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O let Thy Spirit from Thee proceed,
Our souls to waken and inspire;
Our weakness help, our darkness chase,
And guide us by the light of grace.

Whene'er in error's path we rove,

The living God through sin forsake, Our conscience by Thy Word reprove, Convince, and bring the wanderers back,

Deep wounded by Thy Spirit's sword,
And then by Gilead's balm restored.

The secret lessons of Thy grace, Transmitted through the Word, repeat, To train us up in all Thy ways,

To make us in Thy will complete ; Fulfil Thy love's redeeming plan, And bring us to a perfect man.

Furnished out of Thy treasury,

O may we always ready stand
To help the souls redeemed by Thee

In what their various states demand; To teach, convince, correct, reprove, And build them up in holiest love.

CHARLES WESLEY.

218. The Abiding Word.

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PSALM cxix. 30.

YMNS on the Scriptures are comparatively few. The topic is in fact exhausted in the glorious utterances of the Psalms; and our modern poets, in celebrating the glories of the written Word, have been most successful when remaining close to the Bible model. The best treatment of the subject will, accordingly, be found in the earlier part of this volume, in the versions of Psalms xix, and cxix. A few Hymns however may be added here, as taking an independent line of thought. There is a fine, quaint simplicity about the following, which has caused its adoption in most modern Church Hymnals.

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LORD, Thy Word abideth,

And our footsteps guideth ; Who its truth believeth Light and joy receiveth.

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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.

JOSIAH CONDER.

222.-Our Own Treasure.

PROVERBS iii. 1.

RITTEN as a children's Hymn, these simple stanzas may be appropriated by all who delight in the written Word.

L.M.

HOLY Bible, book divine,

Precious treasure, thou art mine! Mine, to tell me whence I came ; Mine, to teach me what I am;

Mine, to chide me when I rove; Mine, to show a Saviour's love; Mine art thou, to guide my feet; Mine, to judge, condemn, acquit;

Mine, to comfort in distress,
If the Holy Spirit bless;
Mine, to show, by living faith,
Man can triumph over death ;

Mine, to tell of joys to come,
And the rebel sinner's doom:
Holy Bible, book divine,
Precious treasure, thou art mine!

3. BURTON.

223. God's Word the Companion of our Life.

"

DEUTERONOMY vi. 7. HE "Short Hymns" by Charles Wesley on 'Select Passages of the Holy Scriptures," numbered from I to 3491, extend from Genesis to Revelation, and occupy nearly five volumes of the Poetical Works of John and Charles Wesley, edited by Dr. Osborn. They are among the most characteristic writings of the author. The verses often express with wonderful terseness and force the leading thought of a text, and form the best of commentaries. Sometimes they are homely and practical in their application; then again they express the profoundest Christian ex

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"If God reveal anything to you by any other instrument of His, be as ready to receive it as ever you were to receive any truth by my ministry; for I am verily persuaded the Lord has more truth yet to break forth out of His Holy Word. For my part, I cannot sufficiently bewail the condition of the reformed churches, who are come to a period in religion, and will go at present no farther than the instruments of their reformation. The Lutherans cannot be drawn to go beyond what Luther saw; whatever part of His will our God has revealed to Calvin, they will rather die than embrace it; and the Calvinists, you see, stick fast where they were left by that great man of God, who yet saw not all things. This is a misery much to be lamented, for though they were burning and shining lights in their lives, yet they penetrated not into the whole counsel of God; but were they now living, would be as willing to embrace further light as that which they first received. I beseech you remember, it is an article of your church covenant that you be READY TO RECEIVE WHATEVER TRUTH SHALL BE MADE KNOWN TO YOU FROM THE WRITTEN WORD OF GOD."

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The valley's passed; ascending still,

Our souls would higher climb, And look down from supernal heights On all the bygone time. Upward we press-the air is clear,

And the sphere-music heard: The Lord hath yet more light and truth To break forth from His Word.

O Father, Son, and Spirit, send
Us increase from above;
Enlarge, expand all Christian souls
To comprehend Thy love :
And make us to go on to know,

With nobler powers conferred,-
The Lord hath yet more light and truth
To break forth from His Word.
G. RAWSON.

225. The Call of God.

ISAIAH lv. well-known "Paraphrase" among those appended to the Scottish Psalter. An abridgment has found its way into many hymn-books; and the Hymn has been divided, as in the Free Church Hymn-book, into two, the second beginning with verse 7: "Seek ye the Lord, while yet His ear Is open to your call."

As it stands, it is perhaps the finest of the Para-
phrases, bringing out, with great felicity, the
evangelical application of the prophet's words.
Dr. Watts has a Hymn on the same theme, but
diffuse, and altogether inferior to this. It begins:
"Let every mortal ear attend,
And every heart rejoice."

C. Wesley's also is of a similar character:
"Ho! every one that thirsts draw nigh."
No. 4 in the Wesleyan Hymn-book.

C.M.

O! ye that thirst, approach the spring
Where living waters flow;

Free to that sacred fountain all
Without a price may go.

How long to streams of false delight
Will ye in crowds repair?

How long your strength and substance

waste

On trifles light as air?

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