IRISH REVIVAL HYMNS.

AMONG the means used by the friends of the late revival in Ireland to promote an extension of religious feeling, were "psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs," and other poetic pieces, which were sung to popular tunes with great animation, something after the manner of the "Primitives" in England. Amidst the excitement which prevailed, there was no doubt much that a very orderly or fastidious observer might disapprove and almost condemn. He was not brought to serious reflection by such means, and he did not see how others could. And yet the means employed might be best adapted to the parties whom it was intended to benefit. Indeed this seems to have been the general conviction of christian men of all denominations and positions, from the dignified Bishop and sober Judge to the warmhearted Wesleyan and still warmer "Primitive;" Presbyterians, Independents, and Baptists, all joining to promote the good work, and rejoice in the happy results.

We give a few specimens of some of these productions.

THE SINNER AND HIS SAVIOUR.

A DIALOGUE.

SINNER.

A RUIN'D sinner, lost, undone,-Lord Jesus, hear my cry!
The stains of guilt are on my soul; Lord, save me, or I die!

SAVIOUR.

I will, thou wretched ruin'd one: before thee, lo, I stand;
Come unto me just as thou art, and grasp my pierced hand.
I will not spurn thee from me now for all thy rags and chains,
I love thee;-come to me, and wash thy dark and crimson stains.
SINNER.

Ten thousand talents, Lord, I owe,-nothing have I to pay;
I dare not come, my nakedness would shame the light of day!

SAVIOUR.

Come unto me, thou bankrupt soul; why dost thou linger yet?
With my own life-blood I have paid the last mite of thy debt.
My riches now give I to thee, and, for thy royal dress,

Will clothe thee with my spotless robe of perfect righteousness.

IRISH REVIVAL HYMNS.

SINNER.

I fain would come, I fain would pray; my tears alone must speak;
I come;-yet seems my strengthless heart too wayward and too weak.
SAVIOUR.

Come thou to me, thou weary one, and then thou shalt find rest;
And my meek Spirit shall abide within thy troubled breast,

With life and love, with power and peace, with holiness and might;
O! listen now unto his voice, for he will give thee light.

SINNER.

I come, He draws me; I am thine, Lord Jesus, thou art mine.
I ask no more, if only thus upon me thou wilt shine.

SAVIOUR.

My Father loves thee, and I love; my Spirit dwells in thee:
To give thee life, and joy, and heaven, and immortality.

But, may be, clouds will come, and hide thy Saviour from thine eyes;
Say, wilt thou love me even then, beneath those darker skies?

SINNER.

I leave myself to thee, O Lord; I love thee, though unseen;
But when shall this dividing veil be raised that hangs between ?

SAVIOUR.

Press onward, ransomed one, press on to my celestial realm;
The voyage may be rough and long, but I am at the helm ;
The wilderness is rough and vast, but I have gone before thee,
And trampled down the briars and thorns in the rough path to glory.
SINNER.

And shall I never leave thy side upon that blissful shore,
But see thee in thy glory there, and love thee evermore?

SAVIOUR.

For ever-thou shalt share my throne, my Father's face behold,
And swell the rapturous melodies of thousand harps of gold.
Fear not, for I will welcome thee, with my own joyful smile:
Press on, be faithful unto death-'tis but a little while.

NEED OF JESUS.

I NEED thee, precious Jesus! for I am full of sin;

My soul is dark and guilty, my heart is dead within:

I need the cleansing fountain to which I now may flee,-
The blood of Christ most precious, the sinner's only plea.

I need thee, precious Jesus! for I am very poor;

A stranger and a pilgrim here, as all my fathers were;

I need the love of Jesus to cheer me on my way,

To guide my doubting footsteps right, and be my strength and stay.

IRISH REVIVAL HYMNS.

I need thee, precious Jesus! I need a Friend like thee;
A Friend to soothe and sympathise, a Friend to care for me;
I need a Friend like Jesus to feel each anxious care,
To help me bear my burden, and all my sorrow share.

I need thee, precious Jesus! for I am very blind;
A weak and foolish wanderer with a dark and evil mind:
I need the light of Jesus to tread the thorny road,
To guide me safe to glory, where I shall see my God.

I need thee, precious Jesus! I need thee day by day
To fill me with thy fullness, to lead me on my way:
I need thy Holy Spirit to teach me what I am,

To show me more of Jesus, and point me to the Lamb.

I need thee, precious Jesus! and hope to see thee soon
In thy own glory seated upon thy radiant throne;
There with thy blood-bought children my joy shall ever be
To sing thy praises, Jesus!-and gaze, my LORD, on thee.

THE PENITENT'S PRAYER.

LORD, to thee I trembling fly, full of sin-afraid to die;
Turn, O turn, and to me give, saving grace that I may live!
Long a sinner-sinning too, when the gospel well I knew;
Should thy judgment on me fall, justly must I suffer all.

Blessed Jesus, hear my cry, Oh! behold my agony :
Lord of glory, can it be, there is no hope of heaven for me?
By thy love so full and free, by thy passion on the tree,
By thy promise all to save, who to thee for mercy crave―

Lord of glory, I entreat, now for pardon at thy feet;
Send thy blessing, grant thy peace, bid my heart's wild terror cease.
Then my soul shall loud proclaim, the honour of my Saviour's name,
And in nobler songs above, I will praise thy wondrous love.

TO JESUS IN HEAVEN.

O LORD, who now art seated above the heavens on high,
The gracious work completed for which thou cam'st to die,
To thee our hearts are lifted, while wand'ring pilgrims here,
For thou alone art gifted our load of sin to bear.

We know that thou hast bought us, and washed us in thy blood;
We know thy grace has taught us the way to heaven and God;
We know that soon the morning, long looked for, hasteth near,
When we, at thy returning, in glory shall appear.

O Lord, thy love's unbounded, so full, so sweet, so free,
Our thoughts are all confounded whene'er we think on Thee;
For us thou cam'st from heaven, for us to bleed and die,
That, purchas'd and forgiven, we might ascend on high.

ANECDOTES AND SELECTIONS.

Anecdotes and Selections.

A SCOTCH SAILOR, after a voyage among the islands of the Pacific ocean, said, "Last year I was wrecked on one of those islands, where I knew that eight years before a ship was wrecked and the crew murdered; and you may judge how I felt at the prospect before us-if not dashed to pieces on the rocks, to survive only for a more cruel death. When day broke, we saw a number of canoes pulling for our ship, and we prepared for the worst. Think of our joy and wonder when we saw the natives in English dress, and heard some of them speak in the English language. On that very island the next sabbath we heard the gospel preached, and heard the same psalms sung I used to sing in old Scotland. I do not know what you think of missions, but I know what I have now told you."

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THE DEVIL DRIVEN AWAY.-MARTIN LUTHER says:-Once upon a time the devil came to me and said, "Martin, you are a great sinner, and you will be damned." 'Stop! stop!" said I, one thing at a time. I am a great sinner; that is true, though you have no right to tell me of it. I confess it. What next?" "Therefore you will be damned!" "That is not good reasoning. It is true I am a great sinner; but it is written,-Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners; therefore I shall be saved. Now go your way!" So I cut the devil off with his own sword, and he went away grumbling because he could not cast me down by calling me a sinner.

THE MESSAGE.-A man who feared God being engaged as a messenger, called at an office where were several clerks with a message for one of them. A pert youth turning round to him said, "Have you not one for me, George ?" "Yes," was the reply, "I have a message from God unto thee. I warn you to flee from the wrath to come." The tender manner of the good man touched the heart of the thoughtless youth, and led him to repent of sin and seek the Saviour.

SAFE ON THE ROCK.-A rough and drunken sailor, having been led to see the wickedness of sin, was directed to Christ as the only Saviour of the lost. Soon after this he had to endure a severe surgical operation, under which he sunk into the arms of death. In his last moments, when asked if he yet trusted in Christ, he replied, "Yes, I feel I am on the rock. I shall not slip off now, and no one can pull me off-man nor devil."

THIS INSCRIPTION appears on the front of a Charity School at Edmonton

1784

A Structure of Hope

Founded by Faith
On the basis of Charity.

THE FIRESIDE.--THE PENNY POST BOX.

The Fireside.

ADVANTAGES OF HONESTY.

INTEGRITY should influence our conduct towards our nearest connexions. Even between married people, mutual confidence cannot be maintained without a sacred regard to property, and concurrence and candour in the disposal of it. It is a very wretched state of things where one party is in the habit of earning or spending money in concealment from the other.

Perhaps there is no station in life in which the love of gain does not, in one form or other, present temptations to dishonesty-yes, dishonesty is the word; there is no gentler name for a breach of integrity. If we are not strictly just and upright in all our dealings, we are dishonest; and it does not matter how much we profess, if we covet what is not our own, we are dishonest in heart, and that is the first step to dishonest actions. When once a sinful desire is indulged, it is not easy to set bounds to the steps of wickedness by which it is to be pursued. If persons surrounded with affluence and grandeur are not above the reach of temptations to injustice, surely those have great need to be on their guard who possess nothing but what they labour hard to obtain; who are sometimes straitened for the supply of their moderate wants; and who have families rising around, with claims which they know not how to meet. It is true that some of the most honourable examples of strict integrity are to be found among this class of society; and they are the result of that high-toned principle, the cultivation of which is here recommended, and which precludes even the desire of unjust gain in every shape and form. The character of a wife, in this respect, is immensely important, as it tends to secure her own peace of mind; and the entire confidence of her husband; as it exercises a salutary influence in promoting habits of conscientious integrity in him; and as their joint example will tell upon their children.

The Penny Post Box.

NOTICE FOR 1862.

We just fill up this page with a few words to our friends about next year. This year we have not had so many letters froin you as we wished. Next year we hope to have more. Remember that any of you, working men or working women, young men or maidens, are at liberty to send anything you please, providing what you write is likely to do good to others. Never mind about the spelling or the grammar; all we want is to have some good thoughts in plain writing. We shall give one page for your letters every month, and we hope you will make good use of it.