Evening Hymn. For a Child.
1 ANOTHER day its course has run,
And still, O God, thy child is blest;
For thou hast been by day my sun,
And thou wilt be by night my rest.
2 Sweet sleep descends, my eyes to close;
And now, when all the world is still,
I give my body to repose,
My spirit to my Father's will.
1 I FEEL within a want
For ever burning there,
What I so thirst for, grant,
O Thou who hearest prayer.
2 This is the thing I crave,
A likeness to thy Son;
This would I rather have
Than call the world my own.
3 Like him, now in my youth,
I long, O God, to be,
In tenderness and truth,
In sweet humility.
4 T is my most fervent prayer,
Be it more fervent still,
Be it my highest care,
Be it my settled will.
1 FATHER in heaven! we thank the care
That planned our lot on earth,
Made us each other's love to share,
By ties of kindred birth.
2 Brothers and sisters hand in hand
Together taught to go;
Our pleasures one, a happy band, -
Or one in scenes of woe.
3 Since God such ties has round us thrown,
To make us happy here,
O, let no want of love be shown,
To cause a single tear.
4 Thus happy live, thus happy die,
In union sweet below,
That when to other worlds we fly,
To higher joys may go.
1 WHAT if the little rain should say,
So small a drop as I
Can ne'er refresh these thirsty fields,
I'll tarry in the sky?
2 What if a shining beam of noon
Should in its fountain stay,
Because its feeble light alone
Cannot create a day?
3 Doth not each rain-drop help to form
The cool, refreshing shower,
And every ray of light to warm
And beautify the flower?
4 Go thou, and strive to do thy share;
One talent, less than thine,
Improved with steady zeal and care,
Would gain rewards divine.
For the Close of a Sabbath School.
1 FATHER, once more let grateful praise
And humble prayer to thee ascend;
Thou Guide and Guardian of our ways,
Our early and our only Friend.
2 Since every day and hour that 's gone
Has been with mercy richly crowned,
Mercy, we know, shall still flow on,
For ever sure, as time rolls round.
3 Hear then the parting prayers we pour,
And bind our hearts in love alone;
And if we meet on earth no more,
May we at last surround thy throne.
1 LORD, we come to seek thy blessing,
Objects of thy tender care;
Every good on earth possessing,
If thy favor we but share.
2 Nature speaks, in all her beauty,
Of the hand that fashioned her;
So must we, by love and duty,
All our gifts to thee refer.
3 Here the Sunday School and temple
Throw their doors for us apart,
Trained to be both true and gentle,
Wise in mind and pure in heart.
4 On this joyful, blest occasion,
We our hearts would lift to thee;
Catch the tones of soft persuasion, -
Happy, true, and thoughtful be.
8 & 7s. FROM THE GERMAN. Thanksgiving.
1 PRAISE the Lord, when blushing morning
Wakes the blossoms fresh with dew,
Praise him when revived creation
Beams with beauties fair and new.
2 Praise the Lord, when early breezes
Come so fragrant from the flowers,
Praise, thou willow, by the brook-side,
Praise, ye birds, among the bowers.
3 Praise the Lord, and may his blessing
Guide us in the way of truth,
Keep our feet from paths of error,
Make us holy in our youth.
4 Praise the Lord, ye hosts of heaven,
Angels, sing your sweetest lays,
All things utter forth his glory,
Sound aloud Jehovah's praise.
1 GREAT Maker of unnumbered worlds,
And whom unnumbered worlds adore, -
Whose goodness all thy creatures share,
While nature trembles at thy power,·
2 Thine is the hand that moves the spheres,
That wakes the wind, and lifts the sea;
And man, who moves the lord of earth,
Acts but the part assigned by thee.
3 While suppliant crowds implore thine aid,
To thee we raise the humble cry;
Thine altar is the contrite heart,
Thine incense the repentant sigh.
4 O, may our land, in this her hour,
Confess thy hand, and bless the rod,
By penitence make thee her Friend,
And find in thee a guardian God.
1 HERE in thy temple, Lord, we meet,
And bow before thy throne;
Abased and guilty, at thy feet,
We seek thy grace alone.
2 Our sins rise up in dread array,
And fill our hearts with fear;
Our trembling spirits melt away,
But find no helper near.
3 0, send thy pity from on high
With pardon all-divine;
Bring now thy gracious spirit nigh,
And make us wholly thine.
4 We humbly mourn our follies past,
Each guilty path deplore;
Resolved, while feeble life shall last,
To tread those paths no more.
Judgments for National Sins deprecated.
1 ALMIGHTY Lord, before thy throne
Thy mourning people bend;
'T is on thy pardoning grace alone
Our dying hopes depend.
2 Dark judgments, from thy heavy hand,
Thy dreadful power display;
Yet mercy spares our guilty land,
And still we live to pray.
3 How changed, alas! are truths divine,
For error, guilt, and shame!
What impious numbers, bold in sin,
Disgrace the Christian name!
4 O, turn us, turn us, mighty Lord;
Convert us by thy grace;
Then shall our hearts obey thy word,
And see again thy face.
5 Then, should oppressing foes invade,
We will not yield to fear,
Secure of all-sufficient aid,
When thou, O God, art near.
Penitence and Forgiveness.
1 HAVE mercy on me, O my God,
In loving kindness hear my prayer;
Withdraw the terror of thy rod;
Lord, in thy tender mercy spare.
2 Offences rise where'er I look,
But I confess their guilt to thee;
Blot my transgressions from thy book;
Wash me from all iniquity.
3 Not streaming blood nor cleansing fire
Thy seeming anger can appease;
Burnt-offerings thou dost not require
Or gladly I would render these.
4 The broken heart in sacrifice,
Alone, will thine acceptance meet;
My heart, O God, do not despise,
Abased and contrite at thy feet.
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