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and now

A thousand years have roll'd away,
The Martyr's trial is no longer ours:
Yet is there danger still, lest down we bow
And burn our incense to some Idol powers.

A thousand storied years to us have given
These Prayers, that hallow our own Book of Prayer;
They warn us how our forefathers have striven,
And what the arms and armour we should bear:
They stand between the living and the dead;
They tell us our communion cannot die;
They make us one in Christ, and, duly said,
Connect our world with that so long gone by:
They help to make us hopeful, humble, meek;
They prove the Blessing with the Promise sent;
Of Jesus and the Comforter they speak

In strongest words, yet grave and reverent.
O! we must love our ancient Prayers, as we
Love the old church in which our fathers sleep,
The well-known tomb, and venerable tree
That shaded them ere we had learnt to weep.
Eternal God! to whom a thousand years
Are as one day! Thy will be ever done!
May our affections, reason, hopes, and fears,
All cling to Thee, through Thine Incarnate Son!

Spirit of Power! let each regenerate heart
Seek fellowship with all Thy saints on high!
There shall they gather, all, no more to part,
From every land and age, no more to die.

Father and mother, children, husband, wife,
Brethren and friends, dear as our own heart's blood,

Shall there, in Christ, receive eternal life,

And bless His reign, one holy brotherhood!

0.

HYMNS.

I.

ABANDON'D o'er the world's wide waste,
Why should we roam in want and fear?
Now from Destruction let us haste,
And set for Zion our career.

Through no proud dangers, floods, or fires,
No stirring scenes, our course is bent;
We struggle against low desires,

Bad passions, selfish discontent.

Work in us, and work with us, Lord!
To follow where Thy servants lead,
In dust and thirst to seek Thy word,
And onward still in prayer proceed!
Let not the Parables of life

Confuse the truth they should display;
Trackless and humble is our strife,
Unseen by man our noiseless way!
How shall we, sinners all, regret
That we have not great things to do!
O! may our hearts each day be set
To travel all its duties through!

And Thou, the Saviour of our race!
Be with us on our lowly path;
That there we seek Thy promised grace,
And flee in earnest from Thy wrath!

B

A CAR of fire is on the air;
Unearthly horses linger there;
Its burning wheels a moment stay,
And car and prophet sweep away:
And on the mourner's dazzled eye
Floats but the mantle from on high.

Elijah knew not death: but we
Must all endure that agony,
That lone unutterable strife,

Mid pain and sin, through death to life:
The soul must quit its ruined home;
The body moulder in the tomb.

No mortal can that parting bless,
Or break the spirit's loneliness:
No fiery chariot hovers near:
Yet One there is to soothe our fear;
One that the bitterest death has died,
The Son of Man, the Crucified.

III.

A FATHER calls! and who are they
That may before Him stand?
A Saviour comes! to whom does He
Stretch forth His helpful hand?
The Holy Ghost on earth is sent:
Whom would He render penitent?
O God! for us is all this care?
For us the gracious boon?
Yet, thankless sinners as we are,
Save us, for Thy dear Son!

Thy mercy dwell our hearts within!
We seek Thy help, would shun all sin.

0.

AGAIN, O Lord! we come to Thee,
Who in Thy light can only see:
Let not the fears of outward night
Disturb at all the inward sight!

Again to Thee our vows we bring,
And gladly would Thy mercy sing,
That we to none but Thee may bow,
While Thou into our hearts do'st flow!

Flow, gracious Light, and make a throne
In us, where Thou may'st reign alone;
That we into no sin may fall,

While still on Thee by faith we call!

V.

AGAIN returns the day of holy rest,

S. HOPTON.

[blest; Which, when He made the world, Jehovah When, like His own, He bade our labours cease, And all be piety and all be peace.

Let us devote this consecrated day
To learn His will, and all we learn obey;
In pure Religion's hallowed duties share;
And join in penitence, and join in prayer!

Father of Heaven! in whom our hopes confide, Whose power defends us, and whose precepts guide,

In life our guardian, and in death our friend; Glory supreme be Thine, world without end!

W. MASON.

ALL people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice;
Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell;
Come ye before Him, and rejoice!

The Lord, ye know, is God indeed;
Without our aid he did us make:
We are His flock, He doth us feed,
And for His sheep he doth us take.
O enter then His gates with praise!
Approach with joy His courts unto!
Praise, laud, and bless His name always;
For it is seemly so to do.

And why? The Lord our God is good,
His mercy is for ever sure;

His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure.

VII.

PS. C.

ALL praise to Thee, Great God, this night,
For all the blessings of the light!
Keep us, O keep us, King of kings,
Beneath Thy own Almighty wings!

Forgive us, Lord, for Thy dear Son,
The ills that we this day have done;
That ere we sleep, at peace we be
With all the world, ourselves, and Thee!
O may our souls on Thee repose,
And in sweet sleep our eyelids close!
All loose, all idle thoughts cast out,
And make our very dreams devout!

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