Twill fit us for declining age,
And for the awful tomb.
3 Oh, may my heart, by grace renewed,
Be my Redeemer's throne;
And be my stubborn will subdued,
His government to own.
4 Let deep repentance, faith, and love
Be join'd with godly fear;
And all my conversation prove
My heart to be sincere.
5 Preserve me from the snares of sin,
Through my remaining days;
And in me let each virtue shine
To my Redeemer's praise.
6 Let lively hope my soul inspire;
Let warm affections rise:
And may I wait, with strong desire,
To mount above the skies.
Those that seek me early shall find me.-Prov. viii. 17.
E hearts with youthful vigour warm,
In smiling crowds draw near,
And turn from every mortal charm
A Saviour's voice to hear.
2 He, Lord of all the worlds on high,
Stoops to converse with you;
And lays His radiant glories by,
Your friendship to pursue.
3 "The soul that longs to see My face
Is sure My love to gain;
And those that early seek My grace,
Shall never seek in vain."
4 What object, Lord, my soul should move,
If once compared with Thee?
What beauty should command my love,
Like what in Christ I see?
5 Away, ye false delusive toys,
Vain tempters of the mind!
"Tis here I fix my lasting choice,
And here true bliss I find.
HERE is a precious day;
In youth that day is ours,
When we should dedicate to God
Our life with all its powers.
2 There is a gracious day,
When conscience speaks within ; "Tis now, for now the Spirit strives, Convincing us of sin.
There is a holy day,
Of faith, and hope, and love:
It reaches through our Christian life
On earth to heaven above.
There is a serious day,
When we must yield our breath;
Be born, to die no more, or die
An everlasting death.
There is an awful day,
Of judgment and decree;
Lord! be we all, through Christ prepared,
That last of days to see.
There is a glorious day,
Of sweet sabbatic rest:
Oh, may we its eternal length
Enjoy with all the blest !
YOME, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
To whom we for our children cry;
The good desired and wanted most,
Out of Thy richest grace supply;
The sacred discipline be given,
To train and bring them up for heaven.
2 Answer on them the end of all
Our cares, and pains, and studies here;
On them, recover'd from their fall,
Stamp'd with the humble character,
Raised by the nurture of the Lord,
To all their Paradise restored.
3 Error and ignorance remove,
Their blindness both of heart and mind;
Give them the wisdom from above,
Spotless, and peaceable, and kind;
In knowledge pure their minds renew,
And store with thoughts divinely true.
4 Learning's redundant part, and vain,
Be here cut off, and cast aside;
But let them, Lord, the substance gain,
In every solid truth abide ;
Swiftly acquire, and ne'er forego,
The knowledge fit for man to know.
5 Unite the pair so long disjoined,
Knowledge and vital Piety:
Learning and Holiness combined,
And Truth and Love, let all men see,
In those, whom up to Thee we give,
Thine, wholly Thine, to die and live.
6 Father, accept them, through Thy Son,
And ever by Thy Spirit guide!
Thy wisdom in their lives be shown,
Thy name confess'd and glorified;
Thy power and love diffused abroad,
Till all the earth is filled with God.
APTAIN of our salvation, take
The souls we here present to Thee,
And fit for Thy great service make
These heirs of immortality;
And let them in Thine image rise,
And then transplant to Paradise.
2 Unspotted from the world and pure,
Preserve them for Thy glorious cause,
Accustomed daily to endure
The welcome burden of Thy cross;
Inured to toil and patient pain,
Till all Thy perfect mind they gain.
3 Our sons henceforth be wholly Thine,
And serve and love Thee all their days;
Infuse the principle divine
In all who here expect Thy grace;
Let each improve the grace bestowed;
Rise every child a man of God!
4 Train up Thy hardy soldiers, Lord,
In all their Captain's steps to tread !
Or send them to proclaim Thy word,
Thy gospel through the world to spread;
Freely as they receive to give,
And preach the death by which we live!
LEST work, the youthful mind to win,
And turn the rising race
From the deceitful paths of sin,
To seek redeeming grace.
2 Children our kind protection claim ;
And God will well approve,
When infants learn to lisp His name,
And their Redeemer love.
3 Be our's the bliss, in wisdom's way,
To guide untutored youth;
And show the mind, which went astray,
The Way, the Life, the Truth.
4 Thy Spirit, Father, on us shed,
And bless this good design;
The honours of Thy name be spread,
And all the glory Thine.
REAT God, we sing that mighty hand
By which supported still we stand;
The opening year Thy mercy shows,
That mercy crowns it till it close.
2 By day, by night, at home, abroad,
Still are we guarded by our God;
By His incessant bounty fed,
By His unerring counsel led.
3 With grateful hearts the past we own;
The future, all to us unknown,
We to Thy guardian care commit,
Content with what Thou deemest fit.
4 In scenes exalted or depressed,
Thou art our joy, and Thou our rest;
Thy goodness all our hopes shall raise,
Adored throughout our changing days.
5 When death shall interrupt these songs,
And seal in silence mortal tongues,
Our Helper, God, in whom we trust,
Shall keep our souls, and guard our dust.
L.M. 6 lines.
Watch-Night.
OW many pass this solemn night
In revellings and frantic mirth!
The creature is their sole delight,
Their happiness the things of earth :
For us suffice the season past;
We choose the better part at last.
2 We will not close our wakeful eyes,
We will not let our eyelids sleep,
But humbly lift them to the skies,
And all a solemn vigil keep:
So many years on sin bestowed,
Can we not watch one night for God?
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