Thy Sabbaths I am taught to keep,
And every sin to flee;

And to thy house I'm led to hear,

Thou dost remember me.

'Tis there I learn that Jesus died, Upon the painful tree;

And heard the thief, who to him cried, "Dear Lord, remember me."

Till grown to manhood, and till death,
Yea, through eternity;

I therefore hope, in boundless love,
Thou wilt remember me.

21.

A CHILD'S OBEDIENCE.

"Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth."-1 SAMUEL iii. 9.

ON Samuel, a tender child,

The Lord in kind compassion smil'd, And call'd him by his sov'reign grace, To do his will, and seek his face: The youth replied, in holy fear,

"Speak, Lord, for I thy servant hear."

Loud calls he also us doth give,

To watch and pray, repent and live:

Shall we these calls then disregard,
And thus for heaven be unprepar'd?
No-let us say, with heart sincere,
"Speak, Lord, for we thy servants hear."

He also calls, in accents mild,
"Children to me be reconcil'd;

Seek pard'ning grace through Jesu's blood,
Who died, to bring your souls to God:"
Like Samuel we this call revere,

"Speak, Lord, for we thy servants hear."

Repeated calls are to us made,
To seek his Holy Spirit's aid;
That we may feel our hearts renew'd,
Our graces reign, and sin subdued!
To these we say, with hearts sincere,
"Speak, Lord, for we thy servants hear."

If thus our sins are all forgiven,
And we are rendered meet for heaven,
Soon will he call our souls away,

To the bright realms of endless day;
Then we shall answer without fear,

“Speak, Lord, for we thy servants hear!"

22

HOLY CHILDREN.

"And all thy children shall be taught of the Lord; and great shall be the peace of thy children."-ISAIAH liv. 13.

H

OLY children read and pray,

Love thee, Lord! thy word and day;

Fly from sin, and seek thy grace,

Learn thy will, and Christ embrace ;
And are humble, meek, and mild:

Make me then a holy child.

Holy children love mankind,
Are to all good ways inclin'd;
Love their parents to obey,

For their friends and teachers pray;

Scorn with sin to be defil'd :

Make me then a holy child.

Holy children when they die,

Soar to Christ above the sky;
Take their seats around his throne,
Make his praise for ever known;
Pleasing thought! may I be styl'd,
Now the Saviour's holy child.

23

THE CHILD'S PLEA.

"Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength."-PSALM Viii. 2.

JESUS, that condescending King,

Is pleas'd to hear when children sing;
And while our feeble voices rise,
Will not the humble prayer despise.

Then keep us, Lord, from every sin
Which we can see, and feel within;
And what we neither feel nor see,
Forgive, for all is known to thee!

We own there's nothing good in us,
To lead thee to befriend us thus:
We cannot think a single thought,
Nor even thank thee as we ought.

24

Yet, Lord, we humbly venture nigh,
Because thou camest down to die :
And this is all the plea we make,—
"O save us for thy mercy's sake!"

VIEW OF JUDGMENT.

"Rejoice, O young man, in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth, and walk in the ways of thine heart, and in the sight of thine eyes; but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment."-ECCLESIASTES XI. 9.

HOULD I rejoice in this my youth,

S1

And shun the paths of peace and truth;

And should I let my heart embrace,
The mirth of every carnal place;
For this, and every such like thing,
God will my soul to judgment bring.

If I to sinful feelings yield,

Altho' from man I be conceal'd;
Or, if my eyes, so prone to rove,
Cause me forbidden things to love;
For this and every such like thing,
God will my soul to judgment bring.

If I should lie, or cheat, or swear;
If I neglect God's house of prayer;
If I my parents disobey;

If I in secret never pray;

For this and every such like thing,
God will my soul to judgment bring.

Oh, then, what need I have of grace,
To keep me through my youthful days!
This grace, O Lord, vouchsafe to give,
That I to thee may always live;
Then sin and death will lose their sting,
When God shall me to judgment bring.