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2 There's not of grass a single blade,

Or leaf of loveliest green,
Where heavenly skill is not displayed,
And heavenly wisdom seen.

3 There's not a star whose twinkling light Shines on the distant earth,

And cheers the silent gloom of night,
But God has given it birth.

There's not a place on earth's vast round,
In ocean deep, or air,

Where skill and wisdom are not found, For God is everywhere.

5 Around, beneath, below, above,
Wherever space extends;

There He displays His boundless love,
And power with mercy blends.
J. A. WALLACE. 1872.

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3 The merry birds prolong the strain,
Their song with every spring renewed;
And balmy air, and falling rain,
Each softly whispers,-God is good.
4 I hear it in the rushing breeze;
The hills that have for ages stood,
The echoing sky and roaring seas,
All swell the chorus,-God is good.
5 Yes, God is good, all nature says,
By God's own hand with speech endued:
And man, in louder notes of praise
Should sing for joy that God is good.

6 For all Thy gifts we bless Thee, Lord;
But chiefly for our heavenly food, [word.
Thy pardoning grace, Thy quickenin
These prompt our song, that God is good
J. H. GURNEY. 1851.

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1

8.7.

God is love.-1 John iv. 8.

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 Death 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 cloud 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.

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6 To comfort man, and whisper hope Whene'er his faith is dim;

For God, who formed each beauteous Will surely care for him.

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MARY HOWITT. 1860.

The Lord is good to all.-Ps. cxlv. 9.

1 YES, God is good; in earth and sky.

From ocean depths and spreading Ten thousand voices seem to cry,- [wood, God made us all, and God is good.

2 The sun that keeps his trackless way, And downward pours his golden flood, Night's sparkling hosts, all seem to say, In accents clear, that God is good.

5

SIR JOHN BOWRING. 1823.

C.M.

Thou leddest Thy people like a flock.
Ps. lxxvii. 20.

GOD of Bethel! by whose hand
Thy people still are fed;

Who through this earthly pilgrimage
Hast all our fathers led.

2 Our fervent prayers we now present
Before Thy throne of grace;
God of our fathers be the God
Of their succeeding race.

3 Through each perplexing path of life
Our wandering footsteps guide;
Give us each day our daily bread,
And raiment fit provide.

4 O spread Thy covering wings around,
Till all our wanderings cease,
And at our Father's loved abode
Our souls arrive in peace.

5 Now, with the humble voice of prayer,
Thy mercy we implore;
Then, with the grateful voice of praise,
Thy goodness we'll adore.

20

PHILIP DODDRIDGE. 1737.

L.M.

Our Father which art in heaven.
Matt. vi. 9.

1GREAT God, and wilt Thou condescend
To be my Father and my Friend?
I a poor child, and Thou so high,
The Lord of earth and air and sky!

2 Art Thou my Father? Canst Thou bear
To hear my poor, imperfect prayer?
Or wilt Thou listen to the praise
That such a feeble one can raise ?

3 Art Thou my Father? Let me be
A meek, obedient child to Thee;
And try in word and deed and thought
To serve and please Thee as I ought.
4 Art Thou my Father? I'll depend
Upon the care of such a Friend,
And only wish to do and be
Whatever seemeth good to Thee.

5 Art Thou my Father? Then, at last,
When all my days on earth are past,
Send down and take me, in Thy love,
To be Thy better child above.

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JANE TAYLOR. 1810.

Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel.
Ps. lxxiii. 24.

GUIDE me, O Thou great Jehovah!

Pilgrim through this barren land; I am weak, but Thou art mighty, Hold me with Thy powerful hand; Bread of heaven,

Feed me, till I want no more.

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THE LORD JESUS CHRIST.

HIS COMING.

C.M.

King of kings, and Lord of lords.
Rev. xix. 16.

1 ALL hail the power of Jesus' name!

Let angels prostrate fall; Bring forth the royal diadem, And crown Him Lord of all.

2 Crown Him, ye martyrs of our God,
Who from Iis altar call;

Extol the stem of Jesse's rod,
And crown Him Lord of all.

3 Ye chosen seed of Israel's race,
A remnant weak and small,
Hail Him who saves you by His grace,
And crown Him Lord of all.

4 Ye Gentile sinners, ne'er forget
The wormwood and the gall;
Go, spread your trophies at His feet,
And crown Him Lord of all.

5 Let every kindred, every tribe,
On this terrestrial ball,
To Him all majesty ascribe,,
And crown Him Lord of all.

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EDWARD PERRONET. 1780.

D.C.M.

The heavenly host praising God.
Luke ii. 13.

1 IT fint glorious song of old,

came upon the midnight clear,

From angels bending near the earth,
To touch their harps of gold-
"Peace to the earth, good-will to men,
From heaven's all-gracious King!"
The world in solemn stillness lay
To hear the angels sing.

2 Still through the cloven skies they come With peaceful wings unfurled,

And still their heavenly music floats
O'er all the weary world;

Above its sad and lowly plains
They bend on heavenly wing,
And ever o'er its Babel sounds
The blessed angels sing.

3 Yet, with the woes of sin and strife,
The world has suffered long;
Beneath the angels' strain have rolled
Two thousand years of wrong;
And man, at war with man, hears not
The love-song which they bring:
Oh, hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing!

4 For lo! the days are hasting on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When, with the ever-circling years,
Comes round the age of gold;-
When peace shall over all the earth
Its ancient splendours fling,
And the whole earth send back the song
Which now the angels sing.
E. H. SEARS. 1850.

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8.6.6.

Her firstborn Son... laid Him in a manger.-Luke ii. 7.

As Thear, far and near,

LL my heart this night rejoices,

Sweetest angel voices;

"Christ is born!" their choirs are singing, Till the air, everywhere,

Now with joy is ringing.

2 Hark! a voice from,yonder manger,
Soft and sweet, doth entreat:
"Flee from woe and danger;

Brethren, come: from all doth grieve you
You are freed; all you need

I will surely give you.

3 Come, then, let us hasten yonder; Here let all, great and small, Kneel in awe and wonder.

Love Him who with love is yearning,
Hail the Star that from far
Bright with hope is burning.
4 Ye who pine in weary sadness,
Weep no more, for the door
Now is found of gladness.
Cling to Him, for He will guide you
Where no cross, pain, or loss
Can again betide you.

5 Blessed Saviour, let me find Thee,
Keep Thou me close to Thee,
Cast me not behind Thee.
Life of life, my heart Thou stillest,
Calm I rest on Thy breast,
And all this void Thou fillest.

6 Thee, O Lord, with heed I'll cherish,
Live to Thee, and with Thee
Dying, shall not perish,

But shall dwell with Thee for ever, Far on high, in the joy

That can alter never.

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PHILIP DODDRIDGE. 1735.

78.

Unto you is born. . . a Saviour.
Luke ii. 11.

[ARK! the herald angels sing,
"Glory to the new-born King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconciled!"

2 Hail the heaven-born Prince of peace!
Hail the Sun of righteousness!
Light and life to all He brings,
Risen with healing in His wings.
3 Mild He lays His glory by,
Born that man no more may die,
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.

4 Come, Desire of nations, come,
Fix in us Thy humble home;
Rise, the woman's conquering Seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head.

5 Adam's likeness now efface,
Stamp Thine image in its place;
Second Adam from above,
Reinstate us in Thy love.

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CHARLES WESLEY. 1739.

20

C.M.

1

Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given.-Isa. ix. 6.

HAR

ARK! 'tis the song of heaven, Let earth resound the strain, And let the joyful tidings spread O'er island, sea, and main.

2" To us a Child is born,"

To bless our guilty race,

To bring salvation to our world, To save us by His grace. 3" To us a Son is given,"

All glory to His name! We join with angel-hosts to sing His wondrous, boundless fame.

4 The offering of our hearts

Low at His feet we lay;
With sacred songs, and holy joy,
Keep the glad holiday.

5 All hail! Thou glorious King!
We give ourselves to Thee;
Our souls adore Thy royal sway,
Let us Thy glory see.

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J. T. WIGNER. 1878.

We have seen His star in the east.
Matt. ii. 2.

BRIGHTEST and best of the sons of

[thine aid; Dawn on our darkness, and lend us Star of the East! the horizon adorning, Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid.

.

2 Cold on His cradle the dewdrops are shining;

[stall,

Low lies His bed with the beasts of the Angels adore Him, in slumber reclining, Maker, and Monarch, and Saviour of all.

3 Say, shall we yield Him in costly devotion, Odours of Edom and offerings divine, Gems of the mountain, and pearls of the ocean, [mine? Myrrh from the forest, or gold from the 4 Vainly we offer each ample oblation; Vainly with gifts would His favour

secure;

Richer by far is the heart's adoration, Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.

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We have seen His star in the east. Matt. ii. 2.

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ss men of old star behold; - led its light, ming bright; ord, may we o Thee.

2 As with joyful steps they sped
To that lowly manger-bed;
There to bend the knee before
Him whom heaven and earth adore;
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek the mercy-seat.

3 As they offered gifts most rare
At that manger rude and bare;
So may we with holy joy,
Pure, and free from sin's alloy,
All our costliest treasures bring,
Christ! to Thee, our heavenly King.

4 Holy Jesus, every day

Keep us in the narrow way;
And when earthly things are past,
Bring our ransomed souls at last
Where they need no star to guide,
Where no clouds Thy glory hide.

5 In the heavenly country bright,
Need they no created light;
Thou its Light, its Joy, its Crown,
Thou its Sun which goes not down;
There for ever may we sing

Hallelujahs to our King. w. C. DIX. 1859.

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4 To Bethlehem straight the enlightened shepherds ran,

[man, To see the wonder God had wrought for To all the joyful tidings they proclaim, The first apostles of the Saviour's name. Then to their flocks, still praising God, return, [burn.

And their glad hearts with holy rapture

5 O may we keep and ponder in our mind, God's wondrous love in saving lost mankind; four loss, Trace we the babe, who hath retrieved From the poor manger to the bitter cross; Tread in His steps, assisted by His grace, Till man's first heavenly state again takes place.

6 Then may we hope, the angelic hosts among, [song; To sing, redeemed, a glad triumphal He that was born upon this joyful day, Around us all His glory shall display; Saved by His love, incessant we shall sing, [King. Eternal praise to heaven's almighty JOHN BYROм. 1773.

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HIS LIFE ON EARTH.

L.M.

I have given you an example.
John xiii. 15.

1 My Rey duty in Thy word;

Y dear Redeemer and my Lord,

But, in Thy life, the law appears
Drawn out in living characters.

2 Such was Thy truth, and such Thy zeal,
Such deference to Thy Father's will,
Such love, and meekness so divine,
I would transcribe and make them mine.

3 Cold mountains and the midnight air
Witnessed the fervour of Thy prayer:
The desert Thy temptations knew,
Thy conflict and Thy victory too.

4 Be Thou my pattern; make me bear
More of Thy gracious image here;
Then God the Judge shall own my name
Amongst the followers of the Lamb.
ISAAC WATTS. 1709.

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Jesus increased in wisdom... in favour with God and man.-Luke ii. 52. LOVE to think, though I am young, My Saviour was a child;

I

That Jesus walked this earth along,
With feet all undefiled.

2 He kept His Father's word of truth,
As I am taught to do;

And while He walked the path of youth,
He walked in wisdom too.

3 I love to think that He who spake.
And made the blind to see,

And called the sleeping dead to wake,
Was once a child like me.

4 That He who wore the thorny crown,
And tasted death's despair,
Had a kind mother like my own,
And knew her love and care.

5 I know 'twas all for love of me
That He became a child,

And left the heavens so fair to see,
And trod earth's pathway wild.

6 Then, Saviour, who wast once a child,
A child may come to Thee;
And oh! in all Thy mercy mild,
Dear Saviour, come to me.

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E. PAXTON HOOD. 1879.

9.8.9.8.D.

...

They found Him in the temple
in the midst of the doctors.-Luke ii. 46.
CROWD fills the court of the Temple.
A
A Found as of praise stirs the air,
Jerusalem stirs with emotion,

The Lord of the Temple is there!
In vain is the priestly displeasure
To silence the anthems that ring;
Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!
The children all joyfully sing.

2 And if in this temple of worship,

Where now we are met in His name, The Lord should appear in His beauty, Himself His own gospel proclaim, What anthems of grateful devotion Around Him would echo and ring; Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna!

The children would joyfully sing.

3 Lord! make each young heart Thine own temple,

Reveal Thy sweet presence within, Illumine our minds by Thy coming, Expel every longing for sin;

And when in our souls we adore Thee, How pure the glad praise we shall Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! [bring! The children will joyfully sing.

4 And when in that temple of glory,

Where falls never shadow of night, Where sorrow and sin never sadden, And Thou shalt Thyself be the light;

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