Be thoughts of thee a cloudy screen,
To temper the deceitful ray !
ray!
4 And, O, when gathers on our path,
In shade and storm, the frequent night,
Be thou, long suffering, slow to wrath,
A burning and a shining light!
God speaking Peace to his People.
1 UNITE, my roving thoughts, unite
In silence soft and sweet;
And thou, my soul, sit gently down
At thy great Sovereign's feet.
2 Jehovah's awful voice is heard;
Yet gladly I attend ;
For, lo! the everlasting God
Proclaims himself my friend.
3 Harmonious accents to my soul
The sound of peace convey;
The tempest at his word subsides,
And winds and seas obey.
4 By all its joys, I charge my heart
To grieve his love no more,
But, charmed by melody divine,
To give its follies o'er.
5 Let this my every hour employ,
Till I thy glory see,
Enter into my Master's joy,
And find my heaven in thee!
429. 7 & 6s. M. (Peculiar.)
Confidence in God's Protection.
1 O MY soul, unceasing pray;
In God alone confide;
He thy feeble steps shall stay,
Nor suffer thee to slide;
Lean on thy Redeemer's breast;
He thy spirit safely keeps ;
Rest in him, securely rest;
Thy Watchman never sleeps.
2 Neither sin, nor earth, nor hell,
Thy Keeper can surprise ;
Careless slumbers cannot steal
On his all-seeing eyes;
He is Israel's sure Defence;
Israel all his care shall prove,
Kept by watchful Providence,
And ever-waking Love.
3 See the Lord, thy Keeper, stand
Omnipotently near;
Lo, he holds thee by thy hand,
And banishes thy fear;
He shall bless thy going out,
He shall bless thy coming in,
Kindly compass thee about,
And guard from every sin.
Rejoicing in God, our Father.
1 COME, shout aloud the Father's grace,
And sing the Saviour's love;
Soon shall ye join the glorious theme,
In loftier strains, above.
2 God, the eternal, mighty God,
To dearer names descends;
Calls you his treasure and his joy,
His children and his friends.
3 My Father, God! and may these lips
Pronounce a name so dear?
Not thus could heaven's sweet harmony
Delight my listening ear.
4 Thanks to my God for every gift
His bounteous hands bestow;
And thanks eternal for that love
Whence all these comforts flow.
7s. M. 6 L.
The Soul panting for God.
1 AS the hart, with eager looks,
Panteth for the water-brooks,
So my soul, athirst for thee,
Pants the living God to see;
When, O, when, with filial fear,
Lord, shall I to thee draw near?
2 Why art thou cast down, my soul?
God, thy God, shall make thee whole :
Why art thou disquieted?
God shall lift thy fallen head,
And his countenance benign
Be the saving health of thine.
1 O FATHER, to thy mercy-seat
My soul for shelter flies:
'T is here I find a safe retreat
When storms and tempests rise.
2 My cheerful hope can never die,
If thou, my God, art near;
Thy grace can raise my comforts high,
And banish every fear.
3 My great Protector and my Lord,
Thy constant aid impart,
O, let thy kind, thy gracious word
Sustain my trembling heart.
4 O, never let my soul remove
From this divine retreat;
Still let me trust thy power and love,
And dwell beneath thy feet.
1 THOU hidden Source of calm repose,
Thou all-sufficient Love divine,
My Help and Refuge from my foes,
Secure I am if thou art mine.
And, lo! from sin, and grief, and shame,
I hide me, Father, in thy name.
2 Thy mighty name salvation is;
And keeps my happy soul above;
Comfort it brings, and power, and peace,
And joy, and everlasting love :
To me, through thy dear Son, are given
Pardon and holiness and heaven.
3 Father my all in all thou art,
My rest in toil, my ease in pain;
The balm to heal each broken heart;
In storms my peace, in loss my gain;
My joy beneath the worldling's frown;
In shame my glory and my crown;
4 In want my plentiful supply;
In weakness my almighty power;
In bonds my perfect liberty;
My refuge in temptation's hour;
My comfort 'midst all grief and pain,
My life in death, my endless gain.
Trust in God under Affliction.
1 COMMIT thou all thy griefs
And ways into his hands,
To his sure trust and tender care,
Who earth and heaven commands:
2 Who points the clouds their course,
Whom winds and seas obey,
He shall direct thy wandering feet,
He shall prepare thy way.
3 No profit canst thou gain
By self-consuming care;
To him commend thy cause,
Attends the softest prayer.
4 Thou on the Lord rely,
So safe shalt thou go on;
Fix on his work thy steadfast eye,
So shall thy work be done.
Wisdom and Virtue sought from God.
1 SUPREME and universal Light!
Fountain of reason! Judge of right!
Parent of good! whose blessings flow
On all above, and all below:
2 Assist us, Lord, to act, to be,
What nature and thy laws decree;
Worthy that intellectual flame,
Which from thy breathing spirit came !
3 Our moral freedom to maintain,
Bid passion serve, and reason reign,
Self-poised and independent still
On this world's varying good or ill.
4 No slave to profit, shame, or fear,
O, may our steadfast bosoms bear,
The stamp of heaven, an upright heart,
Above the mean disguise of art!
5 May our expanded souls disclaim
The narrow view, the selfish aim;
But with a Christian zeal embrace
Whate'er is friendly to our race.
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