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5

THE SPIRIT OF THE LITANY.

Almighty Father! Thou Creator! God!
Whose works are wise and infinite, and good;
Thou, who hast call'd the universe from naught,
Whose Majesty, is spread from World to World,
Whose sons of old did worship Thee Supreme,
In law of deep humility and love;
Hear thou thy Church; our humble voices hear.
We call Thee Father, for we own no Lord
Creator, but the wisdom of thy Word.
Our Father who in Heaven dost preside
The only God, Omnipotent and good;
Thy sacred name Jehovah, be revered.
In purest thought thy Majesty be known
And sanctified, upon the souls of men.

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No man our Father, and of earth, no king
Supremely president, o'er kingdom thine.—
Thy kingdom come; The quiet peaceful bliss
Of glory, most to be desired of man,
Wherein no vanity of outward pomp,
No reverence external can appear;
Where silence save the language of a deed,
And patience, save the protest of defence,
Reign in supremacy the most resign'd.
Thy will, the wish and duty of a son,
Be truly done. O hear the public prayers,
The fervent spirit of the souls of men;
Have mercy on the misery of man,
On us, most miserable, poor and blind.—
On earth thy will be faithfully perform'd,
As angels minister in Heaven above.
Give us our bread our daily food from thee;
What e'er is just, is proper for us here;
Let us be satisfied; content, in Thee.
Thou dost supply the sparrows of the field;
Thou dost refresh the insects of the air;
Thou dost attend to hear the ravens cry;
The lillies have their moisture from thy hands;
The harvest of the earth is ripe for thee;
All nature cries aloud thy Majesty:

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The Sun in glory radiates the world,
He calls thee Father, from the rising morn
To setting eve; His light reflects thyself.
Leviathan who traverses the deep,
Asks food of thee: The prowling beast
Leaving his den at eve, of thee receives
The portion of his life; All power is thine:
Father Omnipotent, O hear our cry!
As children call, we seek thy gracious Love,
And ask for food, for clothing, and for Life.
O Holy Father! fill our soul with Light;
Look with compassion on Thy chosen race;
And hear the language of our humbled heart.
Our soul is heavy with the weight of sin,
Which from the nature of our Earth born man
We have imbibed. Have pity on our soul;
Like as our parents pitied us in youth,
O Father! let the mercy of thine hands
Outstretch'd in kindness, manifest thy grace.
Father of man, of Heaven, Earth, and Hell,
Thou greatest, holiest, purest source of Life;
Look on thy Church, and keep it as thine eye.
Be thou the guardian and the giver too,
Of all good gifts, and stimulate our mind

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With deepest gratitude for all the past.
We give thee thanks;—we honor thee in life;—
We praise thy name, while pen or tongue can speak;—
Through time we look, and gloriously hope
To swell thy praises in Eternity.—
O God the Son! Redeemer of the World,
Thou, whose redemption, is the Hope of Life;—
Thou holiness of God; thou Light of Light;
Thou second Man;—Redeemer of our Race;
Look on thy Church;—O let thy grace be given,
That we on earth may celebrate thy praise:
May give thee all the ardour of our souls,
And honor thee in Truth, in Life, in Death.—
Thou son of God, O hear the suppliant voice,
Which, from our souls, is offer'd up to thee:
Thou, who at first before the world began,
Wast with thy Father, Wisdom of the Wise,
One with his Majesty, plenitude and pow'r;
Thou, who didst hasten to fulfil the Word,
Commanding light from darkness, to appear,
And shine in beauty through the Universe;
Thou who wast first, and art and shalt be still
As ever thou hast been, the King of Kings!
The Lord of Lords, and ruler of our Hearts.

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Thou bless'd Redeemer, far above all thought;
Unseen, yet seen; unknown, yet truly known;
Felt in the fulness of a contrite sigh;
Known in the promise of Eternal Bliss;
Hail'd in the prayers, deeds, gifts, and thoughts
Of all thy children from the earliest day
To this sad moment of Mortality;
Have mercy on the sinners of this earth;
Who, worn with misery, and stung with sin,
Cry unto thee the Author of new Life,
Destroyer of the woe and sting of Death.
O thou most gracious, 'neath Whose Holy Love,
Whose pity, mercy, providence and Will,
Thy chosen children take their onward course,
Struggling for freedom of their inner man;
Whose love ordain'd before the world began
Redemption to the honor'd sons of men.
Thou, at whose will all ministers of Life
Take their descent from Heaven, to fulfil
The purport of their mission. Thou whose light
First shone in glory on Creation's front,
In innocence of soul existing life;
Whose countenance reflected on the World
Gave to our being, lustre purely bright;
Whose image was the soul and light of men,

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The joy, the love, the semblance of the good,
The secret spring of gratitude express'd,
In every thought, when fearfulness unfelt,
Unknown, unheard of, trembled in the deep.
O thou Redeemer, Son of God; Supreme;
Equal in Heaven, with the Height of High.—
Head of all head, and heart of holiest heart;
Hear thou our prayer, our misery, and woe.
We owe thee Life, ere yet the world began;
We owe thee Love before the light was seen;
We owe thee praise before the morning beam'd,
Or stars in majesty thy glory sung.—
We owe thee honor ere the systems roll'd,
And told thy Majesty to things create;
We owe thee worship ere the sun could know,
His light sent forth the radiance of day;
Yea we will worship thee, and praise thy name
Not for creation only; but for Love,
To us most miserable, lost in sin,
Doom'd to destruction; everlasting woe;
To us, once lost, now living and redeem'd.
How shall we praise thee, whom the stars behold?
How shall we honor thee, whom honor loves?
How shall we worship thee, whom angels bless?
We chaunt thy praises in this land of woe,

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Probationary state; We pray thee hear!—
Have pity on us miserable men;
And take us in the favour of thy Grace.
O hear our cry, thou manna of the World
Invisible; O hear our humble prayer,
Grant us in Wisdom, Purity and Light,
To keep our birth-right and behold thyself.
Thou Parent of the sons, whom thou hast known,
Keep us in Charity, in Faith, in Hope,
And let our souls in hallelujahs sing,
Triumphantly responsive, Songs of Life.
O Holy Spirit! God, who at the first
Didst breathe in Majesty through every sphere;
Thou who didst give to every thing a voice,
And mad'st them sing the glory of thyself;
Thou who didst make all nations praise the Lord;
Thou who art holy in the thought of Life,
And art the life of every living thing;
Thou who dost speak the presence of our God,
And teachest all to triumph in the song
Of praise, of honor, precept, love and Truth.
Thou, who didst come from presence of His throne,
Who sits in action of Eternal Love;
Who art thyself in everlasting thought

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Of life, of liberty, and Holy Bliss.
Thou who wast breath of every soul of Man,
When sighs were heard not, nor the heavy sound
Of consious guiltiness, could burst the heart,
And make the sorrowful address of woe.
Thou who didst listen to the silent prayer
Of righteous Abel, and didst still the pang
Of secret misery, and calm the soul,
Of Him who offer'd sacrifice in Hope.
Thou who didst teach, in patience most profound,
The suffering soul, to sympathize with Him
Whose agony was greater than our own.—
Who from thy Father, and his only Son
Didst come the Comforter of every soul
Who sought for Life! O holy Spirit, hear!
And take our breathing of the breath of Life,
The teaching, brooding, and the rising sigh
Of contrite sinners. Hear our holy prayer;
That Word of Lowliness, which thou dost cheer;
Hear us obedient, and cleanse our souls
From thoughts of sin. O thou who com'st from Him,
Who came for us; Thou, Spirit of our Rest,
Thou Resurrection's Hope; whose holy Fire,
Didst first descend and burn upon the head
Of those appointed to proclaim thy Truth;

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Thou who didst teach thy servants to transcribe
The oracles of God; and now, dost send,
By human energies excited, far
From land to land, the knowledge of the Lord;
Hear our request.—Have mercy on our souls;
Guide thou thy Church; preserve us in thy Love;
O keep our footsteps, lest we stumbling, fall,
And finally be lost in chaos deep.—
Hear Holy Spirit, hear the voice of Truth;
The voice of supplicants who call on Thee;
Whose language, daily in thy presence, fills
The space betwixt the throne of Majesty,
And earth thy footstool. Miserable Man,
Wretched, without the Spirit of thy grace,
Would sink a sufferer in eternal doubt;
Would faint, and fall, and sorrow, 'till his soul
Had lost its fountain. Pity thou thy Church,
And keep us steadfast 'till the trumpet sound;
And thou dost raise us quickened by thy Love,
To live for ever with the Lord of Life.—
Almighty God! Eternal Father, Son,
And Holy Ghost united, in one Love;
Thou Equal Godhead, Infinite, and Good;

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Thou only one supremacy of space,
Who hold'st Creation by the purest laws
Of perfect Justice, Judgment, Grace and Truth!
O Bless'd and glorious! Thou Triune God!
Essence most pure, immaculate, and chaste!
Thou, who created and redeem'st, and sav'st,
The souls of men; making them turn to thee
In deep humility, O hear our prayer!
We bow ourselves in love, before thy throne,
Praising adoring equally in One,
The Father Son and Holy Ghost our God.
Him our Creator, whom we first adored,
Him our Redeemer, who assumed our flesh;—
Him our Preseryer, by whose fiery tongue,
We speak in Justice to the sons of men.
Almighty God, O hear our lowly prayer.
And keep us onward in the ways of Truth;
As man is one in spirit, soul, and frame,
And cannot tell how unison is kept.—
For, this we know, our body is corrupt,
And yet united to a thinking soul,
Which soul thinks evil, 'till thy grace be given,
To cleanse and purify, and banish ill,
By food of Wisdom. 'Till we learn to think
In Spirits dictates solely, of the Lord,

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Who made, who spake, who sacrificed for all,
Would have us all in unison with Him,
The first, the present, and the last in One.
Almighty God, whose glory is outspread,
From space to space; whose magnitude so great,
That none can measure it; whose creature man
Would penetrate the science of the skies,
And so compare them with his own conceit;
Who finds himself an atom in thy sight,
And yet with soul so full of secret sigh,
It fain would fill the immeasurable space
'Twixt Earth and Heaven. Thou, who hast call'd us hence,
To fill a body which can never die,
A perfect frame, incapable of fall;
Who teachest us to know our earth a load
Of cumbrous clay, so destitute of good,
That 'till we leave it, we can ne'er be found,
In life of liberty, and perfect thought.—
Thou who art Lord of Life, of joy, of death,
And know'st the good and evil of our state,
Look on thy Church; and strengthen us in Hope.
Fill us with patience, 'till our perfect work,
Complete in thee, be sanctified and done.
'Till our salvations work be so fulfill'd,

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Our Spirits mounting free'r than the air,
May glory with the glory of the Lord.—
Remember not the offences of our Life,
Nor let the sins our Ancestors have done,
Before thy presence be recall'd and seen.
O let not vengeance on our feeble state
Be visited in wrath most mighty Lord.
O thou supreme, whose mercy, like the rain,
Falling from Heaven to refresh our earth,
Can strengthen us in hope of Holy joy,
Spare us, O spare us, good and gracious Lord,
Spare us thy people, who, redeem'd of old,
By blood most precious, shed in our defence,
Now make our prayers in poverty to thee.
O be not angry. for our years are gone,
Vain as a shadow, past as a watch by night,
Spent as the breath of him who runs in haste;—
O be not angry; hide not thou thy face,
Except in mercy, or, if wrath do come,
Let it but last the twinkling of an eye,
And visit us with love Most gracious Lord.
O not for ever, not for ever Lord
Let anger last. Eternity is thine;
And art thou angry, we consume away,

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And perish as a shadow in a shade;
We fall for ever, deeper in the abyss
Of woe eternal, woe most bitter, sharp,
Such as no end can pacify with ease,
No hope recall to animate with Love.
O be not angry, lest we seek to die,
And dying, find not death; but spare us Lord,
And keep us faithful in thy Holy Word.—
From ev'ry ill that compasses the world,
From ev'ry mischief which may lurk abroad,
Or harbour'd in the bosom of our home,
May make us enemies to friend within.
O let not mischief with a blunted tool,
Destroy the work thy perfect hand hath wrought.
The vain destroyer, who pretends to work,
Yet cuts the soul, he cannot hope to cure,
His mischievous design do thou avert,—
Nor let his cruelty extend to those,
Who live in peace, in charity, and Love.
From Sin the vain ambitious son of Woe,
The deadliest offspring of that evil beast,
Who came from bottomless abyss of hell,
To revel in philosophy and blood;
From all his crafts, his handy works of Death,

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His vain assaults to terrify thy sons;
Good Lord deliver us. O let not fear,
That dragon of the world, whose dreadful pow'r,
Worse than Goliath's on the battle field,
Would make men tremble when they see not death;
Who enters where the weakness of the mind,
Is worn by sorrow or distress'd by care,
And there his legions rallying, would send
A poor defenceless sinner to the damn'd,
And glory in the conquest of his faith.
From Devil such as this defend us Lord;
Give us such patience, resignation, Hope,
Such Love so shielded by thy gracious Word,
That he, and all his legions may descend
Ere one assault can penetrate the heart
And drive it to despair. From all thy wrath,
Which, justly meriting, we cannot 'scape,
Save, by the mercy and Atoning blood,
Of Him thy chosen; interceding, now
For all the contrite. From that last of all,
That dreadful Judgment, Everlasting Death,
Where all the wicked lie in burning state,
Ever to perish, and with incense damn'd,
Like Chorah and his company to burn.—
Good Lord deliver us.—

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From stubborn heart,
Blind to the sacred dictates of the soul,
Which will not feel the tenderness of truth;
Nor own its errors, nor confess its sins,
Nor ask thy pardon with an earnest love,
Desirous of the mercy of the Lord;
From pride, the secret vaunter of the soul,
Which ever hard'ning, will not, dare not seek
In lowliness of mind to own its guilt;
Which still would keep the forehead of contempt,
And frown on those it cannot greet with smile.
From pride of person, though a perfect form,
Graced with all fancy of the dignified
May walk in stateliness of conscious shape,
External feature, or commanding front;—
From pride of person, let the thought of Him,
Who claim'd no feature, save humility,
Whose outward gait, his inward sorrow own'd,
Whose beauty could not please; whose deeds alone,
Known to his imitators speak him great,
Bless'd above pride, beyond all human thought.
O let such Being, guard us from that pride,
Which dares presume to magnify its form,
Which walks gigantic on the earth, itself,
Earth upon earth, and Death upon the doom'd.

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Keep us from pride, internal, or innate,
From pride of Spirit, lest with novice tongue
We fall in folly to the state of Him,
Who lies condemn'd upon the gulf of Hell.
From pride of knowledge, for we know not thee,
If we know aught, that makes us in our pride,
Superior to Him the Lord of all;
Who meek in Majesty, yet just in Love,
Pure in his precept, perfect in his Life,
Science of Science; Sovereign of Kings;
The high of high, the lowliest of the Low.
The Lord of Lords; the master of all men,
The Maker, the Redeemer of mankind.
We know not aught, if servants on this earth,
We seek a rule of governance in pride,
So, talk of liberty when lost in sin;
And glory in the passions of the soul,
More than in Spirit of the inner man;
Which keeps the passions in their humblest state,
Calm and quiescent, lest an angry deed
Betray the weakness of a soul ensnared.
From pride of state, of pomp, of Law, or Life,
Good Lord deliver us.—
From glory vain,
Such as can spread the surface of an hour;

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And gild with fancy, darkest deeds of shame
'Till mortals shining in the meteor light,
Look what they are not; and with eye of flame,
Bursting with passion, would pretend to be
The patriots of Honor, Truth, and Fame.
From glory vain that magnifies conceit
And makes us something when in truth we are,
Creatures of dust, the beings of a day,
Which if not bless'd by prospect of a world
Of brighter glory, must to night descend.
How vain is man, his wishes too how vain!
His thoughts how futile, fleeting as the wind,
His soul how full of folly, how replete
With all the mightiness of self applause,
And yet how stagnant is the pool of Life
'Till angel stir it. 'Tis in vain, in vain,
We think of glory such as man can claim,
Man and his Majesty, must bend to thee,
Thou only glorious, only good and great.
No vanity in thee;—thy creature vain
Oft seeks his glory in the shade of fame:
But let our glory be in love of thee,
In keeping honor, chastity and truth.
From base hypocrisy with specious smile,
Seeming to be the gracious and the good;—

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And living as the Pharisees of old,
In outward cleanliness, but inward guilt,
Damning those deeds in public which they do
In secret shame, yet conscious of their crime.
From canting, cringing, and caressing men,
To keep in favor, with the hope of gain;
From base pretence, of godliness, and truth,
Upholding righteousness, yet eagle eyed,
Grasping the chance of weakness in those minds
They seek to slay. From faith of vision'd brain,
Which mad with fancy, dares to claim as friend
Him who can never compromise the Truth;
Who, hates the garment spotted by the flesh,
And calls no sinner in his Son, but him
Who cleansed from stain of guiltiness of soul,
Humbly will think, and humbly too will act,
In perfect Charity, with all the world.—
From such Hypocrisy as sheds a tear,
Of mental motion, for an interest sake;
Which weeps at surface, but whose heart is stone,
And knows no sorrow but the loss of gold,
Of consequence, or pride of outward state.—
From such hypocrisy as day by day,
In words unmeaning, flatters, not persuades.
Yet leaves, in doubt, deserving beings call'd

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To better hopes, to prospect of a world
Where pure sincerity, in sacred Love,
Lives for a Life Eternal, with the good;
Good Lord deliver us.—
From Envy's lustful sway,
With Spirit full of treachery and ill,
Which hates all holiness, nor bears the Truth,
But dares malign all goodness; which depraved,
Burns at morality and blazes far,
The torches of his satire and his shame;
Which thinks a crown his merit, yet so mean,
He dares not praise, where praises might be due,
Nor honor any, save the souls of those,
Who give him honor in his guilty deeds.
From hatred personal, or prejudiced, or proud;
From detestation of a man, a worm,
Such as are all men; and at best but bad,
No better than his brother of the earth,
Though better taught, or better nourish'd here,
Clad in the clothing of a richer state.
From hatred of a man tho' rich, or poor;
Good Lord deliver us.—
We war with ill,
With spirits evil, and would cast away

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The hatred of an enemy, and stand
In patience boldly fronting, in thy name
The host of Spirits, who oppose themselves.
From malice such as harbours in the soul,
All foes to peace; and cherishes in pain
The murmurings of pride, and discontent:
Which knows no Faith, nor hope, nor joy, nor love;
Which graceless as the savage of the wild,
And heartless as the Dragon is in war,
Would kill the being it has once caress'd.—
From such a temper openly at ease,
Yet inwardly at war with every good;
Which prays forgiveness; yet can ne'er forgive,
Which asks for pardon, whilst the secret curse,
Bursts through the Spirit of a milder prayer,
And makes the language of the tongue deceit.—
Good Lord deliver us from such an ill;
Death is far better than malicious Life,
Which brooding o'er the fancies of the world,
Can never welcome with an humbled heart,
The only Lord of Comfort, and of peace.—
From all uncharitable words and deeds,
From hastiness of speech or judgment broad,
Which sweeps the awful dictates of thy Word,
In carnal malice, more than Spirits love;

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Which damns, not heals; which curses, cannot cure;
Calls for thy vengeance on the sons of Men,
And proud in great possession of pure faith,
Makes faith impure, by ignorance and hate.
Good Lord deliver us from such a mind,
And take away the cursing of the soul,
O let that Charity which lays down life,
To save from death; benignity of grace,
O let such charity be found with those,
Who preach, and teach, and pray, and speak of thee;
Which weeps with sorrow and rejoices joy.—
From fornication, 'tis the Gentiles sin,
The deadliest enemy to peace of mind;
The foe to precept, prayer, and pure request,
The subtle poison of the serpents tongue.
O let thy Zion be preserv'd from stain,
Lest with sepulchral voice, some vaunter rise,
And make his faith the harbinger of guilt;
Who courts the prince of darkness in the air,
And dares presume to magnify his creed,
To fill the world with falsehood for the truth,
Lest, when the hour of trial and of faith,
Should put his practice, to the test, he fail,—
Lest from thy grace departing, he descend,

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Guilty in conscience, and condemn'd by thee.
From fornication of the word of Truth,
Where passion, mingled with the swell of sounds
Makes music with the senses of the nerve,
More than the heart; where science too is found,
In secret mystery, confounding light,
And calling darkness, the expanse of truth.
O let thy love, in pity cleanse the soul,
And set forth faith and virtue, in the beam
Of purest holiness, that we with thee
May flee those sins where sorrow makes abode,
In awful fearfulness. O cleanse us Lord,
From all the heathen passions of our youth,
And fix our pure affections upon thee.—
From ev'ry sin whose deadly stamp of guilt,
Would make us shudder with the thought of death;
From all deceitfulness of worldly praise,
From all those pageants which oppress the mind,
Directed by the Spirit to thy throne;
Which vainly fancies, that the world contains,
An earthly Paradise; or fondly hopes,
Some fancied pleasure may increase their joy.
From vain deceits of vanity and sin,
Where fleshly lusts, inherited from Him,
Who made us sinful, revel in the world;

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Good Lord deliver us.—
From tempests frown
Or sudden burst of lightning on our land;
From fears and terrors, when the gates of death,
Seem open to the horror of the soul.
O let the knowledge of thy word uphold,
In midst of suffering, the sons of men,
Who put their confidence and Hope in thee.
O let not storm, or tempest blight our faith,
But fix'd on high, the glory of thy name,
Be found our food, our holiness, our light.
From plague or pestilence, or famine dire,
Where devastation with devouring flame,
Feeds on destruction; terrible display
Of wrath, of vengeance, on our guilty heads.
O let not darkness such as once o'er spread,
The land of Egypt, be outspread on us.—
From battles fears, deliver us O Lord;
Though host meet host, in awfulness of fight,
And He the wicked one, delight to see
The dreadful passions vent themselves in gore;
Who loves the glory of the host of Death;
And sees his crown in future curses rise.
From battles fears, tho' courage never fail,
And Christian Warrior can conquer self,

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O let thy Church in holiness preserv'd,
Pursue in patience Lord, her suffering state,
Warring with war, the warfare of the soul.—
From murder, let the Judges of the land
In justice free us. Keep us from the stain,
Of hasty passions, such as dare conceive
The thought of murder; or for honors sake,
Dare to display defiance to thy laws,
And challenge to the death, some son of sin,
Who like himself may glory in the shame,
Of passions pacified alone by Death.—
From sudden panic in approaching hour
Of awful dissolution, let thy Love;
In mercy spare us, to recall our sins,
And faithfully repentant of our deeds,
However good or evil, they may seem,
O let not death in sudden terror come:
But let our patience be the surety given,
Of better hopes, of better joys above.
From sudden moment of departure hence,
Good Lord deliver us.—
From secret sin,
Of base sedition, nurtured in the soul
Of dread ambition, worst of evil ways;
Such serpents venom, as may lurk unseen:

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Whose poison is secreted 'neath the tongue,
But once infused, our nature is blown out,
'Till with infection we can never rest,
But carried by the Spirit of the World,
From place to place, we perish in our pride.
Good Lord deliver us, from private spleen,
Conspiracy of hatred, and revenge.
From fatal fallacy of vain deceit,
Whose dread designs are levell'd against Thee,
Against thy promises, against thy will.
Let not conspiracy destroy our peace;
For once the mind is bitten by disease,
Or takes infection from the breath of man;
Stung to the soul and madden'd in his crime,
No state of conscience will be kept in peace.
From mad Rebellion, with the host of hell,
Stirring up hatred, discord, dread, and death;
Good Lord deliver us. O let us bear
Our ill with patience, and with steady hand,
Attentive to the dictates of thy will,
Work in our day the duty of our state.
O let not burthens, of oppression, break
The energies, activity of mind
Or health of body given Lord by thee.

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From doctrine false, capricious, or of flesh;
From flights of fancy, for the flights of grace;
Good Lord deliver us. Let doctrine sound,
Built on the corner stone of Life and Love,
The key-stone of the temple, through the world,
Let doctrine sound, built on thy wisdoms will,
Be taught with meekness, charity, and Truth.
Let not collision of chaotic mass
Confuse thy Church, but faithful in our creed,
From heresy and hatred keep us Lord,
From hardened heart, which ventures on the deeds
Of vain philosophy; and acts in dread,
Uncertain, wavering, and never fix'd.
One while in brilliancy, expansive, grand,
Another in minutiae of thought,
Lost in the nothingness of trifling things.—
From sad contempt, of holy precepts given,
New law of Life, the Saviour of the world;
From such contempt, as wickedness can claim,
Which sneers at goodness; which defames the just,
And glories in the shamefulness of sin.
Strict thy command; obedience thy law,
Obedience to Liberty and Love:
But disobey, and purity is lost.
From such a mind as carnally at war,

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Knows not the Comfort of thy Holy Peace,
Good Lord deliver us.—
By all the ties,
That bind our Spirits to thy heavenly word:
By thy deep mystery Incarnate Lord,
Depth of all wisdom, deepest, holiest God;
By that humility which shone in flesh,
God in our substance, Jesus in our earth;
By Wisdom Infinite, Supremely good.
What tongue can speak the gratitude it owes?
What heart can swell the praises of our Lord?
By that Incarnate Wisdom most profound;
Known to the faithful, welcomed by the good,
Hail'd by contrition, as the only hope
Of pure Atonement for one state of sin:
By thy bright birth, thou Son of God and Man,
Born in the humblest province of the world,
A Bethlehemite, a Nazarite, a King;
By thy nativity when Angels sung,
Thy glorious Majesty, the Love of God.—
By thy most Holy, Holy, Holy, Love,
Which came to save, to glory in the height,
To bring good will, glad tidings of great joy;
Salvation to the destitute and lost.—

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By that completion of thy promised Word;
That, woman's seed, should bruise the serpent's head
A virgin should conceive and bear a Son,
Born of thy will, thy Spirit, thy command;
By thy conformity to Moses' Law,
Or rather, to the law thou gav'st thyself:
By circumcision of thy flesh O Lord,
O let our hearts be circumcised and cleans'd,
Reproved by thee, by thee again be heal'd.
By thy bless'd baptism; sanctioned from on high;
When water pour'd upon thine honor'd head,
Thou didst fulfil the righteousness of God;
O let thy Church baptising in thy name
Have all the gifts of grace thy spirit gives.
By fasting, such as none on earth could bear,
Fasting in sorrow, in temptations hour.
When he the wicked one, with subtle word,
Did twist the Scripture to the worst deceit:
By such temptation, trial, and attack,
As none could conquer, but thyself O Lord,
O let such trials be our humble joy,
In all the sorrows of our sinful state,—
And finally from guilt, O set us free.
By thy deep agony and bloody sweat,

33

When tears of sorrow for the guilt of man,
Did flow a fountain to relieve our souls.—
That agony of spirit; such as words,
Though all the world were full of tears and sighs,
Could never calculate. That God should weep;
Should weep for man! O Mystery! O Love!
O let thy Church in sympathy abound,
And set forth all the sufferings for sin;
That all ungodliness, may banish'd far,
Be never found to trouble us again.—
Lord, who hath wept for sorrow and for sin,
Without thy comfort? Who hath heard thy name,
Thy sufferings, thy sorrows, and thy pains;
And hath not deeply taken in his soul,
The solemn thoughts of an atoning God?
By agony which faith alone can feel,
Good Lord deliver us.
By thy sad cross,
Painful, most painful to thy tender frame,
When malice nail'd thee to the fatal tree,
And demons smil'd and taunted at thy pains;
When rais'd on high, thy body was uplift,
A living spectacle to God and Man;
When silence like the present awful hour;
O'erspread the heavens, when the rocks were rent,

34

The graves were open'd, and the saints arose;
When thy bless'd voice, voice of triumphant Love,
Proclaim'd the sufferings of death were pass'd;
Moment of awfulness, of Honor, Truth;
Moment of mercy, when the angels wept;
When devils in the prevalence of Pride
Were banish'd to the bottomless abyss.
By such a cross, a passion for thy Church,
Which none but Martyr's, who have souls of Hope,
And count it glory to be crown'd with life;
Which none but they who running for that race,
Do welcome martyrdom, for Hope of Heaven,
Can truly feel. By thy most precious death,
A death of Glory, which disarm'd the foe
And stung the enemy of man to death.—
Lord when we know that thou hast died for man,
O let our faith and hope, be daily fix'd
In thought of thankfulness, in love of Life.
O be not distant, but for ever near;—
In silent whisper, let our souls converse;
Our sighs ascend in sanctity to thee.
And by that burial, the rich hath made,
O rich in grace, who honor'd and rever'd,
Thy Holy Body, who fulfill'd thy Word,
O let our sins be buried in thy tomb;

35

That with the earth they perish when we rise.
Thy resurrection be our cheerful hope,
Our solace in the agony of death.
That we in life, who risen from our sins;
Yet place no merit in the deeds we do
May find in glory that we stand releas'd.
By that ascension when from those thou loved'st,
Parted asunder, thou didst leave the earth,
On wings of Spirit, to rejoin the throne
Thy Father had reserv'd to grace his Son.
By that ascension thy disciples saw,
And we by faith, now seeing do believe.
And, by the coming of the Holy Ghost,
Which rushing through the Universe didst fill,
The house where thy disciples made abode;—
By that same tongue convicting man of sin,
Yet speaking of those gifts of grace and Love,
Where some have learning, Wisdom, Words,
Tongues of the ancients, and the views of truth.
By that same Spirit coming from thy Son,
And so abiding with thy Church on earth;
Good Lord deliver us.—
In time of woe,
When worn with sorrow or depress'd with sin,
When suffering from agony of mind,

36

From fancied evils, or from fear of man;—
From broken heart, from agitated soul,
When passions would pervert or alter life;
When sorrow for the sins of those we Love,
Deepest of all the sufferings of Life;
When those we venerate, in duty's path,
From precept swerve; or, living in the world,
Set at defiance all the laws of truth.
In time of wealth, when dangers lurk around,
When most of all we need thy guardian hand,
To keep us from the confidence of sin.
From trust in gold, which never can last long,
Whose freedom is the service of the world,
The origin, and agony of guilt.
From Spirit, thirsty for the draught of wealth,
Beyond all bounds of justice, and of truth;
Good Lord deliver us!—
In that dark hour,
When death would hover round our mortal frames,
And shake our nerves; when trembling Spirits faint;
O let our hearts be fix'd, our hopes revive;
Thy glorious promises expand our souls;
And fix our prospect on Eternity.—
O let us feel, that thou didst die for us;
That death may never have dominion here.

37

For thou hast spread the canopy of truth,
To lighten darkness from the gates of Hell.
Let not the fear of enemies oppress,
Let not the courage of our conquest fail;
Let not the glory of thy brightness pass;
Let not the lamp once lighted, be extinct;
O let thy glory be our soul's best thought,
The guardian angel of our Hope; and Life,
In day of judgment when the assembled world,
Shall answer to the summons of thy Word:
When conscious Innocence, and conscious guilt,
Confronted in the presence of the Lord,
Shall stand in justice to receive their doom.
In that great day, when judgment shall be given,
When all the sins repented shall be fled;
And all impenitence be then exposed;
When hearts shall tremble; both with fear, and joy,
When tongues shall chaunt in lofty strains of Love,
Thy high, and Holy Hallelujahs Lord,
O then deliver us from all our sins!!
Accept our crowns, when prostrate at thy feet,
We cast them down and worship thee with Praise!
Lord of Creation; Lord of Redemption too,
Lord of thy Church! preserve us to the end!

38

O keep us stedfast, through these times of Woe,
Fix'd in our hope, nor let the world prevail,
Nor Life, nor Death, nor pow'rs, nor fears, destroy
Our prospect in the brightness of thy Love.—
In day of Judgment, when the worlds on fire,
Shall fall as Atoms, to the depths of Hell.
When all these works to Chaos, shall return,
And man in glory with his Saviour shine;
In that same day deliver us O Lord!
We sinners, supplicate thy fav'ring Ear,
We pray thee hear us from thy heavenly throne,
And spurn us not, tho' anger we deserve;
We cannot bear the arrow of thy wrath:
Thine hand would smite us to the deep dark pit,
If once in anger it should strike our souls;
For what are we? O govern thou thy Church,
O let our voices from this sinful earth,
Arise in glory to the throne of Grace.
Point thou the way, and let us walk aright,
Not praising man, but inwardly in hope,
In joy, in peace, in worshiping thy name;
In loving thee, in honoring thy path.
Guide us aright;—the universal church,
In holiness, in purity preserve,

39

And grant us wisdom to declare thy will.
We sinners do entreat thine ear O Lord:
O let it please thy sovereign mighty will;
To keep and strengthen in the ways of Life,
Our King and Governor. Around his throne,
O be thy Ministers of Truth, his guide.—
O let him worship, with a contrite heart
The King of Glory. Let his soul be fix'd,
In holiness and righteousness on thee.—
Let grace from Heaven, be his lot on earth.
O let it please thy goodness Lord of Life,
To rule his heart, in faith, in fear, in Love,
Faith in the promises of Holy Joy,
Fear in the awfulness of sacred things,
Love in the dictates of thy Holy Word;
As we are loyal, lifting up our souls,
To pray for Him, O let thy sovereign grace,
Conduct him faithfully, in duty's path;
O let his confidence be placed in thee,
Or else his crown will crumble into dust;
And he do homage to an earthly Lord.
O let him seek thine honor and thy Fame,
O let him worship, no one Lord but thee.
O let it please the wisdom of thy Love,

40

To be his guardian and defender here;
Keep thou his footsteps, let him fear no foe,
No enemy of Spirit, or of flesh,
But give him victory o'er death himself.
We sinners ask, for thou hast taught us Lord,
To pray for Kings and governors on earth,
And honor those, who have their rule of thee;
Not so usurpers, they who hate thy name,
And treat philosophy, as faith and light,
For them we pray not. Guard us from their snare,
And keep our souls in courage and in Hope,
Fearing no death, but worshiping thy name,
Through Him, who taught us in the way of Truth.
We sinners pray thee to preserve and bless
The royal family. From every ill
Defend them Lord, and let them learn to guard,
The sacred principles of light and Truth.
Give them thy grace; that zealous for thy word,
They give thy people liberty to speak,
In truth and boldness to the Sons of Men.
O let it please thee to illumine those,
Who bear the sacred office of our Lord;

41

The Bishops, Priests, and Deacons of thy Church.
O let thy Spirit be out-pour'd on these,
That nothing may be wanting in thy will,
To keep us firm, and steadfast in our faith.
Grant them true knowledge, understanding, minds,
Such, as are capable of keeping truth,
Such as may shine in wisdom of thy word;
And fearlessly expound, and preach thy Law;
Where Life and Love united, praise and bless,
In hope and Charity, thy sacred name.—
O grant them grace, a double portion Lord,
Of Spirit, to withstand the tempters force;
O give them help. O let their strength abound,
In love of Wisdom, learning, life, and light;
That they our Guides, dependant upon thee;
May lead us faithfully to seek that throne,
Where thou in Majesty and glory liv'st,
The King of Kings, the Lord of living Lords,
The everlasting and Almighty God,
The first, the last, the only God of Love.
That it may please thee to preserve and bless,
The multitude of people thou hast call'd,
Such as are thine. O let us ever be,
In truth thy children; and in love thy friend.

42

Give to all nations unity and peace:
That concord not concision may abound;
Concord of glory in the praise of thee;
Thou God of mercy, justice, Love and Truth,
O give us hearts to love and dread thy name;
To love thee for the mercies of our Life,
To dread thee for the terrors of our sins,
And so beneath the loveliness of Hope,
To seek thy grace and pardon for the past,
And keep with diligence and careful step,
The way of thy commandments, in thy Love.
Give to thy people such increasing grace,
To hear thy word with meekness, and with faith,
That pure affection may be well received,
And bring forth fruits of Spirit, such as sing
In tongue of wisdom to the praise of Him,
Who is alone the Holy God of Love.—
The fruits of Spirit are in Joy and peace;
O let such fruits in holiness advance,
And keep us stedfast in the way of truth.
O let it please thee to recall those sons,
Who wandering far from joyfulness of Life,
From purity of faith and patience here,
Seek in philosophy, or foolish way,

43

The sciences so falsely term'd thy light.
Thy science Lord is Truth, and Hope, and Love:
O let thy Spirit lead the lost sheep back,
Bring them again, and number them among
The faithful children, of thy chosen fold.
No longer Lord, let error and deceit,
In passionate unholy, language, live.
No longer Lord let wickedness prevail;
But curb the dragon and destroy his sin.—
Strengthen we pray thee such as stand by faith;
Such as each day, thy goodness can express;
In deep humility their earth command,
And keep within the boundaries of Life,
The perfect Liberty of Joy and Hope.—
O let thy comfort visit all the weak,
Such as in heart are sorrowful and low,
Contrite in Spirit, wounded in their soul,
Vex'd in their state; and weary of their life.
O let thy Spirit speak in accents mild,
To such deep sufferers: O bid them hope,
Bid them remember, that their life's best font,
He who was Author of their pristine state;
Died on the Cross to reconcile to God,
All sufferers in soul who truly feel,

44

Their deep deplorable imperfect state.—
Smooth thou their bed, teach them to raise on high,
Their grateful hearts in holiness to thee.
O teach them comfort, give them grace and Life,
And let thy glory, o'er their weakness shine;
And finally triumphant in their love,
O let thy Spirit take them to thyself.
Raise up we pray thee all thy fallen Sons,
From depth of misery, to dwell with thee.
Who doth not fall? The best must know decline,
Though not intentional. O Lord our God;
Raise up and stablish, such as fall from thee;
And bring them back. O let thy grace restore,
To image of thy Son thy fallen race.—
That ne'er again departing from thy Life,
They dwell in lowliness. At length beat down,
Beat down with glory, Satan, to the earth;
Let us triumphant o'er his councils stand,
Firm in our faith, fix'd in our holy Love;
O let his power be broken at thy will;—
O let his ministers be banish'd hence;
Let fear and madness, and deceit and fraud,
And sorrow, wretchedness, and hate, and strife,
Be sent with legions to their last abode.—

45

O let thy succour, help, and comfort come.
To all in danger, trouble, and distress;
Let them reveal their sorrow unto thee,
And so thy hand deliver them from death,
And give them to the friendship of their friends.
O let it please thee to preserve all those;
Whose distant steps, may traverse o'er the waste,
Of land or waters. Let thy guardian hand,
Guide and protect them, through their journeying,
Let hope of Home, the Love of future fame,
The joy of doing good, the thought of bliss,
When life decays, or when the palm of praise,
For all their trials shall be well bestow'd,
Let all these thoughts in prospect, cheer them on
And finally restore them to their land.
O let thy mercy visit all the sick,
All women labouring with child, all those
Whose tender years may unprotected pass,
Those be thy care. O let thy pity shine,
In special providence, on all those sons,
Whose early years afflicted, uncontroul'd,
Provoked, or cruelly abused, untaught,
In virtue's path, in Christian hope of Life,

46

Are lost in error, who from crime to crime,
Have wander'd on 'till vengeance meet them here:
And chain them 'neath the justice of the law.
O let thy pity visit all those sons,
Who held in prison, by the states around,
Or captive by the horrors of their wars;
Or worse, by Satan bound in passion, revel on,
Unable to command the tempter hence,
By faith and patience in thy gracious Word,
O let thy pity visit them in Love;
And make them hate the very thoughts of sin,
That so at liberty in spirit here
They glory in the prospect of his love,
Who carried captive, their Captivity.—
O let it please thee to defend from ill,
And mercifully send provision there,
Where all the fatherless, and destitute,
The widows, desolate, oppress'd with woe,
Ask for thy help. O hear us gracious Lord,
And let thy mercy reach the souls of all;—
We pray for all; or else with all we sink.
O keep our charity so purely clear,
From taint of infidelity or pride,

47

From worldly views of folly and of hate,
That present good, may not enhance the price
Of evil; or destroy our views of life.
Let us have mercy, but preserve us Lord,
In firmness, faith, consistency, and Love.
Forgive our enemies, who seek our ill,
As we ourselves forgiveness may receive;
Let not the pow'r of persecution raise
Revenge or hatred, in the breast of those
Who make thy Son the pattern of their lives.
O turn the slanderer from evil way,
Change thou his heart; and let him learn to love
In purer thought the beings thou hast made;
Give all their change from sin, and sorrows path,
To that of pity and humility:
That so transform'd, they journey on their way,
Bearing their Cross in gratitude to thee.
O let it please thee to bestow and keep,
The fruits of earth so graciously our good,
That in due time, we humbly may enjoy,
The produce of the land. But let our souls,
In hymns of gratitude aspire to praise,
To honor, worship, and revere thy name.—
O let it please thee to bestow thy grace,

48

In such abundance, that our hearts may be,
Renew'd in penitence, and turn'd to thee.
Grant true repentance, such as feels in heart,
That broken Spirit, thou dost love to heal:—
Such true repentance, that the soul may be;
In pure humility, brought down to earth;
And only wash'd by thine atoning blood.
O let compassion such as hates all sin,
Yet pities sinners; such as lays down life,
To save from misery a brothers soul;
Such as hypocrisy can never know,
O let compassion faithfully sincere,
Be gift from thee, the surety of our hope,
In better promises, in better worlds,
The prospect of reward, Eternal Life.
Forgive us sins of ignorance, neglect,
Such as we see not, but by thee beheld,
Known through our lives, though noted not by us,
Or not sincerely altered, may be past,
Or not repented of.—Endue us Lord,
With such assistance of thy special Grace,
Our lives may ever be amended here,
According to thy Word; that we on earth,
May finally, triumphant, reign in Love.

49

O Son of God, we pray thee hear our prayers,
We pray thee listen to the voice of man,
And mercifully grant him his requests.—
O Lamb of God! Eternal Lamb of God,
Thou purest, meekest, gentlest, holiest thing.
Essence of Wisdom most profound, most rich,
Thou who for ever, art the same through Life,
Through Life Eternal. Everlasting Lamb,
The offering for sin through every age;
Thou who hast taken on thyself our state:
And suffered'st deeply, for this wicked world,
Have mercy on us. Whither should we fly,
If not to thee? Can any pardon sin,
But thou who cam'st to reconcile to God,
Our fallen souls. We call upon thy name,
That sacred name, which none can seek in vain.
The silent monitor of every heart,
The hidden man, whose code of law, is Life:
Who gave this charge to all, to keep his laws,
In pure simplicity of heart, and Life.
O hear us Christ! Have mercy on our souls!
O Lord have mercy! mercy on thy Sons!
O Christ have mercy! Lord have mercy now,

50

And hear thy people, see them bending low,
To supplicate the pity of thy Love.
O hear us! hear us! hear us! God above!
Come for us Lord, O take us, take us then,
To Live with thee for ever, Lord! Amen.
Deal not O Lord according to our sins,
For they deserve the judgment of thy wrath,
Deal not with us, on terms of such a law,
But make thy Covenant the terms of peace.
Reward us not according to our crimes,
For so indeed, thy justice would descend
In hot displeasure on our guilty souls,
And we be doom'd to everlasting fire,
And justly be degraded in thy sight.
As thou art merciful, O Father, God,
Whose property, is never to despise
The mournful sighing of a contrite heart;
Who ne'er wilt scorn, the penitential tear
Which springs from sorrow of a wounded soul;
O let thy help, in mercy aid our prayers
For never can we pray with hope of joy,
That thou wilt hear us, if we have not Thee,
To lift our Spirits to thy throne of Grace.

51

Assist our prayers, which now in troubled hour
We make before thee! Help us in thy Love;
O let our deep adversity now plead
The cause of our oppression and distress.
O hear us Lord, O graciously support,
Our sinking Spirits 'neath the load of sin,
With which oppressors weigh us down to earth.
Let not those evils, which the craft of men
Design to be our doom, destroy our peace,
Satan with subtilty doth work on man
To undermine our Faith and Hope in Thee.
Satan with fury would attack thy Church,
And pull down every pillar to the ground,
And glory in the wreck which he might make.
That so upon the ruins of thy Church
He might establish anarchy and Death.
Disperse his schemes! O scatter Thou his fiends.
Drive them away with thy displeasure hence!
Breathe but the breath of thy most blessed word
And not a vestige of thy foes shall tell,
The triumph of their trampling!—Bid them hence
Confuse their schemes, and let thy goodness show
Thy providential guard upon thy Church.
Thus, shall we worship thee in Peace and Love;—
And thus defended, shall we fear no ill

52

But join in praises through our Lord the Christ,
To Him and Thee, and Thine for evermore.
O Lord arise! Deliver us O Lord!
E'en for the Honor of thy Sacred Name.
For we have heard with deep attentive ear
Of those great deeds which Thou in former times
Hast done upon our enemies. Those works
Wherein thy majesty was so displayed
That men beholding Thee have paused in sin
Have taken warning and if spared, have own'd
Thy power, thy might, thy Majesty and Grace,
Our Fathers, Lord! have told us of those deeds,
Which in the ages long before their day
Their Fathers have seen done.
O Lord arise,
And for thine Honor help us 'gainst our foe!
The glory never will we take ourselves
But unto Thee! the Father and the Son,
And Holy Ghost united as one God,
All honor shall be given! As it was,
Ere days or months, or years were yet declared,
Ere life begun; so shall be given now,
And ever so hereafter! Until Time

53

End in Eternity, 'till that new world
Possess our Spirits world without an end.—
O Christ our Saviour! O defend us now,
Look graciously upon our heavy souls,
And with thy pity aid our sorrowing hearts;
Forgive thy people, O forgive their sin,
Let fav'ring mercy, bless our hearty prayers;
O Son of David! Have thou mercy now.
And ever, ever condescend O Christ
To hear our prayers, and grant us Lord thy Grace.
Let mercy still be shewed upon our souls,
As all our confidence is placed in thee.
And thus we pray! O Father we entreat
In deep humility, thy fav'ring glance
On all our great infirmities. O turn
Those ills that we most justly have deserved
O turn them! turn them, from our path of life,
And for the glory of thy name disperse
Our many sufferings: that so in woe
In all our troubles we may place our hopes
Our perfect confidence and Trust in Thee.—
Henceforth supported, we may yet increase

54

In purity of worship, and of life.
This to the honor of thy Holy Name
And to the Glory of thy great renown,
Through Jesus Christ our Advocate, thy Son.
Almighty God, whose grace, to us is given
Now to address thee with one common voice,
With one accord to supplicate thine ear,
As thou hast promised by thy Word to be
Present with those assembled in thy Name,
And graciously to grant them their requests:
Fulfil O Lord, at this time these our prayers,
Our earnest supplication for thine aid
Grant thy petitioners, the things they need,
These most condusive to their lasting good:
Knowledge of Thee and thine Eternal Truth,
To guide their Faith and conduct through this world,
And in the world to come, Eternal Life.
O may the grace of Jesus Christ our Lord
Which by his death he purchased for mankind
Procure our pardon, and our perfect peace.
O may the Love of God our Father, shewn
In giving up his Son to die for sin
Now justify our Faith and Hope in Him.

55

O may the Holy and Eternal Ghost
In fellowship, and Unity of Life,
Perfect and Sanctify our christian course,
Both now and ever, 'till we meet on High,
And death be swallowed up in Victory.
THE END.