ANCIENT of ages! humbly bent before thee, Songs of glad homage, Lord! to thee we bring: Touch'd by thy spirit, O teach us to adore thee, Sole God and Father! everlasting King!

Let thy light attend us;

Let thy grace befriend us!

Eternal, unrivall'd, all-directing King!

Send forth thy mandate, gather in the nations, Through the wide universe thy name be known; Millions of voices shall join in adorations—

Join to adore thee, Undivided One!

Every soul invited,

Every voice united

United to praise thee, Undivided One!

LXXVIII.

To thee, the Lord Almighty,

Our noblest praise we give,
Who all things hast created,
And blessest all that live:

Whose goodness, never failing
Through countless ages gone,

For ever and for ever

Shall still keep shining on.

THE nations all whom thou hast made, Shall come, and all shall frame

To bow them low before thee, Lord, And glorify thy name.

Truth from the earth, like to a flower, Shall bud and blossom then;

And Justice from her heav'nly bower Look down on mortal men!

For great thou art, and wonders great
By thy strong hand are done;
Thou in thine everlasting seat
Remainest God alone.

LXXX.

O! I would sing a song of praise,
Natural as the breeze

That stirs amongst the forest-trees,
Whisp'ring ever,

Weary never,

Summer's prime or wintry days

So should come my song of praise.

O! I would sing a song of praise,
Sweet as breathing flowers,

That ope to greet the earlier hours;
Never-ending

Incense sending

Up, to bless their parent rays-
So should wake my song of praise.

O! I would sing a song of praise,
Holy as the night,

When heaven comes to us in the light
Of stars, whose gleaming,

Influence streaming,

Draws us upward while we gaze—
So should rise my song of praise.

To thee, O God, a song of praise, With breeze, and bloom, and star, To thee, who made us what we areBlessed Spirit!

We inherit

All from thee; then let us raise
Songs of praise-immortal praise !

I WILL sing to the Lord
As long as I live.

I will sing praise to my God
While I have my being.
O that my meditation

May be grateful unto him!

LXXXII.

PART in peace! is day before us?
Praise his name for life and light;
Are the shadows lengthening o'er us?
Bless his care who guards the night.

Part in peace! with deep thanksgiving,
Rendering, as we homeward tread,
Gracious service to the living,
Tranquil memory to the dead.

Part in peace! such are the praises
God our Maker loveth best;
Such the worship that upraises
Human hearts to heavenly rest.
Hallelujah! Amen.

LXXXIII.

As flame ascends;

As vapours to the earth in showers return;
As the pois'd ocean towards th' attracting moon
Swells; and the ever-listening planets, charmed
By the sun's call, their onward pace incline:
So all things which have life aspire to God,
Centre of souls! Nor doth the mastering voice
Of Nature cease within, to prompt aright
Their steps; nor is the care of Heaven withheld
From sending to the toil external aid;

That, in their stations, all may persevere
To climb the ascent of being, and approach
For ever nearer to the Life divine.