L. M.

Whose countless seed shall soon arise,
And shine as stars beyond the skies?

4 Adopt me by thy grace
Into thy family,

My heart shall then confess
The prophet spake of thee,

Then, to mine inmost soul made known,
I feel he spake of thee alone.

T%

"Whose heart the Lord opened."
Acts xvi. 14.

me, almighty Saviour, give
Thy servant's sayings to receive,
The true simplicity impart,

The nobleness of Lydia's heart:
Of every heart thou hast the key,
Command that mine may yield to thee,
May hear thy whisper in thy word,
And opening now admit its Lord.

6-7 s.

1

"Blessed is he that readeth, and they
that hear," &c.—Rev. i. 3.

YOME, divine Interpreter,

COME

Bring me eyes thy book to read,
Ears the mystic words to hear,

884

885

Words which did from thee proceed,
Words that endless bliss impart,
Kept in an obedient heart.

2 All who read, or hear, are blessed,
If thy plain commands we do,
Of thy kingdom here possessed,
Thee we shall in glory view,

When thou com'st on earth to abide
Reign triumphant at thy side.

886

The same subject.

7s & 6s (1-8).

LORD, with open heart and ear

We would thy law receive,

All thy gracious sayings hear,
And savingly believe;

All thy kind commands obey,

The pattern trace which thou hast given,
Walk in thee, the Truth, the Way,

887

The Life, and heaven of heaven.

SAV

The same subject.

NAVIOUR, I still to thee apply,
Before I read or hear,

Creator of the seeing eye,

And of the hearing ear:
The understanding heart bestow,
The wisdom from above,
So shall I all thy doctrines know,
And all thy sayings love.

888 At the Administration of Infant Baptism.

1 HOW large the promise, how divine,

To Abraham and his seed!

"I am a God to thee and thine,
Supplying all their need.”

2 The words of his unbounded love
From age to age endure;

The Angel of the Covenant proves
And seals the blessing sure.

3 Jesus the ancient faith confirms,
To our great father given;
He takes our children to his arms,
And calls them heirs of heaven.

C. M.

C. M.

4 O God, how faithful are thy ways!
Thy love endures the same;
Nor from the promise of thy grace
Blots out our children's name.

C. M.

Another.

889

1 CEE Israel's gentle Shepherd stand
With all-engaging charms:

Hark how he calls the tender lambs,
And folds them in his arms!

66

2" Permit them to approach," he cries,
66 Nor scorn their humble name:

For 'twas to bless such souls as these,
The Lord of angels came."

3 We bring them, Lord, in thankful hands,
And yield them up to thee:
Joyful that we ourselves are thine,
Thine let our offspring be.

1

LORD of all, with pure intent,

From their tenderest infancy

In thy temple we present

Whom we first received from thee:
Through thy well-beloved Son,
Ours acknowledge for thine own.

2 Sealed with the baptismal seal,
Purchased by the atoning blood,
Jesus, in our children dwell,

890

Make their heart the house of God:
Fill thy consecrated shrine,

Father, Son, and Spirit divine.

891

1

0

CRUCIFIED, triumphant Lord!
Thy sceptre and thy cross we own ;
And, taught by thine apostle's word,
Repose our faith on thee alone.

2 The sign of faith ordained by thee,
We thy confessors scorn to shun;
All men our fellowship shall see
Our Lord, our faith, our symbol, one.

3 Not only for ourselves we claim

The blessings of thy brotherhood;
The promise to our children came,
Theirs is the water and the blood.

4 Who hath these little ones despised?

Or those that brought them dare condemn?
Or who, in Jesu's name baptized,
Would blush to put that name on them?

5 Let sprinkled water seal them now
The heirs of all-redeeming grace;
The truth thus symbolled on the brow,
Thy Spirit on the heart shall trace!

6 Lord spare them till their lives and tongues The heart-taught truth have well confessed, That who to us, to thee belongs,

892

1

Early believing, ever blessed.

For Parents on the Baptism of a child.

FATHER, our child we place

Where we, thy children kneel;
For thou hast made the sign of grace
To him, to us, the seal.

S. M.

2 Thine own a moment claim,
Then lend him to our love,

Marked as thine own, and bid the name
Be registered above.

3 Rites cannot change the heart,
Undo the evil done,

Or with the uttered name impart
The nature of thy Son.

4 To meet our desperate want,
There gushed a crimson flood:
O from His heart's o'erflowing font,
Baptize this soul with blood!

5 Be grace from Christ our Lord,
And love from God supreme,
By the communing Spirit poured
In a perpetual stream!

6 So cleanse our offering;
Then will we, at thy call,

This pledge accepted, daily bring
Ourselves, our house, our all.

C. M.

Another.

893

"There were brought unto him, little children.”—Matt. xix. 13.

1

JESUS in earth and heaven the same,

Accept a parent's vow,

To thee, baptized into thy name,

I bring my children now;

Thy love permits, invites, commands,

My offspring to be blessed

;

Lay on them, Lord, thy gracious hands,
And hide them in thy breast.