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For the gospel's cheering ray,
For the Spirit's quickening power,
Grateful notes to Thee I raise:
O accept the song of praise.

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1 FATHER, by Thy love and power,
Comes again the evening hour;
Light has vanished, labors cease,
Weary creatures rest in peace:
We to Thee ourselves resign,
Let our latest thoughts be Thine.
2 Saviour, to Thy Father bear

This our feeble evening prayer;
Thou hast seen how oft to-day
We, like sheep, have gone astray;
Blessed Saviour, we, through Thee,
Pray that we may pardoned be.
3 Holy Spirit, Breath of balm,
Fall on us in evening's calm;
Yet awhile, before we sleep,
We with Thee will vigil keep.
Melt our spirits, mould our will,
Soften, strengthen, comfort still.

4 Blesséd Trinity, be near

Through the hours of darkness drear;
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,

Round us set th' angelic host,

Till the flood of morning rays
Wake us to a song of praise.

Prof. Joseph Anstice. (1808-1836.) 1836. ab. and alt.

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2 The year rolls round, and steals away The breath that first it gave; Whate'er we do, where'er we be,

We're travelling to the grave.

3 Great God, on what a slender thread Hang everlasting things;

The eternal state of all the dead
Upon life's feeble strings.

4 Infinite joy, or endless woe,

Attends on every breath;
And yet how unconcerned we go
Upon the brink of death.

5 Waken, O Lord, our drowsy sense,
To walk this dangerous road;
And if our souls are hurried hence,
May they be found with God.

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14 Ye wheels of nature, speed your course, Ye mortal powers, decay,

Fast as ye bring the night of death,
Ye bring eternal day.

1252

Rev. Philip Doddridge. (1703—1751.) 1755

God in Nature.

Ps. lxv.

1 'TIS by Thy strength the mountains stand, God of eternal power;

The sea grows calm at Thy command,
And tempests cease to roar.

2 Thy morning light and evening shade
Successive comforts bring;

Thy plenteous fruits make harvest glad, Thy flowers adorn the spring.

3 Seasons and times, and moons and hours,
Heaven, earth, and air are Thine;
When clouds distil in fruitful showers,
The author is divine.

4 Those wandering cisterns in the sky,
Borne by the winds around,
With watery treasures well supply
The furrows of the ground.

5 The thirsty ridges drink their fill,
And ranks of corn appear;

Thy ways abound with blessings still,
Thy goodness crowns the year.

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2 Our hope, when autumn winds blew wild, 4 Thine too by right, and ours by grace, We trusted, Lord, with Thee;

And still, now spring has on us smiled,

We wait on Thy decree.

3 The former and the latter rain,

The summer sun and air,

The green ear, and the golden grain,
All Thine, are ours by prayer.

PEACE. C. M

The wondrous growth unseen,

The hopes that soothe, the fears that brace,
The love that shines serene.

5 So grant the precious things brought forth.
By sun and moon below,

That Thee, in Thy new heaven and earth,
We never may forego.

Rev. John Keble. (1792-1866.) 1857.

Melchior Vulpius. (c. 1560-) 1609.

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2 He sends His showers of blessings down, I FOUNTAIN of mercy, God of love,
To cheer the plains below;

He makes the grass the mountains crown,
And corn in valleys grow.

3 His steady counsels change the face
Of the declining year;

He bids the sun cut short his race,

And wintry days appear.

4 His hoary frost, His fleecy snow,
Descend and clothe the ground;
The liquid streams forbear to flow,
In icy fetters bound.

5 He sends His word and melts the snow,
The fields no longer mourn;
He calls the warmer gales to blow,
And bids the spring return.

6 The changing wind, the flying cloud,
Obey His mighty word:

With songs and honors sounding loud,
Praise ye the sovereign Lord.

Rev. Isaac Watts. 1719.

ab.

How rich Thy bounties are;
The rolling seasons, as they move,
Proclaim Thy constant care.

2 When in the bosom of the earth
The sower hid the grain,

Thy goodness marked its secret birth,
And sent the early rain.

3 The spring's sweet influence was Thine,
The plants in beauty grew;

Thou gav'st refulgent suns to shine,
And mild refreshing dew.

4 These various mercies from above
Matured the swelling grain;
A yellow harvest crowns Thy love,
And plenty fills the plain.

5 Seed-time and harvest, Lord, alone
Thou dost on man bestow;

Let him not then forget to own
From whom his blessings flow.

Mrs. Alice Flowerdew. (1759-1830.) 1811. ab

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2 Wide as the wheels of nature roll,
Thy hand supports and guides the whole;
The sun is taught by Thee to rise,
And darkness when to veil the skies.
3 The flowery spring, at Thy command,
Perfumes the air and paints the land;
The summer rays with vigor shine,
To raise the corn and cheer the vine.
4 Thy hand in autumn richly pours
Through all our coasts redundant stores;
And winters, softened by Thy care,
No more a face of horror wear.

5 Seasons, and months, and weeks, and days,
Demand successive songs of praise;
And be the grateful homage paid,
With morning light and evening shade.
6 Here in Thy house let incense rise,
And circling sabbaths bless our eyes;
Till to those lofty heights we soar,
Where days and years revolve no more.
Rev. Philip Doddridge (1702-1751.) 1755. ab. and alt.

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13 With grateful hearts the past we own;
The future, all to us unknown,
We to Thy guardian care commit,
And peaceful leave before Thy feet.
4 In scenes exalted or deprest,

Be Thou our joy, and Thou our rest;
Thy goodness all our hopes shall raise,
Adored through all our changing days.
Rev. Philip Doddridge. 1755. ab. and alt.

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2

Hath sped its flight on silent wing; And all that marked its brief career Hath passed from mortal reckoning. Lord, for Thy grace and patient love, Unwearied still, and still the same, For all our hopes of joy above,

We laud and bless Thy Holy Name. We bless Thee for each happy soul, Throughout another fleeting year, Or by Thy quickening grace made whole, Or parted in Thy faith and fear.

4 Still bear with us, and bless us still; And, while in this dark world we stay, O let us love Thy sacred will,

O let us keep Thy narrow way.

5 So, when the rolling stream of time Hath opened to a boundless sea, Loud will we raise that song sublime, "All power and glory be to Thee." Rev. Richard Frederick Littledale. (1833-) 1867

COME, LET US ANEW. 11, 5.

Samuel Webbe. (1740-1816.) c. 1770.

I. COME, let us a new Our journey pur- sue, Roll round with the year, And nev-er stand

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