Part 6

92. C. M. Kippis' Coll.

Close of Evening Worship.

1 Soon will our fleeting hours be past; And, as the setting sun Sinks downward in the radiant west, Our parting beams be gone.

2 May He, from whom all blessings flow, Our sacred rites attend, Uniting all in wisdom's ways, Till life's short journey end;

3 And as the rapid sands run down, Our virtue still improve, Till each receive the glorious crown Of never-fading love.

93. L. M. Heber.

Close of Service.

1 Lord, now we part in thy blest name, In which we here together came: Grant us our few remaining days To work thy will and spread thy praise.

2 Teach us in life and death to bless The Lord our strength and righteousness; And grant us all to meet above; Then shall we better sing thy love.

94. 7s. M. Montgomery.

Praise from all Lands.

1 All ye nations, praise the Lord; All ye lands, your voices raise; Heaven and earth, with loud accord, Praise the Lord, forever praise.

2 For his truth and mercy stand, Past and present, and to be, Like the years of his right hand, Like his own eternity.

3 Praise him, ye who know his love; Praise him from the depths beneath; Praise him in the heights above; Praise your Maker, all that breathe.

95. L. M. Watts.

The Joy and Blessing of Worship.

1 Lord, how delightful 'tis to see A whole assembly worship thee; At once they sing, at once they pray, They hear of heaven and learn the way.

2 O, write upon our memory, Lord, The text and doctrines of thy word: That we may break thy laws no more, But love thee better than before.

96. 8 & 7s. M. S. F. Adams.

Close of Worship.

1 Part in peace! is day before us? Praise his name for life and light; Are the shadows lengthening o'er us? Bless His care who guards the night.

2 Part in peace! with deep thanksgiving, Rendering, as we homeward tread, Gracious service to the living, Tranquil memory to the dead.

3 Part in peace! such are the praises God, our Maker, loveth best; Such the worship that upraises Human hearts to heavenly rest.

97. L. M. Anonymous.

Close of Worship. Evening.

1 While now upon this Sabbath eve, Thy house, Almighty God, we leave 'Tis sweet, as sinks the setting sun, To think on all our duties done.

2 Oh! evermore may all our bliss Be peaceful, pure, divine, like this; And may each Sabbath, as it flies, Fit us for joy beyond the skies.

98. 8 & 7s. M. Toplady's Coll.

Dismission.

1 Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing, Hope and comfort from above; Let us each, thy peace possessing, Triumph in redeeming love.

2 Thanks we give, and adoration, For thy Gospel's joyful sound; May the fruits of thy salvation In our hearts and lives abound.

99. L. M. Montgomery.

Sunday Evening.

1 Millions within thy courts have been; Millions this day have bent the knee; But thou, soul-searching God! hast seen The hearts of all that worshipped thee.

2 From east to west the sun surveyed, From north to south, adoring throngs; And still, where evening stretched her shade, The stars came forth to hear their songs.

3 And not a prayer, a tear, a sigh, Hath failed this day some suit to gain; To those in trouble thou wert nigh; Not one hath sought thy face in vain.

4 Yet one prayer more;--and be it one, In which both heaven and earth accord: Fulfil thy promise to thy Son; Let all that breathe call Jesus Lord!

100. L. M. Moravian.

The Lord's Prayer.

1 Thy name be hallowed evermore; O God! thy kingdom come with power! Thy will be done, and day by day, Give us our daily bread, we pray:

2 Lord! evermore to us be given The living bread that came from heaven: Water of life on us bestow, Thou art the Source, the Fountain thou.

CHARACTER, ATTRIBUTES AND PROVIDENCE OF GOD.

101. L. M. Mrs. Steele.

Being of God.

1 There is a God--all nature speaks, Through earth, and air, and sea, and skies: See, from the clouds his glory breaks, When first the beams of morning rise.

2 The rising sun, serenely bright, O'er the wide world's extended frame Inscribes, in characters of light, His mighty Maker's glorious name.

3 The flowery tribes, all blooming, rise Above the weak attempts of art; Their bright, inimitable dyes Speak sweet conviction to the heart.

4 Ye curious minds, who roam abroad, And trace creation's wonders o'er, Confess the footsteps of a God; Come, bow before him, and adore.

102. S. M. Mrs. Steele.

God our Father.

1 My Father! cheering name! O, may I call thee mine? Give me the humble hope to claim A portion so divine.

2 Whate'er thy will denies, I calmly would resign; For thou art just, and good, and wise: O, bend my will to thine!

3 Whate'er thy will ordains, O give me strength to bear Still let me know a father reigns, And trust a father's care.

4 Thy ways are little known To my weak, erring sight; Yet shall my soul, believing, own That all thy ways are right.

5 My Father!--blissful name! Above expression dear! If thou accept my humble claim, I bid adieu to fear.

103. L. M. Bryant.

The Paternal Love of God.

1 Father! to thy kind love we owe All that is fair and good below; Bestower of the health that lies On tearless cheeks and cheerful eyes!

2 Giver of sunshine and of rain! Ripener of fruits on hill and plain! Fountain of light, that, rayed afar, Fills the vast urns of sun and star!

3 Yet deem we not that thus alone, Thy mercy and thy love are shown; For we have learned, with higher praise, And holier names, to speak thy ways.

4 In woe's dark hour, our kindest stay! Sole trust when life shall pass away! Teacher of hopes that light the gloom Of death, and consecrate the tomb!

104. C. M. Martineau's Coll.

Omnipotence of God.

1 'Twas God who fixed the rolling spheres, And stretched the boundless skies, Who formed the plan of endless years, And bade the ages rise.

2 From everlasting is his might, Immense and unconfined; He pierces through the realms of light, And rides upon the wind.

3 He darts along the burning sky; Loud thunders round him roar; Through worlds above his terrors fly, While worlds below adore.

4 He speaks,--great nature's wheels stand still And leave their wonted round; The mountains melt; each trembling hill Forsakes its ancient bound.

5 Ye worlds, and every living thing, Fulfil his high command; Pay grateful homage to your King, And own his ruling hand.

105. C. M. H. K. White.

Almighty Power and Majesty of God.

1 The Lord our God is clothed with might; The winds obey his will; He speaks, and in the heavenly height The rolling sun stands still.

2 Rebel, ye waves, and o'er the land With threatening aspect roar; The Lord uplifts his awful hand, And chains you to the shore.

3 Ye winds of night, your force combine Without his high behest, Ye shall not, in the mountain pine, Disturb the sparrow's nest.

4 His voice sublime is heard afar; In distant peals it dies; He binds the whirlwinds to his car, And sweeps the howling skies.

5 Ye nations, bend; in reverence bend; Ye monarchs, wait his nod, And bid the choral song ascend To celebrate our God.

106. C. M. Watts.

God is Everywhere.

1 In all my vast concerns with thee, In vain my soul would try To shun thy presence, Lord, or flee The notice of thine eye.

2 Thine all-surrounding sight surveys My rising and my rest; My public walks, my private ways, And secrets of my breast.

3 My thoughts lie open to the Lord, Before they're formed within; And ere my lips pronounce the word, He knows the sense I mean.

4 O, wondrous knowledge, deep and high; Where can a creature hide? Within thy circling arms I lie, Beset on every side.

5 So let thy grace surround me still, And like a bulwark prove, To guard my soul from every ill, Secured by sovereign love.

107. L. M. Spirit of the Psalms.

Eternity of God.

1 Ere mountains reared their forms sublime, Or heaven and earth in order stood, Before the birth of ancient time, From everlasting thou art God.

2 A thousand ages, in their flight, With thee are as a fleeting day; Past, present, future, to thy sight At once their various scenes display.

3 But our brief life's a shadowy dream, A passing thought, that soon is o'er, That fades with morning's earliest beam, And fills the musing mind no more.

4 To us, O Lord, the wisdom give, Each passing moment so to spend, That we at length with thee may live Where life and bliss shall never end.

108. C. M. 6l. Conder.

Where is God?

1 Beyond, beyond that boundless sea, Above that dome of sky, Farther than thought itself can flee, Thy dwelling is on high; Yet dear the awful thought to me, That thou, my God, art nigh.

2 We hear thy voice when thunders roll Through the wide fields of air; The waves obey thy dread control: Yet still thou art not there. Where shall I find Him, O my soul, Who yet is everywhere?

3 O, not in circling depth, or height, But in the conscious breast, Present to faith, though veiled from sight, There does his spirit rest. O come, thou Presence Infinite, And make thy creatures blest.

109. L. M. Watts.

The all-seeing God.

1 Lord, thou hast searched and seen me through; Thine eye commands, with piercing view, My rising and my resting hours, My heart and flesh, with all their powers.

2 Within thy circling power I stand; On every side I find thy hand: Awake, asleep, at home, abroad, I am surrounded still with God.

3 Amazing knowledge, vast and great! What large extent! what lofty height! My soul, with all the powers I boast, Is in the boundless prospect lost.

4 O may these thoughts possess my breast Where'er I rove, where'er I rest! Nor let my weaker passions dare Consent to sin; for God is there.

110. L. M. 6l. Montgomery.

God Good and Omniscient.

1 How precious are thy thoughts of peace, O God! to me,--how great the sum! New every morn, they never cease; They were, they are, and yet shall come, In number and in compass more Than ocean's sand, or ocean's shore.

2 Search me, O God! and know my heart, Try me, my secret soul survey; And warn thy servant to depart From every false and evil way: So shall thy truth my guidance be, In life and immortality.

111. L. M. Blacklock.

Omniscience and Omnipresence.

1 Father of all, omniscient Mind, Thy wisdom who can comprehend? Its highest point what eye can find, Or to its lowest depths descend?

2 If up to heaven's ethereal height, Thy prospect to elude, I rise, In splendor there supremely bright, Thy presence shall my sight surprise.

3 Thee, mighty God, my wondering soul, Thee, all her conscious powers adore, Whose being circumscribes the whole, Whose eyes the universe explore.

4 Thine essence fills this breathing frame; It glows in every vital part, Lights up our souls with livelier flame, And feeds with life each beating heart.

5 To thee, from whom our being came, Whose smile is all the heaven we know, Inspired with this exalted theme, To thee our grateful strains shall flow.

112. C. M. Watts.

Infinity of God.

1 Great God, how infinite art thou! How weak and frail are we! Let the whole race of creatures bow, And homage pay to thee.

2 Thy throne eternal ages stood, Ere earth or heaven was made; Thou art the ever-living God, Were all the nations dead.

3 Eternity, with all its years, Stands present in thy view; To thee there's nothing old appears, Great God, there's nothing new.

4 Our lives through varying scenes are drawn, And vexed with trifling cares, While thine eternal thought moves on Thine undisturbed affairs.

113. S. P. M. Watts.

The Majesty of God.

1 The Lord Jehovah reigns, And royal state maintains, His head with awful glories crowned, Arrayed in robes of light, Begirt with sovereign might, And rays of majesty around.

2 Upheld by thy commands, The world securely stands, And skies and stars obey thy word; Thy throne was fixed on high Ere stars adorned the sky; Eternal is thy kingdom, Lord.

3 Thy promises are true; Thy grace is ever new; There fixed, thy church shall ne'er remove; Thy saints, with holy fear, Shall in thy courts appear, And sing thine everlasting love.

114. 8 & 7s. M. Bowring.

God is Love.

1 God is love; his mercy brightens All the path in which we rove; Bliss he wakes, and woe he lightens; God is wisdom, God is love.

2 Chance and change are busy ever; Man decays, and ages move; But his mercy waneth never; God is wisdom, God is love.

3 E'en the hour that darkest seemeth Will his changeless goodness prove; From the gloom his brightness streameth, God is wisdom, God is love.

4 He with earthly cares entwineth Hope and comfort from above: Everywhere his glory shineth; God is wisdom, God is love.

115. L. M. Fergus.

God the Creator.

1 The Spirit moved upon the waves That darkly rolled, a shoreless sea; He spake the word, and light burst forth, A glorious, bright immensity.

2 At his command, the mountains heaved Their rocky pinnacles on high, Island and continent displayed Their desert grandeur to the sky.

3 The voice of God was heard again, And lovely flowers and graceful trees Appeared on every vale and plain, And perfumes floated on the breeze.

4 The word went forth, and vast and high The heavenly orbs gave out their light, O'er all the earth and sea and sky; The rulers of the day and night.

116. L. M. 6l. Montgomery's Coll.

Omnipresence of God.

1 Above, below, where'er I gaze, Thy guiding finger, Lord, I view, Traced in the midnight planets' blaze, Or glist'ning in the morning dew: Whate'er is beautiful or fair, Is but thine own reflection there.

2 And when the radiant orb of light Hath tipped the mountain tops with gold Smote with the blaze, my weary sight Shrinks from the wonders I behold; That ray of glory, bright and fair, Is but thy living shadow there.

3 Thine is the silent noon of night, The twilight eve, the dewy morn; Whate'er is beautiful and bright, Thy hands have fashioned to adorn. Thy glory walks in every sphere, And all things whisper, "God is here."

117. C. M. Watts.

The Perfections of God.

1 How shall I praise th' eternal God, That infinite Unknown? Who can ascend his high abode, Or venture near his throne?

2 Those watchful eyes that never sleep, Survey the world around: His wisdom is a boundless deep, Where all our thoughts are drowned.

3 Speak we of strength, his arm is strong, To save or to destroy: To him eternal years belong, And never-ending joy.

4 He knows no shadow of a change, Nor alters his decrees; Firm as a rock his truth remains, To guard his promises.

118. C. M. Drennan.

"God is a Spirit."

1 The heaven of heavens cannot contain The universal Lord; Yet he in humble hearts will deign To dwell and be adored.

2 Where'er ascends the sacrifice Of fervent praise and prayer, Or on the earth, or in the skies, The God of heaven is there.

3 His presence is diffused abroad Through realms, through worlds unknown; Who seek the mercies of our God Are ever near his throne.

119. C. M. Watts.

Power, Wisdom and Goodness of God.

1 I sing the mighty power of God, That made the mountains rise, That spread the flowing seas abroad, And built the lofty skies.

2 I sing the wisdom that ordained The sun to rule the day; The moon shines full at his command, And all the stars obey.

3 I sing the goodness of the Lord, That filled the earth with food; He formed the creatures with his word, And then pronounced them good.

4 There's not a plant or flower below, But makes thy glories known; And clouds arise, and tempests blow, By order from thy throne.

120. L. M. Mrs. Gilman.

God our Father.

1 Is there a lone and dreary hour, When worldly pleasures lose their power? My Father! let me turn to thee, And set each thought of darkness free.

2 Is there a time of rushing grief, Which scorns the prospect of relief? My Father! break the cheerless gloom, And bid my heart its calm resume.

3 Is there an hour of peace and joy, When hope is all my soul's employ? My Father! still my hopes will roam, Until they rest with thee, their home.

4 The noontide blaze, the midnight scene, The dawn, or twilight's sweet serene, The glow of life, the dying hour, Shall own my Father's grace and power.

121. 10s. M. Mme. Guion.

God Incomprehensible.

1 Almighty Former of creation's plan, Faintly reflected in thine image, man; Holy and just,--the greatness of whose name Rules and supports this universal frame:--

2 Whose spirit fills the infinitude of space,-- Who art thyself thine own vast dwelling place;-- Soul of our soul, whom yet no sense of ours Discerns, eluding our most active powers:--

3 Encircling shades attend thine awful throne, That veil thy face, and keep thee still unknown; Unknown, though dwelling in our inmost part, Lord of the thoughts, and Sovereign of the heart!

122. C. M. Wallace.

God seen in his Works.

1 There's not a star whose twinkling light Illumes the distant earth, And cheers the solemn gloom of night, But goodness gave it birth.

2 There's not a cloud whose dews distil Upon the parching clod, And clothe with verdure vale and hill, That is not sent by God.

3 There's not a place in earth's vast round, In ocean deep, or air, Where skill and wisdom are not found; For God is everywhere.

4 Around, within, below, above, Wherever space extends, There Heaven displays its boundless love, And power with goodness blends.

123. C. M. Watts.

God the Creator.

1 Eternal Wisdom, thee we praise; Thee all thy creatures sing: While with thy name, rocks, hills, and seas, And heaven's high palace, ring.

2 Thy hand, how wide it spread the sky! How glorious to behold! Tinged with a blue of heavenly dye, And decked with sparkling gold.

3 Thy glories blaze all nature round, And strike the gazing sight, Through skies, and seas, and solid ground, With terror and delight.

4 Almighty power, and equal skill, Shine through the worlds abroad, Our souls with vast amazement fill, And speak the builder, God.

124. S. M. Mrs. Steele.

God, our Creator and Benefactor.

1 My Maker and my King! To thee my all I owe: Thy sovereign bounty is the spring, From whence my blessings flow.

2 Thou ever good and kind! A thousand reasons move, A thousand obligations bind My heart to grateful love.

3 The creature of thy hand, On thee alone I live: My God! thy benefits demand More praise than tongue can give.

4 O let thy grace inspire My soul with strength divine; Let all my powers to thee aspire, And all my days be thine.

125. L. M. Watts.

The Good Providence of God. Ps. 36.

1 High in the heavens, eternal God! Thy goodness in full glory shines; Thy truth shall break through every cloud That veils and darkens thy designs.

2 Forever firm thy justice stands, As mountains their foundations keep; Wise are the wonders of thy hands; Thy judgments are a mighty deep.

3 Thy providence is kind and large; Both man and beast thy bounty share; The whole creation is thy charge, But saints are thy peculiar care.

4 Life, like a fountain, rich and free, Springs from the presence of my Lord; And in thy light our souls shall see The glories promised in thy word.

126. L. M. Kippis.

God Incomprehensible.

1 Great God! in vain man's narrow view Attempts to look thy nature through; Our laboring powers with reverence own Thy glories never can be known.

2 Not the high seraph's mighty thought, Who countless years his God has sought, Such wondrous height or depth can find, Or fully trace thy boundless mind.

3 And yet thy kindness deigns to show Enough for mortal minds to know; While wisdom, goodness, power divine, Through all thy works and conduct shine.

4 O, may our souls with rapture trace Thy works of nature and of grace: Explore thy sacred truth, and still Press on to know and do thy will.

127. C. M. Tate & Brady.

God Unchangeable.

1 Through endless years thou art the same, O thou eternal God; Each future age shall know thy name, And tell thy works abroad.

2 The strong foundations of the earth Of old by thee were laid; By thee the beauteous arch of heaven With matchless skill was made.

3 Soon may this goodly frame of things Created by thy hand, Be, like a vesture, laid aside, And changed at thy command.

4 But thy perfections, all divine, Eternal as thy days, Through everlasting ages shine, With undiminished rays.

128. C. M. Cowper.

Purposes of God developed by his Providence.

1 God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform; He plants his footsteps in the sea, And rides upon the storm.

2 Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy, and shall break In blessings on your head.

3 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust him for his grace; Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.