849. T 341.

O MAY our married state,
In duties small and great,
In relations far and near,

In its trials numberless,
In all cases whatsoe❜er,

Serve Christ's holy name to bless. 2 May we, by Jesus' love Constrained, clearly prove, That we are his flock indeed, Living branches in the Vine, Heav'nly plants, a holy seed, Lights who in Christ's image shine!

850. T. 16.

HEAD of thy blest congregation,
Look on ev'ry married pair,
Be our strength and our salvation,
Keep us from all needless care,
2 For our sake, most gracious Saviour,
Thou thy life and blood hast spent ;
May we now in our behavior

Thee and thy church represent.
3 No spoil'd creature had been able
E'er to guide his steps aright
In this state so venerable,

Or to act as in thy sight;

4 Hadst thou not life and salvation By thy suff'rings for us gain'd, And thereby sanctification

For the married state obtain'd.

5 Bless, O Lord, thy married people, In thy blood, O wash us clean; Help us, for we're weak and feeble, And preserve us from all sin.

LOOK on ev'ry married pair,
Jesus! with compassion,
Grant that each may richly share
In thy great salvation.

2 Be thou with us, then indeed
We shall lack no blessing,
But with thee, O Christ, proceed,
To meet joys unceasing.

3 O may we in all we do
Follow thy direction;
We commend ourselves anew
To thy kind protection.

4 Let our children, gracious Lord,
Share with us thy favor,
Grant they may be a reward
Of thy death for ever.

O LORD, who number'st all our days,
Who guardest us in all our ways,
In whom we live, and move, and are,
Who know'st our wants, and hearest
pray'r;

2 To this thy handmaid grant thy peace,
Who comes to offer thanks and praise.
To thee, her faithful cov'nant-God,
For the support thou hast bestow'd.
3 Thy pow'rful aid thou, gracious Lord,
In travail didst to her afford;
Her sorrows now are turn'd to praise,
Her sighs and tears to grateful lays.
4 O Shepherd of thy chosen sheep!
Both child and mother bless and keep,
May they enjoy in their degree
The fruits of thy humanity.

5 Endow the parents with thy love,
And give
them wisdom from above
To educate this child for thee,

As thy redeemed property.

6 Grant us, and all our children, grace,
So here on earth to run our race,
That we in heav'n may meet, and sing
Eternal praise to thee, our King.

854. T. 581.

PARENTS, weigh before the Lord
The importance of your state;
Learn from his most holy word,
Your whole walk to regulate,
That each to his family
May a blessed pattern be!

2 All your children are his own,
He hath bought them with his blood!
Unto him their souls are known,

Full of sin and void of good!
Yet he saith most graciously,
Suffer them to come to me!"
3 'Tis by you they should be led
In the way that leads to bliss;
Grace is not inherited

As a worldly fortune is,
'Tis free mercy, we must own,
And the gift of God alone,

4 In this vain and wretched world

Children are expos'd and try'd; Many are to ruin hurl'd,

Few in Jesus Christ abide;
And no human prudence can
Save the soul of fallen man.

5 Here's a task, may parents think,
Far beyond the reach of art;
But let not your courage sink,

Grace and wisdom he'll impart:
Your sincere endeavors bless,
Hear your pray'rs, and grant success.
6 Hear, O Lord, a parent's pray'r,
Let my tears prevail 'fore thee!
How should I in heav'n appear,
If my child were not with me!
Therefore thou my steps direct,
Lest my duty I neglect.

7 In thy grace my children keep,
That when once, on that great day,
Thou shalt come to seek thy sheep,
I may gladly to thee say:
mercy free,

"Here am I, thro'
And each child thou gavest me!"

855. T. 166.

Kind Shepherd, take each little lam.
Into thy faithful arms of love;
Cause them to know thy saving name,
And thy redeeming grace to prove.
2 On us, their parents, grace bestow,
That we, with care and faithfulness,
May lead them thee, our Lord to know,
T' obey thy word, and seek thy face.
Teach us the duties of our state,
To love each other heartily,
Our children so to educate
That they may love and follow thee.
856. T. 83.

IN this.world, so full of snares,

Take our children in thy keeping; Hear the parents' sighs and pray'rs, When for them before thee weeping: Mercy for our children we, Gracious Lord, implore of thee. 857. T. 586.

MOST holy Lord, mankind's Creator,
Who, to redeem us by thy death,
Assumedst feeble human nature,

We call on thee in humble faith:
O hear our fervent supplication,
Let all our children thy salvation,
Thy tender love and care,
In largest measure share;
For thine they are.

'TIS true the lonely widow'd state
With various trials is replete,
But Christ, the widow's faithful Friend,
Will guide us safely to the end.
2 He saith to us repeatedly:
"Cast all your burden upon me,
For I in all things kindly care
For you, and in your troubles share."
3 Therefore whate'er our trials be,
Or weaknesses, or poverty,
Sickness of body, soul's distress,
Or sorrows which we can't express;
4 Our comfort is, he knows and feels
Whate'er his needy children ails;
He sympathizeth with the weak,
Relieves the poor, and heals the sick.
5 He graciously regards our pray'rs,
And counteth all our sighs and tears;
Afflictions, whether small or great,
His comforts can alleviate.

6 Might we, like Anna persevere,
By day and night, in constant pray's,
And thus for his appearing wait,
In joyful hope the Lord to meet.

T. 22.

864.*
GOD will the widows ne'er forsake,
To him we may our refuge take,
And on his care and faithfulness
Our whole dependence firmly place.
2 A widow, who her son belov'd
With tears bemoan'd, his pity mov'd;
His mother he did recommend,
When on the cross, to John, his friend.
3 Widows are objects of his care,
Since scripture plainly doth declare,
That to the church this charge he gave,
Widows to honor and relieve.

4 To Christ, O may we closely cleave,
And in communion with him live;
To love the Lord, be our first care,
The next, to serve his people here.
5 Till we, who here must often weep,
In heav'n eternal joys shall reap;
Till he shall say to us," Ye blest,
Enter into my joy and rest."

YEAR after year commenceth,

And as our life advanceth

We, strength from Christ deriving,
Each year by faith are thriving.
2 As, in tempestuous weather,
A kind and tender mother
Her babe from harm protecteth,
And safely home conducteth;

3 So shelters Christ our Saviour..
His children by his favor,
And proves in each temptation
Their refuge and salvation,
4 Lord, grant thy benediction
To ev'ry thought and action;
On youth and age declining,
Thou Sun of grace be shining.
5 O keep our souls and senses
Under the influences
Of thy most holy Spirit,
Until we heav'n inherit.

6 O God of our salvation,
Withhold no kind donation
From us, but let us savor
In this new year thy favor.

872. T. 14.

AGAIN another fleeting year
Of my short life is past;
I cannot long continue here,
And this may be my last.

2 Much of my dubious life is gone, Nor will return again;

2 Meanwhile God the holy Spirit Is our pledge of joys to come, Of the bliss we shall inherit

When above with Christ at home;
O! this blessed meditation
Yields us solid consolation,

That we shall, when time is o'er,
With the Lord be evermore!

873.

T. 97.

WHO can rehearse,most gracious Lord,
The mercy which thou dost afford
Unto thy people ev'ry year?
We thy poor congregation here [more,
Desire to thank and praise thee ever-
And humbly in the dust thy name adore.
2 For we, unworthy as we are,
Enjoy'd the faithful Shepherd's care;
Thou always comfort didst impart
To ev'ry needy contrite heart;
Thou didst to us thy dying love display,
And wast our help and refuge ev'ry day.
3 The hearing of thy precious word,
Thy gracious presence, holy Lord,
Have cheer'd our hearts abundantly,
When met in fellowship 'fore thee:
But, O what blessings were on us be-
stow'd
[blood!
When we enjoy'd thy body, and thy
4 Lord Jesus we would fain express
To thee our cordial thankfulness,
For all thy boundless love and grace;
But how imperfect are our lays! [give,
O take our hearts, to thee ourselves we
In future more unto thy praise to live.