2 Bright Star of Hope, we follow thee;

Herald divine, we catch thy voice :
Thy notes proclaim God's jubilee,

And bid a ransomed world rejoice. 3 Hail, Star of Hope ! our hearts adore

Thy light, which shines on life's dark wave Like the bright guide on ocean's shore,

The storm-spent mariner to save.
4 Hail, Star of Hope! man's certain Guide

To truth and life by mercy given ;
Spread wide thy rays, till all mankind

Receive this richest boon of Heaven.

THE GOSPEL.

HYMN 234. L. M. [#]

Excellency of the Gospel.
1 God, in the gospel of his Son,

Makes his eternal counsels known;
And sinners of an humble frame

May taste his grace, and learn his name. 2 Wisdom its dictates here imparts,

To form our minds, to cheer our hearts ;
Its influence makes the sinner live,

And bids the drooping saint revive.
3 Our raging passions it controls,

And comfort yields to contrite souls ;

It guides us all our journey through,

And brings a better world to view. 4 May this blest volume ever lie

Close to my heart, and near my eye ;
To life's last hour my soul employ,
And fit me for the heavenly joy.

HYMN 235. C. M. [#]

Saviour's Message. 1 HARK ! 'tis the Saviour of mankind

Speaks to his chosen few ; 'Tis he who leads the wandering blind

In ways they could not know. 2 'Tis he who says, Go forth, my friends, Proclaim

my

truth and grace ; Inform each soul my love extends

To all of Adam's race.
3 What though my ransomed may refuse

The message to receive,
And

you, the messengers, abuse,–

Yet still I came to save.
4 Yea, should deception still prevail,

And blind the people's eyes,
In my great day I'll rend the veil

From all beneath the skies.
5 Then every eye shall see the grace

You now in faith declare,
And I myself, from every face,
Will wipe off

every

tear.

3

HYMN 236. C. M. [#]

Success of the Gospel.
1 FATHER, is not thy promise sure

To thy exalted Son,
That through the nations of the earth

Thy word of life shall run ?
2 Hast thou not said, the blinded Jews

Shall their Redeemer own,
Whilst Gentiles to his standard crowd,

And bow before his throne ?
3 Are not all kingdoms, tribes and tongues,

Beneath the arch of heaven,
To the dominion of thy Son,

Without exception, given?
4 From east to west, from north to south,

Then be his name adored,
Let earth with all its millions shout

Hosanna to the Lord.

HYMN 237. H. M. [#]

Efficacy of the Gospel.
1 Behold the fleecy snow !

Mark the diffusive rain !
To heaven, from which they fall,

They turn not back again,
But water earth through every pore,
And call forth all her secret store.
2 Arrayed in beauteous green

The hills and valleys shine,

And man and beast are fed

By Prcvidence divine :
The harvest bows its golden ears,
The copious seed of future years.
3 So, saith the God of grace,

My gospel shall descend,
Almighty to effect

The purpose I intend ;
Millions of souls shall feel its power,
And bear it down to millions more.

HYMN 238. L. M. [#]

Christ our Example. 1 The gospel, Lord, is peace and love;

Such let our conversation be.; The serpent blended with the dove,

Wisdom and meek simplicity. 2 Whene'er the angry passions rise,

And tempt our thoughts or tongues to strife, To Jesus let us list our eyes,

Bright Pattern of the Christian life. 3 O how benevolent and kind,

How mild, how ready to forgive !
Be this the temper of our mind,

And these the rules by which we live. 4 Dispensing good where'er he came,

The labours of his life were love ;
Then, if we bear the Saviour's name,

By his example let us move.
5 But, O, how blind, how weak we are!

How frail, how apt to turn aside !

Lord, we depend upon thy care;

We ask thy spirit for our guide.

HYMN 239. L. M. [#]

Praise for Truth.
1 Rise, every heart and every tongue,

Prepare a sweet, angelic song ;
Surprising mercies must require

An angel's lay, a seraph's fire.
2 The sun of heaven illumes the soul,

Oceans of mercies sweetly roll,
The heavenly streams of truth and love

Flow freely from the Fount above. 3 O, happy day! we live to see

How kind to men our God can be :
His

greatest mercies stand confessed,
And Zion is divinely blessed.
4 Thy truth and loving kindness, Lord,

We will with holy songs record;
To us are richest favours given,
And praises shall return to heaven.

HYMN 240. C. M. [#]

God's Promises sure.
1 My never-ceasing songs shall show

The mercies of the Lord,
And make succeeding ages know

How faithful is his word.
2 The sacred truths his lips pronounce

Shall firm as heaven endure ;