On His shoulders He shall bear
Power and majesty; and wear
On His vesture and His thigh,
Names most awful, names most high.
Wonderful in counsel He:
The Incarnate Deity,
Sire of ages ne'er to cease,
King of kings, and Prince of Peace.
Come and worship at His feet,
Yield to Christ the homage meet,
From His manger to His throne,
Homage due to GOD alone.
WHILE war on earth suspended
His mad career of woes,
The Prince of Life descended,
A deadlier strife to close.
Vain battles worms were waging
'Gainst their Creator, GOD;
He came, and wrath assuaging,
Made peace with His own blood.
The storm that flamed and lowered
Was calm at His command;
The rod of justice flourished,
Like Aaron's, in His hand.
That sceptre love revealing,
Sinners approach and kiss;
Its leaves are for your healing,
Its fruits immortal bliss.
ANGELS, from the realms of glory,
Wing your flight o'er all the earth;
Ye, who sang creation's story,
Now proclaim Messiah's birth:
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
Shepherds, in the field abiding,
Watching o'er your flock by night,
GOD with man is now residing;
Yonder shines the Infant Light:
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar ;
Seek the great Desire of nations,—
Ye have seen His natal star:
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
Saints, before the altar bending,
Waiting long with hope and fear,
Suddenly the LORD descending,
In His temple shall appear:
Come and worship,
Worship Christ the new-born King.
Sinners wrung with true repentance,
Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now repeals the sentence,
Mercy calls you,-break your chains:
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
WHITSUNDAY.
LORD GOD, the Holy Ghost!
In this accepted hour,
On this the day of Pentecost,
Descend in all Thy power:
We meet, with one accord,
In this Thy holy place,
And wait the promise of our LORD,~
The Spirit of all grace.
Like mighty rushing wind
Upon the waves beneath,
Move with one impulse every mind,
One soul, one feeling breathe :-
The young, the old inspire
With wisdom from above;
And give us hearts and tongues of fire,
To pray, and praise, and love.
Spirit of Light! explore,
And chase our gloom away,
With lustre shining more and more
Unto the perfect day:
Spirit of Truth! be Thou
In life and death our guide ;-
O Spirit of Adoption! now
May we be sanctified!
CHILDREN PRAISING GOD FOR HIS CARE OVER THEM.
THE children's angels always view
Their heavenly Father's face;
His joyful messengers and true,
In providence and grace.
But not to angels' care alone
Poor children are consigned;
To GOD Himself our wants are known,
The LORD to us is kind.
Yes; every comfort here below,
And every hope above,
All that we have and are, we owe
To His unfailing love.
Then let us act as in His sight;
And, on our humble way,
Walk in the liberty of light,
As children of the day.
Young though we be, and in the prime
Of life's unfolding powers,
Of all the moments of our time,
This--only this—is ours.
We seize it, LORD, before 't is past;
We yield ourselves to Thee;
Thine be our earliest years, our last,
And our eternity.
THE PRAISES AND PRAYERS OF CHILDREN.
WHILE saints and angels, glorious King,
Day without night, Thy praises sing,
Thou wilt not humbler strains despise;
The songs of children reach the skies.
Amidst the whole creation's cares,
The meanest worm Thy bounty shares;
Thine eyes the depths of ocean see,
The grave itself hides not from Thee.
While want and hardship were our lot,
Thou knew'st us, though we knew Thee not;
Now we adore Thine hand, that sends
Our earthly comforts, home and friends.
With these Thy heavenly gifts afford,
Thy Son, Thy Spirit, and Thy Word:
Thy Word, to teach our wayward youth
Thy pure commandments, GOD of truth!
Thy Spirit, to dispel the night
Of sin and error, GOD of light!
Thy Son, to raise our minds above
This world's affections, GOD of love!
For all the good Thy grace imparts,
What shall we give Thee?-Take our hearts:
Oh, seal them by Thy power divine,
In life, in death, for ever Thine.
CHILDREN PRAISING GOD FOR INSTRUCTION.
O LORD our GOD! Thy light and truth
To us Thy children send,
That we may fear Thy name in youth,
And serve Thee to the end.
By nature sinful, weak, and blind,
The paths of death we trod,
Our wandering heart and worldly mind
Were enemies to GOD.
Guardians and teachers now, through grace,
Our heedless steps restrain;
They warn us, LORD, to seek Thy face,
Which none shall seek in vain.
Hence to the hills we lift our eyes,
From which salvation springs;
O Sun of righteousness! arise,
With healing in Thy wings!
Arise, and o'er this vale of tears,
Shine into perfect day:
Still homeward, through progressive years,
Pointing the Christian's way.
The home we seek is heaven above:
Yet while our course we run,
May we, rejoicing in Thy love,
Find heaven on earth begun.
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