1051

11th P. M. 76, 76, 77, 76. The midnight cry.

EARKEN to the solemn voice,
The awful midnight cry;
Waiting souls, rejoice, rejoice,
And see the Bridegroom nigh:
Lo, he comes to keep his word;
Light and joy his looks impart;
Go ye forth to meet your Lord,
And meet him in your heart
2 Ye who faint beneath the load
Of sin, your heads lift up;
See your great redeeming God;
He comes, and bids you hope.
In the midnight of your grief,
Jesus doth his mourners cheer;
Lo, he brings you sure relief;
Believe, and feel him here.

1052

7th P. M. 8 lines 7s.

Retrospect of a year.

HILE, with ceaseless course, the sun

Hasted through the former year,

Many souls their race have run,

Never more to meet us here:

Fix'd in an eternal state,

They have done with all below;

We a little longer wait,

But how little-none can know.

2 As the winged arrow flies Speedily the mark to find

As the lightning from the skies

Darts, and leaves no trace behind,

Swiftly thus our fleeting days

Bear us down life's rapid stream;
Upward, Lord, our spirits raise;
All below is but a dream.

3 Thanks for mercies past receive;
Pardon of our sins renew;
Teach us henceforth how to live
With eternity in view:

Bless thy word to young and old;
Fill us with a Saviour's love;
And when life's short tale is told,
May we reign with thee above.

1053

NEW-YEAR.

18th P. M. 10, 5, 11.

Renewed fidelity and zeal.

NOME, let us anew our journey pursue,

COM

Roll round with the year,

And never stand still till the Master appear.
His adorable will let us gladly fulfil,

And our talents improve,

By the patience of hope, and the labour of love.

2 Our life is a dream; our time, as a stream, Glides swiftly away,

And the fugitive moment refuses to stay.
The arrow is flown,-the moment is gone;
The millennial year

Rushes on to our view, and eternity's here.

30 that each, in the day of His coming, may say,

I have fought my way through;

I have finish'd the work thou didst give me to do. O that each from his Lord may receive the glad word,

Well and faithfully done!

Enter into my joy, and sit down on my throne.

1054

C. M

Renewing the covenant.

COME, let us use the grace divine,

And all, with one accord,

In a perpetual cov'nant join

Ourselves to Christ the Lord ;

2 Give up ourselves, through Jesus' power, His Name to glorify;

And promise, in this sacred hour,

For God to live and die.

3 The cov'nant we this moment make
Be ever kept in mind;

We will no more our God forsake,
Or cast his words behind.

4 We never will throw off his fear,
Who hears our solemn vow;
And if thou art well pleased to hear,
Come down, and meet us now.

5 Thee, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
Let all our hearts receive;
Present with the celestial host,
The peaceful answer give.

6 To each the cov'nant blood apply,
Which takes our sins away;

And register our names on high,
And keep us to that day.

1055

With praise and thanksgiving.

C. M

NING to the great Jehovah's praise;

SING

All praise to him belongs;

Who kindly lengthens out our days,
Demands our choicest songs:

His providence hath brought us through
Another various year;

We all, with vows and anthems new.
Before our God appear.

2 Father, thy mercies past we own,—
Thy still continued care,-
To thee presenting, through thy Son,
Whate'er we have or are:

Our lips and lives shall gladly show
The wonders of thy love;
While on in Jesus' steps we go,
To seek thy face above.

3 Our residue of days or hours
Thine, wholly thine, shall be;
And all our consecrated powers
A sacrifice to thee,-

Till Jesus in the clouds appear,
To saints on earth forgiven,
And bring the grand Sabbatic year,
The jubilee of heaven.

1056

THE

3d P. M. 4 6s & 2 8s.

The barren fig-tree.

HE Lord of earth and sky,
The God of ages, praise,

Who reigns enthroned on high,
Ancient of endless days,-
Who lengthens out our trials here,
And spares us yet another year.
2 Barren and wither'd trees,
We cumber'd long the ground;
No fruit of holiness

On our dead souls was found;
Yet doth he us in mercy spare,
Another and another year.

3 When justice bared the sword
To cut the fig-tree down,
The pity of the Lord

Cried, Let it still alone:

The Father mild inclines his ear,
And spares us yet another year.

4 Jesus, thy speaking blood
From God obtain'd the grace,
Who therefore hath bestow'd
On us a longer space;
Thou didst in our behalf appear,
And, lo! we see another year.
5 Then dig about the root;
Break up our fallow ground;
And let our gracious fruit

To thy great praise abound;
O let us all thy praise declare,
And fruit unto perfection bear.

BREVITY AND UNCERTAINTY OF LIFE.

1057

S. M.

On beginning a new year.

UR few revolving years,
How swift they glide away;
How short the term of life appears
When past-but as a day!—
2 A dark and cloudy day,
Clouded by grief and sin;
A host of enemies without,
Distressing fears within.

3 Lord, through another year
If thou permit our stay,
With diligence may we pursue
The true and living way.

1058

THEE

Frailty of life.

HEE we adore, eternal Name!
And humbly own to thee

How feeble is our mortal frame-
What dying worms are we!

C. M