92.

THE BANNER OF FREEDOM.

Like purest azure brightness,
God's saving power appears,
When freedom shines on faces
Bedimmed with bondage tears.
When fall the chains,
And justice reigns,

In equal laws to bind,

And bless the human kind.

Unfurl thy banners, Freedom,
Thou blessing from on high!
Proclaim Thy Father's kingdom
To brothers far and nigh.

All men unite

In heaven's sight,

That over vale and hill

May rule His sovereign will.

O Freedom, speed thy heralds
To sound their mighty peal!
That fetters break asunder,
And wounded spirits heal.
Let nations sing:

The Lord is King!

He broke the tyrant's sword
By Ilis almighty word.

I. M. W.

93.

THE SONG OF VICTORY.

(7th Day Passover.)

No fear I know, attended

By Thee, my guard and shield;
Through floods of death contended,
All foes to Thee must yield.

Grim terrors hope had banished,
Death threated either side;
God spoke, the foeman vanished,
He made the waves divide.

E'er since that great salvation,
Led by Thy gracious hand,
Through night, to-day Thy nation
Moved tow'rd the promised land.

Thy work in grace endureth,
From time afore to now;
And freedom still assureth
My song of victory Thou.

94.

LET THERE BE LIGHT.

(The Feast of Weeks.)

H.-I. S. M.

"Let there be light"-at dawn of time,
The Lord of Hosts proclaimed;
"Let there be light," this call sublime
Went forth when Horeb flamed.

Then broke on Israel's mind a day,
Illumined by a heavenly ray.

And since that hour the light has grown
In fullness more and more;

It shall increase till all shall own
One God and Him adore,

And strive to know His righteous will
And His commandments to fulfill.

O Israel, guard this heirloom light,
As did our sires of old;

They kept their watch in darkest night
'Midst agonies untold;

And often martyr's death endured,

But could not from their posts be lured.

"Let there be light," God spoke once more, The age of freedom came;

Still Judah, as in days of yore,

Shall sanctify God's name,

Still be, O gracious Father grant!
The people of Thy covenant.

We cling to Thee, this brighter day,
O Law of Righteousness;
No perils now beset our way,
But our own faithlessness.

O radiant beam from Sinai's height-
Guide Thou our erring steps aright.

I. M. W.

95.

O DAY OF LIGHT.

Oh. day of light, with rapture beaming,
With sacred joy thee do we greet;
The sun of grace with radiance streaming,
Evokes ou: songs thine hours to meet.

When deepest night our souls enshrouded,
And error veiled the spirits' sight,
In love the Lord our eyes unclouded,
Revealing wisdom's wondrous light.

"Twas at Mount Horeb, thunder riven,
The sacred law divine and just,
For all mankind's redemption given,
Was granted as a holy trust.

With faithfulness no words can measure,
The Torah was our holy care;

And ever loyal to this treasure,
It's law we'll as our ensign bear.

H.-I. S. M.

CONFIRMATION HYMNS.

96.

BLESSED ARE WHO COME.

How blessed is who cometh

In the name of the Lord our God;
O blessed be ye, O blessed be ye
In the house of the Lord our God.

97.

FLOWER PRAYER.

Our Father, we beseech Thy grace,
As in Thy presence reverently,

In this, Thy holy dwelling place

We dedicate our lives to Thee.
Not proudly do we seek Thy care,
In fond humility we move

Nearer Thy shrine and nestle there
To ask Thy love.

To-day, in reverent awe we strew
Thy altar with fresh offerings sweet,
Not as of yore our fathers slew

Thy creatures dumb and deemed it meet To shed their blood in sacrifice;

We bear instead these flowers new-blown, That with their breath our prayers may rise Unto Thy throne.

As blossoms, that in stony ways,

In fragrant clusters oft are found, So teach our lives to show Thy praise That we may sweeten life's dull round, To toil with faith through busy years, And though dark clouds obscure the sun, To whisper still through blinding tears: Thy will be done.

98.

THE VOW OF FAITH.

Sacred awe stirs heart and feeling:
Hither were my footsteps bent,
That I might with pledges sealing,
Join God's ancient covenant.

May my vows on high be heard,
As I speak the binding word.

Hear, O Father, my petition,

I. G.

Witnessed by Thy people's throng;

Let my words find full fruition,
Make me faithful, true and strong,
Father, ever stay with me,

So my life may honor Thee.

H.-I. S. M.