Part 16

4 Wild, phantom shapes of gloom and fear, Roam dimly through the haunted spot, And earth holds not a land so drear As the sad heart that owns thee not, Where sorrows wound and pleasures pall, And death's dread shadow darkens all.

5 But lift thy sceptre there, its bowers Shall be serene and sweet and fair, And, as in time's primeval hours, The holy ones shall gather there, And heaven's own peace the soul o'erflow, E'en while it lingers here below.

421. 7s. M. Beaumont.

The Heaven Within.

1 As earth's pageant passes by, Let reflection turn thine eye Inward, and observe thy breast; There alone dwells solid rest.

2 That's a close immured tower, Which can mock all hostile power; To thyself a tenant be, And inhabit safe and free.

3 Say not that this house is small, Girt up in a narrow wall; In a cleanly, sober mind, Heaven itself full room doth find.

4 The infinite Creator can Dwell in it; and may not man? Here, content, make thy abode With thyself and with thy God.

DEVOUT EXERCISES.

422. C. M. H. M. Williams.

Habitual Devotion.

1 While thee I seek, protecting Power! Be my vain wishes stilled; And may this consecrated hour With better hopes be filled.

2 Thy love the power of thought bestowed; To thee my thoughts would soar; Thy mercy o'er my life has flowed-- That mercy I adore!

3 In each event of life, how clear Thy ruling hand I see! Each blessing to my soul more dear, Because conferred by thee.

4 In every joy that crowns my days, In every pain I bear, My heart shall find delight in praise, Or seek relief in prayer.

5 When gladness wings my favored hour, Thy love my thoughts shall fill; Resigned, when storms of sorrow lower, My soul shall meet thy will.

6 My lifted eye, without a tear, The gathering storm shall see; My steadfast heart shall know no fear;-- That heart shall rest on thee!

423. L. M. Bowring.

Perpetual Praise.

1 When, wakened by thy voice of power, The hour of morning beams in light, My voice shall sing that morning hour, And thee, who mad'st that hour so bright.

2 The morning strengthens into noon; Earth's fairest beauties shine more fair; And noon and morning shall attune My grateful heart to praise and prayer.

3 When 'neath the evening western gate The sun's retiring rays are hid, My joy shall be to meditate, E'en as the pious patriarch did.

4 As twilight wears a darker hue, And gathering night creation dims, The twilight and the midnight, too, Shall have their harmonies and hymns.

5 So shall sweet thoughts, and thoughts sublime, My constant inspirations be; And every shifting scene of time Reflect, my God, a light from thee.

424. C. M. Mrs. Brown.

Secret Prayer.

1 I love to steal awhile away From every cumbering care, And spend the hours of setting day In humble, grateful prayer.

2 I love to think on mercies past, And future good implore, And all my cares and sorrows cast On him whom I adore.

3 I love by faith to take a view Of brighter scenes in heaven; The prospect doth my strength renew, While here by tempests driven.

4 Thus, when life's toilsome day is o'er, May its departing ray Be calm as this impressive hour, And lead to endless day.

425. S. M. C. Wesley.

Prayer for Self-Consecration.

1 O God, my strength, my hope, On thee I cast my care, With humble confidence look up, And know thou hearest prayer.

2 O, for a godly fear, A quick-discerning eye, That looks to thee when sin is near, And sees the tempter fly!--

3 A spirit still prepared, And armed with jealous care, Forever standing on its guard, And watching unto prayer!

4 Lord, let me still abide, Nor from my hope remove, Till thou my patient spirit guide To better worlds above.

426. L. M. Moore.

Breathings of Grace.

1 Like morning, when her early breeze Breaks up the surface of the seas, That, in their furrows, dark with night, Her hand may sow the seeds of light;

2 Thy grace can send its breathings o'er The spirit, dark and lost before; And freshening all its depths, prepare For truth divine to enter there!

3 Till David touched his sacred lyre, In silence lay the unbreathing wire; But when he swept its chords along, E'en angels stooped to hear the song.

4 So sleeps the soul, till thou, O Lord, Shall deign to touch its lifeless chord; Till, waked by thee, its breath shall rise In music worthy of the skies.

427. S. M. Cowper.

Dependence on God.

1 To keep the lamp alive, With oil we fill the bowl; 'T is water makes the willow thrive, And grace that feeds the soul.

2 The Lord's unsparing hand Supplies the living stream; It is not at our own command, But still derived from him.

3 Man's wisdom is to seek His strength in God alone; And e'en an angel would be weak, Who trusted in his own.

4 Retreat beneath his wings, And in his grace confide; This more exalts the King of kings Than all your works beside.

5 In God is all our store, Grace issues from his throne; Whoever says, "I want no more," Confesses he has none.

428. 7s. M. 6l. Montgomery.

The Soul panting for God.

1 As the hart, with eager looks, Panteth for the water-brooks, So my soul, athirst for thee, Pants the living God to see; When, O when, with filial fear, Lord, shall I to thee draw near?

2 Why art thou cast down, my soul? God, thy God, shall make thee whole: Why art thou disquieted? God shall lift thy fallen head, And his countenance benign Be the saving health of thine.

429. L. M. Henry Moore.

Wisdom and Virtue sought from God.

1 Supreme and universal Light! Fountain of reason! Judge of right! Parent of good! whose blessings flow On all above, and all below:

2 Assist us, Lord, to act, to be, What nature and thy laws decree; Worthy that intellectual flame, Which from thy breathing spirit came!

3 May our expanded souls disclaim The narrow view, the selfish aim; But with a Christian zeal embrace Whate'er is friendly to our race.

4 O Father, grace and virtue grant! No more we wish, no more we want: To know, to serve thee, and to love, Is peace below,--is bliss above.

430. C. M. Merrick.

Holy Resignation.

1 Author of good, to thee we turn: Thine ever wakeful eye Alone can all our wants discern, Thy hand alone supply.

2 O, let thy love within us dwell, Thy fear our footsteps guide; That love shall vainer loves expel, That fear all fears beside.

3 And, O, by error's force subdued, Since oft, with stubborn will, We blindly shun the latent good, And grasp the specious ill,--

4 Not what we wish, but what we want, Let mercy still supply: The good we ask not; Father, grant; The ill we ask, deny.

431. L. M. 6l. C. Wesley.

Prayer for the Comforter.

1 I want the spirit of power within, Of love, and of a healthful mind; Of power to conquer every sin, Of love to God and all mankind; Of health that pain and death defies, Most vigorous when the body dies.

2 O that the Comforter would come, Nor visit as a transient guest, But fix in me his constant home, And keep possession of my breast; And make my soul his loved abode, The temple of indwelling God!

432. L. M. Cotton.

A Peaceful Conscience.

1 While some in folly's pleasures roll, And court the joys that hurt the soul, Be mine that silent, calm repast, A conscience peaceful to the last.

2 With this companion in the shade, My soul no more shall be dismayed; But fearless meet life's dreariest gloom, And the pale monarch of the tomb.

3 Amidst the various scenes of ills, Each blow some kind design fulfils; And can I murmur at my God, While love supreme directs the rod?

4 His hand will smooth my rugged way, And lead me to the realms of day; To milder skies, and brighter plains, Where everlasting pleasure reigns.

433. L. M. Watts.

Self-knowledge, and Abstraction from Earth.

1 My God, permit me not to be A stranger to myself and thee: Amidst a thousand thoughts I rove, Forgetful of my highest love.

2 Why should my passions mix with earth, And thus debase my heavenly birth? Why should I cleave to things below, And let my God, my Saviour go?

3 Call me away from flesh and sense; Thy sovereign word can draw me thence: I would obey the voice divine, And all inferior joys resign.

4 Be earth, with all her scenes, withdrawn, Let noise and vanity be gone: In secret silence of the mind, My heaven, and there my God, I find.

434. 7s. & 6s. M. Anonymous.

Rising towards Heaven.

1 Rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings, Thy better portion trace; Rise from transitory things, Towards heaven, thy native place: Sun, and moon, and stars decay, Time shall soon this earth remove; Rise, my soul, and haste away To seats prepared above.

2 Rivers to the ocean run, Nor stay in all their course; Fire ascending seeks the sun,-- Both speed them to their source: So a soul that's born of God Pants to view his glorious face, Upward tends to his abode, To rest in his embrace.

435. L. P. M. Anonymous.

Christ Desired.

1 Come, O thou universal good! Balm of the wounded conscience, come! The hungry, dying spirit's food; The weary, wand'ring pilgrim's home; Haven to take the shipwrecked in, My everlasting rest from sin!

2 Come, O my comfort and delight! My strength and health, and shield, and sun My boast, my confidence, and might, My joy, my glory, and my crown; My gospel-hope, my calling's prize, My tree of life, my paradise.

436. C. M. Newton.

"Unto you who believe he is precious."

1 How sweet the name of Jesus sounds In a believer's ear! It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds, And drives away his fear.

2 It makes the wounded spirit whole, It calms the troubled breast; 'T is manna to the hungry soul, And, to the weary, rest.

3 Weak is the effort of my heart, And cold my warmest thought, But when I see thee as thou art, I'll praise thee as I ought.

4 Till then I would thy love proclaim, With every fleeting breath; And may the music of thy name Refresh my soul in death.

437. 11s. M. Mrs. Hale.

The Lord's Prayer.

1 Our Father in heaven, we hallow thy name! May thy kingdom holy on earth be the same! O give to us daily our portion of bread; It is from thy bounty that all must be fed.

2 Forgive our transgressions, and teach us to know That humble compassion which pardons each foe: Keep us from temptation, from weakness and sin, And thine be the glory forever--Amen.

438. C. M. T. Whittemore.

The Same.

1 Our Father, who in heaven art, All hallowed be thy name: Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, On earth, in heaven the same.

2 Give us this day our daily bread, Our debts, O Lord, forgive, As we forgive our enemies And thus obedient live.

3 Into temptation lead us not, From evil keep us clean; Thine is the kingdom, glory, power Forevermore, Amen.

439. S. M. Montgomery.

The Same.

1 Our heavenly Father, hear The prayer we offer now:-- Thy name be hallowed far and near, To thee all nations bow.

2 Thy kingdom come; thy will On earth be done in love, As saints and seraphim fulfil Thy perfect law above.

3 Our daily bread supply, While by thy word we live; The guilt of our iniquity Forgive, as we forgive.

4 From dark temptation's power Our feeble hearts defend; Deliver in the evil hour, And guide us to the end.

5 Thine, then, forever be Glory and power divine; The sceptre, throne, and majesty Of heaven and earth are thine.

440. C. M. Anonymous.

The Lord's Prayer.

1 O Thou, enthroned in worlds above, Our Father and our Friend! Lo, at the footstool of thy love, Thy children humbly bend.

2 All reverence to thy name be given; Thy kingdom wide displayed; And, as thy will is done in heaven, Be it on earth obeyed.

3 Our table may thy bounty spread, From thine exhaustless store, From day to day with daily bread,-- Nor would we ask for more.

4 That pardon we to others give, Do thou to us extend; From all temptation, Lord, relieve; From every ill defend.

5 And now to thee belong, Most High, The kingdom, glory, power, Through the broad earth and spacious sky, Both now and evermore.

441. 10s. M. Dr. Johnson.

From Boethius.

Seeking God.

1 O Thou, whose power o'er moving worlds presides, Whose voice created, and whose wisdom guides, On darkling man in pure effulgence shine, And cheer his clouded mind with light divine.

2 'T is thine alone to calm the pious breast With silent confidence and holy rest; From thee, great God, we spring, to thee we tend; Path, Motive, Guide, Original, and End.

442. S. M. Watts.

Abba, Father.

1 Behold, what wondrous grace The Father has bestowed On sinners of a mortal race, To call them sons of God!

2 Nor doth it yet appear How great we must be made; But when we see our Saviour here, We shall be like our Head.

3 A hope so much divine May trials well endure; May purify our souls from sin, As Christ, the Lord, is pure.

4 We would no longer lie Like slaves beneath the throne; Our faith shall Abba, Father, cry, And thou the kindred own.

443. L. M. Mrs. Steele.

The Christian's Resolve.

1 Ah wretched souls, who strive in vain, Slaves to the world, and slaves to sin! A nobler toil may I sustain, A nobler satisfaction win.

2 May I resolve, with all my heart, With all my powers, to serve the Lord; Nor from his precepts e'er depart, Whose service is a rich reward.

3 Be this the purpose of my soul, My solemn, my determined choice, To yield to his supreme control, And in his kind commands rejoice.

4 O may I never faint nor tire, Nor, wandering, leave his sacred ways; Great God! accept my soul's desire, And give me strength to live thy praise.

444. L. M. Browne.

"Giving thanks to God in all things."

1 Great God! my joyful thanks to thee Shall, like thy gifts, continual be: In constant streams thy bounty flows, Nor end nor intermission knows.

2 Thy kindness all my comforts gives; My numerous wants thy hand relieves; Nor can I ever, Lord, be poor, Who live on thy exhaustless store.

3 If what I wish thy will denies, It is that thou art good and wise; Afflictions, which may make me mourn, Thou canst, thou dost, to blessings turn.

4 Deep, Lord, upon my thankful breast, Let all thy favors be imprest; And though withdrawn thy gifts should be In all things I'll give thanks to thee.

445. C. M. Doddridge.

"Now are we sons of God."

1 How rich thy favors, God of grace! How various, how divine! Full as the ocean they are poured, And bright as heaven they shine.

2 He to eternal glory calls, And leads the wondrous way To his own palace where he reigns In uncreated day.

3 Jesus, the herald of his love, Displays the radiant prize, A crown of never-ending bliss, To our admiring eyes.

4 The songs of everlasting years That mercy shall attend, Which leads, through sufferings of an hour, To joys that never end.

446. C. M. H. H. Milman.

Praying for Divine Help.

1 O Help us, Lord! each hour of need Thy heavenly succor give; Help us in thought, and word, and deed, Each hour on earth we live.

2 O help us, when our spirits bleed, With contrite anguish sore, And when our hearts are cold and dead, O help us, Lord, the more.

3 O help us through the prayer of faith More firmly to believe; For still the more the servant hath, The more shall he receive.

4 O help us, Father! from on high; We know no help but thee; O! help us so to live and die, As thine in heaven to be.

447. C. H. M. Anonymous.

Come, let us Pray.

1 Come, let us pray: 'tis sweet to feel That God himself is near; That, while we at his footstool kneel, His mercy deigns to hear: Though sorrows cloud life's dreary way, This is our solace--let us pray.

2 Come, let us pray: the burning brow, The heart oppressed with care, And all the woes that throng us now, Will be relieved by prayer: Our God will chase our griefs away; O, glorious thought!--come, let us pray.

3 Come, let us pray: the mercy-seat Invites the fervent prayer. Our Heavenly Father waits to greet The contrite spirit there: O, loiter not, nor longer stay From him who loves us; let us pray.

448. L. M. Sir Walter Scott.

Imploring the constant Presence of God.

1 When Israel of the Lord beloved, Out from the land of bondage came, Her father's God before her moved, An awful guide in smoke and flame.

2 By day, along th' astonished lands, The cloudy pillar glided slow; By night, Arabia's crimsoned sands Returned the fiery column's glow.

3 Thus, present still, though now unseen, When brightly shines the prosperous day, Be thoughts of thee a cloudy screen, To temper the deceitful ray!

4 And O, when gathers on our path, In shade and storm, the frequent night, Be thou, long-suffering, slow to wrath, A burning and a shining light!

449. C. M. C. Wesley.

Watchfulness.

1 I want a principle within Of jealous, godly fear; A sensibility of sin, A pain to find it near.

2 I want the first approach to feel Of pride, or fond desire; To catch the wandering of my will, And quench the kindling fire.

3 From thee that I no more may part, No more thy goodness grieve, The filial awe, the fleshly heart, The tender conscience give.

4 Quick as the apple of the eye, O God, my conscience make! Awake my soul when sin is nigh, And keep it still awake.

450. C. M. Smart.

For Prudence and Wisdom.

1 Father of light! conduct my feet Through life's dark, dangerous road; Let each advancing step still bring Me nearer to my God.

2 Let heaven-eyed prudence be my guide; And, when I go astray, Recall my feet from folly's path To wisdom's better way.

3 Teach me in every various scene To keep my end in sight; And while I tread life's mazy track, Let wisdom guide me right.

4 That heavenly wisdom from above Abundantly impart; And let it guard, and guide, and warm, And penetrate my heart:

5 Till it shall lead me to thyself, Fountain of bliss and love! And all my darkness be dispersed In endless light above.

451. C. M. Moore.

Heaven Desired.

1 The bird let loose in Eastern skies, Returning fondly home, Ne'er stoops to earth her wing, nor flies Where idle warblers roam.

2 But high she shoots through air and light-- Above all low delay, Where nothing earthly bounds her flight, Nor shadow dims her way.

3 So grant me, God, from every snare Of sinful passion free, Aloft through faith's serener air To hold my course to thee.

4 No sin to cloud, no lure to stay My soul, as home she springs; Thy sunshine on her joyful way, Thy freedom on her wings.

452. L. M. Stowell.

The Mercy-seat.

1 From every stormy wind that blows, From every swelling tide of woes, There is a calm, a sure retreat; 'Tis found before the mercy-seat.

2 There is a place were Jesus sheds The oil of gladness on our heads,-- A place of all on earth most sweet; It is the heavenly mercy-seat.

3 There is a scene where spirits blend, Where friend holds fellowship with friend; Though sundered far, by faith they meet Around one common mercy-seat.

4 There, there, on eagle wings we soar, And sin and sense molest no more; And heaven comes down our souls to greet, And glory crowns the mercy-seat.

453. C. M. Steele.

Thirsting after God.

1 When fainting in the sultry waste, And parched with thirst extreme, The weary pilgrim longs to taste The cool, refreshing stream.

2 So longs the weary, fainting mind, Oppressed with sins and woes, Some soul-reviving spring to find, Whence heavenly comfort flows.

3 O, may I thirst for thee, my God, With ardent, strong desire; And still, through all this desert road, To taste thy grace aspire.

4 Then shall my prayer to thee ascend, A grateful sacrifice; My mourning voice thou wilt attend, And grant me full supplies.

454. 7s. M. Newton.

Self-Distrust.

1 'T is a point I long to know,-- Oft it causes anxious thought,-- Do I love the Lord, or no? Am I his, or am I not?

2 If I love, why am I thus? Why this dull and lifeless frame? Hardly, sure, can they be worse, Who have never heard his name.

3 If I pray, or hear, or read, Sin is mixed with all I do; You that love the Lord indeed, Tell me, is it thus with you?

4 Yet I mourn my stubborn will, Find my sin a grief and thrall; Should I grieve for what I feel, If I did not love at all?

5 Father, let me love thee more, If I love at all, I pray; If I have not loved before, Help me to begin to-day.

455. L. M. Doddridge.

Choosing the Better Part.

1 Beset with snares on every hand, In life's uncertain path I stand: Father divine! diffuse thy light, To guide my doubtful footsteps right.

2 Engage this roving, treacherous heart, Wisely to choose the better part; To scorn the trifles of a day, For joys that none can take away.

3 Then let the wildest storms arise, Let tempests mingle earth with skies, No fatal shipwreck shall I fear, But all my treasures with me bear.