10

OUR FATHER.

"I said, Thou shalt call me, My Father."—JEREMIAH iii. 19.

G

REAT 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!

Art thou my Father?-canst thou bear
To hear my poor imperfect prayer?
Or stoop to listen to the praise,
That such a little one can raise ?

Art thou my Father?-let me be
A most obedient child to thee:

And try in word, and deed, and thought,
To serve and please thee as I ought!

Art thou my Father?—I'll depend
Upon the care of such a friend;

And only wish to do and be,

That which seems right and best to thee.

Art thou my Father?-then at last,
When all my days on earth are past,
Send down and take me in thy love,

To be thy better child above.

11

CHILDREN'S PRAISE.

"Have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise."-MATTHEW Xxi. 16.

J

ESUS, mighty God and Saviour,
Shining with benignant rays!
All thy saints shall sing for ever,
Of thy wondrous love and grace :
We, poor children,

Now would join our feeble lays.

We are weak, and need protection,
Our protector is the Lord;

Ignorant, we seek direction,

How to learn and read his word:

All these blessings

Jesus can to us afford.

To our wants he is no stranger,-
Once in feeble flesh as we;
Born and swaddled in a manger,

Poor as any babe could be ;
He, to save us,

Groan'd and died upon the tree!

While our friends and teachers love us,
And their kind attention shew,

Daily seeking to improve us,
Teaching us thy will to know;
In thine image

May our souls be form'd anew.

12

COMPASSION OF JESUS.

"Jesus said unto him, Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.”— LUKE ix. 58.

J

ESUS, who reigns above the skies,

Whom heavenly hosts most highly prize; And by whose word all things were made, Once had not where to lay his head.

Though on his heav'nly Father's breast,
He from eternity did rest;

Yet in this world for years he staid,
And had not where to lay his head.

Though we are helpless, poor, and mean,
Defil'd, in heart and life, by sin;

Yet Jesus suffer'd in our stead,
And had not where to lay his head.

Though ev'ry blessing sinners share,
Flows from his kind and faithful care;
Though oft he hungry thousands fed,
He had not where to lay his head.

Amazing grace to stoop so low!
May every heart with praises glow,
To him who lives, but once was dead,
And had not where to lay his head.

13

GOD'S LOVE TO CHILDREN.

"It is not the will of your Father which is in heaven, that one of these little ones should perish."-MATTHEW Xviii. 14.

B

OLEST be the God of providence,

That here our feet are found!

Blest be the God of love and grace,
For mercy's joyful sound!

Though young in years, our feet have run

In sin's destructive way;

O lead them now in holy paths,
And never let them stray.

O Lord! thy mercy we implore;
O lead us in thy truth;
Through Jesus pardon all our sins,
And sanctify our youth.

Be ev'ry holy gift and grace,

By thy good Spirit given :

Thus may we serve thee while on earth,
And dwell with thee in heav'n.

14 CHILDREN COMING TO CHRIST.

"Forbid them not."-MARK X. 14.

ORBID! can any man forbid,

Fo

That we to Christ should come? Must not our souls from sin be freed? Must heaven not be our home?

Though young, we all have souls to save;
Though young, we soon must die;
Who then forbids, that we should crave
Rich blessings from on high?

Though young, what Christ on us bestows,
Is more than mines of gold:

Such heavenly goodness from him flows,
As angels can't unfold.

Who then forbids, that we should cleave
To our Redeemer's name?

Or who of us would Jesus leave,
Through worldly fear or shame ?

Men may forbid—ungodly men,

But them we'll disregard,

And cleave to Christ till life shall end,

And heaven be our reward.