And back, in gratitude, from me
May all thy bounties flow.

Thy gifts are only then enjoyed,
When used as talents lent;
Those talents only well employed,
When in thy service spent.

And though thy wisdom takes away,
Shall I arraign thy will?

No; let me bless thy name, and say,
"The Lord is gracious ftill."

A pilgrim through the earth I roam,
Of nothing long poffeffed,

And all muft fail when I go home,

For this is not my rest.

J. Montgomery. 1803-1853.

THY WILL BE DONE.

HY will be done! I will not fear

The fate provided by thy love;

Though clouds and darkness fhroud me here,
I know that all is bright above.

The ftars of heaven are fhining on,

Though these frail eyes are dimmed with tears; The hopes of earth indeed are gone,

But are not ours th' immortal years?

Father! forgive the heart that clings
Thus trembling to the things of time;
And bid my soul, on angel wings,
Ascend into a purer clime.

There fhall no doubts disturb its truft,
No sorrows dim celeftial love;
But these afflictions of the dust,
Like fhadows of the night, remove.

E'en now, above, there's radiant day,
While clouds and darkness brood below;

Then, Father, joyful on my way

To drink the bitter cup I go.

Jane Roscoe. 1800.

BEGIN WITH GOD.

EGIN the day with God!

BEGI

BHe is thy sun and day;

His is the radiance of thy dawn,
To Him address thy lay.

Sing a new song at morn!

Join the glad woods and hills;

Join the fresh winds and seas and plains, Join the bright flowers and rills.

Sing thy first song to God!
Not to thy fellow-man;

Not to the creatures of his hand,
But to the Glorious One.

Awake, cold lips, and fing!

Arise, dull knees, and pray;
Lift up, Oman, thy heart and eyes;
Brush flothfulness away.

Look up, beyond these clouds !

Thither thy pathway lies; Mount up, away, and linger not,

Thy goal is yonder skies.

Cast every weight aside!

Do battle with each fin;

Fight with the faithless world without,

The faithless heart within.

Take thy first meal with God!
He is thy heavenly food;

Feed with and on Him; he with thee
Will feaft in brotherhood.

Take thy firft walk with God!
Let him go forth with thee;
By stream or sea or mountain-path,
Seek ftill his company.

Thy first transaction be

With God himself above;

So fhall thy business prosper well,

And all the day be love.

H. Bonar. 1856.

I AND MY HOUSE WILL SERVE THE LORD.

I

AND my house are ready, Lord,

With hearts that beat in sweet accord,

To serve Thee and obey Thee;

Be in the midst of us, we pray,

To guide and bless us, that we may

A willing service pay Thee:
Of us all,

Great and small,

Make a pious congregation,
Pure in life and conversation.

Let thy good Spirit by the word
Work mightily in us, O Lord,

Our souls and bodies filling!

O let the sun of grace fhine bright,
That there may be abundant light
In us and in our dwelling:

On our way,
Night and day,

With the heavenly manna feed us,
To the heavenly Canaan lead us.

Send peace and bleffing from above,
Unite us all in faith and love

Who in this house are living;
Let charity our hearts prepare
To suffer long and all things bear,
Meek, gentle, and forgiving:
Nor in aught

Chrift hath taught

Let us fail to one another,

But each love and help his brother.

Lord, let our house be built upon
Thy faithfulness and grace alone;
And when the day is clofing,
And night her gloomy fhadow flings,
Let us lie down beneath Thy wings,
With childlike truft repofing;

E'en with smart

In the heart,

Cheerful, happy, and confiding,
Patiently in Thee abiding.