HYMN XVIII. The Traveller's Thanksgiving. How pleasant 'tis to see Kindred and friends agree, In all the cares of life and love. "Tis like the ointment shed On Aaron's sacred head, Divinely rich, divinely sweet : The oil thro' all the room Diffus'd a choice perfume, Ran thro' his robes and bless'd his feet. Like fruitful show'rs of rain That water all the plain, Descending from the neighb'ring hills: Such streams of pleasure roll Thro' ev'ry friendly soul, Where love like heav'nly dew distils. HYMN XIX. Comfort in Sickness and Death. WHEN sickness shakes the languid frame, Then the tremendous arm of death Its fatal sceptre shows; And nature faints beneath the weight The tott'ring frame of mortal life Shall crumble into dust; Nature shall faint; but learn, my soul, On nature's God to trust. The man whose pious heart is fix'd From ev'ry frown may draw a joy, Nor him shall death itself alarm; With joy he views his Maker's love, HYMN XX. Sanctified Afflictions. FATHER, I bless thy gentle hand : Foolish and vain, I went astray, The law that issues from thy mouth, Thy hands have made my mortal frame, Teach me to know thy wondrous name, Then all that love and fear the Lord, For I have hoped in thy word, And made thy grace my only choice. HYMN XXI. God seen in His Works. GOD of the ocean, earth, and sky, We feel thee in the sunny beam— We see thee walk the mountain waves; We hear thee in the murmuring stream, And when the tempest wildly raves. God, on the lonely hills we meet ! God, in the vale and fragrant grove! While birds and whispering winds repeat, That God is there-the God of love! We meet thee in the pensive hour WREFORD. When wearied nature sinks to rest- We see thee, when at eve, afar We upward lift our wondering sight, We see thee in each silent star That beautifies the gloom of night. HYMN XXII. J. C. WALLACE. God seen in every Thing. THERE's not a place in earth's vast round, In ocean deep, or air, Where skill and wisdom are not found, There's not of grass a simple blade, Where heavenly skill is not displayed, There's not a tempest dark and dread, Or blast that sweeps o'er ocean's bed, There's not a star, whose twinkling light Around, beneath, below, above, Wherever space extends, There Heaven displays its boundless love, Then rise, my soul, and sing His name, Who spread abroad earth's glorious frame, HYMN XXIII. Omnipresence of the Deity. FATHER and friend! thy light, thy love, Beaming through all thy works we see; Thy voice we hear, thy presence feel, Reignest, the Lord of life and light. BOWRING. We know not in what hallowed part Strength, wisdom, goodness dwell with thee. And through the various maze of time, And all thy wondrous footsteps trace. Thy children shall not faint or fear, Sustained by this delightful thought; Since thou, their God, art every where, They cannot be where thou art not. HYMN XXIV. The Thought of God a Support in Affliction. To calm the sorrows of the mind, JERVIS. |