2 May wisdom, zeal, and love, inspire
Our bosoms with their purest fire;
While faith on Thine own word relies,
And hope looks joyful to the skies.
Grant us Thy presence, God of grace,
Now, while we meet before Thy face;
That all may feel, before we part,
Thy love diffused through every heart.
"Stand up, and bless the Lord."
NEH. ix. 5.
STAND up, and bless the Lord,
Ye people of His choice;
Stand up, and bless the Lord your God,
With heart, and soul, and voice!
Though high above all praise,
Above all blessing high,
Who would not fear His holy name,
And laud, and magnify?
O for the living flame
From His own altar brought,
To touch our lips, our minds inspire,
And wing to heaven our thought!
God is our strength and song,
And His salvation ours;
Then be His love, in Christ, proclaimed
With all our ransomed powers,
Stand up, and bless the Lord,
The Lord your God adore :
Stand up, and bless His glorious name,
Henceforth, for evermore!
"There shall be showers of blessing."
EZEK. XXXiv. 26.
COMMAND Thy blessing from above,
God, on all assembled
Behold us with a Father's love,
While we look up with filial fear.
2 Command Thy blessing, Jesus, Lord!
May we Thy true disciples be;
Speak to each heart the mighty word,
Say to the weakest-" Follow me.'
3 Command Thy blessing in this hour,
Spirit of truth! and fill the place
With wounding, and with healing power,
With quickening, and confirming grace.
4 O Thou, our Maker, Saviour, Guide,
One true, eternal God confessed!
Whom Thou hast joined, may none divide,-
None dare to curse whom Thou hast blessed.
5 With Thee and these for ever found,
May all the souls who here unite,
With harps and songs, Thy throne surround,
Rest in Thy love, and reign in light.
"Master, where dwellest Thou."
JOHN i. 38.
SAVIOUR, "where dwellest Thou?"
Let us Thy servants be;
'Tis not enough to learn Thy name,
We would know more of Thee.
Saviour, "where dwellest Thou?'
Amid earth's care and noise,
Fain would we draw our precious charge
To peace and heavenly joys.
Saviour," where dwellest Thou?"
We know that Thou hast died
To save these young and tender souls,-
O call them to Thy side!
Saviour, "where dwellest Thou?"-
The half we have not told
Of Thy rich grace,-Lord, help us more
Thy goodness to unfold.
Saviour," where dwellest Thou?"-
Has earth no place for Thee?
"Abide with us," and let each heart
Thy dwelling ever be.
"They were all filled with the Holy Ghost."
ACTS ii. 4.
LORD God, the Holy Ghost,
In this accepted
As on the day of Pentecost,
Descend in all Thy power.
We meet with one accord
In our appointed place,
And wait the promise of our Lord,
The Spirit of all grace.
Like mighty, rushing wind
Upon the wave beneath,
Move with one impulse every mind;
One soul, one feeling breathe:
The young, the old inspire
With wisdom from above;
And give us hearts and tongues of fire,
To pray, and praise, and love.
Spirit of light, explore
And chase our gloom away,
With lustre shining more and more
Unto the perfect day.
Spirit of truth, be Thou,
In life and death, our Guide;
O Spirit of adoption, now
May we be sanctified.
"Children of the living God."
ROM. ix. 26.
THOU
God of love and mercy, hear
Our grateful vows, our fervent prayer;
And with Thy choicest favours bless,
And own as Thine, the rising race.
2 Incline their hearts to learn Thy will,
Their opening minds with knowledge fill,
Impress Thine image on each breast,
And guide them to eternal rest.
RACIOUS Lord, the children see:
Are not all Thy servants free.
And shall these, alas! remain
Subjects still of Satan's reign?
Israel's young ones, when of old
Pharoah threatened to withhold,
Then Thy messenger said, "No,-
"Let the children also go."
2 When the angel of the Lord,
Drawing forth his dreadful sword,
Blew, with an avenging hand,
All the first-born of the land,-
Then Thy people's door he passed,
Where the bloody sign was placed;
Hear us now, upon our knees,
Plead the blood of Christ for these!
8 Lord, we tremble, for we know
How the fierce malicious foe,
Wheeling round his watchful flight,
Keeps them ever in his sight:
Spread Thy pinions, King of kings!
Hide them safe beneath Thy wings;
Lest the ravenous bird of prey
Stoop, and bear the brood away.
"They found Him in the temple."
LUKE ii. 46.
WISDOM, whose unfading power
Before the Eternal stood;
To frame, in nature's earliest hour,
The land, the sky, the flood.
2 Yet didst Thou not disdain awhile
An infant form to wear,
To bless Thy mother with a smile,
And lisp Thy faltering prayer.
3 But in Thy Father's own abode,
With Israel's elders round,
Conversing high with Israel's God,
Thy chiefest joy was found.
4 So may our youth adore Thy name;
And, Saviour, deign to bless,
With fostering grace, the timid flame
Of early holiness.
EAVENLY Teacher, Light divine,
In our hearts arise and shine,
While we seek, with one accord,
Greater likeness to our Lord.
We would touch His garment's hem,
Who so loved Jerusalem
That he wept, with bitter cry,
O'er her children's destiny.
2 Thus we seek His fervent love,
Who, descending from above,
Left a heavenly throne to die
On the cross, in agony:
Thus we seek His patient mind
Still unwearied, gentle, kind,
Meekly bearing with the rude,
Pardoning ingratitude:
8 Thus we seek His sleepless zeal,
Ever prompt to save and heal:
Long as life shall last, may we
Still His faithful followers be;
Heavenly Teacher, Light divine,
In our hearts arise and shine,
Till our youthful charge shall see
All their teachers taught of Thee.
"Let Thy work appear unto Thy servants."
PSALM XC. 17.
GRE
REAT God, while we surround Thy throne,
And joint petitions heavenward rise,
Our mingled supplications own,
Perfumed by Jesus' sacrifice.
2 Jesus, Thy richly flowing blood
Sprinkle on every guilty heart;
Lead every youthful mind to God,
And light, and life, and bliss impart.
3 Spirit Divine, Thy holy fire
Diffuse through every waiting breast;
Our various energies inspire,
And be our labours largely blest.
4 While here our efforts we combine
To teach the young to live and die,
O Lord, be all the glory Thine,
And ours the song beyond the sky.
There with the ransomed tribes above,
Enraptured may we join our lays;
And, while eternal ages move,
Proclaim the great Redeemer's praise.
"Establish Thou the work of our hands."
PSALM XC. 17.
BLEST is the work, in wisdom's way,
To guide untutored youth,
And lead the mind, so prone to stray,
To virtue and to truth.
2 Children our kind protection claim;
And God must well approve
When infants learn to lisp His name,
And their Creator love.
3 We strive their precious souls to win;
And turn the rising race
From the deceitful paths of sin,
To seek redeeming grace.
4 Almighty God, Thine influence shed
To aid this good design;
The honours of Thy name be spread,
And all the glory Thine i
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