CCXXXIII. S. M. New Selec.
1 THE day is past and gone;
The evening shades appear;
Oh! may we all remember well
The night of death is near.
2 We lay our garments by,
Upon our beds to rest,
So death will soon disrobe us all
Of what we here possest.
3 Lord, keep us safe this night,
Secure from all our fears,
Beneath the pinions of thy love,
'Till morning light appears.
4 And when we early rise,
And view th' unclouded sun,
May we set out to win the prize,
And after glory run.
And when our days are past,
And we from time remove,
O! may we in thy bosom rest-
The bosom of thy love!
CCXXXIV. L. M. New Selec.
An evening Hymn.
HUS far the Lord hath led me on. Thus far his pow'r prolongs my days. And ev'ry ev'ning shall make known Some fresh memorial of his grace.
2 Much of my time has run to waste, And I perhaps am near my home; But he forgives my follies past,
He gives me strength for days to come. 3 In vain the sons of earth or hell
Tell me a thousand frightful things;
My God in safety makes me dwell
Beneath the shadow of his wings.
4 [Faith in his name forbids my fear;
O may thy presence ne'er depart;
And in the morning make me hear
The loving kindness of thy heart.
5 Thus, when the night of death shall come,
My flesh shall rest beneath the ground,
And wait thy voice to rend my tomb,
With sweet salvation in the sound.
CCXXXV. C. M. Songs in the night.
Saturday night.
EGONE my worldly cares away!
Nor dare to tempt my sight;
Let me begin th' ensuing day
Before I end this night.
2 Yes, let the work of prayer and praise
Employ my heart and tongue;
Begin my soul?-Thy sabbath days
Can never be too long.
3 Let the past mercies of the week
Excite a grateful frame :
Nor let my tongue refuse to speak
Some good of Jesus' name.
4 Jesus!-how pleasing is the sound;
How worthy of my love!
Why is my heart so lifeless found?
Why plac'd no more above?
5 Forgive my dulness, dearest Lord,
And quicken all my powers;
Prepare me to attend thy word,
Timprove the sacred hours.
6 On wings of expectation borne,
My hopes to heaven ascend:
I long to welcome in the more,
The day with thee to spend.
PUBLIC WORSHIP.
CCXXXVI. 148th. B. Francis.
On opening a place of Worship.
N sweet exalted strains
The king of glory praise;
O'er heaven and earth he reigns,
Through everlasting days:
He, with a nod, the world controis,
Sustains or sinks the distant poles.
2 To earth he bends his throne,
His throne of grace divine;
Wide is his bounty known,
And wide his glories shine:
Fair Salem, still his chosen rest,
Is with his smiles and presence blest.
3 Then, King of glory, come,
And with thy favour crown This temple as thy dome, This people as thy own:
Beneath this roof, O deign to show,
How God can dwell with men below.
4 Here, may thine ears attend
Our interceding cries,
And grateful praise ascend
All fragrant to the skies:
Here may thy word melodions sound,
And spread celestial joys around.
5 Here, may th' attentive throng
Imbibe thy truth and love,
And converts join the song
Of seraphim above,
And willing crowds surround thy board
With sacred joy and sweet accord.
6 Here, may our unborn sons
And daughters sound thy praise,
And shine like polish'd stones,
Through long succeeding days;
Here, Lord, display thy saving power,
While temples stand and men adore.
CCXXXVII. L. M. Doddridge.
On opening a place of Worship.
REAT God, thy watchful care we bless,
GWhich guards each meeting place in peace,
Nor dare tumultuous foes invade,
To fill thy worshippers with dread.
2 These walls we to thy honour raise,
Long may they echo to thy praise :
And thou, descending, fill the place
With choicest tokens of thy grace.
3 Here let the great Redeemer reign
With all the graces of his train;
While power divine his word attends,
To conquer foes, and cheer his friends.
4 And in the great decisive day,
When God the nation shall survey;
May it before the world appear
That crowds were born to glory here.
CCXXXVIII. C. M. Newton.
On opening a place for social prayer.
EAR Shepherd of thy people, hear,
Thy presence now display;
As thou hast given a place for prayer,
So give us hearts to pray.
2 Within these walls let holy peace,
And love, and concord dweil ;
Here give the troubled conscience ease,
The wounded spirit heal.
3 Show us some token of thy love,
Our fainting hope to raise ;
And pour thy blessings from above,
That we may render praise.
4 And may the gospel's joyful sound,
Enforc'd by mighty grace,
Awaken many sinners round,
To come and fill the place.
CCXXXIX. S. M. S. Stennett.
The pleasures of social worship.
OW charming is the place,
H Where my Redeemer God
Unveils the beauties of his face
And sheds his love abroad!
2 Not the fair palaces
To which the great resort,
Are once to be compar'd with this,
Where Jesus holds his court.
3 Here on the mercy-seat,
With radiant glory crown'd,
Our joyful eyes behold him sit,
And smile on all around.
4 To him their prayers and cries
Each humble soul presents:
He listens to their broken sighs,
And grants them all their wants.
5 To them his sovereign will
He graciously imparts:
And, in return, accepts with smiles
The tribute of their hearts.
6 Give me, O Lord, a place
Within thy blest abode,
Among the children of thy grace,
The servants of my God.
CCXL. S. M. Watts's Lyric Poems.
Forms vain without Religion.
ALMIGHTY Maker, God !
How wondrous is thy name!
Thy glories how diffus'd abroad
Through the creation's frame..
2 Nature in ev'ry dress
Her humble homage pays.
And finds a thousand ways t' express
Thine undissembled praise.
3 My soul would rise and sing To her Creator too,
Fain would my tongue adore my King,
And pay the worship due.
4 [But pride, that busy sin,
Spoils all that I perform,
Curs'd pride, that creeps securely in,
And swells a haughty worm.]
5 Create my soul anew,
Else all my worship's vain ;
This wretched heart will ne'er be true,
Until 'tis form'd again.
6 Let joy and worship spend
The remnant of my days,
And to my God, my soul ascend
In sweet perfumes of praise.
CCXLI. L. M. S. Stennett.
To be sung between Prayer and Sermon.
Mat. xviii. 20.
HERE two or three, with sweet accord,
Obedient to their sovereign Lord,
Meet to recount his acts of grace,
And offer solemn prayer and praise;
2 "There," says the Saviour," will I be,
"Amid this little company:
"To them unveil my smiling face, "And shed my glories round the place." 3 We meet at thy command, dear Lord, Relying on thy faithful word:
O send thy Spirit from above,
And fill our hearts with heavenly love.
CCXLII. C. M. Rippon's Selec.
God giveth the increase. 1 Cor. iii. 6. 7.
IIN vain Apollo's silver tongue,
And Paul's with strains profound,
Diffuse among the list'ning throng,
The gospel's gladd'ning sound.
2 Jesus, the work is wholly thine
To form the heart anew,
O let thy power and grace divine
These stubborn souls subdue.
CCXLIII. C. M. Beddome.
The Freeness of the Gospel. Rev. xxii. 17;
OW free and boundless is the grace
Of our redeeming God,
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