University of Virginia Library

II. SAMUEL.

509.

[For evil may I good return]

For evil may I good return,
Kindness for bitter hatred show,
With pious grief sincerely mourn
The fall of my relentless foe,
His faults with tenderest love conceal,
His shining qualities commend,
And cordial consolation feel
In hope—that hope was in his end.

510.

[May I not feel my comfort fled]

May I not feel my comfort fled,
When lovely Jonathan is dead?
God unprovoked my sorrow sees,
Jesus allows the soft distress:
Hence o'er the pleasing past I rove,
Recall the wonders of his love,
And till my life of mourning end,
Lament for a departed friend!

511.

[Let the house of Saul give place]

Let the house of Saul give place,
And David grow in power,
Nature yield, and stronger grace
Wax stronger every hour,
Grace prevail, till sin depart:
Come, Lord, and rule the land alone,
Come, and 'stablish in my heart
Thine everlasting throne.

512.

[A voice is in his blood!]

A voice is in his blood!
Smote for the rash offence,
He warns us to rejoice in God
With deepest reverence,
And trembling at the sign
Of our Creator near,
To treat the holy things Divine
With wise and holy fear!

513.

[With forward zeal well meant]

With forward zeal well meant
I oft have evil done,
But could not by a good intent
For a bad act atone:
Yet still my gracious Lord
Hath suffer'd me to live,
And all my sins in deed, and word,
And thought, He doth forgive.

514.

[Behold your due in Uzzah dead]

515.

[Unauthorised by right Divine]

Unauthorised by right Divine
Dost thou not on the word lay hold,
Who claim'st the promises for thine
With ignorance profanely bold,
But dost not with the terms comply?
Forbear to touch the ark—or die!

516.

[So sacred if the symbol be]

So sacred if the symbol be,
What the true living Ark of God!
And O! how sore the penalty
For trampling on the covenant-blood
Familiarized by common sounds:
Wounds, wounds, and nothing else but wounds!

517.

[If but one Christian soul appear]

If but one Christian soul appear
Beneath my roof, the Ark is here:
Jesus, the real Ark Thou art,
Set up in every faithful heart!
And where Thy Godhead doth reside,
Mercy and grace are multiplied,
Fulness of gospel-blessings flow,
And make a little heaven below.

518.

[He laid his purple robes aside]

He laid his purple robes aside,
Nor shame, nor diminution fear'd,
Put off the pomp of regal pride,
And servant of the ark appear'd;
In holy services Divine
That we might all our strength employ,
Might body, soul, and spirit join,
And dance before the Lord for joy.

519.

[Perhaps she thought, religion's law]

Perhaps she thought, religion's law
Might keep the vulgar herd in awe,
But shall so great a man as he
Forget his royal dignity?
Shall David do so mean a thing,
The soldier, statesman, and the king
Lead up the superstitious crowd,
And play, and leap, and dance—for God!

520.

[Glorious indeed (though fools despise)]

Glorious indeed (though fools despise)
In God's account and wisdom's eyes,
The great, who lay their greatness by,
In presence of the Lord most high,
Nor man regard, if God approve
The' expressions of their warmest love!

521.

[Let heathen scorn and vilify]

Let heathen scorn and vilify
The zealous servants of the Lord,
More zealous, more determined I
Hold fast the faith, and keep the word,
Bolder confess my Saviour's name,
And triumph in the glorious shame.

522.

[Great in the field of battle, great]

Great in the field of battle, great
The monarch on his judgment-seat
His dread authority maintains,
And conscious of his grandeur reigns:
But before Him who rules the skies,
Humbled as in the dust he lies,
Dares, in the meanest services,
The least of all himself confess.

523.

[Come, Thou heavenly Solomon]

Come, Thou heavenly Solomon,
Thou Prince of life and peace,
David's, God's eternal Son,
Who hast the promises,
Thine it is Thy house to build,
To consecrate the human shrine,
With the name, the nature fill'd,
The holiness Divine.

524.

[Son of God's eternal love]

Son of God's eternal love,
In glorious state descend,
Bring Thy kingdom from above,
That Satan's power may end;
Universal Monarch reign,
And put the worldly kingdoms down,
Fix in every heart of man
Thine everlasting throne.

525.

[Is this the man to God so dear]

Is this the man to God so dear,
So just, and after His own heart!
O what are saints, the most sincere,
The strongest, if their Lord depart!
Left to ourselves one moment, we
Into the foulest crimes should fall,
And thus our helplessness we see,
And feel that Christ is all in all!

526.

[O tell it not in Gath, nor spread]

O tell it not in Gath, nor spread
Through Askelon the direful deed,
Lest harden'd infidels in ill
Rejoice, and grow more harden'd still!
Alas, the record of his crimes
Preserved through all succeeding times,
Savour of life or death must be,
And offer heaven, or hell, to me!

527.

[The Lord allows of sin in none]

The Lord allows of sin in none,
But most abhors it in His own:
These do His Spirit the worst despite,
These sin against the clearest light,
Betray the honour of His name,
Expose their Lord to open shame,
Murder afresh the Son of God,
And trample on His richest blood.

528.

[Thou art the man—in David's case]

Thou art the man—in David's case,
Whose careless soul is fallen from grace,
Fallen into heart-adultery!
The curse of God abides on thee;
Till with thy bosom-sin thou part,
The offering of a broken heart
Present before that gracious throne,
And plead the death of David's Son!

529.

[Thou art the man—that lives secure]

Thou art the man—that lives secure
Under the guilt of sin!
Thy heart and conscience is impure,
Thy nature all unclean:
Thou art the man He calls His own
Who bought thee with His blood;
Condemn thyself, and kiss the Son,
And cry, My Lord, my God!

530.

[I too have sinn'd against the Lord]

I too have sinn'd against the Lord,
And struck, and sentenced by Thy word,
To Thee for mercy cry;
The dreadful penalty remit,
And tell a mourner at Thy feet
Thou wilt not let me die.

531.

[Vouchsafe the grace for which I pray]

Vouchsafe the grace for which I pray,
In mercy put my sin away,
I nothing ask beside;
But chasten'd by a pardoning God,
Adore Thy hand, and kiss the rod,
Though pain till death abide.

532.

[Haters of God, who still blaspheme]

Haters of God, who still blaspheme
His glorious name for David's fall,
As ye have sinn'd, repent like him,
Or judgment shall o'erwhelm you all:
From David's fall occasion take
For mercy in faint hope to cry,
Or deeper plunging in the lake,
And doubly damn'd, for ever die!

533.

[For a departing friend I grieve]

For a departing friend I grieve,
Or pray, my stricken child may live;
But when Thy mind is known,
I yield, I patiently submit,
And cry, adoring at Thy feet,
Father, Thy will be done!

534.

[Steadfast in faith, I rest resign'd]

Steadfast in faith, I rest resign'd,
Joyful in hope my babes to find
For whom no more I grieve,
Assured I soon to them shall go,
Assured who infants died below
With God in glory live.

535.

[Pure from the blood of Saul in vain]

Pure from the blood of Saul in vain,
He dares not to the charge reply;
Uriah's doth the charge maintain!
Uriah's doth against him cry!
Let Shimei curse: the rod he hears
For sins which mercy had forgiven,
And in the wrongs of man reveres
The awful righteousness of heaven.

536.

[Lord, I adore Thy righteous will]

Lord, I adore Thy righteous will,
Through every instrument of ill
My Father's goodness see,
Accept the complicated wrong
Of Shimei's hand, and Shimei's tongue,
As kind rebukes from Thee.

537.

[Full of unutterable grace]

Full of unutterable grace
Thus the true King of Israel prays,
That those who seek His life may live,
Father, My murderers forgive,
Deal gently with them, for My sake,
And to Thine arms the rebels take.

538.

[Whene'er my Father in the skies]

Whene'er my Father in the skies
Is forced this rebel to chastise,
He makes His goodness known;
And while my feeble flesh He grieves,
A charge with the affliction gives,
“Deal gently with My son!”

539.

[O that my faltering heart may smite]

O that my faltering heart may smite
And make me inly groan,
Whene'er I vainly take delight
In aught I call my own!
Harden'd by sin's deceitfulness
O may I never be,
But miss my comfort and my peace,
Whene'er I turn from Thee!

540.

[He saw the one great Sacrifice]

He saw the one great Sacrifice
There to be offer'd up for all,
He heard His Son's expiring cries
For mercy and forgiveness call!
Our lives, though forfeited, He spares,
For Jesus, our Atonement, died,
His blood was mingled with His prayers,
And God the just is satisfied!

541.

[Thou, O Christ, our altar art]

Thou, O Christ, our altar art,
And Priest, and sacrifice,
Thou dost by Thy death avert
The vengeance of the skies:
Through Thy grand atonement, Lord,
We gain the pardoning grace Divine,
'Scape the cherub's flaming sword,
And live for ever Thine.