His harvest crowns the spring.
3 Well pleas'd the husbandmen behold
The waving yellow crop:
With joy they bear the sheaves away,
And sow again in hope.
4 Thus teach me, gracious God, to sow
The seeds of righteousness:
Smile on my soul, and with thy beams
The rip'ning harvest bless.
5 Then, in the last great harvest, I
Shall reap a glorions crop:
The harvest shall by far exceed
What I have sow'd in hope.
TERN winter throws his icy chains,
Encircling nature round:
How bleak, how comfortless the plains,
Late with gay verdure crown'd!
2 The sun withdraws his vital beams,
And light and warmth depart;
And drooping, lifeless nature seems
An emblem of my heart.
3 My heart, where mental winter reigns
In night's dark mantle clad,
Confin'd in cold inactive chains,
How desolate and sad!
4 Return, O, blissful Sun, and bring
Thy soul reviving ray;
This mental winter shall be spring,
This darkness cheerful day.
5 O happy state, divine abode,
Where spring eternal reigns:
And perfect day, the smile of God,
Fills all the heavenly plains.
6 Great Source of light, thy beams display,
My drooping joys restore,
And guide me to the realms of day,
Where winter frowns no more.
SEE, how rude winter's icy hand
Has stripp'd the trees and seal'd the ground,
But spring shall soon his rage withstand, And spread new beauties all around. 2 My soul a sharper winter mourns, Barren and fruitless I remain; When will the gentle spring return, And cause me to revive again?
3 Jesus, my glorious sun, arise!
'Tis thine the frozen heart to move; O! hush these storms, and clear my skies, And let me feel thy vital love! 4 Dear Lord, regard my feeble cry, I faint and droop till thou appear; Wilt thou permit thy plant to die? Must it be winter all the year? 5 Be still my soul, and wait his hour, With humble prayer and patient faith; "Till he reveal his gracious power, Repose on what his promise saith. He, by whose all commanding word, Seasons their changing course maintain, In every change a pledge affords, That none shall seek his face in vain.
CCCXCIII. L. M. Rip. Selec.
The Seasons crowned with Goodness.
Psalm Ixv. 11.
TERNAL 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;
The sun is taught by thee 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 rays with vigour shine,
To raise the corn and cheer the vine.
4 Thy hand, in autumn, richly pours
Through all our coasts redundant stores;
And winters, soften'd 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.
And cireling sabbaths bless our eyes,
"Till to those lofty heights we soar,
Where days and years revolve no more.
NEW YEAR.
CCCXЄIV. L. M. New Selec.
Another Year.
ATHER of mercies! God of love!
Whose kind compassion still we prove,
Our praise accept, and bless us here,
Thus brought to see-another year.
2 What shall we render to thy name,
Or how thy glorious praise proclaim!
Whose constant, kind, indulgent care,
Has brought us to-another year.
3 Thy bounty, pity, patience too,
With thankful hearts, Lord, we review;
And own we've had a plenteous share
To bring us to-another year.
4 Our souls, our all, we here resign;
Make us, and keep us ever thine:
And grant that in thy love and fear
We may begin-another year.
5 Be this our sweet experience still,
To know and do thine holy will;
Then shall our souls with joy sincere
Bless thee for this-another year.
6 Help us to walk, as in thy sight,
With growing pleasure and delight;
Then, whether life or death appear,
We'll bless thee for-another year.
7 Still, Lord, through life thy love display,
And then in death's approaching day
We'll joyful part with all that's here,
Nor wish on earth-another year.
CCCXCV. L. M. Rip. Selec.}
Help obtained of God. Acts xxvi. 22.
New Year's Day.
REAT God, we sing thy mighty hand,
J By which supported still we stand:
The opening year thy mercy shows;
Let mercy crown us 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 depress'd,
Be thou our joy, and thou our rest;
Thy goodness all our hopes shall raise,
Ador'd 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,
ENCOURAGEMENT to the Young in seeking Christ.
CCCXCVI. C. M. Doddridge.
The Encouragement young Persons have to seek
Christ. Prov. viii. 17.
E hearts, with youthful vigour warm,
In smiling crowds draw near,
And turn from every mortal charm,
A Saviour's voice to hear.
2 He, Lord of all the worlds on high,
His people had in view;
And laid his radiant glories by,
For sinners such as you.
3 "In souls that long to feel my grace,
My grace saith Christ shall reign:
And those that early seek my face,
Shall never seek in vain.'
4 What object, Lord, my soul should move
If once compar'd with thee?
What beauty should command my love?
To Jesus let me flee.
5 Away, ye false delusive toys,
Vain tempters of the mind!
Here would i fix my lasting choice,
For here true bliss I find.
CCCXCVII. C. M. Doddridge.
Seek first the Kingdom of God. Matt. vi. 33. 1 OW let a true ambition rise,
And ardour fire our breast,
To reign in worlds above the skies,
In heavenly glories drest.
2 Behold! Jehovah's royal hand
A radiant crown display,
Whose gems with vivid lustre shine,
While stars and suns decay.
3 Away each grovelling anxious care,
Beneath a christian's aim;
We spring te seize immortal joys,
In the Redeemer's name.
4 Ye hearts, with youthful vigour warm,
The glorious prize pursue;
Nor fear the want of earthly good,
While heaven is kept in view.
PUBLIC FASTS AND THANKS-
GIVING.
CCCXCVIII. C. M. C. Ustick's edition of
Rip. Selec.
EE, gracious God, before thy throne
Thy mourning people bend!
'Tis on thy sovereign grace alone
Our humble hepes depend.
2 Tremendous judgments from thy hand,
Thy dreadful power display;
Yet mercy spares this guilty land,
And still we live to pray.
3 Great God, and is Columbia spar'd,
Ungrateful as we are!
O make thy awful warnings heard,
While mercy cries," Forbear."
4 What land so favour'd of the skies,
As these apostate states!
Our numerous crimes increasing rise,
Yet, still thy vengeance waits!
5 How chang'd, alas! are truths divine,
For error, guilt, and shame!
What impious numbers, bold in sin,
Disgrace the christian name!
Q
|