PRAYER FOR A BLESSING.
1 BESTOW, dear LORD, upon our youth
The gift of saving grace;
And let the seed of sacred truth
Fall in a fruitful place.
2 Grace is a plant, whene'er it grows
Of pure and heavenly root:
But fairest in the youngest shews,
And yields the sweetest fruit.
3 Ye careless ones, O hear betimes
The voice of sov'reign love!
Your youth is stain'd with many crimes,
But mercy reigns above.
4 True, you are young, but there's a stone Within the youngest breast,
Or half the crimes which you have done.
Would rob you of your rest.
5 For you the public pray'r is made,
Oh! join the public pray'r!
you the secret tear is shed, O shed yourselves a tear!
pray that you may early prove The Spirit's pow'r to teach; You cannot be too young to love
That JESUS whom we preach.
PLEADING FOR AND WITH YOUTH.
I SIN has undone our wretched race,
But JESUS has restor❜d,
And brought the sinner face to face
With his forgiving LORD.
2 This we repeat from year to year,
And press upon our youth:
LORD, give them an attentive ear,
LORD, save them by thy truth.
3 Blessings upon the rising race!
Make this an happy hour,.
According to thy richest grace,
And thine almighty pow'r.
4 We feel for your unhappy state,
(May you regard it too)
And would awhile ourselves forget,
Το pour out pray'r for you.
5 We see, though you perceive it not,
Th' approaching, awful doom;
O tremble at the solemn thought,
And flee the wrath to come!
6 Dear Saviour, let this new born year Spread an alarm abroad;
And cry in every careless ear,
"Prepare to meet thy God!"
PRAYER FOR CHILDREN.
I GRACIOUS LORD, our children see,
By thy mercy we are free;
But shall these, alas! remain
Subjects still of Satan's reign?
Israel's young ones, when of old
Pharoah threaten'd to withhold ;*
Then thy messenger said, "No;
Let the children also go."
2 When the angel of the LORD,
Drawing forth his dreadful sword,
Slew, with an avenging hand,
All the first-born of the land it
Then thy people's doors he pass'd,
Where the bloody sign was plac'd:
Hear us, now, upon our knees,
Plead the blood of CHRIST for these!
3 LORD, we tremble, for we know How the fierce, malicious foe, Wheeling round his watchful flight, Keeps them ever in his sight: Spread thy pinions, King of kings! Hide them safe beneath thy wings; Lest the rav'nous bird of prey
Stoop, and bear the brood away.
song shall bless the LORD of all,
My praise shall climb to his abode ;
Thee, Saviour, by that name I call
The great Supreme, the mighty God.
2 Without beginning or decline,
Object of faith, and not of sense,
Eternal ages saw him shine,
He shines eternal ages hence.
3 As much, when in the manger laid,
Almighty Ruler of the sky,
As when the six days work he made
Fill'd all the morning-stars with joy.
Of all the crowns Jehovah bears,
Salvation is his dearest claim;
That gracious sound well pleas'd he hears,
And owns EMMANUEL for his name.
5 A cheerful confidence I feel,
My well-plac'd hopes with joy I see :
My bosom glows with heav'nly zeal
To worship him who dy'd for me.
6 As man, he pities my complaint,
His pow'r and truth are all divine;
He will not fail, he cannot faint,
Salvation's sure, and must be mine.
ON OPENING A PLACE FOR SOCIAL PRAYER,
1 JESUS, where'er thy people meet,
There they behold thy mercy-seat ;
Where'er they seek thee thou art found,
And ev'ry place is hallow'd ground.
2 For thou, within no walls confin'd,
Inhabitest the humble mind;
Such ever bring thee, where they come,
And going, take thee to their home.
3 Dear Shepherd of thy chosen few!
Thy former mercies here renew;
Here, to our waiting hearts proclaim
The sweetness of thy saving name.
Here may we prove the power of pray'r,
To strengthen faith and sweeten care;
To teach our faint desires to rise,
And bring all heaven before our eyes.
5 Behold, at thy commanding word,
We stretch the curtain and the cord ;*
Come thou, and fill this wider space,
And bless us with a large increase.
6 LORD, we are few, but thou art near;
Nor short thine arm nor deaf thine ear;
Oh, rend the heav'ns, come quickly down,
And make a thousand hearts thine own!
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