Shall hear thy messages of love,
And there inquire thy will.

4 When troubles rise and storms appear,
There may his children hide;
God has a strong pavilion, where
He makes my soul abide.

77.

C. M.

What is Prayer?

MONTGOMERY.

1 PRAYER is the soul's sincere desire, Uttered or unexpressed;

The motion of a hidden fire,

That trembles in the breast.

2 Prayer is the burden of a sigh;
The falling of a tear;

The upward glancing of an eye
When none but God is near.

3 Prayer is the simplest form of speech
That infant lips can try;

Prayer, the sublimest strains that reach
The majesty on high.

4 Prayer is the Christian's vital breath,
The Christian's native air;

His watchword at the gates of death;
He enters heaven with prayer.

5 Prayer is the contrite sinner's voice
Returning from his ways;

While angels in their songs rejoice
And cry, Behold he prays!'

6 The saints in prayer appear as one
In word, and deed, and mind;
While with the Father, and the Son,
Sweet fellowship they find.

7 0 thou by whom we come to God,
The life, the truth, the way,

The path of prayer thyself hast trod;
Lord, teach us how to pray.

Dare to pronounce thy holy name,
Or bow to thee the knee?
I know not of my spirit's birth,
How dust and soul combine,
Nor being of one thing on earth,
And how can I know thine?

2 I only know that I was made
Thy purpose to fulfil,
And that I gladly would be good,
And do thy holy will.
For this, my being rational,
For this, my dwelling place,
I bless thee, Lord; but most of all,
For gospel of thy grace.

3 Direct my soul to search and know What Jesus did for me,

And teach my little heart to glow
With thankfulness to thee.
And when this weary life is done,
And dust to dust declines,

Then may I dwell beyond the sun,
Where thy own glory shines.

4 Take my dear parents to thy care,
My little kinsfolk too,

And listen to their humble prayer,
When they before thee bow.
And when they pray for sinful me,
With fervour that exceeds,
Do thou return the blessing free
And double on their heads.

1 LORD, may I ne'er in youth be led
In sin's dark path to stray,
But may I early learn to tread
In wisdom's pleasant way.

2 What sorrows may my steps attend
I never can foretell;

But since my Maker is my friend,
I know that all is well.

3 Father, whatever grief or ill
For me may be in store,
Make me submissive to thy will,
And I would ask no more.

4 Then still as seasons hasten by,
I will for heaven prepare;
That God may take me, when I die,
To be for ever there.

Sunday Morning. For a Child.

1 CALLED by the Sabbath bells away,
Unto thy holy temple, Lord,

I'll go, with willing mind, to pray,
To praise thy name, and hear thy word.

2 O sacred day of peace and joy,
Thy hours are ever dear to me;
Ne'er may a sinful thought destroy
The holy calm 1 find in thee.
3 Dear are thy peaceful hours to me,
For God has given them in his love,
To tell how calm, how blest shall be
The endless day of heaven above.

82.

L. M.

ANONYMOUS.

Sunday Evening. For a Child. 1 AGAIN we've seen the Sabbath day, And heard of Jesus and of heaven; We thank thee, Father, and we pray That this day's sins may be forgiven. 2 May all we heard and understood Be well remembered through the week,

And help to make us wise and good,
More humble, diligent, and meek.

83.

C. M.

ANONYMOUS.

The Orphan's Hymn.

1 WHERE shall the child of sorrow find
A place for calm repose?
Thou Father of the fatherless,
Pity the orphan's woes!

2 What friend have I in heaven or earth,
What friend to trust but thee?

My father's dead, my mother's dead ;
My God, remember me!

3 Thy gracious promise now fulfil,
And bid my trouble cease;
In thee the fatherless shall find
Pure mercy, grace, and peace.
4 I've not a secret care or pain
But he that secret knows;
Thou, Father of the fatherless,
Pity the orphan's woes.

1 FIRM was my health, my day was bright, And I presumed 't would ne'er be night; Fondly I said within my heart,

'Pleasure and peace shall ne'er depart.'

2 But I forgot thine arm was strong, Which made my mountain stand so long; Soon as thy face began to hide,

My health was gone, my comforts died. 3 'Hear me, O God of grace,' I said, 'And bring me from among the dead;' Thy word rebuked the pains I felt, Thy pardoning love removed my guilt. 4 My groans, and tears, and forms of wo, Are turned to joy and praises now; I throw my sackcloth on the ground, And ease and gladness gird me round. 5 My tongue, the glory of my frame, Shall ne'er be silent of thy name;

Thy praise shall sound through earth and heaven, For sickness healed and sins forgiven.

A Psalm of Deliverance in Distress. —Ps 40.

1 I WAITED patient for the Lord;
He bowed to hear my cry;
He saw me resting on his word,
And brought salvation nigh.

2 Firm on a rock he made me stand,
And taught my cheerful tongue
To praise the wonders of his hand,
In a new thankful song.

5 How many are thy thoughts of love!
Thy mercies, Lord, how great!
We have not words, nor hours enough,
Their numbers to repeat.

4 When I'm afflicted, poor and low,
And light and peace depart,
My God beholds my heavy wo,
And bears me on his heart.

1 GOD of my life, thy constant care
With blessings crowns each opening year;
This guilty life dost thou prolong,
And wake anew mine annual song.

2 How many precious souls are fled
To the vast regions of the dead,
Since from this day the changing sun
Through his last yearly period run!
3 We yet survive; but who can say,
Or through the year, or month, or day,
'I will retain this vital breath;

Thus far at least in league with death?'

4 That breath is thine, Eternal God;
'Tis thine to fix my soul's abode;
It holds its life from thee alone,
On earth, or in the world unknown.

5 To thee our spirits we resign;

Make them and own them still as thine;