Lewd courses let my feet forbear;

Keep Thou my hands from doing wrong; Let not ill counsels pierce mine ear,

Nor wicked words defile my tongue; And keep the windows of each eye That no strange lust climb in thereby.

But guard Thou safe my heart in chief;
That neither hate, revenge, nor fear,
Nor vain desire, vain joy or grief,

Obtain command or dwelling there:
And, Lord! with every saving grace,
Still true to Thee maintain that place!

So till the evening of this morn

My time shall then so well be spent,
That when the twilight shall return

I may enjoy it with content,
And to Thy praise and honour say,
That this hath proved a happy day.

GEORGE WITHERS, (1641).

ABIDE WITH US.

BIDE with me; fast falls the

eventide ;

The darkness; Lord, with me abide:
When other keepers fail, and com-

forts flee,

Help of the helpless; O abide with me.

Swift to the close ebbs out life's little day;
Earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
Changes and decay in all around I see;
O Thou who changest not, abide with me!

I need Thy presence every passing hour; What but Thy grace can foil the tempter's power?

Who, like Thyself, my guide and stay can be? Through cloud and sunshine, Lord, abide with me!

I fear no foe: with Thee at hand to bless,
Ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness;
Where is death's sting? where, grave, thy
victory ?

I triumph still, if Thou abide with me.

Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies ;

Heaven's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee,

In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me!

LYTE.

EVENING.

UN of my soul, Thou Saviour dear,
It is not night if Thou be near;
Oh! may no earth-born cloud arise
To hide Thee from Thy servant's
eyes!

When round Thy wondrous works below
My searching rapturous glance I throw,
Tracing out wisdom, power, and love,
In earth or sky, in stream or grove;

Or, by the light Thy words disclose,
Watch time's full river as it flows,
Scanning Thy gracious Providence,
Where not too deep for mortal sense;

When with dear friends sweet talk I hold,

And all the flowers of life unfold;

Let not my heart within me burn,
Except in all I Thee discern!

When the soft dews of kindly sleep
My wearied eyelids gently steep,
Be my last thoughts, how sweet to rest
For ever on my Saviour's breast!

Abide with me from morn till eve,
For without Thee I cannot live!
Abide with me when night is nigh,
For without Thee I dare not die!

Thou framer of the light and dark,
Steer through the tempest Thine own ark!
Amid the howling mighty sea

We are in port if we have Thee.

The rulers of this Christian land,

Twixt Thee and us ordained to stand, Guide Thou their course, O Lord, aright!

Let all do all as in Thy sight'

Oh! by Thine own sad burthen, borne
So meekly up the hill of scorn,

Teach Thou Thy priests their daily cross,
To bear as Thine, nor count it loss!

If some poor wandering child of Thine
Have spurned to-day the voice divine;