Invocation to the Spirit. John xiv. 26.
1 BLEST Comforter divine!
Let rays of heavenly love
Amid our gloom and darkness shine,
And guide our souls above.
2 Draw, with thy still small voice,
Us from each sinful way;
And bid the mourning saint rejoice,
Though earthly joys decay.
3 By thine inspiring breath
Make ev'ry cloud of care,
And e'en the gloomy vale of death,
A smile of glory wear.
4 Oh, fill thou ev'ry heart
With love to all our race!
Great Comforter! to us impart
These blessings of thy grace.
88. 8.7.
To the blessed Spirit.
1 HOLY GHOST, dispel our sadness,
Pierce the clouds of sinful night;
Come, thou source of sweetest gladness,
Breathe thy life, and spread thy light
Loving Spirit, God of peace,
Great distributer of grace,
Rest upon this congregation!
Hear, O hear our supplication.
2 From that height which knows no measure,
As a gracious shower descend,
Bringing down the richest treasure
Man can wish, or God can send.
O thou glory, shining down
From the Father and the Son,
Grant us thy illumination!
Rest upon this congregation.
3 Come, thou best of all donations
God can give, or we implore;
Having thy sweet consolations,
We need wish for nothing more:
Come, with unction and with power,
On our souls thy graces shower;
Author of the new creation,
Make our hearts thy habitation.
The return of the Spirit implored. Eph. iv. 30. 1 FOR ever shall my fainting soul,
O God, thy just displeasure mourn;
Thy grieved Spirit long withdrawn,
Will he no more to me return?
2 Once I enjoy'd, (O happy time,)
The heart-felt visits of his grace;
Nor can a thousand varying scenes
The sweet remembrance quite efface!
3 Beneath his warming, quick'ning beams
This icy rock dissolv❜d away;
New life diffus'd through all my pow'rs,
And darkness yielded to the day.
4 Great source of light and peace, return,
Nor let me mourn and sigh in vain;
Come, repossess this longing heart,
With all the graces of thy train.
90. L. M.
Preparation for Worship.
1 COME, Holy Spirit, calm each mind,
And fit us to approach our God;
Remove each vain, each worldly thought,
And lead us to thy blest abode.
2 Hast thou imparted to our souls
A living spark of holy fire?
Oh! kindle now the sacred flame;
Make us to burn with pure desire.
3 Still brighter faith and hope impart,
And let us now our Saviour see;
O! soothe and cheer each burden'd heart,
And bid our spirits rest in thee.
Take not thy Holy Spirit, &c. Ps. ii. 11.
1 STAY, thou insulted Spirit, stay,
Though I have done thee such despite,
Cast not a sinner quite away,
Nor take thine everlasting flight:
2 Though I have most unfaithful been
Of all who e'er thy grace receiv'd,
Ten thousand times thy goodness seen,
Ten thousand times thy goodness griev'd:
3 Yet Oh, the chief of sinners spare,
In honor of my great High Priest;
Nor in thy righteous anger swear
I shall not see thy people's rest.
4 If yet thou canst my sins forgive,
E'en now, O Lord, relieve my woes;
Into thy rest of love receive,
And bless me with the calm repose.
5 E'en now my weary soul release,
And raise me by thy gracious hand!
Guide me in thy perfect peace,
And bring me to the promis'd land.
AH, guilty sinner, ruin'd by transgression,
What shall thy doom be, when, array'd in terror,
God shall command thee, cover'd with pollution,
Up to the judgment?
2 Wilt thou escape from his omniscient notice,
Fly to the caverns, court annihilation?
Vain thy presumption, justice still shall triumph,
In thy destruction.
8 Stop, thoughtless sinner, stop awhile and ponder,
Ere death arrest thee, and the Judge in vengeance
Hurl from his presence thine affrighted spirit,
Swift to perdition.
4 Oft has he call'd thee, but thou wouldst not hear him,
Mercies and judgments have alike been slighted; Yet he is gracious, and with arms unfolded
5 Come, then, poor sinner, come away this moment,
Just as you are, come, filthy and polluted,
Come to the fountain open for uncleanness;
Jesus invites you.
6 Oh! guilty sinner, hear the voice of warning; Fly to the Saviour, and embrace his pardon, So shall your spirit meet with joy triumphant, Death and the judgment!
Pres Davies. 93. L. M. Old Hundred
The Wreck of Nature. Isa. xxiv. 18-20.
1 HOW great, how terrible that God,
Who shakes creation with his nod!
He frowns-earth, sea, all nature's frame
Sink in one universal flame.
2 Where now, oh, where shall sinners seek
For shelter in the general wreck!
Shall falling rocks be o'er them thrown?
See rocks, like snow dissolving down.
*3 In vain for mercy now they cry ;*
In lakes of liquid fire they lie;
There on the flaming billows tost;
For ever-oh, for ever lost!
4 But saints, undaunted and serene,
With calmness view the dreadful scene;
Their Saviour lives, the worlds expire;
And earth and skies dissolve in fire.
5 Jesus, the helpless creature's friend,
To thee my all I dare commend ;
Thou canst preserve my feeble soul
When lightnings blaze from pole to pole.
Preparation for the Judgment. Rev. xx. 11.
1 HOW will my heart endure
The terrors of that day,
When earth and heav'n, before the Judge,
Astonish'd shrink away!
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