39. L. M.

Man's Dependance upon God.

1 GREATEST of beings! Source of life,
Sovereign of air, of earth, and sea!
All nature owns thy power, but man
A grateful tribute pays to thee.

2 Subject to wants, to thee he looks,
And from thy goodness seeks supplies:
And when, oppressed with guilt, he mourns,
Thy mercy lifts him to the skies.

3 Children, whose infant minds, unformed,
Ne'er raised a tender thought to heaven;
And men, whom reason lifts to God,
Though oft by passion downward driven;
4 Those too, who bend with age and care,
And faint and tremble near the tomb;
Who, sickening at the present scenes,
Sigh for that better world to come ;—

5 All, great Creator! all are thine; All feel thy providential care;

And through each changing scene of life,
Alike thy constant pity share.

6 And whether grief oppress the heart;
Or whether joy elate the breast;
Or life still keep its varying course;
Or death invite the heart to rest:

7 All are thy messengers, and all
Thy sacred pleasure, Lord! obey;
And all are training man to dwell
Nearer to bliss, and nearer thee.

Dyer.

40. c. M.

God the Creator and Preserver.

1 GREAT First of beings! mighty Lord!
We praise thy glorious name;
Produced by thy creating word,
Arose this wondrous frame.

2 Thy voice sent forth the high command; 'Twas instantly obeyed;

And through thy goodness all things stand, Which by thy skill were made.

3 By thee, through fields of azure, roll
Unnumbered worlds above;

Thy mighty hand sustains the whole;
Each creature shares thy love.

4 By thee the sun dispenses heat,
And beams of cheering day;
By thee, the stars, in order set,
At night thy power display.

5 By thee the earth its product yields,
And countless myriads live;
And trees and plants adorn the fields,
And their rich treasures give.

6 To thee, all-gracious Power! we bow,
And would ourselves resign;
Accept the praise, accept the vow,
And make us wholly thine.

Browne, alt'd.

41. L. P. M.

The Works and Word of God. Ps. xix.

1 GREAT GOD! the heaven's well ordered frame
Declares the glories of thy name;
There thy rich works of wonder shine:
A thousand starry beauties there,
A thousand radiant marks appear

Of boundless power, and skill divine. 2 From night to day, from day to night, The dawning and the dying light

Lectures of heavenly wisdom read; With silent eloquence, they raise Our thoughts to the Creator's praise, And neither sound nor language need.

3 Yet their divine instructions run Wide as the circuit of the sun,

And every nation knows their voice; The sun, in robes of splendor dressed, Breaks from the chambers of the east,

Moves round, and makes the earth rejoice. 4 Where'er he spreads his beams abroad, He speaks the majesty of God:

All nature joins to show thy praise: Thus God in every creature shines, Bright in the book of nature's lines, But brighter in the book of grace. Watts, alt'd

42. L. M.

For the Lord's Day Morning.

1 GREAT GOD! this sacred day of thine Demands our souls' collected powers; May we employ in work divine

These solemn. these devoted hours!

2 Hence, ye vain cares and trifles, fly;
Where God resides, appear no more:
Omniscient God! thy piercing eye
Can every secret thought explore.

3 The word of life dispensed to-day,
Invites us to a heavenly feast;
May every ear the call obey,
Be every heart an humble guest!

4 Thy gracious aid, O God! impart;
O may thy word, with life divine,
Engage the ear and warm the heart!
Then shall the day indeed be thine.

43. c. M.

The God of Nature invoked.

+ Mrs. Steele.

1 HAIL, great Creator, wise and good!
To thee our songs we raise:
Nature, through all her various scenes,
Invites us to thy praise.

2 At morning, noon, and evening mild,
Fresh wonders strike our view;
And while we gaze, our hearts exult,
With transports ever new.

3 Thy glory beams in every star Which gilds the gloom of night; And decks the smiling face of morn With rays of cheerful light.

4 The lofty hill, the humble vale,
With countless beauties shine:
The silent grove, the awful shade,
Proclaim thy power divine.

5 Great nature's God! still may these scenes. Our serious hours engage;

Still may our grateful hearts consult.
Thy works' instructive page!

6 And while, in all thy wondrous works,
Thy varied love we see;

Still may the contemplation lead
Our hearts, O. God! to thee.

Gentleman's Magazine.

44. L. M.

The Perfections and Providence of God. Ps. xxxvi. 5—9.

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 For ever 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,
The righteous thy peculiar care.