THE HOLY SCRIPTURES.

207.

The Word of God.

1 WORD of the ever-living God!
Will of his glorious Son!
Without thee how could earth be trod,
Or heaven itself be won?

C. M.

2 Yet, to unfold thy hidden worth, Thy mysteries to reveal,

BARTON.

That Spirit which first gave thee forth Thy volume must unseal!

3 And we, if we aright would learn
The wisdom it imparts,
Must to its heavenly teaching turn,
With simple, childlike hearts!

H. M.

208.

Efficacy and Success of the Gospel.

1 MARK the soft-falling snow,
And the diffusive rain!

To heaven from whence it fell,
It turns not back again;

And calls forth all

Through every pore, Her secret store.

But waters earth

2 Arrayed in beauteous green,
The hills and.valleys shine,
And man and beast are fed
By Providence divine:
The harvest bows
Its golden ears,

66

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,

The copious seed
Of future years.

C. M.

209.

Prayer for a Blessing on the Word.

1 FATHER of all, in whom, alone,
We live, and move, and breathe,
One bright celestial ray send down,
And cheer thy sons beneath.

And bear it down
To millions more."

WESLEY'S COL.

2 While in thy word we search for thee,
O fill our souls with awe;
Thy light impart, that we may see
The wonders of thy law.

3 Now let our darkness comprehend
The light that shines so clear;
Now thy revealing Spirit send,
And give us ears to hear.

210.

Progress of Gospel Truth.

1 UPON the Gospel's sacred page
The gathered beams of ages shine;
And, as it hastens, every age
But makes its brightness more divine.

L. M.

BOWRING.

2 On mightier wing, in loftier flight,
From year to year does knowledge soar;
And, as it soars, the Gospel light
Adds to its influence more and more.

3 Truth, strengthened by the strength of thought,
Pours inexhaustible supplies,
Whence sagest teachers may be taught,
And wisdom's self becomes more wise.

4 More glorious still as centuries roll,
New regions blessed, new powers unfurled,
Expanding with the expanding soul,
Its waters shall o'erflow the world; ·

5 Flow to restore, but not destroy;

As when the cloudless lamp of day
Pours out its flood of light and joy,
And sweeps each lingering mist away.

C. M.

211.

Light and Glory of the Word.

1 THE Spirit breathes upon the word,
And brings the truth to sight;
Precepts and promises afford
A sanctifying light.

COWPER.

2 A glory gilds the sacred page, Majestic like the sun!

It gives a light to every age;
It gives, but borrows none.

3 The hand that gave it still supplies The gracious light and heat;

His truths upon the nations rise,

They rise, but never set.

4 Let everlasting thanks be thine, For such a bright display,

As makes a world of darkness shine
With beams of heavenly day.

C. M.

212.

"Thou shalt teach them to thy children." Psalm 78.

1 HEAR, O my people! to my law Devout attention lend;

TATE & BRADY.

Let the instruction of my mouth
Deep in your hearts descend.

2 My tongue, by inspiration taught,
Shall parables unfold,
Dark oracles, but understood,
And owned for truths of old:

3 Which we from sacred registers
Of ancient times have known,
And our forefathers' pious care
To us has handed down,-

4 That generations yet to come
Should to their unborn heirs
Religiously transmit the same,
And they again to theirs ;

5 To teach them that in God alone
Their hope securely stands;
That they should ne'er his works forget,
But keep 'his just commands.

213.

God's Glory in the Gospel.

1 Now to the Lord a noble song!
Awake, my soul, awake, my tongue!
Hosanna to the Eternal Name,
And all his boundless love proclaim.

L M.

2 The spacious earth and spreading flood
Proclaim the wise, the powerful God;
And thy rich glories from afar
Sparkle in every rolling star.

WATTS.

3 But in the Gospel of thy Son
Are all thy mightiest works outdone;
The light it pours upon our eyes
Outshines the wonders of the skies.

1

4 Our spirits kindle in its beam :
It is a sweet, a glorious theme:
Ye angels, dwell upon the sound!
Ye heavens, reflect it to the ground!

214.

Power of God's Word.

BEHOLD, the morning sun Begins his glorious way; His beams through all the nations run, And life and light convey.

S. M.

WATTS.