Olney Hymns (1840)/III
OLNEY HYMNS.
BOOK III.
ON THE RISE, PROGRESS, CHANGES, AND COMFORTS OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE.
I. SOLEMN ADDEESSES TO SINNERS.
II. SEEKING, PLEADING, AND HOPING.
III. CONFLICT.
IV. COMFORT.
V. DEDICATION AND SURRENDER.
VI. CAUTIONS.
VII. PRAISE.
VIII. SHORT HYMNS.
I. SOLEMN ADDRESSES TO SINNERS.
1.
Expostulation.
1 No words can declare,
No fancy can paint,
What rage and despair,
What hopeless complaint,
Fill Satan's dark dwelling,
The prison beneath,—
What weeping and yelling
And gnashing of teeth!
2 Yet sinners will choose
This dreadful abode!
Each madly pursues
The dangerous road;
Though God give them warning,
They onward will go,
They answer with scorning,
And rush upon woe.
3 How sad to behold
The rich and the poor,
The young and the old,
All blindly secure !
All posting to ruin,
Refusing to stop.
Ah ! think what you re doing,
While yet there is hope !
4 How weak is your hand
To fight with the Lord !
How can you withstand
The edge of his sword?
What hope of escaping
For those who oppose,
When hell is wide gaping
To swallow his foes ?
5 How oft have you dared
The Lord to his face !
Yet still you are spared
To hear of his grace.
O pray for repentance
And life-giving faith
Before the just sentence
Consign you to death.
6 It is not too late
To Jesus to flee ;
His mercy is great,
His pardon is free !
His blood has such virtue
For all that believe
That nothing can hurt you
If him you receive.
2.
Alarm.
1 STOP, poor sinner ! stop and think,
Before you farther go !
Will you sport upon the brink
Of everlasting woe ?
Once again I charge you, stop ;
For unless you warning take,
Ere you are aware you drop
Into the burning lake.
2 Say, have you an arm like God,
That you his will oppose ?
Fear you not that iron rod
With which he breaks his foes ?
Can you stand in that dread day
When he judgment shall proclaim,
And the earth shall melt away
Like wax before the flame ?
3 Pale-faced death will quickly come
To drag you to his bar ;
Then to hear your awful doom
Will fill you with despair :
All your sins will round you crowd,
Sins of a blood-crimson dye ;
Each for vengeance crying loud,
And what can you reply ?
4 Though your heart be made of steel,
Your forehead lined with brass,
God at length will make you feel
He will not let you pass :
Sinners then in vain will call,
(Though they now despise his grace)
Rocks and mountains, on us fall,
And hide us from his face !
5 But as yet there is a hope
You may his mercy know ;
Though his arm is lifted up,
He still forbears the blow :
Twas for sinners Jesus died,
Sinners he invites to come ;
None who come shall be denied, —
He says " There still is room."
3.
We were once as you are.
1 SHALL men pretend to pleasure
Who never knew the Lord?
Can all the worldling s treasure
True peace of mind afford ?
They shall obtain this jewel
In what their hearts desire
When they by adding fuel
Can quench the flame of fire.
2 Till you can bid the ocean,
When furious tempests roar,
Forget its wonted motion,
And rage and swell no more ;
In vain your expectation
To find content in sin ;
Or freedom from vexation
While passions reign within.
3 Como, turn your thoughts to Jesus.
If you would good possess ;
Tis he alone that frees us
From guilt and from distress :
When he by faith is present
The sinner s troubles cease ;
His ways are truly pleasant,
And all his paths are peace.
4 Our time in sin we wasted,
And fed upon the wind ;
Untill his love we tasted
No comfort could we find :
But now we stand to witness
His power and grace to you ;
May you perceive its fitness,
And call upon him too !
5 Our pleasure and our duty,
Though opposite before,
Since we have seen his beauty,
Are join d to part no more :
It is our highest pleasure,
No less than duty s call,
To love him beyond measure,
And serve him with our all.
4.
Prepare to meet God.
1 SINNER, art thou still secure ?
Wilt thou still refuse to pray ?
Can thy heart or hands endure
In the Lord s avenging day ?
See his mighty arm is bared!
Awful terrors clothe his brow !
For his judgment stand prepared,
Thou must either break or bow.
2 At his presence nature shakes,
Earth affrighted hastes to flee,
Solid mountains melt like wax,
What will then become of thee ?
Who his advent may abide?
You that glory in your shame,
Will you find a place to hide
When the world is wrapt in flame ?
3 Then the rich, the great, the wise,
Trembling, guilty, self-condemn d,
Must behold the wrathful eyes
Of the Judge they once blasphemed.
Where are now their haughty looks ?
Oh their horror and despair,
When they see the open d books,
And their dreadful sentence hear !
4 Lord, prepare us by thy grace !
Soon we must resign our breath,
And our souls be call d to pass
Through the iron gate of death :
Let us now our day improve,
Listen to the gospel-voice,
Seek the things that are above,
Scorn the world s pretended joys.
5 Oh ! when flesh and heart shall fail,
Let thy love our spirits cheer,
Strengthen d thus we shall prevail
Over Satan, sin, and fear:
Trusting in thy precious name,
May we thus our journey end;
Then our foes shall lose their aim,
And the Judge will be our Friend.
5.
Invitation.
1 SINNERS, hear the Saviour s call,
He now is passing by ;
He has seen thy grievous thrall,
And heard thy mournful cry.
He has pardons to impart,
Grace to save thee from thy fears ;
See the love that fills his heart,
And wipe away thy tears.
2 Why art tliou afraid to come
And tell him all thy case ?
He will not pronounce thy doom,
Nor frown thee from his face ;
Wilt thou fear Emmanuel ?
Wilt thou dread the Lamb of God,
Who to save thy soul from hell,
Has shed his precious blood ?
3 Think how on the cross he hung,
Pierced with a thousand wounds !
Hark from each, as with a tongue
The voice of pardon sounds !
See from all his bursting veins,
Blood of wondrous virtue flow !
Shed to wash away thy stains,
And ransom thee from woe.
4 Though his majesty be great,
His mercy is no less ;
Though he thy transgressions hate,
He feels for thy distress :
By himself the Lord has sworn,
He delights not in thy death ;
But invites thee to return,
That thou may st live by faith.
5 Raise thy downcast eyes, and see
What throngs his throne surround!
These, though sinners once like thee,
Have full salvation found:
Yield not then to unbelief,
While he says, " There yet is room ;
Though of sinners, thou art chief,
Since Jesus calls thee, come.
SIMILAR HYMNS.
Book I. Hymns 75, 91.
Book II. Hymns 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 35, 77, 78, 83
II. SEEKING, PLEADING, AND HOPING.
6.
The burdened Sinner.
1 AH ! what can I do,
Or where be secure?
If justice pursue,
What heart can endure ?
The heart breaks asunder,
Though hard as a stone,
When God speaks in thunder,
And makes himself known.
2 With terror I read
My sins heavy score,
The number exceed
The sands on the shore :
Guilt makes me unable
To stand or to flee ;
So Cain murder d Abel,
And trembled like me.
3 Each sin, like his blood,
With a terrible cry,
Calls loudly on God
To strike from on high :
Nor can my repentance,
Extorted by fear,
Reverse the just sentence ;
Tis just, though severe.
4 The case is too plain,
I had my own choice ;
Again, and again,
I slighted his voice,
His warnings neglected,
His patience abused,
His gospel rejected,
His mercy refused.
5 And must I then go
For ever to dwell
In torments and woe
With devils in hell ?
Oh where is the Saviour
I scorn d in times past ?
His word in my favour
Would save me at last.
6 Lord Jesus, on thee
I venture to call,
Oh look upon me
The vilest of all!
For whom didst thou languish,
And bleed on the tree ?
Oh pity my anguish,
And say, " Twas for thee/
7 A case such as mine
Will honour thy power ;
All hell will repine,
All heaven adore ;
If in condemnation
Strict justice takes place,
It shines in salvation
More glorious through grace.
7.
Behold, I am vile.
1 O LORD, how vile am I,
Unholy and unclean !
How can I dare to venture nigh
With such a load of sin ?
2 Is this polluted heart
A dwelling fit for thee ;
Swarming, alas ! in every part,
What evils do I see !
3 If I attempt to pray,
And lisp thy holy name,
My thoughts are hurried soon away,
I know not where I am.
4 If in thy word I look,
Such darkness fills my mind,
I only read a sealed book,
But no relief can find.
5 Thy gospel oft I hear,
But hear it still in vain :
Without desire or love or fear,
I like a stone remain.
6 Myself can hardly bear
This wretched heart of mine ;
How hateful then must it appear
To those pure eyes of thine !
7 And must I then indeed
Sink in despair and die ?
Fain would I hope that thou didst bleed
For such a wretch as I.
8 That blood which thou hast spilt,
That grace which is thine own,
Can cleanse the vilest sinner's guilt,
And soften hearts of stone.
9 Low at thy feet I bow,
Oh pity and forgive;
Here will I lie, and wait till thou
Shalt bid me raise and live.
8.
The shining Light. C.
1 My former hopes are fled,
My terror now begins:
I feel, alas! that I am dead
In trespasses and sins.
2 Ah, whither shall I fly?
I hear the thunder roar:
The law proclaims destruction nigh,
And vengeance at the door.
3 When I review my ways,
I dread impending doom;
But sure a friendly whisper says,
"Flee from the wrath to come."
4 I see, or think I see,
A glimm'ring from afar;
A beam of day that shines for me,
To save me from despair.
5 Forerunner of the sun,
It marks the pilgrim's way;
I'll gaze upon it while I run,
And watch the rising day.
9.
Encouragement.
I My soul is beset
With grief and dismay,
I owe a vast debt,
And nothing can pay:
I must go to prison
Unless that dear Lord
Who died and is risen
His pity afford.
2 The death that he died,
The blood that he spilt,
To sinners applied,
Discharge from all guilt :
This great Intercessor
Can give, if he please,
The vilest transgressor
Immediate release.
3 When nail d to the tree,
He answer d the pray r
Of one who, like me,
Was nigh to despair ;
He did not upbraid him
With all he had done,
But instantly made him
A saint and a son.
4 The jailor, I read,
A pardon received :
And how was he freed?
He only believed :
His case mine resembled,
Like me he was foul,
Like me too he trembled,
But faith made him whole.
5 Though Saul in his youth,
To madness enraged,
Against the Lord s truth
And people engaged ;
Yet Jesus, the Saviour,
Whom long he reviled,
Received him to favour,
And made him a child.
6 A foe to all good,
In wickedness skill'd,
Manasseh with blood
Jerusalem fill'd;
In evil long harden'd,
The Lord he defied ;
Yet he too was pardon'd,
When mercy he cried.
7 Of sinners the chief,
And viler than all,
The jailor or thief,
Manasseh or Saul:
Since they were forgiven,
Why should I despair
While Christ is in heaven
And still answers prayer ?
10.
The waiting Soul.
1 BREATHE from the gentle south Lord,
And cheer me from the north ;
Blow on the treasures of thy word.
And call the spices forth!
2 I wish, thou know st, to be resign'd,
An d wait with patient hope ;
But hope delay d fatigues the mind
And drinks the spirits up.
3 Help me to reach the distant goal,
Confirm my feeble knee
Pity the sickness of a soul
That faints for love of thee.
4 Cold as I feel this heart of mine,
Yet since I feel it so, .
It yields some hope of life divine
Within, however low.
5 I seem forsaken and alone,
I hear the lion roar ;
And every door is shut but one,
And that is mercy's door.
6 There, till the dear Deliv'rer come,
I ll wait with humble pray'r ;
And when he calls his exile home,
The Lord shall find him there.
11.
The Effort.
1 CHEER up, my soul, there is a mercy-seat,
Sprinkled with blood, where Jesus answers pray r ;
There humbly cast thyself beneath his feet,
For never needy sinner perish d there.
2 Lord, I am come ! thy promise is my plea.
Without thy word I durst not venture nigh !
But thou hast call d the burden d soul to thee,
A weary burden d soul, Lord, am I !
3 Bow d down beneath a heavy load of sin,
By Satan s fierce temptations sorely press d,
Beset without, and full of fears within,
Trembling and faint, I come to thee for rest.
4 Be thou my refuge, Lord, my hiding-place !
I know no force can tear me from thy side ;
Unmoved I then may all accusers face,
And answer every charge with " Jesus died."
5 Yes, thou didst weep and bleed and groan and die
Well hast thou known what fierce temptations mean
Such was thy love, and now, enthroned on high,
The same compassions in thy bosom reign.
6 Lord, give me faith he hears what grace is this !
Dry up thy tears, my soul, and cease to grieve :
He shows me what he did, and who he is,
I must, I will, I can, I do believe.
12.
The Effort in another Measure.
1 APPROACH, my soul, the mercy-seat
Where Jesus answers pray r ;
There humbly fall before his feet,
For none can perish there.
2 Thy promise is my only plea,
With this I venture nigh :
Thou callest burden d souls to thee,
And such, O Lord, am I.
3 Bow d down beneath a load of sin,
By Satan sorely press'd;
By war without and fears within,
I come to thee for rest.
4 Be thou my shield and hiding-place !
That, shelter'd near thy side,
I may my fierce accuser face,
And tell him, Thou hast died.
5 Oh wond'rous love, to bleed and die,
To bear the cross and shame,
That guilty sinners, such as I,
Might plead thy gracious name.
6 "Poor tempest-tossed soul, be still,
My promised grace receive ;"
'Tis Jesus speaks—I must, I will,
I can, I do believe.
13.
Seeking the Beloved. C.
1 To those who know the Lord I speak,.
Is my Beloved near?
The Bridegroom of my soul I seek,
Oh ! when will he appear ?
2 Though once a man of grief and shame,.
Yet now he fills a throne,
And bears the greatest, sweetest name,
That earth or heaven have known.
3 Grace flies before, and love attends
His steps where'er he goes ;
Though none can see him but his friends,
And they were once his foes.
4 He speaks—obedient to his call
Our warm affections move ;
Did he but shine alike on all,
Then all alike would love.
5 Then love in every heart would reign,
And war would cease to roar ;
And cruel and blood-thirsty men
Would thirst for blood no more.
6 Such Jesus is, and such his grace,
Oh may it shine on you !
And tell him, when you see his face,
I long to see him too.
14.
Rest for weary Souls.
1 DOES the gospel-word proclaim
Rest for those who weary be ?
Then my soul put in thy claim,
Sure that promise speaks to thee :
Marks of grace I cannot show,
All polluted is my best ;
Yet I weary am, I know,
And the weary long for rest.
2 Burden d with a load of sin,
Harass d with tormenting doubt,
Hourly conflicts from within,
Hourly crosses from without :
All my little strength is gone,
Sink I must without supply ;
Sure upon the earth is none
Can more weary be than I.
3 In the ark the weary dove
Found a welcome resting-place ;
Thus my spirit longs to prove
Rest in Christ, the ark of grace :
Tempest-toss d I long have been,
And the flood increases fast,
Open, Lord, and take me in
Till the storm be overpast.
4 Safely lodged within thy breast,
What a wondrous change I find !
Now I know thy promised rest
Can compose a troubled mind.
You that weary are like me ;
Hearken to the gospel call,
To the ark for refuge flee,
Jesus will receive you all !
SIMILAR HYMNS.
Book I. Hymns 45, 69, 82, 83, 84, 96,
Book II. Hymn 29.
III. CONFLICT.
15.
Light shining out of Darkness. C.
1 GOD moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform ;
He plants his footsteps in the sea.
And rides upon the storm.
2 Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.
3 Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread,
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
4 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace :
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
5 His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour ;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
6 Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain ;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.
16.
Welcome Cross. C.
1 Tis my happiness below
Not to live without the cross,
But the Saviour s pow r to know,
Sanctifying every loss.
Trials must and will befall ;
But with humble faith to see
Love inscribed upon them all,
This is happiness to me.
2 God in Isr el sows the seeds
Of affliction, pain, and toil :
These spring up and choak the weeds
Which would else o erspreadthe soil.
Trials make the promise sweet ;
Trials give new life to pray r;
Trials bring me to his feet,
Lay me low and keep me there.
3 Did I meet no trials here,
No chastisement by the way,
Might I not with reason fear,
I should prove a cast-away ?
Bastards may escape the rod,
Sunk in earthly vain delight ;
But the true-born child of God
Must not, would not, if he might.
17.
Afflictions sanctified by the Word. C.
1 HOW I love thy holy word,
Thy gracious covenant, Lord !
It guides me in the peaceful way,
I think upon it all the day.
2 What are the mines of shining wealth,
The strength of youth, the bloom of health ;
What are all joys compared with those
Thine everlasting word bestows ?
3 Long unafflicted, undismay'd,
In pleasure s path secure I stray d;
Thou madest me feel thy cliast ning rod.
And straight I turn d unto my God.
4 What though it pierced my fainting heart,
I bless d thine hand that caused the smart!
It taught my tears awhile to flow,
But saved me from eternal woe.
5 Oh! hadstthou left me unchastised,
Thy precept I had still despised ;
And still the snare in secret laid
Had my unwary feet betray'd.
6 I love thee, therefore, my God,
And breathe towards thy dear abode.
Where in thy presence fully bless d,
Thy chosen saints for ever rest.
18.
Temptation. C.
1 THE billows swell, the winds are high.
Clouds overcast my wintry sky :
Out of the depths to thee I call,
My fears are great, my strength is small.
2 Lord, the pilot s part perform,
And guide and guard me through the storm ;
Defend me from each threat ning ill,
Control the waves, say " Peace, be still!
3 Amidst the roaring of the sea,
My soul still hangs her hopes on thee ;
Thy constant love, thy faithful care,
Is all that saves me from despair.
4 Dangers of every shape and name
Attend the foll'wers of the Lamb.
Who leave the world s deceitful shore,
And leave it to return no more.
5 Though tempest-toss d and half a wreck,
My Saviour through the floods I seek ;
Let neither winds nor stormy main
Force back my shatter d bark again.
19.
Looking upwards in a Storm. C.
1 GOD of my life, to thee I call,
Afflicted at thy feet I fall ;
When the great water-floods prevail,
Leave not my trembling heart to fail !
2 Friend of the friendless and the faint,
Where should I lodge my deep complaint ?
Where but with thee, whose open door
Invites the helpless and the poor ?
3 Did ever mourner plead with thee,
And thou refuse that mourner s plea ?
Does not the word still fix d remain
That none shall seek thy face in vain ?
4 That were a grief I could not bear,
Didst thou not hear and answer pray r ;
But a pray r-hearing, answ ring God,
Supports me under every load.
5 Fair is the lot that s cast for me,
I have an Advocate with thee :
They whom the world caresses most
Have no such privilege to boast.
6 Poor though I am, despised, forgot,
Yet God, my God, forgets me not ;
And he is safe and must succeed,
For whom the Lord vouchsafes to plead.
20.
The Valley of the Shadow of Death. C.
1 MY soul is sad and much dismay d ;
See, Lord, what legions of my foes,
With fierce Apollyon at their head,
My heavenly pilgrimage oppose !
2 See from the ever-burning lake,
How like a smoky cloud they riso !
With horrid blasts my soul they shake,
With storms of blasphemies and lies.
3 Their fiery arrows reach the mark,
My throbbing heart with anguish tear :
Each lights upon a kindred spark,
And finds abundant fuel there.
4 I hate the thought that wrongs the Lord ;
Ah ! I would drive it from my breast,
With thy own sharp two-edged sword,
Far as the east is from the west.
5 Come then and chase the cruel host,
Heal the deep wounds I have received !
Nor let the pow rs of darkness boast
That I am foil d and thou art grieved !
21.
The Storm is hushed.
1 Tis past the dreadful stormy night
Is gone, with all its fears !
And now I see returning light,
The Lord, my Sun, appears.
2 The tempter, who but lately said
I soon should be his prey,
Has heard my Saviour s voice, and fled
With shame and grief away.
3 Ah ! Lord, since thou didst hide thy face.
What has my soul endured ?
But now tis past, I feel thy grace,
And all my wounds are cured !
4 wondrous change ! but just before
Despair beset me round ;
I heard the lion s horrid roar,
And trembled at the sound :
5 Before corruption, guilt, and fear,
My comforts blasted fell ;
And unbelief discover d near
The dreadful depths of hell :
6 But Jesus pitied my distress,
He heard my feeble cry,
Reveal d his blood and righteousness,
And brought salvation nigh.
7 Beneath the banner of his love
I now secure remain ;
The tempter frets, but dares not move
To break my peace again.
8 Lord, since thou thus hast broke my bands,
And set the captive free,
I would devote my tongue, my hands,
My heart, my all to thee.
22.
Help in the Time of Need.
1 UNLESS the Lord had been my stay,
(With trembling joy my soul may say,)
My cruel foe had gain d his end:
But he appear d for my relief,
And Satan sees, with shame and grief,
That I have an almighty Friend.
2 Oh ! twas a dark and trying hour,
When harass d by the tempter s power,
I felt my strongest hopes decline !
You only who have known his arts,
You only who have felt his darts,
Can pity such a case as mine.
3 Loud in my ears a charge he read,
(My conscience witness d all he said,)
My long black list of outward sin :
Then bringing forth my heart to view,
Too well what s hidden there he knew,
He show d me ten times worse within.
4 Tis all too true, my soul replied,
But I remember Jesus died,
And now he fills a throne of grace ;
I ll go, as I have done before,
His mercy I may still implore;
I have his promise " Seek my face.
5 But as when sudden fogs arise
The trees and hills, the sun and skies,
Are all at once conceal d from view ;
So clouds of horror, black as night,
By Satan raised, hid from my sight
The throne of grace and promise too.
6 Then, while beset with guilt and fear,.
He tried to urge me to despair,
He tried and he almost prcvail'd :
But Jesus by a heavenly ray
Drove clouds and guilt and fear away,
And all the tempter s malice fail'd.
23.
Peace after a Storm. C.
1 WHEN darkness long has veil d my mind.
And smiling day once more appears,
Then, my Redeemer, then I find
The folly of my doubts and fears.
2 Straight I upbraid my wand ring heart,
And blush that I should ever be
Thus prone to act so base a part,
Or harbour one hard thought of thee.
3 Oh ! let me then at length be taught
What I am still so slow to learn :
That God is love and changes not,
Nor knows the shadow of a turn.
4 Sweet truth, and easy to repeat !
But when my faith is sharply tried,
I find myself a learner yet,
Unskilful, weak, and apt to slide.
5 But, my Lord, one look from thee
Subdues the disobedient will ;
Drives doubt and discontent away,
And thy rebellious worm is still.
6 Thou art as ready to forgive,
As I am ready to repine ;
Thou, therefore, all the praise receive ;
Be shame and self-abhorrence mine.
24.
Mourning and Longing. C.
1 THE Saviour hides his face !
My spirit thirsts to prove
Renew d supplies of pard ning grace,
And never-fading love.
2 The favour d souls who know
What glories shine in him
Pant for his presence, as the roe
Pants for the living stream.
3 What trifles tease me now !
They swarm like summer flies,
They cleave to every thing I do,
And swim before my eyes.
4 How dull the Sabbath-day,
Without the Sabbath s Lord !
How toilsome then to sing and pray
And wait upon the word ?
5 Of all the truths I hear,
How few delight my taste !
I glean a berry here and there,
But mourn the vintage past.
6 Yet let me (as I ought)
fecill hope to be supplied ;
No pleasure else is worth a thought,
Nor shall I be denied.
7 Though I am but a worm,
Unworthy of his care,
The Lord will my desire perform,
And grant me all my pray'r.
25.
Rejoice the Soul of thy Servant.
1 WHEN my pray rs are a burden and task.
No wonder I little receive ;
Lord, make me willing to ask,
Since thou art so ready to give :
Although I am bought with thy blood,
And all thy salvation is mine,
At a distance from thee, my chief good.
I wander and languish and pine.
2 Of thy goodness of old, when I read,
To those who were sinners like me,
Why may I not wrestle and plead,
With them a partaker to be ?
Thine arm is not shorten d since then,
And those who believe in thy name
Ever find thou art Yea and Amen,
Through all generations the same.
3 While my spirit within me is press d
With sorrow, temptation, and fear,
Like John I would flee to thy breast,
And pour my complaints in thine ear :
How happy and favour d was he
Who could on thy bosom repose !
Might this favour be granted to me,
I'd smile at the rage of my foes.
4 I have heard of thy wonderful name,
How great and exalted thou art ;
But ah ! I confess to my shame,
It faintly impresses my heart :
The beams of thy glory display,
As Peter once saw thee appear ;
That, transported like him, I might say,
" It is good for my soul to be here."
5 What a sorrow and weight didst thou feel,
When nail d, for my sake, to the tree !
My heart sure is harder than steel,
To feel no more sorrow for thee :
Oh ! let me with Thomas descry
The wounds in thy hands and thy side,
And have feelings like his when I cry,
"My God and my Saviour has died !"
6 But if thou hast appointed me still
To wrestle and suiter and fight ;
make me resign d to thy will,
For all thy appointments are right:
This mercy, at least I entreat,
That, knowing how vile I have been,
I, with Mary, may wait at thy feet,
And weep o er the pardon of sin.
26.
Self-Acquaintance. C.
1 DEAR Lord ! accept a sinful heart,
Which of itself complains,
And mourns, with much and frequent smart,
The evil it contains.
2 There fiery seeds of anger lurk,
Which often hurt my frame ;
And wait but for the tempter s work,
To fan them to a flame.
3 Legality holds out a bribe
To purchase life from thee ;
And discontent would fain prescribe
How thou shalt deal with me.
4 While unbelief withstands thy grace,
And puts the mercy by,
Presumption, with a brow of brass,
Says, " Give me, or I die."
5 How eager are my thoughts to roam
In quest of what they love !
But ah! when duty calls them home,
How heavily they move !
6 Oh, cleanse me in a Saviour s blood,
Transform me by thy power,
And make me thy beloved abode,
And let me rove no more !
27.
Bitter and Sweet.
1 KINDLE, Saviour, in my heart
A flame of love divine ;
Hear, for mine I trust thou art,
And sure I would be thine :
If my soul has felt thy grace,
If to me thy name is known ;
Why should trifles fill the place
Due to thyself alone ?
2 Tis a strange mysterious life
I live from day to day ;
Light and darkness, peace and strife,
Bear an alternate sway:
When I think the battle won,
I have to fight it o er again ;
When I say I m overthrown,
Relief I soon obtain.
3 Often at the mercy-seat,
While calling on thy name,;
Swarms of evil thoughts I meet,
Which fill my soul with shame.
Agitated in my mind,
Like a feather in the air,
Can I thus a blessing find?
My soul, can this be pray r?
4 But when Christ, my Lord and Friend,
Is pleased to show his power,
All at once my troubles end,
And I've a golden hour:
Then I see his smiling face,
Feel the pledge of joys to come,
Often, Lord, repeat this grace
Till thou shalt call me home.
28.
Prayer for Patience. C.
1 LORD, who hast suffer d all for me,
My peace and pardon to procure,
The lighter cross I bear for thee
Help me with patience to endure.
2 The storm of loud repining hush,
I would in humble silence mourn ;
Why should th unburnt though burning bush
Be angry as the crackling thorn ?
3 Man should not faint at thy rebuke,
Like Joshua falling on his face,
When the cursed thing that Achan took
Brought Isr'el into just disgrace.
4 Perhaps some golden wedge suppress'd,
Some secret sin, offends my God ;
Perhaps that Babylonish vest,
Self-righteousness, provokes the rod.
5 Ah ! were I buffeted all day,
Mock'd, crown d with thorns, and spit upon,
I yet should have no right to say,
My great distress is mine alone.
6 Let me not angrily declare
No pain was ever sharp like mine ;
Nor murmur at the cross I bear,
But rather weep, rememb'ring thine.
29.
Submission. C.
1 LORD, my best desire fulfill,
And help me to resign
Life, health, and comfort to thy will,
And make thy pleasure mine.
2 Why should I shrink at thy command,
Whose love forbids my fear s
Or tremble at the gracious hand
That wipes away my tears ?
3 No, rather let me freely yield
What most I prize to thee,
Who never hast a good withheld,
Nor wilt withhold from me.
4 Thy favour all my journey through,
Thou art engaged to grant ;
What else I want, or think I do,
Tis better still to want.
5 Wisdom and mercy guide my way,
Shall I resist them both ?
A poor blind creature of a day,
And crush d before the moth !
6 But ah ! my inward spirit cries,
Still bind me to thy sway ;
Else the next cloud that veils the skies,
Drives all these thoughts away.
30.
Why should I complain ?
1 WHEN my Saviour, my Shepherd, is near,
How quickly my sorrows depart ?
New beauties around me appear,
New spirits enliven my heart :
His presence gives peace to my soul,
And Satan assaults me in vain ;
While my Shepherd his power controls
I think I no more shall complain.
2 But, alas ! what a change do I find,
When my Shepherd withdraws from my sight !
My fears all return to my mind,
My day is soon changed into night ;
Then Satan his efforts renews
To vex and ensnare me again ;
All my pleasing enjoyments I lose,
And can only lament and complain.
3 By these changes I often pass through
I am taught my own weakness to know ;
I am taught what my Shepherd can do,
And how much to his mercy I owe :
It is he that supports me through all ;
When I faint he revives me again ;
He attends to my pray r when I call,
And bids me no longer complain.
4 Wherefore then should I murmur and grieve,
Since my Shepherd is always the same,
And has promised he never will leave
The soul that confides in his name ?
To relieve me from all that I fear,
He was buffeted, tempted, and slain;
And at length he will surely appear,
Though he leaves me awhile to complain.
5 While I dwell in an enemy s land,
Can I hope to be always in peace ?
Tis enough that my Shepherd s at hand,
And that shortly this warfare will cease :
For ere long he will bid me remove
From this region of sorrow and pain,
To abide in his presence above,
And then I no more shall complain.
31.
Return, O Lord, how long ?
1 RETURN to bless my waiting eyes,
And cheer my mourning heart, Lord !
Without thee all beneath the skies
No real pleasure can afford.
2 When thy loved presence meets my sight
It softens care and sweetens toil,
The sun shines forth with double light,
The whole creation wears a smile, .
3 Upon thine arm of love I rest,
Thy gracious voice forbids my fear ;
No storms disturb my peaceful breast,
No foes assault when thou art near.
4 But, ah ! since tliou hast been away,
Nothing but trouble have I known ;
And Satan marks me for his prey,
Because he sees me left alone.
5 My sun is hid, my comforts lost,
My graces droop, my sins revive ;
Distress d, dismay d, and tempest-toss d,
My soul is only just alive !
6 Lord, hear my cry, and come again 1
But all mine enemies to shame ;
And let them see tis not in vain
That I have trusted in thy name.
32.
Cast down, but not destroyed.
1 THOUGH sore beset with guilt and fear,
I cannot, dare not, quite despair ;
If I must perish, would the Lord
Have taught my heart to love his word :
Would he have given me eyes to see
My danger and my remedy ;
Reveal d his name, and bid me pray,
Had he resolved to say me nay ?
2 No though cast down, I am not slain !
I fall, but I shall rise again ;
The present, Satan, is thy hour,
But Jesus shall control thy pow r :
His love will plead for my relief,
He hears my groans, he sees my grief ;
Nor will he suffer thee to boast
A soul that sought his help was lost,
3 Tis true, I have unfaithful been,
And grieved his Spirit by my sin ;
Yet still his mercy he ll reveal,
And all my wounds and follies heal :
Abounding sin I must confess,
But more abounding is his grace :
He once vouchsafed for me to bleed,
And now he lives my cause to plead.
4 I'll cast myself before his feet,
I see him on his mercy-seat,
( Tis sprinkled with atoning blood);
There sinners find access to God :
Ye burden d souls, approach with me,
And make the Saviour s name your plea:
Jesus will pardon all who come,
And strike your fierce accuser dumb.
33.
The benighted Traveler.
1 FOREST beasts that live by prey,
Seldom show themselves by day ;
But when day-light is withdrawn,
Then they rove and roar till dawn.
2 Who can tell the trav'ler's fears
When their horrid yells he hears ?
Terror almost stops his breath,
While each step he looks for death.
3 Thus, when Jesus is in view,
Cheerful I my way pursue ;
Walking by my Saviour s light
Nothing can my soul affright.
4 But when he forbears to shine,
Soon the trav ler s case is mine ; "
Lost, benighted, struck with dread,
What a painful path I tread!
5 Then my soul with terror hears,
Worse than lions, wolves, or bears,
Roaring loud in every part,
Through the forest of my heart.
6 Wrath, impatience, envy, pride,
Satan and his host beside,
Press around me to devour ;
How can I escape their power?
7 Gracious Lord, afford me light,
Put these beasts of prey to flight ;
Let thy pow r of love be shown ;
Save me, for I am thine own!
34.
The Prisoner.
1 WHEN the poor pris ner, through a grate,
Sees others walk at large,
How does he mourn his lonely state,
And long for a discharge !
2 Thus I, confined in unbelief,
My loss of freedom mourn ;
And spend my hours in fruitless grief
Untill my Lord return.
3 The beam of day, which pierces through
The gloom in which I dwell,
Only discloses to my view
The horrors of my cell.
4 Ah ! how my pensive spirit faints
To think of former days !
When I could triumph with the saints,
And join their songs of praise!
5 But now my joys are all cut off,
In prison 1 am cast;
And Satan, with a cruel scoff,
Says, "Where s your God at last?"
6 Dear Saviour, for thy mercy s sake,
My strong, my only plea,
These gates and bars in pieces break,
And set the pris ner free! ,
7 Surely my soul shall sing to thee,
For liberty restored;
And all thy saints admire to see
The mercies of the Lord.
35.
Perplexity Relieved.
1 UNCERTAIN how the way to find
Which to salvation led,
I listen d long, with anxious mind,
To hear what others said.
2 When some of joys and comforts told,
I fear d that I was wrong ;
For I was stupid, dead, and cold
Had neither joy nor song.
3 The Lord my lab ring heart relieved,
And made my burden light ;
Then for a moment I believed,
Supposing all was right.
4 Of fierce temptations others talk d,
Of anguish, and dismay
Through what distresses they had walk d
Before they found the way.
5 Ah! then I thought my hopes were vain,
For I had lived at ease ;
I wish d for all my fears again,
To make me more like these.
6 I had my wish : the Lord disclosed
The evils of my heart,
And left my naked soul exposed
To Satan s fiery dart.
7 Alas ! "I now must give it up/
I cried in deep despair ;
How could I dream of drawing hope
From what I cannot bear?
8 Again my Saviour brought me aid,
And when he set me free,
" Trust simply on my word," he said,
" And leave the rest to me,"
36.
Prayer answered by Crosses.
1 I ASK D the Lord, that I might grow
In faith and love and every grace,
Might more of his salvation know,
And seek more earnestly his face.
2 Twas he who taught me thus to pray,
And he, I trust, has answer'd pray'r;
But it has been in such a way
As almost drove me to despair.
3 I hoped that in some favour d hour
At once he d ansAver my request ;
And by his love s constraining power
Subdue my sins and give me rest.
4 Instead of this, he made me feel
The hidden evils of my heart ;
And let the angry pow rs of hell
Assault my soul in every part.
5 Yea more, with his own hand he seem d
Intent to aggravate my woe ;
Cross d all the fair designs I schemed,
Blasted my gourds, and laid me low.
6 Lord, why is this, I trembling cried,
Wilt them pursue thy worm to death ?
" Tis in this way," the Lord replied,
" I answer pray r for grace and faith.
7 " These inward trials I employ,
From self and pride to set thee free ;
And break thy schemes of earthly joy.
That thou may st seek thy all in me. "
37.
I will trust and not be afraid.
1 BEGONE, unbelief,
My Saviour is near,
And for my relief
Will surely appear :
By pray r let me wrestle,
And he will perform ;
With Christ in the vessel,
I smile at the storm.
2 Though dark be my way,
Since he is my guide,
Tis mine to obey,
Tis his to provide;
Though cisterns be broken,
And creatures all fail,
The word he has spoken
Will surely prevail.
3 His love in time past
Forbids me to think
He ll leave me at last
In trouble to sink ;
Each sweet Ebenezer
I have in review
Confirms his good pleasure
To help me quite through.
4 Determined to save,
He watchM o er my path,
When, Satan s blind slave,
I sported with death ;
And can he have taught me
To trust in his name,
And thus far have brought me,
To put me to shame ?
5 Why should I complain
Of want or distress,
Temptation or pain ?
He told me no less :
The heirs of salvation,
I know from his word,
Through much tribulation
Must follow their Lord.
6 How bitter that cup,
No heart can conceive,
Which he drank quite up,
That sinners might live !
His way was much rougher
And darker than mine ;
Did Jesus thus suffer,
And shall I repine ?
7 Since all that I meet
Shall work for my good,
The bitter is sweet,
The med cine is food;
Though painful at present,
Twill cease before long,
And then, ! how pleasant
The conqueror s song!
38.
Questions to Unbelief.
1 IF to Jesus for relief
My soul has fled by pray r,
Why should I give way to grief,
Or heart-consuming care ?
Are not all things in his hand ?
Has he not his promise pass d ?
Will he then regardless stand,
And let me sink at last ?
2 While I know his providence
Disposes each event,
Shall I judge by feeble sense,
And yield to discontent ?
If he worms and sparrows feed,
Clothe the grass in rich array,
Can he see a child in need,
And turn his eye away ?
3 When his name was quite unknown,
And sin my life employ d,
Then he watch d me as his own,
Or I had been destroy d !
Now his mercy-seat I know.
Now by grace am reconciled ;
Would he spare me while a foe,
To leave me when a child ?
4 If he all my wants supplied
When I disdain d to pray ;
Now his Spirit is my guide,
How can he say me nay?
If he would not give me up
When my soul against him fought.
Will he disappoint the hope
Which he himself has wrought ?
5 If he shed his precious blood
To bring me to his fold,
Can I think that meaner good
He ever will withhold ?
Satan, vain is thy device!
Here my hope rests assured,
In that great redemption price
I see the whole secured.
39.
Good Effects by weak Means.
1 UNBELIEF the soul dismays,
What objections will it raise !
But true faith securely leans
On the promise, in the means.
2 If to faith it once be known,
God has said, " It shall be done,
And in this appointed way,"
Faith has then no more to say.
3 Moses road, by faith uprear d,
Through the sea a path prepared ;
Jericho s devoted wall
At the trumpet s sound must fall.
4 With a pitcher and a lamp
Gideon overthrew a camp :
And a stone, well aim d by faith,
Proved the arm d Philistine s death.
5 Thus the Lord is pleased to try
Those who on his help rely ;
By the means he makes it known
That the power is all his own.
6 Yet the means are not in vain,
If the end we would obtain ;
Though the breath of pray r be weak,
None shall find but they who seek.
7 God alone the heart can reach,
Yet the ministers must preach :
Tis their part the seed to sow,
And tis his to make it grow.
40.
Why art thou cast down ?
1 BE sti 1 !, my heart ! these anxious cares
To thee are burdens, thorns, and snares;
They cast dishonour on thy Lord,
And contradict his gracious word.
2 Brought safely by his hand thus far,
Why wilt thou now give place to fear ?
How canst thou want if he provide,
Or lose thy way with such a guide ?
3 When first before his mercy-seat
Thou didst to him thy all commit,
He gave the warrant from that hour,
To trust his wisdom, love, and power.
4 Did ever trouble yet befall,
And he refuse to hear thy call ?
And has he not his promise pass d,
That thou shalt overcome at last ?
5 Like David thou may st comfort draw,
Saved from the bear s and lion s paw ;
Goliath s rage I may defy,
For God, my Saviour, still is nigh.
6 He who has help d me hitherto,
Will help me all my journey through,
And give me daily cause to raise
New Ebenezers to his praise.
7 Though rough and thorny be the road,
It leads thee home apace to God ;
Then count thy present trials small,
For heav n will make amends for all.
41.
The Way of Access.
1 ONE glance of thine, eternal Lord,
Pierces all nature through ;
Nor heaven nor earth nor hell afford
A shelter from thy view !
2 The mighty whole, each smaller part,
At once before thee lies ;
And every thought of every heart
Is open to thine eyes.
3 Though greatly from myself conceal d,
Thou seest my inward frame ;
To thee I always stand reveal d
Exactly as I am.
4 Since, therefore, I can hardly bear
What in myself I see,
How vile and black must I appear
Most holy God, to thee !
5 But since my Saviour stands between,
In garments dyed in blood,
Tis he, instead of me, is seen, ;
When I approach to God.
6 Thus, though a sinner, I am safe ;
He pleads before the throne
Tis life and death in my behalf,
And calls my sins his own.
7 What wondrous love, what mysteries,
In this appointment shine !
My breaches of the law are his,
And his obedience mine.
42.
The Pilgrim's Song.
1 FROM Egypt lately freed
By the Redeemer s grace,
A rough and thorny path we tread, _,
In hopes to see his face.
2 The flesh dislikes the way,
But faith approves it well!
This only leads to endless day,
All others lead to hell.
3 The promised land of peace
Faith keeps in constant view ;
How diff rent from the wilderness
We are now passing through !
4 Here often from our eyes
Clouds hide the light divine :
There we shall have unclouded skies,
Our sun will always shine.
5 Here griefs and cares and pains
And fears distress us sore !
But there eternal pleasure reigns,
And we shall weep no more.
6 Lord, pardon our complaints,
We follow at thy call ;
The joy prepared for suff ring saints
Will make amends for all.
SIMILAR HYMNS.
Book I. Hymns 10, 13, 21, 22, 24, 27, 40, 43, 44, 51, 60 63, 76, 88, 107, 115, 126, 130, 131, 136, 142.
Book II. Hymns 30, 31, 84, 87, 91.
IV. COMFORT.
43.
Faith a new and comprehensive Sense.
1 SIGHT, hearing, feeling, taste, and smell.
Are gifts we highly prize ;
But faith does singly each excel,
And all the five comprise.
2 More piercing than the eagle s sight,
It views the world unknown,
Surveys the glorious realms of light,
And Jesus on the throne.
3 It hears the mighty voice of God,
And ponders what he saith.
His word and works, his gifts and rod,
Have each a voice to faith.
4 It feels the touch of heav nly power,
And from that boundless source
Derives fresh vigour every hour
To run its daily course.
5 The truth and goodness of the Lord
Are suited to its taste ;
Mean is the worldling s pamper d board,
To faith s perpetual feast.
6 It smells the dear Redeemer s name
Like ointment poured forth ;
Faith only knows, or can proclaim,
Its savour or its worth.
7 Till saving faith possess the mind,
In vain of sense we boast ;
We are but senseless, tasteless, blind,
And deaf and dead and lost.
44.
The happy Change. C.
1 How blest thy creature is, God,
When, with a single eye,
He views the lustre of thy word
The day-spring from on high !
2 Through all the storms that veil the skies,
And frown on earthly things,
The Sun of Righteousness he eyes,
With healing on his wings.
3 Struck by that light, the human heart,
A barren soil no more,
Sends the sweet smell of grace abroad,
Where serpents lurk d before.
4 The soul, a dreary province once
Of Satan's dark domain,
Feels a new empire form d within,
And owns a heav'nly reign.
5 The glorious orb, whose golden beams
The fruitful year control,
Since first, obedient to thy word,
He started from the goal,
6 Has cheer d the nations with the joys
His orient rays impart :
But, Jesus, tis thy light alone
Can shine upon the heart.
45.
Retirement. C.
1 Far from the world, O Lord, I flee.
From strife and tumult far!
From scenes where Satan wages still
His most successful war.
2 The calm retreat, the silent shade,
With pray r and praise agree ;
And seem by thy sweet bounty made
For those who follow thee.
3 There, if thy Spirit touch the soul,
And grace her mean abode,
Oh with what peace and joy and love
She communes with her God !
4 There like the nightingale she pours
Her solitary lays ;
Nor asks a witness of her song,
Nor thirsts for human praise.
5 Author and Guardian of my life,
Sweet source of light divine,
And (all harmonious names in one)
My Saviour, thou art mine !
6 What thanks I owe thee, and what love,
A boundless, endless store,
Shall echo through the realms above
When time shall be no more.
46.
Jesus my All.
1 WHY should I fear the darkest hour,
Or tremble at the tempter s power!
Jesus vouchsafes to be my tower.
2 Though hot the fight, why quit the field,
Why must I either flee or yield,
Since Jesus is my mighty shield?
3 When creature-comforts fade and die,
Worldlings may weep, but why should I,
Jesus still lives, and still is nigh?
4 Though all the flocks and herds were dead,
My soul a famine need not dread,
For Jesus is my living bread.
5 I know not what may soon betide,
Or how my wants shall be supplied ;
But Jesus knows, and will provide.
6 Though sin would fill me with distress,
The throne of grace I dare address,
For Jesus is my righteousness.
7 Though faint my pray rs, and cold my love,
My steadfast hope shall not remove
While Jesus intercedes above.
8 Against me earth and hell combine,
But on my side is power divine ;
Jesus is all, and he is mine.
47.
The hidden Life. C.
1 To tell the Saviour all my wants,
How pleasing is the task!
Nor less to praise him when he grants
Beyond what I can ask.
2 My lab ring spirit vainly seeks
To tell but half the joy;
With how much tenderness he speaks,
And helps nie to reply.
3 Nor were it wise, nor should I choose,
Such secrets to declare ;
Like precious wines, their taste they lose
Exposed to open air.
4 But this with boldness I proclaim,
Nor care if thousands hear,
Sweet is the ointment of his name,
Not life is half so dear.
5 And can you frown, my former friends.
Who knew what once I was ;
And blame the song that thus commends
The Man who bore the cross?
6 Trust me, I draw the likeness true,
And not as fancy paints ;
Such honour may he give to you,
For such have all his saints.
48.
Joy and Peace in Believing . C.
1 SOMETIMES a light surprises
The Christian while he sings ;
It is the Lord who rises
With healing in his wings.
When comforts are declining,
He grants the soul again
A season of clear shining,
To cheer it after rain.
2 In holy contemplation,
We sweetly then pursue
The theme of God s salvation,
And find it ever new :
Set free from present sorrow,
We cheerfully can say,
E'en letth unknown to-morrow
Bring with it what it may.
3 It can bring with it nothing
But he will bear us through;
Who gives the lilies clothing
Will clothe his people too:
Beneath the spreading heavens
No creature but is fed;
And He who feeds the ravens
Will give his children bread.
4 Though vine nor fig-tree neither
Their wonted fruit shall bear,
Though all the field should wither,
Nor flocks nor herds be there:
Yet God the same abiding,
His praise shall tune my voice;
For, while in him confiding,
I cannot but rejoice.
49.
True Pleasure. C.
1 LORD, my soul with pleasure springs
When Jesus name I hear,
And when God the Spirit brings
The word of promise near:
Beauties too, in holiness,
Still delighted I perceive;
Nor have words that can express
The joys thy precepts give.
2 Clothed in sanctity and grace,
How sweet it is to see
Those who love thee, as they pass,
Or when they wait on thee!
Pleasant too, to sit and tell
What we owe to love divine;
Till our bosoms grateful swell
And eyes begin to shine.
3 Those the comforts I possess,
Which God shall still increase:
All his ways are pleasantness,
And all his paths are peace.
Nothing Jesus did or spoke,
Henceforth let me ever slight ;
For I love his easy yoke,
And find his burden light.
50.
The Christian. C.
1 HONOUR and happiness unite
To make the Christian s name a praise ;
How fair the scene, how clear the light,
That fill the remnant of his days !
2 A kingly character he bears,
No change his priestly office knows ;
Unfading is the crown he wears,
His joys can never reach a close.
3 Adorn d with glory from on high,
Salvation shines upon his face ;
His robe is of th ethereal dye,
His steps are dignity and grace.
4 Inferior honours he disdains,
Nor stoops to take applause from earth :
The King of kings himself maintains
Th expenses of his heavenly birth.
4 The noblest creature seen below,
Ordain d to fill a throne above ;
God gives him all he can bestow
His kingdom of eternal love !
6 My soul is ravish d at the thought!
Methinks from earth I see him rise !
Angels congratulate his lot,
And shout him welcome to the skies !
51.
Lively Hope and gracious Fear. C.
1 I WAS a grov ling creature once,
And basely cleaved to earth ;
I wanted spirit to renounce
The clod that gave me birth.
2 But God has breathed upon a worm,
And sent me from above
Wings, such as clothe an angel s form,
The wings of joy and love.
3 With these to Pisgah s top I fly,
And there delighted stand,
To view, beneath a shining sky,
The spacious promised land.
4 The Lord of all the vast domain
Has promised it to me ;
The length and breadth of all the plain,
As far as faith can see.
5 How glorious is my privilege !
To thee for help I call;
I stand upon a mountain s edge,
Oh, save me, lest I fall!
6 Though much exalted in the Lord,
My strength is not my own ;
Then let me tremble at his word,
And none shall cast me down.
52.
Confidence.
1 YES! since God himself has said it,
On the promise I rely ;
His good word demands my credit,
What can unbelief reply ;
He is strong, and can fulfill ;
He is truth, and therefore will.
2 As to all the doubts and questions
Which my spirit often grieve,
These are Satan s sly suggestions,
And I need no answer give.
He would fain destroy my hope,
But the promise bears it up.
3 Sure the Lord thus far has brought me
By his watchful tender care ;
Sure tis he himself has taught me
How to seek his face by pray r:
After so much mercy past,
Will he give me up at last?
4 True, I ve been a foolish creature,
And have sinn d against his grace !
But forgiveness is his nature,
Though he justly hides his face ;
Ere he call d me, well he knew
What a heart like mine would do.
5 In my Saviour s intercession
Therefore I will still confide ;
Lord, accept my free confession,
I have sinn d but thou hast died:
This is all I have to plead,
This is all the plea I need.
53.
Peace restored.
1 On ! speak that gracious word again,
And cheer my drooping heart ;
No voice but thine can soothe my pain,
Or bid my fears depart.
2 And canst thou still vouchsafe to own
A wretch so vile as I ?
And may I still approach thy throne,
And Abba, Father, cry?
3 Oh then let saints and angels join,
And help me to proclaim
The grace that heal d a breach like mine,
And put my foes to shame !
4 How oft did Satan s cruel boast
My troubled soul affright !
He told me I was surely lost,
And God had left me quite.
5 Guilt made me fear, lest all were true
The lying tempter said ;
But now the Lord appears in view
My enemy is fled.
6 My Saviour, by his powerful word,
Has turn'd my night to day ;
And his salvation s joys restored
Which I had sinn'd away.
7 Dear Lord, I wonder and adore,
Thy grace is all divine ;
Oh ! keep me that I sin no more
Against such love as thine !
54.
Hear what He has done for my Soul!
1 SAVED by blood, I live to tell
What the love of Christ hath done ;
He redeem d my soul from hell,
Of a rebel made a son :
Oh ! I tremble still to think
How secure I lived in sin ;
Sporting on destruction shrink,
Yet preserved from falling in.
2 In his own appointed hour,
To my heart the Saviour spoke ;
Touch d me by his Spirit s power,
And my dang rous slumber broke.
Then I saw and own d my guilt :
Soon my gracious Lord replied,
" Fear not, I my blood have spilt,
Twas for such as thee I died."
3 Shame and wonder, joy and love,
All at once possess d my heart;
Can I hope thy grace to prove
After acting such a part ?
"Thou hast greatly sinn d," he said,
"But I freely all forgive;
I myself thy debt have paid,
Now I bid thee rise and live."
4 Come, my fellow-sinners, try,
Jesus heart is full of love !
Oh that you, as well as I,
May his wondrous mercy prove!
He has sent me to declare,
All is ready, all is free :
Why should any soul despair,
When he saved a wretch like me ?
55.
Freedom from Care.
1 WHILE I lived without the Lord,
(If I might be said to live,)
Nothing could relief afford,
Nothing satisfaction give.
2 Empty hopes and groundless fear
Moved by turn my anxious mind ;
Like a feather in the air,
Made the sport of every wind.
3 Now T see, whate er betide,
All is well, if Christ be mine ;
He has promised to provide,
I have only to resign.
4 When a sense of sin and thrall
Forced me to the sinner s Friend,
He engaged to manage all,
By the way, and to the end.
5 " Cast," he said, " on me thy care,
Tis enough that I am nigh ;
I will all thy burdens bear,
I will all thy wants supply.
6 *< Simply follow as I lead,
Do not reason, but believe ;
Call on me in time of need,
Thou shalt surely help receive. "
7 Lord, I would, I do submit,
Gladly yield my all to thee ;
What thy wisdom sees most fit,
Must be surely best for me.
8 Only, when the way is rough,
And the coward flesh would start,
Let thy promise [and thy love
Cheer and animate my heart.
56.
Humiliation and Praise.
[IMITATED FROM THE GERMAN.]
1 WHEN the wounded spirit hears
The voice of Jesus blood,
How the message stops the tears
Which else in vain had flow d !
Pardon, grace, and peace proclaim d,
And the sinner call d a child ;
Then the stubborn heart is tamed,
Renewed and reconciled.
2 Oh ! twas grace indeed to spare
And save a wretch like me !
Men or angels could not bear
What I have offer d thee I
Were thy bolts at their command,
Hell ere now had been my place ;
Thou alone couldst silent stand
And wait to show thy grace.
3 If, in one created mind,
The tenderness and love
Of thy saints on earth were join d
With all the hosts above ;
Still that love were weak and poor,
If compared, my Lord, with thine ;
Far too scanty to endure
A heart so vile as mine.
4 Wondrous mercy I have found,
But, ah, how faint my praise !
Must I be a cumber- ground,
Unfruitful all my days ?
Do I in thy garden grow,
Yet produce thee only leaves ?
Lord, forbid it should be so !
The thought my spirit grieves.
5 Heavy charges Satan brings
To fill me with distress ;
Let me hide beneath thy wings,
And plead thy righteousness :
Lord, to thee for help I call ;
Tis thy promise bids me come ;
Tell him thou hast paid for all,
And that shall strike him dumb.
57.
For the Poor. C.
1 WHEN Hagar found the bottle spent,
And wept o er Ishmael,
A message from the Lord was sent
To guide her to a well.
2 Should not Elijah s cake and cruse
Convince us at this day,
A gracious God will not refuse
Provisions by the way ?
3 His saints and servants shall be fed,
The promise is secure :
" Bread shall be given them," as he said,
" Their water shall be sure."
4 Repasts far richer they shall prove,
Than all earth s dainties are ;
Tis sweet to taste a Saviour s love,
Though in the meanest fare.
5 To Jesus then your trouble bring,
Nor murmur at your lot ;
While you are poor, and he is King,
You shall not be forgot.
58.
Home in View.
1 As when the weary trav ler gains
The height of some o erlooking hill,
His heart revives if, cross the plains,
He eyes his home, though distant still.
2 While he surveys the much-loved spot,
He slights the space that lies between ;
His past fatigues are now forgot,
Because his journey s end is seen.
3 Thus when the Christian pilgrim views
By faith his mansion in the skies,
The sight his fainting strength renews,
And wings his speed to reach the prize.
4 The thought of home his spirit cheers,
No more he grieves for troubles past,
Nor any future trial fears,
So he may safe arrive at last.
5 Tis there, he says, I am to dwell
With Jesus in the realms of day ;
Then I shall bid my cares farewell,
And he shall wipe my tears away.
6 Jesus, on thee our hope depends,
To lead us on to thine abode :
Assured our home will make amends
For all our toil while on the road.
SIMILAR HYMNS.
Book i, Hymns 4, 7, 9, 11, 25, 35, 36, 39, 41, 46, 47, 48, 70, 95, 128, 132.
Book ii, Hymns 45, 46,47.
V. DEDICATION AND SURRENDER.
59.
Old Things are passed away.
1 LET worldly minds the world pursue
It has no charms for me ;
Once I admired its trifles too,
But grace has set me free.
2 Its pleasures now no longer please,
No more content afford ;
Far from my heart be joys like these,
Now I have seen the Lord.
3 As by the light of op ning day
The stars are all conceal d ;
So earthly pleasures fade away
When Jesus is reveal d.
4 Creatures no more divide my choice,
I bid them all depart ;
His name and love and gracious voice
Have fix d my roving heart.
5 Now, Lord, I would be thine alone,
And wholly live to thee ;
But may I hope that thou wilt own
A worthless worm like me ?
6 Yes ! though of sinners I m the worst,
I cannot doubt thy will ;
For if thou hadst not loved me first,
I had refused thee still.
60.
The Power of Grace.
1 HAPPY the birth where grace presides,
To form the future life !
In wisdom s path the soul she guides,
Remote from noise and strife.
2 Since I have known the Saviour s name,
And what for me he bore ;
No more I toil for empty fame,
I thirst for gold no more.
3 Placed by his hand in this retreat,
I make his love my theme,
And see that all the world calls great
Is but a waking dream.
4 Since he has rank d my worthless name
Amongst his favour d few,
Let the mad world, who scoff at them,
Revile and hate me too.
5 O thou whose voice the dead can raise,
And soften hearts of stone,
And teach the dumb to sing thy praise,
This work is all thine own !
6 Thy wond ring saints rejoice to see
A wretch like me restored,
And point and say " How changed is he
Who once defied^the Lord!"
7 Grace bid me live, and taught my tongue
To aim at notes divine ;
And grace accepts my feeble song
The glory, Lord, be thine !
61.
My soul thirstethfor God. C.
1 I THIRST, but not as once I did,
The vain delights of earth to share ;
Thy wounds, Emmanuel, all forbid
That I should seek my pleasures there.
2 It was the sight of thy dear cross
First wean d my soul from earthly things,
And taught me to esteem as dross
The mirth of fools and pomp of kings.
3 I want that grace that springs from thee,
That quickens all things where it flows,
And makes a wretched thorn like me
Bloom as the myrtle or the rose.
4 Dear fountain of delight unknown !
No longer sink below the brim ;
But overflow, and pour me down
A living and life-giving stream !
5 For sure, of all the plants that share
The notice of thy Father s eye,
None proves less grateful to his care,
Or yields him meaner fruit than I.
62.
Love constraining to Obedience. C.
1 No strength of nature can suffice
To serve the Lord aright ;
And what she has she misapplies,
For want of clearer light.
2 How long beneath the law I lay
In bondage and distress !
I toil d the precept to obey,
But toil d without success.
3 Then to abstain from outward sin
Was more than I could do :
Now, if I feel its power within,
I feel I hate it too.
4 Then all my servile works were done
A righteousness to raise ;
Now freely chosen in the Son,
I freely choose his ways.
5 What shall I do, was then the word.
That I may worthier grow ?
What shall I render to the Lord ?
Is my inquiry now.
6 To see the law by Christ fulfiU d,
And hear his pard ning voice,
Changes a slave into a child,
And duty into choice.
63.
The Heart healed and changed by Mercy. C.
1 SIN enslaved me many years,
And led me bound and blind,
Till at length a thousand fears
Came swarming o er my mind.
Where, said I, in deep distress,
Will these sinful pleasures end?
How shall I secure my peace,
And make the Lord my friend?
2 Friends and ministers said much,
The gospel to enforce ;
But my blindness still was such
I chose a legal course :
Much I fasted, watch d, and strove,
Scarce would show my face abroad,
Fear d almost to speak or move,
A stranger still to God.
3 Thus afraid to trust his grace,
Long time did I rebel,
Till, despairing of my case,
Down at his feet I fell :
Then my stubborn heart he broke,
And subdued me to his sway,
By a simple word he spoke,
" Thy sins are done away."
64.
Hatred of Sin. C.
1 HOLY Lord God! I love thy truth,
Nor dare thy least commandments slight ;
Yet pierced by sin, the serpent s tooth,
I mourn the anguish of the bite.
2 But though the poison lurks within,
Hope bids ine still with patience wait ;
Till death shall set me free from sin,
Free from the only thing I hate.
3 Had I a throne above the rest,
Where angels and archangels dwell,
One sin, unslain, within my breast,
Would make that heav n as dark as hell.
4 The pris ner, sent to breathe fresh air,
And bless d with liberty again,
Would mourn were he condemn d to wear
One link of all his former chain.
5 But oh ! no foe invades the bliss
When glory crowns the Christian s head;
One view of Jesus as he is
Will strike all sin for ever dead.
65.
The Child.
1 QUIET, Lord, my froward heart,
Make me teachable and mild,
Upright, simple, free from art,
Make me as a weaned child :
From distrust and envy free,
Pleased with all that pleases thee.
2 What thou shalt to-day provide,
Let me as a child receive ;
What to-morrow may betide,
Calmly to thy wisdom leave :
Tis enough that thou wilt care,
Why should I the burden bear ?
3 As a little child relies
On a care beyond his own ;
Knows he s neither strong nor wise,
Fears to stir a step alone :
Let me thus with thee abide,
As my Father, Guard, and Guide,
4 Thus preserved from Satan s wiles,
Safe from dangers, free from fears,
May I live upon thy smiles,
Till the promised hour appears,
When the sons of God shall prove
All their Father s boundless love.
66.
True Happiness.
1 Fix my heart and eyes on thine I
What are other objects worth ?
But to see thy glory shine
Is a heaven begun on earth:
Trifles can no longer move,
Oh, I tread on all beside
When I feel my Saviour s love,
And remember how he died!
2 Now my search is at an end,
Now my wishes rove no more !
Thus my moments I would spend,
Love and wonder and adore :
Jesus, source of excellence !
All thy glorious love reveal ;
Kingdoms shall not bribe me hence
While this happiness I feel.
3 Take my heart, tis all thine own,
To thy will my spirit frame ;
Thou shalt reign, and thou alone,
Over all I have or am :
If a foolish thought shall dare
To rebel against thy word,
Slay it, Lord, and do not spare,
Let it feel thy Spirit s sword.
4 Making thus the Lord my choice,
I have nothing more to choose
But to listen to thy voice,
And my will in thine to lose :
Thus, whatever may betide,
I shall safe and happy be ;
Still content and satisfied,
Having all in having thee.
67.
The happy Debtor.
1 TEN thousand talents once I owed,
And nothing had to pay;
But Jesus freed me from the load,
And wash'd my debt away.
2 Yet since the Lord forgave my sin,
And blotted out my score,
Much more indebted I have been
Than e'er I was before.
3 My guilt is cancel'd quite, I know.
And satisfaction made;
But the vast debt of love I owe
Can never be repaid.
4 The love I owe for sin forgiven,
For power to believe,
For present peace and promised heaven,
No angel can conceive.
5 That love of thine, thou sinner's Friend!
Witness thy bleeding heart!
My little all can ne'er extend
To pay a thousandth part.
6 Nay, more; the poor returns I make,
I first from thee obtain;
And 'tis of grace that thou wilt take
Such poor returns again.
7 Tis well—it shall my glory be,
(Let who will boast their store,)
In time and to eternity,
To owe thee more and more.
SIMILAR HYMNS.
Book I. Hymns 27, 50, 70, 93, 122.
Book II. Hymns 23, 90.
VI. CAUTIONS.
68.
The New Convert. C.
1 THE new-born child of gospel grace,
Like some fair tree when summer's nigh,
Beneath Emmanuel s shining face,
Lifts up his blooming branch on high.
2 No fears he feels, he sees no foes.
No conflict yet his faith employs,
Nor has he learn d to whom he owes
The strength and peace his soul enjoys.
3 But sin soon darts its cruel sting,
And comforts sinking day by day;
What seem d his own, a self- fed spring,
Proves but a brook that glides away.
4 When Gideon arm d his num rous host,
The Lord soon made his numbers less ;
And said, " Lest Isr el vainly boast,
My arm procured me this success. "
5 Thus will he bring our spirits down,
And draw our ebbing comforts low,
That, saved by grace, but not our own,
We may not claim the praise we owe.
69.
True and False Comforts. C.
1 GOD, whose favourable eye
The sin-sick soul revives,
Holy and heav nly is the joy
Thy shining presence gives.
2 Not such as hypocrites suppose,
Who, with a graceless hea rt,
Taste not of thee, but drink a dose
Prepared by Satan s art.
3 Intoxicating joys are theirs,
Who, while they boast their light,
And seem to soar above the stars,
Are plunging into night.
4 Lull d in a soft and fatal sleep,
They sin and yet rejoice ;
Were they indeed the Saviour s sheep.
Would they not hear his voice?
5 Be mine the comforts that reclaim
The soul from Satan s pow r ;
That make me blush for what I am,
And hate my sin the more.
6 Tis joy enough, my All in All,
At thy dear feet to lie ;
Thou wilt not let me lower fall,
And none^can higher fly.
70.
True and False Zeal.
1 ZEAL is that pure and heav nly flame
The fire of love supplies ;
While that which often bears the name
Is self in a disguise.
2 True zeal is merciful and mild,
Can pity and forbear ;
The false is headstrong, fierce, and wild,
And breathes revenge and war.
3 While zeal for truth the Christian warms,
He knows the worth of peace ;
But self contends for names and forms,
Its party to increase.
4 Zeal has attained its highest aim,
Its end is satisfied,
If sinners love the Saviour s name,
Nor seeks it aught beside.
5 But self, however well employ ; d,
Has its own ends in view ;
And says, as boasting Jehu cried,
" Come, see what I can do."
6 Self may its poor reward obtain,
And be applauded here ;
But zeal the best applause will gain,
When Jesus shall appear.
7 Dear Lord ! the idol self dethrone,
And from our hearts remove ;
And let no zeal by us be shown
But that which springs from love.
71.
A Living and a Dead Faith. C.
1 THE Lord receives his highest praise
From humble minds and hearts sincere ;
While all the loud professor says
Offends the righteous Judge's ear.
2 To walk as children of the day,
To mark the precept s holy light,
To wage the warfare, watch, and pray,
Show who are pleasing in his sight.
3 Not words alone it cost the Lord
To purchase pardon for his own ;
Nor will a soul by grace restored
Return the Saviour words alone.
4 With golden bells the priestly vest,
And rich pomegranates border d round,
The need of holiness express d,
And call d for fruit as well as sound.
5 Easy, indeed, it were to reach
A mansion in the courts above,
If swelling words and fluent speech
Might serve instead of faith and love.
6 But none shall gain the blissful place
Or God s unclouded glory see,
Who talks of free and sov reign grace,
Unless that grace has made him free !
72.
Abuse of the Gospel. C.
1 Too many, Lord, abuse thy grace,
In this licentious day ;
And while they boast they see thy face,
They turn their own away.
2 Thy book displays a gracious light.
That can the blind restore ;
But these are dazzled by the sight,
And blinded still the more.
3 The pardon such presume upon,
They do not beg but steal ;
And when they plead it at thy throne,
Oh! where s the Spirit s seal ?
4 Was it for this, ye lawless tribe,
The dear Redeemer bled ?
Is this the grace the saints imbibe
From Christ the living head ?
5 Ah, Lord ! we know thy chosen few
Are fed with heavenly fare ;
But these, the wretched husks they chew
Proclaim them what they are.
6 The liberty our hearts implore,
Is not to live in sin ;
But still to wait at Wisdom s door,
Till Mercy calls us in.
73.
The Narrow Way. C.
1 WHAT thousands never knew the road !
What thousands hate it when tis known !
None but the chosen tribes of God
Will seek or choose it for their own.
2 A thousand ways in ruin end,
One only leads to joys on high ;
By that my willing steps ascend,
Pleased with a journey to the sky.
3 No more I ask or hope to find
Delight or happiness below ;
Sorrow may well possess the mind
That feeds where thorns and thistles grow.
4 The joy that fades is not for me,
I seek immortal joys above ;
There glory without end shall be
The bright reward of faith and love.
5 Cleave to the world, ye sordid worms,
Contented lick your native dust ;
But God shall fight with all his storms,
Against the idol of your trust.
74.
Dependence. C.
1 To keep the lamp alive,
With oil we fill the bowl;
Tis water makes the willow thrive,
And grace that feeds the soul.
2 The Lord s unsparing hand
Supplies the living stream ;
It is not at our own command,
But still derived from him.
3 Beware of Peter s word,
Nor confidently say,
" I never will deny thee, Lord,
But grant I never may,
4 Man s wisdom is to seek
His strength in God alone ;
And even an angel would be weak
Who trusted in his own.
5 Retreat beneath his wings,
And in his grace confide ;
This more exalts the King of kings
Than all your works beside.
6 In Jesus is our store,
Grace issues from his throne ;
Whoever says, " I want no more, "
Confesses he has none.
75.
Not of Works. C.
1 GRACE, triumphant in the throne,
Scorns a rival, reigns alone ;
Come and bow beneath her sway,
Cast your idol-works away.
Works of man, when made his plea,
Never shall accepted be ;
Fruits of pride (vain-glorious worm)
Are the best he can perform.
2 Self, the god his soul adores,
Influences all his pow rs ;
Jesus is a slighted name,
Self-advancement all his aim:
But when God the Judge shall come,
To pronounce the final doom,
Then for rocks and hills to hide
All his works and all his pride !
3 Still the boasting heart replies,
What, the worthy and the wise,
Friends to temperance and peace,
Have not these a righteousness ?
Banish every vain pretence
Built on human excellence ;
Perish every thing in man,
But the grace that never can.
76.
Sin s Deceit.
1 SIN, when view d by Scripture light,
Is a horrid, hateful sight ;
But when seen in Satan s glass,
Then it wears a pleasing face.
2 When the gospel-trumpet sounds,
When I think how grace abounds,
When I feel sweet peace within,
Then I d rather die than sin.
3 When the cross I view by faith,
Sin is madness, poison, death :
Tempt me not, tis all in vain,
Sure I ne er can yield again.
4 Satan for a while debarr d,
When he finds me off my guard,
Puts his glass before my eyes,
Quickly other thoughts arise.
5 What before excited fears,
Rather pleasing now appears ;
If I sin, it seems so small,
Or perhaps no sin at all.
6 Often thus through sin s deceit,
Grief and shame and loss I meet ;
Like a fish, my soul mistook,
Saw the bait, but not the hook.
7 O my Lord, what shall I say ?
How can I presume to pray ?
Not a word have I to plead,
Sins like mine are black*indeed.
8 Made by past experience wise,
Let me learn thy word to prize ;
Taught by what I ve felt before,
Let me Satan s glass abhor.
77.
Are there few that shall be saved?
1 DESTRUCTION S dangerous road
What multitudes pursue,
While that which leads the soul to God
Is known or sought by few.
2 Believers enter in
By Christ, the living gate ;
But they who will not leave their sin,
Complain it is too strait.
3 If self must be denied,
And sin forsaken quite,
They rather choose the way that s wide,
And strive to think it right.
4 Encompass d by a throng,
On numbers they depend ;
So many surely can t be wrong,
And miss a happy end.
5 But numbers are no mark
That men will right be found ;
A few were saved in Noah s ark,
For many millions drown d.
6 Obey the gospel call,
And enter while you may,
The flock of Christ is always small,
And none are safe but they.
7 Lord, open sinners eyes
Their awful state to see ;
And make them, ere the storm arise,
To thee for safety flee.
78.
The Sluggard.
1 THE wishes that the sluggard frames,
t)f course must fruitless prove ;
With folded arms he stands and dreams,
But has no heart to move.
2 His field from others may be known,
The fence is broken through,
The ground with weeds is overgrown,
And no good crop in view.
3 No hardship he or toil can bear,
No difficulty meet ;
He wastes his hours at home, for fear
Of lions in the street.
4 What wonder then, if sloth and sleep
Distress and famine bring.
Can he in harvest hope to reap,
Who will not sow in spring ?
5 Tis often thus in soul concerns
We gospel sluggards see ;
Who, if a wish would serve their turns,
Might true believers be.
6 But when the preacher bids them watch,
And seek and strive and pray,
At every poor excuse they catch
A lion in the way.
7 To use the means of grace how loath !
We call them still in vain ;
They yield to their beloved sloth,
And fold their arms again.
8 Dear Saviour, let thy pow r appear,
The outward call to aid.
These drowsy souls can only hear
The voice that wakes the dead.
79.
Not in Word, but in Power.
1 How soon the Saviour s gracious call
Disarm d the rage of bloody Saul.
Jesus, the knowledge of thy name
Changes the lion to a lamb.
2 Zaccheus, when he knew the Lord,
What he had gain d by wrong restored;
And of the wealth he prized before,
He gave the half to feed the poor.
3 The woman who so vile had been,
When brought to weep o er pardon d sin,
Was from her evil ways estranged,
And show d that grace her heart had changed.
4 And can we think the power of grace
Is lost by change of time and place ?
Then it was mighty, all allow,
And is it but a notion now ?
5 Can they whom pride and passion sway,
Who mammon and the world obey,
In envy or contention live,
Presume that they indeed believe ?
6 True faith unites to Christ the root,
By him producing holy fruit ;
And they who no such fruit can show,
Still on the stock of nature grow.
7 Lord, let thy word effectual prove
To work in us obedient love !
And may each one who hears it, dread
A name to live, and yet be dead.
SIMILAR HYMNS.
Book 1. Hymns 8, 20, 85, 87, 91, 104, 12 , 139, 141.
Book II. Hymns 34, 49, 86, 91, 99.
VII. PRAISE.
80.
Praise for Faith. C.
1 OF all the gifts thine hand bestows,
Thou Giver of all good!
Not heaven itself a richer knows,
Than my Redeemer s blood.
2 Faith too, the blood-receiving grace,
From the same hand we gain ;
Else, sweetly as it suits our case,
That gift had been in vain.
3 Till thou thy teaching power apply,
Our hearts refuse to see,
And, weak as a distemper d eye,
Shut out the view of thee.
4 Blind to the merits of thy Son,
What misery we endure !
Yet fly that hand from which alone
We could expect a cure.
5 We praise thee, and would praise tliee more ;
To thee our all we owe,
The precious Saviour, and the power
That makes him precious too.
81.
Grace and Providence. C.
1 ALMIGHTY King ! whose wondrous hand
Supports the weight of sea and land,
Whose grace is such a boundless store
No heart shall break that sighs for more,
2 Thy providence supplies my food,
And tis thy blessing makes it good ;
My soul is nourish d by thy word
Let soul and body praise the Lord.
3 My streams of outward comfort came
From him, who built this earthly frame ;
Whate er I want his bounty gives,
By whom my soul for ever lives.
4 Either his hand preserves from pain,
Or, if I feel it, heals again ;
From Satan s malice shields my breast,
Or over-rules it for the best.
5 Forgive the song that falls so low
Beneath the gratitude I owe !
It means thy praise, however poor,
An angel s song can do no more.
82.
Praise for redeeming Love.
1 LET us love and sing and wonder,
Let us praise the Saviour s name!
He has hush d the Law s loud thunder,
He has quench d mount Sinai s flame:
He has wash d us with his blood,
He has brought us nigh to God.
2 Let us love the Lord who bought us,
Pitied us when enemies,
Call d us by his grace, and taught us,
Gave us ears, and gave us eyes :
He has wash d us with his blood,
He presents our souls to God.
3 Let us sing, though fierce temptation
Threaten hard to bear us down !
For the Lord, our strong salvation,
Holds in view the conq ror s crown :
He, who wash d us with his blood,
Soon will bring us home to God.
4 Let us wonder, grace and justice
Join, and point to mercy s store ;
When through grace in Christ our trust is,
Justice smiles, and asks no more:
He who wash d us with his blood
Has secured our way to God.
5 Let us praise, and join the chorus
Of the saints enthroned on high ;
Here they trusted him before us,
Now their praises fill the sky :
" Thou hast wash d us with thy blood,
Thou art worthy, Lamb of God!
6 Hark! the name of Jesus sounded
Loud from golden harps above !
Lord, we blush, and are confounded,
Faint our praises, cold our love!
Wash our souls and songs with blood,
For by thee we come to God.
83.
I will praise the Lord at all times. C.
1 WINTER has a joy for me
While the Saviour s charms I read,
Lowly, meek, from blemish free,
In the snow-drop s pensive head.
2 Spring returns, and brings along
Life-invigorating suns :
Hark! the turtle s plaintive song
Seems to speak his dying groans!
3 Summer has a thousand charms,
All expressive of his worth ;
Tis his sun that lights and warms,
His the air that cools the earth.
4 What! has autumn left to say
Nothing of a Saviour s grace?
Yes, the beams of milder day
Tell me of his smiling face.
5 Light appears with early dawn ;
While the sun makes haste to rise,
See his bleeding beauties drawn
On the blushes of the skies.
6 Evening, with a silent pace,
Slowly moving in the west,
Shows an emblem of his grace,
Points to an eternal rest.
84.
Perseverance.
1 REJOICE, believer, in the Lord,
Who makes your cause his own ;
The hope that s built upon his word
Can ne'er be overthrown.
2 Though many foes beset your road,
And feeble is your arm,
Your life is hid with Christan God,
Beyond the reach of harm.
3 Weak as you are, you shall not faint,
Or fainting shall not die ;
Jesus, the strength of every saint,
Will aid you from on high.
4 Though sometimes unperceived by sense,
Faith sees him always near,
A guide, a glory, a defence ;
Then what have you to fear ?
5 As surely as he overcame
And triumph d once for you ;
So surely you that love his name
Shall triumph in him too.
85.
Salvation.
1 SALVATION! what a glorious plan I
How suited to our need!
The grace that raises fallen man
Is wonderful indeed !
2 Twas Wisdom form d the vast design,
To ransom us when lost ;
And Love s unfathomable mine
Provided all the cost.
3 Strict Justice, with approving look,
The holy cov nant seal d ;
And Truth and Power undertook
The whole should be fulfill d,
4 Truth, Wisdom, Justice, Pow r, and Love,
In all their glory shone
When Jesus left the courts above,
And died to save his own.
5 Truth, Wisdom, Justice, Pow r, and Love.
Are equally displayed,
Now Jesus reigns enthroned above,
Our Advocate and Head.
6 Now sin appears deserving death,
Most hateful and abhorr d ;
And yet the sinner lives by faith,
And dares approach the Lord.
86.
Reigning Grace.
1 Now may the Lord reveal his face,
And teach our stammering tongues
To make his sovereign, reigning grace,
The subject of our songs !
No sweeter subject can invite
A sinner's heart to sing ;
Or more display the glorious right
Of our exalted King.
2 This subject fills the starry plains
With wonder, joy, and love ;
And furnishes the noblest strains
For all the harps above :
While the redeem d in praise combine
To grace upon the throne,
Angels in solemn chorus join,
And make the theme their own.
3 Grace reigns, to pardon crimson sins,
To melt the hardest hearts ;
And from the work it once begins
It never more departs :
The world and Satan strive in vain
Against the chosen few ;
Secured by grace s conq ring reign,
They all shall conquer too.
4 Grace tills the soil, and sows the seeds.
Provides the sun and rain,
Till from the tender blade proceeds
The ripenM harvest grain.
Tis grace that call d our souls at first,
By grace thus far we re come,
And grace will help us through the worst,
And lead us safely home.
5 Lord, when this changing life is past,.
If we may see thy face,
How shall we praise and love at last,
And sing the reign of grace.
Yet let us aim, while here below,
Thy mercy to display ;
And own at least the debt we owe,
Although we cannot pay.
87.
Praise to the Redeemer.
1 PREPARE a thankful song
To the Redeemer s name!
His praises should employ each tongue,
And every heart inflame !
2 He laid his glory by,
And dreadful pains endured,
That rebels such as you and I
From wrath might be secured.
3 Upon the cross he died,
Our debt of sin to pay ;
The blood and water from his side
Wash guilt and filth away.
4 And now he pleading stands
For us, before the throne,
And answers all the Law s demands,
With what himself hath done,
5 He sees us willing slaves
To sin and Satan s power ;
But with an outstretch d arm he saves
In his appointed hour.
6 The Holy Ghost he sends
Our stubborn souls to move ;
To make his enemies his friends,
And conquer them by love.
7 The love of sin departs,
The life of grace takes place,
Soon as his voice invites our hearts
To rise and seek his face. *
8 The world and Satan rage,
But he their power controls ;
His wisdom, love, and truth, engage
Protection for our souls.
9 Though press d, we will not yield,
But shall prevail at length,
For Jesus is our sun and shield,
Our righteousness and strength.
10 Assured that Christ our King
Will put our foes to flight,
We on the field of battle sing,
And triumph while we fight.
88.
Man by Nature, Grace, and Glory.
1 LORD, what is man ? extremes how wide
In this mysterious nature join !
The flesh to worms and dust allied,
The soul immortal and divine !
2 Divine at first, a holy flame
Kindled by the Almighty s breath ;
Till, stain d by sin, it soon became
The seat of darkness, strife, and death.
3 But Jesus, O amazing grace !
Assumed our nature as his own,
Obey d and suffer d in our place,
Then took it with him to his throne.
4 Now what is man, when grace reveals
The virtue of a Saviour s blood ?
Again a life divine he feels,
Despises earth and walks with God.
5 And what, in yonder realms above,
Is ransom d man ordain d to be ?
With honour, holiness, and love,
No seraph more adorn d than he.
6 Nearest the throne, and first in song,
Man shall his hallelujahs raise;
While wond ring angels round him throng,
And swell the chorus of his praise.
SIMILAR HYMNS.
Book I. Hymns 57, 58, 59, 79, 80.
Book II. Hymns 37, 38, 39, 41, 42.
VIII. SHORT HYMNS.
BEFORE SERMON.
89.
CONFIRM the hope thy word allows,
Behold us waiting to be fed ;
Bless the provisions of thy house,
And satisfy thy poor with bread :
Drawn by thine invitation Lord,
Thirsty and hungry we are come !
Now from the fulness of thy word,
Feast us, and send us thankful home.
90.
1 Now, Lord, inspire the preacher s heart,
And teach his tongue to speak ;
Food to the hungry soul impart,
And cordials to the weak.
2 Furnish us all with light and pow rs
To walk in wisdom s ways ;
So shall the benefit be ours,
And tliou shalt have the praise.
91.
1 THY promise, Lord, and thy command,
Have brought us here to-day ;
And now, we humbly waiting stand
To hear what thou wilt say.
2 Meet us, we pray, with words of peace,
And fill our hearts with love ;
That from our follies we may cease,
And henceforth faithful prove.
92.
1 HUNGRY and faint and poor,
Behold us, Lord, again
Assembled at thy mercy s door,
Thy bounty to obtain.
2 Thy word invites us nigh,
Or we must starve indeed ;
For we no money have to buy,
No righteousness to plead.
3 The food our spirits want
Thy hand alone can give ;
Oh ! hear the pray r of faith, and grant
That we may eat and live.
93.
Psalm cvi, 4, 5.
1 REMEMBER us, we pray thee, Lord,
With those who love thy gracious name ;
And to our souls that good afford
Thy promise has prepared for them.
2 To us thy great salvation show,
Give us a taste of love divine ;
That we thy people s joy may know,
And in their holy triumph join.
94.
1 NOT to Sinai s dreadful blaze,
But to Zion s throne of grace,
By a way mark d out with blood,
Sinners now approach to God.
2 Not to hear the fiery law,
But with humble joy to draw
Water, by that well supplied
Jesus open d when he died.
3 Lord, there are no streams but thine
Can assuage a thirst like mine ;
Tis a thirst thyself didst give,
Let me therefore drink and live.
95.
1 OFTEN thy public means of grace,
Thy thirsty people s wat ring-place,
The archers have beset ;
Attack d them in thy house of pray r,
To prison dragg d, or to the bar,
When thus together met.
2 But we from such assaults are freed,
Can pray and sing and hear and read,
And meet and part in peace :
May we our privileges prize,
In their improvement make us wise,
And bless us with increase.
3 Unless thy presence thou afford,
Unless thy blessing clothe the word,
In vain our liberty !
What would it profit to maintain
A name for life, should we remain
Formal and dead to thee ?
AFTER SERMON.
96.
Beut. xxxiii, 26, 29.
1 WITH Isr el s God who can compare?
Or who like Isr el happy are ?
people saved by the Lord,
He is thy shield and great reward!
2 Upheld by everlasting arms,
Thou art secured from foes and harms ;
In vain their plots, and false their boasts.
Our refuge is the Lord of Hosts.
97.
Habakkuk, iii, 17, 18.
JESUS is mine I I m now prepared
To meet with what I thought most hard !
Yes, let the winds of trouble blow,
And comforts melt away like snow ;
No blasted trees or failing crops
Can hinder my eternal hopes :
Though creatures change, the Lord s the same;
Then let me triumph in his name.
98.
WE seek a rest beyond the skies,
In everlasting day;
Through floods and flames the passage lies,
But Jesus guards the way:
The swelling flood and raging flame
Hear and obey his word ;
Then let us triumph in his name,
Our Saviour is the Lord.
99.
Deut. xxxii, 9, 10.
1 THE saints Emmanuel s portion are,
Redeem d by price, reclaim d by power ;
His special choice, and tender care,
Owns them and guards them every hour.
2 He finds them in a barren land,
Beset with sins and fears and woes ;
He leads and guides them by his hand,
And bears them safe from all their foes.
100.
Hebrews, xiii, 20, 22.
1 Now may He who from the dead
Brought the Shepherd of the sheep,
Jesus Christ, our King and Head,
All our souls in safety keep !
2 May he teach us to fulfill
What is pleasing in his sight ;
Perfect us in all his will,
And preserve us day and night !
3 To that dear Redeemer s praise,
Who the cov nant seal d with blood,
Let our hearts and voices raise
Loud thanksgivings to our God.
101.
2 Corinthians, xiii, 14.
MAY the grace of Christ our Saviour,
And the Father s boundless love,
With the Holy Spirit s favour,
Rest upon us from above 1
Thus may we abide in union
With each other and the Lord ;
And possess in sweet communion,
Joys which earth cannot afford.
102.
THE peace which God alone reveals,
And by his word of grace imparts,
Which only the believer feels,
Direct and keep and cheer your hearts :
And may the Holy Three in One,
The Father, Word, and Comforter,
Pour an abundant blessing down
On every soul assembled here.
103.
1 To thee our wants are known,
From tlice are all our pow rs ;
Accept Avhat is thine own,
And pardon what is ours :
Our praises, Lord, and pray rs receive,
And to thy word a blessing give.
2 grant that each of us,
Now met before thee here,
May meet together thus
When thou and thine appear,
And follow thee to heaven our home !
Even so, Amen, Lord Jesus, come.
GLORIA PATRI.
104.
1 THE Father we adore,
And everlasting Son,
The Spirit of his love and pow'r,
The glorious Three in One !
2 At the creation s birth
This song was sung on high,
Shall sound through every age on earth.
And through eternity.
105.
1 FATHER of angels and of men,
Saviour, who hast us bought,
Spirit, by whom we re bora again,
And sanctified and taught !
2 Thy glory, holy Three in One,
Thy people s song shall be,
Long as the wheels of time shall run,
And to eternity.
106.
1 GLORY to God the Father s name,
To Jesus, who for sinners died ;
The Holy Spirit claims the same,
By whom our souls are sanctified.
2 Thy praise was sung when time began,
By angels, through the starry spheres
And shall, as now, be sung by man
Through vast eternity s long years.
107.
YE saints on earth, ascribe, with heav n s high host
Glory and honour to the One in Three
To God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
As was. and is, and evermore shall be.