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Still may thy love in every scene,
In every age appear;

And let the same compassion deign
To bless the opening year.

If mercy smile, let mercy bring
My wandering soul to God;
And in affliction I shall sing,
If thou wilt bless the rod.

HYMN 98.

"Hitherto hath the Lord helped me.”

1 MY helper, God, I bless his name;
The same his power, his grace the same;
The tokens of his friendly care

Open, and crown, and close the year.
2 Amidst ten thousand snares I stand,
Supported by his guardian hand;
And see, when I survey my ways,
Ten thousand monuments of praise.
3 Thus far his arm hath led me on;
Thus far I make his mercy known;
And, while I tread this desert land,
New mercies shall new songs demand.
4 My grateful soul, on Jordan's shore,
Shall raise one sacred pillar more;
Then bear, in his bright courts above,
Inscriptions of immortal love.

HYMN 99.

"We spend our years as a tale that is told.”

1 REMARK, my soul, the narrow bounds
Of the revolving year!

How swift the weeks complete their rounds!
How short the months appear!

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So fast eternity comes on,

And that important day,

When all that mortal life has done,
God's judgment shall survey.

Yet like an idle tale we pass
The swift advancing year;
And study artful ways to increase
The speed of its career.

Waken, O God, my trifling heart
Its great concern to see;

That I may act the christian part,
And give the year to thee.

So shall their course more grateful roll,
If future years arise;

Or this shall bear my ransom'd soul

To joy that never dies.

CLOSE OF THE YEAR.

HYMN 100.

The shortness and uncertainty of life.

THEE we adore, Eternal Name,

And humbly own to thee,

How feeble is our mortal frame,
What dying worms are we!

Our wasting lives grow shorter still
As months and days increase;
And every beating pulse we tell
Leaves but the number less.

The year rolls round, and steals away
The breath that first it gave;

What'er we do, where'er we stay,
We're travelling to the grave.

CLOSE OF THE YEAR.

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Infinite joy or endless woe,
Attends on every breath;
And yet how unconcern'd we go
Upon the brink of death.
Waken, O Lord, our drowsy sense,

To walk this dangerous road;

And if our souls are hurried hence,
May they be found with God.

HYMN 101.

"Now is our salvation nearer than when we

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believed."

CHRISTIANS awake, and raise your eyes,
And lift your voices high;

Awake, and praise that sovereign love

That shows salvation nigh.

Swift on the wings of time it flies,

Each moment brings it near:

Then welcome each declining day,
And each revolving year!

Not many years their round shall run,

Nor many mornings rise,

Ere all its glories stand reveal'd
To our admiring eyes.

Ye wheels of nature, speed your course;
Ye mortal powers, decay;

Fast as ye bring the night of death,
Ye bring eternal day.

HYMN 102.

Life short, yet crowned with mercy.
TIME, what an empty vapour 'tis !

And days, how swift they are!

Swift as an Indian arrow flies,
Or like a shooting star.

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Our life is ever on the wing,
And death is ever nigh;

The moment when our lives begin,
We all begin to die.

3 Yet, mighty God, our fleeting days,
Thy lasting favours share;

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Yet with the bounties of thy grace
Thou load'st the rolling year.

Thy providence supplies our food,

And we are cloth'd with love:
While grace stands pointing out the road
That leads our souls above.

Thy goodness runs an endless round;
All glory to the Lord!

Thy mercy never knows a bound,
And be thy name ador'd!

6 Thus we begin the lasting song,
And when we close our eyes,
Let the next age thy praise prolong,
Till time and nature dies.

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PUBLIC CHARITIES.

HYMN 103.

The love of Christ a motive to compassion.

FATHER of mercies, send thy grace
All-powerful from above,

To form in our obedient souls
The image of thy love,

O may our sympathizing breasts
That generous pleasure know,
Kindly to share in others' joy,
And weep for others' woe!

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Whene'er the helpless sons of grief
In low distress are laid,

Soft be our hearts their pains to feel,
And swift our hands to aid.

So Jesus look'd on dying men

When thron'd above the skies,
And midst the glories of his state,
He felt compassion rise.

On wings of love the Saviour flew
To raise us from the ground;
And shed the richest of his blood,
A balm for every

wound.

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HYMN 104.

"Bear ye one another's burdens."

HELP us, O Lord, thy yoke to wear,
Delighting in thy perfect will,
Gladly each other's woes to bear,
And thus thy law of love fulfil.

Teach us, with glad and grateful heart,
As thou hast bless'd our various store,

From our abundance to impart

A liberal portion to the poor.

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To thee our all devoted be,

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In whom we breathe, and move, and live;
Freely we have receiv'd from thee;

Freely may we rejoice to give.

And while we thus obey thy word,
And every call of want relieve,
O may we find it, gracious Lord,
More bless'd to give than to receive!

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