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JUDGES.
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JUDGES.

406.

[A pleasant heritage is mine]

Give me a blessing, for thou hast given me, &c. —i. 15.

A pleasant heritage is mine,
In a fair land and good;
I ask'd and gain'd the gift Divine,
For Jesus' sake bestow'd.
Father, Thou hast my sins pass'd by,
To me a pardon given,
And conscious of Thy favour, I
Enjoy the smiles of heaven.

132

Yet still I humbly sue for more,
A larger benefit;
A second blessing I implore,
To make the first complete;
In all His fulness from above,
The Comforter impart,
And let the well of life and love
Spring up within my heart.
Thy presence, Lord, the fountain brings
Of purest holiness,
The upper and the nether springs,
The heights and depths of grace:
O might I into nothing sink,
Before the God unknown;
And rise the crystal stream to drink,
Which gushes from Thy throne.

407.

[Refusing with our sin to part]

Therefore the Lord left those nations. —ii. 23.

Refusing with our sin to part,
If still we hug it in our heart,
Though infinite in grace
God will not utterly expel,
But leave it in our flesh to dwell,
And plague us all our days.

408.

[Jesus, Thine efficacious word]

I have a message from God unto thee. —iii. 20.

Jesus, Thine efficacious word
(If Thou with the deliverer art)
Comes, as a message from the Lord,
A dagger to the faithless heart:
But when it hath the sinner slain,
It brings the dead to life again.

133

409.

[The malice of Thy church's foes]

They fought from heaven. —v. 20.

The malice of Thy church's foes
In every age we see,
For who Thy people dare oppose
Are fighting found with Thee:
Before Thy face, as chaff they fail,
Before the whirlwind driven:
For how should worms of earth prevail
Against the Lord from heaven?

410.

[Who musters the celestial host]

The stars in their courses fought against Sisera. —v. 20.

Who musters the celestial host,
He sets them in array,
To blast the persecutor's boast,
And give His church the day:
The stars upon our foes in fight
Their baleful influence shed,
The lightnings wither all their might,
And strike opposers dead.

411.

[I have oft victorious been]

O my soul, thou hast trodden down strength. —v. 21.

I have oft victorious been
Through the Invincible,
Trampled down the strength of sin,
The powers of earth and hell:
Still on all my foes I tread,
Till He, who hath my sins subdued,
Root out every evil seed,
And fill my soul with God.

412.

[Jesus, let all Thy lovers shine]

Let them that love Him be as the sun, &c. —v. 31.

Jesus, let all Thy lovers shine
Illustrious as the sun,
And bright with borrow'd rays Divine
Their glorious circuit run,

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Beyond the reach of mortals, spread
Their light, where'er they go,
And heavenly influences shed
On all the world below.
As giants may they run their race,
Exulting in their might,
As burning luminaries chase
The gloom of hellish night,
As the great Sun of Righteousness
Their healing wings display;
And let their lustre still increase
Unto the perfect day.
Such honour all Thy saints receive,
Who Thee sincerely love;
Dispensers of Thy gifts we live,
And general blessings prove;
And when our useful course is run,
Enjoy the kingdom given,
Bright as the uncreated Sun
In the eternal heaven.

413.

[Great Angel of the Lord most high]

The Lord looked upon him and said, &c. —vi. 14.

Great Angel of the Lord most high,
I wait the influence of Thine eye!
Thy weak, expecting servant see,
And cast the gracious look on me,
The look that may Thy virtue dart,
Thy life and love into my heart,
My strength renew, my mission seal,
And all the mind of God reveal!

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414.

[Will ye plead for sinning on]

Will ye plead for Baal? —vi. 31.

Will ye plead for sinning on,
For Satan's service plead?
Rather throw his altar down,
And on his worship tread:
Us that he may never more
As advocates for sin employ,
Jesus, come, o'erturn his power,
And all his works destroy.

415.

[Too strong I was to conquer sin]

The people are too many for me to give, &c. —vii. 2.

Too strong I was to conquer sin,
When 'gainst it first I turn'd my face,
Nor knew my want of power within,
Nor knew the' omnipotence of grace.
In nature's strength I fought in vain,
For, what my God refused to give,
I could not then the mastery gain,
Or lord of all my passions live.
But, for the glory of Thy name
Vouchsafe me now the victory;
Weakness itself, Thou know'st, I am,
And cannot share the praise with Thee:
Because I now can nothing do,
Jesus, do all the work alone,
And bring my soul triumphant through,
To wave its palm before Thy throne.

416.

[What power against a worm can stand]

The sword of the Lord and of Gideon. —vii. 18.

What power against a worm can stand
Arm'd with Jehovah's sword?
And all who bow to Christ's command
Are champions of the Lord!

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Arm'd with His word and Spirit's might
We shall the battle gain,
And sin, that tempting Midianite,
Shall be for ever slain.

417.

[Often faint, yet still pursuing]

Faint, yet pursuing. —viii. 4.

Often faint, yet still pursuing,
On, like Gideon's men, I go,
Satan and the world subduing,
Pride, and self, and every foe;
Wrestle on in prayer unceasing,
Till I see the last destroy'd,
Bless'd with all the victor's blessing,
Crown'd with all the life of God.

418.

[Again to Satan's yoke I bow]

Ye have forsaken Me, and served other gods, &c. —x. 13.

Again to Satan's yoke I bow;
But mercy I implore:
Ah! do not in Thine anger vow
To save my soul no more!
Or if the word Thy lips hath pass'd,
And for Thy loss I mourn,
Thou wilt, O God, repent at last,
Thou wilt again return.

419.

[Lord, I have sinn'd, but now relent]

We have sinned, do Thou unto us whatsoever, &c. —x. 15.

Lord, I have sinn'd, but now relent,
And groan beneath my guilt;
Humbly accept my punishment,
Do with me what Thou wilt:
For this, and only this I pray,
From all my sins release,
And save throughout my evil day,
And bid me die in peace.

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420.

[Father, though late, I turn to Thee]

They put away the strange gods, and served, &c. —x. 16.

Father, though late, I turn to Thee,
With all my idols part;
O let my helpless misery
Affect Thy pitying heart!
Grieved at Thine ancient people's woe,
Be grieved again at mine,
And force my sins to let me go,
Redeem'd by blood Divine.

421.

[The beast that meets him shall be slain]

Whatsoever cometh to meet me, shall surely be, &c. —xi. 31.

The beast that meets him shall be slain;
Resign'd to God the child of man,
A living sacrifice, restored
Entire, devoted to the Lord:
The Lord, he knows, so kind and good,
Hath no delight in human blood,
Or pleased accepts of One alone,
That offering of His slaughter'd Son.

422.

[His hands he wash'd not in her blood]

He did with her according to his vow, &c. —xi. 39.

His hands he wash'd not in her blood,
But gave his child, his hope, to God,
(Hope of a long-continued line,
Hope of the promised Seed Divine,)
His heart's delight, his age's prop,
His only child he render'd up,
An offering worthy of the sky,
A virgin pure to live and die.

423.

[Who for their unborn children care]

Teach us what we shall do unto the child, &c. —xiii. 8.

Who for their unborn children care,
How happy and how wise!
They find, in answer to their prayer,
Instructions from the skies:

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Their babes they from the birth restore
To Him who first bestow'd,
To witness His almighty power,
To fight and die for God.

424.

[The child whom struggling into light]

How shall we order the child, and how, &c. —xiii. 12.

The child whom struggling into light
We soon expect to see,
How shall we order it aright,
And train it up for Thee?
A candidate for heaven to breed,
Alas, we know not how!
But show us at our greatest need,
Who seek direction now.

425.

[Me, if purposed to destroy]

If the Lord were pleased to kill us, &c. —xiii. 23.

Me, if purposed to destroy
For past unfaithfulness,
Would my God vouchsafe to' employ,
And still so strangely bless?
Take, O Lord, the servant take,
Who dost the services receive,
With Thyself, for Jesu's sake,
Eternally to live.

426.

[So by the Spirit of holiness]

The Philistines shouted against him, &c. —xv. 14.

So by the Spirit of holiness
Our Samson did Himself release,
Burst all the bands of death, and rose
The conqueror of His shouting foes,
To slay by means contemptible,
And triumph o'er the hosts of hell.

427.

[Spirit of faith, come down on me]

Spirit of faith, come down on me,
For where Thou art is liberty,

139

Thy presence looses all my bands,
And melts the fetters from my hands,
Consumes like flax the cords of sin,
And burns up all my foes within.

428.

[See the great Antitype arise]

Samson arose at midnight, and took the doors, &c. —xvi. 3.

See the great Antitype arise,
While darkness yet involves the skies,
His Israel from their foes to save,
He bursts the barriers of the grave,
Puts forth His strength invincible,
And tears up all the gates of hell!
Triumphant o'er His baffled foes,
The trophies openly He shows:
And daily, in His people's cause,
He spreads the victory of His cross,
And still He takes the spoils, and still
He bears them up the heavenly hill!

429.

[Samson the strong, the weak, we blame]

When she pressed him daily with her words, &c. —xvi. 16, 17.

Samson the strong, the weak, we blame,
And all in him ourselves condemn,
Who vanquish'd by the foe within,
The importunity of sin,
Yield to our bosom-Delilah,
Yet know, she flatters to betray,
To bind our souls in slavish bands,
And give us up to Satan's hands.

430.

[His strength in his obedience lay]

His strength went from him. —xvi. 19.

His strength in his obedience lay,
And when his vow he broke,
He cast the slighted gift away,
He first his God forsook,

140

Sunk into nature's helplessness,
Could neither fight, nor fly:
And such are all who fall from grace,
And such alas, am I!

431.

[Weaken'd by my bosom-sin]

He wist not that the Lord was departed from him. —xvi. 20.

Weaken'd by my bosom-sin,
Have not I like Samson been,
Went a while securely on,
Wist not that the Lord was gone,
Till into their hands betray'd,
Sport of the Philistines made,
Groan'd my soul itself to feel
Left by heaven, and seized by hell!

432.

[Thine own in Samson's state behold]

The Philistines took him and put out his eyes, &c. —xvi. 21.

Thine own in Samson's state behold,
Impotent wretch, by sin allured,
To Satan and his children sold,
Blinded, in brazen chains secured,
Thy loss of liberty and sight,
The wages of thy folly feel,
And groan consign'd to endless night,
The scorn of earth, and drudge of hell!

433.

[Ah, woe is me, by lust enticed!]

Ah, woe is me, by lust enticed!
The Philistines their foe have found,
Dreaded of late, but now despised,
A feeble slave, in prison bound,
Ruled by my haughty tyrant's will,
Forsaken by my angry Lord,
Compell'd I grind at Satan's mill,
And serve the sins I once abhorr'd.

141

434.

[His anger will the Lord retain]

Howbeit the hair of his head began to grow, &c. —xvi. 22.

His anger will the Lord retain,
A poor dark soul for ever leave?
Gall'd by my hellish master's chain,
After a pardoning God I grieve:
Mock'd by my foes, imprison'd, blind,
Of all my gracious vigour shorn;
Yet lo! a springing hope I find
That Jesus will at last return.

435.

[Father of Christ, the sinner's Friend]

O Lord God, remember me, I pray Thee, &c. —xvi. 28.

Father of Christ, the sinner's Friend,
My Friend, my Advocate with Thee,
Deliverance to Thy servant send,
And oh! in death remember me!
The wretched thrall of Satan's host,
To me once more Thy Spirit give;
The strength which by my sin I lost,
O let me by Thy grace retrieve.

436.

[The Lord resolved in death to save]

Samson took hold of the two pillars, &c. —xvi. 29, 30.

The Lord resolved in death to save
The vessel of His grace and power,
Pardon in a commission gave,
Inspired, and strengthen'd him once more
To deal the vengeful wrath of God,
And write his victory in blood.

437.

[My God, my God, on Thee I call]

My God, my God, on Thee I call,
To bless me with an end like his;
With conquest dignify my fall,
Crown all my former victories,
Strong in Thy might at last may I
Thy champion, though in fetters, die!

142

438.

[Samson the theatre o'erthrew]

Samson the theatre o'erthrew,
And thousands at his death he slew:
But lo! our Samson from the skies
A more triumphant conqueror dies,
A nobler victory obtains,
And heaven for all His Israel gains.
He by the pangs of death oppress'd
With outstretch'd hands the pillars seized,
Compass'd with foes He bow'd His head,
For mercy, not for vengeance, pray'd,
And groan'd His last expiring groan,
And pull'd the' infernal kingdom down.
The author dire of sin and death
He slew by yielding up His breath,
The powers of darkness He destroy'd,
And made their hellish boastings void,
Died with the Philistines—but rose
Triumphant o'er His slaughter'd foes.