Chapter XVII: Introduction: And Close of Worship (10)

2 From eastern shores, from northern lands,
From western hill and plain,
From southern climes, the brother-bands
May hope to meet again;
It is the hope, the blissful hope,
Which love divine hath given:
The hope, when life and time are o'er,
We all shall meet in heaven.

3 No hope deferred, no parting sigh,
That blessed meeting knows;
There friendship beams from every eye,
And hope immortal grows.
It is the hope, the precious hope,
Which boundless grace hath given:
The hope, when time shall be no more,
We all shall meet in heaven.

732. C. M. W. Ward.

Prayer for the Success of the Gospel.

1 Great God, the nations of the earth
Are by creation thine;
And in thy works, by all beheld,
Thy radiant glories shine.

2 But, Lord, thy greater love has sent
Thy gospel to mankind,
Unveiling what rich stores of grace
Are treasured in thy mind.

3 O, when shall these glad tidings spread
The spacious earth around,
Till every tribe and every soul
Shall hear the joyful sound?

4 Smile, Lord, on each divine attempt
To spread the gospel's rays,
And build on sin's demolished throne
The temples of thy praise.

733. 7s. & 6s. M. Heber.

Missionary Hymn.

1 From Greenland's icy mountains,
From India's coral strand,--
Where Afric's sunny fountains
Roll down their golden sand,--
From many an ancient river,
From many a palmy plain,--
They call us to deliver
Their land from error's chain.

2 What though the spicy breezes
Blow soft o'er Ceylon's isle;
Though every prospect pleases,
And only man is vile;
In vain with lavish kindness
The gifts of God are strown;
The heathen in his blindness
Bows down to wood and stone.

3 Shall we, whose souls are lighted
By wisdom from on high,
Shall we to men benighted
The lamp of life deny?
Salvation! O, salvation!
The joyful sound proclaim,
Till each remotest nation
Has learnt Messiah's name.

734. 7s. M. Pratt's Coll.

The Same.

1 Go! ye messengers of God,
Like the beams of morning, fly;
Take the wonder-working rod,
Wave the Banner-Cross on high!
Where th' lofty minaret
Gleams along the morning skies,
Wave it till the crescent set,
And the "Star of Jacob" rise.

2 Go! to many a tropic isle,
In the bosom of the deep;
Where the skies forever smile,
And th' oppressed forever weep!
O'er the negro's night of care
Pour the living light of heaven;
Chase away the fiend despair,
Bid him hope to be forgiven!

3 When the golden gates of day
Open on the palmy east,
Wide the bleeding cross display,
Spread the gospel's richest feast:
Circumnavigate the ball,
Visit every soil and sea;
Preach the Cross of Christ to all--
Jesus' love is full and free!

735. C. M. S. W. Livermore.

The Western Churches.

1 Our pilgrim brethren dwelling far,--
O God of truth and love,
Light thou their path with thine own star,
Bright beaming from above.

2 Wide as their mighty rivers flow,
Let thine own truth extend;
Where prairies spread and forests grow,
O Lord, thy gospel send.

3 Then will a mighty nation own
A union firm and strong;--
The sceptre of th' eternal throne
Shall rule its councils long.

736. C. P. M. Episcopal Coll.

On Western Missions.

1 When, Lord, to this our western land,
Led by thy providential hand,
Our wandering fathers came,
Their ancient homes, their friends in youth
Sent forth the heralds of thy truth,
To keep them in thy name.

2 Then, through our solitary coast,
The desert features soon were lost;
Thy temples there arose;
Our shores, as culture made them fair,
Were hallowed by thy rites, by prayer,
And blossomed as the rose.

3 And O, may we repay this debt
To regions solitary yet
Within our spreading land!
There brethren, from our common home,
Still westward, like our fathers, roam,
Still guided by thy hand.

4 Father, we own this debt of love;
O, shed thy Spirit from above,
To move each Christian breast,
Till heralds shall thy truth proclaim,
And temples rise, to fix thy name,
Through all our boundless West!

737. L. M. Winchell's Sel.

Missionaries Encouraged.

1 Ye Christian heralds,--go, proclaim
Salvation in Immanuel's name:
To distant climes the tidings bear,
And plant the rose of Sharon there.

2 He'll shield you with a wall of fire,
With holy zeal your hearts inspire,
Bid raging winds their fury cease,
And calm the savage breast to peace.

3 And when our labors all are o'er,
Then shall we meet to part no more,--
Meet, with the ransomed throng to fail,
And crown the Saviour Lord of all.

EARLY RELIGIOUS CULTURE.

738. 7s. M. Campbell's Coll.

Prayer for Children.

1 God of mercy, hear our prayer
For the children thou hast given;
Let them all thy blessings share--
Grace on earth and bliss in heaven.

2 In the morning of their days
May their hearts be drawn to thee;
Let them learn to lisp thy praise
In their earliest infancy.

3 When we see their passions rise,
Sinful habits unsubdued,
Then to thee we lift our eyes,
That their hearts may be renewed.

4 For this mercy, Lord, we cry;
Bend thine ever-gracious ear;
While on thee our souls rely,
Hear our prayer--in mercy hear.

739. C. M. Bp. Heber.

Early Religion.

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 By cool Siloam's shady rill
The lily must decay;
The rose that blooms beneath the hill
Must shortly fade away.

4 And soon, too soon, the wintry hour
Of man's maturer age
Will shake the soul with sorrow's power,
And stormy passion's rage!

5 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!

740. 7s. & 6s. M. S. F. Smith.

"Remember thy Creator."

1 "Remember thy Creator"
While youth's fair spring is bright,
Before thy cares are greater,
Before comes age's night;
While yet the sun shines o'er thee,
While stars the darkness cheer,
While life is all before thee,
Thy great Creator fear.

741. C. M. Watts.

Early Piety.

1 When children give their hearts to God,
'Tis pleasing in his eyes;
A flower, when offered in the bud,
Is no vain sacrifice.

2 It saves us from a thousand snares
To mind religion young;
Grace will preserve our following years,
And make our virtues strong.

3 To thee, Almighty God, to thee
May we our hearts resign;
'Twill please us to look back and see,
That our whole lives were thine.

742. C. M. Gibbons.

The Same.

1 In the soft season of thy youth,
In Nature's smiling bloom,
Ere age arrive, and trembling wait
Its summons to the tomb;

2 Remember thy Creator, God;
For him thy powers employ;
Make him thy fear, thy love, thy hope,
Thy confidence, thy joy.

3 He shall defend and guide thy course
Through life's uncertain sea,
Till thou art landed on the shore
Of blessed eternity.

4 Then seek the Lord betimes, and choose
The path of heavenly truth:
The earth affords no lovelier sight
Than a religious youth.

743. L. M. Landon.

Permanence of Early Religious Impressions.

1 While yet the youthful spirit bears
The image of its God within,
And uneffaced that beauty wears
So soon to be destroyed by sin;--

2 Then is the time for faith and love
To take in charge their precious care,
Teach the young eye to look above,
Teach the young knee to bend in prayer.

3 The world will come with care and crime,
And tempt too many a heart astray;
Still the seed sown in early time
Will 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 Lord, grant our hearts be so inclined,
Thy work to seek, thy will to do;
And while we teach the youthful mind,
Our own be taught thy lessons too.

744. C. M. Watts.

Importance of the Bible to the Young.

1 How shall the young secure their hearts,
And guard their lives, from sin?
Thy word the choicest rules imparts
To keep the conscience clean.

2 'Tis, like the sun, a heavenly light,
That guides us all the day,
And, through the dangers of the night,
A lamp to lead our way.

3 Thy precepts make us truly wise;
We hate the sinner's road:
We hate our own vain thoughts that rise,
But love thy law, O God!

4 Thy word is everlasting truth:
How pure is every page!
That holy book shall guide our youth,
And well support our age.

745. S. M. Anonymous.

Youth and the Spring-time.

1 Sweet is the time of spring,
When nature's charms appear;
The birds with ceaseless pleasure sing,
And hail the opening year:
But sweeter far the spring
Of wisdom and of grace,
When children bless and praise their King,
Who loves the youthful race.

2 Sweet is the dawn of day,
When light just streaks the sky;
When shades and darkness pass away,
And morning's beams are nigh:
But sweeter far the dawn
Of piety in youth;
When doubt and darkness are withdrawn,
Before the light of truth.

3 Sweet is the early dew,
Which gilds the mountain tops,
And decks each plant and flower we view,
With pearly, glittering drops;
But sweeter far the scene
On Zion's holy hill,
When there the dew of youth is seen
Its freshness to distil.

746. C. M. Episcopal Coll.

"Remember thy Creator."

1 In the glad morn of life, when youth
With generous ardor glows,
And shines in all the fairest charms
That beauty can disclose;

2 Deep on thy soul,--before its powers
Are yet by vice enslaved,--
Be thy Creator's lofty name
And character engraved.

3 For soon the shades of grief may cloud
The sunshine of thy days;
And cares and toils, an endless round,
Encompass all thy ways.

4 True wisdom, early sought and gained,
In age will give thee rest;
O then, improve the morn of life,
To make its evening blest!

747. 8s. & 7s. M. R. Streeter.

Children's Prayer.

1 God of mercy and of wisdom,
Hear thy children's lisping cry;
Let thy presence, Lord, be with them,
Teaching lessons from on high.

2 Here, beneath thy wing, we seat us,
Up to heaven for wisdom look;
Lord, in mercy deign to meet us,--
Meet us in thy sacred book.

3 Since thy truth doth gild its pages,
May that truth, Lord, make us free;
On the Rock of endless ages
Let our faith established be.

4 To our faith we'll add the graces,
Virtue, knowledge, patience, love;
When on earth we leave our places,
Raise us all to seats above.

748. 7s. M. Grey.

Sabbath School Hymn.

1 Suppliant, lo! thy children bend,
Father, for thy blessing now;
Thou canst teach us, guide, defend,--
We are weak, almighty thou.

2 With the peace thy word imparts,
Be the taught and teacher blest;
In their lives and on their hearts,
Father, be thy laws imprest.

3 Pour into each longing mind
Light and knowledge from above:
Charity for all mankind--
Trusting faith, enduring love.

749. 8s. & 7s. M. Anonymous.

Opening of the School.

1 We have met in peace together
In this house of God again;
Constant friends have led us hither,
Here to chant the solemn strain,
Here to breathe our adoration,
Here the Saviour's praise to sing:
May the Spirit of salvation
Come with healing in his wing.

2 We have met, and Time is flying;
We shall part, and still his wing,
Sweeping o'er the dead and dying,
Will the changeful seasons bring:
Let us, while our hearts are lightest,
In our fresh and early years,
Turn to Him whose smile is brightest,
And whose grace will calm our fears.

3 He will aid us, should existence
With its sorrows sting the breast;
Gleaming in the onward distance,
Faith will mark the land of rest:
There, 'midst day-beams round him playing,
We our Father's face shall see,
And shall hear him gently saying,
"Little children, come to me."

750. C. M. William Cutter.

Youthful Example.

1 What if the little rain should say,
So small a drop as I
Can ne'er refresh these thirsty fields,
I'll tarry in the sky?

2 What if a shining beam of noon
Should in its fountain stay,
Because its feeble light alone
Cannot create a day?

3 Doth not each rain-drop help to form
The cool, refreshing shower,
And every ray of light to warm
And beautify the flower?

4 Go thou, and strive to do thy share--
One talent,--less than thine,--
Improved with steady zeal and care,
Would gain rewards divine.

751. L. M. Montgomery.

Sabbath School Anniversary.

1 From year to year in love we meet;
From year to year in peace we part;
The tongues of children uttering sweet
The thrilling joy of every heart.

2 But time rolls on; and, year by year,
We change, grow up, or pass away;
Not twice the same assembly here
Have hailed the children's festal day.

3 Death, ere another year, may strike
Some in our number marked to fall:
Be young and old prepared alike;
The warning is to each, to all.

4 Oft broke, our failing ranks renew;
Send teachers, children, in our place,
More humble, docile, faithful, true,
More like thy Son, from race to race.

752. L. M. Anonymous.

For the Close of a Sabbath School.

1 Father, once more let grateful praise
And humble prayer to thee ascend;
Thou Guide and Guardian of our ways,
Our early and our only Friend.

2 Since every day and hour that's gone
Has been with mercy richly crowned,
Mercy, we know, shall still flow on,
Forever sure as time rolls round.

3 Hear then the parting prayers we pour,
And bind our hearts in love alone;
And if we meet on earth no more,
May we at last surround thy throne.

753. 6s. & 4s. M. J. G. Adams.

Sabbath School Anniversary.

1 Creation's sovereign Lord!
Be thy glad name adored
Through earth and sky!
Hear, as in youthful days
To thee we humbly raise
Songs of our grateful praise,
Holy and high!

2 Thanks for thy light so free,
Causing our eyes to see
Thy truth and grace;
Love, that dispels our fear,
Mercy, to sinners dear,
Life, dying souls to cheer,
For all our race.

3 Thanks, that on hearts like ours
Thy loving kindness showers
Knowledge divine;
O let its influence be
Fruitful in works for thee,
Causing in purity
Our lives to shine.

4 Bless this our childhood band,
And let us ever stand
Truthful and strong;
Christians in deed and love,
Such as thou wilt approve,
Till we in worlds above
Thy praise prolong!

754. 7s. & 6s. M. S. S. Choir.

The Same.

1 When, his salvation bringing,
To Zion Jesus came,
The children all stood singing
Hosanna to his name.
Nor did their zeal offend him,
But, as he rode along,
He bade them still attend him,
And smiled to hear their song.

2 And since the Lord retaineth
His love for children still,
Though now as king he reigneth
On Zion's heavenly hill,
We'll flock around his banner,
Who sits upon the throne;
And cry aloud, "Hosanna
To David's royal Son."

3 For should we fail proclaiming
Our great Redeemer's praise,
The stones, our silence shaming,
Might well hosanna raise.
But shall we only render
The tribute of our words?
No! while our hearts are tender,
They, too, shall be the Lord's.

755. 7s. & 6s. M. Boston S. S. H. Book.

Anniversary of Independence.

1 We come with joy and gladness
To breathe our songs of praise,
Nor let one note of sadness
Be mingled in our lays;
For 'tis a hallowed story,
This theme of freedom's birth:
Our fathers' deeds of glory
Are echoed round the earth.

2 The sound is waxing stronger,
And thrones and nations hear--
Proud men shall rule no longer,
For God the Lord is near:
And he will crush oppression,
And raise the humble mind,
And give the earth's possession
Among the good and kind.

3 And then shall sink the mountains
Where pride and power are crowned,
And peace, like gentle fountains,
Shall shed its pureness round.
O God! we would adore thee,
And in thy shadow rest;
Our fathers bowed before thee,
And trusted and were blest.

756. 8s. & 7s. M. Horne.

Autumn Warnings.

1 See the leaves around us falling,
Dry and withered, to the ground;
Thus to thoughtless mortals calling,
In a sad and solemn sound:--

2 "Youth, on length of days presuming,
Who the paths of pleasure tread,--
View us, late in beauty blooming,
Numbered now among the dead.

3 "What though yet no losses grieve you,
Gay with health and many a grace,
Let not cloudless skies deceive you:
Summer gives to autumn place."

4 On the tree of life eternal,
Let our highest hopes be staid:
This alone, forever vernal,
Bears a leaf that shall not fade.

757. C. M. Anonymous.

Death of a Teacher.

1 Farewell, dear friend! a long farewell!
For we shall meet no more
Till we are raised with thee to dwell
On Zion's happy shore.

2 Our friend and brother, lo! is dead!
The cold and lifeless clay
Has made in dust its silent bed,
And there it must decay.

3 Farewell, dear friend, again farewell,--
Soon we shall rise to thee;
And when we meet, no tongue can tell
How great our joys shall be.

4 No more we'll mourn thee, parted friend,
But lift our ardent prayer,
And every thought and effort bend
To rise and join thee there.

758. 12s. & 11s. M. Anonymous.

The Same.

1 Though lost to our sight, we may not deplore thee,
The clear light of faith shall illumine thy road;
All through the dark valley shall angels watch o'er thee,
And guide thee in peace to the home of thy God.

2 Thy heart, while on earth, in his praises delighted,
Thy voice ever spoke of his fatherly love;
And now, by life's shadows no longer benighted,
Thou wilt love him and praise him in heaven above.

3 And there may we meet when life shall be ended,
All tears wiped away, and all errors forgiven,
And there may our prayers together be blended
In the sweet song of praise to our Master in heaven.

759. L. M. S. S. Choir.

Death of a Scholar.

1 We come our Sabbath hymn to raise,
Our earnest, humble prayer to pour;
One voice is hushed, its notes of praise
Shall mingle here with ours no more.

2 The lips are still, the eye is dim,
That brightly beamed with joy and love;
The spirit, it hath gone to Him
Who freely gave it from above.

3 We will not weep, for Jesus said,
"Let little children to me come;"
But pray that our young hearts be led
To seek our everlasting home.

760. C. M. Boston S. S. H. Book.

The Same.

1 Death has been here, and borne away
A brother from our side:
Just in the morning of his day,
As young as we he died.

2 We cannot tell who next may fall
Beneath thy chastening rod;
One must be first, but let us all
Prepare to meet our God.

3 May each attend with willing feet
The means of knowledge here;
And wait around thy mercy seat,
With hope as well as fear.

4 Lord, to thy wisdom and thy care
May we resign our days;
Content to live and serve thee here,
Or die and sing thy praise.

761. 8s. & 7s. M. R. C. Waterston.

On the Death of a Female Scholar.

1 One sweet flower has drooped and faded,
One sweet infant's voice has fled,
One fair brow the grave has shaded,
One dear school-mate now is dead.

2 But we feel no thought of sadness,
For our friend is happy now;
She has knelt in soul-felt gladness,
Where the blessed angels bow.

3 She has gone to heaven before us,
But she turns and waves her hand,
Pointing to the glories o'er us,
In that happy spirit-land.

4 God, our Father, watch above us,
Keep us all from danger free;
Do thou guard, and guide, and love us,
Till like her we go to thee.

762. C. M. Anonymous.

A Child's Prayer.

1 Lord, teach a little child to pray,
And, O, accept my prayer;
Thou canst hear all the words I say,
For thou art everywhere.

2 A little sparrow cannot fall
Unnoticed, Lord, by thee;
And though I am so young and small,
Thou dost take care of me.

3 Teach me to do whate'er is right,
And, when I sin, forgive;
And make it still my chief delight
To serve thee while I live.

763. L. M. S. S. H. Book.

God--Our Father.

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 every 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.

PHILANTHROPIC SUBJECTS.

764. 7s. M. J. Taylor.

Acceptable Offering.

1 Father of our feeble race,
Wise, beneficent, and kind!
Spread o'er nature's ample face,
Flows thy goodness unconfined.
Musing in the silent grove,
Or the busy walks of men,
Still we trace thy wondrous love,
Claiming large returns again.

2 Lord, what offering shall we bring,
At thine altars when we bow?
Hearts, the pure unsullied spring
Whence the kind affections flow;
Soft compassion's feeling soul,
By the melting eye expressed;
Sympathy, at whose control
Sorrow leaves the wounded breast;

3 Willing hands to lead the blind,
Bind the wounded, feed the poor;
Love, embracing all our kind;
Charity, with liberal store:--
Teach us, O thou heavenly King,
Thus to show our grateful mind,
Thus the accepted offering bring,
Love to thee and all mankind.

765. C. M. Watts.

Kindness to the Poor.

1 How blest is he who fears the Lord,
And follows his commands,
Who lends the poor without reward,
Or gives with liberal hands.

2 As pity dwells within his breast
To all the sons of need,
So God shall answer his request
With blessings on his seed.

3 In times of danger and distress,
Some beams of light shall shine,
To show the world his righteousness,
And give him peace divine.

4 His works of piety and love
Remain before the Lord;
Sweet peace on earth, and joys above,
Shall be his sure reward.

766. C. M. H. Martineau.

All Men are equal.

1 All men are equal in their birth,
Heirs of the earth and skies;
All men are equal when that earth
Fades from their dying eyes.

2 God meets the throngs who pay their vows
In courts that hands have made,
And hears the worshipper who bows
Beneath the plantain shade.

3 'Tis man alone who difference sees,
And speaks of high and low,
And worships those, and tramples these,
While the same path they go.

4 O, let man hasten to restore
To all their rights of love;
In power and wealth exult no more;
In wisdom lowly move.

5 Ye great, renounce your earth-born pride,
Ye low, your shame and fear:
Live, as ye worship, side by side;
Your brotherhood revere.

767. C. M. Lutheran Coll.

Charity.

1 Go to the pillow of disease,
Where night gives no repose,
And on the cheek where sickness preys,
Bid health to plant the rose.

2 Go where the friendless stranger lies;
To perish is his doom:
Snatch from the grave his closing eyes.
And bring his blessing home.

3 Thus what our Heavenly Father gave
Shall we as freely give;
Thus copy him who lived to save,
And died that we might live.

768. C. M. Mrs. Barbauld.

"Ye are the Salt of the Earth."

1 Salt of the earth! ye virtuous few
Who season human kind;
Light of the world! whose cheering ray
Illumes the realms of mind.

2 Where misery spreads her deepest shade
Your strong compassion glows;
From your blest lips the balm proceeds
That softens human woes.

3 Yours is the large expansive thought,
The high heroic deed;
Exile and chains to you are dear,
To you 'tis sweet to bleed.

4 Proceed! your race of glory run,
Your virtuous toils endure;
You come commissioned from on high,
And your reward is sure.

769. L. M. Watts.

All Things vain without Love.

1 Had I the tongues of Greeks and Jews,
And nobler speech than angels use,
If love be absent, I am found
Like tinkling brass, an empty sound.

2 Were I inspired to preach and tell
All that is done in heaven and hell;
Or could my faith the world remove,
Still I am nothing without love.

3 Should I distribute all my store
To feed the cravings of the poor;
Or give my body to the flame
To gain a martyr's glorious name;

4 If love to God and love to men
Be absent, all my hopes are vain:
Nor tongues, nor gifts, nor fiery zeal,
The works of love can e'er fulfil.

770. C. M. Mrs. Sigourney.

The Sower and the Seed.

1 All hail! ye servants of the Lord!
On mercy's mission bound;
Who, like the sower of the word,
Strew precious gifts around.

2 What though your seed 'mid thorns be sown,
Where tares and brambles thrive,
Still One is able, One alone,
To save its germ alive.

3 Ye fear, what falls on stony earth
Will mock your prayerful toil;
But sometimes plants of holiest birth
Bear fruit in sterile soil.

4 The seed that by the way-side fell,
Perchance you counted dead;
Yet birds, that sing in heaven, may tell,
They on its sweetness fed.

5 And some a hundred fold shall bear,
To glorify the Lord;
How blessed, then, will be your care!
How glorious your reward!

771. 8s. & 7s. M. Hastings.

The Sower and his Sheaves.

1 He, that goeth forth with weeping,
Bearing still the precious seed,
Never tiring, never sleeping,
Soon shall see his toil succeed:
Showers of rain will fall from heaven,
Then the cheering sun will shine,
So shall plenteous fruit be given,
Through an influence all divine.

2 Sow thy seed, be never weary,
Let not fear thy mind employ;
Though the prospect be most dreary,
Thou may'st reap the fruits of joy:
Lo! the scene of verdure bright'ning,
See the rising grain appear;
Look again! the fields are whit'ning,
Harvest-time is surely near.

772. S. M. Montgomery.

Active Effort to do Good.

1 Sow in the morn thy seed;
At eve hold not thy hand;
To doubt and fear give thou no heed;
Broadcast it o'er the land;--

2 And duly shall appear,
In verdure, beauty, strength,
The tender blade, the stalk, the ear,
And the full corn at length.

3 Thou canst not toil in vain;
Cold, heat, and moist, and dry,
Shall foster and mature the grain
For garners in the sky.

773. L. M. Drummond.

Faith without Works is Dead.

1 As body when the soul has fled,
As barren trees, decayed and dead,
Is faith; a hopeless, lifeless thing,
If not of righteous deeds the spring.

2 One cup of healing oil and wine,
One tear-drop shed on mercy's shrine,
Is thrice more grateful, Lord, to thee,
Than lifted eye or bended knee.

774. C. P. M. Blacklock.

Christian Beneficence.

1 Hail, love divine! joys ever new,
While thy kind dictates we pursue,
Our souls delighted share,
Too high for sordid minds to know,
Who on themselves alone bestow
Their wishes and their care.

2 By thee inspired, the generous breast,
In blessing others only blest,
With kindness large and free,
Delights the widow's tears to stay,
To teach the blind their smoothest way,
And aid the feeble knee.

3 O God, with sympathetic care,
In others' joys and griefs to share,
Do thou our hearts incline;
Each low, each selfish wish control,
Warm with benevolence the soul,
And make us wholly thine.

775. C. M. Watts.

Liberality Rewarded. Ps. 112.

1 Happy is he that fears the Lord,
And follows his commands;
Who lends the poor without reward,
Or gives with liberal hands.

2 As pity dwells within his breast
To all the sons of need,
So God shall answer his request
With blessings on his seed.

3 No evil tidings shall surprise
His well-established mind;
His soul to God, his refuge, flies,
And leaves his fears behind.

4 In times of general distress,
Some beams of light shall shine
To show the world his righteousness,
And give him peace divine.

776. C. M. Watts.

Love and Charity.

1 Let Pharisees of high esteem
Their faith and zeal declare,--
All their religion is a dream,
If love be wanting there.

2 Love suffers long with patient eye,
Nor is provoked in haste;
She lets the present injury die,
And long forgets the past.

3 Malice and rage, those fires of hell,
She quenches with her tongue;
Hopes and believes, and thinks no ill,
Though she endures the wrong.

4 Love is the grace that keeps her power
In all the realms above;
There faith and hope are known no more,
But saints forever love.

777. L. M. E. H. Chapin.

Anniversary of a Charitable Association.

1 When long the soul had slept in chains,
And man to man was stern and cold;
When love and worship were but strains
That swept the gifted chords of old--
By shady mount and peaceful lake,
meek and lowly stranger came,
The weary drank the words he spake,
The poor and feeble blessed his name.

2 No shrine he reared in porch or grove,
No vested priests around him stood--
He went about to teach, and prove
The lofty work of doing good.
Said he, to those who with him trod,
"Would ye be my disciples? Then
Evince your ardent love for God
By the kind deeds ye do for men."

3 He went where frenzy held its rule,
Where sickness breathed its spell of pain;
By famed Bethesda's mystic pool;
And by the darkened gate of Nain.
He soothed the mourner's troubled breast,
He raised the contrite, sinner's head,
And on the loved ones' lowly rest,
The light of better life he shed.

4 Father, the spirit Jesus knew,
We humbly ask of thee to-night,
That we may be disciples too
Of him whose way was love and light.
Bright be the places where we tread
Amid earth's suffering and its poor,
Till we shall come where tears are shed
And broken sighs are heard no more.

778. C. M. W. Croswell.

Imitation of Christ's Kindness.

1 Lord, lead the way the Saviour went
By lane and cell obscure,
And let our treasures still be spent,
Like his, upon the poor.

2 Like him, through scenes of deep distress,
Who bore the world's sad weight,
We, in their gloomy loneliness,
Would seek the desolate.

3 For thou hast placed us side by side
In this wide world of ill;
And that thy followers may be tried,
The poor are with us still.

4 Small are the offerings we can make;
Yet thou hast taught us, Lord,
If given for the Saviour's sake,
They lose not their reward.

779. C. M. Peabody.

For a Charitable Occasion.

1 Who is thy neighbor? he whom thou
Hast power to aid or bless;
Whose aching heart or burning brow
Thy soothing hand may press.

2 Thy neighbor? 'tis the fainting poor,
Whose eye with want is dim;
O enter thou his humble door,
With aid and peace for him.

3 Thy neighbor? he who drinks the cup
When sorrow drowns the brim;
With words of high sustaining hope,
Go thou and comfort him.

4 Thy neighbor? 'tis the weary slave,
Fettered in mind and limb;
He hath no hope this side the grave;
Go thou, and ransom him.

5 Thy neighbor? pass no mourner by;
Perhaps thou canst redeem
A breaking heart from misery;
Go, share thy lot with him.

780. L. M. Pratt's Coll.

The Blessedness of considering the Poor. Ps. 41:1-3.

1 Blest who with generous pity glows,
Who learns to feel another's woes;
Bows to the poor man's wants his ear,
And wipes the helpless orphan's tear!
In every want, in every woe,
Himself thy pity, Lord, shall know.

2 Thy love his life shall guard, thy hand
Give to his lot the chosen land;
Nor leave him, in the troubled day,
To unrelenting foes a prey.
In sickness thou shall raise his head,
And make with tenderest care his bed.

781. L. M. J. G. Adams.

For a Charitable Meeting.

1 God of the poor! whose listening ear
Is sought by want's imploring cry,--
Whose bounty and whose grace are near,
Thy needy children to supply:--

2 To whom with more acceptance rise
The words of mercy's voice divine,
Than pompous rites, or sacrifice
Of flocks and herds, of oil and wine.

3 Where'er the poor our aid demand,
Teach us with ready steps to move,
Give us the zealous heart and hand
To do the work of Christian love;--

4 The downcast spirit to revive,
The fainting heart with joy to bless;
To bid the solitary live--
The widow and the fatherless.

5 Thus will we thank thee that thy grace
Inclined our feet in paths to go
Where shines that brightness of thy face,
Which the obedient only know.

782. L. M. Ch. Psalmody.

Care of Widows and Orphans.

1 Thou God of hope, to thee we bow;
Thou art our refuge in distress;
The husband of the widow thou,
The father of the fatherless.

2 The poor are thy peculiar care;
To them thy promises are sure:
Thy gifts the poor in spirit share;
O, may we always thus be poor.

3 May we thy law of love fulfil,
To bear each other's burdens here,
Endure and do thy righteous will,
And walk in all thy faith and fear.

4 Thou God of hope, to thee we bow;
Thou art our refuge in distress;
The husband of the widow thou,
The father of the fatherless.

783. L. M. Pratt's Coll.

For a Charitable Occasion.

1 Help us, O Lord! thy yoke to wear,
Delighting in thy perfect will;
Each other's burdens learn to bear,
And thus thy law of love fulfil.

2 Who sparingly his seed bestows,
He sparingly shall also reap;
But whoso plentifully sows,
The plenteous sheaves his hands shall heap.

3 Teach us, with glad and cheerful hearts,
As thou hast blessed our various store,
From our abundance to impart
A liberal portion to the poor.

4 To thee our all devoted be,
In whom we breathe, and move, and live:
Freely we have received from thee;
Freely may we rejoice to give.

784. 7s. & 6s. M. J. G. Adams.

The Same.

1 How blest, amid all blessing
This changing world bestows,
That soul in truth possessing
Pity for others' woes;
Ready to move and lighten
The load affliction bears--
Want's face with joy to brighten,
In deed, as with its prayers.

2 Thus Christ, the Friend and Servant
Of man, depressed and poor--
With ready soul and fervent--
With patience to endure--
Lived, labored without measure
In mercy's holy name,
God's will his highest pleasure,
Our good his only fame.

3 And those who in his spirit
Would seek to live and move,
His virtue must inherit,
And labor in his love;
Labor where poor, forsaken,
And lowly, sufferers lie;
In faith and hope unshaken;
Celestial ministry!

4 God of all times and stations!
Teach us this lesson true,--
Proclaim it to all nations
In life and power anew,--
That high above all praises--
All prayers--is that unfeigned,
Glad offering Mercy raises,
By living deeds sustained!

785. C. M. Boden.

Kindness to the Afflicted.

1 What shall we render, bounteous Lord,
For all the grace we see?
The goodness feeble man can yield
Extendeth not to thee.

2 To scenes of woe, to beds of pain,
We'll cheerfully repair,
And, with the gifts thy hand bestows,
Relieve the sufferers there.

3 The widow's heart shall sing for joy;
The orphan shall be glad;
And hungering souls we'll gladly point
To Christ, the living bread.

4 Thus what our heavenly Father gave
Shall we as freely give;
Thus copy him who lived to save,
And died that we might live.

786. L. M. Miss Woodman.

Prayer for a Beneficent Spirit.

1 God guard the poor! We may not see
The deepest sorrows of the soul;
These are laid open, Lord, to thee,
And subject to thy wise control.

2 Make us thy messengers to shed
Within the home of want and woe,
The blessings of thy bounty, spread
So freely on thy world below.

3 Let us go forth with joyful hand
To strengthen, comfort and relieve;
Then in thy presence may we stand,
And hope thy blessing to receive.

787. L. M. Montgomery.

For a Public Hospital or Asylum.

1 When, like a stranger on our sphere,
The lowly Jesus wandered here,
Where'er he went, affliction fled.
And sickness reared her fainting head.

2 Demoniac madness, dark and wild,
In his inspiring presence smiled;
The storm of horror ceased to roll,
And reason lightened through the soul.

3 Through paths of loving-kindness led,
Where Jesus triumphed, we would tread;
To all, with willing hands, dispense
The crumbs of our benevolence.

4 Here the whole family of woe
Shall friends, and home, and comfort know;
The blasted form and shipwrecked mind
Shall here a tranquil haven find.

5 And Thou, dread Power, whose sovereign breath
Is health or sickness, life or death,
This favored mansion deign to bless;
The cause is thine--send thou success!

788. L. M. Mrs. Nichols.

Anniversary of an Orphan Asylum.

1 Our Father! we may lisp that name,
When lowly at thy feet we bow;
Thy little children lightly blame,
For thou'rt our only parent now!

2 We are a stricken, humble band,
With hearts that thrill to words of love,
And cling confiding to the hand
That points us to a home above.

3 Though 'mong the lowly of the earth,
Contented with our homely fare,
How cheerful was the orphan's hearth
Before cold Death had entered there

4 No mother's voice soothes us to rest--
No father's smile our vision greets:
Yet we've a home in every breast
That with a tender feeling beats.

5 And thou hast raised us many a friend,
Not bound by ties of kindred blood;
Then let our hearts in prayer ascend
To thee, our Father--Saviour--God!

789. L. M. Mrs. Sigourney.

For a Temperance Anniversary.

1 We praise thee, if one rescued soul,
While the past year prolonged its flight,
Turned, shuddering, from the poisonous bowl,
To health, and liberty, and light.

2 We praise thee, if one clouded home,
Where broken hearts despairing pined,
Beheld the sire and husband come
Erect and in his perfect mind.

3 No more a weeping wife to mock,
Till all her hopes in anguish end;
No more the trembling child to shock,
And sink the father in the fiend.

4 Still give us grace, almighty King!
Unwavering at our posts to stand,
Till grateful to thy shrine we bring
The tribute of a ransomed land.

790. S. M. M. W. Hale.

The Same.

1 Praise for the glorious light,
Which crowns this joyous day;
Whose beams dispel the shades of night,
And wake our grateful lay!

2 Praise for the mighty band,
Redeemed from error's chain,
Whose echoing voices, through our land,
Join our triumphant strain!

3 Ours is no conquest gained
Upon the tented field;
Nor hath the flowing life-blood stained
The victor's helm and shield.

4 But the strong might of love,
And truth's all-pleading voice,
As angels bending from above,
Have made our hearts rejoice.

5 Lord! upward to thy throne
Th' imploring voice we raise;
The might, the strength, are thine alone!
Thine be our loftiest praise.

791. L. M. Anonymous.

Temperance Hymn.

1 God of our fathers, 'tis thy hand
Hath turned the tide of death away,
That rolled in madness o'er the land,
And filled thy people with dismay.

2 Thy voice awaked us from our dream:
Thy spirit taught our hearts to feel;
'Twas thy own light, whose radiant beam
Came down our duty to reveal.

3 Almighty Parent, still in thee
Our spirits trust for strength divine;
Gird us with heaven's own energy,
And o'er our paths let wisdom shine.

4 The work of man's destruction stay;
The tide of fire still backward press;
Drive each delusive mist away,
And every humble effort bless.

792. 7s. M. P. H. Sweetser.

The Same.

1 Hark! the voice of choral song
Floats upon the breeze along,
Chanting clear, in solemn lays,--
"Man redeemed--to God the praise!"

2 Angels, strike the golden lyre!
Mortals, catch the heavenly fire!
Thousands ransomed from the grave,
Millions yet our pledge shall save!

3 Save from sin's destructive breath,
Save from sorrow, shame and death--
From intemperance and strife,
Save the husband, children, wife!

4 Courage! let no heart despair--
Mighty is the truth we bear!
Forward then, baptized in love,
Led by wisdom from above!

793. L. M. Sargent.

The Same.

1 Slavery and death the cup contains;
Dash to the earth the poisoned bowl!
Softer than silk are iron chains
Compared with those that chafe the soul.

2 Hosannas, Lord, to thee we sing,
Whose power the giant fiend obeys.
What countless thousands tribute bring,
For happier homes and brighter days!

3 Thou wilt not break the bruised reed,
Nor leave the broken heart unbound:
The wife regains a husband freed!
The orphan clasps a father found!

4 Spare, Lord, the thoughtless; guide the blind,
Till man no more shall deem it just
To live, by forging chains to bind
His weaker brother in the dust.

794. 8s. & 7s. M. Pierpont.

Morning Hymn for Family Worship.

1 Pillows, wet with tears of anguish,
Couches, pressed in sleepless woe,
Where the sons of Belial languish,
Father, may we never know!

2 For, the maddening cup shall never
To our thirsting lips be pressed,
But, our draft shall be, forever,
The cold water thou hast blessed.

3 This shall give us strength to labor,
This, make all our stores increase;
This, with thee and with our neighbor,
Bind us in the bonds of peace.

4 For the lake, the well, the river,
Water-brook and crystal spring,
Do we now, to thee, the Giver,
Thanks, our daily tribute, bring.

795. L. M. Logan.

God's Blessing Implored on the Temperance Cause.

1 For all who love thee and thy cause,
O Lord, thy blessing we implore;
Who fear thy name, obey thy laws,
From this to earth's remotest shore.

2 O grant, that, freed from low desire,
And filled with joy, and love, and fear,
Each breast may glow with holy fire,
While seeking heaven, to serve thee here.

3 Pity, O God, the heedless wretch,
Who staggers to a dreadful grave;
Thy arm of love around him stretch,
And show that thou art strong to save.

4 Breathe upon those who scorn our cause,
Thy cause, O Lord, for thou hast blest;
Show them he honors most thy laws
Who loves his God and neighbor best.

796. L. M. Mrs. Sigourney.

The Upas Tree.

1 There sprang a tree of deadly name:
Its poisonous breath, its baleful dew
Scorched the green earth like lava-flame,
And every plant of mercy slew.

2 From clime to clime its branches spread
Their fearful fruits of sin and woe;
The prince of darkness loved its shade,
And toiled its fiery seeds to sow.

3 Faith poured her prayer at midnight hour;
The hand of zeal at noon-day wrought;
An armor of celestial power
The children of the cross besought.

4 Behold the axe its pride doth wound;
Through its cleft boughs the sun doth shine;
Its blasted blossoms strew the ground:
Give glory to the arm divine.

5 And still Jehovah's aid implore,
From isle to isle, from sea to sea,
From peopled earth's remotest shore,
To root that deadly Upas Tree.

797. 7s. & 6s. M. J. G. Adams.

Dedication of a Temperance Hall.

1 'Mid homes and shrines forsaken
Of joy and peace divine,
Faint hearts new strength have taken,
A light is seen to shine!
Its beaming revelations
Are shed in mercy far;
A guide to all the nations--
The glorious Temperance star!

2 Hushed be that wail of sadness,
Life, life has come again;
Awake the song of gladness,
Swell high the choral strain!
The lost returns from straying
In sin's destructive way;
That curse is turned to praying,
That night to blissful day!

3 God of this day! Our Father!
In humble praise to thee,
Within these walls we gather--
The spared, the blest, the free;
To hail thy grace far-sounding--
Our Temple dedicate
To hope and life abounding
In Man regenerate!

4 Rest thou within it ever,
As o'er the ark of old;
And here, O may we never
In our great strife wax cold.
Nerve every arm and spirit
For each successful blow,
Till Temperance shall inherit
All temples here below!

798. 6s. & 4s. M. Pierpont.

Prayer for the Abolition of Slavery.

1 With thy pure dews and rains,
Wash out, O God! the stains
From Afric's shore;
And while her palm trees bud,
Let not her children's blood,
With her broad Niger's flood,
Be mingled more.

2 Quench, righteous God! the thirst,
That Congo's sons hath cursed--
The thirst for gold;
Shall not thy thunders speak,
Where Mammon's altars reek,
Where maids and matrons shriek,
Bound, bleeding, sold?

3 Hear'st thou, O God! those chains,
That clank on Freedom's plains,
By Christians wrought?
Those who these chains have worn,
Christians from home have torn,
Christians have hither borne,
Christians have bought!

4 Lord! wilt thou not, at last,
From thine own image cast
Away all cords,
Save those of love, which brings
Man, from his long wand'rings,
Back--to the King of kings,--
The Lord of lords?

799. L. M. Mrs. Chapman.

For Faithfulness in the Cause of Human Freedom.

1 O God of freedom! hear us pray
For steadfast hearts to toil as one;
Till thy pure law hath boundless sway--
Thy will in heaven and earth be done.

2 A piercing voice of grief and wrong
Goes upward from the groaning earth;
Most true and holy Lord! how long?--
In majesty and might come forth.

3 Yet, Lord! remembering mercy too,
Behold th' oppressor in his sin;
Make all his actions just and true,
Renew his wayward heart within.

800. L. M. Anonymous.

Prayer for Zeal and Love.

1 O Lord! whose forming hand one blood
To all the tribes and nations gave,
And giv'st to all their daily food,
Look down in pity on the slave!

2 Fetters and chains and stripes remove,
Deliv'rance to the captives give;
And pour the tide of light and love
Upon their souls, and bid them live.

3 Oh! kindle in our hearts a flame
Of zeal, thy holy will to do;
And bid each one, who loves thy name,
Love all his bleeding brethren too.

4 Through all thy temples, let the stain
Of prejudice each bosom flee;
And, hand in hand, let Afric's train,
With Europe's children, worship thee.

801. 8s. & 7s. M. Mrs. Livermore.

Prayer for the Slave.

1 Father, who of old descended
From thy throne above the sky,
And thine Israel's rights defended,
Hear the bondman's anguished cry!

2 Hear how Ethiopia crieth,
Kneeling on the blood-stained sod;
And how sable Afric' sigheth,
Lifting up her hands to God!

3 From the grasp of strong oppression,
From the tyrant's rusting chain,
And from slavery's deep depression,
With its life-long hours of pain;

4 From our country's wide savannas,
Let the cry come up to thee,
Let the prayers become hosannas--
Father, set thy children free!

802. 7s. M. Mrs. Follen.

That God Would hear the Cries of the Slave.

1 Lord! deliver; thou canst save;
Save from evil, Mighty God!
Hear--oh! hear the kneeling slave,
Break--oh! break th' oppressor's rod.

2 May the captive's pleading fill
All the earth, and all the sky;
Every other voice be still,
While he pleads with God on high.

3 He, whose ear is everywhere,
Who doth silent sorrow see,
Will regard the captive's prayer,
Will from bondage set him free.

4 From the tyranny within,
Save thy children, Lord! we pray;
Chains of iron, chains of sin,
Cast forever, cast away.

5 Love to man, and love to God,
Are the weapons of our war;
These can break the oppressor's rod--
Burst the bonds that we abhor.

803. L. M. J. G. Whittier.

For a Liberty Meeting on the Fourth of July.

1 O Thou! whose presence went before
Our fathers in their weary way,
As with thy chosen moved of yore
The fire by night--the cloud by day!

2 When, from each temple of the free,
A nation's song ascends to heaven,
Most Holy Father! unto thee,
May not our humble prayer be given,--

3 For those to whom this day can bring,
Not, as to us, the joyful thrill;--
For those, who, under freedom's wing,
Are bound in slavery's fetters still:--

4 And grant, O Father! that the time
Of Earth's deliverance may be near,
When every land, and tongue, and clime,
The message of thy love shall hear.

5 When smitten, as with fire from heaven,
The captive's chain shall sink in dust,
And to his fettered soul be given
The glorious freedom of the just.

804. L. M. Miss Weston.

"'Tis good to be merciful."

1 'Tis good to weep and mourn for those,
Crushed down by Slavery's iron hand,
And feel, while numbering o'er their woes,
Strength for the just and true to stand.

2 'Tis good and true to say to those,
Who claim a right in human kind,
"Mercy and Justice are your foes,
And they shall certain triumph find."

3 'Tis good--'tis blessed, to say to all,
"Arise, to help the wretched slave,
Upon your God for courage call,
And in his strength go forth and save."

4 Lord! this is what we seek to do;
Grant us thy grace to do it well;
Help us thy glory to pursue,
And of thy promises to tell.

805. P. M. H. Ware, Jr.

The Progress of Freedom.

1 Oppression shall not always reign;
There comes a brighter day;
When freedom, burst from every chain,
Shall have triumphant way.
Then right shall over might prevail,
And truth, like hero armed in mail,
The hosts of tyrant wrong assail,
And hold eternal sway.

2 What voice shall bid the progress stay
Of truth's victorious car?
What arm arrest the growing day,
Or quench the solar star?
What reckless soul, though stout and strong,
Shall dare bring back the ancient wrong,
Oppression's guilty night prolong,
And freedom's morning bar?

3 The hour of triumph comes apace,
The fated, promised hour,
When earth upon a ransomed race
Her bounteous gifts shall shower.
Ring, Liberty, thy glorious bell!
Bid high thy sacred banner swell!
Let trump on trump the triumph tell
Of Heaven's redeeming power.

806. 6s. & 10s. M. Milton, Gardner, and Dwight.

Peace.

1 No war nor battle's sound
Was heard the earth around,--
No hostile chiefs to furious combat ran;
But peaceful was the night
In which the Prince of Light
His reign of peace upon the earth began.

2 No conqueror's sword he bore,
Nor warlike armor wore,
Nor haughty passions roused to contest wild;
In peace and love he came,
And gentle was the reign,
Which o'er the earth he spread by influence mild.

3 Unwilling kings obeyed,
And sheathed the battle blade,
And called their bloody legions from the field;
In silent awe they wait,
And close the warrior's gate,
Nor know to whom their homage thus they yield.

4 The peaceful conqueror goes,
And triumphs o'er his foes,
His weapons drawn from armories above;
Behold the vanquished sit
Submissive at his feet,
And strife and hate are changed to peace and love.

807. 6s. & 4s. M. E. Davis.

For an Anniversary Meeting of the Friends of Peace.

1 Not with the flashing steel--
Not with the cannon's peal,
Or stir of drum,
But in the bonds of love;
Our white flag floats above,
Her emblem is the dove,
'Tis thus we come.

2 The laws of Christian light,
These are our weapons bright,
Our mighty shield;
Christ is our leader high,
And the broad plains which lie
Beneath the blesséd sky,
Our battle field.

3 On, then, in God's great name,
Let each pure spirit's flame
Burn bright and clear:
Stand firmly in your lot,
Cry ye aloud, "Doubt not,"
Be every fear forgot,
Christ leads us here.