"Heaven and earth shall pass away," &c.-Matt. xxiv. 35.
THE moon and stars shall lose their light,
The sun shall sink in endless night;
Both heaven and earth shall pass away;
The works of nature all decay.
2 But they that in the Lord confide,
And shelter in his wounded side,
Shall see the danger overpast,
Stand every storm, and live at last.
3 What Christ has said must be fulfill'd;
On this firm rock, believers build;
His word shall stand, his truth prevail,
And not one jot nor tittle fail.
4 His word is this (poor sinners, hear):
"Believe on me, and banish fear;
Cease from your own works, bad or good, And wash your garments in my blood."
"Thou hast guided them in thy strength," &c.-Exod. xv. 13,
MISTAKEN men may brawl
Against the grace of God,
And threat with final fall
The purchase of his blood;
But, though they own the Saviour's name,
From him such gospel never came.
Shall babes in Christ be reft
Of God's rich gift of faith?
Be to their own will left,
And sin the sin to death?
Shall any child of God be lost,
And Satan cheat the Holy Ghost?
Dark unbelief and pride,
With pharisaic zeal,
We lay you all aside,
And trust a surer seal:
We rest our souls on Jesus' word,
And give the glory to the Lord.
Led forth by God's free grace,
And guided by his power,
We reach his holy place,
And live for evermore:
'Twas this place Moses had in view; Of this he sang, and we sing too.
Saints in the Hand of Christ.-John x. 28, 29
FIRM as the earth thy gospel stands,
My Lord, my hope, my trust;
If I am found in Jesus' hands,
My soul can ne'er be lost.
2 His honour is engaged to save
The meanest of his sheep;
All that his heavenly Father gave
His hands securely keep.
3 Nor death, nor hell, shall e'er remove His favourites from his breast;
In the dear bosom of his love
They must for ever rest.
"Let God be true, and every man a liar."-Rom. iii. 4. THE God I trust is true and just;
His mercy has no end;
Himselt nas said my ransom's paid,
And I on him depend.
2 Then why so sad, my soul? though bad,
Thou hast a Friend that's good;
He bought thee dear (abandon fear);
He bought thee with his blood.
3 So rich a cost can ne'er be lost,
Though faith be tried by fire:
Keep Christ in view; let God be true;
And every man a liar.
Rest for Weary Souls.-Matt. xi. 28.
DOES the gospel-word proclaim
Rest for those who weary be?
Then, my soul, put in thy claim;
Sure, that promise speaks to thee.
Marks of grace I cannot show ;
All polluted is my breast;
Yet I weary am, I know,
And the weary long for rest!
2 Burden'd with a load of sin;
Harass'd with tormenting doubt;
Hourly conflicts from within;
Hourly crosses from without:
All my little strength is gone;
Sink I must without supply;
Sure upon the earth there's none
Can more weary be than I!
3 In the ark the weary dove
Found a welcome resting-place;
Thus my spirit longs to prove
Rest in Christ, the ark of grace,
Tempest-toss'd I long have been,
And the flood increases fast;
Open, Lord, and take me in,
Till the storm be overpast.
The Lord's Day.-Ps. lxxxiv. 1, 2, 10.
WE
WELCOME, sweet day of rest,
That saw the Lord arise;
Welcome to this reviving breast,
And these rejoicing eyes.
The King himself comes near,
And feasts his saints to-day;
Here we may sit and see him here,
And love, and praise, and pray.
One day amidst the place
Where my dear God hath been,
Is sweeter than ten thousand days
Of pleasurable sin.
4 My willing soul would stay
In such a frame as this,
And sit and sing herself away
To everlasting bliss.
The Sabbath.-Deut. v. 14, 15.
GOD thus commanded Jacob's seed, When, from Egyptian-bondage freed, He led them by the way:
"Remember, with a mighty hand
I brought thee forth from Pharaoh's land;
Then keep my Sabbath Day."
2 [In six days God made heaven and earth;
Gave all the various creatures birth,
And from his working ceased;
These days to labour he applied;
The seventh he bless'd and sanctified,
And call'd the day of rest.]
3 To all God's people now remains
A Sabbatism, a rest from pains,
And works of slavish kind:
When tired with toil, and faint through fear,
The child of God can enter here,
And sweet refreshment find.
4 To this, by faith, he oft retreats;
Bondage and labour quite forgets,
And bids his cares adieu;
Slides softly into promised rest,
Reclines his head on Jesus' breast,
And proves the Sabbath true.
5 [This, and this only, is the way
To rightly keep the Sabbath Day,
Which God has holy made.
All keepers that come short of this,
The substance of the Sabbath miss,
And grasp an empty shade.]
Social Worship.-Ps. lxxxiv. 1, 2.
How charming is the place,
Where my Redeemer, God,
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