Thy mercy o'er my life has flow'd; 12 His conscience knows no secret stings,
That mercy I adore.

3 In each event of life, how clear
Thy ruling hand I see!
Each blessing to my soul most dear.
Because conferr'd by thee.
4 In every joy that crowns my days,
In every pain I bear,
My heart shall find delight in praise,
Or seek relief in prayer.
5 When gladness wings my favour'd hour,
Thy love my thoughts shall fill;
Resign'd, when storms of sorrow lower,
My soul shall meet thy will.
6 My lifted eye, without a tear,

The gathering storm shall see;
My steadfast heart shall know no fear;
That heart will rest on thee.

HYMN 156. L M. H. K. White.
Eaton, Leeds, China.*

The Star of Bethlehem.

1WHEN marshall'd on the nightly

plain, The glittering host bestud the sky; One star alone, of all the train,

Can fix the sinner's wandering eye. 2 Hark! hark! to God the chorus breaks, From every host, from every gem; But one alone the Saviour speaks, It is the star of Bethlehem.

3

4

While peace and joy combine
To form a life whose holy springs
Are hidden and diyine.

He waits in secret on his God;
His God in secret sees:
Let earth be all in arms abroad,
He dwells in heavenly peace.
His pleasures rise from things unseen,
Beyond this world and time,
Where neither eyes nor ears have been,
Nor thoughts of sinners climb.
5.He wants no pomp nor royal throne
To raise his figure here;
Content and pleas'd to live unknown
Till Christ, his life, appear.
6 He looks to heaven's eternal hill
To meet that glorious day;
But patient waits his Saviour's will
To fetch his soul away.

HYMN 158. 7s. Cowper.
Hotham, Bath-Abbey.

Tempted, but flying to Christ the refuge.
JESU

ESUS, lover of my soul.
fy.
While the raging billows roll,-
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
While the tempest still is high
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide;
O, receive my soul at last.

3 Once on the raging seas I rode, [dark,2Other refuge have I none,-
The storm was loud, the night was
The ocean yawn'd, and rudely blow'd
The wind that toss'd my foundering
bark.

4 Deep horror then my vitals froze,
Death-struck, I ceas'd the tide to stem:
When suddenly a star arose,

It was the star of Bethlehem.
5 It was my guide, my light, my all,
It bade my dark forebodings cease;
And through the storm and danger's
It led me to the port of peace. [thrall,
6 Now safely moor'd-my perils o'er,
I'll sing, first in night's diadem;
Forever and forevermore,

The star-the star of Bethlehem!

5

Hangs my helpless soul on thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone,
Still support and comfort me:
All my trust on thee is stay'd,
All my help from thee I bring:
Cover my defenceless head

With the shadow of thy wing.
Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
All in all in thee I find!
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is thy name,

Vile and full of sin I am,
I am all unrighteousness,
Thou art full of truth and grace.

"

HYMN 159. C. M. Stecte. bor
Dorset, Windsor, St. Anns.

Walking in darkness, and trusting in God.
HEAR,gracious God, my humble moan,

To thee I breathe my sighs:
When will the mournful night be gone?
2My God-O could I make the claim-
And when my joys arise?
My Father and my friend,

And call thee mine, by every name 3 But O! when gloomy doubts prevail,
On which thy saints depend!
By every name of power and love,
1 would thy grace entreat:-
Nor should my humble hopes remove,
Nor leave thy sacred seat.
Yet though my soul in darkness mourns,
Thy word is all my stay;
Here I would rest till light returns,
Thy presence makes my day.

HYMN 163. Ļ M. Newton,

Portugal, Dunstan, Bath.
Prayer answered by crosses.
1 ASK'D the Lord that I might grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
Might more of his salvation know,
And-seek, more earnestly, his face.
2 'Twas he who taught me thus to pray,
And he, I trust, has answered prayer;
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair.
3 I hop'd that in some favour'd hour
At once he'd answer my request,
And by his love's constraining power
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.
4 Instead of this, he made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart,

My soul forgets the heavenly prize, And treads the downward road 4 Great God, create my soul anew, Conform my heart to thine, Melt down my will, and let it flow,: And take the mould divine. Then shall my feet no more depart, Nor wandering senses rove; Devotion shall be all my heart, And all my passions love.

And let the angry powers of hell Assault my soul in every part. 5 Yea, more, with his own hand he seem'd Intent to aggravate my wo; Cross'd all the fair designs I schem'd, Blasted my gourds, and laid me low. "Lord, why is this?" I trembling cried, 5 "Wilt thou pursue thy worm to death?" "Tis in this way," the Lord replied, "I answer prayer for grace and faith: "These inward trials I employ, "From self and pride to set thee free; "And break thy schemes of earthly joy, "That thou may'st seek thy all in me."

HYMN 166. L. M. Cowper.

Eaton, Rothwell.

Return of joy.

WHEN darkness long has veil'd my

mind,

And smiling day once more appears; The folly of my doubts and fears. Then, my Redeemer! then I find 21 chide my unbelieving heart;

HYMN 164. L. M. Watts's Sermons.
Dunstan, Rothwell, Wells.
A Christian's treasure.—All things.
HOW
WOW vast the treasure we possess!
How rich thy bounty, King of grace.
This world is ours, and worlds to come
Earth is our lodge, and heaven our home
2 Paul is our teacher: while he speaks,
The shadows flee, the morning breaks,
His words like beams of knowledge shine
And fill our souls with light divine.
3 Cephas is ours: he makes us feel
The kindlings of celestial zeal:
While sweet Apollos' charming voice
Gives us a taste of heavenly joys.
4 The springing corn, the stately wood,
Grow to provide us house and food,
Fire, air, earth, water, join their force,
All nature serves us in her course.
5 The sun rolls round to make our day,
The moon directs our nightly way;6
While angels bear us in their arms,
And shield us from ten thousand harms.
60 glorious portion of the saints!
Let faith suppress our sore complaints;
And tune our hearts and tongues to sing
Our bounteous God, our sovereign King.

HYMN 165. C. M. Watts's Lyrics.
Barby, York.

The comparison and complaint. 1JNFINITE Power, eternal Lord,

How sovereign is thy hand!
All nature rose t' obey thy word,
And moves at thy command.
With steady course thy shining sun
Keeps his appointed way:
And all the hours obedient run
The circle of the day.

3 But ah! how wide my spirit flies,
And wanders from her God!

And blush that I should ever be
Or harbour one hard thought of thee.
Thus prone to act so base a part,
30, let me then, at length, be taught
(What I am still so slow to learn.)
That God is love, and changes not,
Nor knows the shadow of a turn.
4 Sweet truth, and easy to repeat;
But when my faith is sharply tried,
Unskilful, weak, and apt to slide.
I find myself a learner yet,—
5 But, O my Lord, one look from thee
Subdues the disobedient will;
Drives doubt and discontent away,
And thy rebellious worm is still.
Thou art as ready to forgive,
Thou therefore all the praise receive;
As I am ready to repine,
Be shame and self-abhorrence mine.

2

3

Carthage, Hymn 2d.
The supreme good.
WHEN fancy spreads her boldest
And wanders unconfin'd [wings,
Amid th' unbounded scene of things,
Which entertain the mind:
In vain we trace creation o'er,
In search of sacred rest;
The whole creation is too poor,
Too mean to make us blest.
In vain would this low world employ
Each flattering specious wile;
There's nought can yield a real joy,
But our Creator's smile.

2 And what am I?-My soul, awake,
And an impartial survey take:
Does no dark sign, no ground of fear,
In practice or in heart appear?
3 What image does my spirit bear?
Is Jesus form'd and living there?
Say, do his lineaments divine

4 If orphans they are left behind,
Thy guardian care we trust;
That care shall heal our bleeding hearts,
If weeping o'er their dust.

In thought, and word, and action shine ?1
4 Searcher of hearts, O search me still;
The secrets of my soul reveal;
My fears remove: let me appear
To God, and my own conscience, clear.
5 Scatter the clouds, which o'er my head
Thick glooms of dubious terror spread;
Lead me into celestial day,
And, to myself, myself display.
May I at that bless'd world arrive, [live,
Where Christ through all my soul shall
And give full proof that he is there,
Without one gloomy doubt or fear. 3

HYMN 173. L. M. Doddridge.
Portugal, Castle Street.
Family worship.
1FAT
ATHER of all, thy care we bless,
Which crowns our families with

peace;
From thee they spring, and by thy hand
They have been, and are still sustain'd.
2 To God, most worthy to be prais'd,
Be our domestic altars rais'd;
Who, Lord of heaven, scorns not to dwell
With saints in their obscurest cell.

3 To thee may each united house,
Morning and night, present its vows;
Our servants there, and rising race,
Be taught thy precepts, and thy grace.
40 may each future age proclaim
The honours of thy glorious name!
While pleas'd and thankful we remove,
To join the family above.

HYMN 174. C. M. Doddridge.
Arlington, York, Hymn 2d.
Christ's condescending regard to little children.
EE Israel's gentle Shepherd stand,
With all engaging charms;
Hark! how he calls the tender lambs,
And folds them in his arms!
2 "Permit them to approach," he cries,
"Nor scorn their humble name;
"For 'twas to bless such souls as these,
"The Lord of angels came.
3 We bring them, Lord,by fervent prayer,
And yield them up to thee;
Joyful that we ourselves are thine,
Thine let our offspring be!

2

4

1

HYMN 175. 148th. B. Francis. *
Triumph, Portsmouth.
On opening a place of worship.
REAT King of glory, come,

This temple as thy dome,
This people as thy own:
Beneath this roof, O deign to show
How God can dwell with men below!
Here may thine ears attend
Our interceding cries,

And grateful praise ascend,
Here may thy word melodious sound,
All fragrant, to the skies:
And spread celestial joys around!
Here may th' attentive throng
Imbibe thy truth and love,
And converts join the song
Of seraphim above,

And willing crowds surround thy board,
With sacred joy and sweet accord!
Here, may our unborn sons
And daughters sound thy praise,
And shine, like polish'd stones,
Through long succeeding days;
Here, Lord, display thy saving power,
While temples stand, and men adore.

HYMN 176. L. M. Doddridge.
Gloucester, Oporto, Newcourt.

On opening a place of worship.
REAT God, thy wateḥful care we

GR bless,

Which guards our synagogues in peace;
Nor dare tumultuous foes invade,
To fill our worshippers with dread.
2 These walls we to thy honour raise;
Long may they echo to thy praise;
And thou, descending, fill the place
With choicest tokens of thy grace.
3 Here let the great Redeemer reign
With all the graces of his train;
While power divine his word attends,
To conquer foes, and cheer his friends.
4 And, in the great decisive day,
When God the nations shall survey,
May it before the world appear,
That crowds were born to glory here.
HYMN 177. S. M. S. Stennett.
St. Thomas, Pelham.
The pleasures of social worship.
H
OW charming is the place,
Where my Redeemer God