2 He hung its starry roof on highThe broad illimitable sky;

He spread its pavement, green and bright,
And curtained it with morning light.

3 The mountains in their places stood-
The sea, the sky, and "all was good;"
And, when its first pure praises rang,
The "morning stars together sang.'

4 Lord! 't is not ours to make the sea
And earth and sky a house for thee;
But in thy sight our offering stands,
An humbler temple, "made with hands."

On opening a Place for Social Worship. 1 OUR God, where'er thy people meet, There they behold thy mercy-seat; Where'er they seek thee, thou art found, And every place is hallowed ground.

2 For thou, within no walls confined,
Inhabitest the humble mind;

Such ever bring thee where they come,
And going, take thee to their home.

3 Here may we prove the power of prayer,
To strengthen faith, and sweeten care;
To teach our faint desires to rise,
And bring all heaven before our eyes.
4 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.

5 Lord, we are few, but thou art near;
Nor short thine arm, nor deaf thine ear:
O rend the heavens, come quickly down,
And make a thousand hearts thine own!

534. L. M.

FROTHINGHAM.

Ordination of a Minister.

1 O GOD, whose presence glows in all Within, around us, and above!

Thy word we bless, thy name we call, Whose word is Truth, whose name is Love.

2 That truth be with the heart believed Of all who seek this sacred place;

With power proclaimed, in peace received-
Our spirits' light, thy Spirit's grace.
3 That love its holy influence pour,
To keep us meek, and make us free,
And throw its binding blessing more
Round each with all, and all with thee.
4 Direct and guard the youthful strength
Devoted to thy Son this day;

And give thy word full course at length
O'er man's defects and time's decay.

5 Send down its angel to our side-
Send in its calm upon the breast;
For we would know no other guide,
And we can need no other rest.

415

535.

L. M.

PIERPONT.

Ordination Hymn.

1 0 THOU, who art above all height!
Our God, our Father, and our Friend!
Beneath thy throne of love and light
Let thine adoring children bend.

2 We kneel in praise, that here is set
A vine that by thy culture grew;

We kneel in prayer that thou wouldst wet Its opening leaves with heavenly dew.

3 Since thy young servant now hath given
Himself, his powers, his hopes, his youth,
To the great cause of truth and heaven,
Be thou his guide, O God of truth!

4 Here may his doctrines drop like rain,
His speech like Hermon's dew distil,
Till green fields smile, and golden grain,
Ripe for the harvest, waits thy will.

5 And when he sinks in death-by care,
Or pain, or toil, or years oppressed—
O God! remember then our prayer,
And take his spirit to thy rest.

536.

C. M.

DODDRIDGE.

For a Meeting of Ministers.

1 LET Zion's watchmen all awake,

And take the alarm they give;
Now let them, from the mouth of God,
Their solemn charge receive.

2 'Tis not a cause of small import
The pastor's care demands;

But what might fill an angel's heart,
And filled a Saviour's hands.

3 All to the great tribunal haste,
The account to render there;

And shouldst thou strictly mark our faults,
Lord, how should we appear?

4 May they, that Jesus whom they preach, Their own Redeemer see;

And watch thou daily o'er their souls,
That they may watch for thee.

For a Charitable Occasion.

10 How can they look up to heaven,
And ask for mercy there,

Who never soothed the poor man's
Nor dried the orphan's tear!

2 The dread Omnipotence of heaven.
We every hour provoke,

Yet still the mercy of our God
Withholds the avenging stroke.

pang,

3 And Christ was still the bealing friend
Of poverty and pain,
And never did imploring wretch
His garment touch in vain.

4 May we with humble effort take
Example from above,

And thence the active lesson learn
Of charity and love.

5 But chiefly be the labor ours
To shade the early plant;
To guard from ignorance and guilt
The infancy of want:

6 To graft the virtues, ere the bud
The canker-worm has gnawed,
And teach the rescued child to lisp
Its gratitude to God.

538

P. M.

WESLEY'S COL.

For a New Year.

1 COME, let us anew our journey pursue, Roll round with the year,

And never stand still till the Master appear!

2 His adorable will let us gladly fulfil, And our talents improve,

By the patience of hope, and the labor of love.

3 Our life is a dream, our time as a stream Glides swiftly away;

And the fugitive moment refuses to stay.

4 The arrow is flown, the moment is gone; The millennial year

Rushes on to our view, and eternity's here. 5 O that each in the day of his coming may say, "I have fought my way through;

I have finished the work thou didst give me to do."

6 0 that each from his Lord may receive the glad word

"Well and faithfully done!

Enter into my joy, and sit down on my throne."