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WE

Bishop W. W. How, 1823–97.

give thee but thine own,
Whate'er the gift may be :
All that we have is thine alone,
A trust, O Lord, from thee.
May we thy bounties thus
As stewards true receive,
And gladly, as thou blessest us,
To thee our first-fruits give.

O hearts are bruised and dead;
And homes are bare and cold;

And lambs, for whom the Shepherd bled,
Are straying from the fold.

To comfort and to bless,

To find a balm for woe,

To tend the lone and fatherless,
Is Angels' work below.

The captive to release,

To God the lost to bring,

To teach the way of life and peace,
It is a Christlike thing.

And we believe thy word,

Though dim our faith may be ;
Whate'er for thine we do, O Lord,
We do it unto thee.

523

The following are also suitable : 309 For the beauty of the earth. 529 Son of God, eternal Saviour.

BEGINNING AND END OF TERM..

H. J. Buckoll, 1803-71.

LORD, behold us with thy blessing,

Once again assembled here;

Onward be our footsteps pressing,
In thy love and faith and fear:
Still protect us

By thy presence ever near.

2 For thy mercy we adore thee,
For this rest upon our way;
Lord, again we bow before thee,
Speed our labours day by day :
Mind and spirit

With thy choicest gifts array.

Part 2.

3 Lord, dismiss us with thy blessing;
Thanks for mercies past receive;
Pardon all, their faults confessing;
Time that's lost may all retrieve :
May thy children

Ne'er again thy Spirit grieve.

4. Let thy Father-hand be shielding
All who here shall meet no more;
May their seed-time past be yielding
Year by year a richer store:

Those returning

Make more faithful than before.

524

G

AT A FAREWELL.

J. E. Rankin, 1828-1904.

OD be with you till we meet again;
By his counsels guide, uphold you,
With his sheep securely fold you:
God be with you till we meet again.

2 God be with you till we meet again;
'Neath his wings protecting hide you,
Daily manna still provide you:
God be with you till we meet again.

3 God be with you till we meet again;
When life's perils thick confound you,
Put his arm unfailing round you :
God be with you till we meet again.

4. God be with you till we meet again;
Keep love's banner floating o'er you,
Smite death's threatening wave before you:
God be with you till we meet again.

525

HOSPITALS.

Charles Kingsley, 1819-75.

ROM thee all skill and science flow,

Fall pity, care, and love,

All calm and courage, faith and hope-
O, pour them from above!

2 And part them, Lord, to each and all,
As each and all shall need

To rise, like incense, each to thee,
In noble thought and deed.

3 And hasten, Lord, that perfect day
When pain and death shall cease,
And thy just rule shall fill the earth
With health, and light, and peace ;

4. When ever blue the sky shall gleam,
And ever green the sod,

And man's rude work deface no more
The Paradise of God.

526

E. H. Plumptre, 1821-91.

HINE arm, O Lord, in days of old

It triumphed o'er disease and death,
O'er darkness and the grave;

To thee they went, the blind, the dumb,
The palsied and the lame,
The leper with his tainted life,

The sick with fevered frame.

2 And lo! thy touch brought life and health,
Gave speech, and strength, and sight;
And youth renewed and frenzy calmed
Owned thee the Lord of light;
And now, O Lord, be near to bless,
Almighty as of yore,

In crowded street, by restless couch,
As by Gennesareth's shore.

3. Be thou our great deliverer still,
Thou Lord of life and death;
Restore and quicken, soothe and bless
With thine almighty breath;
To hands that work, and eyes that see,
Give wisdom's heavenly lore,

That whole and sick, and weak and strong,
May praise thee evermore.

527

G. Thring, 1823-1903.

HOU to whom the sick and dying

to me, nor came in vain,

Still with healing words replying
To the wearied cry of pain,
Hear us, Jesu, as we meet
Suppliants at thy mercy-seat.

2 Still the weary, sick, and dying
Need a brother's, sister's care;
On thy higher help relying
May we now their burden share,
Bringing all our offerings meet,
Suppliants at thy mercy-seat.

3 May each child of thine be willing,
Willing both in hand and heart,
All the law of love fulfilling,
Ever comfort to impart;

Ever bringing offerings meet,
Suppliant to thy mercy-seat.

4. So may sickness, sin, and sadness
To thy healing power yield,
Till the sick and sad, in gladness,
Rescued, ransomed, cleansed, healed,
One in thee together meet,
Pardoned at thy judgement-seat.

528

The following are also suitable: 266 At even when the sun was set. 349 Thou, Lord, hast power to heal. 529 Son of God, eternal Saviour.

SOCIETIES: FRIENDLY.

H. C. Shuttleworth, 1850-1900.

MATHER of men, in whom are one

Fall humankind' beneath thy sun,

Stablish our work in thee begun.
Except the house be built of thee,
In vain the builder's toil must be:
O strengthen our infirmity!

2 Man lives not for himself alone,
In others' good he finds his own,
Life's worth in fellowship is known.
We, friends and comrades on life's way,
Gather within these walls to pray :
Bless thou our fellowship to-day.
3 O Christ, our Elder Brother, who
By serving man God's will didst do,
Help us to serve our brethren too.
Guide us to seek the things above,
The base to shun, the pure approve,
To live by thy free law of love.

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