235. God's Invitations. (Matt. xxii. 1—14.)

SHIRLAND. S. M.

RETURN, and come to God;
Cast all your sins away;

Seek ye the Saviour's cleansing blood;
Repent, believe, obey!

Say not ye cannot come;
For Jesus bled, and died,
That none who ask in humble faith
Should ever be denied.

Say not ye will not come;
"Tis God vouchsafes to call;
And fearful will their end be found,
On whom his wrath shall fall.

Come, then, whoever will;
Come, while 'tis call'd to-day;
Seek ye the Saviour's cleansing blood:
Repent, believe, obey!

236. Preparation to meet God. (Micah vi. 6-8.)

HOW shall we come before thy face,
And in thine awful presence bow?
What off'rings can secure thy grace,
And calm the terrors of thy brow?

Ten thousand witnesses arise,
And all our dreadful guilt declare :
More than the stars that fill the skies,
Thy mercies, and our sins appear.
Could off'rings flow, and victims bleed,
None could thine awful justice stay;
The Saviour's blood alone we plead
To take our manysins away.
With humble faith to that we fly;
With that our souls be sprinkled o'er;
Trembling no more in dust we lie,
And dread thy judgment-seat no more.

237. The End of the Faithful. (Collect.)

HEAR what the voice from heaven proclaims

Of all the faithful dead!

Sweet is the savour of their names,

And soft their sleeping bed.

They die in Jesus, and are blest;
His love dispels their gloom:
How calm and peaceful is their rest
Within their hallow'd tomb!

Far from this world of toil and strife,
They're present with the Lord:
The labors of their mortal life
End in a large reward.

238. Looking beyond the World. (Hab. ii. 4.)

OSWESTRY. L. M.

AS when the weary trav'ller gains
The height of some commanding hill,
His heart revives, if o'er the plains
He see his home, though distant still:

So, when the christian pilgrim views,
By faith, his mansion in the skies;
The sight his fainting strength renews,
And wings his speed to reach the prize.

The hope of heaven his spirit cheers;
No more he grieves for sorrows past;
Nor any future trial fears,

So he

may safe arrive at last.

Jesus, on thee our hope we stay,
To lead us on to thine abode,
Where endless joy shall well repay
Our toils and trials on the road.

239. Faith Victorious. (Ephes. vi. 10–20.)

SOLDIERS of Christ, arise,
And put your armour on;

Strong in the strength which God supplies
Through his eternal Son.

Strong in the Lord of Hosts,
And in his mighty power;
Who in the strength of Jesus trusts
Is more than conqueror.

From strength to strength go on;
Wrestle, and fight, and pray;
Tread all the powers of darkness down,
And win the well-fought day.

Then, having all things done,
And ev'ry conflict past,
Ye shall behold the vict'ry won,
And gain your crown at last.

240. Heavenly Wisdom. (Prov. i. 3.)

HOW happy is the man who hears
Instruction's warning voice;
And who celestial wisdom makes
His first, his only choice:

For she hath treasures, greater far
Than east and west unfold;
More precious are her bright rewards
Than all their stores of gold.

She guides the young with innocence,
In pleasure's path to tread :

A crown of glory she bestows
Upon the hoary head:

And as her holy labors rise,

So her rewards increase;

Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her paths are peace.

241. Believers strengthened in serving God.

(Prov. ii. 8.)

MOUNT EPHRAIM.

S. M.

YOUR harps, ye trembling saints,

Down from the willows take;
Loud to the praise of love divine
Bid ev'ry string awake.

Though in a foreign land,

We are not far from home!
And nearer to our house above
We ev'ry moment come.
When we in darkness walk,
Nor feel the heav'nly flame,

"Tis then that we should trust our God,
And rest upon his name.

How blest the man, O God,
Who stays himself on thee!
Who waits for thy salvation, Lord,
Shall thy salvation see.

242. Christians persevering to the End.

(Prov. iii. 25, 26.)

ROSS. P. M.

OFT in danger, oft in wo,
Onward, Christians, onward go;
Bear the toil, maintain the strife,
Strengthen'd with the bread of life.
Let your drooping hearts be glad;
March in heav'nly armour clad;
Fight, nor think the battle long,
Soon shall vict❜ry wake your song.
Let not sorrow dim your eye;
Soon shall ev'ry tear be dry;
Let not fear your course impede;

Great your strength, if great your need.

Onward, then, to glory move;

More than conqu’rors ye shall prove;

Though oppos'd by many a foe,

Christian soldiers, onward go!

243. Perseverance and Triumph of the Saints. (Phil. i. 3-11.)

O LORD, on whom my hopes depend
To keep me faithful to the end;

I trust thy truth, and love, and power,
To save me to the latest hour;
And, when I lay this body down,
To give me an immortal crown.

Nor eye hath seen, nor ear hath heard,
What Christ hath for his saints prepar'd:
Strengthen'd by him through all the fight,
And conqu'ring all things through his might,
They tread the world beneath their feet,
And gladly die their Lord to meet.

244. Seeking God's Help to Persevere. (Collect.)

CANADA. P. M.

O GRANT me, Lord, myself to see;
Against myself to watch and pray;
How weak am I, when left by thee;
How frail, how apt to fall away!

If but a moment thou withdraw,
That moment sees me break thy law.
Saviour, the sinner's only trust,
To thee, with trembling hope I call;
O raise the feeble from the dust,
And let me never, never fall:

Let not thy grace be given in vain,
Nor let me turn to sin again.
The pure and watchful mind bestow,
That trembles at the thought of sin;
Let me thy full salvation know,
O Thou, who didst the work begin;
Preserve me, lest I go astray,
And prove at length a castaway.