And thus that dark betrayal night Until the trump of God be heard, O blessed hope! with this elate, But, strong in faith, in patience wait, Until He come. TUNE "SOMERCOTES." 140-A FEW MORE YEARS SHALL ROLL. A HYMN of Dr. Bonar's, written in 1842, forty years before his death. A FEW more years shall roll, A few more seasons come, And we shall be with those that rest, Then, O my Lord, prepare A few more suns shall set O'er these dark hills of time, And we shall be where suns are not, Then, O my Lord, prepare My soul for that bright day; A few more storms shall beat And we shall be where tempests cease, A few more struggles here, 'Tis but a little while And He shall come again, Who died that we might live, Who lives Then, O my Lord, prepare My soul for that glad day; Oh, wash me in Thy precious Blood, And take my sins away. Amen. TUNE- "LEOMINSTER "" OR "CHALVEY." 141-WE PLOUGH THE FIELDS AND SCATTER. CLAUDIUS'S "Wir pflügen und wir streuen was first published in German in 1782. It is used both in Germany and in England as a harvest hymn. I give Miss T. M. Campbell's English version. WE plough the fields and scatter The good seed on the land, But it is fed and water'd By God's Almighty Hand; Are sent from Heav'n above, Then thank the Lord, Oh, thank the Lord, He only is the Maker Of all things near and far; Are sent from Heav'n above, Then thank the Lord, Oh, thank the Lord, For all His love. We thank Thee then, O Father, For all Thy love imparts, Are sent from Heav'n above, Then thank the Lord, Oh, thank the Lord, For all His love. Amen. TUNE- THE WELL-KNOWN ONE BY J. A. P. SCHULZ. XVII. - Death. 142-COME, LET US JOIN OUR FRIENDS ABOVE. THE Bishop of Hereford writes me that he thinks the fourth verse 66 one of the finest in the whole range of hymnology." It is the favourite Wesleyan funeral hymn. The author of "Methodist Hymn-Book Notes" used several pages in describing the affecting and happy incidents in connection with the use of this hymn, and says he suppresses many other pages for want of space. COM OME, let us join our friends above And, on the eagle-wings of love, Let all the saints terrestrial sing, One family we dwell in Him, One church, above, beneath; One army of the living God, To His command we bow; Part of His host have crossed the flood, Ten thousand to their endless home This solemn moment fly: And we are to the margin come, And we expect to die. E'en now by faith we join our hands Our spirits too shall quickly join, Be Thou, O God, our constant guide, Then, Lord of Hosts, the waves divide, TUNE -"GRETTON." 143-GIVE ME THE WINGS OF FAITH TO RISE. THIS favourite hymn of Watts was published in 1709, and it has been in general use among all sections of the Church for a century. GIVE IVE me the wings of faith to rise The saints above, how great their joys! Once they were mourning here below I ask them whence their victory came? Ascribe their conquest to the Lamb, |