II. Their mites, in blessings on their heads, A thousand fold restore; O feed their souls with living bread, And let their cup run o’er.
III. Thy bounty, LORD, in CHRIST built up, Let them for ever prove: Stedfast in faith, joyful thro’ hope, And rooted deep in love.
IV. For those, who kindly this support, A better house prepare: And when remov’d to thy bless’d courts, O let us meet them there.
That they may always look to the rock from whence they are hewn, they sing daily this hymn.
I. Come let us join our GOD to bless, And praise him evermore; That Father of the fatherless, That helper of the poor.
II. Our dying parents us forsake, His mercy takes us up, Kindly vouchsafes his own to make, And he becomes our hope.
III. For us, He, in the wilderness, A table has prepar’d; Us, whom his love delights to bless, His providence to guard.
IV. Known unto him are all our wants, And when we seek his face, His open hand our bodies feeds, He feeds our souls with grace.
V. Then let us in his service spend, What we from Him receive; And back to Him what he shall lend, In thanks and praises give.
That they may learn to labour truly to get their own living, they sing as follows, before they go to work,
I. Let us go forth, ’tis GOD’s command; Let us make haste away, Offer to CHRIST our hearts and hands, We work for CHRIST to-day.
II. When he vouchsafes our hands to use, It makes our labour sweet. If any now to work refuse, Let not that sluggard eat.
III. Who would not do what GOD ordains, And promises to bless? Who would not ’scape the toils and pains Of sinful idleness?
IV. In vain to CHRIST the slothful pray; We have not learn’d him so. No: for he calls himself the way, And work’d himself below.
V. Then let us in his footsteps tread, And gladly act our part; On earth employ our hands and head, But fix on heaven our heart.
The following hymn was composed to be sung at the admission of a new child or children.
I. Welcome, dear brethren, whom we love; |Bethesda| this we call. A house of mercy may it prove To you, to us, to all!
II. What tho’ our parents dear are dead, Yet our great GOD provides. Our bodies here are cloth’d and fed; Our souls have christian guides.
III. The heavenly manna, day by day, They freely do impart; Let us not trifle time away! But lay it in our heart.
IV. O let the love of CHRIST constrain! Why should we need a rod? Few e’er such blessed means obtain Of leading them to GOD.
Besides these hymns, they generally sing a grace before and after meat, and are taught so to vary their exercises, that they may not be cloyed by a too frequent repetition of the same things on the one hand, and yet are kept in such a general method, that they may not learn to be desultory and fickle on the other.
GOD only knows the concern that lies upon me on account of this family, not only in respect to their bodily, but their spiritual provision. And therefore I hope all that wish well to _Zion_, will help me with prayers, as well as their alms, that it may grow up a holy temple to the LORD, and be blessed; that it may rightly be stiled _Pietas Georgiensis_, and like the _Pietas Hallensis_, or Professor _Franck_’s Orphan-House at _Glaucha_, near _Hall_, become the joy of the whole earth. Even so, LORD JESUS, _Amen_, and _Amen_.