

4 O, spread Thy truth through every land,
In every heart Thy love be known;
Subdue the world to Thy command,
And, as Thou art, reign God alone.

472. C. M. Sternhold

"He Bowed the Heavens and Came Down."

1 The Lord descended from above,
And bowed the heavens most high,
And underneath His feet He cast
The darkness of the sky.

2 On cherubim and seraphim
Full royally He rode,
And on the wings of mighty winds
Came flying all abroad.

3 He sat serene upon the floods,
Their fury to restrain;
And He as sovereign Lord and King
For evermore shall reign.

473. L. M. J. Richardson.

One in Christ.

1 From Zion's holy hill there rose
A fount divine, that ever flows;
Heaven's smile is on its waters shed,
By heaven's own dews the fount is fed.

2 That stream of Truth--a silver thread,
Scarce known, save by its fountain-head--
Now onward pours, a mighty flood,
And fills the new-formed world with good.

3 Where'er that living fountain flows,
New life its healing wave bestows,
And man, from sin's corruptions free,
Inspires with its own purity.

4 A spirit, breathed from Zion's hill,
In holy hearts is living still,--
That Comforter from heaven above,
The presence of celestial love.

5 O, may this spirit ever be
Our bond of peace and unity!
Thus shall we teach, as Christ began,
Through love, the brotherhood of man.

474. C. M. *Pierpont.

The Hymn of the Last Supper.

1 The winds are hushed; the peaceful moon
Looks down on Zion's hill;
The city sleeps; 'tis night's calm moon,
And all the streets are still.

2 How soft, how holy, is the light!
And hark! a sweet, low song,
As gently as these dews of night,
Floats on the air along.

3 Affection's wish, devotion's prayer,
Are in that holy strain;
And hope and love and trust are there,
And triumph, won through pain.

4 'Tis Jesus and his faithful few
That soul-deep hymn who pour;--
O Christ! may we the song renew,
And learn to love thee more.

475. C. M. Moore.

Consolation.

1 O Thou who driest the mourner's tear,
How dark this world would be,
If, when deceived and wounded here,
We could not fly to Thee!

2 But Thou wilt heal the broken heart,
Which, like the plants that throw
Their fragrance from the wounded part,
Breathes sweetness out of woe.

3 When joy no longer soothes or cheers,
And e'en the hope that threw
A moment's sparkle o'er our tears
Is dimmed and vanished too;

4 O, who would bear life's stormy doom,
Did not Thy wing of love
Come, brightly wafting through the gloom
Our peace-branch from above?

5 Then sorrow, touched by Thee, grows bright,
With more than rapture's ray;
The darkness shows us worlds of light
We never saw by day.

476. C. M. Keble.

The Elder Scripture.

1 There is a book, who runs may read,
Which heavenly truth imparts;
And all the lore its scholars need,
Pure eyes and loving hearts.

2 The works of God, above, below,
Within us, and around,
Are pages in that book, to show
How God himself is found.

3 The glorious sky, embracing all,
Is like the Father's love;
Wherewith encompassed, great and small
In peace and order move.

4 The dew of heaven is like His grace;
It steals in silence down;
But where it lights, the favored place
By richest fruits is known.

5 Two worlds are ours; 'tis only sin
Forbids us to descry
The mystic heaven and earth within,
Plain as the earth and sky.

6 Thou, who hast given me eyes to see
And love this sight so fair,
Give me a heart to find out Thee,
And read Thee everywhere!

477. 10s. M. Sterling.

Rest.

1 O Thou, the primal fount of life and peace,
Who shedd'st Thy breathing quiet all around,
In me command that pain and conflict cease,
And tune to music every jarring sound.

2 Make Thou in me, O God, through shame and pain,
A heart attuned to Thy celestial calm;
Let not the spirit's pangs be roused in vain,
But heal the wounded breast with soothing balm!

3 So, firm in steadfast hope, in thought secure,
In full accord with all Thy works of joy,
May I be nerved to labors high and pure,
And Thou Thy child to do Thy work employ.

4 In One who walked on earth, a man of woe,
Was holier peace than even this hour inspires;
From him to me let inward quiet flow,
And give the might my failing will requires.

5 So this great universe,--so he, and Thou,
The central source and wondrous bound of things,
May fill my heart with rest as deep as now
To land and sea and air Thy presence brings.

478. P. M. Mrs. Hemans.

The Pilgrim Fathers.

1 The breaking waves dashed high
On a stern and rock-bound coast,
And the woods against a stormy sky
Their giant branches tossed,
And the heavy night hung dark,
The hills and waters o'er,
When a band of exiles moored their bark
On the wild New England shore.

2 Not as the conqueror comes,
They, the true-hearted, came;
Not with the roll of the stirring drums,
And the trumpet that sings of fame.
Not as the flying come,
In silence and in fear;
They shook the depths of the desert's gloom
With their hymns of lofty cheer.

3 Amidst the storm they sang;
And the stars heard, and the sea!
And the sounding aisles of the dim woods rang
To the anthem of the free.
The ocean eagle soared
From his nest by the white wave's foam,
And the rocking pines of the forest roared,--
This was their welcome home!

4 What sought they thus afar?
Bright jewels of the mine?
The wealth of seas, the spoils of war?
They sought a faith's pure shrine!
Ay, call it holy ground,
The soil where first they trod!
They have left unstained, what there they found:
Freedom to worship God.

479. L. P. M. E. B. Barrett.

He Giveth His Beloved Sleep.

Psalm cxxvii. 2.

1 Of all the thoughts of God, that are
Borne in upon our souls afar
Along the Psalmist's music deep,
O, tell me if there any is,
For gift or grace, surpassing this,--
"He giveth His beloved sleep."

2 O earth, so full of dreary noises!
O men, with wailing in your voices!
O delved gold, the wailers' heap!
O strife, O curse, that o'er it fall!
God makes a silence through you all,--
He giveth His beloved sleep.

3 His dews drop mutely on the hill,
His cloud above it saileth still,
Though on its slope men toil and reap;
More softly than the dew is shed,
Or cloud is floated overhead,
He giveth His beloved sleep.

SUPPLEMENT.

480. 6 & 4s. M. Anonymous.

Invocation.

1 Come, Thou almighty King!
Help us Thy name to sing,
Help us to praise!
Father all-glorious,
O'er all victorious,
Come and reign over us,
Ancient of Days!

2 Come, Thou eternal Word,
By heaven and earth adored,
Our prayer attend!
Come and this people bless;
Give to Thy truth success;
Spirit of Holiness,
On us descend!

3 Come, holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear
In this glad hour!
Thou who almighty art,
Rule now in every heart,
Never from us depart,
Spirit of Power!

481. C. M. Orig. Hymns.

The Hour of Prayer.

1 Earth's busy sounds and ceaseless din
Wake not this morning air!
A holy calm should welcome in
This solemn hour of prayer.

2 Now peace, be still, unhallowed care,
And hushed within the breast!
A holy joy should welcome there
This happy day of rest.

3 Each better thought the spirit knows,
This hour, the spirit fill!
And Thou, from whom its being flows,
O, teach it all Thy will!

4 Then shall this day, which God hath blest,
Hallow life's every hour,
And bear us to our better rest,
Eternal, perfect, sure.

482. C. M. Alford.

Sincere Worship.

1 O Thou, who hast Thy servants taught
That not by words alone,
But by the fruits of holiness,
The life of God is shown;

2 While in Thy house of prayer we meet,
And call Thee God and Lord,
Give us a heart to follow Thee,
Obedient to Thy word!

3 When we our voices lift in praise,
Give Thou us grace to bring
An offering of unfeigned thanks,
And with the spirit sing.

4 And in the dangerous path of life
Uphold us as we go;
That with our lips and in our lives
Thy glory we may show.

483. 8 & 7s. M. Anonymous.

Come, Holy Spirit!

1 Holy Spirit, source of gladness,
Shine amid the clouds of night;
O'er our weariness and sadness
Breathe Thy life, and shed Thy light!
Send us Thine illumination,
Banish all our fears at length,
Rest upon this congregation,
Spirit of unfailing Strength!

2 Let that love, which knows no measure,
Now in quickening showers descend,
Bringing us the richest treasure
Man can wish or God can send;
Hear our earnest supplication,
Every struggling heart release,
Rest upon this congregation,
Spirit of eternal Peace!

484. L. M. Mrs. Gilman.

The Day of Rest.

1 We bless Thee for this sacred day,
Thou who hast every blessing given,
Which sends the dreams of earth away,
And yields a glimpse of opening heaven.

2 Rich day of holy, thoughtful rest,
We would improve the calm repose;
And, in God's service truly blest,
Forget the world, its joys and woes.

3 Lord! may Thy truth, upon the heart,
Now fall and dwell as heavenly dew,
And flowers of grace in freshness start
Where once the weeds of error grew.

4 May prayer now lift her sacred wings,
Contented with that aim alone
Which bears her to the King of kings,
And rests her at his sheltering throne.

485. 10 & 6s. M. Anonymous.

The Sabbath.

1 Thou givest Thy Sabbath, Lord; the din is stilled
Of man's unquiet care;
A sacred calm, with Thy deep presence filled,
Breathes through the silent air.

2 O leave us not, through long and darkened hours,
In night of woe and sin,
But shed Thy Sabbath with its radiant powers
Upon the world within.

3 Purge from our hearts the stains so deep and foul,
Of wrath and pride and care;
Send Thine own holy calm upon the soul,
And bid it settle there.

4 Banish this craving self that still has sought
Lord of the soul to be;
Teach us to turn to fellow-men our thought;
Teach us to turn to Thee!

5 Teach us to love Thy creatures great and small
To live as in Thine eye;
Thou who hast freely given Thy love to all;--
Thou who to all art nigh!

486. L. M. Alford.

The Seed of the Word.

1 O Thou, at whose divine command
Good seed is sown in every land,
Thy holy spirit now impart,
And for Thy word prepare each heart!

2 Not 'mid the thorns of worldly thought,
Nor soon by passing plunderers caught,
Nor lacking depth the root to feed,
May we receive Thy spirit's seed;

3 But may it, where Thy sowers toil,
Fall in a good and honest soil;
And springing up from firmest root,
Through patience, bear abundant fruit.

487. L. M. E. H. Chapin.

The Gate of Heaven.

1 Our Father God! not face to face
May mortal sense commune with Thee,
Nor lift the curtains of that place
Where dwells Thy secret Majesty.
Yet whereso'er our spirits bend
In rev'rent faith and humble prayer,
Thy promised blessing will descend,
And we shall find Thy spirit there.

2 Lord! be the spot where now we meet
An open gateway into heaven;
Here may we sit at Jesus' feet,
And feel our deepest sins forgiven.
Here may desponding care look up;
And sorrow lay its burden down,
Or learn, of him, to drink the cup,
To bear the cross, and win the crown.

3 Here may the sick and wandering soul
To truth still blind, to sin a slave,
Find better than Bethesda's pool,
Or than Siloam's healing wave.
And may we learn, while here apart
From the world's passion and its strife;
That Thy true shrine's a loving heart,
And Thy best praise a holy life!

488. P. M. Anonymous.

O Father! Hear.

1 Hear, Father, hear our prayer!
Thou who art pity where sorrow prevaileth,
Thou who art safety when mortal help faileth,
Strength to the feeble and hope to despair,
Hear, Father, hear our prayer!

2 Hear, Father, hear our prayer!
Wandering alone in the land of the stranger,
Be with all travellers in sickness or danger,
Guard Thou their path, guide their feet from the snare:
Hear, Father, hear our prayer!

3 Hear Thou the poor that cry!
Feed Thou the hungry and lighten their sorrow,
Grant them the sunshine of hope for the morrow;
They are Thy children, their trust is on high:
Hear Thou the poor that cry!

4 Dry Thou the mourner's tear!
Heal Thou the wounds of time-hallowed affection;
Grant to the widow and orphan protection;
Be in their trouble a friend ever near;
Dry Thou the mourner's tear!

6 Hear, Father, hear our prayer!
Long hath Thy goodness our footsteps attended;
Be with the pilgrim whose journey is ended:
When at Thy summons for death we prepare,
Hear, Father, hear our prayer!

489. P. M. Bowring.

Prayer of a Lowly Spirit.

1 From the recesses of a lowly spirit,
Our humble prayer ascends; O Father! hear it,
Upsoaring on the wings of awe and meekness;
Forgive its weakness!

2 We see Thy hand; it leads us, it supports us:
We hear Thy voice; it counsels and it courts us:
And then we turn away; and still Thy kindness
Forgives our blindness.

3 O how long-suffering, Lord! but Thou delightest
To win with love the wandering; Thou invitest,
By smiles of mercy, not by frowns or terrors,
Man from his errors.

4 Father and Saviour! plant within each bosom
The seeds of holiness; and bid them blossom
In fragrance and in beauty bright and vernal,
And spring eternal.

5 Then place them in Thine everlasting gardens,
Where angels walk, and seraphs are the wardens;
Where every flower escaped through death's dark portal,
Becomes immortal.

490. L. M. Anonymous.

The Lord's Prayer.

1 Father, adored in worlds above!
Thy glorious name be hallowed still;
Thy kingdom come in truth and love;
And earth, like heaven, obey Thy will.

2 Lord, make our daily wants Thy care;
Forgive the sins which we forsake;
In Thy compassion let us share,
As fellow-men of ours partake.

3 Evils beset us every hour;
Thy kind protection we implore,
Thine is the kingdom, Thine the power,
The glory Thine forever more.

491. C. M. Anonymous.

Hallowed Be Thy Name.

1 Holy and reverend is the name
Of our eternal King;
Thrice holy, Lord! the angels cry;
Thrice holy, let us sing.

2 The deepest reverence of the mind
Pay, O my soul, to God;
Lift with thy hands a holy heart
To His sublime abode.

3 With sacred awe pronounce His name,
Whom words nor thoughts can reach;
A reverent heart shall please Him more
Than the best forms of speech.

4 Thou holy God! preserve my soul
From sinful passion free;
And, pure in heart, may I behold
A God of purity!

492. L. M. Heber.

Give Us Each Day Our Daily Bread.

1 Thy bounteous hand with food can bless
The bleak and barren wilderness,
And Thou hast taught us, Lord, to pray
For daily bread from day to day.

2 And O, when through the wilds we roam
That part us from our heavenly home;
When, lost in danger, want, and woe,
Our faithless tears begin to flow;

3 Do Thou Thy gracious comfort give,
By which alone the soul can live;
And grant Thy children, Lord, we pray,
The bread of life from day to day!

493. 7s. M. Conder.

Deliver Us From Evil.

1 Heavenly Father! to whose eye
Future things unfolded lie;
Through the desert when I stray
Let Thy counsels guide my way.

2 Leave me not, for flesh is frail,
Where fierce trials would assail;
Leave me not in darkened hour,
To withstand the tempter's power.

3 Lord! uphold me day by day;
Shed a light upon my way;
Guide me through perplexing snares;
Care for me in all my cares.

4 Should Thy wisdom, Lord, decree
Trials long and sharp for me,
Pain, or sorrow, care or shame,--
Father! glorify Thy name.

5 Let me neither faint nor fear,
Feeling still that Thou art near;
In the course my Saviour trod,
Tending home to Thee, my God.

494. 7 & 6s. M. Gaskell.

Thine is the Glory Forever.

To Thee, the Lord almighty,
Our noblest praise we give,
Who all things hast created,
And blessest all that live;
Whose goodness, never-failing
Through countless ages gone,
Forever and forever
Shall still keep shining on.

495. H. M. Sandys.

Praise Ye the Lord.

1 All, from the sun's uprise
Unto his setting rays,
Resound in jubilees
The great Creator's praise!
Him serve alone;
In triumph bring
Your gifts, and sing
Before His throne!

2 Man drew from man his birth;
But God his noble frame,
(Built of the ruddy earth,)
Filled with celestial flame.
His sons we are,
By Him are led,
Preserved and fed
With tender care.

3 Then to His portals press
In your divine resorts;
With thanks His power profess,
And praise Him in His courts.
How good! how pure!
His mercies last;
His promise past
Is ever sure.

496. 7s. M. Conder.

O Give Thanks Unto the Lord!

1 O, give thanks to Him who made
Morning light and evening shade;
Source and Giver of all good,
Nightly sleep and daily food:
Quickener of our wearied powers,
Guard of our unconscious hours!

2 O, give thanks to nature's King,
Who made every breathing thing;
His our warm and sentient frame;
His the mind's immortal flame;
O, how close the ties that bind
Spirits to the Eternal Mind!

3 O give thanks with heart and lip,
For we are His workmanship,
And all creatures are His care;
Not a bird that cleaves the air
Falls unnoticed;--but who can
Speak the Father's love to man!

4 O give thanks for him who came,
In a mortal, suffering frame,
Temple of the Deity;--
Came to bear our souls on high;
In the path himself hath trod,
Leading back his saints to God.

497. 7 & 6s. M. Anonymous.

Thanksgiving.

1 Meet and right it is to sing,
In every time and place,
Praises to our heavenly King,
The God of truth and grace.
Join we then in sweet accord,
All in one thanksgiving join;
Holy, holy, holy Lord,
Eternal praise be Thine!

2 Thee, the first-born sons of light,
In choral symphonies,
Praise alway, day without night,
In songs that never cease.
And with them our hearts aspire,
On the wings of faith and love,
Vying with the heavenly choir,
Who chant Thy praise above.

3 Still they sing, with glory crowned,
Thanksgiving to Thy name;
Lower if our voices sound,
Our hymn is still the same;
"Glory be to God on high!"
So the song of angels ran,
And our voices still reply,
"Good-will on earth to man!"

498. 8, 7 & 4s. M. Breviary.

Hallelujah, For the Lord Reigneth.

1 Hallelujah! best and sweetest
Of the hymns of praise above;
Hallelujah! thou repeatest,
Angel-host, these notes of love;
This ye utter,
While your golden harps ye move.

2 Hallelujah! strains of gladness
Comfort not the faint and worn;
Hallelujah! sounds of sadness
Best become the heart forlorn:
Our offences
We with bitter tears must mourn.

3 But our earnest supplication,
Holy God! we raise to Thee;
Visit us with Thy salvation,
Make us all Thy peace to see!
Hallelujah!
Ours at length this strain shall be.

499. 7s. M. Montgomery.

Praise the Lord!

1 All ye nations, praise the Lord;
All ye lands, your voices raise;
Heaven and earth, with loud accord,
Praise the Lord, forever praise.

2 For His truth and mercy stand,
Past, and present, and to be,
Like the years of His right hand,
Like His own eternity.

3 Praise Him, ye who know His love;
Praise Him, from the depths beneath;
Praise Him in the heights above;
Praise your Maker, all that breathe!

500. C. M. Martineau's Coll.

Closing Hymn.

O Thou great Spirit! who along
The waters first did move,
And straight, from warring chaos sprung
Light, harmony and love;
Upon our waiting spirits brood,
Bid all their discord cease,
And breathe upon the troubled soul
Thy last, best gift of peace!

501. L. M. C. Wesley.

The Bread of Life.

1 Father, supply my every need;
Sustain the life Thyself hast given;
Oh! grant the never-failing bread,
The manna that comes down from heaven!

2 The gracious fruits of righteousness,
Thy blessings' unexhausted store,
In me abundantly increase,
Nor ever let me hunger more!

502. 7s. M. Bowring.

The Pilgrim's Prayer.

1 Lead us with Thy gentle sway,
As a willing child is led;
Speed us on our upward way,
As a pilgrim, Lord, is sped,
Who with prayers and helps divine
Seeks a consecrated shrine.

2 Lead us, Father! Thou dost know
All the way; but, wanderers, we
Often miss our way below,
And stretch out our hands to Thee;
Guide us, save us, and prepare
Our appointed mansion there!

503. L. M. Univ. Coll.

Close of Worship.

1 Ere to the world again we go,
Its pleasures, cares, and idle show,
Thy grace once more, O God, we crave,
From folly and from sin to save.

2 May the great truths we here have heard--
The lessons of Thy holy word--
Dwell in our inmost bosoms deep,
And all our souls from error keep.

3 Oh! may the influence of this day
Long as our memory with us stay,
And as an angel guardian prove,
To guide us to our home above.

504. C. M. Anonymous.

Peace Be Unto This House.

1 Lord of the families below!
To Thee our prayers we send;
Do Thou from danger and from woe
This dwelling-place defend.

2 Here let Thy peace, O Father, rest;
Here let Thy love abide!
Our every joy in Thee more blest,
Each sorrow sanctified.

3 May our petitions when we meet,
And every secret prayer,
Come up before Thy mercy-seat,
And find acceptance there.

4 Teach us, with hearts made one in love,
To do Thy pure commands;
And give us, in Thy time, above,
A house not made with hands.

505. 7s. M. C. Wesley.

Brotherly Love.

1 Lord! subdue our selfish will;
Each to each our tempers suit,
By Thy modulating skill,
Heart to heart, as lute to lute.

2 Sweetly on our spirits move;
Gently touch the trembling strings;
Make the harmony of love,
Music for the King of kings!

506. S. M. Anonymous.

The Hour of Prayer.

1 It is the hour of prayer:
Draw near and bend the knee,
And fill the calm and holy air
With voice of melody!
O'erwearied with the heat
And burden of the day,
Now let us rest our wandering feet,
And gather here to pray.

2 The dark and deadly blight
That walks at noontide hour,
The midnight arrow's secret flight,
O'er us have had no power:
But smiles from loving eyes
Have been around our way,
And lips on which a blessing lies
Have bidden us to pray.

3 O, blessed is the hour
That lifts our hearts on high!
Like sunlight when the tempests lower,
Prayer to the soul is nigh;
Though dark may be our lot,
Our eyes be dim with care,
These saddening thoughts shall trouble not
This holy hour of prayer.

507. L. M. Anonymous.

Hymn of a Household.

1 For mercies past we praise Thee, Lord,
The fruits of earth, the hopes of heaven,
Thy helping arm, Thy guiding word,
And answered prayers, and sins forgiven.

2 Whene'er we tread on danger's height,
Or walk temptation's slippery way,
Be still, to lead our steps aright,
Thy word our guide, Thine arm our stay!

3 Be ours Thy blessed presence still;
United hearts, unchanging love;
No thought that contradicts Thy will,
No wish that centres not above!

4 And since we must be parted here,
Support us when the hour shall come;
Dry gently Thou the mourner's tear,
Rejoin us in our heavenly home.

508. C. M. Anonymous.

Family Evening Worship.

1 Now from the altar of our hearts
Let warmest thanks arise;
Assist us, Lord, to offer up
Our evening sacrifice.

2 This day our God has been our sun,
Our keeper and our guide,
His arm around our weakness thrown,
His angels at our side.

3 Moments and mercies multiplied
Have made up all the day;
Moments came fast, but mercies were
More swift and free than they.

4 New hours, new blessings, and new joys,
Do a new song require;
Till we can praise Thee as we should,
Accept our hearts' desire!

509. L. M. S. S. Cutting.

Family Hymn. Evening.

1 Father, we bless the gentle care
That watches o'er us day by day,
That guards us from the tempter's snare,
And guides us in the heavenward way:--
We bless Thee for the tender love
That mingles all our hearts in one,--
The music of the soul;--above
'Tis purer spirits' unison.

2 Father, 'tis evening's solemn hour,
And cast we now our cares on Thee;
Darkly the storm may round us lower,
Peace is within,--Christ makes us free;--
And when life's toil and joy are o'er,
And evening gathers on its sky,
Our circle broke,--we sing no more,--
O, may we meet and sing on high.

510. L. M. Moore.

The Spirit of God Moved Upon the Waters.

1 Like morning, when her early breeze
Breaks up the surface of the seas,
That, in their furrows, dark with night,
Her hand may sow the seeds of light;

2 Thy grace can send its breathings o'er
The spirit, dark and lost before;
And freshening all its depths, prepare
For truth divine to enter there!

3 Till David touched his sacred lyre,
In silence lay the unbreathing wire,
But when he swept its chords along,
E'en angels stooped to hear the song.

4 So sleeps the soul, till Thou, O Lord,
Shall deign to touch its lifeless chord;
Till, waked by Thee, its breath shall rise
In music worthy of the skies.

511. 8, 7 & 4s. M. Anonymous.

Calls of the Spirit.

1 Brother, will you slight the message
Sent in mercy from above?
Every sentence, O how tender,
Every line how full of love!
Heavenly accents
Full of strength and peace and love!

2 Tempted souls, they bring you succor;
Fearful hearts, they quell your fears;
And with deepest consolation
Chase away the falling tears;
Tender heralds,
Blessed he their word who hears!

3 Holy angels, hovering round us!
Waiting spirits! speed your way,
Hasten to the court of heaven,
Tidings bear without delay,
That our spirits
Glad the message will obey.

512. L. M. Anonymous.

In Spiritual Deadness.

1 O Thou, who all things dost control,
Chase this dead slumber from my soul!
With reverent joy, with loving awe,
Give me to keep Thy perfect law.

2 O, let a ray from Thy pure light
Pierce through the gathering shades of night!
Touch my cold breast with heavenly fire,
And holy conquering faith inspire.

3 This deadly slumber when I feel
Afresh upon my spirit steal,
Then, Lord, descend with quickening power,
And wake me, that I sleep no more!

513. L. M. Wesleyan.

Seeking Rest.

1 O Thou, in whom the weary find
Alone their permanent repose;
Send light into my doubting mind,
Relieve my fears, assuage my woes;
O let my soul on Thee be cast,
Till sin's fierce tyranny be past.

2 Far, far from Thee, O God, removed,
Long have I wandered to and fro;
O'er earth in endless circles roved,
Nor found whereon to rest below;
Back unto Thee, at last, I fly:
Save! for the waters still are high.

3 Selfish pursuits and pleasure's maze,
The things of earth, for Thee I leave;
Pat forth Thy hand, Thy hand of grace,
Into the ark of love receive;
Take this poor fluttering soul to rest,
And still it, Father, on Thy breast.

4 Fill with inviolable peace;
'Stablish in faith my restless heart;
In Thee let all my wanderings cease,
From Thee may I no more depart;
Never again from Thee remove,
Loved with an everlasting love!

514. 10s. M. Dr. Tuckerman.

My Heaven in Thee.

1 Father divine, this deadening power control,
Which to the senses binds the immortal soul;
O break this bondage, Lord! I would be free,
And in my soul would find my heaven, in Thee.

2 My heaven in Thee! O God, no other heaven
To the immortal soul can e'er be given;
O, let Thy kingdom now within me come,
And as above, so here, Thy will be done!

3 My heaven in Thee, O Father, let me find--
My heaven in Thee, within a heart resigned;
No more, of heaven and bliss, my soul, despair,
For where my God is found, my heaven is there.

515. S. M. Wesleyan.

Watch and Pray, Lest Ye Enter into Temptation.

1 Father, this slumber shake
From off my heavy soul!
Say to me now,--awake! awake!
And I will make thee whole!

2 Touch with Thy strengthening hand;
Arouse me in this hour;
And make me fully understand
The thunder of Thy power.

3 Give me on Thee to call;
Always to watch and pray,
Lest I into temptation fall,
And cast my shield away.

4 For each assault prepared
And watchful may I be,
Forever standing on my guard,
And looking unto Thee.

516. S. M. C. Wesley.

For Help in Temptation.

1 Thou seest my feebleness;
Father! be Thou my power,
My help and refuge in distress,
My fortress and my tower!

2 Give me to trust in Thee;
Be Thou my sure abode;
My helm and sword and buckler be,
My Saviour and my God!

3 Myself I cannot save,
Myself I cannot keep;
But strength in Thee I surely have,
Whose eyelids never sleep.

4 My soul to Thee alone,
For always, I commend;
Thou lovest me, Father, as Thine own,
And lovest to the end.

517. S. M. C. Wesley.

Aspiration.

1 O come and dwell in me,
Spirit of power within!
And bring Thy glorious liberty
From sorrow, fear and sin.

2 The inward, deep disease,
Spirit of Health, remove!
Spirit of perfect Holiness!
Spirit of perfect Love!

3 Hasten the joyful day
Which shall all sin consume;
When old things shall be done away,
And all things new become!

518. C. M. Wesleyan.

Desires for Holiness.

1 O, for a heart to praise my God,
A heart from sin set free;
A heart that always feels how good,
Thou, Lord, hast been to me.

2 O for an humble, trustful heart,
Believing, true, and clean,
Which neither life nor death can part
From Him who dwells within;--

3 A heart in every thought renewed,
And full of love divine,
Perfect, and right, and pure, and good,
Conformed, O Lord, to Thine.

4 Thy spirit, gracious Lord, impart;
Come quickly from above;
O, write Thy name upon my heart!
Thy name, O God, is love.

519. S. M. Mrs. Hemans.

For Heavenly Thoughts.

1 Come to me, thoughts of heaven!
My fainting spirit bear
On your bright wings, by morning given,
Up to celestial air,
Away, far, far away,
From thoughts by passion given,
Fold me in pure, still, cloudless day,
O blessed thoughts of heaven!

2 Come in my tempted hour,
Sweet thoughts! and yet again
O'er sinful wish and memory, shower
Your soft effacing rain;
Waft me where gales divine
With dark clouds ne'er have striven;
Where living founts forever shine;
O blessed Thoughts of heaven!

520. C. M. Bath Coll.

Prayer for Faith.

1 O, for a faith that will not shrink
Though pressed by every foe,
That will not tremble on the brink
Of any earthly woe!

2 A faith that shines more bright and clear
When tempests rage without;
That when in danger knows no fear,
In darkness feels no doubt;--

3 Lord, give us such a faith as this,
And then, whate'er may come,
We'll taste, e'en here, the hallowed bliss
Of an eternal home.

521. C. M. Montgomery.

Prayer for Submission.

1 One prayer I have,--all prayers in one,
When I am wholly Thine;
Thy will, my God, Thy will be done,
And let that will be mine.

2 All-wise, almighty, and all-good,
In Thee I firmly trust;
Thy ways, unknown or understood,
Are merciful and just.

3 May I remember that to Thee
Whate'er I have I owe;
And back in gratitude from me
May all Thy bounties flow.

4 Thy gifts are only then enjoyed,
When used as talents lent;
Those talents only well employed,
When in Thy service spent.

5 And though Thy wisdom takes away,
Shall I arraign Thy will?
No, let me bless Thy name, and say
"The Lord is gracious still."

6 A pilgrim through the earth I roam,
Of nothing long possessed,
And all must fail when I go home,
For this is not my rest.

522. C. M. C. Wesley.

For the Divine Presence.

1 Speak with us, Lord; Thyself reveal,
While here on earth we rove;
Speak to our hearts, and let us feel
The kindlings of Thy love.

2 With Thee conversing, we forget
All toil and time and care;
Labor is rest, and pain is sweet,
If Thou art present there.

3 Here then, our God, be pleased to stay,
And bid our hearts rejoice;
Our bounding hearts shall own Thy sway,
And echo to Thy voice.

4 Thou callest us to seek Thy face;
Thy face, O God, we seek,
Attend the whispers of Thy grace,
And hear Thee inly speak.

523. C. M. Wesley.