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Our parents, brothers, sisters, friends,
We love and hold most dear;
For these our Heavenly Father sends
To make us happy here.
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They feed, they clothe, supply our wants,
And bless us while they live;
But God, our Heavenly Father, grants
Blessings they cannot give.
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We call them ours a little while--
Then one by one departs,
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And we no longer see their smile
That won our youthful hearts.
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Our Heavenly Father cannot die;
On Him our souls depend;
We sleep and wake beneath His eye--
He loves us to the end.
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He gave us being, gave us breath;
We feel His constant care;
We're His through life, we're His in death,
His we for ever are.
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He to His house, not made with hands,
Invites us while we roam,
And at the door our Saviour stands
To bid its welcome home.
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What doth the Lord, on our poor part,
Require us to resign?
"My son," saith He, "give Me thy heart"
"My daughter! give Me thine."
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Let us on this great jubilee,
Answer, "Thy will be done;
We give up all our hearts to Thee:
Each child now brings Thee one.
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"Take them, and fill them with Thy love--
Fill till they overflow
With praise to Thee in heaven above,
And prayer for all below.
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"May every heart on earth's wide face,
Of child or man, be given
To Christ, where'er His Word of Grace
Is sounded under heaven!"
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