GOD, in time of trouble, hear thee,
And the name of Jacob's Lord,
From His sanctuary near thee,
Out of Zion help afford !
Crown thy sacrifice with fire,
All thy gifts remember still,
Grant thee all thy heart's desire,
And thy choicest wish fulfil!
We will joy in Thy salvation,
And will set our banners high,
In our God!-thy supplication
Be accomplished at thy cry.
Now I know the Lord of heaven
Saveth still His Christ from harm;
Now to Him will strength be given,
By the might of His right arm.
Some in chariots, some in horses,
We in God Jehovah trust;
And while He our sure resource is,
They are fallen in the dust.
Save, Jehovah! save, and hear us,
King of glory, King of might !
When we call, be ever near us;
Ever for Thy servants fight.
THANKSGIVING HYMN.
O FATHER of mercies! O Spirit of love!
O Son of the Blessed, who reignest above,
Thou good one and great One, in homage to Thee,
We bring the glad heart, and we bend the true knee.
Thy people would praise Thee, O Thou beyond praise For wondrous in love are Thy works and Thy ways; Thy children would pour, from the heart and the voice, Their psalm of thanksgiving, in God to rejoice;
Because Thou hast heard us, and answer'd the prayer
We made in the season of death and despair;
Because over judgment and terror and pain,
Thy mercy hath triumph'd and saved us again.
Ah, well we remember how dark and how dread
The pestilence brooded o'er living and dead!
And can we forget with what mercy and might
The prayer which Thou blessest hath scatter'd the blight?
Yet more! for the fulness of plenty and peace
Hath made us in wealth as in health to increase;
And so would we thank Thee, because Thou hast given
The fatness of earth and the favour of heaven.
Then, Father of mercies, accept what we bring—
Our incense of praise to the Saviour and King!
Hosanna! to Thee let us gratefully live!
Hallelujah! O Lord, when Thou hearest, forgive!
ELLIN ISABELLE, MARY FRANCES, AND
MARGARET ELENORE TUPPER.
THESE three daughters of Martin F. Tupper, Esq., the preceding writer, have published a volume of original poems with some translations from the Swedish, entitled "Poems by Three Sisters," London, 1864. They have each kindly contributed to the present work.
THANKFULNESS.
1 Thessalonians v. 1.
(Contributed.)
FOR all that God in mercy sends,
For health and children, home and friends,
For comfort in the time of need,
For every kindly word or deed,
For happy thoughts and holy talk,
For guidance in our daily walk,-
In everything give thanks!
For beauty in this world of ours,
For verdant grass and lovely flowers,
For song of birds, for hum of bees,
For the refreshing summer breeze,
For hill and plain, for streams and wood,
For the great ocean's mighty flood,—
In everything give thanks!
For the sweet sleep which comes with night,
For the returning morning's light,
For the bright sun that shines on high,
For the stars glittering in the sky,
For these and everything we see,
O Lord! our hearts we lift to Thee,—
In everything give thanks!
SALVATION.
John iii. 16.
(Contributed.)
LISTEN to the wondrous story,
How upon the Christmas morn
Jesus left the realms of glory,
As a little babe was born;
Left those bright and happy regions
Of His Father's home above,
And the glorious angel legions,
In His great and boundless love!
Came into a lowly manger,
Dwelt beneath a humble shed, And among His own a stranger Knew not where to lay His head; Went from city unto city,
All His life was doing good,
Weeping o'er His friend with pity,
When beside the grave He stood.
Love all human love exceeding
Brought Him to a cruel death,
Even then, though hanging, bleeding
On the cross, His latest breath
Spent He for His murderers, praying
To His Father to forgive;
To the thief repentant saying
"Thou in Paradise shalt live!"
Oh! what love in God the Father
To bestow His only Son;
Oh! what love in Christ, who rather
Than the world should be undone,
Came Himself to seek and save us,
Came to claim us for His own;
Freely all our sins forgave us,
Raised us to His glorious throne!
CHARITY never faileth! O thought beyond compare,
That He whose very name is Love, is with us everywhere ;
That, though the troubled waves of life around us toss and foam,
With Jesus in the vessel, we are safely steering home.
Charity never faileth! all earth-born things must die,
But this sweet well, refreshing earth, flows ever from on high ;
The brightest worldly gifts may cease, the fairest flower decay,
But charity which springs from love can never pass away.
Charity never faileth! yea, and they shall be blest,
Who undismayed by frowns or sneers, for heaven essay their best; Who, working in their daily rounds, scorn every thought of ill, And, bearing sunshine in their hearts, reflect its gladness still.
Charity never faileth! ah, life were little worth,
If the petty strifes and jealousies which vex our lovely earth
Had not their gracious antidote sent down from God above
Healing the hidden poisons in a stream of "perfect love."
CHRISTMAS-DAY.
(Contributed.)
SON of God! all-glorious Saviour,
Coming to us from above!
What were we to find such favour?
What were we to gain such love?
We had sinned,-Thy laws forsaken,
All Thy just commands withstood:
Evil for our choice had taken
When Thou freely gavest good.
In our darkness we were lying
From Thy glorious presence hurled ;
Alien from Thy light, a dying,
Guilty, cursed, and ruined world !
When the voice came down from heaven,
Woke once more a holy morn, ——
"Unto you a Son is given,
Unto you a Child is born.
"All alone, with love far-spreading,
He shall bear the wrath of God,
All alone the winepress treading,
Clothed in garments dyed with blood;
"All alone in mortal anguish
Wrestle down and conquer sin,
Death and hell shall taste and vanquish,
And eternal life shall win."
By His grace and love victorious,
Up that path the Saviour trod,
We are brought again all-glorious
To the presence of our God.
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