6 Lord, with this grace our hearts inspire;
Answer our sacrifice by fire;
And by Thy mighty acts declare
Thou art the God who heareth prayer.
396 The word of God, which liveth and abideth
for ever.-1 Peter i. 23.
N the beginning was the word;
Athwart the chaos-night
It gleamed with quick creative power,
And there was life and light.
2 Thy word, O God! is living yet.
Amid earth's restless strife,
New harmony creating still,
And ever higher life.
3 And as that word moves surely on,
The light, ray after ray,
Streams further out athwart the dark,
And night grows into day.
4 O word, that broke the stillness first,
Sound on, and never cease
Till all earth's darkness be made light,
And all her discord peace!
5 Till-wail of woe, and clank of chain,
And noise of battle stilled-
The world with Thy great music's pulse,
O word of love! be thrilled.
6 Till selfish passion, strife, and wrong,
Thy summons shall have heard,
And Thy creation be complete,
O Thou eternal Word!
397 One generation' shall praise Thy works to
another.-Psalm cxlv. 4.
PRAISE the Lord our God,
In clouds and darkness dwelling,
Yet Fount of shadeless light,
All light of earth excelling!
He guides us on to age,
Through sunlit paths of youth;
He glads our longing eyes
With full unveiled truth.
2 That truth, O Lord, we seek,
In spirit meek and lowly;
To all who learn or teach
Give wisdom pure and holy.
In solemn awe we bend,
All wondering round Thy throne,
And Thee, our Lord, our Life,
Our Joy, our Gladness own.
3 O Lord of truth and light,
All heaven and earth possessing,
Grant us Thy laws to know,
Our daily task-work blessing!
Teach us Thy love to see,
O'er earth and heaven outspread,
While wisdom, conquering fear,
With highest faith shall wed.
4 All praise and thanks to Thee,
Eternal Lord, be given,
For all Thy help on earth,
For all our hopes of heaven!
Thy name, the One, the Three,
Through æons yet to come,
All saints and angels sing,
Their Light, their Peace, their Home!
398 Beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord.
LORD of hosts, all heaven possessing,
Behold us from Thy sapphire throne,
In doubt and darkness dimly guessing,
We might Thy glory half have known;
But Thou in Christ hast made us Thine,
And on us all Thy beauties shine.
2 Illumine all, disciples, teachers,
Thy law's deep wonders to unfold;
With reverent hand let wisdom's preachers
Bring forth their treasures, new and old ;
Let oldest, youngest, find in Thee
Of truth and love the boundless sea.
3 Let faith still light the lamp of science, And knowledge pass from truth to truth; And wisdom, in its full reliance,
Renew the primal awe of youth ;
So holier, wiser, may we grow,
As time's swift currents onward flow.
4 Grant us, O Lord! in patience gleaning,
Thy truths in memory's shrine to store;
Reveal to us each secret meaning
Of all Thy words divinest lore;
When round us mists of evening rise,
Shine Thou upon our wistful eyes.
5 Bind Thou our life in fullest union
With all Thy saints from sin set free;
Uphold us in that blest communion
Of all Thy saints on earth with Thee;
Keep Thou our souls, or there, or here,
In mightiest love, that casts out fear.
He will guide you into all truth.
John xvi. 13.
ASK a perfect creed!
O that to me were given
The teaching that leads none astray,
The scholarship of heaven!
2 Sure wisdom and pure light,
With lowly loving fear;
The steadfast, ever-looking eye,
The ever-listening ear.
3 Calm faith, that grasps the word
Of Him who cannot lie;
That hears alone the voice divine,
Though crowds are standing by.
4 The one whole truth I seek
In this sad age of strife;
The truth of Him who is the Truth,
And in whose truth is life.
5 Truth, which contains true rest,
Which is the grave of doubt,
Which ends uncertainty and gloom,
And casts the falsehood out.
6 O True One, give me truth!
And let it quench in me
The thirst of this long-craving heart,
And set my spirit free.
7 O truth of God, destroy
The cloud, the chain, the war;
Dawn to this stormy midnight be,
My bright and morning star!
400 Now is the accepted time.—2 Cor. vi. 2.
OW is the accepted time;
Now is the day of grace;
Now, brethren, come, without delay,
And seek the Saviour's face.
2 Now is the accepted time;
The Saviour calls to-day;
To-morrow it may be too late,
Then why should you delay ?
3 Now is the accepted time:
The gospel bids us come;
And every promise in His word
Declares,-There yet is room.
4 Lord, draw reluctant hearts
To seek the Saviour's love,
Then shall attendant angels bear
The joyful news above.
401 To-day if ye will hear His voice.-Heb. iv. 7.
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