156.

The Rays of the Sun. • He shall be as the light of the morning, when the

sun riseth, even a morning without clouds.'

. Sam. 33. (L. M.)
BEHOLD, what sweet reviving rays
The sua of righteousness displays,
How fast his beams, divinely bright,

Dispel the gloomy shades of night. 2 But tho' the rays of truth divine,

With a resplendent lustre shine,
From the bright beams of heavenly day,

Men turn with scorn their eyes away. 8 Painful to their distemper'd sight,

They hate these rays of heavenly light ;
They in their native darkness dwell,

In love with sin-in league with hell.
A In this their condemnation lies,

They dare God's richest grace despise,
The road to death profanely chose,

AI that hich leads to life refuse, 6 Hail light of life, arise and shine,

The father's glories all are thine,
Thine is the power and thine the grące,
And thine shall be the endless praise.

ROWLAND HILL

157.
Liberty and Happiness from Christ.
“A light to lighten the Gentiles."

Luke 2. (L. M.)
I LIGHT of

Gentile world, appear, Command the blind thy rays to see, Our darkness chase, our sorrows cheer,

And set the plaintive prisoner free.

2 Open mine eyes, the Lamb to know,

Who bears the seaman's guilt away,
And to my ransom'd spirit show
The glories of eternal day.

WESLEY

158. Sunshine entreated. (C. M.). 1 ETERNAL sun of righteousness,

Display thy beams divine, And cause the glory of thy face,

Upon my heart to shine.
2 Light in thy light, О may I see,

Thy grace and mercy prove,
Reviv'd and cheer'd, and blest by thee,

The God of pardoning love.
3 Lift up thy countenance serene,

And let thy happy child, Behoid, without a cloud between,

The Godhead reconciled,
4 That all comprising peace bestow

On me, through grace forgiven,
The joys of holiness below.
And then the joys of heaven.

WEILET.

97

THE ROCK.

159.

A Rock of Ages. " In the Lord Jehovah is the rock of ages."

Isa. 26. (P. M.)
I ROCK of ages! cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee;
Let the water and the blood,
From thy wounded side which flow'd,
Be of sin the double cure;

Cleanse me from its guilt and power. 2 Nothing in my hand I bring,

Simply to thy cross I cling;
Helpless look to thee for grace,
Naked come to thee for dress ;
Black I to thy fountain fly,

Wash me, Saviour, or I die.
3 While 1 draw this fleeting breath,

When my eye strings break in death,
When I soar to worlds unknown,
See thee on thy judgment throne,
Rock of ages! shelter me,
Let me hide myself in thee.

TOPLADY

160. The Foundation of the Churcle. " Upon this rock will I build."-Matt. 16. (L. M. I IN persecution's hottest fire,

Thy church, O God, has stood entire;
Witness the slaughtered millions, who
For Jesus sake, the flames went through.

2 Built on his Godhead and his blood,

She stands, and hath for ever stood,
Nor hell, nor sin, so firm the base,

Shall e'er the christian's hopes erase. 3 When on the cross he bow'd his head,

He Zion's debt of suff'ring paid,
And on this rock, for ever blest,
Shall mercy's glorious fabric rest.

KENT

lol.
The Cleft of the Rivik.
I will put thee in a cleft of the rock."

Exod. 33. (L. M.)
I GREAT Rock for weary sinners made,

When storms of sin distrees the soul,
Here will I rest my weary head,

When lightnings blaze and thunders roll. 2 Within the cleft of his dear side,

There all his saints in safety dwell, For who from Jesus shall divide ?

Not all the rage of earth and hell. 3 O sacred covert from the beams

That on the weary traveller beat, How welcome are thy shades and streams, How blest, how sacred, and how sweet.

DoBell's COLL.

162. The Security of the Rock. " It felt not, for it was founded upon a rock."

Matt. 7. (L. M.) THE tower that rises o'er the sea,

And braves the winter's dreadful shock, When tloods and rains and winds increase,

Stau is tast, built tirmly on a rock.

2 Thus may my soul on Jesus rest,

While at his gates I humbly knock,
And when with 'whelming seas opprest

Stand fast, built firmly on a rock.
Come, sinners, flee to Jesus arms,

Like “ Doves who to their windows flock,"
When death and hell the world alarms,

Stand fast, built firmly on a rock.
A Then while the harden'd sinner's drown'd,

And beaven his cries and woes shall mock,
Thy soul with glory shall be crown'd,
For ever built on Christ thy rock.

z
163.
Streams from the Rock.
“That rock was Christ."-1 Cor. 8. (C. M)
THEY thirst, and waters from the rock

In rich abundance flow,
And following still the course they took,

Ran all the desert thro'.
2 O wond'rous stream- blessed type,

Of overflowing grace,
So Christ our Rock maintains our life,
Thro' all this wilderness.

Wam

164.

Safety in the Rock.
“ O my dove that art in the clefts of the rock.com

Cant. 2. (C..M)
I BY faith we find the place above,

The rock that's rent in twain,
Beneath the shade of dying love,

And in the clefts remain