2 I hate to hear a wanton song;
Their words offend my ears;
I would not dare defile my tongue
With language such as theirs.

3 Away from fools I'll turn my eyes,
Nor with the scoffers go;

I would be walking with the wise,
That wiser I might grow.

4 I hate to walk, I hate to dwell
With sinful children here;
Then let me not be sent to hell,
Where none but sinners are.

253

Forsaking Sinners.

L.M.

A

NGELS that high in glory dwell, Adore thy name, Almighty God! And devils tremble low in hell,

Beneath the terrors of thy rod.

2 And yet how wicked children dare

Abuse thy dreadful, glorious name! And when they're angry how they swear, And curse their fellows, and blaspheme.

3 I'll leave my playmates whom I hear
Profanely take thy name in vain;
Lest I too learn to curse and swear,
And dwell with them in endless flame.

254

Ο

We cannot trust Liars. L. M.

"TIS a lovely thing for youth

To walk betimes in wisdom's way
To fear a lie, to speak the truth,
That we may trust to all they say!

2 But liars we can never trust,

Though they should speak the thing
that's true;

And he that does one fault at first,
And lies to hide it, makes it two,
3 Have children never heard, nor read,
How God abhors deceit and wrong?
How Ananias was struck dead,

Caught with a lie upon his tongue? 4 So did his wife Sapphira die,

When she came in, and grew so bold, As to confirm the wicked lie,

That, just before, her husband told.

5 The Lord delights in them that speak The words of truth; but every liar Must have his portion in the lake

That burns with brimstone and with fire.

255

Children mocking.

C. M.

OUR tongues were made to bless the

Lord,

And not speak ill of men;
When others give a railing word,
We must not rail again.

2 Should any dare be so profane,
To mock, and jeer, and scoff,
At holy things, or holy men,
The Lord shall cut them off.

256

Save us from Falsehood.

7'8.

ORD! if e'er I dare to speak

Words of falsehood, check my tongue

Lest I sin against thy laws,

By committing what is wrong.

2 Plainly doth thy word declare
Thou the wicked dost despise,
Who with base and impious lips
Utter fearful oaths and lies.

3 Why, if I have dared commit
What is evil in thy sight,
Should I seek by an untruth
To conceal it from the light.
4 Idle words and foolish jests
Are offensive, Lord, to thee;
Thou requirest in the heart
Perfect truth and purity.

5 Teach me then, O Lord! to shun
Evil speaking in my youth:

So shall I in after-days

Hope to walk with thee in truth.

1 THOSE children who a promise give Should always keep their word;

And falsehood from their little mouths
Should never once be heard.

For when a child a lie has told,
He cannot be believed;

Not even when the truth he speaks,
Because he once deceived.

O who a lie would dare to tell,
And bring himself to shame;
And thus offend the God of truth,
And mock his holy name!

151

TIME UNCERTAIN.

258

Time is flying.

C. M.

HOW long sometimes a day appears!
And weeks, how long are they!

Months move along, as if the years
Would never pass away.

2 But months and years are passing by,
And soon must all be gone;

For day by day, as minutes fly,
Eternity comes on.

3 Days, months, and years must have an en Eternity has none:

"Twill always have as long to spend As when it first began.

4 Great God, an infant cannot tell How such a thing can be;

1

I only pray that I may dwell
That long, long time with thee.

TO-MORROW, Lord, is thine,

S. M.

Lodged in thy sovereign hand;
And if its sun arise, and shine,
It shines by thy command.

2 The present moment flies,
And bears our life away;
O make us children truly wise,
That we may live to-day.

3 Since on this fleeting hour
Eternity is hung,

Waken by thine almighty power
The aged and the young.

4 One thing demands our care,
O be it still pursued;

Lest, slighted once, the season fair
Should never be renewed.

5 To Jesus may we fly,

1

Swift as the morning light;

Lest life's bright beams at once snould die, In sudden endless night.

260

L

Time fleeting.

ORD, what a feeble piece
Is this our mortal frame!
Our life-how poor a trifle 'tis,
That scarce deserves the name!

2 Our moments fly apace,

3

Our feeble powers decay;

Swift as a flood, our hasty days
Are sweeping us away.

Then, if our days must fly,

S. M.

We'll keep their end in sight;
We'll spend them all in wisdom's way,
And let them speed their flight.

4 They'll waft us sooner o'er
This life's tempestuous sea;

Soon shall we reach the peaceful shore
Of blest eternity.

261

Danger of Delay.

L. M.

WHY should I say, 'tis yet too soon

To seek for heaven or think of death?

A flower may fade before 'tis noon,
And I this day may lose my breath.