When the Lord his summons sends*, Earthly comforts lose their pow'r; Honour, riches, kindred, friends, Cannot cheer a dying hour.
4 Happy souls who fear the Lord; Time is not too swift for you;
When your Saviour gives the word, Glad you'll bid the world adieu : Then he'll wipe away your tears, Near himself appoint your place; Swifter fly, ye rolling years, Lord, we long to see thy face.
III. Uncertainty of Life.
1 SEE! another year is gone Quickly have the seasons pass'd!
This we enter now upon
May to many prove their last : Mercy hitherto has spar'd,
But have mercies been improv'd?
Let us ask, Am I prepar'd,
Should I be this year remov'd?
2 Some we now no longer see,
Who their mortal race have run,
Seem'd as fair for life as we,
When the former year begun : Some, but who God only knows, Who are here assembled now,
Ere the present year shall close,
To the stroke of death must bow.
3 Life a field of battle is,
Thousands fall within our view; And the next death-bolt that flies,
May be sent to me or you: While we preach, and while we hear, Help us, Lord, each one to think, Vast eternity is hear,
I am standing on the brink.
4 If from guilt and sin set free,
By the knowledge of thy grace, Welcome, then, the call will be To depart and see thy face: To thy saints, while here below, With new years new mercies come;
But the happiest year they know
Is their last, which leads them home.
IV. A New Year's Thought and Prayer.!
1 TIME, by moments, steals away, First the hour and then the day; Small the daily loss appears, Yet it soon amounts to years: Thus another year is flown, Now it is no more our own, If it brought or promis'd good, Than the years before the flood.
2 But, (may none of us forget,) It has left us much in debt; Favours from the Lord receiv'd, Sins that have his Spirit griev'd, Mark'd by an unerring hand, In his book recorded stand; Who can tell the vast amount, Plac'd to each of our account?
3 Happy the believing soul!
Christ for you has paid the whole; While you own the debt is large, You may plead a full discharge: But, poor careless sinner, say, What can you to justice pay? Tremble, lest when life is past, Into prison you be cast!
4 Will you still increase the score? Still be careless as before? Oh! forbid it, gracious Lord, Touch their spirits by thy word! Now, in mercy, to them show What a mighty debt they owe! All their unbelief subdue; Let them find forgiveness too.
5 Spar'd to see another year, Let thy blessing meet us here; Come, thy dying work revive, Bid thy drooping garden thrive: Sun of righteousness, arise!
Warm our hearts and bless our eyes;
Let our pray'r thy bowels move,
Make this year a time of love.
V. Death and War. 1778.
1 HARK! how time's wide-sounding bell Strikes on each attentive ear! Tolling loud the solemn knell Of the late departed year: Years, like mortals, wear away, Have their birth and dying day, Youthful spring, and wintry age, Then to others quit the stage.
« PreviousContinue » |