6 His presence sweetens all our cares,
And makes our burdens light;
A word from him dispels our fears,
And gilds the gloom of night.
7 Lord, we expect to suffer here,
Nor would we dare repine;
But give us still to find thee near,
And own us still for thine.
8 May we enjoy, and highly prize
These tokens of thy love:
Till thou shalt bid our spirits rise,
To worship thee above.
452. Unfruitfulness under the Means of Grace lamented. C.M.
1 LONG have I sat beneath the sound
Of thy salvation, Lord;
But still how weak my faith is found,
And knowledge of thy word!
2 Oft I frequent thy holy place,
And hear almost in vain :
How small a portion of thy grace
Does my false heart retain !
3 How cold and feeble is my love!
How negligent my fear!
How low my hopes of joys above!
How few affections there!
4 Great God! thy sov'reign pow'r impart,
To give thy word success;
Write thy salvation on my heart,
And make me learn thy grace.
5 Show my forgetful feet the way
That leads to joys on high;
There knowledge grows without decay,
And love shall never die.
453. Before Sermon. c.M.
Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.-JOHN vi. 35.
1 GLORY to God, who gave the word,
And bid the preachers cry;
Who caus'd his will to be proclaim'd,
And brought salvation nigh.
2 Lord ever give us of that bread,
And grant us ears to hear,
Hearts to receive the heav'nly seed
And bring forth fruit with fear
3 O may thy word direct our path,
And guide our fault'ring feet,
Direct us in the living way,
And to thy mercy seat!
4 Fountain of everlasting life,
Of bliss, and truth, and good,
Give us (that we may never thirst)
To drink of Jesu's blood!
[5 Fill every hungry soul with grace,
From thine exhaustless store;
And let no one go empty hence,
But taste and pray for more.]
6 O let thy children all be fed
With the eternal word;
Be wise, and stronger grow thereby,
Increasing in the Lord!
454. Before Sermon. 7s
I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.-GENESIS xxxii 26.
1 LORD, we come before thee now,
At thy feet we humbly bow;
O! do not our suit disdain;
Shall we seek thy face in vain ?
2 In thine own appointed way,
Now we seek thee, here we stay;
And from hence we would not go,
Till a blessing thou bestow.
3 Send some message from thy word,
That may joy and peace afford;
Let thy Spirit now impart
Full salvation to each heart.
4 Grant that all may seek, and find
Thee a God supremely kind;
Heal the sick, the captive free,
Let us all rejoice in thee.
455. Before Sermon. 7s.
Ye that stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God, praise the Lord.-PSALM CXXXV. 2, 3.
1 YE that in his courts are found,
List'ning to the joyful sound,
Lost and helpless as ye are,
Sons of sorrow, sin, and care,
Glorify the King of Kings,
Take the peace the gospel brings.
2 Turn to Christ your longing eyes,
View his bloody sacrifice!
See, in him, your sins forgiv'n,
Pardon, holiness, and heav'n:
Glorify the King of Kings,
Take the peace the gospel brings.
456. Before Sermon. L.M.
I will instruct thee, and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go, &c.-PSALM xxxii. 8.
1 WE come to seek thy counsel, Lord;
We know not what we ought to do:
O cast a light upon thy word,
And bring its meaning to our view.
2 In all things we desire to be,
Obedient to our Saviour's voice:
To have no other guide but thee,
But thee, the master of our choice.
[3 This is a privilege indeed,
That thou our gracious Lord wilt grant
In ev'ry time of doubt or need,
The help that we thy people want.]
4 Though blind to see the perfect way,
And slow to choose it when discern'd
Thou wilt not let thy people stray;
This from thy precious word we've learn'd.
5 With confidence we seek thy face:
Thy gracious promise, Lord, fulfil;
And grant us light, and grant us grace,
To know and do thy perfect will.
457. Before Sermon. 8—7—4.
For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power.—1 THES. i. 5.
1 MAY the pow'r that brings salvation,
Still exerted in the word,
By its quick ning operation
Life impart, and joy afford!
Joy to those who know the Lord!
2 Hark, the voice of love proclaiming
Mercy through a Saviour's blood!
Vain the schemes of human framing;
This alone is own'd of God.
"Tis the Gospel
Points to heav'n and shows the road.
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