129.

CHRISTIAN LOVE.

(L.M.)

The fruit of the Spirit is love.-Gal. v. 22.
1 O GOD, our Saviour and our King,
Of all we have, or hope, the spring,
Send down thy Spirit from above,
And warm our hearts with holy love!
2 Let love through all our actions shine,
An image fair, though faint, of thine!
Let us thy humble followers prove,
Father of grace, and God of love!

130..

LOVE.

(C.M.)

Put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.
Col. iii. 14.

! HAPPY the heart where graces reign,
Where love inspires the breast!
Love is the brightest of the train,
And perfects all the rest.

2 Knowledge, alas! 'tis all in vain,
And all in vain our fear;

Our stubborn sins will fight, and reign,
If love be absent there.

3 'Tis love that makes our cheerful feet
In swift obedience move:

The devils know, and tremble too,
But Satan cannot love.

4 This is the grace that lives and sings
When faith and hope shall cease;
"Tis this shall strike our joyful strings
In the sweet realms of bliss.

5 When join'd to that harmonious throng
That fills the choirs above,
Then shall we tune our golden harps,
And every note be love.

131.

FOR A CHARITY SERMON.

(C.M.)

Whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.-1 Cor. xii. 26.

1 FATHER of mercies, send thy grace,
All-powerful, from above,

To form in our obedient souls
The image of thy love!

2 Oh may our sympathizing breast
That gen'rous pleasure know,
Freely to share in others' joy,
And weep for others' woe!

3 Whene'er the helpless sons of grief
In low distress are laid,

Soft be our hearts, their pains to feel,
And swift our hands to aid.

4 On dying men so Jesus look'd,
Enthron'd above the skies,

And, when he saw their lost estate,
Felt his compassion rise.

5 Since Christ, to save our guilty souls,
On wings of mercy flew,

We, whom the Saviour thus hath lov'd, Should love each other too.

132.

FOR A CHARITY SERMON.

(C.M.)

And the King shall say. Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.-Matt. xxv. 40.

1 JESUS, my Lord, how rich thy grace,
Thy bounties how complete!
How shall I count the matchless sum?
How pay the mighty debt?
2 High on a throne of radiant light
Dost thou exalted shine:
What can my poverty bestow,
When all the worlds are thine?

3 But thou hast brethren here below,
The partners of thy grace,

And wilt confess their humble names
Before thy Father's face.

4 In them thou may'st be cloth'd and fed,
And visited and cheer'd;

And in their accents of distress
My Saviour's voice is heard.

5 Thy face with rev'rence and with love
I in the poor would see,

And by my works of love would prove
That I am taught of thee.

133.

FOR A CHARITY SERMON. (L.M.) It is more blessed to give than to receive. Acts xx. 35. 1 TEACH us, O Lord, with cheerful heart, As thou hast bless'd our various store,

From our abundance to impart

A lib'ral portion to the poor!

2 To thee our all devoted be,

In whom we breathe, and move, and live: Freely we have receiv'd from thee, Freely may we rejoice to give.

3 And while we thus obey thy word,
And every call of want relieve,

Oh may we find it, gracious Lord,
More bless'd to give than to receive!

1 GREAT God, thy power what tongue can te What force thy sov'reign word withstand Yet thou dost stoop with men to dwell, And give thy blessings through their hand 2 'Tis ours to feed these lambs of thine, And train their footsteps on to heaven: We hail with joy the charge divine, And freely give, as thou hast given. 3 O fount of love, all-gracious God! What can we offer but thine own? For we are thine, redeem'd with bloodThe precious blood of Christ thy Son. 4 On these, on us, thy grace bestow,

The contrite heart, the lowly mind, The love of God in Christ to know,

The wisdom from above to find!

135.

Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise.— Matt. xxi. 16.

1

CHILDREN.

COME, let our voice ascend,
In one glad song of praise!
To God, the God of love,

Our grateful hearts we raise !

CONGREGATION.

To God alone the praise belongs;
He claims our earliest, latest songs.

CHILDREN.

Now we are taught to read
The book of life divine,
Where our Redeemer's love
And brightest glories shine.

CONGREGATION.

To God alone the praise is due,
Who sends his word to us and you.

CHILDREN.

3 Within these hallow'd walls

Our wand'ring feet are brought,
Where prayer and praise ascend,
And heavenly truths are taught.

CONGREGATION.

To God alone your praises bring;
Let young and old his praises sing.

CHORUS.

4 Lord, bid this work of love

Be crown'd with great success;
May thousands yet unborn

These institutions bless!

Thus shall the praise resound to Thee,
In time and in eternity.