30

DAILY GRACE.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts."-PSALM CXXXIX. 23.

RY us, O God! and search the ground,

TRY

Of every evil heart:

Whate'er of sin in us is found,

Oh! bid it all depart.

When to the right or left we stray,
Pity thy helpless sheep;
Bring back our feet into the way,
And there thy wanderers keep.

Help us to help each other, Lord;
Each other's burden bear:
Let each his friendly aid afford
To sooth his brother's care.

Help us to build each other up;
Help us ourselves to prove ;
Increase our faith, confirm our hope,
And perfect us in love.

Complete at length thy work of grace,

And take us to thy rest,

Among thy saints, who see thy face,
To be for ever blest.

31

GOD OUR CREATOR.

"Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth."

'R

ECCLESIASTES xii. 1.

EMEMBER,' says the word of truth, Thy Great Creator in thy youth ;' Hence, in obedience to thy word, We would remember thee, O Lord.

We would remember thee with love,
Like thy redeemed saints above;
Thy love demands our highest praise,
And warmest zeal in all thy ways.

We would remember thee with fear,
Since, thou art holy, just, and pure;
With filial fear, and holy awe,
Lest we offend against thy law.

We would remember thee with joy :

May heavenly peace our minds employ ! Since thou thine own dear Son hast given, To fit us for the joys of heaven.

We also would remember thee
With thoughts of deep humility;
For all thy works and ways proclaim
Our meanness, sinfulness, and shame.

Thus we, through every future stage
Of blooming youth, and riper age,
Would our Creator bear in mind,
And hope his saving grace to find.

32

THE GUIDE OF YOUTH.

"Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me, My father, thou art the guide of my youth."-JEREMIAH iii. 4.

HOW

truly blest are they,

Whom Jesus deigns to guide!

He guards them night and day,
No ill can them betide;

He leads their souls into all truth:

Be then the guide, Lord, of our youth.

Our hearts to sin are prone,

We hourly need thy grace;
If therefore left alone,

Dreadful will be our case:

Lead then our steps in peace and truth,
Become the guide, Lord, of our youth.

Guide us to Jesu's blood,

For pardoning grace and love;
Guide us in the strait road,

Which leads to heaven above:

Thus may we say, in strictest truth,

Thou art the guide, Lord, of our youth.

"Remember not the sins of my youth."-PSALM XXV. 7.

THO'

HO' we are young our sins are great,
In sin we daily live;

O Lord, our souls anew create,

Our youthful sins forgive.

We do not love thee as we ought,

For favours we receive;

We sin in word, and deed, and thought;
These youthful sins forgive.

Thy holy day we oft profane,

And thy good Spirit grieve;

We hear thy word, but hear in vain ;
These youthful sins forgive.

Oft to bad tempers we give way,

And ill designs conceive,
And often we neglect to pray;
These youthful sins forgive.

The Saviour died our guilt to bear,

That we might to him live;

Hence we with hope present this prayer,

Our youthful sins forgive.

34 BLESSING OF EARLY RELIGION.

"Those that seek me early shall find me."--PROVERBS Viii. 17.

ELP us, O Lord, to seek thy grace,

HE

Now in the morning of our days; For thy good word doth us remind, That they who early seek shall find.

We all thy pardoning mercy need,
For sins of thought, and word, and deed;
And for us mercy is design'd,

Since they who early seek shall find.

The Holy Ghost thou dost impart,
To teach, renew, and cheer the heart;
This gift we seek with hopeful mind,
Since they who early seek shall find.

If we for years the Lord neglect,
He may in wrath our souls reject,
And leave us to our harden'd mind;
But they who early seek shall find.

May we then spend our youthful days,
In seeking every needful grace;
And feel, till to the grave consign'd,
That they who early seek shall find.