Their loud acclamations
To him their great king,
Through earth shall be sounded,
And reach to the skies.
Ye angels above,
His glories who've sung
In strains more exalted,
Now publish his praise :
We mortals delighted,
Would borrow your tongue;
Would join in your numbers,
And chaunt to your lays.
HYMN 222. C. M.
Design of God's works.
ONGS of immortal praise belong
To our almighty God;
He has our heart, and he our tongue,
To spread his name abroad.
2 How great the works his hand hath wrought!
How glorious in our sight!
And men in ev'ry age have sought
His wonders with delight.
3 How most exact is nature's frame!
How wise th' eternal mind!
His counsels never change the scheme,
That his first thoughts design'd.
4 Nature, and time, and earth, and skies,
Thy heav'nly skill proclaim :
What shall we do to make us wise,
But learn to know thy name?
5 To fear thy pow'r, to trust thy grace,
Is our divinest skill;
And he's the wisest of our race,
Who best obeys thy will:
HYMN 223. P. M.
God our Shepherd and Guardian.
HE Lord is our shepherd, our guardian and guide;
Whatever we want he will kindly provide!
To the sheep of his pasture his mercies abound,
His care and protection his flock will surround.
2 The Lord is our shepherd; what then shall we fear?
What danger can frighten us while he is near?
Not when the time calls us to walk through the vale
Of the shadow of death, shall our hearts ever fail :
3 Though afraid, of ourselves, to pursue the dark way,
Thy rod and thy staff be our comfort and stay ;
For we know by thy guidance, when once it is past,
To a fountain of life it will bring us at last.
4 The Lord is become our salvation and song,
His blessings have follow'd us all our life long;
His name will we praise while we have any breath,
Be content all our life, and resign'd in our death.
BYROM.
HYMN 224. P. M.
The never-ceasing goodness of God.
TOUSE of our God, with cheerful anthems ring,
While all our lips and hearts his goodness sing;
With sacred joy his wond'rous deeds proclaim;
Let ev'ry tongue be vocal with his name;
The Lord is good, his mercy never-ending;
His blessings in perpetual show'rs descending.
2 His goodness never fails; the dawn, the shade
Still see new bounties through new scenes display'd;
Succeeding ages bless this sure abode,
And children lean upon their fathers' God,
The deathless soul, through its immense duration,
Drinks from this source immortal consolation.
Burst into praise, our souls! all nature join;
Angels and men, in harmony combine:
While human years are measur'd by the sun,
Yea, while eternity its course shall run,
His goodness in perpetual show'rs descending,
Exalt in songs and raptures never-ending. DODDRIDGE.
HYMN 225. P. M.
The Father of Mercy.
FATHER of mercy,
The hearer of prayer!
To thy creatures' request
Bow propitious thine ear!
The voice from the dust,
The soft-rising sigh,
The prayer of the heart,
The uplifted eye-
Are grateful to thee,
An offering meet,
Than roses of Sharon
More fragrant and sweet.
As the orient sun
Chasing darkness away,
Dawns bright in the east
And kindles the day-
So hope's cheering beam
From the fountain of light,
Is diffus'd through the soul
In affliction's dark night.
If then my heart droop,
Let me never repine ;-
But O may this God,
This kind father-be mine!
HYMN 226. P. M.
The God of Mercy adored.
PRAISE to God, the great creator,
Bounteous source of all our joy ;
He whose hand upholds all nature,
He whose nod can all destroy :
Saints, with pious zeal attending,
Now the grateful tribute raise;
Solemn songs to heav'n ascending
Join the universal praise.
2 Round his awful footstool kneeling,
Lowly bend with contrite souls
Here, bis milder grace revealing,
Here, his wrath no thunder rolls:
Lo, th' eternal page before us
Bears the cov'nant of his love;
Full of mercy to restore us,
Mercy beaming from above.
3 Ev'ry secret fault confessing,
Deeds unrighteous, thought of sin,
Seize, O seize the proffer'd blessing,
Grace from God, and peace within:
Heart and voice with rapture swelling,
Still the song of glory raise;
On the theme immortal dwelling,
Join the universal praise.
HYMN 227. P. M.
The Universal Prayer.
LORD, not to earth's contracted span,
Thy goodness let me bound;
Or think thee Lord alone of man,
When thousand worlds are round.
Let not this weak, unknowing hand
Presume thy bolts to throw;
And deal damnation round the land,
On each I judge thy foe.
2 If I am right, thy grace impart,
Still in the right to stay:
If I am wrong, O teach
To find that better way.
Mean though I am, not wholly so,
Since quicken'd by thy breath;
Lord! lead me whereso'er I go,
Through this day's life or death.
3 This day be bread and peace my lot:
All else beneath the sun,
Thou know'st if best bestow'd or not;
And let thy will be done.
To thee, whose temple is all space,
Whose altar, earth, sea, skies!
One chorus let all beings raise!
All nature's incense rise.
Devout Aspiration s.
F friendless in the vale of tears I
Where briars wound, and thorns perplex my way,
Still let my steady soul thy goodness see,
And with strong confidence lay hold on thee. 2 In ev'ry creature, Lord, I own thy pow'r ; In each event thy providence adore:
Thy promises shall cheer my drooping soul, Thy precepts guide me, and thy fear control. 3 Then, when at last I quit this transient scene, Help me to leave it with a heart serene : Teach me to fix my ardent hopes on high, And, having liv'd to thee, in thee to die.
AITH adds new charms to earthly bliss,
And saves us from its snares;
Its aid in ev'ry duty brings,
And softens all our cares :
2 Extinguishes the thirst of sin,
And lights the sacred fire
Of love to God and heav'nly things,
And feeds the pure desire.
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