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XVII.

THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER AND LIFE, IN GENERAL.

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S

HYMN 274. L. M.

O let our lips and lives express
The holy gospel we profess;

So let our works and virtues shine,
To prove the doctrine all divine!
2. Thus shall we best proclaim abroad
The honours of our Saviour God,
When the salvation reigns within,
And grace subdues the pow'r of sin.
3. Our flesh and sense must be deny'd,
Passion and envy, lust and pride;
Whilst justice, temp'rance, truth, and love
Our inward piety approve.

4. Religion bears our spirits up,
Whilst we expect that blessed hope,
The bright appearance of the Lord,
And faith stands leaning on his word.
HYMN 275. c. M.

1.I

want a principle within
Of jealous godly fear,

A dread and hatred of all sin,
A pain to feel it near.

2. That I from thee no more may part,
No more thy goodness grieve:
The filial awe, the loving heart,
The tender conscience give;
S. A heart resign'd, submissive, meek,
My great Redeemer's throne,
Where only Christ is heard to speak,
Where Jesus reigns alone.

4. Quick as the apple of an eye,

O God! my conscience make;
Awake my soul when sin is nigh,
And keep it still awake,

5. If to the right or left I stray,
That moment, Lord, reprove;
And let me mourn, and weep, and pray,
For having griev'd thy love!

6. O! may the least omission pain
My well-instructed soul;

1.

That I may find that grace again,
Which makes the wounded whole.

HYMN 276. L. M.

WHAT strange perplexities arise !

What anxious fears and jealousies!
What crowds in doubtful light appear!
How few, alas, approv'd and clear!
2. And what am I?-My soul, awake,
And an impartial survey take.
Does no dark sign, no ground of fear,
In practice or in heart appear?
3. What image does my spirit bear?
Is Jesus form'd and living there?
Say, do his lineaments divine

In thought, and word, and action shine?
4. Searcher of hearts, O search me still;
The secrets of my soul reveal ;
My fears remove; let me appear
To God and my own conscience clear!

HYMN 277. L. M.

WHO shall ascend thy heav'nly place,
Great God, and dwell before thy face?

The man, who loves religion now,
And humbly walks with God below;

2. Whose hands are pure, whose heart is clean,
Whose lips still speak the thing they mean.
No slanders dwell upon his tongue;
He hates to do his neighbour wrong.
3. He will not trust an ill report,
Nor vent it to his neighbour's hurt ;
Sinners of state he can despise,
But saints are honour'd in his eyes.

4. Firm to his word he ever stood,
And always makes his promise good:
Nor will he change the thing he swears,
Whatever pain or loss he bears.

5. He never deals in bribing gold,
And mourns that justice should be sold.
If others vex and grind the poor,
Sweet charity attends his door.

6. He loves his enemies, and prays
For those who curse him to his face;
And doth to all men still the same,
That he could hope or wish from them.
7. Yet, when his holiest works are done,
His soul depends on grace alone.
This is the man thy face shall see,
And dwell for ever, Lord! with thee.

HYMN 278. L. M.

1. GREAT God! whose all-pervading eye
Sees ev'ry passion of my soul!
When sunk too low, or rais'd too high,
Teach me those passions to control.
2. Temper the fervours of my frame;
Be charity their constant spring;
And O, let no unhallow'd flame
Pollute the offerings I bring.

3. Let peace with piety unite,

To mend the bias of my will:
While hope and heav'n-ey'd faith excite,
And wisdom regulates my zeal :

4. That wisdom, which to meekness turns;
Wisdom descending from above;
And let my zeal, whene'er it burns,
Be kindled by the fire of love.

1.

SU

HYMN 279. L. M.

UPREME and universal light!
Fountain of reason! Judge of right!
Without whose kind, directing ray,
In everlasting night we stray:

2. Assist us, Lord, to act, to be,
What all thy sacred laws decree;
Worthy that intellectual flame,
Which from thy breathing spirit came.
3. No slaves to profit, shame, or fear,
O may our steadfast bosoms bear
The stamp of heav'n, an honest heart,
Above the mean disguise of art!
4. May our expanded souls disclaim
The narrow view, the selfish aim;
But with a christian zeal embrace
Whate'er is friendly to our race.
5. O Father! grace and virtue grant ;
No more we wish, no more we want.
To know, to serve thee, and to love,
Is peace below, is bliss above.

HYMN 280. L. M.

1.TH' uplifted eye, and bended knee,
Are but vain homage, Lord! to thee,
In vain our lips thy praise prolong,
The heart a stranger to the song.

2. Can rites, and forms, and flaming zeal
The breaches of thy precepts heal?
Or fasts and penance reconcile
Thy justice, and obtain thy smile?
3. The pure, the humble, contrite mind,
Sincere, and to thy will resign'd,

To thee a nobler off'ring yields,
Than Sheba's groves, or Sharon's fields.

4. Love God and man:-this great command Doth on eternal pillars stand.

This did thine ancient prophets teach,
This did the great Messiah preach.

HYMN 281. L. M.

HAD I the tongues of Greeks and Jews,

And nobler speech than angels use;

If love be absent, I am found,

Like tinkling brass, an empty sound.

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2. Were I inspir'd to preach and tell
All that is done in heav'n and hell,
Or could my faith the world remove,
Still I am nothing without love.
3. Should I distribute all my store,
To feed the bowels of the poor;
Or give my body to the flame,
To gain a martyr's glorious name:
4. If love to God, and love to men
Be absent, all my hopes are vain;
Nor tongues, nor gifts, nor fiery zeal
The work of love can e'er fulfil.

HYMN 282. c. M..

1. THOU art my portion, O my God!
Soon as I know thy way,

My heart makes haste t' obey thy word,
And suffers no delay.

2. I choose the path of heav'nly truth,
And glory in my choice;
Not all the riches of the earth
Could make me so rejoice.

3. The testimonies of thy grace
I set before mine eyes;

Thence I derive my daily strength,
And there my comfort lies.

4. Whene'er I wander from thy path,
I think upon my ways;

Then turn my feet to thy commands,
And trust thy pard'ning grace.

5. Now I am thine, for ever thine :
save thy servant, Lord!

Thou art my shield, my hiding place;
My hope is in thy word.

6. Thou hast inclin'd this heart of mine
Thy statutes to fulfil;

1.

And thus, 'till mortal life shall end,
Would I perform thy will.

HYMN 283. c. M.

WHILST sinners, who presume to bear

The Christian's sacred name,

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