3 Mine, to comfort in distress,
If the Holy Spirit bless;

Mine, to show by living faith,
How to triumph over death!

4 Mine, to tell of joys to come,
Mine to show the sinner's doom;
Holy bible, book divine,

Precious treasure, thou art mine!

HYMN 103.

1 FATHER of Mercies! in Thy word What endless riches shine!

For ever be Thy name ador'd
For knowledge thus divine!

2 Here the Redeemer's welcome voice Spreads heavenly peace around; And life and everlasting joys

Attend the blissful sound.

3 O may these heavenly pages be
My first, my chief delight!
And still new beauties may I see,
And still increase in light.

4 Divine Instructor! glorious Lord?
Be Thou for ever near

Teach me to love Thy sacred word,
And view my Saviour there.

HYMN 104.

1 GREAT God! Thy blessing now impart, Bring home thy word to every heart! Seal'd to us all let this truth be, "God has a message unto me."

2 If thou set home a sense of guilt, The stoutest sinner's heart shall melt, And each shall say, and feel, and see, "God has a message unto me."

3 Nor less shall each dear saint rejoice,
And sing with rapture in his eyes,
Blessed for ever let him be!
"God has a message unto me."

Whenever I'm permitted, Lord,
To read or hear thy holy word,
O may its counsel always be
A message from my God to me!

HYMN 105.

1 PRAYER is the soul's sincere desire, Utter'd or unexpress'd!

The motion of a hidden fire,
That trembles in the breast.

2 Prayer is the burthen 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 O Thou by whom we come to God,
The Life, the Truth, the Way!
The path of prayer Thyself hath trod;
Lord, teach us how to pray.

1

HYMN 106.

WHAT various hindrances we meet
In coming to the mercy-seat!

Yet who, that knows the worth of prayer,
But wishes to be often there?

2 Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;
Prayer makes the Christian's armour bright;
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.

3 Have we no words?-ah! think again!
Words flow apace when we complain,
And fill our fellow-creature's ear
With the sad tale of all our care.

4 Were half the breath thus vainly spent
To heaven in supplication sent;

Our cheerful song would oft'ner be,-
"Hear what the Lord hath done for me!"

HYMN 107.

1 O that I knew the secret place,
Where I might find my God!
I'd spread my wants before His face,
And pour my woes abroad.

2 I'd tell Him how my

3

sins arise,

What sorrows I sustain;

How grace decays, and comfort dies,
And leaves my heart in pain.

He knows what arguments I'd take,
To wrestle with my God:

I'd plead for His own mercy's sake,
And for my Saviour's blood.

4 Arise, my soul, from deep distress,
And banish every fear:

He calls thee to His throne of grace,
To spread thy sorrows there.

HYMN 108.

1 JESUS, where'er Thy people meet,
There they behold Thy mercy-seat;
Where'er they seek Thee Thou art found,
And every place is hallowed ground.

2

For Thou, within no walls confined,
Inhabitest the humble mind;

Such ever bring Thee where they come,
And going take Thee to their home.

3 Here may we prove the power of prayer
To strengthen faith and sweeten care,
To teach our faint desires to rise,
And bring all heaven before our eyes.

4 Lord, we are few, but Thou art near;
Nor short thine arm, nor deaf thine ear;
O rend the heavens, come quickly down
And make each sinner's heart Thine own.

1

HYMN 109.

O LORD, I pray that I may grow
In faith, and love, and every grace;
May more of Thy salvation know,
And seek more earnestly thy face.

2 'Tis Thou hast taught me thus to pray,
And graciously thou answerest prayer;
But sometimes in so dark a way,
As almost drives me to despair.

3 I hope that in some favour'd hour
At once thou'lt answer my request;
And by thy love's constraining power
Subdue my sins, and give me rest.

D