4 Lord, shall we lie so sluggish still,
And never act our parts?
Come, holy Dove, from th' heavenly hill,
And sit and warm our hearts.
5 Then shall our active spirits move;
Upwards our souls shall rise;
With hands of faith, and wings of love,
We'll fly, and take the prize.
Penitential. Ps. 25.
1 I LIFT my heart to thee,
My God and Guide most just;
Now suffer me to take no shame,
For in thee do I trust.
2 Remember not the faults
And frailty of my youth;
Remember not how ignorant
I have been of thy truth.
3 Nor after my deserts
Let me thy mercy find;
But of thine own benignity,
Lord, have me in thy mind.
4 His mercy is full sweet,
His truth a perfect guide;
Therefore the Lord will sinners teach,
And such as go aside.
5 For all the ways of God
Are truth and mercy both
To them that keep his testament,
The witness of his troth.
Regrets for a Neglect of Privileges.
1 LONG have I sat beneath the sound
Of thy salvation, Lord;
But still how weak my faith is found,
And knowledge of thy word!
2 How cold and feeble is my love!
How negligent my fear!
How low my hope of joys above!
How few affections there!
3 Great God, thy sovereign power impart,
To give thy word success;
Write thy salvation in my heart,
And make me learn thy grace.
4 Show my forgetful feet the way
That leads to joys on high;
There knowledge grows without decay,
And love shall never die.
The wandering Sheep recovered.
1 LORD, we have wandered from thy way,
Like foolish sheep have gone astray;
Our pleasant pastures we have left,
And of their guard our souls bereft ;
2 Exposed to want, exposed to harm;
Far from our gentle Shepherd's arm;
Nor will these fatal wanderings cease,
Till thou reveal the paths of peace.
3 0, seek thy thoughtless servants, Lord,
Nor let us quite forget thy word;
Our erring souls do thou restore,
And keep us, that we stray no more.
1 PERPETUAL Source of light and grace,
We hail thy sacred name;
Through every year's revolving round
Thy goodness is the same.
2 On us, all worthless as we are,
Its wondrous mercy pours;
Sure as the heaven's established course,
And plenteous as the showers.
3 Inconstant service we repay,
And treacherous vows renew;
False as the morning's scattering cloud,
And transient as the dew.
4 In flowing tears our guilt we mourn,
And loud implore thy grace
To bear our feeble footsteps on
In all thy righteous ways.
5 Armed with this energy divine,
Our souls shall steadfast move,
And with increasing transport press
On to thy courts above.
6 So, by thy power, the morning sun.
Pursues his radiant way,
Brightens each moment in his race,
And shines to perfect day.
Waiting for Pardon and Direction. Ps. 25.
1 I LIFT my soul to God;
My trust is in his name;
Let not my foes, that seek my blood,
Still triumph in my shame.
2 From the first dawning light
Till the dark evening rise,
For thy salvation, Lord, I wait
With ever-longing eyes.
3 Remember all thy grace,
And lead me in thy truth;
Forgive the sins of riper days,
And follies of my youth.
4 The Lord is just and kind;
The meek shall learn his ways,
And every humble sinner find
The methods of his grace.
5 For his own goodness' sake
He saves my soul from shame;
He pardons, though my guilt be great,
Through my Redeemer's name.
Sins confessed and mourned.
1 GOD of mercy, God of love,
Hear our sad, repentant song;
Sorrow dwells on every face,
Penitence on every tongue.
2 Deep regret for follies past,
Talents wasted, time misspent ;
Hearts debased by worldly cares,
Thankless for the blessings lent; -
3 Foolish fears and fond desires,
Vain regrets for things as vain;
Lips too seldom taught to praise,
Oft to murmur and complain;
4 These, and every secret fault,
Filled with grief and shame, we own; Humbled at thy feet we lie,
Seeking pardon from thy throne.
5 God of mercy, God of grace,
Hear our sad, repentant songs;
O, restore thy suppliant race,
Thou to whom all praise belongs.
1 SAVE my soul, which thou didst cherish
Until now, now like to perish;
Save thy servant, that hath none
Help, nor hope, but thee alone.
2 Send, O send relieving gladness
To my soul oppressed with sadness,
Which, from clog of earth set free,
Winged with zeal springs up to thee.
3 Heavenly Tutor, of thy kindness
Teach my dulness, guide my blindness,
That my steps thy paths may tread,
Which to endless bliss do lead.
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