When our people's sore transgression
Stops the blessing of the sky-
When we sink beneath oppression,
When our stricken thousands lie-
FATHER, when we here adore Thee,
In Thy House our prayer receive;
When we spread our hands before Thee,
Here behold us, and forgive.
HYMN CLXVIII.
CHARITY SERMON.
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.
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.
Teach us, with glad, ungrudging, heart,
As Thou hast blessed our various store,
From our abundance to impart
A liberal portion to the poor.
To Thee our all devoted be,
In Whom we breathe, and move, and live; Freely we have received of Thee
Freely may we rejoice to give.
LORD, when our offerings we present
Before Thy gracious Throne,
We but return what Thou hast lent,
And give Thee of Thine own.
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.
Ourselves, our all, to Thee we owe ;
And, if we come behind
What others of their wealth bestow,
Accept our willing mind.
SAVIOUR, upon Thy glorious Throne
Exalted Thou dost shine:
What can we render unto Thee,
When all the worlds are Thine?
But Thou hast brethren here below,
Partakers of Thy grace,
Whose lowly names Thou wilt confess
Before Thy Father's Face.
In them Thou mayest be clothed, and fed,
And visited, and cheered;
And, in their accents of distress,
Their Saviour's voice is heard.
Thyself, O Lord, with grateful love,
We in Thy poor would see;
And joyfully return to them
What we receive from Thee.
HYMN CLXXI,
OUR Maker and our King,
What thanks to Thee we owe!
Thy sovereign Bounty is the spring,
Whence all our blessings flow.
The creatures of Thy Hand,
On Thee alone we live;
O GOD, Thy benefits demand
More thanks than tongue can give.
O ever Good and Kind!
Our best affections move;
With holy thoughts inspire each mind,
And warm each heart to love.
To succour those in need
Our grateful hearts incline;
Yet let us never boast the deed-
For all we give is Thine.
NEW YEAR.
HYMN CLXXII.
THEE we adore, Eternal Name,
And humbly own to Thee,
How feeble is our mortal frame,
What dying worms we be!
The year rolls round, and steals away
The breath that first it gave!
Whate'er we do, whate'er we say,
We're travelling to the grave.
Dangers stand thick through all the ground,
To push us to the tomb;
And fierce diseases wait around,
To hurry mortals home.
Great GOD! who knowest all our fear,
Our weakness and our woe,
O save, and for our help appear,
Whene'er from earth we go.
HYMN CLXXIII.
WHILE with ceaseless course the sun
Hasted through the former year,
Many souls their race have run,
Never more to meet us here.
Fixed in their eternal state,
They have done with all below;
We a little longer wait,
But how little none can know.
Swiftly thus our fleeting days
Bear us down life's rapid stream;
Upwards, LORD, our spirits raise;
All below is but a dream.
Thanks for mercies past receive,
Pardon of our sins renew;
Teach us henceforth how to live
With Eternity in view.
HYMN CLXXIV.
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
Have cumbered long the ground;
No fruits of holiness
On their dead souls are found;
Yet doth He all in Mercy spare
Another, and another, year.
Saviour, Thy precious Blood
From GOD obtained this grace,
Who therefore has bestowed
On us a longer space;
Thou dost on our behalf appear;
And lo! we see another year.
Lord, dig about our root,
Break up the fallow ground,
And let our gracious fruit
To Thy great praise be found;
O let us all Thy Name declare,
And fruit unto perfection bear.
LORD, at Thy Word the constant sun
Doth through the world obedient run:
The varying seasons haste their round;
With goodness all our years are crowned;
Our song shall be, Great GOD, of Thee;
Let the wide earth Thy praise resound.
But chiefly when Thy liberal Hand
Scatters new plenty o'er the land,
When sounds of gladness fill the air,
As homeward all their treasures bear--
Our song shall be, Great GOD, of Thee;
For we Thy common bounties share.
LORD of the Harvest! all is Thine-
The rains that fall, the suns that shine:
Our garners stored, our labours blest,
Let not our tongues in silence rest;
Our song shall be, Great GOD, of Thee,
The Mightiest of our friends, and Best.
HYMN CLXXVI.
FOUNTAIN of Mercy! GOD of Love!
How rich Thy bounties are!
The rolling seasons, as they move,
Proclaim Thy constant care.
When in the bosom of the earth
The sower hid the grain,
Thy Goodness marked its secret birth,
Ånd sent the early rain.
Thy varied mercies from above
Matured the growing ear;
A kindly harvest crowns Thy Love,
And stores of food are here.
We own and bless Thy gracious sway;
Thy Hand all nature hails;
Seed-time nor harvest, night nor day,
Summer nor winter, fails.
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