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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.

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CAP

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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; child a man of God!

Rise every

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!

982

C.M.

STRAPHAN. 1787.

LEST work, the youthful mind to win,
And turn the rising race

BLES

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.

983 GR

THE OLD AND NEW YEAR.

L.M.

Doddridge. 1755.

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.

984

L.M. 6 lines.
Watch-Night.

C. WESLEY. 1742.

OW many pass this solemn night

HOW

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?

3 We can, O Jesus, for Thy sake,

Devote our every hour to Thee:
Speak but the word, our souls shall wake,
And sing with cheerful melody;
Thy praise shall our glad tongues employ,
And every heart shall dance for joy.
4 Shout, in the midst of us, O King

Of saints, and make our joys abound;
Let us exult, give thanks, and sing,
And triumph in redemption found;
We ask for every waiting soul,
O let our glorious joy be full!
5 O may we all triumphant rise,

With joy upon our heads return,
And far above these nether skies,
By Thee on eagles' wings upborne,
Through all yon radiant circles move,
And gain the highest heaven of love!

985 (643)

COME

555.11.

C. WESLEY. 1750.

YOME, let us anew, our journey pursue,
Roll round with the year,

And never stand still, till the Master appear. 2 His adorable will, let us gladly fufil,

And our talents improve,

By the patience of hope, and the labour of love. 3 Our life is a dream; our time, as a stream, Glides swiftly away;

And the fugitive moment refuses to stay. 4 The arrow is flown; the moment is gone : The millennial year

Rushes on to our view, and eternity's here. 5 O that each in the day of His coming may say, "I have fought my way through;

I have finished the work Thou didst give me to do." 6 O that each from his Lord, may receive the glad "Well and faithfully done; Enter into My joy, and sit down on My throne."

word,

L.M.

DODDRIDGE. 1755.

986 (644)
H To the vast regions of the dead,
HOW

kindred souls are fled

Since from this day the changing sun Through his last yearly course has run! 2 We yet survive,-but who can say, Or through this year, or month, or day, 'I will retain this vital breath,

Thus far, at least, in league with death?'
3 That breath is Thine, eternal God;
'Tis Thine to fix the soul's abode :
It holds its life from Thee alone,
On earth, or in the worlds unknown.
4 To Thee our spirits we resign ;

Make them and own them still as Thine;
So shall they rest, secure from fear,
Though death should blight the rising year.

987

2

3

(645)

THE

4-6s & 2-8s.

C. WESLEY. 1749.

THE Lord of earth and sky,
The God of ages, praise;
Who reigns, enthroned on high,
Ancient of endless days;

Who lengthens out our trial here,
And spares us yet another year.
Barren and withered trees,

We cumbered long the ground;
No fruit of holiness

On our dead souls was found;
Yet doth He us in mercy spare
Another, and another
year.

When justice bared the sword
To cut the fig-tree down,

The pity of our Lord

Cried, "Let it still alone;"

The Father mild inclines His ear,
And spares us yet another year.

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