Olney Hymns (1840)/II

by John Newton and William Cowper

OLNEY HYMNS.

BOOK II.

ON OCCASIONAL SUBJECTS.

I. SEASONS.

II. ORDINANCES.

III. PROVIDENCES.

IV. CREATION.

I. SEASONS.

NEW-YEAR S HYMNS.

1.
Time how Swift.

 
1 WHILE with ceaseless course the sun
Hasted through the former year,
Many souls their race have run,
Never more to meet us here :
Fix d in an eternal state,
They have done with all below ;
We a little longer wait,
But how little none can know.

2 As the winged arrow flies,
Speedily the mark to find ;
As the lightning from the skies
Darts, and leaves no trace behind ;
Swiftly thus our fleeting days
Bear us down life s rapid stream ;
Upwards, Lord, our spirits raise,
All below is but a dream.

3 Thanks for mercies past receive,
Pardon of our sins renew ;
Teach us, henceforth, how to live
With eternity in view ;
Bless thy word to young and old,
Fill us with a Saviour s love ;
And when life s short tale is told,
May we dwell with thee above !

2.
Time how Short.

 
TIME, with an unwearied hand,
Pushes round the seasons past;
And in life s frail glass the sand
Sinks apace, not long to last :
Many who, as you or I,
The last year assembled thus,
In their silent graves now lie :
Graves will open soon for us.

2 Daily sin and care and strife,
While the Lord prolongs our breath,
Make it but a dying life,
Or a kind of living death :
Wretched they and most forlorn,
Who no better portion know ;
Better ne er to have been born,
Than to have our all below.

3 When constrain d to go alone,
Leaving all your love behind,
Ent ring on a world unknown,
What will then support your mind?
AVhen the Lord his summons sends,
Earthly comforts lose their power;
Honour, riches, kindred, friends,
Cannot cheer a dying hour.

4 Happy souls who fear the Lord!
Time is not too swift for you ;
When your Saviour gives the word.
Glad you ll bid the world adieu:

Then he ll wipe away your tears,
Near himself appoint your place ;
Swifter fly, ye rolling years,
Lord, we long to see thy face !

3.
Uncertainty of Life.

 
1 SEE ! another year is gone !
Quickly have the seasons pass d !
This we enter now upon
Will to many prove their last :
Mercy hitherto has spared,
But have mercies been improved?
Let us ask, Am I prepared,
Should I be this year removed ?

2 Some we now no longer see,
Who their mortal race have run ;
Seem d as fair for life as we,
When the former year begun :
Some, but who God only knows,
Who are here assembled now,
Ere the present year shall close,
To the stroke of death must bow.

3 Life a field of battle is,
Thousands fall within our view :
And the next death-bolt that flies :
May be sent to me or you :
While we preach and while we hear,
Help us, Lord, each one to think
Vast eternity is near,
I am standing on the brink.

4 If from guilt and sin set free
By the knowledge of thy grace,
Welcome then the call will be
To depart and see thy face :
To thy saints while here below
With new years new mercies come ;
But the happiest year they know
Is the last, which leads them home.

4.
A New- Year s Thought and Prayer.

 
1 TIME by moments steals away,
First the hour, and then the day ;
Small the daily loss appears,
Yet it soon amounts to years :
Thus another year is flown,
Now it is no more our own,
If it brought or promised good,
Than the years before the flood.

2 But (may none of us forget)
It has left us much in debt ;
Favours from the Lord received,
Sins that have his Spirit grieved,
Mark d by an unerring hand,
In his book recorded stand ;
Who can tell the vast amount
Placed to each of our account ?

3 Happy the believing soul !
Christ for you has paid the whole ;
While you own the debt is large,
You may plead a full discharge :
But, poor careless sinner, say,
What can you to justice pay ?
Tremble, lest, when life is past,
Into prison you be cast !

4 Will you still increase the score ?
Still be careless as before ?
Oh, forbid it, gracious Lord,
Touch their spirits by thy word !
Now, in mercy to them show
What a mighty debt they owe !
All their unbelief subdue :
Let them find forgiveness too.

5 Spared to see another year,
Let thy blessing meet us here ;
Come, thy dying work revive,
Bid thy drooping garden thrive :

Sun of righteousness, arise !
Warm our hearts, and bless our eyes *
Let our pray r thy bowels move,
Make this year a time of love.

5.
Death and War. 1778.

 
1 HARK! how Time s wide-sounding bell
Strikes on each attentive ear !
Tolling loud the solemn knell
Of the late departed year :
Years, like mortals, wear away,
Have their birth and dying day,
Youthful spring and wintry age
Then to others quit the stage.

2 Sad experience may relate
What a year the last has been :
Crops of sorrow have been great
From the fruitful seeds of sin :
Oli .1 what numbers, gay and blithe,
Fell by Death s unsparing scythe,
While they thought the world their own,
Suddenly toe mow d them down !

3 See how War, with dreadful stride,
Marches at the Lord s command,
Spreading desolation wide
Through a once much-favour d land :
War, with heart and arms of steel,
Preys on thousands at a meal ;
Daily drinking human gore,
Still he thirsts and calls for more.

4 If the God whom we provoke
Hither should his way direct ;
What a sin-avenging stroke
May a land like this expect !
They who now securely sleep,
Quickly then would wake and weep
And too late would learn to fear
When they saw the danger near

5 You are safe who know his love;
He will all his truth perform ;
To your souls a refuge prove
From the rage of every storm :
But we tremble for the youth !
Teach them, Lord, thy saving truth;
Join them to thy faithful few,
Be to them a refuge too.

6.
Earthly Prospects Deceitful.

 
1 OFT in vain the voice of truth
Solemnly and loudly warns ;
Thoughtless, inexperienced youth,
Though it hears, the warning scorns :
Youth in fancy s glass surveys
Life prolong d to distant years,
While the vast imagined space
Fill d with sweets and joys appears.

2 Awful disappointment soon
Overclouds the prospect gay ;
Some their sun goes down at noon,
Torn by death s strong hand away :
Where are then their pleasing schemes
Where the joys they hoped to find ?
Gone for ever, like their dreams,
Leaving not a trace behind.

3 Others, who are spared awhile,
Live to weep o er fancy s cheat;
Find distress and pain and toil,
Bitter things instead of sweet :
Sin has spread a curse around,
Poison d all things here below ;
On this base polluted ground
Peace and joy can never grow

4 Grace alone can cure ^our ills,
Sweeten life with all its cares,
Regulate our stubborn wills,
Save us from surrounding snares :

Though you oft have heard in vain,
Former years in folly spent,
Grace invites you yet again,
Once more calls you to repent.

5 Call'd again, at length beware,
Hear the Saviour s voice and live ;
Lest he in his wrath should swear,
He no more will warning give ;
Pray that you may hear and feel,
Ere the day of grace be past ;
Lest your hearts grow hard as steel,
Or this year should prove your last.

HYMNS

Before Annual Sermons to Young People on New-Year's Evenings.

7.
Prayer for a Blessing.

 
1 Now, gracious Lord, thine arm reveal,
And make thy glory known ;
Now let us all thy presence feel,
And soften hearts of stone !

2 Help us to venture near thy throne,
And plead a Saviour s name;
For all that we can call our own
Is vanity and shame.

3 From all the guilt of former sin
May mercy set us free;
And let the year we now begin
Begin and end with thee.

4 Send down thy Spirit from above,
That saints may love thee more ;
And sinners now. may learn to love
Who never loved before.

5 And when before thee we appear,
In our eternal home,
May growing numbers worship here,
And praise thee in our room.

8.
Another. C.

 
1 BESTOW, dear Lord, upon our youth
The gift of saving grace ;
And let the seed of sacred truth
Fall in a fruitful place.

2 Grace is a plant, where er it grows,
Of pure and heav nly root;
But fairest in the youngest shows,
And yields the sweetest fruit.

3 Ye careless ones, hear betimes
The voice of sovereign love !
Your youth is stain d with many crimes,
But mercv reigns above.

4 True, you are young, but there s a stone
Within the youngest breast ;
Or half the crimes which you have done
Would rob you of your rest.

5 For you the public prayer is made,
Oh ! join the public prayer ;
For you the sacred tear is shed,
Oh ! shed yourselves a tear.

6 We pray that you may early prove
The Spirit s power to teach ;
You cannot be too young to love
That Jesus whom we preach.

9.
Another.

 
I Now may fervent prayer arise,
Wing d with faith, and pierce the skies ;
Fervent prayer shall bring us down
Gracious answers from the throne.

2 Bless, Lord, the opening year
To each soul assembled here ;
Clothe thj word with power divine,
Make us willing to be thine.

3 Shepherd of thy blood-bought sheep !
Teach the stony heart to weep ;
Let the blind have eyes to see,
See themselves and look on thee !

4 Let the minds of all our youth
Feel the force of sacred truth ;
While the gospel call we hear,
May they learn to love and fear.

5 Show them what their ways have been,
Show them the desert of sin ;
Then thy dying love reveal,
This shall melt a heart of steel.

6 Where thou hast thy work begun,
Give new strength the race to run ;
Scatter darkness, doubts, and fears,
Wipe away the mourner s tears.

7 Bless us all, both old and young ;
Call forth praise from every tongue ;
Let the whole assembly prove
All thy power and all thy love.

10.
Casting the Gospel Net.

 
1 WHEX Peter, through the tedious night,
Had often cast his net in vain,
Soon as the Lord appear d in sight
He gladly let it down again.

2 Once more the gospel net we cast ;
Do thou, O Lord, the effort own !
We learn from disappointments past
To rest our hope on thee alone.

3 Upheld by thy supporting hand,
We enter on another year ;

And now we meet at thy command,
To seek thy gracious presence here.

4 May this be a much-favour d hour
To souls in Satan s bondage led;
clothe thy word with sovereign power
To break the rocks and raise the dead !

5 Have mercy on our num rous youth,
Who, young in years, are old in sin ;
And by thy Spirit, and thy truth,
Show them the state their souls are in.

6 Then by a Saviour s dying love,
To every wounded heart reveal d,
Temptations, fears, and guilt remove,
And be their sun and strength and shield

7 To mourners speak a cheering word,
On seeking souls vouchsafe to shine ;
Let poor backsliders be restored,
And all thy saints in praises join.

8 hear our prayer, and give us hope,
That when thy voice shall call us home,
Thou still wilt raise a people up
To love and praise thee in our room.

11.
Pleading for and with Youth. C.

 
1 SIN has undone our wretched race.
But Jesus has restored
And brought the sinner face to face
With his forgiving Lord.

2 This we repeat, from year to year,
And press upon our youth ;
Lord, give them an attentive ear ;
Lord, save them by thy truth.

3 Blessings upon the rising race !
Make this a happy hour,
According to thy richest grace
And thine almighty power.

4 We feel for your unhappy state,
(May you regard it too !)
And would awhile ourselves forget,
To pour out prayer for you.

5 We see, though you perceive it not,
Th approaching awful doom ;
tremble at the solemn thought,
And flee the wrath to come !

6 Dear Saviour, let this new-born year
Spread an alarm abroad ;
And cry in every careless ear
" Prepare to meet thy God!

12.
Prayer for Children. C.

 
1 GRACIOUS Lord, our children see !
By thy mercy we are free,
But shall these, alas ! remain
Subjects still of Satan s reign ?
Isr el s young ones, when of old
Pharaoh threaten d to withhold,
Then thy messenger said, " No
Let the children also go."

2 When the angel of the Lord,
Drawing forth his dreadful sword,
Slew, with an avenging hand,
All the first-born of the land.
Then thy people s door he pass d,
Where the bloody sign was placed.
Hear us now upon our knees,
Plead the blood of Christ for these !

3 Lord, we tremble, for we know
How the fierce malicious foe,
Wheeling round his watchful flight,
Keeps them ever in his sight.
Spread thy pinions, King of kings !
Hide them safe beneath thy wings,
Lest the ravenous bird of prey
Stoop, and bear the brood away.

13.
The Shunammite.—2 Kings, iv, 31.

1 THE Shunammite, oppressed with grief,
When she had lost the son she loved,
Went to Elisha for relief,
Nor vain her application proved.

2 He sent his servant on before,
To lay a staff upon his head;
This he could do, but do no more,
He left him as he found him, dead.

3 But when the Lord s almighty power
Wrought with the prophet s prayer and faith
The mother saw a joyful hour,
She saw her child restored from death.

4 Thus, like the weeping Shunammite,
For many dead in sin we grieve.
Now, Lord, display thine arm of might,
Cause them to hear thy voice and live.

5 Thy preachers boar the staff in vain,
Though at thine own command we go.
Lord, we have tried and tried again,
We find them dead, and leave them so.

6 Come then thyself to every heart
The glory of thy name make known.
The means are our appointed part,
The power and grace are thine alone.

14.
Elijah's Prayer.—1 Kings, xviii.

 
1 DOES it not grief and wonder move,
To think of Israel s shameful fall,
Who needed miracles to prove
Whether the Lord was God or Baal ?

2 Methinks I see Elijah stand,
His features glow with love and zeal.
In faith and prayer he lifts his hand,
And makes to Heaven his great appeal.

3 " God ! if I thy servant am,
If tis thy message fills my heart,
Now glorify thy holy name,
And show this people who thou art."

4 He spake, and lo a sudden flame
Consumed the wood, the dust, the stone.
The people struck, at once proclaim
" The Lord is God, the Lord alone."

5 Like him we mourn an awful day,
When more for Baal than God appear.
Like him, believers, let us pray,
And may the God of Israel hear.

6 Lord, if thy servant speak thy truth,
If he indeed is sent by thee,
Confirm the word to all our youth,
And let them thy salvation see.

7 Now may the Spirit s holy fire
Pierce every heart that hears thy word,
Consume each hurtful vain desire,
And make them know thou art the Lord !

15.
Preaching to the Dry Bones.—Ezek. xxxvii.

1 PREACHERS may from Ezekiel s case
Draw hope in this declining day.
A proof like this of sovereign grace
Should chase our unbelief away.

2 When sent to preach to mouldering bones,
Who could have thought he would succeed ?
But well he knew the Lord from stones 3
Could raise up Abr am s chosen seed.

3 Can these be made a num rous host,
And such dry bones new life receive ?
The prophet answer d " Lord, thou know st
They shall, if thou commandment give."

4 Like him- around I cast my eye,
And oh ! what heaps of bones appear ;

Like him, by Jesus sent I ll try,
For he can cause the dead to hear.

5 Hear, ye dry bones, the Saviour s word,
He who when dying gasp d " Forgive,"
That gracious sinner-loving Lord
Says " Look to me, dry bones, and live."

6 Thou heav nly wind, awake and blow,
In answer to the prayer of faith.
Now thine almighty iiifl ence show.
And fill dry bones with living breath.

7 make them hear and feel and shake,
And at thy call obedient move.
The bonds of death and Satan break,
And bone to bone unite in love.

16.
The Rod of Moses.

 
1 WHEN Moses waved his mystic rod,
What wonders follow d while he spoke !
Firm as a wall the waters stood,
Or gush d in rivers from the rock.

2 At his command the thunders roll d ;
Lightning and hail his voice obey d ;
And Pharaoh trembled to behold
His land in desolation laid.

3 But what could Moses rod have done
Had he not been divinely sent ?
The power was from the Lord alone.
And Moses but the instrument.

4 Lord, regard thy people s pray rs !
Assist a worm to preach aright ;
And since thy gospel-rod lie bears,
Display thy wonders in our sight.

5 Proclaim the thunders of thy law,
Like lightning let thine arrows fly,
That careless sinners, struck with awe,
For refuge may to Jesus fly.

6 Make streams of godly sorrow flow
From rocky hearts, unused to feel ;
And let the poor in spirit know
That thou art near their griefs to heal.

7 But chiefly we would now look up
To ask a blessing for our youth,
The rising generation s hope,
That they may know and love thy truth.

8 Arise, Lord, afford a sign,
Now shall our pray rs success obtain ;
Since both the means and power are thine,
How can the rod be raised in vain?

17.
God speaking from Mount Zion.

 
1 THE God who once to Isr el spoke
From Sinai s top in fire and smoke,
In gentler strains of gospel grace
Invites us now to seek his face.

2 He wears no terrors on his brow;
He speaks in love from Zion now ;
It is the voice of Jesus blood,
Calling poor wand rers home to God.

3 The holy Moses quaked and fear d
When Sinai s thund ring law he heard:
But reigning grace, with accents mild,
Speaks to the sinner as a child.

4 Hark! how from Calvary it sounds,
From the Redeemer s bleeding wounds!
" Pardon and grace I freely give ;
Poor sinner, look to me and live."

5 What other arguments can move
The heart that slights a Saviour s love!
Yet till almighty power constrain,
This matchless love is preach d in vain.

6 Saviour, let that power be felt,
And cause each stony heart to melt!

Deeply impress upon our youth
The light and force of gospel truth.

7 With this new year may they begin
To live to thee, and die to sin ;
To enter by the narrow way
Which leads to everlasting day.

8 How will they else thy presence bear
When as a Judge thou shalt appear!
When slighted love to wrath shall turn,
And the whole earth like Sinai burn !

18.
A Prayer for Power on the Means of Grace.

 
1 THOU at whose almighty word
The glorious light from darkness sprung!
Thy quick ning influence afford,
And clothe with power the preacher s tongue.

2 Though tis thy truth he hopes to speak,
He cannot give the hearing ear ;
Tis thine, the stubborn heart to break,
And make the careless sinner fear.

3 As when, of old, the water flow d
Forth from the rock at thy command ;
Moses in vain had waved his rod
Without thy wonder-working hand.

4 As when the walls of Jericho
Down to the earth at once were cast ;
It was thy power that brought them low,
And not the trumpet s feeble blast.

5 Thus we would in the means be found,
And thus on thee alone depend ;
To make the gospel s joyful sound
Effectual to the promised end.

6 Now, while we hear thy word of grace.
Let self and pride before it fall ;
And rocky hearts dissolve apace,
In streams of sorrow at thv call.

7 On all our youth assembled here
The unction of thy Spirit pour ;
Nor let them lose another year,
Lest thou shouldst strive and call no more.

19.
Elijah s Mantle.—2 Kings, ii, 11-14.

 
1 ELISHA, struck with grief and awe,
Cried, Ah! where now is Isr el s stay?"
When he his honour d master saw
Borne by a fiery car away.

2 But while he look d a last adieu,
His mantle, as it fell, he caught ;
The Spirit rested on him too,
And equal miracles he wrought.

3 "Where is Elijah s God?" he cried,
And with the mantle smote the flood ;
His word control d the swelling tide,
Th obedient waters upright stood.

4 The wonder-working gospel thus
From hand to hand has been convey d;
We have the mantle still with us,
But where, where s the Spirit s aid?

5 When Peter first his mantle waved,
How soon it melted hearts of steel!
Sinners, by thousands, then were saved,
But now how few its virtues feel!

6 Where is Elijah s God, the Lord,
Thine Isr el s hope and joy and boast?
Reveal thine arm, confirm thy word,
Give us another Pentecost!

7 Assist thy messenger to speak,
And while he aims to lisp thy truth,
The bonds of sin and Satan break,
And pour thy blessing on our youth.

8 For them we now approach thy throne :
Teach them to know and love thy name,
Then shall thy thankful people own,
Elijah s God is still the same.

HYMNS

After Sermons to Young People on New-Year s Evenings.
suited to the Subjects.

20.
David s Charge to Solomon.— 1 Chron. xxviii, 9.

 
1 DAVID S Son and David s Lord!
From age to age thou art the same ;
Thy gracious presence now afford,
And teach our youth to know thy name.

2 Thy people, Lord, though oft distress d.
Upheld by thee, thus far are come ;
And now we long to see thy rest,
And wait thy word to call us home.

3 Like David, when this life shall end,
We trust in thee sure peace to find ;
Like him, to thee we now commend
The children we must leave behind.

4 Ere long, we hope to be where care
And sin and sorrow never come ;
But oh ! accept our humble prayer,
That these may praise thee in our room

5 Show them how vile they are by sin,
And wash them in thy cleansing blood ;
Oh, make them willing to be thine,
And be to them a cov nant God.

6 Long may thy light and truth remain
To bless this place when we are gone,
And numbers here be born again,
To dwell for ever near thy throne,

21.
The Lord s Call to his Children.—2 Cor. vi, 17, 18.

1 LET us adore the grace that seeks
To draw our hearts above !
Attend, tis God the Saviour speaks,
And every word is love.

2 Though fill d with awe, before his throne
Each angel veils his face ;
He claims a people for his own
Amongst our sinful race.

3 Careless, awhile, they live in sin,
Enslaved to Satan s power ;
But they obey the call divine
In his appointed hour.

4 " Come forth," He says, "no more pursue
The paths that lead to death ;
Look up, a bleeding Saviour view ;
Look, and be saved by faith.

5 " My sons and daughters you shall be
Through the atoning blood ;
And you shall claim and find in me
A Father and a God."

6 Lord, speak these words to every heart,
By thine all-powerful voice ;
That we may now from sin depart,
And make thy love our choice.

7 If now we learn to seek thy face
By Christ the living way,
We ll praise thee for this hour of grace,,
Through an eternal day.

22.
The Prayer of Jabez.—1 Chron. iv, 9, 10.

 
1 JESUS, who bought us with his blood,
And makes our souls his care,
Was known of old as Isr el s God,
And answered Jabez prayer.

2 Jabez, a child of grief! the name
Befits poor sinners well ;
For Jesus bore the cross and shame,
To save our souls from hell.

3 Teach us, Lord, like him to plea
For mercies from above ;

O come, and bless our souls indeed,
With light and joy and love.

4The gospel's promised land is wide,
We fain would enter in:
But we are press d on every side
With unbelief and sin.

5Arise, Lord, enlarge our coast,
Let us possess the whole,
That Satan may no longer boast
He can thy work control.

6Oh! may thy hand be with us still.
Our guide and guardian be,
To keep us safe from every ill,
Till death shall set us free.

7Help us on thee to cast our care,
And on thy word to rest;
That Isr'el's God, who heareth pray'r
Will grant us our request.

23.
Waiting at Wisdom's Gates.— Prov. viii, 34, 35.

1Ensnared too long my heart has been
In follys hurtful ways;
may I now at length begin
To hear what Wisdom says!

2'Tis Jesus, from the mercy-seat,
Invites me to his rest;
He calls poor sinners to his feet,
To make them truly blest.

3Approach, my soul, to Wisdom's gates
While it is call'd to-day;
No one who watches there and waits
Shall e'er be turn'd away.

4He will not let me seek in vain,
For all who trust his word
Shall everlasting life obtain,
And favour from the Lord.

5 Lord! I have hated thee too long,
And dared thee to thy face ;
I've done my soul exceeding wrong
In slighting all thy grace.

6 Now I would break my league with death,
And live to thee alone ;
Oh! let thy Spirit s seal of faith
Secure me for thine own.

7 Let all the saints assembled here,
Yea, let all heaven rejoice,
That I begin with this new year
To make the Lord my choice.

24.
Asking the Way to Zion.—Jer. 1, 5.

 
1 ZION, the city of our God,
How glorious is the place !
The Saviour there has his abode,
And sinners see his face !

2 Firm against every adverse shock
Its mighty bulwarks prove ;
Tis built upon the living Rock,
And wall d around with love.

3 There all the fruits of glory grow,
And joys that never die ;
And streams of grace and knowledge flow,
The soul to satisfy.

4 Come, set your faces Zion-ward,
The sacred road enquire;
And let a /union to the Lord
Be henceforth your desire.

5 The gospel shines to give you light ;
No longer, then, delay;
The Spirit waits to guide you right,
And Jesus is the way.

6 Lord, regard thy people s prayer,
Thy promise now fulhll ;
And young and old by grace prepare
To dwell on Zion s hill.

25.
We were Pharaoh s Bondmen.— Deut. vi, 20-23.

 
1 BENEATH the tyrant Satan s yoke
Our souls were long opprest,
Till grace our galling fetters broke,
And gave the weary rest.

2 Jesus, in that important hour,
His mighty arm made known ;
He ransom d us by price and power,
And claim d us for his own.

3 Now, freod from bondage, sin, and death.,
We walk in wisdom s ways ;
And wish to spend our every breath
In wonder, love, and praise.

4 Ere long, we hope with Him to dwell
In yonder world above ;
And now we only live to tell
The riches of his love.

5 might we, ere we hence remove,
Prevail upon our youth
To seek, that they may likewise prove
His mercy and his truth !

6 Like Simeon, we shall gladly go,
When Jesus calls us home ;
If they are left a seed below,
To serve him in our room,

7 Lord, hear our prayer, indulge our hope.
On these thy Spirit pour,
That they may take our story up,
When we can speak no more.

26.
Travailing in Birth for Souls,—Gal. iv, 19.

 
1 WHAT contradictions meet
In ministers employ!
It is a bitter sweet,
A sorrow full of joy:

No other post affords a place
For equal honour or disgrace I

2 Who can describe the pain
Which faithful preachers feel,
Constrain d to speak in vain
To hearts as hard as steel ?
Or who can tell- the pleasures felt
When stubborn hearts begin to melt!

3 The Saviour s dying love,
The soul s amazing worth,
Their utmost efforts move,
And draw their bowels forth :
They pray and strive, their rest departs,
Till Christ be form d in sinners hearts.

4 If some small hope appear,
They still are not content ;
But, with a jealous fear,
They watch for the event :
Too oft they find their hopes deceived,
Then how their inmost souls are grieved!

5 But when their pains succeed,
And from the tender blade
The ripening ears proceed,
Their toils are overpaid :
No harvest joy can equal theirs,
To find the fruit of all their cares.

6 On what has now been sown,
Thy blessing, Lord, bestow;
The power is thine alone,
To make it spring and grow :
Do thou the gracious harvest raise,
And thou alone shalt have the praise.

27.
We are Ambassadors for Christ.—2 Cor. v, 20.

 
1 THY message by the preacher seal,
And let thy power be known,
That every sinner here may feel
The word is not his own.

2 Amongst the foremost of the throng
Who dare thee to thy face,
He in rebellion stood too long,
And fought against thy grace.

3 But grace prevail'd, he mercy found.
And now by thee is sent,
To tell his fellow-rebels round,
And call them to repent.

4 In Jesus God is reconciled,
The worst may be forgiven;
Come, and he'll own you as a child,
And make you heir of heaven.

5 O may the word of gospel truth
Your chief desires engage!
And Jesus be your guide in youth,
Your joy in hoary age.

6 Perhaps the year that's now begun
May prove to some their last;
The sands of life may soon be run,
The day of grace be past.

7 Think, if you slight this embassy,
And will not warning take,
When Jesus in the clouds you see.
What answer will you make ?

28.

Paul's Farewell Charge.— Acts, xx, 26, 27.

1 WHEN Paul was parted from his friends
It was a weeping day;
But Jesus made them all amends,
And wiped their tears away.

2 Ere long they met again with joy
(Secure, no more to part,)
Where praises every tongue employ,
And pleasure fills each heart.

3 Thus all the preachers of His grace
Their children soon shall meet,

Together see their Saviour s face,
And worship at his feet.

4 But they who heard the word in vain,
Though oft and plainly warn d,
Will tremble when they meet again
The ministers they scorn d.

5 On your own heads your blood will fall
If any perish here ;
The preachers who have told you all
Shall stand approved and clear.

6 Yet, Lord, to save themselves alone
Is not their utmost view ;
Oh! hear their prayer, thy message own,
And save their hearers too.

29.
How shall I put thee among the Children ?—Jer. iii, 19.

 
1 ALAS! by nature how depraved,
How prone to every ill !
Our lives to Satan how enslaved,
How obstinate our will!

2 And can such sinners be restored,
Such rebels reconciled?
Can grace itself the means afford
To make a foe a child?

Yes, grace has found the wondrous means
Which shall effectual prove,
To cleanse us from our countless sins,
And teach our hearts to love.

4 Jesus for sinners undertakes,
And died that we may live ;
His blood a full atonement makes,
And cries aloud, " Forgive!" *

5 Yet one thing more must grace provide,
To bring us home to God,
Or we shall slight the Lord who died,
And trample on his blood.

6 The Holy Spirit must reveal
The Saviour s work and worth ;
Then the hard heart begins to feel
A new and heav nly birth.

7 Thus bought with blood and born again,
Redeem d and saved by grace,
Rebels in God s own house obtain
A son s and daughter s place.

30.
Winter.^[1]

1 SEE, how rude Winter s icy hand
Has stripp d the trees and seal d the ground!
But Spring shall soon his rage withstand,
And spread new beauties all around.

2 My soul a sharper winter mourns,
Barren and fruitless I remain ;
When will the gentle spring return,
And bid my graces grow again ?

3 Jesus, my glorious sun, arise!
Tis thine the frozen heart to move ;
Oh! hush these storms and clear my skies.
And let me feel thy vital love !

4 Dear Lord, regard my feeble cry,
I faint and droop till thou appear ;
Wilt thou permit thy plant to die?
Must it be winter all the year.

5 Be still, my soul, and wait his hour
With humble pray r and patient faith ;
Till he reveals his gracious power,
Repose on what his promise saith.

6 He, by whose all-commanding word
Seasons their changing course maintain,
In every change a pledge affords,
That none shall seek his face in vain.

31.
Waiting for Spring.

 
1 THOUGH cloudy skies and northern blasts
Retard the gentle spring awhile,
The sun will conq ror prove at last,
And nature wear a vernal smile.

2 The promise which from age to age
Has brought the changing seasons round,
Again shall calm the winter s rage,
Perfume the air and paint the ground.

3 The virtue of that first command,
I know still does and will prevail,
That while the earth itself shall stand,
The spring and summer shall not fail.

4 Such changes are for us decreed ;
Believers have their winters too ;
But spring shall certainly succeed,
And all their former life renew.

5 Winter and spring have each their use,
And each in turn his people know ;
One kills the weeds their hearts produce,
The other makes their graces grow.

6 Though like dead trees awhile they seem,
Yet, having life within their root,
The welcome spring s reviving beam
Draws forth their blossoms, leaves, and fruit.

7 But if the tree indeed be dead,
It feels no change though spring return ;
Its leafless, naked, barren head,
Proclaims it only fit to burn.

8 Dear Lord, afford our souls a spring,
Thou know st our winter has been long:
Shine forth, and warm our hearts to sing,
And thy rich grace shall be our song.

32.
Spring.

 
1 BLEAK winter is subdued at length,
And forced to yield the day ;
The sun has wasted all his strength,
And driven him away.

2 And now long-wish d-f or spring is come,
How alter d is the scene !
The trees and shrubs are dress d in bloom.
The earth array d in green.

3 Where er we tread, beneath our feet
The clust ring flowers spring ;
The artless birds in concerts sweet,
Invite our hearts to sing.

4 But ah! in vain I strive to join,
Oppress d with sin and doubt;
I feel tis winter still within,
Though all is spring without.

5 Oh! would my Saviour from on high
Break through these clouds and shine !
No creature then more bless d than I,
No song more loud than mine.

6 Till then no softly warbling thrush,
Nor cowslip s sweet perfume,
Nor beauties of each painted bush,
Can dissipate my gloom.

7 To Adam, soon as he transgress d,
Thus Eden bloom d in vain :
Not Paradise could give him rest,
Or sooth his heart-felt pain.

8 Yet here an emblem I perceive
Of what the Lord can do :
Dear Saviour, help me to believe,
That I may nourish too.

9 Thy word can soon my hopes revive,
Can overcome my foes,
And make my languid graces thrive
And blossom like the rose.

33.
Another.

 
1 PLEASING spring again is here ;
Trees and fields in bloom appear :
Hark! the birds with artless lays,
Warble their Creator s praise!
Where, in winter, all was snow,
Now the flow rs in clusters grow,
And the corn, in green array,
Promises a harvest-day.

2 What a change has taken place!
Emblem of the spring of grace ;
How the soul in winter mourns
Till the Lord, the Sun, returns,
Till the Spirit s gentle rain
Bids the heart revive again ;
Then the stone is turn d to flesh,
And each grace springs forth afresh.

3 Lord, afford a spring to me !
Let me feel like what I see ;
Ah! my winter has been long,
Chill d my hopes and stopp d my somr 1
Winter threaten d to destroy
Faith and love and every iov
If thy life was in the root, "
Still I could not yield the fruit.

4 Speak, and by thy gracious voice
Make my drooping soul rejoice ;
O beloved Saviour haste,
Tell me all the storms are past!
On thy garden deign to smile,
Kaise the plants, enrich the soil
Soon thy presence will restore
Life to what seem d dead before

5 Lord, I long to be at home,
Where these changes never come,
Where the saints no winter fear,
Where tis spring throughout the year :
How unlike this state below!
There the flow rs un with ring blow ;
There no chilling blasts annoy ;
All is love and bloom and joy.

34.
Summer Storms.^[2]

 
1 THOUGH the morn maybe serene
Not a threat ning cloud be seen,
Who can undertake to say
Twill be pleasant all the day?
Tempests suddenly may rise,
Darkness overspread the skies,
Lightnings flash and thunders roar,
Ere a short-lived day be o'er.

2 Often thus the child of grace
Enters on his Christian race ;
Guilt and fear are overborne,
Tis with him a summer s morn:
While his new-felt joys abound,
All things seem to smile around ;
And he hopes it will be fair
All the day and all the year.

3 Should we warn him of a change
He would think the caution strange :
He no change or trouble fears
Till the gath'ring storm appears;^[3]
Till dark clouds his sun conceal,
Till temptation s power he feel;
Then he trembles and looks pale,
All his hopes and courage fail.

4 But the wonder-working Lord
Soothes the tempest by his word ;
Stills the thunder, stops the rain,
And his sun breaks forth again :
Soon the cloud again returns,
Now he joys, and now he mourns ;
Oft his sky is overcast
Ere the day of life be past.

5 Tried believers too can say,
In the course of one short day,
Though the morning has been fair,
Proved a golden hour of pray r,
Sin and Satan, long ere night,
Have their comforts put to flight ;
Ah ! what heart-felt peace and joy
Unexpected storms destroy !

6 Dearest Saviour, call us soon
To thy high eternal noon ;
Never there shall tempest rise,
To conceal thee from our eyes :
Satan shall no more deceive,
We no more thy Spirit grieve ;
But, through cloudless, endless days,
Sound to golden harps thy praise.

35.
Hay-time.

 
1 THE grass and flow rs which clothe the field,
And look so green and gay,
Touch d by the scythe, defenceless yield,
And fall and fade away.

2 Fit emblem of our mortal state !
Thus, in the Scripture glass,
The young, the strong, the wise, the great,
May see themselves but grass,

3 Ah ! trust not to your fleeting breath,
Nor call your time your own ;
Around you see the scythe of death
Is mowing thousands down.

4 And you, who hitherto are spared,
Must shortly yield your lives ;
Your wisdom is to be prepared
Before the stroke arrives.

5 The grass, when dead, revives no more :
You die to live again ;
But oh ! if death should prove the door
To everlasting pain !

6 Lord, help us to obey thy call,
That from our sins set free,
When, like the grass, our bodies fall,
Our souls may spring to thee.

36.
Harvest.

 
1 SEE the corn again in ear !
How the fields and valleys smile !
Harvest now is drawing near,
To repay the farmer s toil.
Gracious Lord, secure the crop,
Satisfy the poor with food :
In thy mercy is our hope ;
We have sinn d, but thou art good.

2 While I view the plenteous grain,
As it ripens on the stalk,
May I not instruction gain
Helpful to my daily walk ?
All this plenty of the field
Was produced from foreign seeds :
For the earth itself would yield
Only crops of useless weeds.

3 Though when newly sown it lay
Hid awhile beneath the ground,
(Some might think it thrown away,)
Now a large increase is found ;
Though conceal d, it was not lost;
Though it died, it lives again ;
Eastern storms and nipping frosts
Have opposed its growth in vain.

4 Let the praise be all the Lord s,
As the benefit is ours.
He in season still affords
Kindly heat and gentle showers.
By his care the produce thrives,
Waving o er the furrow d lands;
And when harvest-time arrives,
Ready for the reaper stands.

5 Thus in barren hearts he sows
Precious seeds of heav nlyjoy;
Sin and hell in vain oppose,
None can grace s crop destroy :
Threatened oft, yet still it blooms,
After many changes past ;
Death the reaper, when he comes,
Finds it fully ripe at last.

CHRISTMAS.

37.
Praise for the Incarnation.

1 SWEETER sounds than music knows
Charm me in Emmanuel s name ;
All her hopes my spirit owes
To his birth and cross and shame.

2 When he came the angels sung
" Glory be to G-od on high ! "
Lord, unloose my stamm ring tongue,
Who should louder sing than I ?

3 Did the Lord a man become,
That he might the law fulfill.
Bleed and suffer in my room,
And canst thou, my tongue, be still ?

4 No, I must my praises bring,
Though they worthless are and weak ;
For should I refuse to sing,
Sure the very stones would speak.

5 my Saviour, Shield, and Sun,
Shepherd, Brother, Husband, Friend,
Every precious name in one,
I will love thee without end.

38.
Jehovah-Jesus. C.

1 MY song shall bless the Lord of all,
My praise shall climb to his abode.
Thee, Saviour, by that name I call
The great supreme, the mighty God.

2 Without beginning or decline,
Object of faith and not of sense
Eternal ages saw him shine,
He shines eternal ages hence.

3 As much, when in the manger laid,
Almighty Ruler of the sky,
As when the six days work he made
Fill d all the morning-stars with joy.

4 Of all the crowns Jehovah bears,
Salvation is his dearest claim :
That gracious sound well pleased he hears ?
And owns Emmanuel for his name.

5 A cheerful confidence I feel,
My well-placed hopes with joy I see ;
My bosom glows with heav nly zeal
To worship Him who died for me.

6 As man he pities my complaint,
His power and truth are all divine
He will not fail, he cannot faint,
Salvation s sure, and must be mine.

39.
Man honoured above Angels.

1 Now let us join with hearts and tongues,
And emulate the angels songs;
Yea, sinners may address their King
In songs that angels cannot sing.

2 They praise the Lamb who once was slain ;
But we can add a higher strain,
Not only say " He suffer d thus,
But that " He suffer d all for us."

3 When angels by transgression fell,
Justice consign d them all to hell ;
But mercy form d a wondrous plan,
To save and honour fallen man.

4 Jesus, who pass d the angels by,
Assumed our flesh to bleed and die ;
And still he makes it his abode
As man he fills the throne of God.

5 Our next of kin, our Brother now,
Is he to whom the angels bow ;
They join with us to praise his name,
But we the nearest int rest claim.

6 But ah! how faint our praises rise !
Sure, tis the wonder of the skies,
That we, who share his richest love,
So cold and unconcern d should prove.

7 Oh glorious hour ! it comes with speed,
When we from sin and darkness freed,
Shall see the God who died for man,
And praise him more than angels can.

40.
Saturday Evening.

1 SAFELY through another week
God has brought us on our way ;
Let us now a blessing seek
On th approaching Sabbath-day : ,
Day of all the week the best,
Emblem of eternal rest.

2 Mercies multiplied each hour
Through the week our praise demand ;
Guarded by Almighty power,
Fed and guided by his hand.
Though ungrateful we have been,
Only made returns of sin.

3 While we pr^iy for pard ning grace,
Through the dear Redeemer s name,
Show thj reconciled face,
Shine away our sin and shame.
From our worldly care set free,
May we rest this night with thee.

4 When the morn shall bid us rise
May we feel thy presence near !
May thy glory meet our eyes
When we in thy house appear !
There afford us, Lord, a taste
Of our everlasting feast.

5 May thy gospel s joyful sound
Conquer sinners comfort saints ;
Make the fruits of grace abound,
Bring relief for all complaints.
Thus may all our Sabbaths prove
Till we join the church above !

THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR.

41.
Ebenezer.—1 Sam. vii, 12.

 
1 THE Lord, our salvation and light,
The guide and the strength of our days,
Has brought us together to-night,
A new Ebenezer to raise.
The year we have now passed through
His goodness with blessings has crown d;
Each morning his mercies were new ;
Then let our thanksgivings abound.

2 Encompass d with dangers and snares,
Temptations and fears and complaints,
His ear he inclined to our prayers,
His hand open d wide to our wants,
We never besought him in vain ;
When burden d with sorrow or sin,

He help d us again and again,
Or where before now had we been ?

3 His gospel throughout the long year,
From Sabbath to Sabbath he gave.
How oft has he met with us here,
And shown himself mighty to save !
His candlestick has been removed
From churches once privileged thus ;
But though we unworthy have proved,
It still is continued to us.

4 For so many mercies received,
Alas ! what returns have we made ?
His Spirit we often have grieved,
And evil for good have repaid.
How well it becomes us to cry
" Oh! who is a God like to thee ?
Who passest iniquities by,
And plungest them deep in the sea ! "

5 To Jesus, who sits on the throne,
Our best hallelujahs we bring.
To thee it is owing alone
That we are permitted to sing.
Assist us, we pray, to lament
The sins of the year that is past ;
And grant that the next may be spent
Far more to thy praise than the last.

42.
Another.

 
1 LET hearts and tongues unite,
And loud thanksgivings raise :
Tis duty, mingled with delight,
To sing the Saviour s praise.

2 To him we owe our breath,
He took us from the womb,
Which else had shut us up in death,
And proved an early tomb.

3 When on the breast we hung
Our help was in the Lord.
Twas he first taught our infant tongue
To form the lisping word.

4 When in our blood we lay,
He would not let us die,
Because his love had fix d a day
To bring salvation nigh.

5 In childhood and in youth
His eye was on us still,
Though strangers to his love and truth.
And prone to cross his will.

6 And since his name we knew,
How gracious has he been,
What dangers has he led us through,
What mercies have we seen !

7 Now through another year,
Supported by his care,
We raise our Ebenezer here,
" The Lord has help d thus far."

8 Our lot in future years
Unable to foresee,
He kindly, to prevent our fears,
Says, " Leave it all to me."

9 Yea, Lord, we wish to cast
Our cares upon thy breast.
Help us to praise thee for the past,
And trust thee for the rest.

ORDINANCES.

43.
On Opening a Place for Social Prayer.

 
1 LORD, our languid souls inspire,
For here we trust thou art ;
Send down a coal of heav nly fire
To warm each waiting heart.

2 Dear Shepherd of thy people, hear ;
Thy presence now display :
As thou hast given a place for pray r,
So give us hearts to pray.

3 Show us some token of thy love,
Our fainting hope to raise ;
And pour thy blessings from above,
That we may render praise.

4 Within these walls let holy peace
And love and concord dwell ;
Here give the troubled conscience ease,
The wounded spirit heal.

5 The feeling heart, the melting eye,
The humbled mind bestow ;
And shine upon us from on high,
To make our graces grow!

6 May we in faith receive thy word,
In faith present our pray rs ;
And in the presence of our Lord
Unbosom all our cares!

7 And may the gospel s joyful sound,
Enforced by mighty grace,
Awaken many sinners round "
To come and fill the place !

44.
Another. C.

 
1 JESUS, where er thy people meet,
There they behold thy mercy-seat ;
Where er they seek thee, thou art found,
And every place is hallow d ground.

2 For thou, within no walls confined,
Inhabitest the humble mind ;
Such ever bring thee where they come,
And going, take thee to their home.

3 Dear Shepherd of thy chosen few,
Thy former mercies here renew ;

Here to our waiting hearts proclaim
The sweetness of thy saving name.

4 Here may we prove the power of pray r
To strengthen faith and sweeten care
To teach our faint desires to rise,
And bring all heaven before our eyes.

5 Behold, at thy commanding word,
We stretch the curtain and the cord ;.
Come thou, and fill this wider space,
And bless us with a large increase.

6 Lord, we are few, but thou art near ;
Nor short thine arm, nor deaf thineear;
rend the heavens, come quickly down,
And make a thousand hearts thine own !

45.
The Lord s Day.

 
1 How welcome to the saints, when press d
With six days noise and care and toil,
Is the returning day of rest,
Which hides them from the world awhile !

2 Now from the throng withdrawn away,
They seem to breathe a difFrent air ;"
Composed and soften d by the day,
All things another aspect wear.

3 How happy if their lot is cast
Where statedly the gospel sounds !
The word is honey to their taste,
Renews their strength, and heals their wounds!

4 Though pinch d with poverty at home,
With sharp afflictions daily fed,
It makes amends, if they can come
To God s own house for heav nly bread!

5 With joy they hasten to the place
Where they their Saviour oft have met ;
And while they feast upon his grace,
Their burdens and their griefs forget.

6 This favour d lot, my friends, is ours ;
May we the privilege improve,
And find these consecrated hours
Sweet earnest of the joys above.

7 We thank thee for thy day, Lord !
Here we thy promised presence seek ;
Open thine hand, with blessings stored,
And give us manna for the week.

46.
Gospel Privileges.

1 HAPPY they who know the Lord,
With whom he deigns to dwell !
He feels and cheers them by his word,
His arm supports them well.

2 To them, in each distressing hour,
His throne of grace is near ;
And when they plead his love and power,
He stands engaged to hear.

3 He help d his saints in ancient days,
Who trusted in his name ;
And we can witness, to his praise,
His love is still the same.

4 Wand ring in sin, our souls he found,
And bade us seek his face ;
Gave us to hear the gospel sound,
And taste the gospel grace.

5 Oft in his house his glory shines
Before our wond ring eyes ;
We wish not then for golden mines,
Or aught beneath the skies.

6 His presence sweetens all our cares,
And makes our burdens light ;
A word from him dispels our fears,
And gilds the gloom of night.

7 Lord, we expect to suffer here,
Nor would we dare repine ;

But give us still to find thee near,
And own us still for thine.

8 Let us enjoy and highly prize
These tokens of thy love
Till thou shalt bid our spirits rise
To worship thee above.

47.
Another.

 
1 HAPPY are they to whom the Lord
His gracious name makes known,
And by his Spirit and his word
Adopts them for his own !

2 He calls them to his mercy-seat,
And hears their humble pray r ;
And when within his house they meet,
They find his presence near.

3 The force of their united cries
No power can long withstand ;
For Jesus helps them from the skies
By his almighty hand.

4 Then mountains sink at once to plains,
And light from darkness springs,
Each seeming loss improves their gains.
Each trouble comfort brings.

5 Though men despise them, or revile,
They count the trial small ;
Whoever frowns, if Jesus smile,
It makes amends for all.

6 Though meanly clad, and coarsely fed,
And, like their Saviour, poor,
They would not change their gospel-bread
For all the worldling s store.

7 When cheer d with faith s sublimer joys,
They mount on eagles wings ;
They can disdain, as children s toys,
The pride and pomp of kings.

8 Dear Lord, assist our souls to pay
The debt of praise we owe,
That we enjoy a gospel-day
And heaven begun below.

48.
Prayer for the Continuance of the Gospel.^[4]

1 ONCE, while we aim d at Zion s songs,
A sudden mourning check d our tongues !
Then we were called to sow in tears
The seeds of joy for future years.

2 Oft as that memorable hour
The changing year brings round again,
We meet to praise the love and power
Which heard our cries and eased our pain.

3 Come, ye who trembled for the ark,
Unite in praise for answer d prayer ;
Did not the Lord our sorrows mark?
Did not our sighing reach his ear ?

4 Then smaller griefs were laid aside,
And all our cares summ d up in one ;
" Let us but have thy word," we cried,
" In other things thy will be done."

5 Since he has granted our request,
And we still hear the gospel voice ;
Although by many trials press d,
In this we can and will rejoice.

6 Though to our lot temptations fall,
Though pain and want and cares annoy ;
The precious gospel sweetens all,
And yields us med cine, food, and joy.

49.
A Famine of the Word.

 
1 GLADNESS was spread through Isr el s host
When first they manna view d ;
They labour d who should gather most,
And thought it pleasant food.

2 But when they had it long enjoy d,
From day to day the same,
Their hearts were by the plenty cloy d,
Although from heav n it came.

3 Thus gospel-bread at first is prized,
And makes a people glad ;
But afterwards too much despised
When easy to be had.

4 But should the Lord, displeased, withhold
The bread his mercy sends,
To have our houses fill d with gold
Would make but poor amends.

5 How tedious would the week appear,
How dull the Sabbath prove,
Could we no longer meet to hear
The precious truths we love !

6 How would believing parents bear
To leave their heedless youth
Exposed to every fatal snare,
Without the light of truth ?

7 The gospel, and a praying few,
Our bulwark long have proved ;
But Olney sure the day will rue
When these shall be removed.

8 Then sin, in this once favour d town,
Will triumph unrestrain d;
And wrath and vengeance hasten down,
No more by pray r detain d.

9 Preserve us from this judgment, Lord,
For Jesus sake, we plead;
A famine of the gospel-word
Would be a stroke indeed !

50.
Prayer for Ministers.

 
1 CHIEF Shepherd of thy chosen sheep,
From death and sin set free ;
May every under shepherd keep
His eye intent on thee !

2 With plenteous grace their hearts prepare
To execute thy will,
Compassion, patience, love, and care,
And faithfulness and skill.

3 Inflame their minds with holy zeal
Their flocks to feed and teach ;
And let them live, and let them feel
The sacred truths they preach.

4 Oh, never let the sheep complain,
That toys, which fools amuse,
Ambition, pleasure, praise, or gain,
Debase the shepherd s views.

5 He that for these forbears to feed
The souls whom Jesus loves,
Whate'er he may profess, or plead,
An idle shepherd proves.

6 The sword of God shall break his arm,
A blast shall blind his eye ;
His word shall have no power to warm,
His gifts shall all grow dry.

7 Lord, avert this heavy woe !
Let all thy shepherds say ;
And grace and strength on each bestow,
To labour while tis day.

51.
Prayer for a Revival.

 
1 SAVIOUR, visit thy plantation,
Grant us, Lord, a gracious rain !
All will come to desolation
Unless thou return again :

Keep no longer at a distance
Mime upon us from on high
Lest, for want of thine assistance,
Every plant should droop and die.

2 Surely once thy garden flourish'd
Every part look d gay and green;
Then thy word our spirits nourish'd
Happy seasons we have seen !
But a drought has since succeeded
And a sad decline we see
Lord thy help is greatly needed,
Help can only come from thee.

3 Where are those We counted leaders,
Fill'd with zeal and love and truth *
Old professors, tall as cedars,
Bright examples to our youth ?
borne, in whom we once delighted,
We shall meet no more below
Some, alas ! we fear are blighted
Scarce a single leaf they show/

4 Younger plants-the sight how pleasant-
Cover d thick with blossoms stood ;
But they cause us grief at present,
Frosts have nipp d them in the bud
Dearest Saviour, hasten hither
Thou canst make them bloom a*ain
Oh permit them not to wither,
Let not all our hopes be vain !

5 Let our mutual love be fervent
Make us prevalent in pray'rs
Let each one esteem d thy servant
Shun the world s bewitching snares;
Break the tempter s fatal power,
Turn the stony heart to flesh
And begin, from this good hour,
To revive thy work afresh

52.
Hoping for a Revival.

 
1 MY harp untuned, and laid aside,
(To cheerful hours the harp belongs,)
My cruel foes insulting cried,
" Come, sing us one of Zion s songs."

2 Alas ! when sinners, blindly bold,
At Zion scoff, and Zion s King;
When zeal declines, and love grows cold,
Is this a day for me to sing ?

3 Time was, whene er the saints I met,
With joy and praise my bosom glow d !
But now, like Eli, sad I sit,
And tremble for the ark of God.

4 While thus to grief my soul gave way
To see the work of God decline,
Methought I heard my Saviour say,
" Dismiss thy fears, the ark is mine.

5 " Though for a time I hide my face,
Rely upon my love and power ;
Still wrestle at a throne of grace,
And wait for a reviving hour.

6 " Take down thy long-neglected harp ;
I ve seen thy tears, and heard thy pray r;
The winter season has been sharp,
But spring shall all its wastes repair."

7 Lord, I obey ; my hopes revive ;
Come join with me, ye saints, and sing ;
Our foes in vain against us strive,
For God will help and healing bring.

SACRAMENTAL HYMNS.

53.
Welcome to the Table. C.

 
1 THIS is the feast of heav nly wine,
And God invites to sup ;
The juices of the living vine
Were press d to fill the cup.

2 bless the Saviour, ye that eat,
With royal dainties fed ;
Not heaven affords a costlier treat,
For Jesus is the bread.

3 The vile, the lost, he calls to them,
Ye trembling souls, appear !|
The righteous in their own esteem
Have no acceptance here.

4 Approach, ye poor, nor dare refuse
The banquet spread for you :
Dear Saviour, this is welcome news,
Then I may venture too.

5 If guilt and sin afford a plea,
And may obtain a place,
Surely the Lord will welcome me.
And I shall see his face.

54.
Christ Crucified.

 
1 WHEN on the cross my Lord I see,
Bleeding to death for wretched me,
Satan and sin no more can move,
For I am all transform d to love.

2 His thorns and nails pierce through my heart,
In every groan I bear a part ;
I view his wounds with streaming eyes :

3 Come, sinners, view the Lamb of God,
Wounded and dead and bathed in blood !
Behold his side, and venture near,
The well of endless life is here.

4 Here I forget my cares and pains,
I drink yet still my thirst remains ;
Only the fountain-head above
Can satisfy the thirst of love.

5 Oh that I thus could always feel!
Lord, more and more thy love reveal!
Then my glad tongue shall loud proclaim
The grace and glory of thy name.

6 Thy name dispels my guilt and fear,
Revives my heart, and charms my ear,
Affords a balm for every wound,
And Satan trembles at the sound.

55.
Jesus hasting to suffer. C.

 
1 THE Saviour, what a noble flame
Was kindled in his breast,
When, hasting to Jerusalem,
He march d before the rest !

2 Good-will to men, and zeal for God,
His every thought engross ;
He longs to be baptized with blood,
He pants to reach the cross.

3 With all his suff rings full in view,
And woes to us unknown,
Forth to the task his spirit flew ;
Twas love that urged him on.

4 Lord, we return thee what we can !
Our hearts shall sound abroad,
Salvation to the dying Man,
And to the rising God !

5 And while thy bleeding glories here
Engage our wond ring eyes,

We learn our lighter cross to bear,
And hasten to the skies.

56.
It is good to be here.

1 Let me dwell on Golgotha,
Weep and love my life away ,
While I see Him on the tree
Weep and bleed and die for me !

2 That dear blood for sinners spilt
Shows my sin in all its guilt ;
Ah ! my soul, He bore thy load,
Thou hast slain the Lamb of God.

3 Hark! his dying word, Forgive!
Father, let the sinner live :
Sinner, wipe thy tears away,
I thy ransom freely pay."

4 While I hear this grace reveal d,
And obtain a pardon seal d,
All my soft affections move,
Wakeii d by the force of love.

5 Farewell, world, thy gold is dross,
Now I see the bleeding cross ;
Jesus died to set me free
From the law and sin and thee !

6 He has dearly bought my soul ;
Lord, accept and claim the whole !
To thy will I all resign,
Now, no more my own, but thine.

57.
Looking at the Cross.

 
1 IN evil long I took delight,
Unawed by shame or fear,
Till a new object struck my sight,
And stopp d my wild career.
 
2 I saw one hanging on a tree,
In agonies and blood,

Who fix d his languid eyes on me
As near his cross I stood.

3 Sure never till my latest breath
Can I forget that look ;
It seem d to charge me with his death
Though not a word He spoke.

4 My conscience felt, and own d the guilt
And plunged me in despair;
I saw my sins his blood had spilt,
And help d to nail Him there.J

5 Alas! I knew not what I did:
But now my tears are vain ;
Where shall my trembling soul be hid?
For I the Lord have slain.

6 A second look He gave, which said
" I freely all forgive ;
This blood is for thy ransom paid,
I die, that may may st live."

7 Thus while his death my sin displays
In all its blackest hue,
(Such is the mystery of grace,)
It seals my pardon too.

8 With pleasing grief and mournful joy
My spirit now is fill d,
That I should such a life destroy
Yet live by Him I kill d.

58.
Supplies in the Wilderness.

 
1 WHEN Isr el, by divine command,
The pathless desert trod,
They found, though twas a barren land
A sure resource in God.

2 A cloudy pillar mark d their road,
And screen d them from the heat;
From the hard rocks the water flow d,
And manna was their meat.

3 Like them, we have a rest in view,
Secure from adverse pow rs ;
Like them, we pass a desert too,
But Isr'el's God is ours.

4 Yes, in this barren wilderness
He is to us the same,
By his appointed means of grace,
As once he was to them.

5 His word a light before us spreads.
By which our path we see ;
His love, a banner o er our heads.
From harm preserves us free.

6 Jesus, the bread of life, is giv n
To be our daily food ;
We drink a wondrous stream from heav n,
Tis water, wine, and blood.

7 Lord, tis enough, I ask no more ;
These blessings are divine ;
I envy not the worldling s store
If Christ and heav n are mine.

59.
Communion with the Saints in Glory.

 
1 REFRESHED by the bread and wine,
The pledges of our Saviour s love,
Now let our hearts and voices join
In songs of praise with those above.

2 Do they sing, "Worthy is the Lamb"?
Although we cannot reach their strains,
Yet we through grace can sing the same,
For us he died, for us he reigns.

3 If they behold him face to face,
While we a glimpse can only see,
Yet, equal debtors to his grace,
As safe and as beloved are we.

4 They had, like us, a suff'ring time,
Our cares and fears and griefs they knew ;

But they have conquer d all through Him,
And we ere long shall conquer too.

5 Though all the songs of saints in light
Are far beneath His matchless worth,
His grace is such, He will not slight
The poor attempts of worms on earth.

ON PRAYER.

60.
Exhortation to Prayer. C.

 
1 WHAT various hindrances we meet
In coming to a mercy-seat!
Yet who that knows the worth of pray'r
But wishes to be often there?

2 Pray'r makes the darken d cloud withdraw
Pray'r climbs the ladder Jacob saw,
Gives exercise to faith and love,
Brings every blessing from above.

3 Restraining pray'r, we cease to fight:
Pray'r makes the Christian s armour brio-ht
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.

4 While Moses stood with arms spread wide,
Success was found on Isr el s side ;
But when through weariness they fail d,
That moment Amalek prevail'd.

5 Have you no words ? Ah ! think again ;
Words flow apace when you complain,
And fill your fellow-creature s ear
With the sad tale of all your care.

6 Were half the breath thus vainly spent
To Heaven in supplication sent,
Your cheerful song would oftener be,
"Hear what the Lord has done for me.

61.
Power of Prayer.

1 IN themselves as weak as worms,
How can poor believers stand.
When temptations, foes, and storms.
Press them close on every hand?

2 Weak, indeed, they feel they are,
But they know the throne of grace ;
And the God who answers pray r
Helps them when they seek his face.

3 Though the Lord awhile delay,
Succour they at length obtain ;
He who taught their hearts to pray
Will not let them cry in vain.

4 Wrestling pray r can wonders do,
Bring relief in deepest straits ;
Pray r can force a passage through
Iron bars and brazen gates.

5 Hezekiah on his knees
Proud Assyria s host subdued ;
And, when smitten with disease,
Had his life by pray'r renew'd.

6 Peter, though confined and chain'd ?
Pray'r prevail d and brought him out
When Elijah pray d it rain'd,
After three long years of drought.

7 We can likewise witness bear,
That the Lord is still the same ;
Though we fear d he would not hear.,
Suddenly deliv'rance came.

8 For the wonders he has wrought,
Let us now our praises give ;
And, by sweet experience taught,
Call upon him while we live.

ON THE SCRIPTURE.

62.
The Light and Glory of the Word. C.

 
1 THE Spirit breathes upon the word,
And brings the truth to sight ;
Precepts and promises afford
A sanctifying light.

2 A glory gilds the sacred page,
Majestic, like the sun ;
It gives a light to every age,
It gives, but borrows none.

3 The hand that gave it still supplies
The gracious light and heat;
His truths upon the nations rise,
They rise, but never set.

4 Let everlasting thanks be thine
For such a bright display
As makes a world of darkness shine
With beams of heav nly day.

5 My soul rejoices to pursue
The steps of Him I love,
Till glory breaks upon my view
In brighter worlds above.

63.
The Word more precious than Gold.

 
1 PRECIOUS BIBLE ! what a treasure
Does the Word of God afford !
All I want for life or pleasure,
Food and med cine, shield and sword ;
Let the world account me poor,
Having this I need no more.

2 Food, to which the world's a stranger,
Here my hungry soul enjoys ;

Of excess there is no danger,
Though it fills, it never cloys :
On a dying Christ I feed,
He is meat and drink indeed !

3 When my faith is faint and sickly,
Or when Satan wounds my mind,
Cordials to revive me quickly,
Healing med cines, here I find :
To the promises I flee,
Each affords a remedy.

4 In the hour of dark temptation,
Satan cannot make me yield ;
For the word of consolation
Is to me a mighty shield :
While the Scripture truths are sure ,
From his malice I m secure.

5 Vain his threats to overcome me
When I take the Spirit s sword ;
Then with ease I drive him from me,
Satan trembles at the word :
Tis a sword for conquest made,
Keen the edge and strong the blade.

6 Shall I envy then the miser,
Doating on his golden store ?
Sure I am, or should be, wiser :
I am rich, tis he is poor :
Jesus gives me, in his word,
Food and med cine, shield and sword.

III. PROVIDENCES.

64.
On the Commencement of Hostilities in America.

 
1 THE gath ring clouds, with aspect dark,
A rising storm presage ;
Oh ! to be hid within the ark,
And shelter d from its rage !

2 See the commission d angel frown!
That vial in his hand,
Fill d with fierce wrath, is pouring down
Upon our guilty land !

3 Ye saints, unite in wrestling pray r,
If yet there may be hope ;
Who knows but mercy yet may spare,
And bid the angel stop ?

4 Already is the plague begun,
And, fired with hostile rage,
Brethren, by blood and interest one,
With brethren now engage.

5 Peace spreads her wings, prepared for flight;
And war, with flaming sword
And hasty strides, draws nigh, to fight
The battles of the Lord.

6 The first alarm, alas, how few,
While distant, seem to hear !
But they will hear, and tremble too,
When God shall send it near.

7 So thunder o er the distant hills
Gives but a murm ring sound ;
But as the tempest spreads, it falls
And shakes the welkin^[5] round.

8 May we, at least, with one consent,
Fall low before the throne :
With tears the nation s sins lament,
The church s, and our own.

9 The humble souls who mourn and pray
The Lord approves and knows ;
His mark secures them in the day
When vengeance strikes his foes.

FAST-DAY HYMNS .

65.
Confession and Prayer. Dec. 13, 1776.

 
1 OH may the pow r which melts the rock
Be felt by all assembled here !
Or else our service will but mock
The God whom we profess to fear.

2 Lord, while thy judgments shake the land,
Thy people s eyes are fix d on thee!
We own thy just uplifted hand,
Which thousands cannot, will not see.

3 How long hast thou bestow d thy care
On this indulged ungrateful spot,
While other nations far and near
Have envied and admired our lot !

4 Here peace and liberty have dwelt,
The glorious gospel brightly shone ;
And oft our enemies have felt
That God has made our cause his own.

5 But ah ! both heaven and earth have heard
Our vile requital of his love !
We, whom like children he has rear d,
Rebels against his goodness prove.

6 His grace despised, his power defied,
And legions of the blackest crimes,
Profaneness, riot, lust, and pride,
Are signs that mark the present times.

7 The Lord displeased has raised his rod :
Ah, where are now the faithful few
Who tremble for the ark of God,
And know what Isr el ought to do ?

8 Lord, hear thy people every -where,
Who meet to mourn, confess, and pray ;
The nation and thy churches spare,
And let thy wrath be turn d away !

66.
Moses and Amalek.— Exod.xvii, 9. Feb. 27, 1778.

 
1 WHILE Joshua led the armed bands
Of Israel forth to war ;
Moses apart with lifted hands
Engaged in humble pray r.

2 The armed bands had quickly fail d,
And perish d in the fight,
If Moses pray r had not prevailM
To put the foes to flight.

3 When Moses hands through weakness dropp d
The warriors fainted too ;
Isr el s success at once was stopp d,
And Am lek bolder grew.

4 A people, always prone to boast,
Were taught by this suspense,
That not a num rous armed host,
But God, was their defence.

5 We now of fleets and armies vaunt,
And ships and men prepare ;
But men like Moses most we want,
To save the state by pray r.

6 Yet, Lord, we hope thou hast prepared
A hidden few to-day,
(The nation s secret strength and guard,)
To weep and mourn and pray.

7 Oh hear their pray rs, and grant us aid,
Bid war and discord cease ;
Eeal the sad breach which sin has made,
And bless us all with peace.

67.
The Hiding-place. Feb. 10, 1779.

 
1 SEE the gloomy ^ath ring cloud.
Hanging o er a sinful land !

Sure the Lord proclaims aloud, -
Times of trouble are at hand.
Happy they who love his name,
They shall always find him near ;
Though the earth were wrapp d in flame,
They have no just cause for fear.

2 Hark ! his voice in accents mild,
(Oh, how comforting and sweet!)
Speaks to every humble child,
Pointing out a sure retreat !
Come and in my chambers hide,
To my saints of old well known ;
There you safely may abide
Till the storm be overblown.

3 You have only to repose
On my wisdom, love, and care ;
When my wrath consumes my foes,
Mercy shall my children spare :
While they perish in the flood,
You that bear my holy mark,
Sprinkled with atoning blood,
Shall be safe within the ark.

4 Sinners, see the ark prepared !
Haste to enter while there s room !
Though the Lord his arm has bared,
Mercy still retards your doom :
Seek him while there yet is hope,
Ere the day of grace be past,
Lest in wrath he give you up,
And this call should prove your last.

68.
On the Earthquake. Sept. 8, 1775.

1 ALTHOUGH on massy pillars built,
The earth has lately shook :
It trembles under Britain s guilt
Before its Maker s look.

2 Swift as the shock amazement spreads,
And sinners tremble too ;
What flight can screen their guilty heads,
If earth itself pursue ?

3 But mercy sparedus while itwarn d,
The shock is felt no more :
And mercy, now, alas ! is scorn d
By sinners, as before.

4 But if these warnings prove in vain,
Say, sinner, canst thou tell
How soon the earth may quake again,
And open wide to hell ?

5 Repent before the Judge draws nigh ;
Or else, when he comes down,
Thou wilt in vain for earthquakes cry,
To hide thee from his frown.

6 But happy they who love the Lord,
And his salvation know ;
The hope that s founded 011 his word,
No change can overthrow.

7 Should the deep-rooted hills be hurl d,
And plunged beneath the seas,
And strong convulsions shake the world,
Your hearts may rest in peace.

8 Jesus, your Shepherd, Lord, and Chief,
Shall shelter you from ill,
And not a worm or shaking leaf
Can move but at his will.

69.
On the Fire at Olney. Sept. 22, 1777.

1 WEARIED by day with toils and cares,
How welcome is the peaceful night !
Sweet sleep our wasted strength repairs,
And fits us for returning light.

2 Yet when our eyes in sleep arc closed,
Our rest may break ere well begun ;

To dangers every hour exposed
We neither can foresee nor shun.

3 "Pis of the Lord that we can sleep
A single night without alarms ;
His eje alone our lives can keep
Secure amidst a thousand harms.

4 For months and years of safety past
Ungrateful we, alas ! have been ;
Though patient long, he spoke at last,
And bid the fire rebuke our sin.

5 The shout oifire a dreadful cry,
Impress d each heart with deep dismay,
While the fierce blaze and redd ning sky
Made midnight wear the face of day.

6 The throng and terror who can speak ?
The various sounds that fill d the air!
The infant s wail, the mother s shriek,
The voice of blasphemy and pray r !

7 But pray r prevail d, and saved the town ;
The few who loved the Saviour s name
Were heard, and mercy hasted down,
To change the wind and stop the flame.

8 Oh, may that night be ne er forgot !
Lord, still increase thy praying few !
Were Olney left without a Lot,
Ruin like Sodom s would ensue.

70.
A Welcome to Christian Friends.

 
1 KINDRED in Christ, for his dear sake,
A hearty welcome here receive ;
May we together now partake
The joys which only he can give!

2 To you and us by grace tis given
To know the Saviour s precious name,
And shortly we shall meet in heaven,
Our hope, our way, our end, the same.

3 May he, by whose kind care we meet,
Send his good Spirit from above,
Make our communications sweet,
And cause our hearts to burn with love !

4 Forgotten be each worldly theme,
When Christians see each other thus :
We only wish to speak of Him
Who lived and died and reigns for us.

5 We ll talk of all He did and said,
And suffer d for us here below;
The path He mark d for us to tread,
And what He s doing for us now.

6 Thus, as the moments pass away,
We ll love and wonder and adore,
And hasten on the glorious day
When we shall meet to part no more.

71.
At Parting.

 
1 As the sun s enliv ning eye
Shines on every place the same ;
So the Lord is always nigh
To the souls that love his name.

2 When they move at duty s call,
He is with them by the way ;
He is ever near them all,
Those who go, and those who stay.

3 From his holy mercy-seat
Nothing can their souls confine ;
Still in spirit they may meet,
And in sweet communion join.

4 For a season call d to part,
Let us then ourselves commend
To the gracious eye and heart
Of our ever-present Friend.

5 Jesus, hear our humble pray rf
Tender Shepherd of thy sheep,

Let thy mercy and thy care
All our souls in safety keep.

6 In thy strength may we be strong,
Sweeten every cross and pain ;
Give us, if we live, ere long,
Here to meet in peace again.

7 Then if thou thy help afford,
Ebenezers shall be rear d ;
And our souls shall praise the Lord,
Who our poor petitions heard.

FUNERAL HYMNS.

72.
On the Death of a Believer.

 
1 IN vain our fancy strives to paint
The moment after death,
The glories that surround the saints
When yielding up their breath.

2 One gentle sigh their fetters breaks ;
We scarce can say, "They re gone!
Before the willing spirit takes
Her mansion near the throne.

3 Faith strives, but all its efforts fail
To trace her in her flight ;
No eye can pierce within the veil
Which hides that world of lio-lit
 
4 Thus much (and this is all) we know,
They are completely bless d
Have done with sin and care and woe,
And with their Saviour rest.

5 On harps of gold they praise his name,
His face they always view ;
Then let us foll wers be of them,
That we may praise him too.

6 Their faith and patience, love and zeal,
Should make their mem ry dear;
And, Lord, do thou the pray rs fulfill
They offer d for us here.

7 While they have ga.in d we losers are,
We miss them day by day :
But thou canst every breach repair,
And wipe our tears away.

8 We pray, as in Elisha s case,
When great Elijah went
May double portions of thy grace
To us who stay be sent.

73.
On the Death of a Minister. C.

 
1 His master taken from his head,
Elisha saw him go ;
And in desponding accents said
"Ah, what must Isr el do ?"

2 But he forgot the Lord who lifts
The beggar to the throne ;
Nor knew that all Elijah s gifts
Will soon be made his own.

3 What, when a Paul has run his course,
Or when Apollos dies,
Is Isr el left without resource ?
And have we no supplies ?

4 Yes, while the dear Redeemer lives,
We have a boundless store,
And shall be fed with what he gives,
Who lives for evermore.

74.
The Tolling Bell

 
1 OFT as the bell, with solemn toll,
Speaks the departure of a soul,
Let each one ask himself "Am I
Prepared, should I be call d to die ?"

2 Only this frail and fleeting breath
Preserves me from the jaws of death;
Soon as it fails at once I'm gone,
And plunged into a world unknown.

3 Then leaving all I loved below,
To God's tribunal I must go,—
Must hear the Judge pronounce my fate,
And fix my everlasting state.

4 But could I bear to hear him say,
"Depart, accursed, far away;
With Satan in the lowest hell,
Thou art for ever doom'd to dwell" ?

5 Lord Jesus! help me now to flee,
And seek my hope alone in thee;
Apply thy blood, thy Spirit give,
Subdue my sin and let me live.

6 Then when the solemn bell I hear,
If saved from guilt I need not fear;
Nor would the thought distressing be—
Perhaps it next may toll for me.

7 Rather my spirit would rejoice,
And long and wish to hear thy voice;
Glad when it bids me earth resign,
Secure of heaven if thou art mine.

75.

Hope beyond the Grave.

1 MY soul, this curious house of clay,
Thy present frail abode,
Must quickly fall to worms a prey,
And thou return to God.

2 Canst thou by faith survey with joy
The change before it come ?
And say—"Let death this house destroy,
I have a heav'nly home ?"

3 The Saviour, whom I then shall see
With new admiring eyes,

Already has prepared for me
A mansion in the skies.

4 I feel this mud-wall cottage shake,
And long to see it fall,
That I my willing flight may take
To Him who is my all.

5 Burden d and groaning then no more,
My rescued soul shall sing,
As up the shining path I soar,
" Death, thou hast lost thy sting!"

6 Dear Saviour, help us now to seek,
And know thy grace s power,
That we may all this language speak
Before the dying hour.

76.
There the Weary are at Rest.

1 COURAGE, my soul! behold the prize
The Saviour s love provides
Eternal life beyond the skies
For all whom here he guides.

2 The wicked cease from troubling there,
The weary are at rest ;
Sorrow and sin and pain and care
No more approach the blest.

3 A wicked world and wicked heart
With Satan now are join d;
Each acts a too successful part
In harassing my mind.

4 In conflict with this threefold troop,
How weary, Lord, am I !
Did not thy promise bear me up
My soul must faint and die :

5 But fighting in my Saviour s strength,
Though mighty are my foes,
I shall a conq ror be at length
O er all that can oppose.

6 Then why, my soul, complain or fear ?
The crown of glory see I
The more I toil and suffer here,
The sweeter rest will be.

77.
The Day of Judgment.

 
1 DAY of judgment, day of wonders !
Hark! the trumpet s awful sound,
Louder than a thousand thunders,
Shakes the vast creation round !
How the summons will the sinner s heart confound !

2 See the Judge our nature wearing,
Clothed in majesty divine !
You who long for his appearing
Then shall say " This God is mine !"
Uracious Saviour, own me in that day for thine.

3 At his call the dead awaken,
Rise to life from earth and sea.
All the powers of nature, shaken
By his looks, prepare to flee.
Careless sinner, what will then become of thee i

4 Horrors past imagination
Will surprise your trembling heart,
When you hear your condemnation,
" Hence, accursed wretch, depart!
Thou with Satan and his angels have thy part!"

5 Satan, who now tries to please you,
Lest you timely warning take,
When that word is past, will seiza you,
Plunge you in the burning lake :
Think, poor sinner, thy eternal all s at stake.

6 But to those who have confessed,
Loved and served the Lord below,
He will say " Come near, ye blessed,
Soe the kingdom I bestow :
You for ever shall my love and glory know."

7 Under sorrows and reproaches,
May this thought your courage raise,
Swiftly God s great day approaches,
Sighs shall then be changed to praise.
We shall triumph when the world is in a blaze.

78.
The Day of the Lord.^[6]

 
1 GOD with one piercing glance looks through
Creation s wide-extended frame;
The past and future in his view,
And days and ages are the same.

2 Sinners who dare provoke his face,
Who on his patience long presume,
And trifle out his day of grace,
Will find he has a day of doom,

3 As pangs the labouring woman feels,
Or as the thief in midnight sleep,
So comes that day for which the wheels
Of time their ceaseless motion keep !

4 Hark ! from the sky the trump proclaims
Jesus the Judge approaching nigh !
See the creation wrapt in flames,
First kindled by his vengeful eye !

5 When thus the mountains melt like wax ;
When earth and air and sea shall burn ;
When all the frame of nature breaks ;
Poor sinner, whither wilt thou turn?

6 The puny works which feeble men
Now boast or covet or admire ;
Their pomp and arts and treasures then
Shall perish in one common fire.

7 Lord, fix our hearts and hopes above,
Since all below to ruin tends ;
Here may we trust, obey, and love,
And there be found amongst thy friends.

79.
The Great Tribunal.—Rev. xx, 11, 12.

 
1 JOHN in vision saw the day
When the Judge will hasten down ;
Heaven and earth shall flee away
From the terror of his frown.
Dead and living, small and great,
Raised from the earth and sea,
At his bar shall hear their fate :
What will then become of me ?

2 Can I bear his awful looks?
Shall I stand in judgment then,
When I see the open d books,
Written by th Almighty s pen ?
If he to remembrance bring,
And expose to public view,
Every work and secret thing,
Ah, my soul, what canst thou do ?

3 When the list shall be produced
Of the talents I enjoy d,
Means and mercies how abused,
Time and strength how misemploy d,
Conscience, then compell d to read,
Must allow the charge is true ;
Say, my soul, what canst thou plead
In that hour what wilt thou do ?

4 But the book of life I see ;
May my name be written there :
Then from guilt and danger free,
Glad I ll meet him in the air.
That s the book I hope to plead,
Tis the gospel open d wide.
Lord, I am a wretch indeed,
I have sinri d, but thou hast died.

5 Now my soul knows what to do ;
Thus I shall with boldness stand,
Number d with the faithful few,
Own d and saved at thy right hand.

If thou help a feeble worm
To believe thy promise now,
Justice will at last confirm
What thy mercy wrought below.

IV. CREATION.

80.
The Old and New Creation.

 
1 That was a wonder-working word
Which could the vast creation raise f
Angels, attendant on their Lord
Admired the plan, and sung his praise.

2 From what a dark and shapeless mass
All nature sprang at his command !
Letthere be light ! and light there was,
And sun and stars and sea and land.

3 With equal speed the earth and seas
Their mighty Maker s voice obey d ;
He spake, and straight the plants and trees
And birds and beasts and man were made.

4 But man, the lord and crown of all,
By sin his honour soon defaced,
His heart (how alter d since the fall!)
Is dark, deform d, and void and waste.

5 The new creation of the soul
Does now no less his power display,
Than when he form d the mighty whole,
And kindled darkness into day.

6 Though self-destroy d, Lord, we are,
Yet let us feel what thou canst do ;
Thy word the ruin can repair,
And all our hearts create anew.

81.
The Book of Creation.

 
1 THE book of nature open lies,
With much instruction stored:
But till the Lord anoints our eyes
We cannot read a word.

2 Philosophers have pored in vain,
And guess d from age to age ;
For reason s eye could ne er attain
To understand a page.

3 Though to each star they give a name,
Its size and motions teach,
The truths which all the stars proclaim
Their wisdom cannot reach.

4 With skill to measure earth and sea,
And weigh the subtile air,
They cannot, Lord, discover thee
Though present everywhere.

5 The knowledge of the saints excels
The wisdom of the schools ;
To them his secrets God reveals
Though men account them fools.

6 To them the sun and stars on high,
The flow rs that paint the field,
And all the artless birds that fly,
Divine instructions yield.

7 The creatures on their senses press,
As witnesses to prove
Their Saviour s power and faithfulness,
His providence and love.

8 Thus may we study nature s book,
To make us wise indeed!
And pity those who only look
At what they cannot read.

82.
The Rainbow.

 
1 WHEN the sun with cheerful beams
Smiles upon a low ring sky,
Soon its aspect soften d seems,
And a rainbow meets the eye :
While the skj remains serene
This bright arch is never seen.

2 Thus the Lord s supporting pow r
Brightest to his saints appears,
When affliction s threat ning hour
Fills their sky with clouds and fears :
He can wonders then perform,
Paint a rainbow on the storm.

3 All their graces doubly shine
When their troubles press them sore;
And the promises divine
Give them joys unknown before:
As the colours of the bow
To the cloud their brightness owe.

4 Favour d John a rainbow saw,
Circling round a throne above ;
Hence the saints a pledge may draw
Of unchanging cov nant love :
Clouds awhile may intervene,
But the bow will still be seen.

83.
Thunder.

 
1 WHEN a black o erspreading cloud
Has darken d all the air,
And peals of thunder, roaring loud,
Proclaim the tempest near ;

2 Then guilt and fear, the fruits of sin,
The sinner oft pursue ;
A louder storm is heard within,
And conscience thunders too.

3 The law a fiery language speaks,
His danger he perceives ;
Like Satan, who his ruin seeks,
He trembles and believes.

4 But when the sky serene appears,
And thunders roll no more,
He soon forgets his vows and fears.
Just as he did before.

5 But whither shall the sinner flee
When nature s mighty frame,
The pond rous earth and air and sea,
Shall all dissolve in flame ?

6 Amazing day! It comes apace!
The Judge is hasting down !
Will sinners bear to see his face,
Or stand before his frown ?

7 Lord, let thy mercy find a way
To touch each stubborn heart,
That they may never hear thee say,
" Ye cursed ones, depart!"

8 Believers, you may well rejoice !
The thunder s loudest strains
Should be to you a welcome voice,
That tells you, " Jesus reigns !"

84.
Lightning in the Night.

 
1 A GLANCE from heav n with sweet effect,
Sometimes my pensive spirit cheers ;
But, ere I can my thoughts collect,
As suddenly it disappears.

2 So lightning in the gloom of night
Affords a momentary day ;
Disclosing objects full in sight,
Which, soon as seen, are snatch d away,

3 Ah ! what avail these pleasing scenes !
They do but aggravate my pain ;

While darkness quickly intervenes,
And swallows up my joys again.

4 But shall I murmur at relief ?
Though short, it was a precious view.
Sent to control my unbelief,
And prove that what I read was true,

5 The lightning s flash did not create
The opening prospect it reveal d ;
But only showed the real state
Of what the darkness had conceal d.

6 Just so, we by a glimpse discern
The glorious things within the veil,
That, when in darkness, we may learn
To live by faith till light prevail.

7 The Lord s great day will soon advance,
Dispersing all the shades of night ;
Then we no more shall need a glance,
But see by an eternal light.

85.
On the Eclipse of the Moon. July 30, 1776.

1 ,THE moon in silver glory shone,
And not a cloud in sight,
When suddenly a shade begun
To intercept her light

2 How fast across her orb it spread !
How fast her light withdrew ! ,
A circle, tinged with languid red,
Was all appear d in view.

3 While many, with unmeaning eye,
Gaze on thy works in vain,
Assist me, Lord, that I may try
Instruction to obtain.

4 Fain would my thankful heart and lips
Unite in praise of thee,
And meditate on thy eclipse
In sad Gethsemane.

5 Thy people s guilt, a heavy load,
(When standing in their room,)
Deprived thee of the light of God,
And fill d thy soul with gloom.

6 How punctu lly eclipses move,
Obedient to thy will !
Thus shall thy faithfulness and love
Thy promises fulfill.

7 Dark, like the moon without the sun,
I mourn thine absence, Lord !
For light or comfort I have none
But what thy beams afford.

8 But, lo ! the hour draws near apace,
When changes shall be o er ;
Then I shall see thee face to face,
And be eclipsed no more.

86.
Moonlight.

1 THE moon has but a borrow d light,
A faint and feeble ray ;
She owes her beauty to the night,
And hides herself by day.

2 No cheering warmth her beam conveys,
Though pleasing to behold ;
We might upon her brightness gaze
Till we were starved with cold.

3 Just such is all the light to man
Which reason can impart;
It cannot show one object plain,
Nor warm the frozen heart.

4 Thus moonlight views of truth divine
To many fatal prove ;
For what avail in gifts to shine,
Without a spark of love ?

5 The gospel, like the sun at noon,
Affords a glorious light ;

Then fallen reason s boasted moon
Appears no longer bright.

6 And grace, not light alone, bestows,
But adds a quick ning power;
The desert blossoms like the rose,
And sin prevails no more.

87.
The Sea.^[7]

 
1 IF for a time the air be calm,
Serene and smooth the sea appears,
And shows no danger to alarm
Th inexperienced landsman's fears;

2 But if the tempest once arise,
The faithless water swells and raves ;
Its billows foaming to the skies,
Disclose a thousand threat'ning graves.

3 My untried heart thus seem d to me
(So little of myself I knew,)
Smooth as the calm unruffled sea,
But ah ! it proved as treach'rous too.

4 The peace of which I had a taste
When Jesus first his love reveal d,
I fondly hoped would always last
Because my foes were then conceal d.

5 But when I felt the tempter s power
Rouse my corruptions from their sleep,
I trembled at the stormy hour,
And saw the horrors of the deep.

6 Now on presumption's billows borne,
My spirit seem d the Lord to dare;
Now, quick as thought, a sudden turn
Plunged me in gulfs of black despair.

7 Lord, save me, or I sink, I pray'd;
He heard, and bid the tempest cease ;

The angry waves his word obey d,
And all my fears were hush d to peace.

8 The peace is" his, and not my own ;
My heart (no better than before)
Is still to dreadful changes prone,
Then let me never trust it more.

88.
The Flood.

 
1 THOUGH small the drops of falling rain
If one be singly view d,
Collected, they o erspread the plain.
And form a mighty flood.

2 The house it meets with in its course
Should not be built on clay,
Lest, with a wild, resistless force,
It sweep the whole away.

3 Though for awhile it seem secure.
It will not bear the shock
Unless it has foundations sure,
And stands upon a rock.

4 Thus sinners think their evil deeds.
Like drops of rain, are small ;
But it the power of thought exceeds
To count the sum of all.

5 One sin can raise, though small it seem.
A flood to drown the soul ;
What then, when countless million stream-
Shall join to swell the whole!

6 Yet, while they think the weather fair,
If warn d they smile or frown :
But they will tremble and despair,
When the fierce flood comes down.

7 Oh! then on Jesus ground your hope.
That Stone in Zion laid ;
Lest your poor building quickly drop
With ruin on your head.

89.
The Thaw.

1 THE ice and snow we lately saw,
Which cover d all the ground,
Are melted soon before the thaw,
And can no more be found.

2 Could all the art of man suffice
To move away the snow,
To clear the rivers from the ice,
Or make the waters flow ?

3 No, tis the work of God alone ;
An emblem of the power
By which he melts the heart of stone
In his appointed hour.

4 All outward means, till he appears,
Will ineffectual prove ;
Though much the sinner sees and hears,
He cannot learn to love.

5 But let the stoutest sinner feel
The soft ning warmth of grace,
Though hard as ice or rocks or steel,
His heart dissolves apace.

6 Seeing the blood which Jesus spilt
To save his soul from woe,
His hatred, unbelief, and guilt,
All melt away like snow.

7 Jesus, we in thy name entreat,
Reveal thy gracious arm ;
And grant thy Spirit s kindly heat,
Our frozen hearts to warm.

90.
The Loadstone.

1 As needles point towards the pole
When touch d by the magnetic stone ;
So faith in Jesus gives the soul
A tendency before unknown.

2 Till then, by blinded passions led,
In search of fancied good we range,
The paths of disappointment tread,
To nothing fix d but love of change.

3 But when the Holy Ghost imparts
A knowledge of the Saviour s love,
Our wand ring, weary, restless hearts
Are fix d at once, no more to move.

4 Now a new principle takes place,
Which guides and animates the will ;
This love, another name for grace,
Constrains to good, and bars from ill.

5 By love s pure light we soon perceive
Our noblest bliss and proper end ;
And gladly every idol leave,
To love and serve our Lord and Friend,

6 Thus, borne along by faith and hope,
We feel the Saviour s words are true ;
" And I, if 1 be lifted up,
Will draw the sinner upward too.

91.
The Spider and Bee.

 
1 ON the same flow r we often see
The loathsome spider and the bee;
But what they get by working there
Is diffrent as their natures are.

2 The bee a sweet reward obtains,
And honey well repays his pains ;
Home to the hive he bears the store,
And then returns in quest of more.

3 But no sweet flow rs that grace the field
Can honey to the spider yield ;
A cobweb all that he can spin,
And poison all the stores within.

4 Thus in that sacred field, the Word,
With flow rs of God s own planting stored.

Like bees his children feed and thrive,
And bring home honey to the hive.

5 There, spider- like, the wicked come,
And seem to taste the sweet perfume;
But the vile venom of their hearts
To poison all their food converts.

6 From the same truths believers prize
They weave vain refuges of lies ;
And from the promise license draw
To trifle with the holy law.

7 Lord, shall thy word of life and love
The means of death to numbers prove?
Unless thy grace our hearts renew^[8]
We sink to hell with heaven in view.

92.
The Bee saved from the Spider.

 
1 THE subtle spider often weaves
His unsuspected snares
Among the balmy flowers and leaves,
To which the bee repairs.

2 When in his web he sees one hang,
With a malicious joy
He darts upon it with his fang,
To poison and destroy.

3 How welcome then some pitying friend,
To save the threaten d bee,
The spider s treach rous web to rend,
And set the captive free !

4 My soul has been in such a case :
When first I knew the Lord,
I hasted to the means of grace,
Where sweets I knew were stored.

5 Little I thought of danger near,
That soon my j oys would ebb ;
But ah ! I met a spider there,
Who caught me in his web.

Then Satan raised his pois nous sting,
And aim d his blows at me :
While I, poor helpless trembling thing.
Could neither fight nor flee.

7 But oh! the Saviour s pitying eye
Relieved me from despair ;
He saw me at the point to die,
And broke the fatal snare.

8 My case his heedless saints should warn,
Or cheer them if afraid ;
May you from me your danger learn,
And where to look for aid !

93.
The tamed Lion.

1 A LION, though by nature wild,
The art of man can tame ;
lie stands before his keeper mild
And gentle as a lamb.

2 He watches, with submissive eye,
The hand that gives him food,
As if he meant to testify
A sense of gratitude.

3 But man himself, who thus subdues
The fiercest beasts of prey,
A nature more unfeeling shows
And far more fierce than they.

4 Though by the Lord preserved and fed,
He proves rebellious still ;
And while he eats his Maker s bread
Resists his holy will.

5 Alike in vain, of grace that saves,
Or threat ning law, he hears ;
The savage scorns, blasphemes, and raves,
But neither loves nor fears.

6 O Saviour ! how thy wondrous power
By angels is proclaim d!

When in thine own appointed hour
They see this lion tamed !

7 The love thy bleeding cross displays
The hardest heart subdues !
Here furious lions, while they gaze,
Their rage and fierceness lose.

8 Yet we are but renew d in part,
The lion still remains ;
Lord, drive him wholly from my heart,
Or keep him fast in chains.

94.
Sheep.

 
1 THE Saviour calls his people sheep,
And bids them on his love rely ;
For he alone their souls can keep,
And he alone their wants supply.

2 The bull can fight, the hare can flee,
The ant in summer food prepare ;
But helpless sheep, and such are we,
Depend upon the shepherd s care.

3 Jehovah is our Shepherd s name,
Then what have we, though weak, to fear ?
Our sin and folly we proclaim
If we despond while he is near.

4 When Satan threatens to devour,
When troubles press on every side,
Think on our Shepherd s care and power,
He can defend, He will provide.

5 See the rich pastures of his grace,
Where in full streams salvation flows!
There he appoints our resting-place,
And we may feel secure from foes.

6 There, midst the flock, the Shepherd dwells,
The sheep around in safety lie ;
The wolf in vain with malice swells,
For he protects them with his eye.

7 Dear Lord, if I am one of thine,
From anxious thoughts I would be free ;
To trust and love and praise is mine,
The care of all belongs to thee.

95.
The Garden.

 
1 A GARDEN contemplation suits,
And may instruction yield
Sweeter than all the flow rs and fruits
With which the spot is fill'd.
 
2 Eden was Adam s dwelling-place
While blest with innocence ;
But sin o er whelm d him with disgrace?.
And drove the rebel thence.

3 Oft as the garden-walk we tread
We should bemoan his fall ;
The trespass of our legal head
In ruin plunged us all.

4 The garden of Gethsemane
The second Adam saw
Oppress d with woe, to set us free
From the avenging law.

5 How stupid we, who can forget,
With gardens in our sight,
His agonies and bloody sweat
In that tremendous night !

6 His church as a fair garden stands,
Which walls of love enclose ;
Each tree is planted by his hands,
And by his blessing grows.

7 Believing hearts are gardens too,
For grace has sown its seeds
Where once, by nature, nothing grew
But thorns and worthless weeds.

8 Such themes to those who Jesus love
May constant joys afford,

And make a barren desert prove
The garden of the Lord.

96.
For a Garden-seat or Summer-house.

 
1 A shelter, from the rain or wind,
A shade from scorching heat,
A resting-place you here may find,
To ease your weary feet,

2 Enter, but with a serious thought,
Consider who is near!
This is a consecrated spot,—
The Lord is present here !

3 A question of the utmost weight,
While reading, meets your eye;
May conscience witness to your state,
And give a true reply!

4 Is Jesus to your heart reveal'd
As full of truth and grace?
And is his name your hope and shield,
Your rest and hiding-place?

5 If so, for all events prepared,
Whatever storms may rise,
He whom you love will safely guard,
And guide you to the skies.

6 No burning sun or storm or rain
Will there your peace annoy;
No sin, temptation, grief, or pain,
Intrude to damp your joy.

7 But if his name you have not known,
Oh, seek him while you may!
Lest you should meet his awful frown
In that approaching day.

8 When the avenging Judge you see
With terrors on his brow,
Where can you hide, or whither flee,
If you reject him now?

97.
The Creatures in the Lord s hands.

 
1 The water stood like walls of brass,
To let the sons of Isr'el pass,
And from the rock in rivers burst,
At Moses pray'r, to quench their thirst.

2 The fire, restrain d by God's commands,
Could only burn his people's bands;
Too faint, when he was with them there,
To singe their garments or their hair.

3 At Daniel's feet the lions lay
Like harmless lambs, nor touch d their prey;
And ravens, which on carrion fed,
Procured Elijah flesh and bread.

4 Thus creatures only can fulfill
Their great Creator's holy will;
And when his servants need their aid,
His purposes must be obey'd.

5 So, if his blessing he refuse,
Their pow'r to help they quickly lose;
Sure as on creatures we depend,
Our hopes in disappointment end.

6 Then let us trust the Lord alone,
And creature-confidence disown:
Nor if they threaten need we fear,
They cannot hurt if he be near.

7 If instruments of pain they prove,
Still they are guided by his love;
As lancets by the surgeon's skill,
Which wound to cure, and not to kill.

98.
On Dreaming.

 
1 When slumber seals our weary eyes,
The busy fancy wakeful keeps;
The scenes which then before us rise
Prove something in us never sleeps.

2 As in another world we seem,
A new creation of our own;
All appears real, though but a dream,
And all familiar, though unknown.

3 Sometimes, the mind beholds again
The past day's business in review—
Resumes the pleasure or the pain,
And sometimes all we meet is new.

4 What schemes we form, what pains we take!
We fight, we run, we fly, we fall;
But all is ended when we wake,
We scarcely then a trace recall.

5 But though our dreams are often wild,
Like clouds before the driving storm;
Yet some important may be styled,
Sent to admonish or inform.

6 What mighty agents have access,
What friends from heaven, or foes from hell,
Our minds to comfort or distress,
When we are sleeping, who can tell?

7 One thing, at least, and tis enough,
We learn from this surprising fact—
Our dreams afford sufficient proof,
The soul without the flesh can act.

8 This life, which mortals so esteem,
That many choose it for their all,
They will confess, was but a dream,
When waken d by death's awful call.

99.
The World.

 
1 See, the world for youth prepares,
Harlot-like, her gaudy snares!
Pleasures round her seem to wait,
But tis all a painted cheat.

2 Rash and unsuspecting youth
Thinks to find thee always smooth,

Always kind, till better taught,
By experience dearly bought.

3 So the calm but faithless sea,
(Lively emblem, world, of thee,)
Tempts the shepherd from the shore,
Foreign regions to explore.

4 While no wrinkled wave is seen,
While the sky remains serene,
Fill'd with hopes and golden schemes.
Of a storm he little dreams.

5 By ere long the tempest raves,
Then he trembles at the waves,
Wishes then he had been wise,
But too late—he sinks and dies.

6 Hapless, thus, are they, vain world,
Soon on rocks of ruin hurl'd,
Who, admiring thee untried,
Court thy pleasure, wealth, or pride.

7 Such a shipwreck had been mine.
Had not Jesus (name divine!)
Saved me with a mighty hand,
And restored my soul to land.

8 Now, with gratitude I raise
Ebenezers to his praise;
Now my rash pursuits are o'er,
I can trust thee, world, no more.

100.
The Enchantment Dissolved.

 
1 Blinded in youth by Satan s arts,
The world to our unpractised hearts
A flatt'ring prospect shows;
Our fancy forms a thousand schemes
Of gay delights, and golden dreams.
And undisturb'd repose.

2 So in the desert's dreary waste,
By magic power produced in haste,
(As ancient fables say,)

Castles and groves and music sweet,
The senses of the trav'ler meet,
And stop him in his way.

3 But while he listens with surprise,
The charm dissolves, the vision dies
'Twas but enchanted ground.
Thus if the Lord our spirit touch,
The world, which promised us so much,
A wilderness is found.

4 At first we start and feel distress'd,
Convinced we never can have rest
In such a wretched place;
But he whose mercy breaks the charm,
Reveals his own almighty arm,
And bids us seek his face,

5 Then we begin to live indeed,
When from our sin and bondage freed
By this beloved Friend:
We follow him from day to day,
Assured of grace through all the way,
And glory at the end.

 

1. Book iii, Hymn 31.
2. Book iii, Hymn 68.
3. Book i. Hymn 44.
4. Wherever a separation is threatened between a minister and people who dearly love each other, this hymn may be as seasonable as it was once at Olney.
5. Firmament, or atmosphere.
6. Book iii, Hymn 4.
7. Book i, Hymn 115.
8. Book iii, Hymn 71.