944. 7s. & 6s. M. Sacred Songs.

Reflections at Sunset.

1 The mellow eve is gliding Serenely down the west; So, every care subsiding, My soul would sink to rest.

2 The woodland hum is ringing The daylight's gentle close; May angels round me singing, Thus hymn my last repose.

3 The evening star has lighted Her crystal lamp on high; So, when in death benighted, May hope illume the sky.

4 In golden splendor dawning, The morrow's light shall break; O, on the last bright morning May I in glory wake.



945. L. M. Watts.

Evening Hymn.

1 Thus far the Lord has led me on, Thus far his power prolongs my days! And every evening 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 I lay my body down to sleep; Peace is the pillow for my head: While well appointed angels keep Their watchful stations round my bed.

4 Faith in his name forbids my fear: O, may thy presence ne'er depart! And in the morning make me hear Thy love and kindness in my heart.

5 And when the night of death shall come, Still may I trust almighty love,— The love which triumphs o'er the tomb, And leads to perfect bliss above.



946. L. M. Kenn.

Trusting God. Evening Hymn.

1 Glory to thee, my God, this night, For all the blessings of the light: Keep me, O, keep me, King of kings, Beneath the shadow of thy wings.

2 Forgive me, Lord, through thy dear Son The ills which I this day have done; That with the world, myself, and thee, I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.

3 O, may my soul on thee repose, And with sweet sleep mine eyelids close! Sleep that shall me more vigorous make To serve my God when I awake.

4 Be thou my Guardian while I sleep; Thy watchful station near me keep; My heart with love celestial fill, And guard me from th' approach of ill.

5 Lord, let my heart forever share The bliss of thy paternal care: 'Tis heaven on earth, 'tis heaven above, To see thy face and sing thy love.



947. C. M. Anonymous.

Evening Hymn.

1 Indulgent God, whose bounteous care O'er all thy works is shown, O let my grateful praise and prayer Ascend before thy throne!

2 What mercies has this day bestowed! How largely hast thou blest! My cup with plenty overflowed, With cheerfulness my breast.

3 Now may sweet slumbers close my eyes, From pain and sickness free; And let my waking thoughts arise To meditate on thee.

4 So bless each future day and night, Till life's fond scene is o'er; At length, to realms of endless light Enraptured let me soar.



948. L. M. Keble.

"Abide with us, for it is towards evening, and the day is far spent."

1 'Tis gone, that bright and orbed blaze, Fast fading from our wistful gaze; Yon mantling cloud has hid from sight The last faint pulse of quivering light.

2 Sun of my soul! thou Saviour dear, It is not night if thou be near: Oh may no earth-born cloud arise To hide thee from thy servant's eyes.

3 When the soft dews of kindly sleep My wearied eyelids gently steep, Be my last thought now sweet to rest Forever on my Saviour's breast.

4 Abide with me from morn till eve, For without thee I cannot live; Abide with me when night is nigh, For without thee I dare not die.



949. 7s. M. Doddridge.

Evening Hymn.

1 Interval of grateful shade, Welcome to my weary head! Welcome slumbers to mine eyes, Tired with glaring vanities!

2 My great Master still allows Needful periods of repose: By my heavenly Father blest, Thus I give my powers to rest.

3 Heavenly Father, gracious name! Night and day his love the same! Far be each suspicious thought, Every anxious care forgot!

4 Thou, my ever-bounteous God, Crown'st my days with various good; Thy kind eye which cannot sleep, My defenceless hours shall keep.

5 Blest vicissitude to me! Day and night I'm still with thee; Guarded thus I sink to rest, Lodged within my Father's breast



950. S. M. Curtis' Coll.

Flight of Time.

1 Another day is past, The hours forever fled, And time is bearing us away To mingle with the dead.

2 Our minds in perfect peace Our Father's care shall keep, We yield to gentle slumber now, For thou canst never sleep.

3 How blessed, Lord, are they On thee securely stayed! Nor shall they be in life alarmed, Nor be in death dismayed.



951. S. M. Anonymous.

Evening Hymn.

1 The day is past and gone; The evening shades appear; O, may we all remember well The night of death draws near!

2 We lay our garments by, Upon our beds to rest; So death shall soon disrobe us all Of what is here possessed.

3 Lord, keep us safe this night, Secure from all our fears; May angels guard us, while we sleep, Till morning light appears!



952. 8s. & 7s. M. (Peculiar.) Kelly.

An Evening Offering.

1 Through the day thy love hath spared us, Now we lay us down to rest; Through the silent watches guard us, Let no foe our peace molest; Father, thou our guardian be, Sweet it is to trust in thee.

2 Pilgrims here on earth, and strangers, Dwelling in the midst of foes,— Us and ours preserve from dangers, In thine arms let us repose, And, when life's short day is past, Rest with thee in heaven at last.



953. 7s. M. Missionary Mag.

Evening Hymn.

1 Lord of glory! King of power! In this lone and silent hour, While the shades of darkness rise, And the eve is on the skies, By thy blessing, as the dews, Which yon shaded skies diffuse, Bid our feverish passions cease; Calm us with thy promised peace.

2 Wheresoe'er the brow of pain Seeks oblivion's balm in vain, Or the form of watchful grief Knows not of the night's relief, There thy pity, softening power, There the spirit's calm restore; Till each tongue, from murmuring free, Wakes the hymn of praise to thee.



954. P. M. Bp. Heber.

Evening Aspiration.

God, that madest earth and heaven, Darkness and light,— Who the day for toil hast given, For rest the night,— May thine angel guards defend us, Slumber sweet thy mercy send us, Holy dreams and hopes attend us, This livelong night.



955. 7s. M. Anonymous.

Evening Hymn. Ps. 141:2.

1 Softly now the light of day Fades upon my sight away; Free from care, from labor free, Lord, I will commune with thee.

2 Thou, whose all-pervading eye Nought escapes, without, within: Pardon each infirmity, Open fault and secret sin.

3 Soon, for me, the light of day Shall forever pass away; Then from sin and sorrow free, Take me, Lord, to dwell with thee.



956. L. M. Kenn.

Midnight.

1 My God, I now from sleep awake; The sole possession of me take; From midnight terrors me secure, And guard my heart from thoughts impure.

2 Blest angels, while we silent lie, You hallelujahs sing on high; You joyful hymn the Ever-blest, Before the throne, and never rest.

3 I with your choir celestial join, In offering up a hymn divine; With you in heaven I hope to dwell, And bid the night and world farewell.

4 Blest Jesus, thou, on heaven intent, Whole nights hast in devotion spent; But I, frail creature, soon am tired, And all my zeal is soon expired.

5 Shine on me, Lord, new life impart, Fresh ardors kindle in my heart: One ray of thy all-quickening light Dispels the sloth and clouds of night.



957. S. M. Conder.

Saturday Evening.

1 The hours of evening close; Its lengthened shadows, drawn O'er scenes of earth, invite repose, And wait the Sabbath dawn.

2 So let its calm prevail O'er forms of outward care; Nor thought for "many things" assail The still retreat of prayer.

3 Our guardian Shepherd near His watchful eye will keep; And, safe from violence and fear, Will fold his flock to sleep.

4 So may a holier light Than earth's our spirits rouse, And call us, strengthened by his might, To pay the Lord our vows.



958. L. M. 6l. Anonymous.

The Same.

1 Sweet to the soul the parting ray, That ushers placid evening in, When with the still, expiring day, The Sabbath's peaceful hours begin; How grateful to the anxious breast, The sacred hours of holy rest.

2 Hushed is the tumult of this day, And worldly cares and business cease; While soft the vesper breezes play, To hymn the glad return of peace. O season blest! O moment given To turn the vagrant thoughts to heaven.

3 Oft as this hallowed hour shall come, O raise my thoughts from earthly things, And bear them to my heavenly home, On living faith's immortal wings— Till the last gleam of life decay, In one eternal Sabbath day.



959. L. M. Cunningham.

Sabbath Morning.

1 Dear is the hallowed morn to me, When Sabbath bells awake the day, And, by their sacred minstrelsy, Call me from earthly cares away.

2 And dear to me the winged hour, Spent in thy hallowed courts, O Lord! To feel devotion's soothing power, And catch the manna of thy word.

3 And dear to me the loud Amen, Which echoes through the blest abode, Which swells and sinks, and swells again, Dies on the walls, but lives to God.

4 Oft when the world, with iron hands, Has bound me in its six days' chain, This bursts them, like the strong man's bands, And lets my spirit loose again.

5 Go, man of pleasure, strike thy lyre, Of broken Sabbaths sing the charms; Ours be the prophet's car of fire That bears us to a Father's arms.



960. L. M. Anonymous.

Sabbath Evening.

1 There is a time when moments flow More happily than all beside; It is, of all the times below, A Sabbath of the eventide.

2 O then the setting sun shines fair, And all below, and all above, The various forms of Nature, wear One universal garb of love.

3 And then the peace that Jesus brought The life of grace eternal beams, And we, by his example taught, Improve the life his love redeems.

4 Delightful scene! a world at rest; A God all love; no grief, no fear; A heavenly hope, a peaceful breast, A smile, unsullied by a tear.



MISCELLANEOUS.



961. L. M. Edwards.

Sabbath Hymn with Nature.

1 King of the world! I worship thee: Lord of the mind! the Sabbath's thine:— A contrite heart, a bended knee, To-day shall be my corn, my wine. A choral song for sacrifice Will mount as fire, and heavenward own The green-leaved earth, through joys and sighs A satellite round Mercy's throne.

2 The moon comes up to wake the dew, And hang a star on every leaf; The sun can take a rainbow hue, To kiss away the meadow's grief; The wave will lay its buoyance by, To let the cloud take anchor there; Earth, through her flowers, salutes the sky; The sky meets earth in balmy air.

3 And I was born to see and say How beauty beams, without, within: From the fly, made to gild a day, To my own soul, outliving sin. Even now I feel thy cherubim Have come to me from thee, All-wise!— Then, Silence, thou shalt be my hymn, And thought, my only sacrifice.



962. C. M. Herbert.

The Soul's Beauty Unfading.

1 Sweet day! so cool, so calm, so bright, Bridal of earth and sky, The dew shall weep thy fall to-night, For thou, alas! must die.

2 Sweet rose! in air whose odors wave, And color charms the eye, Thy root is ever in its grave, And thou, alas! must die.

3 Sweet spring! of days and roses made, Whose charms for beauty vie, Thy days depart, thy roses fade; Thou too, alas! must die.

4 Only a sweet and holy soul Hath tints that never fly; While flowers decay, and seasons roll, This lives, and cannot die.



963. L. M. Bowring.

Evening Hymn with Nature.

1 To Thee, my God! to thee I bring The evening's grateful offering; From thee, the source of joy above, Flow everlasting streams of love; And all the rays of light that shine, And bless creation, Lord! are thine.

2 The morn, when stepping down the hills— The noon, which all creation fills With glory; evening's placid fall, The twilight and the raven pall Of midnight; all alike proclaim Thy great, thine all impressive name.

3 And from the little worm, whose light Shines palely through the shades of night, Up to the sparkling stars that run Their evening rounds—or glorious sun, Rolling his car to twilight's rest— All, all in thee is bright and blest.

4 And over all—above, below, We see thee—ever-present thou! In every wandering rill that flows, In every gentle breeze that blows; In every rising, setting sun, We trace thee—own thee—holy One!

5 Yes! in the mid-day's fervid beams, And in the midnight's shadowy dreams, In action and repose, we see, We recognize and worship thee; To thee our worthiest songs would give, And in thee die, and to thee live.



964. 7s. M. B. Barton.

"He shall be like a tree planted in the rivers of water."

1 Blessed state! and happy he Who is like that planted tree; Living waters lave his root, Bends his bough with golden fruit.

2 When the seedling from its bed First lifts up its timid head, Ministry of thine must give. All on which its life can live.

3 Showers from thee must bid it thrive, Breath of thine must oft revive; Light from thee its bloom supplies,— Left by thee it fades and dies.

4 Thine, O Lord! the power and praise Which a sight like this displays; Power of thine must plant it there, Praise of thee it should declare.



965. 11s. M. (Peculiar.) F. Osgood.

"Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise."

1 Approach not the altar With gloom in thy soul; Nor let thy feet falter, From terror's control! God loves not the sadness Of fear and mistrust; Oh serve him with gladness— The Gentle, the Just!

2 His bounty is tender, His being is love, His smile fills with splendor, The blue arch above. Confiding, believing, Oh! enter always, "His courts with thanksgiving— His portals with praise!"

3 Nor come to the temple With pride in thy mien; But lowly and simple, In courage serene. Bring meekly, before him, The faith of a child: Bow down and adore him, With heart undefiled.



966. L. M. Miss Carey.

Light and Darkness.

1 Our Father, when beside the tomb We mourn the unconscious dead below, Thy angels come amid the gloom, With solace for our doubt and woe. And looking through the shades of death To that bright land where none can die, How clearly then the eye of faith Beholds the portals of the sky!

2 And they whose lives serenely even In pleasure's flowery way have kept, Have never known the love of heaven, As they whose souls have mourned and wept! For stricken by the hand of woe, The soul must seek a Father's love, And they who weep can only know What healing balm is found above!

3 And one repentant hour of tears, Of sweet communion and of prayer, Is worth a thousand, thousand years Where pleasure's thoughtless children are! And O, if ever man below Draws nearer to the eternal throne, 'Tis when his soul, subdued by woe, Seeks refuge with its God above!



967. L. M. Sir J. E. Smith.

"It is I, be not afraid."

1 When Power Divine, in mortal form, Hushed with a word the raging storm, In soothing accents Jesus said, "Lo, it is I!—be not afraid."

2 So, when in silence nature sleeps, And his lone watch the mourner keeps, One thought, shall every pang remove— Trust, feeble man, thy Maker's love.

3 Blessed be the voice that breathes from heaven, To every heart in sunder riven, When love, and joy, and hope are fled, "Lo it is I!—be not afraid."



968. L. M. Bowring.

Joy after Sorrow.

1 As, when the deluge-waves were gone, Hills, plains, and vales in freshness burst, And nature's earliest rainbow shone On scenes more lovely than the first,

2 Loosed from the ark, a heavenly dove, The promise-branch of olive bore,— Pledge of returning peace and love That beamed more brightly than before:—

3 So when affliction's waters glide From the enfranchised soul away, More peaceful, pure, and sanctified, The soul emerges into day.

4 And then, as with the olive bough The heavenly dove of old drew near, Some gentle words of truth will flow, In holy music on the ear.

5 O'er all the transient things of time, The oblivious foot of years hath trod; But all that's sacred and sublime Stands steadfast as the truth of God.



969. 7s. M. Bowring.

Pious Worship.

1 In thy courts let peace be found, Be thy temple full of love; There we tread on holy ground, All serene, around, above.

2 While the knee in prayer is bent, While with praise the heart o'erflows, Tranquillize the turbulent! Give the weary one repose!

3 Be the place for worship meet, Meet the worship for the place; Contemplation's best retreat, Shrine of guilelessness and grace!

4 As an infant knows its home, Lord! may we thy temples know; Thither for instruction come— Thence by thee instructed go.



970. L. M. Cunningham.

An Ancient Church.

1 Long be our fathers' temple ours, Far hence the time in which it falls; A thousand spirits watch its bowers, A cloud of angels guard its walls.

2 And be their shield by us possessed; Lord, rear around the blest abode, The buttress of a holy breast, The rampart of a present God.



971. C. M. Anonymous.

The Widow's Prayer.

1 Though faint and sick, and worn away With poverty and woe, My widowed feet are doomed to stray 'Mid thorny paths below.

2 Be thou, O Lord, my Father still, My confidence and guide: I know that perfect is thy will, Whate'er that will decide.

3 I know the soul that trusts in thee Thou never wilt forsake; And though a bruised reed I be, That reed thou wilt not break.

4 Then keep me, Lord, where'er I go, Support me on my way, Though, worn with poverty and woe, My widowed footsteps stray.

5 To give my weakness strength, O God, Thy staff shall yet avail; And though thou chasten with thy rod, That staff shall never fail.



972. C. M. Anonymous.

The Orphan's Hymn.

1 Where shall the child of sorrow find A place for calm repose? Thou, Father of the fatherless, Pity the orphan's woes!

2 What friend have I in heaven or earth, What friend to trust but thee? My father's dead—my mother's dead; My God, remember me!

3 Thy gracious promise now fulfil, And bid my trouble cease; In thee the fatherless shall find Pure mercy, grace and peace.

4 I've not a secret care or pain, But he that secret knows; Thou, Father of the fatherless, Pity the orphan's woes!



973. 7s. M. Bowring.

"The rich and poor meet together."

1 Come the rich and come the poor, To the Christian temple door; Let their mingled prayers ascend To the universal Friend.

2 Here the rich and poor may claim Common ancestry and name; Claim a common heritage, In the gospel's promise page.

3 Of the same materials wrought; By the same instructor taught; Walking in life's common way; Tending to the same decay.

4 Rich and poor at last shall meet At the heavenly mercy seat; Where the name of rich and poor Never shall be uttered more.



974. L. M. Bowring.

Temptation.

1 Oh, what a struggle wakes within, When in the spirit's solitude, The tempting, treacherous thoughts of sin, In all their luring smiles intrude!

2 'Tis then, my Father! then I feel My nature's weakness, and, oppressed, Like a poor trembling child I steal To thee, for safety, and for rest.

3 Beneath thy shadow let me live! Be thou my Friend—my Father be! I bend in trust—I pray! forgive The erring child that flies to thee!



975. L. M. Anonymous.

The Faithful Minister.

1 "Let there be light!"—When from on high, O God, that first commandment came, Forth leaped the sun; and earth and sky Lay in his light, and felt his flame.

2 "Let there be light!"—The light of grace And truth, a darkling world to bless, Came with thy word, when on our race Broke forth the Sun of Righteousness.

3 Light of our souls! how strong it grows: That sun, how wide his beams he flings, As up the glorious sky he goes, With light and healing in his wings!

4 Give us that light! O God, 'tis given! Hope sees it open heaven's wide halls To those who for the truth have striven; And Faith walks firmly where it falls.

5 Churches no more, in cold eclipse, Mourn the withholding of its rays; It gilds their gates, and on the lips Of every faithful preacher plays.



976. P. M. Moore.

Fall of Israel.

1 Fallen is thy throne, O Israel!— Silence is on all thy plains,— Thy dwellings all lie desolate,— Thy children weep in chains. Where are the dews that fed thee On Ethan's barren shore? That fire from heaven that led thee Now lights thy path no more!

2 Lord, thou didst love Jerusalem! Once she was all thy own! Her love thy fairest heritage, Her power thy glory's throne; Till evil came and blighted Thy long-loved olive tree, And Salem's shrines were lighted For other gods than thee.

3 Then sunk the star of Solyma, Then passed her glory's day, Like heath that in the wilderness The wild wind whirls away. Silent and waste her bowers, Where once the mighty trod; And sunk those guilty towers, Where Baal reigned as God.



977. L. M. Anonymous.

Remonstrance with the Jews.

1 Why on the bending willows hung, Israel! still sleeps thy tuneful string?— Still mute remains thy sullen tongue, And Zion's song denies to sing?

2 Awake! thy sweetest raptures raise; Let harp and voice unite their strains Thy promised King his sceptre sways; Jesus, thine own Messiah, reigns!

3 No taunting foes the song require: No strangers mock thy captive chain: But friends provoke the silent lyre, And brethren ask the holy strain.

4 Nor fear thy Salem's hills to wrong, If other lands thy triumph share: A heavenly city claims thy song; A brighter Salem rises there.

5 By foreign streams no longer roam; Nor, weeping, think of Jordan's flood: In every clime behold a home, In every temple see thy God.



978. 8s. & 7s. M. Cowper.

The Glory of the Redeemed.

1 Hear what God the Lord hath spoken, "O my people, faint and few, Comfortless, afflicted, broken, Fair abodes I build for you; Thorns of heart-felt tribulation Shall no more perplex your ways; Ye shall name your walls, Salvation, And your gates shall all be praise.

2 "There, like streams that feed the garden, Pleasures without end shall flow; For the Lord, your faith rewarding, All his bounty shall bestow; Still, in undisturbed possession, Peace and righteousness shall reign: Never shall you feel oppression, Hear the voice of war again.

3 "Ye no more your suns descending, Waning moons no more shall see; But, your griefs forever ending, Find eternal noon in me; God shall rise, and shining o'er you, Change to day the gloom of night; He, the Lord, shall be your glory, God, your everlasting light."



979. C. M. Ancient Hymns.

The Noble Army of Martyrs.

1 The triumphs of the martyred saints The joyous lay demand; The heart delights in song to dwell On that victorious band— Those whom the senseless world abhorred, Who cast the world aside, Deeming it worthless, for the sake Of Christ, their Lord and Guide.

2 For him they braved the tyrant's rage, The scourge's cruel smart; The wild beast's fang their bodies tore, But vanquished not the heart; Like lambs before the sword they fell, Nor cry nor plaint expressed; For patience kept the conscious mind And armed the fearless breast.

3 What tongue can tell the crown prepared The martyr's brow to grace? His shining robe, his joys unknown, Before thy glorious face? Vouchsafe us, Lord, if such thy will. Clear skies and seasons calm; If not, the martyr's cross to bear, And win the martyr's palm.



980. 6s. M. Luther.

The Death of Martyrs.

1 Flung to the heedless winds, Or on the waters cast, Their ashes shall be watched, And gathered at the last: And from that scattered dust, Around us and abroad, Shall spring a plenteous seed Of witnesses for God.

2 The Father hath received Their latest living breath; Yet vain is Satan's boast Of victory in their death: Still, still, though dead, they speak, And trumpet-tongued proclaim To many a wakening land The one availing name.



981. S. M. Ancient Hymns.

Thanks for all Saints.

1 For all thy saints, O God, Who strove in Christ to live, Who followed him, obeyed, adored, Our grateful hymn receive.

2 For all thy saints, O God, Accept our thankful cry, Who counted Christ their great reward, And strove in him to die.

3 They all, in life and death, With him, their Lord in view, Learned from thy Holy Spirit's breath To suffer and to do.

4 For this thy name we bless, And humbly beg that we May follow them in holiness, And live and die in thee.



982. 7s. & 6s. M. (Peculiar.) Meth. Coll.

Quiet Religion.

1 Open, Lord, my inward ear, And bid my heart rejoice; Bid my quiet spirit hear The comfort of thy voice; Never in the whirlwind found, Or where earthquakes rock the place Still and silent is the sound, The whisper of thy grace.

2 From the world of sin, and noise, And hurry, I withdraw; For the small and inward voice I wait with humble awe; Silent I am now and still, Dare not in thy presence move; To my waiting soul reveal The secret of thy love.



983. L. M. 8l. H. Ballou, 2d.

"A Hiding-place from the Wind," &c.

1 When dread misfortune's tempests rise, And roar through all the darkened skies, Where shall the anxious pilgrim gain A shelter from the wind and rain? Within the covert of thy grace, O Lord, there is a hiding-place, Where, unconcerned, we hear the sound, Though storm and tempest rage around.

2 When, wandering o'er the desert bare Of burning sands and sultry air, We've sought the cheerless region through, But found no stream to meet our view,— 'Tis then, the rivers of thy love, Descending from thy throne above, Supply our wants, and soothe our pain, And raise our fainting souls again.

3 When in a weary land we tire, And our exhausted powers expire, With toil, and care, and heat oppressed, Where shall our languid spirits rest? O, who could bear the blasting ray, And all the burden of the day, Did not a Rock in Zion stand, O'ershading all this weary land!



984. C. M. H. Ware.

On Opening an Organ.

1 All nature's works his praise declare To whom they all belong; There is a voice in every star, In every breeze a song. Sweet music fills the world abroad With strains of love and power; The stormy sea sings praise to God— The thunder and the shower.

2 To God the tribes of ocean cry, And birds upon the wing; To God, the powers that dwell on high Their tuneful tribute bring. Like them let man the throne surround, With them loud chorus raise, While instruments of loftiest sound Assist his feeble praise.

3 Great God! to thee we consecrate Our voices and our skill; We bid the pealing organ wait To speak alone thy will. Oh, teach its rich and swelling notes To lift our souls on high; And while the music round us floats, Let earth-born passion die.



985. C. M. L. H. Sigourney.

Marriage Hymn.

1 Not for the summer's hour alone, When skies resplendent shine, And youth and pleasure fill the throne, Our hearts and hands we join;

2 But for those stern and wintry days Of sorrow, pain, and fear, When Heaven's wise discipline doth make Our earthly journey drear;—

3 Not for this span of life alone, Which like a blast doth fly, And as the transient flowers of grass, Just blossom, droop, and die;—

4 But for a being without end This vow of love we take; Grant us, O God, one home at last, For thy great mercy's sake.



986. 7s. & 6s. M. Heber.

The Same.

1 When on her Maker's bosom The new-born earth was laid, And nature's opening blossom Its fairest bloom displayed; When all with fruits and flowers, The laughing soil was dressed, And Eden's fragrant bowers Received their human guest,—

2 No sin his face defiling, The heir of nature stood, And God, benignly smiling, Beheld that all was good. Yet in that hour of blessing A single want was known,— A wish the heart distressing,— For Adam was alone.

3 O God of pure affection, By men and saints adored, O, give us thy protection Around this nuptial board. May thy rich bounties ever To wedded love be shown, And no rude hand dissever Whom thou hast linked in one.



987. L. M. C. Sprague.

For the Blessing of Schools.

1 O Thou, at whose dread name we bend, To whom our purest vows we pay, God over all, in love descend, And bless the labors of this day.

2 Our fathers here, a pilgrim band, Fixed the proud empire of the free; Art moved in gladness o'er the land, And Faith her altars reared to thee.

3 Here, too, to guard, through every age, The sacred rights their valor won, They bade instruction spread her page, And send down truth from sire to son.

4 Here still, through all succeeding time, Their stores may truth and learning bring And still the anthem-note sublime To thee from children's children sing.



988. L. M. J. G. Adams.

Dedication of a School-house.

1 God of our fathers! from whose hand Came all our lights and blessings down,— Who this devoted, favored land Dost with thy choicest mercy crown!

2 To Learning and to Knowledge reared— We dedicate with prayer and praise This edifice, to thee, revered Above all gods, through endless days!

3 Accept the offering—deign to dwell With thy confiding children here; The shades of Ignorance dispel,— In Truth's omnipotence appear!

4 Here through successive years may come The youthful mind—fair Wisdom's guest; Long be this house Instruction's home, When those who reared it sink to rest.



989. 6s. & 4s. M. J. G. Adams.

The Same.

1 Raise the adoring song! Praises to God belong, In this glad hour! He who from worlds on high, Spreads over earth and sky Proofs of his majesty, Goodness and power!

2 Praise, that Instruction's voice Bids the young heart rejoice In this fair land; Praise, that the humblest mind Wisdom's true light may find, Ground on which all inclined Freely may stand.

3 Source of all holiness! With thy rich favor bless This house of thine; Here be true knowledge sought, Here purest wisdom taught, Wisdom with Freedom fraught, Freedom divine!



990. C. M. P. H. Sweetser.

The Same.

1 Let monumental pillars rise In majesty sublime— Their granite columns shall decay Before the touch of time.

2 But mind, enlightened and refined, Shall live beyond the sky, And heavenly sciences explore, When time itself shall die!

3 A nobler monument we raise Than costly marble pile— A beacon light to lead the way From ignorance and guile.

4 This house, with prayer, O God, we give To truth's supreme control; To virtue and progressive thought, The riches of the soul.



991. L. M. Anonymous.

The River of Life.

1 There is a pure and peaceful wave, That issues from the throne of love, Whose waters gladden as they lave The bright and heavenly courts above.

2 In living streams behold that tide Through Christ the rock profusely burst; And in his word, behold supplied The fount for which our spirits thirst.

3 The pilgrim faint, who seems to sink Beneath the sultry sky of time, May here repose, and freely drink The waters of that better clime.

4 And every soul may here partake The blessings of the fount above; And none who drink will e'er forsake The crystal stream of boundless love.



992. 8s. & 7s. M. Anonymous.

The Soldier of the Cross.

1 Soldier, to the contest pressing, Onward, let thy watchword be; God upon thee pours his blessing; What though man derideth thee!

2 Onward, though the fagot's burning By thy pathway's only light; Onward, death and danger spurning; Onward in the path of right!

3 God, for all thy wants providing, Armor trusty hath for thee; Gird thyself, in him confiding, With the goodly panoply:

4 Righteousness thy breast defending, And thy feet with justice shod: Onward; with the foe contending, Wield thy sword, the word of God.

5 Thine the helmet of salvation, Faith thy mighty shield shall be; And let prayer and supplication, Lance and glorious falchion be;

6 Onward then, with bold contending, In the path the martyrs trod: God to thee his strength is lending; Onward, in the strength of God.



993. C. M. Anonymous.

On Occasion of a Destructive Fire.

1 Eternal God, our humbled souls Before thy presence bow; With all thy wasting magazines, How terrible art thou!

2 The flames thy messengers become, And their destruction pour, And that which we in strength had reared Lies mouldered in an hour.

3 Within our pleasant places, Lord, Destruction rears its head, And blackened walls and smoking heaps Along our streets are spread.

4 Lord, in this hour we come to thee, With awe adore thy name; Yet bless the hand of guardian love, That snatched us from the flame.



994. C. M. E. H. Chapin.

During or after a Great Storm.

1 Amid surrounding gloom and waste, From nature's face we flee; And in our fear and wonder haste O nature's life, to thee! Thy ways are in the mighty deep; In tempests as they blow; In floods that o'er our treasures sweep; The lightning; and the snow.

2 Though earth upon its axis reels, And heaven is veiled in wrath; Not one of nature's million wheels Breaks its appointed path; Fixed in thy grasp, the sources meet Of beauty and of awe; In storm or calm, all pulses beat True to the central law.

3 Thou art that law, whose will thus done In seeming wreck and blight, Sends the calm planets round the sun, And pours the moon's soft light. We trust thy love; thou best dost know The universal peace; How long the stormy force should blow, And when the flood should cease.

4 And though around our path some form Of mystery ever lies, And life is like the calm and storm That checker earth and skies, Through all its mingling joy and dread, Permit us, Holy One, By faith to see the golden thread Of thy great purpose run.



995. C. M. Addison.

The Traveller's Hymn.

1 How are thy servants blest, O Lord! How sure is their defence! Eternal wisdom is their guide, Their help omnipotence.

2 In foreign realms, and lands remote, Supported by thy care, They pass unhurt through burning climes, And breathe in tainted air.

3 Thy mercy sweetens every soil, Makes every region please; The hoary, frozen hills it warms, And smooths the boisterous seas.

4 In midst of dangers, fears, and death, Thy goodness I'll adore, And praise thee for thy mercies past, And humbly hope for more.



996. L. M. H. Bacon.

Influence of Christian Woman. Matt. 26:13.

1 "Where'er my Gospel is proclaimed, Through the long ages yet to be, There shall this deed of love be named Which she this hour hath done for me."

2 Lord, while our eyes on Mary rest, And see the precious perfume poured, With thrilling power our thoughts invest The sacred record of thy word.

3 We bring to God, in thy dear name, The tribute of our grateful praise. For many a deed, unknown to fame, Where woman her true homage pays.

4 The wife, the mother, sister, friend,— All holy may her influence be! The sweetness of her kindness blend With Temperance, Truth, and Charity.

5 Oh not a work is wrought in vain Where love like Mary's fills the heart; Memorials of that love remain, A sacred influence to impart.



997. 8s. & 7s. M. J. G. Adams.

"She hath done what she could." Mark 14:8.

1 Bless, O bless, Almighty Father, Woman's mission with our race,— Her fond strivings here to gather Fruits of thy redeeming grace.

2 Though her way be not where honor Wins the gazing world's acclaim, Yet we bless thee that upon her Rests the power of Jesus' name.

3 In that name, O Father, strengthen Her full heart and ready hands; May her efforts serve to lengthen Christian love's encircling bands.

4 Where the mourning and the needy And the suffering faint and die, Be her presence sure and speedy, Mercy's blessings to supply.

5 Where old error's words are spoken, Be truth's witness by her given, Till, the spell of bondage broken, Earth redeemed resembles heaven.



998. C. M. Barton.

"Walk in the Light."

1 Walk in the light! so shalt thou know That fellowship of love, His Spirit only can bestow, Who reigns in light above.

2 Walk in the light! and thou shalt own Thy darkness passed away, Because that light hath on thee shone In which is perfect day.

3 Walk in the light! and e'en the tomb No fearful shade shall wear; Glory shall chase away its gloom, For Christ hath conquered there!

4 Walk in the light! and thine shall be A path, though thorny,—bright: For God, by grace, shall dwell in thee, And God himself is light!



999. L. M. Anonymous.

The Cause of Humanity Hopeful.

1 The past is dark with sin and shame, The future dim with doubt and fear; But, Father, yet we praise thy name, Whose guardian love is always near!

2 For man has striven ages long With faltering steps to come to thee, And in each purpose high and strong The influence of thy grace could see.

3 He could not breathe an earnest prayer But thou wert kinder than he dreamed, As age by age brought hopes more fair, And nearer still thy kingdom seemed.

4 But never rose within his breast, A trust so calm and deep as now; Shall not the weary find a rest? Father! Preserver! answer thou!

5 'Tis dark around, 'tis dark above, But through the shadow streams the sun; We cannot doubt thy certain love, And man's great aim shall yet be won!



1000. 8s. & 7s. M. Montgomery.

Joyful Hope.

1 Know, my soul, thy full salvation; Rise o'er sin, and fear, and care; Joy to find, in every station, Something still to do, or bear. Think what spirit dwells within thee; Think what Father's smiles are thine; Think what Jesus did to win thee;— Child of heaven! canst thou repine?

2 Haste thee on from grace to glory, Armed with faith, and winged with prayer; Heaven's eternal day's before thee, God's own hand shall guide thee there: Soon shall cease thine earthly mission, Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days; Hope shall change to glad fruition, Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.



1001. S. M. Wesleyan.

For a Holy Heart.

1 Great Source of life and light, Thy heavenly grace impart, And by thy holy spirit write Thy law upon my heart. My soul would cleave to thee; Let nought my purpose move; O, let my faith more steadfast be, And more intense my love!

2 Long as my trials last, Long as the cross I bear, O, let my soul on thee be cast In confidence and prayer! Conduct me to the shore Of everlasting peace, Where storm and tempest rise no more, Where sin and sorrow cease.



1002. 8s. & 7s. M. Waterston.

"As for the truth, it endureth and is always strong."

1 Theories, which thousands cherish, Pass like clouds that sweep the sky; Creeds and dogmas all may perish; Truth herself can never die.

2 From the glorious heavens above her, She has shed her beams abroad, That the souls who truly love her, May become the sons of God.

3 Worldlings blindly may refuse her, Close their eyes and call it night; Learned scoffers may abuse her, But they cannot quench her light!

4 Thrones may totter, empires crumble, All their glories cease to be; While she, Christ-like, crowns the humble, And from bondage sets them free.

5 God himself will e'er defend her From the fury of her foe, Till she, in her native splendor, Sits enthroned o'er all below.



1003. 7s. M. 6l. Anonymous.

Active Benevolence.

1 In the morning sow thy seed, Nor at eve withhold thy hand; Who can tell which may succeed, Or if both alike shall stand, And a glorious harvest bear, To reward the sower's care?

2 Sow it 'mid the haunts of vice— Scenes of infamy and crime; Suddenly, may Paradise Burst, as in the northern clime Spring, with all its verdant race, Starts from Winter's cold embrace.

3 Sow it with unsparing hand; 'Tis the kingdom's precious seed, 'Tis the Master's great command, And his grace shall crown the deed; He hath said, the precious grain Never shall be sown in vain.



1004. H. M. J. G. Adams.

Death of a Magistrate or Public Man.

1 Death moves with victor's tread In our high places, Lord! The honorable dead We mourn with one accord; Our souls, oppressed, before thee bow, Heed thou the prayer, accept the vow.

2 While thus we feel the rod Of thine afflictive love, Teach us, our fathers' God, Thy justice to approve. Though all thy ways we cannot trace, May we not doubt thy guardian grace.

3 O keep us in thy hand, A chosen race for thee; And make our own loved land The true home of the free; Where sin shall cease, and righteousness Forever dwell, forever bless.



1005. C. M. Mrs. Sigourney.

True Prayer.

1 The Lord is on his holy throne, He sits in kingly state; Let those who for his favors seek, In humble silence wait.

2 True prayer is not th' imposing sound That clamorous lips repeat; But the deep silence of a soul That clasps Jehovah's feet.



DOXOLOGIES.



1006. H. M.

Doxology.

Glory to God on high! Forever bless his name; Let earth, and seas, and sky His wondrous love proclaim; To him be praise And glory given By all on earth, And all in heaven.



1007. 7s. M.

The Same.

Praise to God! immortal praise From the heavens, the earth, the seas! All in one vast chorus join, To extol the name divine!



1008. L. M.

The Same.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow! Praise him, all creatures here below! Praise him, above, ye heavenly throng! Praise God, our Father, in your song!

THE END