The Choir and The Oratory :: :: University of Virginia Library

Free mercy,—all-sufficient grace,—
In these, in these my trust I place:
Mercy that cancels all account
Of debt or deed;
And Grace, an ever-flowing fount
For all my need.

183

Vain were the guilty thought, and weak,
Thy love with boastful claim to seek;
To compensate for wasted years
By service base;
To bribe thy justice with my tears,
Or earn thy grace.

Shall rebel man to Heaven's high King
His deeds in satisfaction bring?
Oh what could turn Thy wrath aside?
So dread, so just!
Not flaming worlds. But Jesus died
For guilty dust.

Thou didst the sacrifice provide,
Which Thine own justice satisfied.
Unbought that love: yet, Oh the price!
The gift most free;
The ransom might for worlds suffice;
Then sure for me.

184

Yes, I am blood-bought: shall I try
That sovereign, self-sprung love to buy?
Lord, I renounce my worthless plea:
Receive thy child:—
For Thou, my Father, now I see,
Art reconciled.

Yet to thy children, bounteous Lord,
Thy promise speaks of high reward;
Of toils requited, thanks received
For service done;
Plaudits and palms for deeds achieved
And victories won.

By mercy saved, yet may I dare
Aspire the victor's wreath to wear?
Lord, in Thy strength I'll strive to earn
The heavenly crown;
Then, at Thy feet, in glad return,
Will cast it down.

185

“THE COMFORTER.”

John xiv. 26.

Oh breathe upon this languid frame,
Spirit of heavenly might!
Baptize me with the vital flame
Of purity and light.

Descend like Heaven's self-kindled fire
On my heart's sacrifice,
Till self in flames of love expire,
In clouds of incense rise.

Spring up within this flinty heart,
Well-spring of life divine!
Health to my feeble pulse impart!
Light out of darkness shine!

O Light and Power! O Life and Love!
Of every good the Source!
Vouchsafe me succours from above,
To speed me on my course.

186

Instruct me, rule me, guide my feet:
My every thought control:
My Teacher, Patron, Paraclete!
Possess and guard my soul.
Spirit of Christ, sent forth from Him,
Yet uncreate, Divine!
Thine are the songs of Seraphim:
All human praise be thine.

COLLECT.

[O God, to whom our hearts lie all revealed]

O God, to whom our hearts lie all revealed,
From whom no secret wish can be concealed,
Cleanse Thou our inmost thoughts by heavenly grace,
And make our hearts Thy Spirit's dwelling place:
That we may love Thee with a sacred-flame,
And magnify, through Christ, Thy holy name.

187

“THERE AM I IN THE MIDST OF THEM.”

Matt. xviii. 20.

Wheresoever two or three
Meet, a Christian company,
Grant us, Lord, to meet with Thee.
Gracious Saviour, hear!

When with friends beloved we stray,
Talking down the closing day,
Saviour, meet us in the way.
Gracious Saviour, hear!

When, amid the gloom of night,
Storms arise, and perils fright,
Let thy voice our hearts delight.
Gracious Saviour, hear!

In the festive hour, refine
Earthly love to joy divine:
Turn the water into wine.
Gracious Saviour, hear!

188

In the time of lonely grief,
Let Thy presence bring relief:
Then shall longest nights seem brief.
Gracious Saviour, hear!

When the world and life recede,
Saviour, in our hour of need,
Then be visible indeed.
Gracious Saviour, hear!

COLLECT.

[To all Thy faithful people, Lord]

To all Thy faithful people, Lord,
Pardon and peace impart;
And by Thy Spirit shed abroad
Thy love in every heart:
That they, from conscious guilt made clean,
May serve thee with a mind serene.

189

SACRAMENTAL HYMN.

O Thou Divine High Priest!
To Thee I lift mine eyes.
Admit me to the blessed feast
Of Thine own sacrifice.

Break Thou to me the bread,
Type of Thy bruised frame.
Give me to hope that Thou hast bled,
To save my soul from shame.

Lord, while this cup goes round,
My inmost spirit try!
Can there be here one traitor found?
Oh say, Lord, is it I?

Horror is in that thought.
Lord of all grace and might,
Who with Thy blood my soul hast bought,
Assert, secure Thy right.

Save me, for I am Thine:
Forgive, accept me now:
And let this sacred bread and wine
Seal and insure my vow.

190

“HE WAS KNOWN OF THEM IN BREAKING OF BREAD.”

Luke xxiv. 36.

Far from my thoughts, vain world, depart:
Make not the House of Prayer thy mart.
Lord of the Temple and the Day!
Drive the intrusive crowd away.

Fain would I find a calm retreat
From vain distractions near thy feet,
And, borne above all earthly care,
Be joyful in thy house of prayer.

Lord! in this blest and hallowed hour,
Reveal thy presence and thy power.
Shew to my faith thy hands and side,
My Lord and God, the Crucified!

Or let me, through the opening skies,
Catch one bright glimpse of Paradise,
And realize, with raptured awe,
The vision dying Stephen saw.

191

But, if unworthy of such joy,
Still shall Thy love my heart employ;
For, of thy favoured children's fare,
'Twere bliss the very crumbs to share.

Yet never can my soul be fed
With less than Thee, the Living Bread.
Thyself unto my soul impart,
And with Thy presence fill my heart.

COLLECT.

[Almighty God, who on the Eternal Rock]

“And are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets.” Eph. ii. 20.

Almighty God, who on the Eternal Rock
Of what Apostles taught, by Seers foreshown,
Hast built Thy Church, secure from every shock,
Christ Jesus being the head corner-stone:
Grant that, as stones instinct with life Divine,
Cemented by their doctrine, we may be
A holy fane, Thy Spirit's living shrine,
Through Christ our Lord, acceptable to Thee.

192

“THE HEAD OF THE CHURCH.”

Col. ii. 19.

Head of the Church, our risen Lord!
Who by Thy Spirit dost preside
O'er the whole body; by whose word
They all are ruled and sanctified!

Our prayers and intercessions hear
For all thy family at large;
That each, in his appointed sphere,
His proper service may discharge.

So, through the grace derived from Thee,
In whom all fulness dwells above,
May Thy whole Church united be,
And edify itself in love.

193

“LORD, THOU HAST BEEN OUR DWELLING-PLACE IN ALL GENERATIONS.”

Psalm xc.

In every age, O Lord, Thou to our race
Hast been a refuge and a dwelling-place.
Before the mountain pillars of the earth
Were reared, before the universe had birth,
In uncreated majesty apart,
From everlasting, Thou for ever art.
But Adam's feeble race, Thy sentence just
Resolves to their original, the dust.
For what is life's brief term? What, in Thy sight,
Are ages? But as yesterday;—their flight
Has left no trace;—a watch-tide of the night.
Swift as a flood, and shadowy as a dream,
Fading, like herbage in the noon-tide beam,
Its pomp and glory; morn beholds it rise
And flourish; ere the evening hour, it dies.
Even thus beneath Thy righteous wrath we fade.
For lo! our sins before Thee are arrayed,
Our secret sins in Thy full light displayed.

194

Hence, withered by Thy frown, our shortened span
Shrinks to a fleeting vapour. Feeble man
His seventy years soon spends; or, if more strong.
To late fourscore he may his toils prolong,
'Mid sins and sorrows; yet, how quickly past
That lengthened term! the patriarch dies at last.
But who the power of Thy displeasure fears?
Who with becoming awe Thy name reveres?
Lord, teach us life's true estimate, that we
May give our hearts to wisdom and to Thee.

How long shall man be from Thy face exiled,
Ere to Thy children Thou art reconciled?
Oh satisfy us early with Thy grace:
So shall our hearts be joyful all our days.
Save thine afflicted people; let them know
Long days of gladness after years of woe.
Thy works of might display; fulfil Thy word;
And to our children shew Thy glory, Lord!
Oh, let Thy favour beam on us, and bless
The labours of our hands with glad success.

195

COLLECT.

[Eternal God, who hatest]

“I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked.”—Ezek. xxxiii. 11.

Eternal God, who hatest
No work that thou createst;
And grantest free remission
To all who feel contrition:
Make these hard hearts relenting,
That we, our sins lamenting,
Our wretchedness deploring,
Thy boundless grace adoring,
May peace divine inherit,
Through our Redeemer's merit!

“DO NOT ABHOR US, FOR THY NAME'S SAKE.”

Jer. xiv. 21.

Lord! for Thy name's sake. Such the plea,
With force triumphant fraught,
By which Thy saints prevail with Thee,
By Thine own Spirit taught.

196

For this Thou didst existence give
To Nature's wondrous frame;
And all things shine, and breathe, and live,
To glorify Thy Name.

For this the Saviour lived and died,
That, in a new-born race,
Thy mercy might be glorified,
Thine all-victorious grace.

Then for Thy name's sake, O our God,
Do not abhor our prayer;
But, while we bow beneath Thy rod,
Thy chastened people spare.

Oh, for Thy name's sake, richly grant
The unction from above.
Fulfil Thy holy covenant,
And glorify Thy love.

197

PLEADING THE COVENANT.

“To such as keep his covenant.”—Psalm ciii. 17.

O Thou whose covenant is sure
To all who fear Thy name;
Whose mercies age on age endure,
Eternally the same:

Thou art our Father's God; we plead
That title: we are Thine.
Pour down Thy Spirit on our seed,
And sanctify our line.

In Thee our fathers put their trust:
Thy ways they humbly trod.
Honoured and sacred is their dust,
And still they live to God.

Heirs to their faith, their hope, their prayers,
We the same path pursue.
Entail the blessing to our heirs:
Lord! shew Thy promise true.

198

“CASTING ALL YOUR CARE UPON HIM, FOR HE CARETH FOR YOU.”

1 Peter v. 7.

When anxious thoughts the bosom fill,
And skies look dark above,
How sweet, reposing on His will,
To feel that God is Love!
To Him our mean affairs
Are most minutely known:
He weighs the burden of our cares,
And numbers every groan.

When fails each earthly confidence,
And friends grow cool and strange,
I rest on Thine Omnipotence,
On Love that cannot change.
This trust can ne'er delude;
Thy goodness is most wise;
And in thy bounteous plenitude
My wealth, my portion lies.

199

Oh, let me still a Father's hand
In all Thy ways perceive;
And, when I cannot understand,
Be humble, and believe:
Till what I know not now,
Shall all be clearly shewn,
When at Thy throne my soul shall bow,
And know as I am known.

COLLECT.

[O God, Protector of the lowly]

O God, Protector of the lowly,
Of all that trust in Thee;
Without whom nothing strong or holy,
And nothing good can be:
Guide Thou our steps to heavenly glory,
And teach us so to choose,
As not for pleasures transitory,
Eternal bliss to lose.

200

“LORD, MY HEART IS NOT HAUGHTY.”

Psalm cxxxi.

Thou, Lord, my witness art,
I am not proud of heart;
Nor pass with scornful eye
My meaner fellow by;
Nor rashly interfere
With things above my sphere;
Nor in vain pomp delight,
Or grandeur's slippery height.

Lowly, subdued, and mild,
Even as the weaned child,
Taught to forego his will,
My soul is meek and still.
Oh thus, with humble mind,
Confiding, yet resigned,
Israel! on God Most High,
For evermore rely.

201

“THIS THEN IS THE MESSAGE......THAT GOD IS LIGHT, AND IN HIM IS NO DARKNESS AT ALL..”

1 John i. 5.

Oh for the spirit of a child,—
A heart entirely reconciled
To Thee and to Thy will,
Most blessed God! and, springing thence,
A loving, steadfast confidence,
All restless thoughts to still.

And can a doubt this truth obscure,—
That God is light from darkness pure,
Love joined with power supreme?
Where, then, could hope or reason rest?
But in this knowledge I am blest.
To doubt were to blaspheme.

This faith of love, O God, impart,
That I may joy in all Thou art,
And all Thou art adore.
So shall this be my constant song:
God is, and I to God belong,
My God for evermore.

202

“AS THE HART PANTETH FOR THE WATER BROOKS.

Psalm xlii.—iii.

As for the distant water pants the desert's fleet gazelle,
So longs my heart for Thee, O God! within Thy courts to dwell.
Like her I thirst, but thirst for Thee, the Source of life and joy.
Oh, when among Thy saints again shall praise my tongue employ?
But here my tears have been my drink, my solace night and day;
While, Where is now thy God? I hear the taunting heathen say.
I think upon the happy days, and mourn the Sabbaths fled,
When to the house of God with songs the joyous train I led.
Yet, why dejected, O my soul? Why faint beneath the rod?
Hope on, for I shall praise Him still, my Helper and my God.

203

But, O my God, the thought of Thee with grief my bosom fills,
Here beyond Jordan's fountains, amid Hermon's rocky hills.
Around the gathering waters roar, and glen to glen replies;
But deeper waters whelm my soul, and floods of trouble rise.
Once in Thy loving-kindness blest, swift flew my days along:
Amid the watches of the night, Thy praise inspired my song.
But now I cry, O God my Rock, why hast Thou cast me off,
To groan beneath oppression, and endure the impious scoff?
Keen as a sword the cruel taunt, repeated day by day:
Where is the God he trusted in? my foes insulting say.
Yet, why art thou cast down, my soul? Why faint beneath the rod?
Hope on, for I shall praise Him still, my Helper and my God.

204

Judge Thou my cause: right me, O God, against a ruthless race.
Oh save me from a treacherous foe, unprincipled and base.
For Thou my strength, my fortress art: why hast Thou cast me off,
To groan beneath oppression, and endure the impious scoff?
Send forth Thy light and truth, O Lord, to point and guide my road;
To lead me to Thy holy mount, even to Thy blest abode.
Then at Thine altar, O my God, my harp and voice shall raise
To Thee, the Author of my joy, triumphant hymns of praise!
Then, why art thou cast down, my soul? Why faint beneath the rod?
Hope on, for I shall praise Him still, my Saviour and my God.

205

“HOW LONG WILT THOU FORGET ME?”

Psalm xiii.

How long wilt Thou forget me,
O Lord? For evermore?
For ever wilt Thou let me
Thine absent face deplore?
How long in fruitless wailing
Shall I consume the day?
By fraud or force prevailing,
How long my foes bear sway?

Oh! do not Thou forsake me!
Dispel this heavy gloom;
Lest fatal sleep o'ertake me,
The death-sleep of the tomb.
Lest then my foe insulting
Should boast his vile success,
And impious men exulting,
Triumph in my distress.

206

Lord, in my tribulation,
I trust Thy mercy still;
And surely Thy salvation
My heart with joy shall fill.
Thine aid Thou didst afford me:
Thy praises I will sing;
And, for His mercy toward me,
Will bless my God and King.

“OUT OF THE DEEP.”

Psalm cxxx.

Out of the deep I sighed.
Hear me, O God, I cried:
Bend down a gracious ear.
To Thee I make confession:
Lord! should'st Thou mark transgression,
What mortal could stand clear?
But there is full remission;
And sinners with contrition
May to Thy throne draw near.

207

His timely aid abiding,
In His sure word confiding,
I wait in meek suspense.
Those all the long night waking,
Watch for the morning's breaking
With longing less intense.

Israel! wait, unfearing,
Jehovah's kind appearing,
For Mercy is His name.
With Him is full redemption,
A rich and free exemption
From sorrow, guilt, and shame.

COLLECT.

[O God, who dost thy sovereign might]

O God, who dost thy sovereign might
And high prerogative
Most chiefly shew in thy delight
To pity and forgive:
Vouchsafe the aid Thy grace supplies,
So in Thy ways to run,
That we may win the heavenly prize,
Through Jesus Christ, thy Son.

208

“HAVE MERCY UPON ME, O GOD.”

Psalm li.

Have mercy on me, O thou God of grace!
Thy sovereign clemency is all I plead.
My dark transgressions from thy book efface:
Their multitude Thy mercies still exceed.

My crime I own; it haunts me day and night;
Acted in secret, yet beneath Thine eye.
Before the world I own thy judgements right,
And thy most righteous sentence justify.

Heir to a sinful nature, I was brought
Into this world, to evil pre-inclined.
But Thou requirest purity of thought:
Oh, let thy truth illume this darkened mind.

As with blood-sprinkling hyssop, cleanse from sin
My leprous soul, that I may fall no more.
Wash me till I be pure as snow within,
And to my aching mind its health restore.

209

Oh, that my crimes were cancelled and forgot!
With a clean heart this guilty soul replace.
From Thy loved presence, Lord! reject me not,
Nor take from me Thy Spirit and Thy grace.

Give me again that joy of heart to know,
When I thy paths with filial freedom trod.
Then to transgressors I Thy ways will shew,
And lead converted sinners back to God.

From blood, the guilt of blood, deliver me,
Thou God of my salvation! All my days,
My tongue shall celebrate thy clemency.
Unclose my lips, and I will speak Thy praise.

No holocaust these guilty hands might bring,
Could as atonement with acceptance rise.
A contrite heart is my best offering:
A broken spirit Thou wilt not despise.

210

“BLESSED IS HE WHOSE TRANSGRESSION IS FORGIVEN.”

Psalm xxxii.

How blest the man whose sins are all forgiven,
Whose guilt is cancelled, and whose pardon sure;
Who stands acquitted in the court of Heaven,
Guileless his spirit, and his conscience pure.

While I concealed my guilt, my wasting frame
Betrayed my secret grief. By night, by day,
Thy hand was on me. Fear, remorse, and shame
Drank up my strength, like summer's scorching ray.

Till I at length resolved before Thy throne
The heavy burden of my sins to lay.
I'll go, and at His feet my fault will own,
I said;—and Mercy met me on the way.

Much more will He who heard the sinner's cry,
Succour the pious in their hour of need.
The floods may rise, but they shall not come nigh:
Their foes may menace, but shall ne'er succeed.

211

Thou art my hiding-place, O Lord! the tower
Of strength to which in trouble I may flee.
Thou wilt preserve me by Thy mighty power,
And compass me with songs of victory.

I will direct thee; I will guide thy course;
Mine eye shall follow thee. Oh, then, obey
The gracious voice, nor, like the' unreinéd horse,
Disdain the word, and wildly break away.

Sorrow still waits on sin; but him whose trust
Is in the Lord, His guardian care secures.
Exult in God, ye righteous! Raise, ye just,
The shout of triumph. Joy that God is yours.

“JUDGE ME, O LORD.”

Psalm xxvi.

Be Thou my Judge! Lord, I appeal to Thee,
For I have walked in mine integrity.
With conscience pure, I dare in Thee confide,
And, trusting in the Lord, I shall not slide.

212

Search me, O God! through every hidden part:
Examine all the windings of my heart.
Thy favour have I still to life preferred,
And governed all my conduct by Thy word.
With the vain worldling I have ne'er been found,
Nor trod the base dissembler's dangerous ground:
My soul abhors their fellowship profane,
Nor will I sit amid the godless train.
My hands, not cleansed by outward rite alone,
But washed in innocence, before Thy throne,
O God! in vows of gratitude I raise,
And tell Thy wonders in my song of praise.
Yes, Lord! I love Thy house; that sacred place
Where dwells Thy glory, and where beams Thy face.
So, never let my soul be doomed to dwell
With men whose dark society is hell;—
The unjust, cruel, covetous, profane,
Whose hands are foul with bribes or murder's stain.
But I will still hold fast my innocence:
Oh let Thy mercy, Lord! be my defence.
By Thee upheld, firm and unmoved I stand,
And, 'mid Thy people, bless Thy guardian hand.

213

“LORD, I CRY UNTO THEE.”

Psalm cxli.

Lord! to thy throne I raise my cry:
Let not Thy help delay.
Give me to feel that Thou art nigh,
And hear me when I pray.
Like incense let my prayer arise,
Or smoke of evening sacrifice.

Lord! let Thy grace my lips restrain:
That dangerous portal guard:
Nor let my heart e'er entertain
Regret to be debarred
From doing all that sinners dare:
Nor let me in their revels share.

But let the righteous, if I err,
Rebuke me; they shall find,
To richest perfumes I prefer
A friend severely kind.
So, when adversity is theirs,
I will repay them with my prayers.

214

And when, 'mid rocks and mountains drear,
Their chieftains are o'erthrown,
My song their fainting hearts shall cheer,
And they its music own.
—But now, like wood for fuel hewn,
Our whitening bones around are strewn.

Yet, Lord! to Thee I look for aid:
Preserve me from despair.
My cruel foes their toils have laid:
Oh save me from the snare.
Caught in their own nets let them be,
While I pass on, from danger free.

COLLECT.

[O God, whose never-failing providence]

O God, whose never-failing providence
Orders, controls all things on high, below!
Be Thou from every evil our defence;
All needful good for Jesus' sake bestow.

215

“LORD, HOW ARE THEY INCREASED WHO TROUBLE ME.”

Psalm iii.

Lord, how my foes are multiplied!
They rise on every side.
How many say, For him remain
No hopes; his prayers are vain.
O Thou, my glory, my defence!
Shield me with Thine Omnipotence.

To God I made my sorrows known:
He heard me from His throne.
I laid me down, and calmly slept:
I woke, from danger kept.
His angels guard my safe repose;
Nor will I fear ten thousand foes.

Arise, O God! Thy power display,
And smite those beasts of prey.
Oh, break their teeth, destroy their power,
Who would Thy saints devour.
Salvation from the Lord descends:
His favour still his Church defends.

216

“IN THEE HAVE I PUT MY TRUST.”

Psalm xxxi.

In Thee, O Lord, I trust. Put not to shame
My hope, but vindicate thy righteous name.
Bow down thine ear, and speed the saving hour.
Be Thou my strong-hold and my safety-tower.
Thy guardian care my fortress will I make.
Lead me and guide me for thy glory's sake.
Entangled in the snares my foes have set,
O Thou my strength, release me from their net.
Into thy hand my spirit I commit,
Lord God of truth, who hast redeemed it.
Abhorred be those who trust in wood and stone:
All my reliance is on Thee alone.
So shall my joyful lips thy mercy bless,
Because thou hast considered my distress,
And hast not shut me up the helpless prey
Of cruel foes, but opened wide my way.
Have pity, Lord, and hear my sad complaint.
Mine eyes are dim with grief; my heart grows faint;

217

My years drag on in sorrow, while the same
Sad load consumes my strength, and wastes my frame.
My foes reproach me, and my neighbours shun:
I am the scorn or fear of every one.
By friends forgot, like those who long have died,
Or like a broken vessel cast aside.
Busy were slanderous tongues; on all sides strife
And fear assailed me; yea, they sought my life.
But in the Lord I trusted. Art thou not
My God, I said, and in Thy hand my lot?
From fierce pursuers rescue me, and shed
The brightness of Thy favour on my head.
Preserve me for Thy mercy's sake: Thy name
I have invoked; put not my hope to shame.
Let shame o'ertake the impious: mute in death
Be the false tongue, the proud insulter's breath.
How great the blessings that are kept in store
For them, O Lord, who fear thee, and before
The world their stedfast trust in thee repose!
Thou canst conceal them from their haughty foes;
And in thy secret presence they shall hide
From fierce contention and the sons of pride.

218

Blessed be God: his kind and wondrous aid
Became my citadel. Rashly I said,
I am cut off, unheeded by Thine eye.
Even then Thine ear was open to my cry.
Oh love the Lord, ye saints: the faithful few
He will preserve, and give the proud their due.
Be of good courage: he will strength impart.
All ye who trust in God, be strong of heart.

COLLECT.

[O God, from whom all that is good proceeds,—]

O God, from whom all that is good proceeds,—
Holy desires, wise counsels, righteous deeds,—
Grant unto us, who to Thy service live,
That heavenly peace which the world cannot give;
That so, our hearts on meek obedience bent,
Safe in Thy care, by fear of man unmoved,
We here may pass our time in sweet content,
And through our Saviour's merits stand approved.

219

“TRULY GOD IS GOOD TO ISRAEL.”

Psalm lxxiii.

Truly the Lord is good,—base doubts depart,—
Is good to all who are of upright heart.
But as for me, I had almost declined
From virtue; sceptic thoughts o'erspread my mind.
For I grew envious of the proud and vain,
Seeing the wicked prosper. No such pain
And sore disease, I said, their days attend:
In vigorous health their joyous life they spend.
As if exempted from the common lot,
The cares and ills of life they suffer not.
Hence, like a chain of gold, their pride they bear,
And bold oppression is the robe they wear.
Voluptuous ease is in their looks; their fond
And towering wishes they have gone beyond.
Corrupted by excess, they spurn restraint,
Oppress the lowly, and contemn the saint.
Their haughty blasphemies the heaven defy;
And their tongue preys on all beneath the sky.

220

The good are turned aside, and, forced to drain
The cup of bitterness, they thus complain:
“Doth God concern Himself with things below?
Or can it be the Most High doth not know?
See how the impious prosper—sinners these,
Who grow in wealth, and live in splendid ease.
Then where is virtue's gain, where the defence
Of honest worth, the meed of innocence?
My days with constant sorrows have been fraught,
And every morn has some fresh trial brought.”
—Should I such language hold, Lord, I should be
A traitor to Thine Israel and Thee.
Yet, still, the mystery my mind revolved,
Remained too hard to be by reason solved,
Till in the house of God I sought relief,
And into self-reproach was turned my grief.
There was I taught their end. I saw them stand
On slippery heights, a yawning gulf at hand.
How in a moment are the proud cast down,
Consumed beneath the terror of Thy frown!
Even as a dream the cheated mind forsakes
On waking, when, O Lord, Thy wrath awakes,

221

So shall the pageant of their greatness seem
Shadowy and vain, a scarce-remembered dream.
Thus was I troubled: I was sick at heart
Through my own folly: till Thou didst impart
A better mind, I lay beneath the rod,
Even like the brutes who cannot know their God.
Yet, still Thy gracious presence did enfold me,
And by my right-hand, Lord, Thou didst uphold me.
Through this dark world Thy word shall be my guide,
Till in Thy glory I am satisfied.
For whom have I in heaven, or who can now
Be on this earth my trust, my joy, but Thou?
What though my flesh, and heart, and life decay;
God is my strength, my all-sufficient stay,
A portion that shall never fade away.
The base apostates who their God forsake,
Thy righteous vengeance shall at length o'ertake.
But be it mine, near Thee, my God, to dwell,
And, as I trust in Thee, of all Thy works to tell.

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“THY HANDS HAVE MADE ME AND FASHIONED ME.”

Psalm cxix. 73, 64, 68, 124, 125, 171, 172.

Thy hands have made and fashioned me:
I had my being, Lord! from Thee.
Oh, teach Thy creature to fulfil
The law and purpose of Thy will.

Thy goodness clothes and fills the earth:
Each moment gives new mercies birth.
Thy richest gift, Thy grace bestow,
And let my soul Thy mercy know.

Lord! Thou art good, and doest good;
Giver of life, and health, and food.
Teach me Thy statutes, and impart
A wise and understanding heart.

In mercy with Thy servant deal:
Thy statutes and Thy grace reveal.
I am Thy servant: by that name,
To know thy blessed will I claim.

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So shall my lips shew forth Thy praise,
When Thou hast taught me all Thy ways.
Others shall learn Thy word to bless,
For Thy commands are righteousness.

ANSWER TO PRAYER.

“Neither by dreams, nor by Urim, nor by prophets.”—1 Sam. xxviii. 6.

O God, who didst thy will unfold
In wondrous modes to saints of old,
By dream, by oracle, or seer;
Wilt Thou not still Thy people hear?

What though no answering voice is heard?
Thine Oracles, the written word,
Counsel and guidance still impart,
Responsive to the upright heart.

What though no more by dreams is shewn,
That future things to God are known?
Enough the promises reveal:
Wisdom and love the rest conceal.

Faith asks no signal from the skies,
To shew that prayers accepted rise:

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Our Priest is in the Holy Place,
And answers from the Throne of Grace.

No need of prophets to inquire:
The Sun is risen; the stars retire.
The Comforter is come, and sheds
His holy unction on our heads.

Lord! with this grace our hearts inspire:
Answer our sacrifice by fire;
And by thy mighty acts declare,
Thou art the God who heareth prayer.

COLLECT.

[Since, gracious God! apart from Thee]

Since, gracious God! apart from Thee,
We are but impotence,
Nor to Thyself can pleasing be
Till thou Thy grace dispense:
Grant us Thy Spirit as our guide,
Charge of our hearts to take,
And over all our thoughts preside,
For Christ our Saviour's sake.

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HOLINESS TO THE LORD.

“A vessel unto honour, sanctified and meet for the Master's use.”—2 Tim. ii. 21.

Oh how should those be clean, who bear
The vessels of the Lord!
How should those give themselves to prayer,
Who minister His word!

Cleanse me, O Lord! my head, my feet,
And a pure heart induce;
That I may be a vessel meet
For Thy most holy use.

Oh may the beamings of Thy grace,
Reflected on my mien,
When called a sinful world to face,
Shew where my soul has been.

Then shall I not be greatly moved
By envy or applause;
Content to be by Thee approved,
And glorying in thy cause.

226

MARRIAGE HYMN.

“Even as the Lord the Church.”—Eph. v. 29.

O God! who didst an equal mate
For Adam of himself create,
Flesh of his flesh, bone of his bone,
That both might feel and love as one:
Make these Thy servants one in heart:
Whom Thou hast joined, let no man part.

Lord of the Church! whose bleeding side
Gave life to thy redeemed Bride;
Whose grace, through every member spread,
Joins the whole Body to its Head.
Oh, let thy love the model be
Of this their nuptial unity.

O Thou who once, a guest Divine,
Didst turn the water into wine!
Thy presence, not unsought, afford;
Fill Thou their cup, and bless their board;
And, while each heart Thy word obeys,
May all their joy be turned to praise.

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Spirit of grace and holiness!
Who dost these vital frames possess,
As living temples; which to stain,
Were God's own dwelling to profane:
May these Thy servants, honouring Thee,
Be kept in love and purity.

Now to the undivided Name
The Church adores, her rites proclaim,—
Sealed with the gift of Pentecost,—
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
All praise be given: in every state,
Be soul and body consecrate.

VERSE.

Psalm iv. 8.

Lift up, O God! on our hearts
The light of Thy reconciled face.
Sweeter the bliss it imparts,
To feel the warm beams of Thy grace,
Than all their possessions to worldlings can yield,
The joy of the vintage, the wealth of the field.

228

COLLECT.

[With Thy most gracious favour, Lord!]

With Thy most gracious favour, Lord!
Anticipate our need;
And Thy continual help afford,
Our labours to succeed:
That so our works, in Thee begun,
Continued, ended in Thy fear,
May all be to Thy glory done;
Till we, accepted in Thy Son,
Before Thy face appear.

COLLECT.

[O God! who seest how, on every hand]

O God! who seest how, on every hand,
Dangers and snares are strewed,
So that we cannot always upright stand
In fearless rectitude:
Strengthen our spirits with thy heavenly might,
All foes and ills to face;
And guard us through Temptation's life-long fight,
Triumphant through Thy grace.

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COLLECT.

[Look down, O God! with gracious eye]

Look down, O God! with gracious eye,
On Thy redeemed Family,
For whom Our Lord was fain
To be betrayed, reviled, denied,
Stretched on the tree and crucified;—
Who now doth live and reign
At Thy right hand, the Eternal Son,
With Thee and with the Spirit one,
World without end. Amen.

COLLECT.

[Baptized into our Saviour's death]

“Baptized into his death.”—Rom. vi. 3.

Baptized into our Saviour's death,
Who for our sins gave up His breath;
Lord! grant us grace from day to day,
Our baser tendencies to slay.
Entombed with Him, our risen Head,
May we to sin and sense be dead;
And, passing through death's gate, the grave,
Our joyful resurrection have;

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Through Him who died, and buried lay,
And rose upon the appointed day,—
Thy Blessed Son, our glorious Lord;
For ever be His name adored.

COLLECT.

[O God! to whom the happy dead]

“For all live unto Him.”—Luke xx. 38.

O God! to whom the happy dead
Still live, united to their Head,
Their Lord and ours the same:
For all Thy saints, to memory dear,
Departed in Thy faith and fear,
We bless Thy holy name.

By the same grace upheld, may we
So follow those who followed Thee,
As with them to partake
The free reward of heavenly bliss.
Merciful Father! grant us this,
For our Redeemer's sake.