40. C. M.

God the Creator and Preserver.

1 GREAT First of beings! mighty Lord!
We praise thy glorious name;
Produced by thy creating word,
Arose this wondrous frame.

2 Thy voice sent forth the high command; "Twas instantly obeyed;

And through thy goodness all things stand, Which by thy skill were made.

3 By thee, through fields of azure, roll
Unnumbered worlds above;

Thy mighty hand sustains the whole;
Each creature shares thy love.

4 By thee the sun dispenses heat,
And beams of cheering day;
By thee, the stars, in order set,
At night thy power display.

5 By thee the earth its product yields,
And countless myriads live;
And trees and plants adorn the fields,
And their rich treasures give.

6 To thee, all-gracious Power! we bow,
And would ourselves resign;

Accept the praise, accept the vow,
And make us wholly thine.

Browne, alt'd.

41. L. P. M.

The Works and Word of God. Ps. xix.

1 GREAT GOD! the heaven's well ordered frame
Declares the glories of thy name;
There thy rich works of wonder shine:
A thousand starry beauties there,
A thousand radiant marks appear

Of boundless power, and skill divine. 2 From night to day, from day to night, The dawning and the dying light

Lectures of heavenly wisdom read; With silent eloquence, they raise Our thoughts to the Creator's praise, And neither sound nor language need.

3 Yet their divine instructions run Wide as the circuit of the sun,

And every nation knows their voice; The sun, in robes of splendor dressed, Breaks from the chambers of the east,

Moves round, and makes the earth rejoice. 4 Where'er he spreads his beams abroad, He speaks the majesty of God:

All nature joins to show thy praise: Thus God in every creature shines, Bright in the book of nature's lines, But brighter in the book of grace. Watts, alt'd

42. L. M.

For the Lord's Day Morning.

1 GREAT GOD! this sacred day of thine
Demands our souls' collected powers;
May we employ in work divine
These solemn, these devoted hours!

2 Hence, ye vain cares and trifles, fly;
Where God resides, appear no more:
Omniscient God! thy piercing eye
Can every secret thought explore.

3 The word of life dispensed to-day,
Invites us to a heavenly feast;
May every ear the call obey,
Be every heart an humble guest!

4 Thy gracious aid, O God! impart;
O may thy word, with life divine,
Engage the ear and warm the heart!
Then shall the day indeed be thine.

43. C. M.

The God of Nature invoked.

+ Mrs. Steele.

1 HAIL, great Creator, wise and good! To thee our songs we raise: Nature, through all her various scenes, Invites us to thy praise.

2 At morning, noon, and evening mild,
Fresh wonders strike our view;
And while we gaze, our hearts exult,
With transports ever new.

3 Thy glory beams in every star
Which gilds the gloom of night;
And decks the smiling face of morn
With rays of cheerful light.

4 The lofty hill, the humble vale,
With countless beauties shine:
The silent grove, the awful shade,
Proclaim thy power divine.

5 Great nature's God! still may these scenes
Our serious hours engage;
Still may our grateful hearts consult
Thy works' instructive page!

6 And while, in all thy wondrous works,
Thy varied love we see;

Still may the contemplation lead
Our hearts, O God! to thee.

Gentleman's Magazine.

44. L. M.

The Perfections and Providence of God. Ps. xxxvi. 5—9.

1 HIGH in the heavens, eternal God!
Thy goodness in full glory shines;
Thy truth shall break through every cloud
That veils and darkens thy designs.

2 For ever firm thy justice stands,
As mountains their foundations keep:
Wise are the wonders of thy hands;
Thy judgments are a mighty deep.

3 Thy providence is kind and large;
Both man and beast thy bounty share:
The whole creation is thy charge,
The righteous thy peculiar care.

4 O God! how excellent thy grace!
Thence all our hope and comfort spring;
In fear, in trouble, and distress,
We'll seek the shadow of thy wing.

5 The living bread thy word bestows,
Will fainting souls with strength renew;
There mercy like a river flows,
And brings salvation to our view.

6 Life, like a fountain rich and free,
Springs from the presence of the Lord;
And in thy light, our souls shall see
The glories promised in thy word.
Watts, alt'd.

45. 7s. M.

Humble Adoration.

HOLY, holy, holy Lord!

Be thy glorious name adored;
Lord thy mercies never fail;
Hail, celestial goodness, hail!

2 Though unworthy, Lord! thine ear,
Deign our humble songs to hear;
Purer praise we hope to bring,
When around thy throne we sing.

3 While on earth ordained to stay,
Guide our footsteps in thy way;
Then on high we'll joyful raise
Songs of everlasting praise.