"They Offered Willingly." L.M.
(1 Chron. xxix. 6.)
1 JESUS, before Thy throne we meet,
To pour our off'rings at Thy feet;
All in their hand some talent bear,
O may we lay it humbly there!
2 For Thee and for Thy cause, with joy
Our hands, our hearts, we would employ :
O smile upon us from above,
That blest may be our work of love.
3 Alas! we need that willing heart,
Which freely once Thou didst impart;
When Israel for Thy temple wrought,
And gladly all their off'rings brought.
4 Then let us feel Thy presence now;
Our stubborn hearts in mercy bow;
Our zeal, and love do Thou increase;
And bless us with the fruits of peace.
481. "Of Thine own have we given Thee." C. M. (1 Chron. xxix. 14.)
1 LORD, when our off'rings we present
Before Thy gracious throne,
We but return what Thou hast lent,
And give Thee of Thine own.
2 The earth with all its wealth is Thine,
The heavens with all their host;
Why should we then in want repine,
Or in abundance boast?
power, and willingness to give,
Alike proceed from Thee;
We still are debtors, since we live,
Only by Thy decree.
4 Ourselves, our all, to Thee we owe;
And though we come behind,
What others of their wealth bestow,
Give us the willing mind.
5 O Lord, our contributions bless
For their appointed end;
And crown, with happiest success
The cause that we befriend.
"It is more Blessed to Give than to Receive." (Acts xx. 35. Prov. xix. 17. 2 Cor. ix. 6.) L. M. 1 HELP us, O Lord! Thy yoke to wear, Delighting in Thy perfect will; Each other's burdens learn to bear, And thus Thy law of love fulfil. 2 "He that hath pity on the poor, "Lendeth his substance to the Lord: "And, lo! his recompence is sure: "For more than all shall be restored. 3 "Who sparingly his seed bestows, "He sparingly shall also reap; "But whoso plentifully sows,
"The plenteous sheaves his hands shall reap.” 4 Teach us, with glad, ungrudging heart, As Thou hast bless'd our various store, From our abundance to impart
A liberal portion to the poor.
5 To Thee our all devoted be,
In whom we breathe, and move, and live;
Freely we have received from Thee;
Freely may we rejoice to give.
6 And while we thus obey Thy word,
And every call of want relieve,
Oh! may we find it, gracious Lord!
More bless'd to give than to receive.
"It is He that hath made Us." S. M.
(Psalm c. 3.)
MY Maker and my King!
What thanks to Thee I owe!
Thy sov'reign bounty is the spring,
Whence all my blessings flow.
2 The creature of Thy hand,
On Thee alone I live;
My God! Thy benefits demand
More praise than tongue can give.
To succour those in need,
My grateful breast incline:
Yet let me never boast the deed;
For all I give is Thine.
"Those that seek Me early shall find Me."
(Prov. viii. 17.) C. M.
1 BESTOW, O Lord, upon our youth
The gift of saving grace;
And let the seed of sacred truth
Fall in a fruitful place.
2 Grace is a plant, where'er it grows,
Of pure and heav'nly root;
But fairest in the youngest shows,
And yields the sweetest fruit.
3 Ye careless ones, O hear betimes
The voice of sov'reign love!
Your youth is stain'd with many crimes,
But mercy reigns above.
4 True, you are young, but there's a stone
Within the youngest breast;
Or half the crimes that you have done
Would rob you of your rest.
5 For you the public pray'r is made,
Oh! join the public pray'r!
For you the secret tear is shed,
O shed yourselves a tear!
pray that you may early prove
The Spirit's pow'r to teach:
You cannot be too young to love
That Jesus whom we preach.
485. Friendly Societies. (Hosea xiv. 3.) L. M.
1 GOD of our hope! to Thee we bow,
Thou art our refuge in distress :-
The husband of the widow Thou,
The father of the fatherless.
2 May we the law of love fulfil
Lighten each other's burdens here,
Suffer and do Thy righteous will,
And walk in all Thy faith and fear.
3 Then grant our union, here begun,
May last for ever firm and free :-
Around Thy throne may we be one;
One with each other and with Thee.
486. Children sang Hosannas to the Saviour. C.M.
1 BLEST is the man, whose heart expands
At melting pity's call:
And the rich blessings of whose hands
Like heavenly manna fall.
2 Children our kind protection claim;
And God will well approve,
When infants learn to lisp His name,
And their Creator love.
3 Be ours the bliss in wisdom's way
To guide untutor'd youth,
And lead the mind that went astray,
To virtue and to truth.
4 Almighty God! Thine influence shed,
To aid this good design;
The honors of Thy name be spread,
And all the glory Thine.
"Hear Thou in Heaven, Thy dwelling place."
(1 Kings viii. 30.) C. M.
1 HEAR, Lord, the song of praise and pray'r
In heaven, Thy dwelling place,
From children made the public care,
And taught to seek Thy face.
2 Thanks for Thy word, and for Thy day!
And grant us, we implore,
Never to waste in sinful play,
Thy holy sabbaths more.
3 Thanks that we hear; but oh! impart
To each desires sincere,
That we may listen with the heart,
And learn as well as hear.
4 O Lord! do Thou our spirits take
Beneath Thy gracious sway,
Thou canst the wisest wiser make,
And babes as wise as they.
"Train up a Child, &c." 8th P. M.
(Prov. xxii. 6.)
1 THE Sabbath-day is come again,
The best of all the seven;
And we are met, a happy train,
To hear of God and heaven.
2 Lord, send Thy grace into our hearts,
And through the day be near us,
And make us all fulfil our parts,
With Thee to help and hear us.
3 Keep down each vain and sinful thought,
Correct our whole behaviour:
And make us thankful to be taught,
And lead us to our Saviour.
"Lying lips are abomination to the Lord."
(Prov. xii. 22.) L. M.
1 O 'TIS a lovely thing for youth
To walk betimes in wisdom's way;
To fear a lie, to speak the truth,
That we may trust to all they say.
2 But liars we can never trust,
Tho' they should speak the thing that's true;
And he that does one fault at first
And lies to hide it, makes it two.
3 Have we not known, nor heard, nor read,
How God abhors deceit and wrong?
How Ananias was struck dead,
Caught with a lie upon his tongue ?
4 So did his wife Sapphira die,
When she came in, and was so bold
As to confirm that wicked lie
Which just before, her husband told.
5 The Lord delights in them that speak
The words of truth; but every liar,
Must have his portion in the lake
That burns with brimstone, and with fire.
6 Then let me always watch my lips,
Lest I be struck to death and hell;
Since God a book of reckoning keeps
For every lie that children tell.
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