407 God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into [L.M.

your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.-Gal. iv. 6.
1 GREAT God, and wilt thou condescend

To be my Father and my friend;
I a poor child, and thou so high,

The Lord of earth, and air, and sky ?
2 Art thou my Father? canst thou bear

To hear my poor imperfect prayer ?
Or wilt thou listen to the praise

That such a little one can raise ?
3 Art thou my Father ? let me be

A meek, obedient child to thee;
And try in word, and deed, and thought,

To serve and please thee as I ought.
4 Art thou my Father ? then at last,

When all my days on earth are pass’d,
Send down and take me in thy love
To be thy better child above.

a

&

408 Jesus called a little child unto him.—Matt. xviii. 2. [78.

1 GENTLE Jesu, meek and mild,

Look upon a little child ;
Pity my simplicity,

Suffer me to come to thee.
2 Fain I would to thee be brought;

Dearest Lord, forbid it not;
Give me, dearest Lord, a place

a
In the kingdom of thy grace.
3 Lamb of God, I look to thee;

Thou shalt my example be;
Thou art gentle, meek, and mild,

Thou wast once a little child.
4 Loving Jesu, gentle Lamb,

In thy gracious hands I am ;
Make me, Saviour, what thou art,
Live thyself within my heart.

409 He shall be filled with the Holy Ghost. [S.M.

Luke i. 15.
1 COME, Holy Spirit, come;

O hear an infant's prayer:
Stoop down, and make my heart thy home,

And shed thy blessing there. 2 Thy light, thy love impart,

And let it ever be
A holy, humble, happy heart,

A dwelling-place for thee.
3 Let thy rich grace increase,

Through all my early days,
The fruits of righteousness and peace,

To thine eternal praise.

410

[6s. 5s.

Who hath despised the day of small things ?

Zech. iv. 10.
1 LITTLE drops of water,

Little grains of sand,
Make the mighty ocean

And the beauteous land.
2 And the little moments,

Humble though they be,
Make the mighty ages

Of eternity.
3 Little deeds of kindness,

Little words of love,
Make our earth an Eden,

Like the heaven above.
4 So our little errors

Lead the soul astray
From the paths of virtue

Into sin to stray.
5 Little seeds of mercy,

Sown by youthful hands,
Grow to bless the nations

Far in heathen lands.

6 Little ones in glory

Swell the angels' song
Make us meet, dear Saviour,

For their holy throng.

411

Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth.

1 Sam. iii. 9.

[6s. 89.

1 WHEN little Samuel woke,

And heard his Maker's voice,
At every word he spoke

How much did he rejoice!
O blessed, happy child, to find

The God of heaven so near and kind.
2 If God would speak to me,

And say he was my friend,
How happy I should be !

O how would I attend !
The smallest sin I then should fear,

If God Almighty were so near.
3 And does he never speak?
0 yes ;

for in his word
He bids me come and seek

The God that Samuel heard ;
In almost every page

I
The God of Samuel calls to me.
4 And I beneath his care

May safely rest my head;
I know that God is there

To guard my humble bed;
And every sin 1 well may fear

Since God Almighty is so near.
5 Like Samuel let me say,

Whene'er I read thy word,
Speak, Lord, I would obey

The voice that I have heard.
And when I in thy house appear,
Speak, for thy servant waits to bear.

see

412 When thou liest down, thou shalt not be afraid ; [65. Es.

yea, thou shalt lie down, and thy sleep shall
be sweet.-Prov. iii. 24.
1 Now the day is over,

Night is drawing nigh,
Shadows of the evening

Steal across the sky.
2 Now the darkness gathers,

Stars their watches keep,
Birds, and beasts, and flowers

Soon will be asleep.
3 Jesu, give the weary

Calm and sweet repose;
With thy tenderest blessing

May mine eyelids close.
4 Grant to little children

Visions bright of thee;
Guard the sailors tossing

On the deep blue sea.
5 Comfort every sufferer

Watching late in pain ;
Those who plan some evil

From their sin restrain.
6 Through the long night watches

May thine angels spread
Their white wings above me,

Watching round my bed.
7 When the morning wakens,
Then
may

I arise
Pure, and fresh, and sinless

In thy holy eyes.
8 Glory to the Father,

Glory to the Son,
And to thee, blest Spirit,
Whilst all

413

[7s 6s.

Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ,

that, though he was rich, yet for your

sakes he became poor.-2 Cor. viii. 9.
1 I LOVE to hear the story

Which angel voices tell,
How once the King of glory

Came down on earth to dwell.
I am both weak and sinful,

But this I surely know,
The Lord came down to save me,

Because he loved me so.
2 I'm glad my blessed Saviour

Was once a child like me,
To show how pure and holy

His little ones might be;
And if I try to follow

His footsteps here below,
He never will forget me,

Because he loves me so.
3 To sing his love and mercy

My sweetest songs I'll raise ;
And though I cannot see him,

I know he hears my praise;
For he has kindly promised
That even

I

may go
To sing among his angels,

Because he loves me so.'

414

The child Jesus.—Luke ii. 43. [8s. 7s. 78. 1 Once in royal David's city

Stood a lowly cattle shed,
Where a mother laid her Baby

In a manger for his bed :
Mary was that mother mild,
Jesus Christ her little Child.