BSERVE, my soul, the narrow bounds
Of each revolving year;
How swift the weeks complete their rounds!
How short the months appear!
2 So fast eternity comes on,
And that momentous day,
When God will all that we have done
In His just balance weigh.
3 Waken, O God, my careless heart,
Its wiser path to see,
That I may act the Christian's part,
And give the year to Thee!
4 So shall their course more grateful roll,
If future years arise;
And onward bear my ransom'd soul
To joy that never dies.
HYMN XVI. SEVENS.
NONS of men! behold from far,
Hail the long-expected Star-
Star of truth, that gilds the night,
Guides bewilder'd nature right.
2 Mild it shines on all beneath,
Piercing through the shades of death,
Scatt'ring error's wide-spread night,
Kindling darkness into light.
3 Nations all, remote and near,
Haste to see your
Haste, for Him your hearts prepare ;
Meet him manifested there!
4 There behold the Day-spring rise,
Pouring light on mortal eyes;
See it chase the shades away,
Shining to the perfect day!
5 Sing, ye morning-stars, again!
God descends on earth to reign,
God in mercy leaves the sky!
Shout, ye sons of God, on high!
HYMN XVII. C. M...
(From "The Spirit of the Psalms.")
RIGHT was the guiding-star, that led,
With mild benignant ray,
The Gentiles to the lowly shed
Where the Redeemer lay.
2 But, lo! a brighter, clearer light
Now points to His abode;
It shines through sin and sorrow's night,
To guide us to our God.
3 O haste to follow where it leads,
Its gracious call obey!
Be rugged wilds, in flow'ry meads,
The Christian's destin'd way.
4 O gladly tread the narrow path,
While light and grace are giv'n!
Who meekly follow Christ on earth
Shall reign with Him in heav'n.
Good-Friday.
HYMN XVIII. 5 EIGHTS.
1 CLEFT are the rocks, the earth doth quake,
The slumb'rers of the grave awake;
The temple's veil is rent in twain;
For Christ, our Sacrifice, is slain,
And bears of sin and death the pain.
2 Lo, nature's face of beaming light
She veils in darkness at the sight
Of Him, her God, the Crucified!
'Tis man alone that dares deride
The Saviour who for him hath died.
3 The Mighty One, the Son of God,
Hath humbly kiss'd affliction's rod;
That by His stripes we might be heal'd,
Our pardon by His blood be seal'd,
And boundless mercy be reveal'd.
4 O let us cast each sin away,
Which thus the Son of God could slay!
With contrite heart, and weeping eye,
Behold the Saviour's cross on high,
And ev'ry fault and folly fly!
5 So may we join the song of love
Which saints and angels sing above:
All honour, glory, praise to Thee,
Which wert, and art, and art to be,
The Lamb, slain from eternity!
HYMN XIX. C. M.
WELL may the earth, astonish'd, shake,
Well may the dead arise,
The sun a veil of darkness take
The Lord of Glory dies!
2 And well may we each guilty head
In shame and sorrow hide,
To think for whom His blood was shed,
To think for whom He died!
3 For us those pangs His soul assail,
For us this death is borne ;
Our sins gave sharpness to the nail,
And pointed ev'ry thorn.
4 Those sins which crucified the Lord
May we in truth deplore;
And, while His suff'rings we record,
Have grace to sin no more!
HYMN XX. S. M.
EHOLD the Lamb of God,
Who takes our sins away!
See and adore His heav'nly love,
And praise Him day by day!
Be ev'ry valley high,
Be ev'ry mountain low;
The proud must stoop; the humble soul
Shall His salvation know.
3 The Heathen realms abroad
Shall join in glad accord;
And all the sons of men shall see
The glory of the Lord.
4 Jesus, Thou Lamb of God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way,
Cleanse us in Thine atoning blood,
For sinners shed this day!
5 O may we reach those blissful realms
Where Christ exalted reigns,
And learn of the celestial choir
Their own immortal strains!
1 HARK, the glad sound! the Saviour The Saviour promis'd long! [comes,
Let ev'ry heart exult with joy,
Let ev'ry voice be song.
2 He comes the pris'ners to release,
In Satan's bondage held;
The gates of brass before him break,
The iron fetters yield.
3 He comes, from thickest clouds of sin
To clear the mental ray,
And on the eye long clos'd in night
To pour celestial day.
4 He comes, the broken heart to bind,
The wounded soul to cure,
And, with the treasures of His grace,
To bless the humble poor.
5 Our glad Hosannas, Prince of Peace,
Thy birth aloud proclaim;
And heav'n's exalted arch resounds
Thine everlasting Name.
HYMN XIII. L. M.
E comes! He comes! a glorious light Around its beaming lustre sheds: The shepherds, watching in the night, With awe and wonder bow their heads.
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