HYMN 205.
Isaiah xl. 6-8.
1 THE morning flow'rs display their sweets,
And gay their silken leaves unfold;
As careless of the noon-day heats,
And fearless of the ev'ning cold.
2 Nipp'd by the wind's unkindly blast,
Parch'd by the sun's more fervent ray,
The momentary glories waste,
The short-liv'd beauties die away.
3 So blooms the human face divine,
When youth its pride of beauty shows;
Fairer than spring the colours shine,
And sweeter than the op'ning rose.
4 But, worn by slowly rolling years,
Or broke by sickness in a day,
The fading glory disappears,
The short-liv'd beauties die away.
5 Yet these, new rising from the tomb, With lustre brighter far shall shine; Revive with ever-during bloom,
Safe from diseases and decline.
6 Let sickness blast, and death devour,
If heav'n shall recompense our pains;
Perish the grass, and fade the flow'r,
If firm the word of God remains.
HYMN 206.
Isaiah xl. 27-31.
1 WHY mournest thou, my anxious soul, Despairing of relief,
As if the Lord o'erlook'd thy cares,
Or pitied not thy grief?
2 Hast thou not known, hast thou not heard, That firm remains on high,
The everlasting throne of Him
Who made the earth and sky?
3 Art thou afraid his pow'r will fail
In sorrow's evil day?
Can the Creator's mighty arm
Grow weary or decay?
4 Supreme in wisdom as in pow'r
The rock of ages stands;
Thou canst not search his mind, nor trace
The working of his hands.
5 He gives the conquest to the weak,
Supports the fainting heart;
And courage in the evil hour
His heav'nly aids impart.
6 Mere human energy shall faint,
And youthful vigour cease;
But those who wait upon the Lord
In strength shall still increase.
7 They, with unwearied step, shall tread
The path of life divine;
With growing ardour onward move,
With growing brightness shine.
8 On eagles' wings they mount, they soar
On wings of faith and love;
Till, past the sphere of earth and sin,
They rise to heav'n above.
HYMN 207.
Isaiah lvii. 15.
1 THUS speaks the High and Lofty One;
My throne is fix'd on high;
There, through eternity, I hear
The praises of the sky:
2 Yet, looking down, I visit oft
The humble, hallow'd cell; And, with the penitent who mourn, 'Tis my delight to dwell.
3 My presence heals the wounded heart,
The sad in spirit cheers,
My presence, from the bed of dust,
The contrite sinner rears.
4 I dwell with all my humble saints
While they on earth remain;
And they, exalted, dwell with me,
With me for ever reign.
1 ALTHOUGH the vine its fruit deny,
The budding fig-tree droop and die,
No oil the olive yield;
Yet will I trust me in my God,
Yea, bend rejoicing to his rod,
And by his grace be heal'd.
2 Though fields, in verdure once array'd,
By whirlwinds desolate be laid,
Or parch'd by scorching beam;
Still in the Lord shall be my trust,
My joy; for, though his frown is just,
His mercy is supreme.
3 Though from the fold the flock decay,
Though herds lie famish'd o'er the lea,
And round the empty stall;
My soul above the wreck shall rise,
Its better joys are in the skies;
There God is all in all.
4 In God my strength, howe'er distrest,
I yet will hope, and calmly rest,
Nay, triumph in his love;
My ling'ring soul, my tardy feet,
Free as the hind he makes and fleet,
To speed my course above.
HYMN 209.
St. John xiv. 6.
1 THOU art the way, to thee alone
From sin and death we flee;
And he who would the Father seek,
Must seek him, Lord, by thee.
2 Thou art the truth, thy word alone
True wisdom can impart;
Thou only canst inform the mind
And purify the heart.
3 Thou art the life, the rending tomb
Proclaims thy conqu❜ring arm,
And those who put their trust in thee
Nor death nor hell shall harm.
4 Thou art the way, the truth, the life;
Grant us that way to know,
That truth to keep, that life to win,
Whose joys eternal flow.
HYMN 210.
Philippians ii. 12, 13.
1 HEIRS of unending life,
While yet we sojourn here,
O let us our salvation work
With trembling and with fear,
2 God will support our hearts
With might before unknown;
The work to be perform'd is ours,
The strength is all his own.
3 "Tis he that works to will,
'Tis he that works to do;
His is the pow'r by which we act,
His be the glory too!
HYMN 211.
Ephesians v. 14—17.
1 SINNER! rouse thee from thy sleep,
Wake, and o'er thy folly weep;
Raise thy spirit dark and dead,
Jesus waits his light to shed.
2 Wake from sleep, arise from death,
See the bright and living path:
Watchful tread that path; be wise,
Leave thy folly, seek the skies.
3 Leave thy folly, cease from crime,
From this hour redeem thy time;
Life secure without delay,
Evil is the mortal day.
4 Be not blind and foolish still,
Call'd of Jesus, learn his will:
Jesus calls from death and night,
Jesus waits to shed his light.
HYMN 212.
Hebrews xii. 1, 2.
1 LO! what a cloud of witnesses
Encompass us around;
Men once like us with suff'ring tried,
But now with glory crown'd.
2 Let us, with zeal like theirs inspir'd,
Strive in the Christian race;
And, freed from ev'ry weight of sin,
Their holy footsteps trace.
3 Behold a witness nobler still,
Who trod affliction's path,
Jesus, the author, finisher,
Rewarder of our faith:
4 He, for the joy before him set,
And mov❜d by pitying love,
Endur'd the cross, despis'd the shame,
And now he reigns above.
5 Thither, forgetting things behind,
Press we, to God's right hand!
There, with the Saviour and his saints
Triumphantly to stand.
N. B. The metre marks, affixed to the preceding Hymns, have reference to a division of the metres, founded on the nature of the verse, into four classes, marked-L, II., IIL. IV.
Css I. includes common, long, and short metres, marked-C. M., L. M., S. M.
Class II. includes the other Iambick metres, eight in number, marked-II. 1., II. 2., IL 3.,
II. 4., &c., which may be uamed; Two, one; Two, two; Two, three; &c.
Class III. includes the Trochaick metres, being five in number, marked-III. 1., III. 2.,
III. 3., &c. which may be named; Three, one; Three, two; &c.
Class IV. includes the metres consisting chiefly of triplets, being five in number, marked-IV. 1., IV. 2., IV. 3., &c. and may be named; Four, one; Four, two; &c.
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