While yet the sun shines o'er thee,
While stars the darkness cheer,
While life is all before thee,
Thy great Creator fear.
2 Remember thy Creator
Ere life resigns its trust,
Ere sinks dissolving nature,
And dust returns to dust;
Before with God, who gave it,
The Spirit shall appear:
He cries, who died to save it,
Thy great Creator fear.
GRACIOUS Lord, whose mercies rise
Above our utmost need!
Incline thine ear unto our cry,
And hear the orphan plead.
2 Bereft of all a mother's love,
And all a father's care,
Lord, whither shall we flee for help?
To whom direct our pray'r?—
3 To thee we flee to thee we pray-
Thou shalt our Father be:
More than the fondest parent's care
We find, O Lord, in thee!
4 Already thou hast heard our cry
And wip'd away our tears:
Thy mercy has a refuge found
To guard our helpless years.*
Looking upwards in trials.
1 GOD of my life, to thee I call!
Afflicted at thy feet I fall;
When the great water-floods prevail,
Leave not my trembling heart to fail.
2 Friend of the friendless and the faint!
Where should I lodge my deep complaint?
Where but with thee, whose open door
Invites the helpless and the poor!
3 Did ever mourner plead with thee,
And thou refuse that mourner's plea?
Does not thy word still fix'd remain,
That none shall seek thy face in vain?
4 That were a grief I could not bear,
Didst thou not hear and answer pray'r;
But a pray'r-hearing, answ'ring God
Supports me under ev'ry load.**
1 GREAT umber'd worlds adore,
REAT Maker of unnumber'd worlds,
Whose goodness all thy creatures share,
While nature trembles at thy pow'r,-
2 Thine is the hand that moves the spheres,
That wakes the wind and lifts the sea;
And man, who moves the lord of earth,
Acts but the part assign'd by thee.
3 While suppliant crowds implore thine aid,
To thee we raise the humble cry;
Thine altar is the contrite heart,
Thine incense the repentant sigh.
4 O may our land, in this her hour,
Confess thy hand and bless the rod,
By penitence make thee her Friend,
And find in thee a guardian God.
Security and comfort in God.
HEN, overwhelm'd with grief,
My heart within me dies,
Helpless, and far from all relief,
To heav'n I lift mine eyes.
20 lead me to the Rock
That's high above my head,
And make the covert of thy wings
My shelter and my shade.
3 Within thy presence, Lord,
For ever I'll abide;
Thou art the tow'r of my defence,
The refuge where I hide.
4 Thou givest me the lot
Of those that fear thy name;
If endless life be their reward,
I shall possess the same.
GOD, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast
And our eternal home,-
2 Beneath the shadow of thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure;
Sufficient is thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure.
3 Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth receiv'd her frame,
From everlasting thou art God,
To endless years the same.
4 Thy word commands our flesh to dust,
Return, ye sons of men;"
All nations rose from earth at first,
And turn to earth again.
E come, O Lord, before thy throne,
And, with united plea,
We meet and pray for those who roam
Far off upon the sea.
20 may the Holy Spirit bow
The sailor's heart to thee,
Till tears of deep repentance flow
Like rain-drops on the sea.
3 Then may a Savior's dying love
Pour peace into his breast,
And waft him to the port above,
Of everlasting rest.
AKER of all things, mighty Lord!
We own thy power divine;
The winds and waves obey thy word,
For all their strength is thine.
2 Wide as the wintry tempests sweep,
They work thy sov'reign will;
Thy voice is heard upon the deep,
And all its waves are still.
3 When dangers threat in ev'ry form,
And death itself is near;
O God, amidst the raging storm,
We're safe beneath thy care.
4 With trembling hope on thee we stay
To rescue from the grave:
Thou, whom the elements obey,
Art ever near to save.
962* Thanksgiving for deliverance in a storm. C. M.
UR shatter'd bark, on boist'rous seas,
By cruel tempests tost,
Without one cheerful gleam of hope,
Expecting to be lost,-
2 We to the Lord, in humble pray'r,
Breathed out our sad distress;
Though feeble, yet, with contrite hearts,
We begg'd return of peace.
3 Then ceas'd the stormy winds to blow;
The surges ceas'd to roll;
And soon again a placid sea
Spoke comfort to the soul.
4 0 may our grateful, trembling hearts
Their hallelujahs sing
To him who hath our lives preserved,-
Our Savior and our King.
FOR THE FESTIVAL OF THE REFORMATION.
REAT is the Lord our God,
And let his praise be great;
He makes the church his own abode,
His most delightful seat.
2 In Zion God is known,
A refuge in distress;
How bright has his salvation shone
Through all her palaces !
3 When kings against her joined,
And saw the Lord was there,
In wild confusion of the mind,
They fled with hasty fear.
4 Oft have our fathers told,
Our eyes have often seen,
How well our God secures the fold
Where his own sheep have been.
5 In ev'ry new distress
We'll to his house repair;
We'll call to mind his wondrous grace
And seek deliv'rance there.
P. M. 8s 7s 6s 5.
God the safety of his people.
SAFE stronghold our God is still,
Our shield and surest weapon;
He will deliver from the ill
That hath us now o'ertaken.
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