5 United-heart, and hand, and voice,
Now in our Saviour we rejoice;
And, still, united, we would pray
To sound His name through endless day.
6 Lord, let us all Thy grace partake;
Accept and bless, for Jesus' sake;
And loud shall sing our youthful host,
"Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!"
"A remembrance made of sins every year." HEB. X. 3.
1 THIS year is just going away;
The moments are finishing fast:
My heart, have you nothing to say
Concerning the time that is past?
Have I ever arisen from bed,
And did not remember my prayer?
Or if a few words I have said,
My thoughts, have they wandered elsewhere?
2 Have ill temper, and passion, and pride,
Grieved my parents, or teachers, and Thee?
Can I say I have heartily tried
Obedient and gentle to be?
But, Lord, Thou already hast known
Much more of my folly than I:
There is not a fault I can own,
Too little for God to descry.
3 This year is just going away;
The moments are finishing fast:
Look down, in Thy mercy, I pray,
To pardon the time that is past;
And, as soon as another begins,
So help me to walk in Thy fear,
That I may not, with follies and sins,
Disfigure and waste a New Year.
"Behold, now is the day of salvation."
2 COR. vi. 2.
LIFE is the time to serve the Lord,
The time to insure the great reward;
And, while the lamp holds out to burn,
The vilest sinner may return.
2 Life is the hour that God hath given
To escape from hell, and flee to heaven
The day of grace :-and mortals may
Secure the blessings of the day.
3 Then, what my thoughts design to do,
My hands, with all your might pursue;
Since no device, nor work is found,
Nor faith, nor hope, beneath the ground.
4 There are no acts of pardon passed
In the cold grave to which we haste;
But darkness, death, and long despair,
Reign in eternal silence there.
"I know that my Redeemer liveth."
JOB XIX. 25.
SOON must this body die
This mortal frame decay;
Soon must these active limbs of mine
Lie mouldering in the clay:
And often, from the skies,
Looks down to watch His children's dust,
Till He shall bid it rise.
Arrayed in glorious grace,
Shall their vile bodies shine;
And every shape, and every face,
Look heavenly and divine.
These lively hopes we owe
To Jesus' dying love;
We would adore His grace below,
And sing His power above.
Great God, accept the praise
Of these our humble songs;
Till tunes of nobler sound we raise,
With our immortal tongues.
"Prepare to meet Thy God."
EATH 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 Not long ago, he filled his place,
And sat with us to learn;
But he has run his mortal race,
And never can return.
3 Perhaps our time may be as short,
Our days may fly as fast;
O Lord, impress the solemn thought-
That this may be our last!
4 We cannot tell who next may fall
Beneath Thy chastening rod;
One must be first;-but let us all
Prepare to meet our God.
5 All needful strength is Thine to give ;
To Thee our souls apply
For grace to teach us how to live,
And make us fit to die.
HEN blooming youth is snatched away
By death's resistless hand,
Our hearts the mournful tribute pay
Which pity must demand.
2 While sorrow prompts the rising sigh,
O may this truth impressed
With awful power, "I too must die,"
Sink deep in every breast!
3 The voice of such alarming call
May every heart obey;
Nor vain the heavenly warning fall
Which leads to watch and pray.
4 O let us fly-to Jesus fly,
Whose powerful arm can save;
Then shall our hopes ascend on high,
And triumph o'er the grave.
5 Great God, Thy sovereign grace impart,
With cleansing, healing power;
And thus prepare each youthful heart
For death's most solemn hour!
"Arise ye, and depart."
MICAH ii, 10.
WHEN, by our Maker's high command,
The stroke of death's relentless hand
Or sudden, or consuming slow,
Has laid a young companion low;
2 O may the voice-Arise, depart!
Pierce deep this cold, this careless heart,
And lead my soul to seek her rest
Where Jesus smiles upon the blest,
8 May I, by faith, perceive the day
When earth and skies shall pass away,
And quickly to that Saviour flee
Who pities sinners-even me!
4 Olet this pity, and this love,
Saviour divine, my spirit move;
That, living, I may live to Thee,
And, dying, Thy salvation see.
"I would comfort myself against sorrow." JER. viii. 18.
WHY should our tears in sorrow flow,
When God recalls His own,
And bids them leave a world of woe
For an immortal crown?
2 For is not death a gain to those
Whose life to God was given?
Gladly on earth their eyes they close,
To open them in heaven.
3 Their toils are past, their work is done,
And they are fully blest;
They fought the fight, the victory won,
And entered into rest.
4 Then let our sorrows cease to flow,-
God has recalled His own;
While all our hearts in every woe,
Still say, "Thy will be done!"
HAT though the arm of conquering death
Does God's own house invade;
What though our teacher and our friend,
Is numbered with the dead!
2 Though earthly shepherds dwell in dust,-
The aged and the young,
The watchful eye in darkness closed,
And dumb the instructive tongue;
8 The eternal Shepherd still survives,
His teaching to impart :
Be Thou our Leader and our Guide,
And rule and keep our heart!
4 Yes, while the dear Redeemer reigns,
We have a boundless store;
And shall be fed with what He gives,
Who lives for evermore.
HEAR what the voice from heaven proclaims
For all the pious dead :-
Sweet is the savour of their names,
And soft their sleeping bed.
2 They die in Jesus and are blessed,-
How kind their slumbers are!
From sufferings, and from sins, released,
And freed from every snare.
3 Far from this world of toil and strife,
They're present with the Lord:
The labours of their mortal life
End in a large reward!
"They which came out of great tribulation."
WHAT are these in bright array,
This innumerable throng,
Round the altar, night and day,
Hymning one triumphant song?
"Worthy is the Lamb once slain,
Blessing, honour, glory, po wer,
Wisdom, riches, to obtain,-
New dominion every hour!"
2 These, through fiery trials trod;
These from great affliction came:
Now before the throne of God,
Sealed with His almighty name,
Clad in raiment pure and white,
Victor palms in every hand,-
Through their dear Redeemer's might,
More than conquerors they stand!
8 Hunger, thirst, disease, unknown,
On immortal fruits they feed:
Them the Lamb amidst the throne
Shall to living fountains lead;
Joy and gladness banish sighs;
Perfect love dispels all fears,
And for ever from their eyes,
God shall wipe away the tears.
"A great multitude before the Lamb."
REV. vii. 9.
SING we the song of those who stand
Around the eternal throne;
Of every kindred, clime, and land,
A multitude unknown.
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