7s.

5 Seasons, and months, and weeks, and days,

Demand successive songs of praise ;
And be the grateful homage paid,

With morning light and evening shade. 6 Here in Thy house let incense rise,

And circling Sabbaths bless our eyes ; Till to those lofty heights we soar, Where days and years revolve no more.

P. Doddridge. 733

For Thy mercy and Thy grace,

Constant through another year,
Hear our song of thankfulness ;

Jesus, our Redeemer, hear.
2 Lo ! our sins on Thee we cast,

Thee, our perfect sacrifice ;
And, forgetting all the past,

Press towards our glorious prize. 3 Dark the future ; let Thy light

Guide us, bright and morning star : Fierce our foes, and hard the fight ;

Arm us, Saviour, for the war. 4 In our weakness and distress,

Rock of strength, be Thou our stay ; In the pathless wilderness

Be our true and living way. 5 Who of us death's awful road

In the coming year shall tread ?
With Thy rod and staff, O God,

Comfort Thou his dying bed. 6 Keep us faithful, keep us pure,

Keep us evermore Thine own ;
Help, o help us to endure ;

Fit us for the promised crown.

7 So within Thy palace gate

We shall praise, on golden strings,
Thee the only Potentate,
Lord of lords, and King of kings.

H. Downton. 734

P. M. 8,7,8,7 (8,8,8,9).
Days and moments quickly flying

Speed us onward to the dead :
Oh, how soon shall we be lying
Each within his narrow bed !

(AFTER 3D AND 6TH VERSES.)
Life passeth soon ;

Death draweth near :
Keep us, good Lord,

Till Thou appear ;
With Thee to live,

With Thee to die,
With Thee to reign

Thro' eternity
2 Jesus, merciful Redeemer,

Rouse dead souls to hear Thy voice ;
Wake, oh, wake each idle dreamer

Now to make th' eternal choice ! 3 Mark we whither we are wending;

Ponder how we soon must go
To inherit bliss unending

Or eternity of woe.
4 As a shadow life is fleeting ;

As a vapor so it flies :
For the bygone years retreating,

Pardon grant, and make us wise ; 5 Wise that we our days may number,

Strive and wrestle with our sin ;
Stay not in our work nor slumber

Till Thy holy rest we win.

6 Soon before the Judge all-glorious

We with all the dead shall stand ;
Saviour, over death victorious,
Place us then on Thy right hand.

E. Caswall.

735

S. M. 81.
A few more years shall roll,

A few more seasons come,
And we shall be with those that rest

Asleep within the tomb;
Then, O my Lord, prepare

My soul for that great day ;
Oh, wash me in Thy precious blood,

And take my sins away.

2 A few more suns shall set

O'er these dark hills of time,
And we shall be where suns are not,

A far serener clime :
Then, O my Lord, prepare

My soul for that blest day ;
Oh, wash me in Thy precious blood,

And take my sins away.
3 A few more storms shall beat

On this wild rocky shore,
And we shall be where tempests cease,

And surges swell no more :
Then, O my Lord, prepare

My soul for that calm day ;
Oh, wash me in Thy precious blood,

Ánd take my sins away. 4 A few more struggles here,

A few more partings o'er,
A few more toils, a few more tears,

And we shall weep no more :

Then, O my Lord, prepare

My soul for that bright day;
Oh, wash me in Thy precious blood,

And take my sins away.

5 'Tis but a little while

And He shall come again, Who died that we might live, who lives

That we with Him may reign :
Then, O my Lord, prepare

My soul for that glad day;
Oh, wash me in Thy precious blood,
And take my sins away.

H. Bonar.

736

78. 81. WHILE with ceaseless course the sun

Hasted through the former year,
Many souls their race have run,

Never more to meet us here:
Fixed in an eternal state,

They have done with all below;
We a little longer wait,

But how little, none can know.

2 As the winged arrow flies

Speedily the mark to find ;
As the lightning from the skies

Darts, and leaves no trace behind ;
Swiftly thus our fleeting days

Bear us down life's rapid stream ;
Upward, Lord, our spirits raise :

All below is but a dream.

3 Thanks for mercies past receive ;

Pardon of our sins renew;
Teach us henceforth how to live

With eternity in view :

Bless Thy word to young and old ;

Fill us with a Saviour's love ;
And when life's short tale is told,

May we dwell with Thee above.

J. Newton.

737

78,5s. 81. FATHER, let me dedicate

All this year to Thee,
In whatever worldly state

Thou wilt have me be.
Not from sorrow, pain, or care,

Freedom dare I claim ;
This alone shall be my prayer :

Glorify Thy name.

2 Can a child presume to choose

Where or how to live ?
Can a Father's love refuse

All the best to give ?
More Thou givest every day

Than the best can claim,
Nor withholdest aught that may

Glorify Thy name.

3 If in mercy Thou wilt spare

Joys that yet are mine ;
If on life, serene and fair,

Brighter rays may shine,
Let my glad heart, while it sings,

Thee in all proclaim,
And, whate'er the future brings,

Glorify Thy name.

4 If Thou callest to the cross,

And its shadow come,
Turning all my gain to loss,

Shrouding heart and home,