4

5

988

Jesus, Thy speaking blood,
From God obtained the grace,
Who therefore hath bestowed
On us a longer space;

Thou didst in our behalf appear,
And, lo, we see another year!
Then dig about our root,
Break up the fallow ground,
And let our gracious fruit

To Thy great praise abound:
O let us all Thy praise declare,
And fruit unto perfection bear!

L.M. 6 lines.

C. WESLEY. 1750.

ISDOM ascribe, and might, and praise,
To God, who lengthens out our days,
Who spares us yet another year,
And makes us see His goodness here:
O may we all the time redeem,

And henceforth live and die to Him;
2 How often, when His arm was bared,
Hath He our sinful Israel spared!
"Let me alone," His mercy cried,
And turned the vengeful bolt aside;
Indulged another kind reprieve,
And strangely suffered us to live.
3 Still, in the doubtful balance weighed,
We trembled, while the remnant prayed :
The Father heard His Spirit groan,
And answered mild, "It is, my Son !"
He let the prayer of faith prevail,
And Mercy turned the doubtful scale.

4 Merciful God, how shall we raise
Our hearts to pay Thee all Thy praise
Our hearts shall beat for Thee alone;
Our lives shall make Thy goodness known;
Our souls and bodies shall be Thine,
A living sacrifice divine.

989

SIN

CING to the Great Jehovah's praise !
All praise to Him belongs :
Who kindly lengthens out our days,
Demands our choicest songs.

2 His providence hath brought us through
Another various year :

We all with vows and anthems new,
Before our God appear.

3 Father, Thy mercies past we own,
Thy still continued care;

To Thee presenting, through Thy Son,
Whate'er we have or are.

4 Our lips and lives shall gladly show
The wonders of Thy love,
While on, in Jesu's steps, we go
To see Thy face above.

5 Our residue of days or hours
Thine, wholly Thine, shall be,
And-all our consecrated powers-
A sacrifice to Thee:

6 Till Jesus, in the clouds, appear
To saints on earth forgiven,
And bring the grand sabbatic year,
The Jubilee of Heaven.

990

A

WAKE, our souls! away, our fears!
Let every trembling thought be gone!

Awake, and run the heavenly race,
And put a cheerful courage on.

2 True, 'tis a strait and thorny road,
And mortal spirits tire and faint ;
But they forget the mighty God,
That feeds the strength of every saint.

3 Thee, mighty God! whose matchless power Is ever new and ever young ;

And firm endures, while endless years
Their everlasting circles run-

4 From Thee, the ever-flowing Spring,

Our souls shall drink a fresh supply;
While such as trust their native strength
Shall melt away, and droop, and die.
5 Swift as the eagle cuts the air,

We'll mount aloft to Thine abode;
On wings of love our souls shall fly,
Nor tire, while on the heavenly road.

991

YE

E servants of the Lord,
Each in his office wait,
Observant of His heavenly word,
And watchful at His gate.

2 Let all your lamps be bright,
And trim the golden flame

Gird up your loins, as in His sight,
For awful is His name.

3 Watch; 'tis your Lord's command;
And while we speak, He's near ;
Mark the first signal of His hand,
And ready all appear.

4

5

992

O happy servant he,

In such a posture found!

He shall his Lord with rapture see,
And be with honour crowned.

Christ shall the banquet spread
With His own royal hand,

And raise that favourite servant's head
Amidst the angelic band.

NATIONAL SOLEMNITIES.

GOD

664,6664. J. S. DWIGHT. (1855.)

NOD bless our native land,
UFirm may she ever stand,.

Through storm and night;
When the wild tempests rave,
Ruler of winds and wave,
Do Thou our country save,
By Thy great might.

2 For her our prayer shall rise,
To God above the skies,
On Him we wait.
Thou who art ever nigh,
Guarding with watchful eye,
To Thee alone we cry,-
God save the State!

993 (18)

L

L.M.

Peace Restored.

ET Zion in her King rejoice,

WATTS. 1719.

Though tyrants rage and kingdoms rise; He utters His almighty voice

;

The nations melt, the tumult dies.

2 The Lord of old for Jacob fought;

And Jacob's God is still our aid :
Behold the works His hand has wrought,
What desolations He has made !

3 From sea to sea, through all the shores,
He makes the noise of battle cease;
When from on high His thunder roars,

He awes the trembling world to peace. 4 He breaks the bow, He cuts the spear; Chariots He burns with heavenly flame : Keep silence, all the earth, and hear The sound and glory of His name. 5 "Be still, and learn that I am God; I'll be exalted o'er the lands:

I will be known and feared abroad;
But still My throne in Zion stands.”
6 O Lord of Hosts! Almighty King!
While we so near Thy presence dwell,
Our faith shall sit secure, and sing
Defiance to the gates of hell.

994 (649)

L.M. 6 lines.

Days of Humiliation

C. WESLEY. 1749.

GOD, Thy righteousness we own:
Judgment is at Thy house begun!
With humble awe Thy rod we hear,
And guilty in Thy sight appear:
We cannot in Thy judgment stand,
But sink beneath Thy mighty hand.
2 Our mouth as in the dust we lay,
And still for mercy, mercy, pray;
Unworthy to behold Thy face,
Unfaithful stewards of Thy grace,
Our sin and wickedness we own,
And deeply for acceptance groan.
3 We have not, Lord, Thy gifts improved,
But basely from Thy statutes roved,
And done Thy loving Spirit despite,
And sinned against the clearest light,
Brought back Thy agonizing pain,
And nailed Thee to Thy cross again.
4 Yet do not drive us from Thy face,
A stiff-necked and hard-hearted race;
But, O in tender mercy break
The iron sinew in our neck;

995

The softening power of love impart,
And melt the marble of our heart.

IGHTEOUS God! whose vengeful vials
All our fears and thoughts exceed,

RIGHT

Big with woes and fiery trials,

Hanging, bursting o'er our head;
While Thou visitest the nations,
Thy selected people spare;

Arm our cautioned souls with patience,
Fill our humbled hearts with prayer.

2 If Thy dreadful controversy

With all flesh is now begun,