Chapter XVIII: Introduction: And Close of Worship (11)

4 So shall Earth's distant lands
In happy, holy bands,
One brotherhood,
Together rise and sing,
And joyful offerings bring,
And Heaven's Eternal King
Pronounce it _good_.

808. C. M. Gibbons.

Prayer for Universal Peace.

1 Lord, send thy word, and let it run,
Armed with thy Spirit's power;
Ten thousand shall confess its sway,
And bless the saving hour.

2 Beneath the influence of thy grace
The barren wastes shall rise,
With sudden greens and fruits arrayed,
A blooming paradise.

3 True holiness shall strike its root
In each regenerate heart,
Shall in a growth divine arise,
And heavenly fruits impart.

4 Peace, with her olives crowned, shall stretch
Her wings from shore to shore;
No trump shall rouse the rage of war,
Nor murderous cannon roar.

5 Lord, for those days we wait;--those days
Are in thy word foretold;
Fly swifter, sun and stars, and bring
This promised age of gold!

809. C. M. Anonymous.

The Gospel of Peace.

1 Joy to the earth! the Prince of Peace
His banner has unfurled;
Let strife, and sin, and error cease,
And joy pervade the world!

2 Praise ye the Lord! for truth and grace
His word and life display;
Let every soul his love embrace,
And own its gentle sway.

3 Peace on the earth, good will to men,
Embraced the Gospel plan;
Let that sweet strain be heard again,
Which angel-tones began.

4 Joy to the isles and lands afar,
Messiah reigns above;
Let every eye behold the star,
The star of light and love.

810. C. M. Mrs. Livermore.

Peace.

1 No warlike sounds awoke the night,
Announcing Jesus' birth,
But angels borne on wings of light,
Who chanted "Peace to earth!"

2 Not in the warrior's armor mailed
Was Christ the Saviour found;
Not striving, when by wrath assailed
Not with the laurel crowned.

3 But meek and lowly was his life,
The gentle Prince of Peace,
Whose law condemns the hostile strife,
And bids dissensions cease.

4 Then let the war-cry ne'er be rung
Beneath the smiling sky,
Nor to the clouds the banner flung
That tells of victory.

5 But let the blissful period haste,
When, hushed the cannon's roar,
The sword shall cease mankind to waste,
And war shall be no more.

811. C. M. Anonymous.

Prospect of Universal Peace.

1 O'er mountain tops, the mount of God,
In latter days, shall rise
Above the summits of the hills,
And draw the wondering eyes.

2 The beams that shine from Zion's hill
Shall lighten every land;
The King who reigns in Salem's towers
Shall the whole world command.

3 Nor war shall rage, nor hostile strife
Disturb those happy years;
To ploughshares men shall beat their swords,
To pruning-hooks their spears.

4 No longer host, encountering host,
Shall crowds of slain deplore;
They'll lay the martial trumpet by,
And study war no more.

812. 7s. M. Lewins Mead Coll.

The Blessings of Peace.

1 Peace! the welcome sound proclaim,
Dwell with rapture on the theme;
Loud, still louder, swell the strain:
Peace on earth, good will to men.

2 Breezes! whispering soft and low,
Gently murmur as ye blow,
Breathe the sweet celestial strain,
Peace on earth, good will to men.

3 Ocean's billows! far and wide
Rolling in majestic pride:
Loud still louder, swell the strain,
Peace on earth, good will to men.

4 Christians! who these blessings feel,
And in adoration kneel;
Loud, still louder, swell the strain,
Praise to God, good will to men.

813. 8s. 7s. & 6s. M. Miss Fletcher.

Compassion for the Sinning.

1 Think gently of the erring!
Lord, let us not forget,
However darkly stained by sin,
He is our brother yet.
Heir of the same inheritance!
Child of the self-same God!
He hath but stumbled in the path,
We have in weakness trod.

2 Speak gently to him, brother;
Thou yet mayst lead him back,
With holy words, and tones of love,
From misery's thorny track.
Forget not thou hast often sinned,
And sinful yet must be:
Deal gently with the erring one,
As God hath dealt with thee.

814. 10s. M. Anonymous.

The Same.

1 Breathe thoughts of pity o'er a brother's fall,
But dwell not with stern anger on his fault;
The grace of God alone holds thee, holds all;
Were that withdrawn, thou, too, wouldst swerve and halt.

2 Send back the wand'rer to the Saviour's fold;
That were an action worthy of a saint;
But not in malice let the crime be told,
Nor publish to the world the evil taint.

3 The Saviour suffers when his children slide;
Then is his holy name by men blasphemed
And he afresh is mocked and crucified,
Even by those his bitter death redeemed.

4 Rebuke the sin, and yet in love rebuke;
Feel as one member in another's pain;
Win back the soul that his fair path forsook,
And mighty and rejoicing is thy gain!

815. L. M. Mrs. Livermore.

Reclaiming Power of Love.

1 Jesus, what precept is like thine,
"Forgive, as ye would be forgiven!"
If heeded, O what power divine
Would then transform our earth to heaven.

2 Not by the harsh or scornful word,
Should we our brother seek to gain,
Not by the prison or the sword,
The shackle, or the clanking chain.

3 But from our spirits there must flow
A love that will his wrong outweigh;
Our lips must only blessings know,
And wrath and sin shall die away.

4 'Twas heaven that formed the holy plan
To bring the wanderer back by love;
Thus let us win our brother, man,
And imitate thee, God above!

816. L. M. Miss Fletcher.

For the Prisoner.

1 Father! we pray for those who dwell
Within the prison's gloomy cell!
For those whose souls are bending low
Beneath the weight of guilt and woe.

2 Thy love hath kept our thorny way
And saved us from sin's iron sway;
Our brethren in a weaker hour
Have yielded to temptation's power.

3 Teach us with humble hearts to feel,
How darkly on our brows the seal
Of guilt might now perchance be set,
Had we the same temptation met.

4 Then while the error we would shun,
We still would aid the erring one
To turn from sin's unpitying sway,
To virtue's fair and pleasant way.

817. L. M. Miss Edgarton.

The Same.

1 Oh shut not out sweet Pity's ray
From souls now clouded o'er by sin;
Touch their deep springs, and let the day
Of Christian love flow freely in.

2 Send them kind missions, though their feet
No more again the world may tread;
Some pulse of better life may beat
In hearts that seem unmoved and dead.

3 'Tis just that they should bear the pain
Of keen remorse and guilty shame;
But scorn may drive to crime again--
'Tis only love that can reclaim.

818. S. M. Miss Fletcher.

The Same.

1 We come to thee, O God,
With hushed and solemn strain;
We come to plead for those who lie
Bound with the prisoner's chain.

2 O, give them contrite hearts,
To feel their fearful sin,
And give to us a patient faith
Those erring ones to win.

3 Give us to love thy law,
The paths of vice to shun,
But never harshly dare to spurn
The suffering sinful one.

819. S. M. Miss Martineau, alt.

The Coming of Christ in Power.

1 Lord Jesus, come; for here
Our path through wilds is laid!
We watch as for the day-spring near,
Amid the breaking shade.

2 Lord Jesus, come; for hosts
Meet on the battle plain:
The patriot mourns, the tyrant boasts,
And tears are shed like rain.

3 Lord Jesus, come; for chains
Are still upon the slave;
Bind up his wounds, relieve his pains,
The pining bondman save.

4 Hark! herald voices near,
Lead on thy happier day:
Come, Lord, and our hosannas hear;
We wait to strew thy way.

5 Come, as in days of old,
With words of grace and power;
Gather us all within thy fold,
And let us stray no more.

820. C. M. R. Nicoll.

Honor all Men.

1 I may not scorn the meanest thing
That on the earth doth crawl;
The slave who would not burst his chain,
The tyrant in his hall.

2 The vile oppressor who hath made
The widowed mother mourn,
Though worthless, soulless he may stand,
I cannot, dare not scorn.

3 The darkest night that shrouds the sky,
Of beauty hath a share:
The blackest heart hath sighs to tell
That God still lingers there.

821. C. M. Whittier.

The Call of Truth.

1 Oh! not alone with outward sign,
Of fear, or voice from heaven,
The message of a truth divine,
The call of God, is given;
Awakening in the human heart,
Love for the true and right,
Zeal for the Christian's better part,
Strength for the Christian's fight.

2 Though heralded by nought of fear,
Or outward sign or show;
Though only to the inward ear
It whisper soft and low;
Though dropping as the manna fell,
Unseen, yet from above,
Holy and gentle, heed it well:
The call to truth and love.

822. C. M. Lond. Inquirer.

Encouragement to Christian Effort.

1 Scorn not the slightest word or deed,
Nor deem it void of power;
There's fruit in each wind-wafted seed,
Waiting its natal hour.

2 A whispered word may touch the heart,
And call it back to life;
A look of love bid sin depart,
And still unholy strife.

3 No act falls fruitless; none can tell
How vast its power may be;
Nor what results enfolded dwell
Within it silently.

4 Work and despair not: bring thy mite,
Nor care how small it be;
God is with all that serve the right,
The holy, true, and free.

823. S. M. Enfield.

Forgiveness.

1 I hear the voice of woe!
I hear a brother's sigh!
Then let my heart with pity flow,
With tears of love, my eye.

2 I hear the thirsty cry!
The hungry beg for bread!
Then let my spring its stream supply,
My hand its bounty shed.

3 The debtor humbly sues,
Who would, but cannot pay;
And shall I lenity refuse,
Who need it every day?

4 And shall not wrath relent,
Touched by that humble strain,
My brother crying, "I repent,
Nor will offend again?"

5 How else, on soaring wing,
Can hope bear high my prayer,
Up to thy throne, my God, my King,
To plead for pardon there?

824. 7s. M. Milman.

"And he arose and rebuked the winds and sea."

1 Lord! thou didst arise and say,
To the troubled waters, "Peace,"
And the tempest died away,
Down they sank, the foaming seas;
And a calm and heaving sleep
Spread o'er all the glassy deep,
All the azure lake serene
Like another heaven was seen!

2 Lord! thy gracious word repeat
To the billows of the proud!
Quell the tyrant's martial heat,
Quell the fierce and changing crowd!
Then the earth shall find repose,
From oppressions, and from woes;
And another heaven appear
On our world of darkness here!

SEAMEN'S HYMNS.

825. L. M. C. Wesley.

"They that go down to the sea in ships."

1 Lord of the wide extended main!
Whose power the winds and seas controls,
Whose hand doth earth and heaven sustain,
Whose spirit leads believing souls;

2 Throughout the deep thy footsteps shine;
We own thy way is in the sea,
O'erawed by majesty divine,
And lost in thine immensity!

3 Infinite God! thy greatness spanned
These heavens, and meted out the skies;
Lo' in the hollow of thy hand
The measured waters sink and rise.

4 Thee to perfection who can tell?
Earth and her sons beneath thee lie,
Lighter than dust within thy scale,
And less than nothing in thine eye.

826. L. M. Watts.

The Seaman's Song.

1 Would you behold the works of God,
His wonders in the world abroad?
With hardy mariners survey
The unknown regions of the sea.

2 They leave their native shores behind,
And seize the favor of the wind;
Till God command, and tempests rise,
That heave the ocean to the skies.

3 When land is far, and death is nigh,
Bereaved of hope, to God they cry:
His mercy hears their loud address,
And sends salvation in distress.

4 He bids the winds their wrath assuage,
And stormy tempests cease to rage;
The grateful band their fears give o'er
And hail with joy their native shore.

5 O, may the sons of men record
The wondrous goodness of the Lord;
Let them their purest offerings bring,
And in the church his glory sing.

827. C. M. Mrs. Hemans.

"These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep."

1 Oh God! thy name they well may praise,
Who to the deep go down,
And trace the wonders of thy ways,
Where rocks and billows frown.

2 For many a fair majestic sight
Hath met their wandering eyes,
Beneath the streaming northern light
Or blaze of Indian skies.

3 If glorious be that awful deep,
No human power can bind,
What then art thou, who bid'st it keep
Within its bounds confined!

4 Let heaven and earth in praise unite,
Eternal praise to thee,
Whose word can rouse the tempest's might,
Or still the raging sea!

828. L. M. 6l. Anonymous.

The Mariner's Hymn.

1 Lord of the sea!--thy potent sway
Old ocean's wildest waves obey;
The gale that whistles through the shrouds,
The storm that drives the frighted clouds,--
If but thy whisper order peace,
How soon their rude commotions cease!

2 Lord of the sea!--the seaman keep
From all dangers of the deep!
When high the white-capped billows rise,
When tempests roar along the skies,
When foes or shoals awaken fear,--
O, in thy mercy be thou near.

3 Lord of the sea!--a sea is life
Of care and sorrow, woe and strife!
With watchful pains we steer along,
To keep the right path, shun the wrong:
God grant, that, when we cease to roam,
We gain an everlasting home!

829. 7s. M. Mrs. Sigourney.

The Same.

1 When the parting bosom bleeds,
When our native shore recedes,
When the wild and faithless main
Takes us to her trust again,
Father! view a sailor's woe--
Guide us wheresoe'er we go.

2 When the lonely watch we keep,
Silent on the mighty deep,
While the boisterous surges hoarse
Bear us daily on our course,
Eye that never slumbers! shed
Holy influence on our head.

3 When the Sabbath's peaceful ray,
O'er the ocean's breast doth play,
Though no throngs assemble there,
No sweet church-bell warns to prayer,
Spirit! let thy presence be
Sabbath to the unresting sea.

4 When in foreign lands we roam,
Far from kindred, far from home,
Stranger-eyes our conduct view,
Heathen-bands our steps pursue,
Let our conversation be
Fitting those who follow thee.

5 Should pale death, with arrow dread,
Make the ocean-cave our bed,
Though no eye of love might see
Where that shrouded grave shall be--
God! who hear'st the surges roll,
Deign to save the sailor's soul.

830. C. M. Madan's Coll.

Thanksgiving for Deliverance in a Storm.

1 Our little bark, on boisterous seas,
By cruel tempests tossed,
Without one cheerful beam of hope,
Expecting to be lost,--

2 We to the Lord, in humble prayer,
Breathed out our sad distress;
Though feeble, yet with contrite hearts,
We begged return of peace.

3 Then ceased the stormy winds to blow;
The surges ceased to roll;
And soon again a placid sea
Spoke comfort to the soul.

4 O, may our grateful, trembling hearts
Their hallelujahs sing
To him who hath our lives preserved,--
Our Father and our King.

831. 8s. M. H. F. Gould.

Hymn at Sea.

1 O Thou who hast spread out the skies,
And measured the depths of the sea,
'Twixt heavens and ocean shall rise
Our incense of praises to thee.

2 We know that thy presence is near
While heaves our bark far from the land;--
We ride o'er the deep without fear;--
The waters are held in thy hand.

3 Eternity comes in the sound
Of billows that never can sleep!
There's Deity circling us round,--
Omnipotence walks o'er the deep!

4 O Father, our eye is to thee,
As on for the haven we roll;
And faith in our Pilot shall be
An anchor to steady the soul.

832. L. M. Cowper.

Temptation compared to a Storm.

1 The billows swell; the winds are high;
Clouds overcast my wintry sky:
Out of the depths to thee I call;
My fears are great, my strength is small.

2 O Lord, the pilot's part perform,
And guide and guard me through the storm;
Defend me from each threatening ill;
Control the waves: say, "Peace! be still."

833. L. M. L. H. Signourney.

Prayer at Sea.

1 Prayer may be sweet in cottage homes,
Where sire and child devoutly kneel,
While through the open casement nigh
The vernal blossoms fragrant steal.

2 Prayer may be sweet in stately halls,
Where heart with kindred heart is blent,
And upward to th' eternal throne
The hymn of praise melodious sent.

3 But he who fain would know how warm
The soul's appeal to God may be,
From friends and native land should turn,
A wanderer on the faithless sea;--

4 Should hear its deep, imploring tone
Rise heavenward o'er the foaming surge,
When billows toss the fragile bark,
And fearful blasts the conflict urge.

5 Naught, naught appears but sea and sky;
No refuge where the foot may flee:
How will he cast, O Rock divine,
The anchor of his soul on thee!

834. C. M. Anonymous.

The Sailor's Grave.

1 Not in the church-yard shall he sleep,
Amid the silent gloom,--
His home was on the mighty deep,
And there shall be his tomb.

2 He loved his own bright, deep blue sea,
O'er it he loved to roam;
And now his winding sheet shall be
That same bright ocean's foam.

3 No village bell shall toll for him
Its mournful, solemn dirge;
The winds shall chant a requiem
To him beneath the surge.

4 For him, break not the grassy turf,
Nor turn the dewy sod;
His dust shall rest beneath the surf,
His spirit with its God.

835. C. M. Select Hymns.

Prayer for Seamen.

1 We come, O Lord, before thy throne,
And, with united pleas,
We meet and pray for those who roam
Far off upon the seas.

2 O, may the Holy Spirit bow
The sailor's heart to thee,
Till tears of deep repentance flow
Like rain-drops in the sea.

3 Then may a Saviour's dying love
Pour peace into his breast,
And waft him to the port above
Of everlasting rest.

NATIONAL HYMNS.

836. 6s. & 4s. M. S. F. Smith.

National Hymn.

1 My country 'tis of thee,
Sweet land of liberty,
Of thee I sing;
Land where my fathers died,
Land of the pilgrim's pride,
From every mountain side
Let freedom ring.

2 My native country, thee--
Land of the noble, free--
Thy name--I love;
I love thy rocks and rills,
Thy woods and templed hills;
My heart with rapture thrills
Like that above.

3 Let music swell the breeze,
And ring from all the trees
Sweet freedom's song:
Let mortal tongues awake;
Let all that breathe, partake;
Let rocks their silence break,--
The sound prolong.

4 Our fathers' God, to thee,
Author of liberty,
To thee we sing:
Long may our land be bright
With freedom's holy light;
Protect us by thy might,
Great God, our King.

837. C. M. Wreford.

Prayer for our Country.

1 Lord, while for all mankind we pray,
Of every clime and coast,
O, hear us for our native land,--
The land we love the most.

2 O guard our shores from every foe,
With peace our borders bless,
With prosperous times our cities crown,
Our fields with plenteousness.

3 Unite us in the sacred love
Of knowledge, truth, and thee;
And let our hills and valleys shout
The songs of liberty.

4 Here may religion pure and mild
Smile on our Sabbath hours;
And piety and virtue bless
The home of us and ours.

5 Lord of the nations, thus to thee
Our country we commend;
Be thou her refuge and her trust,
Her everlasting friend.

838. L. M. 6l. H. Ware, Jr.

The God of our Fathers.

1 Like Israel's hosts to exile driven,
Across the flood the pilgrims fled;
Their hands bore up the ark of Heaven,
And Heaven their trusting footsteps led,
Till on these savage shores they trod,
And won the wilderness for God.

2 Then, where their weary ark found rest,
Another Zion proudly grew;
In more than Judah's glory dressed,
With light that Israel never knew.
From sea to sea her empire spread,
Her temple Heaven, and Christ her head.

3 Then let the grateful church, to-day
Its ancient rite with gladness keep;
And still our fathers' God display
His kindness, though the fathers sleep.
O, bless, as thou hast blessed the past,
While earth, and time, and heaven shall last.

839. C. M. Watts.

"Thou shall teach them to thy children."

1 Let children hear the mighty deeds
Which God performed of old:
Which in our younger years we saw,
And which our fathers told.

2 He bids us make his glories known--
His works of power and grace;
And we'll convey his wonders down
To every rising race.

3 Our lips shall tell them to our sons,
And they again to theirs;
That generations yet unborn
May teach them to their heirs.

4 Thus shall they learn, in God alone
Their hope securely stands;
That they may ne'er forget his works,
But practise his commands.

840. L. M. Flint.

"We have a goodly heritage."

1 In pleasant lands have fallen the lines
That bound our goodly heritage,
And safe beneath our sheltering vines
Our youth is blest, and soothed our age.

2 What thanks, O God, to thee are due,
That thou didst plant our fathers here;
And watch and guard them as they grew,
A vineyard, to the planter dear.

3 The toils they bore, our ease have wrought;
They sowed in tears--in joy we reap;
The birthright they so dearly bought
We'll guard, till we with them shall sleep.

4 Thy kindness to our fathers shown
In weal and woe through all the past,
Their grateful sons, O God, shall own
While here their name and race shall last.

841. L. M. Presbyterian Coll.

God Acknowledged in National Blessings.

1 Great God of nations, now to thee
Our hymn of gratitude we raise;
With humble heart and bending knee,
We offer thee our song of praise.

2 Here freedom spreads her banner wide,
And casts her soft and hallowed ray;
Here thou our fathers' steps didst guide
In safety through their dangerous way.

3 We praise thee that the gospel's light
Through all our land its radiance sheds,
Dispels the shades of error's night,
And heavenly blessings round us spreads.

4 Great God, preserve us in thy fear;
In dangers still our guardian be;
O, spread thy truth's bright precepts here,
Let all the people worship thee.

842. L. M. Roscoe.

Remembrance of our Fathers.

1 Great God! beneath whose piercing eye
The world's extended kingdoms lie;
Whose favoring smile upholds them all,
Whose anger smites them, and they fall;

2 We bow before thy heavenly throne;
Thy power we see, thy goodness own;
But, cherished by thy milder voice,
Our bosoms tremble and rejoice.

3 Thy kindness to our fathers shown,
Their children's children long shall own;
To thee with grateful hearts shall raise
Their tribute of exulting praise.

4 Our God, our Guardian, and our Friend!
Oh still thy sheltering arm extend;
Preserved by thee for ages past,
For ages may thy kindness last.

843. C. M. C. Sprague.

The Pilgrims.

1 Our fathers, Lord, to seek a spot
Where they might kneel to thee,
Their own fair heritage forgot,
And braved an unknown sea.

2 Here found their pilgrim souls repose
Where long the heathen roved;
And here their humble anthems rose
To bless the Power they loved.

3 They sleep in dust,--but where they trod,
A feeble, fainting band,
Glad millions catch the strain, O God,
And sound it through the land.

844. 8s. & 7s. M. Pierpont.

Anniversary Hymn.

1 God of mercy, do thou never
From our offering turn away,
But command a blessing ever
On the memory of this day.

2 Light and peace do thou ordain it;
O'er it be no shadow flung,
Let no deadly darkness stain it,
And no clouds be o'er it hung.

3 May the song this people raises,
And its vows to thee addressed,
Mingle with the prayers and praises,
That thou hearest from the blest.

4 When the lips are cold that sing thee,
And the hearts that love thee dust,
Father, then our souls shall bring thee
Holier love and firmer trust.

845. C. M. Aspland's Coll.

The Virtuous Love of Country.

1 Parent of all, omnipotent!
In heaven and earth below!
Through all creation's vast extent
Whose streams of goodness flow:

2 Teach me to know from whence I rose,
And unto what designed;
No private aims may I propose,
That injure human kind.

3 To hear my country's lawful voice
May my best thoughts incline;
'Tis reason's law, 'tis virtue's choice,
'Tis nature's call, and thine.

4 Me from fair freedom's sacred cause
May nothing e'er divide;
Nor grandeur, gold, nor vain applause,
Nor friendship false, misguide.

5 To duty, honor, virtue true,
In all my country's weal,
Let me my public walk pursue:
So, God, thy favor deal.

846. 6s. & 4s. M. S. F. Smith.

Anniversary Hymn.

1 Auspicious morning, hail!
Voices from hill and vale
Thy welcome sing:
Joy on thy dawning breaks;
Each heart that joy partakes,
While cheerful music wakes,
Its praise to bring.

2 Long o'er our native hills,
Long by our shaded rills,
May freedom rest;
Long may our shores have peace,
Our flag grace every breeze,
Our ships the distant seas,
From east to west.

3 Peace on this day abide,
From morn till even-tide;
Wake tuneful song;
Melodious accents raise;
Let every heart, with praise,
Bring high and grateful lays,
Rich, full, and strong.

847. 6s. & 4s. M. J. G. Adams.

The Same.

1 Loud raise the notes of joy;
Freemen, your songs employ,
As well ye may;--
Let your full hearts go out
In the exulting shout,
And with your praise devout,
Greet this glad day!

2 Children of lisping tongue,
Those whose full hearts are young
Lift up the song!
Manhood and hoary age,
Let naught your joy assuage,
In the high theme engage,
Praises prolong!

3 God of our fathers' land!
Long may our temples stand
Sacred to thee!
Let thy bright light divine
On all the people shine,
Make us forever thine,
From sin set free!

848. L. P. M. Kippis.

National Praise and Prayer.

1 With grateful hearts with joyful tongues,
To God we raise united songs;
His power and mercy we proclaim:
Through every age, O, may we own
Jehovah here has fixed his throne,
And triumph in his mighty name.

2 Long as the moon her course shall run,
Or men behold the circling sun,
Lord, in our land support thy reign;
Crown her just counsels with success,
With truth and peace her borders bless,
And all thy sacred rights maintain.

849. 6s. & 4s. M. Anonymous.

Prayer for our Country.

1 God bless our native land,
Firm may she ever stand
Through storm and night;
When the wild tempests rave,
Ruler of winds and wave,
Do thou our country save,
By thy great might.

2 For her our prayer shall rise
To God above the skies;
On him we wait;
Thou who hast heard each sigh,
Watching each weeping eye,
Be thou forever nigh;--
God save the state.

850. 7s. & 6s. M. Christian Ballads.

Our Country.

Now pray we for our country,
Pray that it long may be
The holy and the happy,
And the gloriously free!
Who blesseth her is blesséd!
So peace be in her walls;
And joy in all her villages,
Her cottages and halls.

THE SEASONS, ANNUAL OCCASIONS, ETC.

851. L. M. Heginbotham.

The God of the Seasons.

1 Great God! let all our tuneful powers
Awake and sing thy mighty name;
Thy hand rolls on our circling hours,
The hand from which our being came.

2 Seasons and moons revolving round
In beauteous order speak thy praise;
And years with smiling mercy crowned,
To thee successive honors raise.

3 Each changing season on our souls
Its sweetest, kindest influence sheds;
And every period, as it rolls,
Showers countless blessings on our heads.

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

852. L. M. Enfield's Sel.

The Goodness of God in the Seasons.

1 Great God! at whose all-powerful call
At first arose this beauteous frame,
By thee the seasons change, and all
The changing seasons speak thy name.

2 Thy bounty bids the infant year,
From winter storms recovered, rise;
When thousand grateful scenes appear,
Fresh opening to our wondering eyes.

3 O, how delightful 'tis to see
The earth in vernal beauty dressed!
While in each herb, and flower, and tree,
Thy bright perfections shine confessed!

4 Indulgent God! from every part,
Thy plenteous blessings largely flow;
We see,--we taste;--let every heart
With grateful love and duty glow.

853. C. M. Watts.

Seasons.

1 With songs and honors sounding loud,
Address the Lord on high;
O'er all the heavens he spreads his cloud,
And waters veil the sky.

2 He sends his showers of blessings down,
To cheer the plains below;
He makes the grass the mountains crown,
And corn in valleys grow.

3 His steady councils change the face
Of each declining year;
He bids the sun cut short his race,
And wintry days appear.

4 On us his providence has shone,
With gentle, smiling rays;
O, may our lips and lives make known
His goodness and his praise.

854. H. M. J. Taylor.

Providence acknowledged in the Seasons.

1 Rejoice! the Lord is King:
Your Lord and King adore;
Mortals! give thanks and sing,
And triumph evermore:
Lift up your hearts, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, in sacred lays rejoice.

2 His wintry north winds blow,
Loud tempests rush amain;
Yet his thick showers of snow
Defend the infant grain:
Lift up your hearts, lift up your voice;
Rejoice, in sacred lays rejoice.

3 He wakes the genial spring,
Perfumes the balmy air;
The vales their tribute bring,
The promise of the year:
Lift up your hearts, lift up your voice
Rejoice, in sacred lays rejoice.

4 He leads the circling year;
His flocks the hills adorn;
He fills the golden ear,
And loads the field with corn;
O happy mortals! raise your voice;
Rejoice, in sacred lays rejoice.

855. 7s. M. Barbauld.

The Seasons.

1 Praise to God, immortal praise,
For the love that crowns our days!
Bounteous Source of every joy,
Let thy praise our tongues employ.

2 All that Spring, with bounteous hand,
Scatters o'er the smiling land,--
All that liberal Autumn pours
From her rich o'erflowing stores,--

3 These to that dear Source we owe
Whence our sweetest comforts flow;
These, through all my happy days,
Claim my cheerful songs of praise.

4 Lord, to thee my soul should raise
Grateful, never-ending praise,
And, when every blessing's flown,
Love thee for thyself alone.

856. L. M. Doddridge.

The Same.

1 Eternal Source of every joy!
Well may thy praise our lips employ,
While in thy temple we appear,
To hail thee Sovereign of the year.

2 Wide as the wheels of nature roll,
Thy hand supports and guides the whole;
By thee the sun is taught to rise,
And darkness when to veil the skies.

3 The flowery spring, at thy command,
Perfumes the air and paints the land;
The summer suns with vigor shine,
To raise the corn and cheer the vine.

4 Thy hand, in autumn, richly pours
Through all our coasts redundant stores;
And winters, softened by thy care,
No more the face of horror wear.

5 Seasons, and months, and weeks, and days,
Demand successive songs of praise;
And be the grateful homage paid,
With morning light and evening shade.

857. L. M. Watts.

The Goodness of God in the Seasons. Ps. 65.

1 At God's command, the morning ray
Smiles in the east, and leads the day;
He guides the sun's declining wheels
Over the tops of western hills.

2 Seasons and times obey his voice;
The evening and the morn rejoice
To see the earth made soft with showers,
Laden with fruit, and dressed in flowers.

3 The desert grows a fruitful field;
Abundant food the valleys yield;
The valleys shout with cheerful voice,
And neighboring hills repeat their joys.

4 Thy works pronounce thy power divine;
O'er every field thy glories shine;
Through every month thy gifts appear:
Great God! thy goodness crowns the year.

858. C. M. Fergus.

The Promises of the Year.

1 The year begins with promises
Of joyful days to come,
Of Sabbath bells, of times of prayer,
Of thoughts on heaven, our home:

2 Of seed-time, with its gentle winds,
Soft dews and healthful showers,
And streamlets gushing from the hills,
And birds and opening flowers:

3 Of summer, with its warbling choir
Amid the balmy leaves;
Of autumn, with its fragrant herbs
And fruits and bending sheaves:

4 Of countless mercies from our God,
Who rules the changeful years,
Both here and in the world of love,
Beyond the heavenly spheres.

859. S. M. Watts.

Blessings of Spring.

1 Good is the heavenly King,
Who makes the earth his care,
Visits the pastures every spring,
And bids the grass appear.

2 Like rivers raised on high,
The clouds, at thy command,
Pour out their blessings from the sky,
To cheer the thirsty land.

3 The hills, on every side,
Rejoice at falling showers:
The meadows, dressed in all their pride,
Perfume the air with flowers.

4 The ridges drink their fill,
And ranks of corn appear;
Thy ways abound with blessings still,
Thy goodness crowns the year.

860. C. M.

Spring.

1 When verdure clothes the fertile vale,
And blossoms deck the spray,
And fragrance breathes in every gale,
How sweet the vernal day!

2 Hark! how the feathered warblers sing!
'Tis nature's cheerful voice;
Soft music hails the lovely spring,
And woods and fields rejoice.

3 O God of nature and of grace,
Thy heavenly gifts impart;
Then shall my meditation trace
Spring blooming in my heart.

4 Inspired to praise, I then shall join
Glad nature's cheerful song,
And love and gratitude divine
Attune my joyful tongue.

861. C. M. Peabody.

Spring.

1 When brighter suns and milder skies
Proclaim the opening year,
What various sounds of joy arise!
What prospects bright appear!

2 Earth and her thousand voices give
Their thousand notes of praise;
And all, that by his mercy live,
To God their offering raise.

3 The streams, all beautiful and bright,
Reflect the morning sky;
And there, with music in his flight,
The wild bird soars on high.

4 Thus, like the morning, calm and clear,
That saw the Saviour rise,
The spring of heaven's eternal year
Shall dawn on earth and skies.

5 No winter there, no shades of night,
Obscure those mansions blest,
Where, in the happy fields of light,
The weary are at rest.

862. L. M. Fergus.

Spring-Time.

1 The spring, the joyous spring is come
With lovely flowers of early bloom;
The warbling birds, on every tree,
Fill all the air with melody.

2 Once more, unsealed, the fountains run,
Sparkling, beneath a brighter sun;
Green leaves and tender herbs arise,
Cheered by the glow of warmer skies.

3 Oh Lord, the changes of the year
At thy Almighty word appear;
And all the seasons, as they roll,
Declare thy name from pole to pole.

4 Spring showers, descending from above,
Bear down glad tidings of thy love,
And every blossom on the tree
Bespeaks our gratitude to thee.

863. S. M. Anonymous.

Summer.

1 Great God, at thy command,
Seasons in order rise:
Thy power and love in concert reign
Through earth, and seas, and skies.

2 How balmy is the air!
How warm the sun's bright beams!
While, to refresh the ground, the rains
Descend in gentle streams.

3 With grateful praise we own
Thy providential hand,
While grass, and herbs, and waving corn,
Adorn and bless the land.

4 But greater still the gift
Of thy belovéd Son;
By him forgiveness, peace, and joy,
Through endless ages run.

864. C. M. T. Richardson.

"The Hymn of Summer."

1 How glad the tone when summer's sun
Wreathes the gay world with flowers,
And trees bend down with golden fruit,
And birds are in the bowers!

2 The moon sends silent music down
Upon each earthly thing;
And always, since creation's dawn,
The stars together sing.

3 Shall man remain in silence, then,
While all beneath the skies
The chorus joins? no, let us sing,
And while our voices rise,

4 O, let our lives, great God, breathe forth
A constant melody;
And every action be a tone
In that sweet hymn to thee!

865. 7s. & 6s. M. Brit. Magazine.

Autumn.

1 The leaves, around me falling,
Are preaching of decay;
The hollow winds are calling,
"Come, pilgrim, come away:"
The day, in night declining,
Says I must, too, decline;
The year its bloom resigning,
Its lot foreshadows mine.

2 The light my path surrounding,
The loves to which I cling,
The hopes within me bounding,
The joys that round me wing,--
All, all, like stars at even,
Just gleam and shoot away,
Pass on before to heaven,
And chide at my delay.

3 The friends gone there before me
Are calling from on high,
And happy angels o'er me
Tempt sweetly to the sky:
"Why wait," they say, "and wither,
'Mid scenes of death and sin?
O, rise to glory, hither,
And find true life begin."

866. C. M. Watts.

Winter.

1 The hoary frost, the fleecy snow,
Descend, and clothe the ground;
The liquid streams forbear to flow,
In icy fetters bound.

2 When, from his dreadful stores on high,
God pours the sounding hail,
The man that does his power defy
Shall find his courage fail.

3 God sends his word and melts the snow;
The fields no longer mourn;
He calls the warmer gales to blow,
And bids the spring return.

4 The changing wind, the flying cloud,
Obey his mighty word;
With songs and honors sounding loud,
Praise ye the sovereign Lord.

867. H. M. Freeman.

The Same.

1 Lord of the worlds below!
On earth thy glories shine;
The changing seasons show
Thy skill and power divine.
The rolling years
Are full of thee;
In all we see
A God appears.

2 In winter, awful thou!
With storms around thee cast;
The leafless forests bow
Beneath thy northern blast.
While tempests lower,
To thee, dread King,
We homage bring,
And own thy power.

868. L. M. H. Ballou.

The Acceptable Fast.

1 This is the fast the Lord doth choose;
Each heavy burden to undo,
The bands of wickedness to loose,
And bid the captive freely go.

2 Let every vile and sinful yoke
Of servile bondage and of fear,
By mercy, love and truth be broke;
And from each eye wipe every tear.

3 Yes, to the hungry deal thy bread;
Bring to thine house the outcast poor;
There let the fainting soul be fed,
Nor spurn the needy from thy door.

4 And when thou seest the naked, spare
The raiment that his wants demand;
Since all mankind thy kindred are,
To all thy charity expand.

5 Thus did the Saviour of our race:
Himself, the Bread of Life, he gave;
He clothed us with his righteousness,
And broke the fetters from the slave.

869. C. M. S. Streeter.

Humiliation and Prayer.

1 Here in thy temple, Lord, we meet,
And bow before thy throne;
Abased and guilty, at thy feet
We seek thy grace alone.

2 Our sins rise up in dread array,
And fill our hearts with fear;
Our trembling spirits melt away,
But find no helper near.

3 O, send thy pity from on high
With pardon all-divine;
Bring now thy gracious spirit nigh,
And make us wholly thine.

4 We humbly mourn our follies past,
Each guilty path deplore;
Resolved, while feeble life shall last,
To tread those paths no more.

870. C. M. Anonymous.

The Same.

1 Now let our prayers ascend to thee,
Thou great and holy One;
Above the world raise thou our hearts;
In us, thy will be done.

2 O, let us feel how frail we are,
How much we need thy grace;
O, strengthen, Lord, our fainting souls,
While here we seek thy face.

3 Our sins, alas! before thee rise;
Thou knowest all our guilt;
Let not our faith, our hope, our trust,
On earthly things be built.

4 Forgive our sins, thy spirit grant,
Let love our souls refine,
And heavenly peace and holy hope
Assure that we are thine.

871. S. M. Drummond.

"Is it such a fast that I have chosen?"

1 "Is this a fast for me?"--
Thus saith the Lord our God;--
"A day for man to vex his soul,
And feel affliction's rod?--

2 "Like bulrush low to bow
His sorrow-stricken head,
With sackcloth for his inner vest,
And ashes round him spread?

3 "Shall day like this have power
To stay th' avenging hand,
Efface transgression, or avert
My judgments from the land?

4 "No; is not this alone
The sacred fast I choose,--
Oppression's yoke be burst in twain,
The bands of guilt unloose?--

5 "To nakedness and want
Your food and raiment deal,
To dwell your kindred race among,
And all their sufferings heal?

6 "Then, like the morning ray,
Shall spring your health and light;
Before you, righteousness shall shine,
Behind, my glory bright!"

872. L. M. Dyer.

Public Humiliation.

1 Great Maker of unnumbered worlds,
And whom unnumbered worlds adore,--
Whose goodness all thy creatures share,
While nature trembles at thy power,--

2 Thine is the hand that moves the spheres,
That wakes the wind, and lifts the sea;
And man, who moves the lord of earth,
Acts but the part assigned by thee.

3 While suppliant crowds implore thine aid,
To thee we raise the humble cry;
Thine altar is the contrite heart,
Thine incense the repentant sigh.

4 O may our land, in this her hour,
Confess thy hand, and bless the rod,
By penitence make thee her friend,
And find in thee a guardian God.

873. C. M. Rippon's Coll.

Public Supplication.

1 When Abrah'm, full of sacred awe,
Before Jehovah stood,
And, with an humble, fervent prayer,
For guilty Sodom sued,--

2 With what success, what wondrous grace,
Was his petition crowned!
The Lord would spare, if in this place
Ten righteous men were found.

3 And could a single pious soul
So rich a boon obtain?
Great God, and shall a nation cry,
And plead with thee in vain?

4 Are not the righteous dear to thee
Now, as in ancient times?
Or does this sinful land exceed
Gomorrah in her crimes?

5 Still we are thine; we bear thy name;
Here yet is thine abode:
Long has thy presence blessed our land:
Forsake us not, O God.

874. C. M. Rippon's Coll.

Judgments for National Sins Deprecated.

1 Almighty Lord, before thy throne
Thy mourning people bend;
'Tis on thy pardoning grace alone
Our dying hopes depend.

2 Dark judgments, from thy heavy hand,
Thy dreadful power display;
Yet mercy spares our guilty land,
And still we live to pray.

3 How changed, alas! are truths divine,
For error, guilt, and shame!
What impious numbers, bold in sin,
Disgrace the Christian name!

4 O, turn us, turn us, mighty Lord;
Convert us by thy grace;
Then shall our hearts obey thy word,
And see again thy face.

5 Then, should oppressing foes invade,
We will not yield to fear,
Secure of all-sufficient aid,
When thou, O God, art near.

875. L. M. Aikin.

In time of War.

1 While sounds of war are heard around,
And death and ruin strow the ground,
To thee we look, on thee we call,
The Parent and the Lord of all.

2 Thou, who hast stamped on human kind
The image of a heaven-born mind,
And in a Father's wide embrace
Hast cherished all the kindred race,--

3 Great God, whose powerful hand can bind
The raging waves, the furious wind,
O, bid the human tempest cease,
And hush the maddening world to peace.

4 With reverence may each hostile land
Hear and obey that high command,
Thy Son's blest errand from above,--
"My creatures, live in mutual love!"

876. 6s. & 4s. M. Montgomery.

Thanksgiving Hymn.

1 The God of harvest praise;
In loud thanksgivings raise
Hand, heart, and voice;
The valleys smile and sing,
Forests and mountains ring,
The plains their tribute bring,
The streams rejoice.

2 Yea, bless his holy name,
And purest thanks proclaim
Through all the earth;
To glory in your lot
Is duty,--but be not
God's benefits forgot,
Amidst your mirth.

3 The God of harvest praise;
Hands, hearts, and voices raise,
With sweet accord;
From field to garner throng,
Bearing your sheaves along,
And in your harvest song
Bless ye the Lord.

877. C. M. Christian Psalmist.

The Same.

1 Fountain of mercy, God of love,
How rich thy bounties are!
The rolling seasons, as they move,
Proclaim thy constant care.

2 When in the bosom of the earth
The sower hid the grain,
Thy goodness marked its secret birth,
And sent the early rain.

3 The spring's sweet influence, Lord, was thine
The plants in beauty grew;
Thou gav'st refulgent suns to shine,
And mild, refreshing dew.

4 These various mercies from above
Matured the swelling grain;
A kindly harvest crowns thy love,
And plenty fills the plain.

5 We own and bless thy gracious sway;
Thy hand all nature hails;
Seed-time nor harvest, night nor day,
Summer nor winter, fails.

878. L. M. Anonymous.

The Same.

1 Great God! as seasons disappear,
And changes mark the rolling year,
Thy favor still has crowned our days,
And we would celebrate thy praise.

2 The harvest song we would repeat;
"Thou givest us the finest wheat;"
"The joy of harvest" we have known;
The praise, O Lord! is all thine own.

3 Our tables spread, our garners stored,
O give us hearts to bless thee, Lord!
Forbid it, Source of light and love,
That hearts and lives should barren prove.

4 Another harvest comes apace;
Ripen our spirits by thy grace,
That we may calmly meet the blow
The sickle gives to lay us low.

5 That so, when angel reapers come
To gather sheaves to thy blest home,
Our spirits may be borne on high
To thy safe garner in the sky.

879. L. M. Brettell.

Harvest Home.

1 The last full wain has come,--has come!
And brought the golden harvest home:
The labors of the year are done:
Accept our thanks, all-bounteous One!

2 For the green spring, her herbs and flowers,
For the warm summer's blooming bowers,
For all the fruits that flush the boughs,
When russet autumn decks her brows;

3 For the bright sun, whose fervid ray
Ripens the corn, and cheers the day;
For the round moon, whose yellow light
Gilds the long labors of the night;

4 For the rich sea of shining grain,
That spreads its waves o'er hill and plain,
For the cool breeze, whose light wings fan
The weary, sun-burnt husbandman;

5 For the soft herbage of the soil,
For ruddy health, the child of toil;
For all the good the year displays,
Accept, O God, our grateful praise.

880. 8s. & 7s. M. Crosse.

The Sacrifice of Thanksgiving.

1 Lord of heaven, and earth, and ocean,
Hear us from thy bright abode,
While our hearts, with true devotion,
Own their great and gracious God.

2 Health and every needful blessing
Are thy bounteous gifts alone;
Comforts undeserved possessing,
Here we bend before thy throne.

3 Thee, with humble adoration,
Lord, we praise for mercies past;
Still to this most favored nation
May those mercies ever last.

881. 7s. M. Sacred Lyrics.

Thanksgiving.

1 Swell the anthem, raise the song;
Praises to our God belong;
Saints and angels, join to sing
Praises to the Heavenly King.

2 Blessings from his liberal hand
Flow around this happy land:
Kept by him, no foes annoy;
Peace and freedom we enjoy.

3 Here, beneath a virtuous sway,
May we cheerfully obey,--
Never feel oppression's rod,--
Ever own and worship God.

4 Hark! the voice of nature sings
Praises to the King of kings;
Let us join the choral song,
And the grateful notes prolong.

882. 7s. M. Ev. Magazine.

"Thou crownest the year with goodness."

1 Praise on thee, in Zion's gates,
Daily, O Jehovah! waits;
Unto thee, O God! belong
Grateful words and holy song.

2 Thou the hope and refuge art
Of remotest lands apart,
Distant isles and tribes unknown,
'Mid the ocean-waste, and lone.

3 Thou dost visit earth, and rain
Blessings on the thirsty plain,
From the copious founts on high,
From the rivers of the sky.

4 Thus the clouds thy power confess,
And thy paths drop fruitfulness:
And the voice of song and mirth
Rises from the tribes of earth.

883. L. M. Presbyterian Coll.

Goodness of God Celebrated.

1 Join, every tongue, to praise the Lord;
All nature rests upon his word;
Mercy and truth his courts maintain,
And own his universal reign.

2 Seasons and times obey his voice;
The evening and the morn rejoice
To see the earth made soft with showers,
Enriched with fruit, and dressed in flowers.

3 Thy works pronounce thy power divine;
In all the earth thy glories shine;
Through every month thy gifts appear;
Great God, thy goodness crowns the year.

884. L. M. L. H. Sigourney.

Harvest.

1 God of the year! with songs of praise
And hearts of love, we come to bless
Thy bounteous hand, for thou hast shed
Thy manna o'er our wilderness.

2 In early spring-time thou didst fling
O'er earth its robe of blossoming;
And its sweet treasures, day by day,
Rose quickening in thy blessed ray.

3 God of the seasons! thou hast blest
The land with sunlight and with showers,
And plenty o'er its bosom smiles
To crown the sweet autumnal hours.

4 Praise,--praise to thee! Our hearts expand
To view these blessings of thy hand,
And on the incense-breath of love
Ascend to their bright home above.

885. L. P. M. Kippis.

Thanksgiving for National Prosperity.

1 How rich thy gifts, Almighty King!
From thee our public blessings spring;
Th' extended trade, the fruitful skies,
The treasures liberty bestows,
Th' eternal joys the gospel shows,--
All from thy boundless goodness rise.

2 Here commerce spreads the wealthy store,
Which pours from every foreign shore;
Science and art their charms display;
Religion teaches us to raise
Our voices to our Maker's praise,
As truth and conscience point the way.

3 With grateful hearts, with joyful tongues,
To God we raise united songs;
His power and mercy we proclaim;
This land through every age shall own,
Jehovah here has fixed his throne,
And triumph in his mighty name.

4 Long as the moon her course shall run,
Or man behold the circling sun,
O, still may God amidst us reign;
Crown our just counsels with success,
With peace and joy our borders bless,
And all our sacred rights maintain.

886. L. M. Doddridge.

New Year's Day.

1 Great God, we sing that mighty hand,
By which, supported still, we stand:
The opening year thy mercy shows;
Let mercy crown it till it close.

2 By day, by night, at home, abroad,
Still we are guarded by our God;
By his incessant bounty fed,
By his unerring counsel led.

3 With grateful hearts the past we own:
The future, all to us unknown,
We to thy guardian care commit,
And peaceful leave before thy feet,

4 In scenes exalted or depressed,
Be thou our joy, and thou our rest:
Thy goodness all our hopes shall raise,
Adored through all our changing days.

5 When death shall interrupt these songs,
And seal in silence mortal tongues,
Our Helper, God, in whom we trust,
In better worlds our souls shall boast.

887. C. M. Doddridge.

Reflections for a New Year.

1 Remark, my soul, the narrow bounds
Of the revolving year;
How swift the weeks complete their rounds!
How short the months appear!

2 Yet like an idle tale we pass
The swift advancing year;
And study artful ways t' increase
The speed of its career.

3 Waken, O God, my trifling heart,
Its great concerns to see;
That I may act the Christian part,
And give the year to thee.

4 Thus shall their course more grateful roll,
If future years arise;
Or this shall bear my peaceful soul
To joy that never dies.

888. 7s. M. Newton.

New Year's Day.