The scattered seed thus sown in hope

Shall spring and spread with large increase, And yield on earth a heavenly crop Of love, joy, righteousness, and peace.

FOR A SOLEMN ASSEMBLY.

COMMAND thy blessing from above,
O God! on all assembled here;
Behold us with a father's love,

While we look up with filial fear.

Command thy blessing, Jesus! Lord!
May we thy true disciples be;
Speak to each heart the mighty word,
Say to the weakest, "Follow me."

Command thy blessing in this hour,

Spirit of Truth! and fill this place
With humbling and with healing power,
With killing and with quickening grace.

O thou, our Maker, Saviour, Guide,
One true eternal God confest!

Whom thou hast joined let none divide,
None dare to curse whom thou hast blest.

With thee and these for ever found,

May all the souls who here unite,
With harps and songs thy throne surround,
Rest in thy love and reign in light.

FOR THE PEACE AND PROSPERITY OF THE

CHURCH.-Ps. cxxii.*

GLAD was my heart to hear

My old companions say,

Come, in the house of God appear,

For 'tis an holy day.

Our willing feet shall stand

Within the temple door,

While young and old in many a band

Shall throng the sacred floor.

Thither the tribes repair,

Where all are wont to meet,

And joyful in the house of prayer

Bend at the mercy-seat.

Pray for Jerusalem,

The city of our God;

The Lord from heaven be kind to them

That love the dear abode.

Within these walls may peace
And harmony be found:
Zion, in all thy palaces,
Prosperity abound.

God scorns not humble things;

These, though the proud despise,
The children of the King of kings,
Are training for the skies.

* Also in vol. ii. p. 321, but without stanzas 6, 7. VOL. V.

6

May none who thus are taught,

From glory be cast down,

But all through faith and patience brought
To an eternal crown.

For friends and brethren dear,
Our prayer shall never cease,
Oft as they meet for worship here,
God send his people peace.

SABBATH WORSHIP IN THE SANCTUARY.

AGAIN, on this rejoicing day,

God's people in his temple meet,

To learn his will, to praise and pray,

For praise is comely, prayer is sweet:

And meek obedience to his will

Is perfect freedom to their mind, Who love his service and fulfil,

With heart and hand, the work assigned.

One day, Lord God! within thy courts,
Is better than a thousand spent

In vain delights, or wanton sports,
That leave remorse and discontent.

Rather we'll choose the lowest place,
The keepers of thy doors to be,
Than dwell where sinners, void of grace,
Forget themselves, forgetting thee.

Our willing souls we now would yield
To thee, as thine alone to live,

Assured thou wilt, our sun and shield,

No good withhold, all blessing give.

So, from thy sanctuary shower

On young and old, with large increase, Thy heavenly gifts, and from this hour, Lord! send prosperity and peace.

PUBLIC WORSHIP.

FATHER of Jesus Christ our Lord,
Our Father too through him art thou,
Met in his name, with one accord,
Own and accept thy children now.

A part of thy great family,

Who in thy house have found their home, Here it is good for us to be;

Hence let no more our footsteps roam.

All we like sheep have gone astray,
Scattered, and torn, and tempest-tost,
Each one had turned to his own way,
And each in his own way was lost.

But the good Shepherd from above
Came down into the wilderness,

In his omnipotence of love,

To seek and save, to heal and bless.

He called us with his gentle voice,
Now to that call may we reply,

And make his staff and rod our choice,
Amidst his flock to live and die.

For his soul's travail may he see

Our names with his redeemed enrolled, At that great day, when there shall be, In heaven, one Shepherd and one fold.

SPIRITUAL WORSHIP.

WITH reverence and with godly fear,
Father of mercies! may we now
In spirit and in truth draw near,
And humbly at thy footstool bow.

Such worshippers thou dost require,
Such, round thine altar make us all;
Thou, God, that answerest by fire!
Let that baptismal blessing fall.

All gods beside thee we disown,
Henceforth all idols we forsake;
Thou Lord art God, thou, Lord, alone;
Thy vows upon our souls we take.

Bind thou in heaven what thus we bind
On earth, in great infirmity,
But put thy laws within our mind,

These shall our strength, our safeguard be.

We seek salvation, in the name

Of Jesus thy beloved Son;

We plead his prayer; we urge his claim;
With thee and him let us be one.

Now, while in fellowship we meet,
The earnest of thy Spirit send,