Content to be rejected and betray'd,
So his betrayers' sins on his meek head were laid!
Vouchsafe, O Lord, now that dread work is past,
And man redeemed, its blessings we may prove,
Grant that our hearts, in heavenly mould recast,
May bear sweet impress of such matchless love,
And after idols never more may rove;
Oh, grant, that once again adopted thine,
Our wills subservient to thy will may move,
Till rich in works of Christian faith we shine,
And sweetly lead on earth once more the life divine.
Thus day by day our happy souls renew'd
Shall toil, blest work, thine image to regain;
And view thee present as in Eden view'd;
Hence shall they quit them fair of sinful stain,
And with it quit sin's fast companion-pain;
So shall thy Spirit our endeavours seal,
And keep us safe till Christ our Master reign;
And we then faithful found, with loyal zeal
Shall evermore his praise in hallelujahs peal.
THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST.
Against worldly and sinful lusts.
MIGHTY God, whose blessed Son,
Nor sin had thought, nor evil done,
Who mad'st him yet on mercy's plan,
Obedient to the law for man,
And bad'st, though pure and undefil❜d
To circumcise the holy child;
Help us, like him, to circumcise
Our heart, where foul corruption lies, That every carnal lust within,
May own thy Spirit's power o'er sin, That every thought to ill allied,
Abhorred, corrected, mortified,
Our renovated minds may move
This world's bad passions far above,
And our whole souls spontaneously
Turn with unrivalled love to thee;
In Jesus' name these prayers we make,
Hear them, great God, for Jesus' sake.
THE EPIPHANY, OR THE MANIFESTATION OF CHRIST TO THE GENTILES.
For an increase of faith and hope,
GOOD God, who by the guidance of a star,
Mad'st their Redeemer to the heathen known,
And lead'st those eastern sages from afar
To pay glad offerings to the incarnate Son;
With equal tenderness O Lord, look down
On his poor followers now; who through faith's glass
With weak endeavour still to know thee try;
That, this life ended, we may surely pass,
Where we shall know and love thee perfectly;
And through our Saviour's merits ever find,
In contemplating thee, sweet rest and peace of mind.
THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.
For an increase of knowledge and obedience.
LORD, who hast taught us to believe,
Thy saints can never ask in vain ;
Receive with mercy, Lord, receive,
This prayer made o'er and o'er again;
Grant us all, ignorant though we be,
However circumscribed our view,
We yet may each distinctly see,
What things our duty is to do:
And having these once clear in sight,
Within us shed such grace abroad,
That all we know with all our might
We may fulfil, through Christ our Lord.
THE SECOND SUNDAY AFTER THE EPIPHANY.
O GOD, whose power doth know no bound,
Whose years their everlasting round
From age to age run on;
Who orderest each event to flow,
Of things above and things below,
By mandates from thy throne.
Oh let thine ever blest controul,
Bid this world's course still onward roll
A calm and quiet pace;
Let earth from sin's dominion free,
Once more a holy image be,
Of Heaven thy dwelling-place.
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