We are all but sinful dust,
All thy chastisements are just;

We can lift our guilty head,
To allege one only plea,

Deep as we have wounded thee

Christ, who suffered in our stead.

Oh for his great sacrifice,

Let our prayers accepted rise,

Be our sins as if undone;

He who for those sins has bled,

Ever lives to intercede,

And loves ever to atone.

So as ages roll along,

Love shall tune a grateful song,
Swelling everlastingly;

Praising him on earth who died,

High in heaven now glorified,

One with the eternal Three.

THE SUNDAY CALLED SEXAGESIMA, THE SECOND SUNDAY BEFORE LENT.

For defence against adversity.

O LORD, thou know'st our helpless state,
For what we are thou didst create

From the mere dust of earth;

And we ourselves are conscious too,

That all is naught whate'er we do,

Our service of no worth.

Yet, Lord, thine own Almightiness,

The feeblest things can strangely bless,
And make them strong in thee;

Ah, then, for Jesus' sake afford

Thine help to succour us, O Lord,
From all adversity.

Let this world's storms then round us roll,

Let dark temptations shake the soul,

And prove how weak we are;

Still in our worst extremity,

We'll shew how strong frail men may be,
Who rest upon thy care.

THE SUNDAY CALLED QUINQUAGESIMA, THE

NEXT SUNDAY BEFORE LENT.

For Charity.

GOOD God, of love immense, whose word hath taught, That man's poor works from taint of sin ne'er free, Are all of none avail, except as wrought,

From one pure motive, blessed charity,

Unfeigned love to man, unbounded love to thee!

Send, Lord, O send that heavenly influence
Which thy good spirit only can impart

To our now fallen spirits; and far from thence
Bid selfish feelings evermore depart,

Implanting in their stead sweet purposes of heart.

That living principle shall nourish there

The mild, yet firmest bond of goodness-peace; Thence, too, each Christian grace and virtue fair Shall ripen into plentiful increase,

And love begin on earth, in heaven which shall not

cease:

Such love shall prove us thine: for well we know
Each soul without it in thy sight is dead;

But if that seed divine within us grow,

"Twill make us followers of him who bled

That man might live, who bore thy vengeance in our stead.

THE FIRST DAY OF LENT, COMMONLY CALLED ASH WEDNESDAY.

For Penitence and Pardon.

ALMIGHTY GOD, who ne'er can'st hate
Aught thine own blessed hands create,
And when thy wandering people strive
To mourn their wanderings, dost forgive;
Again exert a Maker's part,

Make us a new and contrite heart;

And while as sinners we confess,

And weep o'er our own wretchedness,
Our soiled souls may grace obtain,
To cleanse them pure from evil stain,
And taste the boundless mercy stor❜d,
In Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord.