1 WHILE shepherds watched their flocks by night, All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.
2 Fear not,' said he - for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind
'Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.
3 To you, in David's town, this day
Is born, of David's line,
The Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
And this shall be the sign:
4 The heavenly babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid.'
5 Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels, praising God, and thus
Address their joyful song;
6 All glory be to God on high,
And to the earth be peace!
Good will henceforth, from heaven to men,
Begin and never cease!'
Excellence of the Scriptures. Ps. 119.
1 LET all the heathen writers join
To form one perfect book,
Great God, if once compared with thine,
How mean their writings look!
1 THE voice of free grace cries, 'Escape to the mountain,'
For Adam's lost race Christ hath opened a fountain;
For sin and uncleanness, and every transgression,
His blood flows so freely in streams of salvation.
Hallelujah to the Lamb, who has bought us a pardon,
We'll praise him again, when we pass over Jordan.
2 Ye souls that are wounded, to the Saviour repair,
Now he calls you in mercy and can you forbear?
Though your sins are increased as high as a mountain,
His blood can remove them-it flows from the fountain.
3 Now Jesus, our King, reigns triumphantly glorious;
O'er sin, death, and hell, he is more than victorious;
With shouting proclaim it -- oh trust in his passion,
He saves us most freely - oh precious salvation!
4 Our Jesus his name now proclaims all victorious,
He reigns over all, and his kingdom is glorious:
To Jesus we'll join with the great congregation,
And triumph, ascribing to him our salvation.
5 With joy shall we stand, when escaped to the shore;
With harps in our hands, we'll praise him the more;
We'll range the sweet plains on the bank of the river,
And sing of salvation forever and ever!
Happiness found in personal virtue.
1 IF solid happiness we prize,
Within the breast the jewel lies;
And they're unwise who roam.
The world has little to bestow :
From our own selves our joys must flow;
Our bliss begins at home.
2 To be resigned when ills betide,
Patient, when favors are denied,
And pleased with favors given :
This is the wise, the virtuous part ;
This is that incense of the heart,
Whose fragrance reaches heaven.
1 WHILE shepherds watched their flocks by night, All seated on the ground,
The angel of the Lord came down,
And glory shone around.
2 Fear not,' said he—for mighty dread
Had seized their troubled mind-
Glad tidings of great joy I bring
To you and all mankind.
3 To you, in David's town, this day
Is born, of David's line,
The Saviour, who is Christ the Lord;
And this shall be the sign:
4 The heavenly babe you there shall find
To human view displayed,
All meanly wrapped in swathing bands,
And in a manger laid.'
5 Thus spake the seraph, and forthwith
Appeared a shining throng
Of angels, praising God, and thus
Address their joyful song;
6 All glory be to God on high,
And to the earth be peace!
Good will henceforth, from heaven to men,
Begin and never cease!'
Excellence of the Scriptures. Ps. 119.
1 LET all the heathen writers join
To form one perfect book,
Great God, if once compared with thine,
How mean their writings look!
103, 104 A MORNING HYMN.
2 Not the most perfect rules they gave
Could show one sin forgiven,
Nor lead a step beyond the grave ;
But thine conduct to heaven.
3 I've seen an end of what we call
Perfection here below;
How short the powers of nature fall,
And can no farther go!
4 Our faith and love, and every grace,
Fall far below thy word;
But perfect truth and righteousness
Dwell only with the Lord.
1 AWAKE, my soul, and with the sun
Thy daily stage of duty run;
Shake off dull sloth, and joyful rise
To pay thy morning sacrifice.
2 Lord! I my vows to thee renew,
Scatter my sins as morning dew;
Guard my first springs of thought and will,
And with thyself my spirit fill.
3 Direct, control, suggest this day,
All I design, or do, or say;
That all my powers, with all their might,
In thy sole glory may unite.
The Seasons of the Year. Ps. 147.
1 With songs and honors sounding loud,
Address the Lord on high;
Over the heavens he spreads his cloud,
And waters veil the sky.
2 He sends his showers of blessings down To cheer the plains below;
He makes the grass the mountains crown,
And corn in valleys grow.
3 His steady counsels change the face
Of the declining year;
He bids the sun cut short his race,
And wintry days appear.
4 His hoary frost, his fleecy snow
Descend and clothe the ground;
The liquid streams forbear to flow,
In icy fetters bound.
5 He sends his word, and melts the snow;
The fields no longer mourn :
He calls the warmer gales to blow,
And bids the spring return.
6 The changing wind, the flying cloud
Obey his mighty word:
With songs and honors sounding loud,
Praise ye the sovereign Lord.
Sunday Morning Hymn.
1 Called by the Sabbath bells away,
Unto thy holy temple, Lord,
I'll go, with willing mind, to pray,
To praise thy name, and hear thy word.
2 O sacred day of peace and joy,
Thy hours are ever dear to me,
Ne'er may a sinful thought destroy
The holy calm I find in thee.
3 Dear are thy peaceful hours to me,
For God has given them in his love,
To tell how calm, how blest shall be
The endless day of heaven above.
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