Rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings, Thy bet - ter portion trace;
209.
Life's Mission.
Go forth to life, O child of earth!
Still mindful of thy heavenly birth:
Thou art not here for ease, or sin,
But manhood's noble crown to win.
Still mind- ful of thy heavenly birth:
Know,my soul,thy full sal-va- tion; Rise o'er sin and fear and care; Joy to find, in
Some-thing still to do or bear. Think what spirit dwells within thee; Think what Father's smiles are thine;
KNOW, my soul, thy full salvation;
Rise o'er sin and fear and care;
Joy to find in every station,
Something still to do or bear.
Think what spirit dwells within thee;
Think what Father's smiles are thine;
Think what Jesus did to win thee.
Child of heaven, canst thou repine?
Haste thee on from grace to glory, Arm'd with faith and wing'd with
Arr. by L. Mason. (1792-1872.)
OH, Sometimes gleams upon our sight,
Through present wrong, the eternal
Right;
And step by step, since time began,
We see the steady gain of man.
That all of good the past hath had,
Remains to make our own time glad,
Our common, daily life divine,
And every land a Palestine.
Through the harsh noises of our day,
A low, sweet prelude finds its way;
Through clouds of doubt, and creeds of
A light is breaking calm and clear. [fear,
Henceforth heart shall sigh no more,
my
For olden time and holier shore:
God's love and blessing, then and there,
Are now and here and everywhere.
J. G. Whittier. (1808-.)
Fellowship in Sacrifice.
WHEREVER through the ages rise
The altars of self-sacrifice,
Where love its arms hath opened wide,
Or man for man hath calmly died,
We see the same white wings outspread,
That hovered o'er the Master's head;
And in all lands beneath the sun
The heart affirmeth, "Love is one."
Up from undated time they come,
The martyr-souls of heathendom,
And to His Cross and passion bring
Their fellowship of suffering.
And the great marvel of their death
To the one order witnesseth,—
Each, in a measure, but a part
Of Thine unmeasured loving heart.
J. G. Whittier. (1808-)
213. For the Opening or Closing Year.
GREAT God, we sing that mighty hand
By which, supported, still we stand :
The opening year Thy mercy shows;
That mercy crowns it till it close.
Still are we guarded by our God;
By day, by night, at home, abroad,
By His incessant bounty fed,
By His unerring counsel led.
With grateful hearts the past we own:
The future, all to us unknown,
And, peaceful, leave before Thy feet.
We to Thy guardian care commit,
In scenes exalted or depressed,
Thou art our joy, and Thou our rest;
Thy goodness all our hopes shall raise,
Adored through all our changing days.
Rev. Philip Doddridge. 1702-1751.
John Hatton. 1799. d. 1793.
O Thou who hast at Thy com-mand The hearts of all men in Thy hand!
O THOU who hast at Thy command
The hearts of all men in Thy hand!
Our wayward, erring hearts incline
To have no other will but Thine.
Our wishes, our desires, control;
Mould every purpose of the soul;
O'er all may we victorious be
That stands between ourselves and Thee.
Thrice blest will all our blessings be,
When we can look thro' them to Thee;
When each glad heart its tribute pays
Of love and gratitude and praise.
And, while we to Thy glory live,
May we to Thee all glory give;
Until the final summons come,
That calls Thy willing servants home.
Mrs. Joseph Cotterill. 1808.
215. "God through all, and in you all."
GOD of the earth, the sky, the sea;
Of all above, and all below,-
Creation lives and moves in Thee;
Thy present life through all doth flow.
Thy love is in the sunshine's glow,
Thy life is in the quickening air:
When lightnings flash and storm-winds
There is Thy power; Thy law is there.
To have no other will but Thine.
We feel Thy calm at evening's hour, Thy grandeur in the march of night; And when the morning breaks in power,
We hear Thy word, "Let there be light."
But higher far, and far more clear,
Thee in man's spirit we behold;
Thine image and Thyself are there,-
The indwelling God, proclaimed of old.
Rev. Samuel Longfellow. (1819 —.)
216.
AWAKE, our souls; away, our fears,
Let every trembling thought be gone:
Awake, and run the heavenly race,
And put a cheerful courage on.
True, 't is a straight and thorny road,
And mortal spirits tire and faint;
But they forget the mighty God,
That feeds the strength of every saint,-
The mighty God, whose matchless power
Is ever new and ever young,
And firm endures, while endless years
Their everlasting circles run.
Swift as an eagle cuts the air,
We'll mount aloft to Thine abode:
On wings of love our souls shall fly,
Nor tire amidst the heavenly road.
Rev. Isaac Watts. 1674-1748..
Not by the terrors of a slave
God's sons perform His will,
But with the noblest powers they have
His sweet commands fulfil.
They find access at every hour
To Him within the veil ;
His presence is their quickening power,
Their strength which cannot fail.
O happy souls! O glorious part!
O overflowing grace!
To dwell so near the Father's heart,
And see His lovely face!
I. Watts. S. Longfellow.
Providence.
219.
GOD moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs
And works his sovereign will.
DOST Thou, the High and Heavenly One Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take!
Call me a child of Thine?
Oh, may the spirit of a son
Declare my heart divine!
The clouds ye so much dread, Are big with mercy, and will break In blessings on your head.
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