4 To us he speaks, from morning's cell,
From evening's dewy sphere;
And when the holy Sabbath bell
Salutes the Christian's ear.

5 To us he speaks, he guides our choice By heaven's own book divine;

And aids our teacher's much-loved voice To fix each treasured line.

6 To us he speaks, and we in praise
Would still our offering bring;
Here, where creation joins our lays,
And there, where angels sing.

359

1

THE M

Christ the Source of Blessings.

C. M

HE moon and planets, while they run Their circles round the night, Receive their lustres from the sun, Source of created light.

2 Angels and saints on earth, alone,
Beauty and bias obtain,

From him that sits upon the throne,
The Lamb that once was slain.

30 Sun of righteousness, impart
Thy glorious light divine;

On every school, in every heart,
Arise, and ever shine.

4 Still may we, Lord, drawn by thy love,
Our source, attraction, end,

Round thee, our sun, perpetual move;
To thee, our centre, tend.

360

L. M.

NOT by the brazen frumpet's voice,
But the sweet skylark's early lay
Our schools are summoned to rejoice
In God their Saviour, on this day.

2 Then, in the temple of the Lord,

Assembling round the throne of grace, We sing, and pray, and hear the word, And see our glorious Maker's face.

3 Salvation's silver trumpet brings

Heaven's richest music to our ears; Happy, whose heart with rapture springs At the first welcome note he hears.

4 He, when the last dread trumpet's tone
The dead to second life shall call,
May stand unmoved before the throne,
While stars like lightnings round him fall.

5 He, where eternal Sabbaths shine,

1

Where all by God himself are taught Lessons shall learn of truth divine, Of power and love, surpassing thought.

361

The End of Time.

L. M.

TIME grows not old with length of years,
Changes he brings, but changes not;

New born each moment he appears;
We run our race, and are forgot.

2 Stars in their yearly rounds return,
As from eternity they came,

And to eternity might burn;

We are not for one hour the same

3 Spring flowers renew their wild perfume,
But ere a second spring they fly;
Our life is longer than their bloom,
Our bloom is fresher, yet we die.

4 The stars like flowers, have but their day, And time, like stars, shall cease to roll; We have what never can decay,

A living and immortal soul!

5 Great God! when time shall end his flight
Stars set and flowers revive no more,
May we behold thy tace in light,
Thy love in Christ may we adore.

362 God's Works praise him.

TEN

S. M.

TEN thousand different flowers
To thee sweet offerings bear;
And cheerful birds in shady bowers
Sing forth thy tender care.

2 The fields on every side,
The trees on every hill;'
The glorious sun, the rolling tide,
Proclaim thy wonders still.

3 But trees, and fields, and skies,
Still praise a God unknown;
For gratitude and love can rise
From living hearts alone.

4

5

These living hearts of ours
Thy holy name would bless;
The blossom of ten thousand flowers
Would please the Saviour less.

While earth itself decays,
Our souls can never die;

O tune them all to sing thy praise
In better songs on high.

VARIOUS OCCASIONS AND SUBJECTS.

363

1

Birth-day.

HEAVENLY Father! look on me,

7'6.

Now my birth-day's come once more

Listen while I pray to thee,

And with infant powers adore.

2 Once I was an infant weak,

Sleeping on my mother's knee; Then I could not walk or speak, Yet thou didst take care of me.

3 Now I run about and talk;

Now I learn to read my book;
Through the fields I now can walk,
On the pretty flowers can look.

4 Bless me now I am a child,

Bless this birth-day, Lord, to me;
Make me good, and wise, and mild,
Make me all that I should be.

SONGS of praise the angels sang,
Heaven with hallelujahs rang,

When Jehovah's work begun,
When he spake and it was done.

2 Songs of praise awoke the morn,
When the Prince of peace was born;
Songs of praise arose when he
Captive led captivity.

7's.

3 Children now, with heart and voice,
Still in songs of praise rejoice;
Learning here by faith and love
Songs of praise to sing above.

4 Borne upon their latest breath,
Songs of praise shall conquer death;
Then amid eternal joy,

Songs of praise their powers employ.

365

Christ's Example.

L.M.

WHENE'ER the angry passions rise, And tempt our thoughts or tongues to strife;

To Jesus let us lift our eyes,
Bright pattern of the Christian life.

20 how benevolent and kind!

How mild and ready to forgive!
Be this the temper of our mind,
And these the rules by which we live.

3 To do his heavenly Father's will
Was his employment and delight;
Humility and holy zeal

Shone through his life supremely bright.

4 But O how blind, how weak we are!
How frail! how apt to turn aside!
Lord! we depend upon thy care,
We ask thy Spirit for our guide.

5 Thy fair example may we trace,
To teach us what we ought to be;
Make us, by thy transforming grace,
Saviour! daily more like thee.