"The Lord is good to all; and his tender mercies are over all his works." Psalm cxlv. 9.
FATHER and FRIEND! thy light, thy love,
Beaming through all thy works, we see;
Thy glory gilds the heavens above,
And all the earth is full of thee.
We think not in what hallowed part
Of the wide heavens thy throne may be;
But this we know, that where thou art,
Power, wisdom, goodness, dwell with thee.
Thy children shall not faint nor fear,
Sustained by this delightful thought, -
Since thou, their God, art everywhere,
They cannot be where thou art not.
"He that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him."- Hebrews xi. 6.
ETERNAL and immortal King!
Thy peerless splendors none can bear;
But darkness veils seraphic eyes,
When God with all his glory 's there.
Yet faith can pierce the awful gloom,
The great Invisible can see;
And with its tremblings mingle joy,'
In fixed regard, great God! to thee.
Then every tempting form of sin,
Shamed in thy presence, disappears;
And all the glowing, raptured soul
The likeness it contemplates wears.
O ever conscious to my heart!
Witness to its supreme desire!
Behold, it presseth on to thee,
For it hath caught the heavenly fire.
This one petition would it urge,-
To bear thee ever in its sight;
In life, in death, in worlds unknown,
Its only portion and delight!
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life."
WHEN all thy mercies, O my God,
My rising soul surveys,
Transported with the view, I'm lost
In wonder, love, and praise.
Unnumbered comforts on my soul
Thy tender care bestowed,
Before my infant heart conceived
From whom those comforts flowed.
Ten thousand thousand precious gifts
My daily thanks employ;
Nor is the least a cheerful heart,
That tastes those gifts with joy.
Through every period of my life,
Thy goodness I'll pursue;
And after death, in distant worlds,
The glorious theme renew.
"O, come, let us worship and bow down;
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker."
In trusting love, in humble fear!
He calls you now his face to meet;
Come bow and worship at his feet.
And gladly come, for God is here!
Come at the call of that kind voice,
That bids you in his love rejoice.
Come to God's altar! O, draw near!
With grateful praises gather here;
Your Father calls, your Heavenly Friend
O, come, and in his presence bend!
"Thou shalt call, and the Lord shall answer;
Thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am."
KNEEL, my child, for God is here!
Bend in love, but not in fear;
Kneel before him now in prayer;
Thank him for his constant care.
Praise him for his bounties shed
Every moment on thy head;
Ask for light to know his will;
Ask for love thy heart to fill;·
Ask for faith to lead thee on
In the steps of Christ, his Son;
Ask his spirit still to guide thee
Through the ills that may betide thee; —
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