When in judgment I appear, They for mine shall be confessed; Let my faithful servants hear,- And woe be to the rest!"
XXII. PRAYER FOR A BLESSING ON THE YOUNG
BESTOW, dear Lord, upon our youth
The gift of saving grace; And let the seed of sacred truth Fall in a fruitful place.
Grace is a plant, where'er it grows, Of pure and heavenly root; But fairest in the youngest shows, And yields the sweetest fruit.
Ye careless ones, oh hear betimes The voice of sovereign love!
Your youth is stained with many crimes, But mercy reigns above.
True, you are young, but there's a stone Within the youngest breast;
Or half the crimes which you have done Would rob you of your rest.
This we repeat from year to year, And press upon our youth; Lord, give them an attentive ear, Lord, save them by thy truth'
Blessings upon the rising race! Make this a happy hour, According to thy richest grace And thine Almighty power.
We feel for your unhappy state, (May you regard it too,) And would awhile ourselves forget To pour out prayer for you.
We see, though you perceive it not, The approaching awful doom; Oh tremble at the solemn thought, And flee the wrath to come!
Dear Saviour, let this new-born year Spread an alarm abroad; And cry in every careless ear, "Prepare to meet thy God!"
XXIV. PRAYER FOR CHILDREN
GRACIOUS Lord, our children see! By thy mercy we are free; But shall these, alas ! remain Subjects still of Satan's reign? Israel's young ones when of old Pharaoh threatened to withhold, Then thy messenger said, "No; Let the children also go!"
When the angel of the Lord, Drawing forth his dreadful sword, Slew with an avenging hand All the first-born of the land; Then thy people's doors he passed, Where the bloody sign was placed; Hear us, now, upon our knees
Plead the blood of Christ for these!
Lord, we tremble, for we know How the fierce malicious foe, Wheeling round his watchful flight, Keeps them ever in his sight: Spread thy pinions, King of kings! Hide them safe beneath thy wings; Lest the ravenous bird of prey Stoop, and bear the brood away.
XXV. JEHOVAH JESUS
shall bless the Lord of all, My praise shall climb to his abode ; Thee, Saviour, by that name I call,
The Great Supreme, the Mighty God.
Without beginning or decline,
Object of faith and not of sense; Eternal ages saw him shine,
He shines eternal ages hence.
As much, when in the manger laid, Almighty ruler of the sky, As when the six days' work he made Filled all the morning stars with joy.
Of all the crowns Jehovah bears, Salvation is his dearest claim;
That gracious sound well pleased he hears, And owns Emmanuel for his name.
A cheerful confidence I feel,
My well-placed hopes with joy I see; My bosom glows with heavenly zeal, To worship him who died for me.
As man, he pities my complaint, His power and truth are all divine ; He will not fail, he cannot faint; Salvation's sure, and must be mine.
XXVI. ON OPENING A PLACE FOR SOCIAL PRAYER
JESUS! where'er thy people meet, There they behold thy mercy-seat; Where'er they seek thee, thou art found, And every place is hallowed ground.
For thou, within no walls confined, Inhabitest the humble mind;
Such ever bring thee where they come, And going take thee to their home.
Dear Shepherd of thy chosen few! Thy former mercies here renew; Here to our waiting hearts proclaim The sweetness of thy saving name.
Here may we prove the power of prayer, To strengthen faith, and sweeten care; To teach our faint desires to rise, And bring all heaven before our eyes.
Behold, at thy commanding word We stretch the curtain and the cord; Come thou, and fill this wider space, And bless us with a large increase.
Lord, we are few, but thou art near, Nor short thine arm, nor deaf thine ear; Oh rend the heavens, come quickly down, And make a thousand hearts thine own.
XXVII. WELCOME TO THE TABLE THIS is the feast of heavenly wine, And God invites to sup; The juices of the living Vine Were pressed to fill the cup.
Oh! bless the Saviour, ye that eat, With royal dainties fed;
Not heaven affords a costlier treat, For Jesus is the bread.
The vile, the lost, he calls to them; Ye trembling souls, appear! The righteous in their own esteem Have no acceptance here.
Approach, ye poor, nor dare refuse The banquet spread for you; Dear Saviour, this is welcome news, Then I may venture too.
If guilt and sin afford a plea, And may obtain a place, Surely the Lord will welcome me, And I shall see his face!
XXVIII. JESUS HASTING TO SUFFER
THE Saviour, what a noble flame Was kindled in his breast, When, hasting to Jerusalem, He marched before the rest!
Good will to men, and zeal for God, His every thought engross; He longs to be baptized with blood, He pants to reach the cross!
With all his sufferings full in view, And woes to us unknown, Forth to the task his spirit flew ; 'Twas love that urged him on.
Lord, we return thee what we can : Our hearts shall sound abroad Salvation to the dying Man,
And to the rising God!
And while thy bleeding glories here Engage our wondering eyes, We learn our lighter cross to bear, And hasten to the skies.
XXIX. EXHORTATION TO PRAYER
WHAT various hindrances we meet
In coming to a mercy-seat!
Yet who that knows the worth of prayer But wishes to be often there?
Prayer makes the darkened cloud withdraw,
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,
Gives exercise to faith and love,
Brings every blessing from above.
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