XXI. SARDIS. Rev. iii. 1-6. "WRITE to Sardis," saith the Lord, "Watch, remember, seek, and strive, Exert thy former pains; Let thy timely care revive, And strengthen what remains : Cleanse thine heart, thy works amend, Former times to mind recall, Lest my sudden stroke descend, And smite thee once for all. "Yet I number now in thee And walk with me in white. Let my faithful servants hear, And woe be to the rest." XXII. PRAYER FOR A BLESSING. BESTOW, dear Lord, upon our youth And let the seed of sacred truth Grace is a plant, where'er it grows, Ye careless ones, O hear betimes True, you are young, but there's a stone For you the public prayer is made, We pray that you may early prove The Spirit's power to teach; You cannot be too young to love That Jesus whom we preach. XXIII. PLEADING FOR AND WITH YOUTH. SIN has undone our wretched race, But Jesus has restored, And brought the sinner face to face This we repeat, from year to year, Blessings upon the rising race! We feel for your unhappy state, (May you regard it too) And would awhile ourselves forget pour out prayer for you. Το We see, though you perceive it not, Dear Saviour, let this new-born year And cry in every careless ear, "Prepare to meet thy God!" XXIV. PRAYER FOR CHILDREN. GRACIOUS Lord, our children see, 1 When the angel of the Lord, Lord, we tremble, for we know 1 Exod. x. 9. 2 Exod. xii. 12. VOL. II. 28 XXV. JEHOVAH JESUS. MY song shall bless the Lord of all, Without beginning or decline, Object of faith, and not of sense; Eternal ages saw him shine, He shines eternal ages hence. As much, when in the manger laid, As when the six days' work he made Of all the crowns Jehovah bears, That gracious sound well pleased he hears, A cheerful confidence I feel, My well-placed hopes with joy I see; As man, he pities my complaint, His power and truth are all divine; He will not fail, he cannot faint, Salvation's sure, and must be mine. |