On earth they sought the Saviour's grace,
On earth they loved His name ;
So now they see His blessèd face,
And stand before the Lamb,
Singing glory, glory, glory.

A MESSAGE OF LOVE.

HERE'S a message of love
Come down from above
To invite little children to heaven;
In God's blessed book

Poor sinners may look,

And see how all sin is forgiven.

For there they may read
How Jesus did bleed,

And die for His dear little ones;
How clean He first makes them,
And afterwards takes them
To be His own daughters and sons.

And then when they die,
He takes them on high,

To be with Him in heaven above;

For so kind is His heart,

That He never will part

From a child that has tasted His love.

And O! what delight

In heaven so bright,

To see the dear Saviour's face;

On His beauty to gaze,

And to sing to His praise

For ever in that happy place!

THE GARDEN OF THE LORD.

CHRIST has a garden here below, Where pleasant fruits and spices grow; The trees and flowers therein that stand

Are planted by His gentle hand.

This may, perhaps, sound strange to you;
But yet the Bible says 'tis true :
God's children in His holy word
Are called the garden of the Lord.

By nature, rude and wild they're born,
Just like the brier or the thorn;

But when they're in this garden put,
They turn to trees producing fruit.

Jesus upon His garden shines,

And props, and rears His tender vines ;
His grace like gentle rain is shed
On every little drooping head.

Do any children long to be
Planted and water'd, Lord, by Thee?
O let them hear Thy loving calls,
And come within Thy garden walls.

Such children are the tender plants
Of whom the Lord supplies the wants;
The little, thirsty, drooping flowers,
On whom He pours His choicest showers.

THE FAMILY OF GOD.

GOD has a family on earth
Of daughters and of sons;
His Holy Spirit gave them birth,
They are His little ones.

He watches over them for good,

And hears their smallest cries;

He gives them house, and clothes, and food, And all their wants supplies.

He knows their weak and tender frame,

Pities their griefs and fears;

And calls them every one by name,

And wipes away their tears.

K K

And why does God such kindness show
To things so mean and base?
Why does He more on them bestow
Than others of their race.

'Tis all because that Jesus bled
For them upon the tree;
And dwelt awhile among the dead

To set His children free.

To what the Lamb of God has done
They all their blessings owe;
'Tis for the sake of His dear Son,
The Father loves them so.

Let children, then, redeem'd and bought
With Jesus' precious blood,

Sing the sweet praise of Him who brought
Such little ones to God.

WALTER SHIRLEY.

THE HON. AND REV. WALTER SHIRLEY was born in 1725. He was fourth son of the Hon. Laurence Shirley, who was fourth son of Robert, first Earl Ferrers. His three elder brothers were successively fourth, fifth, and sixth Earls. Having taken orders, he obtained the living of Loughrea, co. Galway, Ireland. He was much interested in the evangelical efforts of the celebrated Countess of Huntingdon, who was the second daughter and co-heiress of his father's elder brother, Washington, second Earl Ferrers. He published a volume of discourses, and two poems, entitled, "Liberty: an Ode," and "The Judgment." Lady Hus. tingdon's hymn-book, published in 1764, was revised by him. In that work, in 1774 first appeared his hymn, beginning, "Sweet the moments, rich in blessing," being a popular rendering of a similar hymn, previously published by the Rev. James Allen, the text and some account of which are presented in a note appended to the present volume. After a period of feeble health, Mr. Shirley died in 1786, in his sixty-first year. The favourite dis mission hymn, beginning, "Lord, dismiss us with Thy blessing," which has been attributed to the Rev. George Burder and other writers, may, we think, fairly be ascribed to Mr. Shirley. His son, the late Rev. Walter Shirley, asserted that his father was the author, and this belief is universal among his descendants. So far as can be ascertained, the dismission hymn first appeared in "A Collection of Hymns for Public Worship," edited by the Rev. John Harris, of Hull, York, 1774, and next in Dr. Conyers' Collection, published in London during the same year. The hymn did not appear in Lady Huntingdon's Collection till several years after.

THE CROSS OF CHRIST.

SWEET the moments, rich in blessing,
Which before the cross I spend;
Life and health and peace possessing,
From the sinner's dying Friend.

Here I'll sit, for ever viewing

Mercy's streams in streams of blood: Precious drops, my soul bedewing, Plead and claim my peace with God.

Truly blessed is this station,
Low before His cross to lie;
While I see Divine compassion
Floating in His languid eye.
Here it is I find my heaven,
While upon the Lamb I gaze;
Love I much? I've much forgiven,
I'm a miracle of grace.

Love and grief my heart dividing,
With my tears His feet I'll bathe;
Constant still, in faith abiding,
Life deriving from His death.
May I still enjoy this feeling,
In all need to Jesus go;

Prove His wounds each day more healing,
And Himself most deeply know!

499

DISMISSION.

LORD, dismiss us with Thy blessing;
Fill our hearts with joy and peace;

Let us each, Thy love possessing,
Triumph in redeeming grace :
Oh refresh us,

Trav'lling through this wilderness.

Thanks we give and adoration
For Thy gospel's joyful sound:
May the fruits of Thy salvation
In our hearts and lives abound!
Ever faithful

To the truth may we be found!

500

So, whene'er the signal's given
Us from earth to call away,
Borne on angel's wing to heaven,
Glad the summons to obey,
May we ever

Reign with Christ in endless day!

MISSIONARY HYMN.*

Go! destined vessel, heavenly freighted, go!
For lo! the Lord's ambassadors are there;
Faith sits at helm, and Hope attends the prow,
While thousands swell the sails with balmy prayer.

Jesus, thy Guardian, walks the briny wave,
Or on the whirlwind rides and rules the storm;
His eye regards thee, vigilant to save,
Though danger varies its terrific form.

Black gathering tempests, awed by His command,
Their hideous roar in lowly murmurs cease;
Whilst o'er the monstrous surge He waves His hand,
Or spreads the silky mantle of His peace.

The Lord of elements is Lord of men,

He stills the menace of the hostile mind;
His servants, soon as the glad port they gain,
In hearts prepared shall friendly welcome find.

Lo! India's tawny sons incline the ear,
And pause, attentive to the sacred word;
Heralds of God, your embassy declare,
And win obedient nations to the Lord.

Proclaim the cross, His banner lifted high,

And bid a guilty world find refuge there;
So shall the praise of myriads rend the sky,

And heaven and earth the mighty blessings share.

* These lines, printed from the original MS., were written by Mr. Shirley, when the first Missionaries were sent to America, in 1772, by the Countess of Huntingdon, under the Rev. Wm. Percy as their President.