The poetical works of John and Charles Wesley

The actions of the sent
We here recorded see,
Of every chosen instrument
Raised up, O Lord, by Thee:
In ours and every age
Who dost Thy work revive,
Thou show'st in this prophetic page
How real Christians live.

The progress of Thy word
Throughout the nations spread,
The kingdom of Thy grace restored
With wondering joy we read:
To no one time or place
The history is confined,
Large are Thy ancient works of grace,
And take in all mankind.

2351.

[The life of a true pastor]

All that Jesus began both to do and teach. —i. 1.

The life of a true pastor
Is all “To do and teach,”
The follower of his Master
Doth by his practice preach;
His Christlike conversation
The mystery displays,
The gospel of salvation,
The power of heavenly grace.

135

2352.

[To the saints of Thine election]

To whom also He shewed Himself alive, &c. —i. 3.

To the saints of Thine election
Still Thou dost Thy presence show,
Quicken'd by Thy resurrection,
Thee we daily see and know:
Always with Thy church abiding
As the Comforter attends;
Thee we find Thy people guiding,
Truly talking with Thy friends.

While the Holy Spirit reigning
In the souls Thou dost approve,
Teaches us the things pertaining
To the kingdom of Thy love;
Proofs infallible before us
Of our living Lord we have,
Sure Thou wilt to heaven restore us,
Wilt through endless ages save.

2353.

[The mystical sign]

John truly baptized with water; but ye shall, &c. —i. 5.

The mystical sign
Which our Lord did enjoin
Only once we receive;
But the Spirit, as oft as in Christ we believe;
He offers the grace
To baptize our whole race,
The water to cleanse
Our original filth, and our actual offence.

In all places and times
He blots out our crimes,
His Spirit bestows,
And with water of life the believer o'erflows;
The Earnest we feel,
The Witness and Seal,

136

The joy He imparts
And the love shed abroad in our purified hearts.

2354.

[How many days He doth not tell]

Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost, &c. —i. 5.

How many days He doth not tell,
That looking every day to feel
The truth of Jesus' word,
They might, whene'er the Spirit came
Be found in a right humble frame,
And ready for their Lord.

Thou dost not give us to foreknow
The time Thou wilt Thy grace bestow,
Thy Spirit of purity,
That gasping for our first estate
Our souls may every moment wait
To be all fill'd with Thee.

2355.

[May I not, Lord, of Thee inquire]

Wilt Thou at this time restore again the, &c. —i. 6.

May I not, Lord, of Thee inquire
Wilt Thou restore the kingdom now,
While fainting through intense desire
At Thy dear wounded feet I bow,
And open wide my longing heart
For all Thou hast and all Thou art?

Thy peace to rule my heart and mind
May I not now expect to know?
The' original dominion find,
The joy of heaven begun below,
The power that makes an end of sin,
The' eternal righteousness brought in.

If to this selfsame thing, O Lord,
Thou hast my willing spirit wrought,
Pronounce the kingdom now restored;
And, saved from every evil thought,

137

Let me this happy moment prove
The' omnipotence of faithful Love.

2356.

[I would not, Lord, Thy Spirit bind]

It is not for you to know the times or the, &c. —i. 7.

I would not, Lord, Thy Spirit bind,
Or rashly bold prescribe to Thee,
But wait submissive and resign'd
Thy kingdom when Thou wilt to see;
The seasons of Thy grace are known,
The times of love to Thee alone.

Thy promised grace I dare not say
Thou wilt, Thou must this instant give,
But humbly for Thy coming stay,
My misery with Thy mercy leave,
Thy wisdom trust, and truth, and power,
Which sets the day, and sees the hour.

No more presumptuous to foretell
Or fix the' appearing of my Lord,
Till Thou these heavy clouds dispel,
Darkly I hang upon Thy word,
Each moment for Thy presence sigh,
Whose glory fills both earth and sky.

Surely if Thou direct my heart
Into the expectation true,
Thou wilt to me Thy grace impart,
Thy Spirit's power in season due,
The forfeited dominion give,
And King in all Thy subjects live.

2357.

[The view of heavenly things]

Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the, &c. —i. 12.

The view of heavenly things
Solid advantage brings;
But with a ready heart,
When order'd to depart,

138

We give our contemplation o'er,
And by obedience profit more.

The' ascending Son of God
Such grace on man bestow'd:
Its first effect they feel
Render'd more teachable:
And grace to all His church is given,
Which bows us to the voice of Heaven.

2258.

[Who can resist the Saviour's word]

They went up into an upper room, where abode, &c. —i. 13.

Who can resist the Saviour's word,
The power of heaven's almighty Lord?
To stay its course in vain are join'd
The rage and wisdom of mankind;
When God commands it must prevail
O'er all the strength of earth and hell.

See from a single chamber spread
The gospel runs with rapid speed,
As lightning darted from the skies,
To temples, houses, streets it flies,
In markets, prisons, fields, and inns,
In camps, and courts the hearers wins.

Chariots it doth and ships ascend,
To villages and cities bend,
To islands wanders unconfined,
And challenges the ransom'd kind,
Asserts an universal claim,
And seizes all in Jesu's name.

Heathens it apprehends and Jews,
People and magistrates subdues,
O'er soldiers and o'er generals reigns,
Eunuchs and slaves and captives gains,

139

Women and babes its net receives,
And faith to stubborn sailors gives.

Swiftly it runs from east to west,
Its power throughout the earth confess'd;
From realm to realm, from sea to sea,
Spreads the Redeemer's victory,
And glories finally to' o'ercome
Proud Athens and imperial Rome.

2359.

[See the whole church retired in prayer]

These all continued with one accord in, &c. —i. 14.

See the whole church retired in prayer,
In faith, and unity, and love
Expect that other Comforter
To bring His kingdom from above,
Of Christ the Lord to testify,
His precious promises to seal,
His words bring back, His blood apply,
And all the depths of God reveal.

2360.

[The kinsmen of the Lord]

With His brethren. —i. 14.

The kinsmen of the Lord
Whom first they disbelieved,
The proofs of Christ to life restored
With faith at length received:
By their examples taught,
Deists accept His grace,
And whom ye once a madman thought,
Your Lord and God confess.

2361.

[Tremendous change! the reverend guide]

Which was guide to them that took Jesus. —i. 16.

Tremendous change! the reverend guide
Of souls doth Jesus' murderers head:
And oft his successors, allied
With hell, the band of ruffians lead:

140

Their Lord they barter and betray,
The foremost of His foes appear,
Seize and insult Him every day,
And slaughter in His members here.

2362.

[Terrible Thy judgments are]

This man purchased a field with the reward, &c. —i. 18.

Terrible Thy judgments are
On those who wealth procure
At their Lord's expense, and dare
Defraud Thee in the poor;
Greedy priests who pant for gain,
Partakers of the traitor's hire,
They their full reward obtain
In everlasting fire.

2363.

[Twelve at first must testify]

Must one be ordained to be a witness with us, &c. —i. 22.

Twelve at first must testify
Jesus risen from the dead;
Millions now their place supply,
Glad proclaim their living Head:
O might I their joy increase,
Soon the Holy Ghost receive,
Number'd with the witnesses
Least of all the faithful live!

2364.

[Teacher of hearts, 'tis Thine alone]

Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of, &c. —i. 24, 25.

Teacher of hearts, 'tis Thine alone
Thine officers to' ordain,
Point out Thy instruments, unknown
To undiscerning men;
Our apostolic guides apprize
Of Thine unseen decree,
And stir them up to recognize
The men design'd by Thee.

141

The men whom Thou hast inly moved
Their charge to undertake,
And toil for precious souls, beloved
For their Redeemer's sake;
Thy chosen ministers reveal
With whom Thou always art,
And then their saving gospel seal
On every listening heart.

2365.

[He made the direful place his own]

That he might go to his own place. —i. 25.

He made the direful place his own,
For devils, not for man prepared,
Predestined by himself alone,
The traitor claim'd a fiend's reward,
Author of his own ruin fell
A bold intruder into hell.

2366.

[When reason can no further go]

They gave forth their lots; and the lot fell, &c. —i. 26.

When reason can no further go,
And providential openings fail,
Dost Thou not, Lord, Thy counsel show,
Thy secret mind infallible,
To souls who in Thy ways stand still,
And dread to miss Thy perfect will?

In solemn doubts of import great,
We know, Thou wilt for us decide,
Thy people waiting at Thy feet
By sure unerring wisdom guide,
Dispose the lot, Thine own decree
To' explain, and clearly speak for Thee.

142

CHAPTER II.

2367.

[God who on Sinai's top came down]

When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they, &c. —ii. 1.

God who on Sinai's top came down
The law of fear to' engrave in stone,
Returns all-gracious from above
To teach mankind the law of love,
And by His Spirit's power imparts
And writes it on His people's hearts.

2368.

[Jehovah doth the heavens bow]

Suddenly there came a sound from heaven as, &c. —ii. 2.

Jehovah doth the heavens bow,
The Lord is in the whirlwind now!
His terror first alarms, and wakes,
With sudden dread the conscience shakes,
That sinners may His mercy prove,
And lose their fears in pardoning love.

See in the strong impetuous sign
The' almighty power of grace Divine!
The wind which on our spirits blows,
And moves, and pierces, and o'erthrows,
Refreshes, fills, and purifies,
And swiftly lifts us to the skies!

2369.

[Divided tongues of fire]

And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, &c. —ii. 3.

Divided tongues of fire
The burning Spirit express,
Who doth His messengers inspire,
And gives His word success:
Active as darted flame
It flies with rapid speed,
As lightning with resistless aim
It strikes the sinner dead.

143

That Fire inflames the heart,
Expands and spreads within,
Severs the pure and drossy part,
And burns up all our sin;
It consecrates the soul
A living sacrifice,
And offers up the saint a whole
Burnt-offering to the skies.

2370.

[Fill'd with the Spirit of holiness]

They...began to speak with other tongues, as the, &c. —ii. 4.

Fill'd with the Spirit of holiness
One family is join'd
With all the tongues of earth to praise
The Saviour of mankind;
Earnest of the whole world employ'd
In their own tongues to sing,
In season due, the' incarnate God,
The saints' eternal King.

2371.

[Tongues at first were multiplied]

The multitude came together, and were, &c. —ii. 6.

Tongues at first were multiplied,
Proud aspiring worms to' abase,
Rebels to confound, divide,
Wide disperse the' audacious race;
God by different languages
Baffled their gigantic power,
Bade their impious project cease,
Stopp'd the heaven-invading tower.

Tongues are multiplied again,
(While our God in love comes down,)
To collect the sons of men
Reconcile the world in one,
Make us each with each agree,
Pride the cause of strife remove,

144

Teach our hearts humility,
Join us all in faith and love.

2372.

[On the great auspicious day]

We do hear them speak in our tongues the, &c. —ii. 11.

On the great auspicious day
When He forms His church below,
Every tongue should homage pay,
His stupendous mercies show:
Meet and right it is, that all
Should in one thanksgiving join'd
On the common Saviour call,
Praise the Lord of all mankind.

Mighty miracles of love,
Jesus, Thou for us hast wrought,
God descended from above,
By Thy blood the nations bought;
Raised Thou dost Thy members raise,
Pour Thy Spirit from on high,
Fill the vessels of Thy grace,
Fit, and bear us to the sky.

2373.

[Persecution's progress see!]

Others mocking said. —ii. 13.

Persecution's progress see!
The worldly war begun
With contempt and mockery,
In cavilling goes on,
Then the chafed oppressors fret,
Proceed the saints in bonds to lay;
Then the confessors they beat,
And then the martyrs slay.

2374.

[The world fulfil their Saviour's word]

These men are full of new wine. —ii. 13.

The world fulfil their Saviour's word,
A winebibber they call'd their Lord;

145

His servants now they drunkards name,
And all His saints the honour claim,
Fill'd by His Spirit from above,
With power, sobriety, and love.

2375.

[The modern infidels are bold]

The modern infidels are bold
In comments to surpass the old,
With blind unskilful impudence
They tell us what religion means,
And causes natural assign
To' effects miraculous, Divine.

Opposers of the Spirit's course
They His ascribe to fancy's force,
His peace is—“a complexion good,”
His love—“a milkiness of blood,”
And all our strange delights and pains
“The texture of the nerves” explains.

Joy in the Lord, or grief confess'd,
Is “spirits elated, or depress'd;”
The truths of grace delusion seem
To them, and faith “a madman's dream”:
No difference can their wisdom find
For all is dark, when hearts are blind!

2376.

[Frighten'd by a servant's word]

Peter, standing up...lifted up his voice, and, &c. —ii. 14.

Frighten'd by a servant's word
Who Christ so late denied,
Boldly now he owns his Lord,
By sinners crucified,
Publishes before his foes
The saving power of Jesus' name,
To the' assembled nations shows
The glories of the Lamb.

146

This the work of Thy right hand,
Thy Spirit's work I see!
This shall make my weakness stand,
Shall soon embolden me.
Saviour, at Thy bleeding cross
I wait; and faithfully expect
From the same almighty Cause
The same Divine effect.

2377.

[Scourged by the world's opprobrious tongue]

These are not drunken, as ye suppose, &c. —ii. 15.

Scourged by the world's opprobrious tongue,
Silent, I bear the private wrong
With meek humility;
Reviled, I answer not a word,
Assured that Thou, my righteous Lord,
Wilt speak at last for me.

But when the honour of Thy name
Thy cause and church my service claim,
Commanded to contend
I must the' imputed crime disown,
Trample the foul accuser down,
And Thee, and Thine defend.

2378.

[The Lord Most-High on earth was seen]

I will pour out of My Spirit upon all flesh. —ii. 17.

The Lord Most-High on earth was seen,
The God whom angel hosts adore,
The Word was flesh, and dwelt with men,
His Spirit on all flesh to pour,
Sinners unto Himself to take,
And spiritual of carnal make.

The Spirit of that heavenly Man
Resides in all who now believe,
While fill'd with love, and born again,
His mind and nature we receive,

147

We put Jehovah's image on,
And then ascend the' eternal throne.

2379.

[After He hath sent His Son]

On My servants and on My handmaidens I, &c. —ii. 18.

After He hath sent His Son
He doth His Spirit send;
Who the benefits unknown
Can fully comprehend?
Him in whom the Spirit dwells
With all His grace and boundless power
When in us our God reveals,
Our God can give no more!

2380.

[When the great God His Spirit pours]

I will shew wonders in heaven above, &c. —ii. 19, 20.

When the great God His Spirit pours
Judgment attends in flaming showers,
To plague the disobedient race,
And vindicate His slighted grace.

His wrath He with His love reveals,
The vessels of destruction fills,
The bold despisers of His word,
And pleads His cause with fire and sword.

2381.

[In this Divine epitome]

Whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord, &c. —ii. 21.

In this Divine epitome,
Father, we Thy goodness see,
Who kindly dost declare,
The way through which to heaven we go,
And all our duty here below
Summ'd up in faith and prayer.

Father, the promised bliss I claim,
Thee invoke in Jesus' name;
For Jesus' sake forgive,
Save me from sin, and earth, and hell,
Stamp with Thy hallowing Spirit's seal,
And to Thy throne receive.

148

2382.

[Lord, whoe'er resist Thy will]

Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel, &c. —ii. 23.

Lord, whoe'er resist Thy will,
By opposing it fulfil;
Compassing their own design,
Blindly they accomplish Thine,
Contradict their own intent,
Cause the good they never meant.

Sinners' hearts are in Thy hand,
Subjected to Thy command,
Free and uncontroll'd in ill
When Thine only Son they kill,
Then they serve Thy love's decree,
Do the thing ordain'd by Thee.

Prince of life, for sinners slain,
Who Thy passion can explain?
Love, and hatred in excess,
Human, hellish wickedness
With celestial goodness join,
With philanthropy Divine!

Earth and heaven and hell agree
Nailing Jesus to the tree,
All conspire for human good
Shedding my Redeemer's blood,
Blood which first my pardon buys,
Speaks me then to paradise.

2383.

[Why should believers droop?]

Whom God hath raised up, having loosed, &c. —ii. 24.

Why should believers droop?
The Father of our Lord
Again hath raised Him up,
The dead to life restored:
Jesus, His mortal pangs are o'er,
He lives, He lives to die no more.

149

It was not possible
That Hades should hold fast
The God who saves from hell,
And death destroys at last;
Long in the grave He could not lie,
Or Life Himself for ever die.

2384.

[Jesus the royal prophet's Lord]

David speaketh concerning Him, I, &c. —ii. 25–28.

Jesus the royal prophet's Lord,
Sum of every written word
And prophecy Thou art:
The Psalmist spake of Thee alone,
And makes to all Thy people known
The tempers of Thy heart.

Contemplating the great reward,
The celestial bliss prepared
For His co-equal Son,
Thou always saw'st the Father stand
To hold Thee up by Thy right hand,
And lift Thee to His throne.

Thou didst exult His love to know,
Gladly publish it below,
While ready to return.
Thy sacred flesh reposed in hope
That God would surely raise Thee up
On the third joyful morn.

He would not have Thy soul to wait
In that separate estate,
When the third day was come,
He could not suffer it to be,
Or let Thy sinless body see
Corruption in the tomb.

150

The paths of life to Thee He show'd:
Very God of very God,
His living Character,
Thou didst with majesty Divine
The Brightness of His glory shine,
And at His side appear.

2385.

[Our Saviour and Head]

This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof, &c. —ii. 32.

Our Saviour and Head
Is return'd from the dead,
His witnesses we
Declare Him alive, who expired on the tree:
The' omnipotent power
Of our God did restore
His crucified Son,
And received Him again to a share of His throne.

His Spirit attests
The truth in our breasts;
The Witness and Seal
And the rapturous earnest of heaven we feel.
We acknowledge the prayer
Of our Advocate there,
Who the Comforter gives,
And Himself in His people eternally lives.

2386.

[Let the whole house of Israel know]

Let all the house of Israel know assuredly, &c. —ii. 36.

Let the whole house of Israel know
Jehovah hath extoll'd His Son,
That Jesus crucified below
Who laid the general ransom down,
His Father hath supremely magnified
And raised Him up to sit in triumph at His side.

151

All power He to the Man hath given,
That ye may surely know and praise
The glorious Lord of earth and heaven,
Sublime in majesty and grace,
Him Prophet, Priest, and King with rapture own,
And shout your God restored to His eternal throne.

Jesus, if Thou the faith impart,
Assured we of Thy Godhead are,
We find Thee praying in our heart,
We hear our heavenly Teacher there,
Thy partners in celestial places sit,
And reign with the Most-High—adoring at Thy feet.

2387.

[Compunction of heart, If Jesus bestow]

They were pricked in their heart, and said, &c. —ii. 37.

Compunction of heart, If Jesus bestow,
And kindly impart The sorrowful woe,
Our dying condition If mercy reveals,
We seek a Physician Who penitents heals.

O what shall we do Who Jesus have slain;
Have murder'd anew That meek Son of Man?
Of all we inquire, Till Christ from above
The answer inspire, The sense of His love.

2388.

[Turning with contrite hearts to God]

Repent, and be baptized every one of you, &c. —ii. 38, 39.

Turning with contrite hearts to God,
Plunged in the depths of Jesus' name,
Pardon of sins through faith bestow'd,
Through faith the Holy Ghost we claim,
That Spirit of the Lord Most-High,
That mystic Gift unspeakable,
To help and cheer and sanctify
In all believing souls shall dwell.

The promised Spirit of holiness
To every age and nation given,

152

Father, we faithfully embrace,
And wait His sure descent from heaven,
Who now with willing mind obey
Thy gospel's, and Thy Spirit's call,
We find Him sent in this our day,
We feel the promise is for all.

2389.

[While the glad tidings we proclaim]

And with many other words did he...exhort, &c. —ii. 40.

While the glad tidings we proclaim,
Preach that all through Jesu's name
May full redemption have,
If He the given word apply,
We urge, exhort, and testify
Yourselves ye sinners save.

Come out from those who know not God,
Those that trample on His blood
Who died that they might live;
This froward world this moment quit,
And wait at Jesus' wounded feet
Your pardon to receive.

Touch'd by the blood your souls are clean
From the guilt and power of sin,
Completely saved by grace;
Ye then from faith to faith go on,
O'ertake your Saviour on His throne,
And see Him face to face.

2390.

[Open their hearts, almighty Lord]

Then they that gladly received his word were, &c. —ii. 41.

Open their hearts, almighty Lord,
That sinners may receive
With joyful readiness Thy word,
And by Thy gospel live:

153

Thousands in this and every day
Unto Thy people join,
And let their spotless lives display
The power of faith Divine.

2391.

[In our degenerate years revive]

And they continued stedfastly in the apostles', &c. —ii. 42.

In our degenerate years revive
The wonders of Thy grace,
And let us in affection strive
With the primeval race:
In apostolic doctrine found,
(The doctrine from above,)
And build us on the solid ground
Of Thy redeeming love.

O may we constantly abide
As hearers in Thy school,
(Thy Spirit our unerring Guide,
Thy word our sacred rule,)
Gladly supply each other's wants,
Propriety disown,
One in the fellowship of saints,
With all Thy members one.

On us the Christian feast bestow,
The sacramental bread,
That daily we Thy death may show,
And on Thy body feed;
Till Thou, whose passion we record,
On earth again appear,
And reign our dear triumphant Lord,
With all Thine ancients here.

On all the house of Jacob's race,
On Sion's mourners pour

154

The Spirit of supplicating grace
In one unceasing shower;
That wrestling on with faith and hope
We may in prayer abide,
Till Thou descend to take us up,
And place us by Thy side.

2392.

[Saviour, in Thy church appear]

And fear came upon every soul. —ii. 43.

Saviour, in Thy church appear
All opposers to control,
Still alarm with sacred fear
Every persecuting soul;
Let the world again confounded
Scarce presume to stir or move,
Till we in the faith are grounded
Rooted fast in humble love.

Heathens stand amazed, affrighted,
When Thy people they survey
As a marshal'd host united,
Terrible in firm array;
When the shield of faith we bear
Mindful of our dying Lord,
Prevalent in mighty prayer,
Brandishing Thy Spirit's sword!

When the church of Thine election
Rising from the wilderness,
Simply full of pure affection
Lives like those of ancient days;
When the universal mother
Gathers all her sons in one,
When the Christians love each other,—
Satan tumbles from his throne.

155

2393.

[No outward miracles we claim]

And many wonders and signs were done by, &c. —ii. 43.

No outward miracles we claim,
Whose God and gospel are the same,
Yet trust our faithful Lord
His truth and mercy to reveal,
And pardon on the conscience seal
Through His attested word.

Whene'er we preach the dying God,
And free forgiveness through His blood,
The gospel-grace is given,
Spiritual signs are daily shown,
And God the Holy Ghost sends down
In saving power from heaven.

2394.

[How happy the men Who born from above]

And sold their possessions and goods, &c. —ii. 45.

How happy the men Who born from above
Were first to maintain The freedom of love;
Who left an example Ourselves to forego,
And taught us to trample On all things below.

Believers of old Who Jesus confess'd,
Lands, houses they sold With all they possess'd;
The miserly pleasure They dared to despise,
And laid up their treasure And hearts in the skies.

2395.

[What a beautiful sight]

And they, continuing daily with one, &c. —ii. 46, 47.

What a beautiful sight
When the children of light
In their primitive purity shone!
The disciples of old
Never stray'd from the fold,
But they all were united in one.

156

To the temple of God
Where His honour abode,
They daily rejoiced to repair;
And the Lord of the place
Daily show'd them His face
In the house of thanksgiving and prayer.

When the Spirit was come,
He attended them home;
And performing to Jesus their vows,
In the breaking of bread
They remember'd their Head,
And a church was in every house.

The affections of grace
Were with prayer and with praise
Carried on in their every employ;
Each meal was a feast,
And their hearts they express'd
In songs of angelical joy.

That gladness of heart
Which their Lord did impart
With simplicity pure from above,
To posterity show'd
The whole counsel of God,
The original triumph of love.

Their impotent foes
Could no longer oppose,
Or withhold their extorted esteem,
But were forced to give place
To a torrent of grace,
And were all carried down with the stream.

157

2396.

[The church in ancient days]

The Lord added to the church daily such as, &c. —ii. 47.

The church in ancient days
Was sinners saved from sin,
And souls through Jesus' grace
Were daily taken in;
Pardon and faith together given
Threw open wide the gates of heaven.

Saviour, we know, Thou art
In every age the same:
Now Lord in ours exert
The virtue of Thy name;
And daily through Thy word increase
The blood-besprinkled witnesses.

The people saved below
From every sinful stain,
Shall multiply and grow,
If Thy command ordain;
And one into a thousand rise,
And spread Thy praise through earth and skies.

In many a soul, and mine,
Thou hast display'd Thy power;
But to Thy people join
Ten thousand, thousand more;
Saved from the guilt and strength of sin,
In life and heart entirely clean.

Saved by Thy blood applied
The moment we believe,
Let us in Thee abide
And grace for grace receive,
Till sunk into a perfect man,
And meet in all Thy joy to reign.

158

CHAPTER III.

2397.

[Who Jesus our Example know]

Now Peter and John went up together into the temple. —iii. 1.

Who Jesus our Example know,
And apostolic teachers trace,
We gladly to the temple go,
Frequent the consecrated place
At every solemn hour of prayer,
And meet the God of mercy there.

Still at the stated hours we pray,
And openly our God adore,
The Lamb presenting every day
Our sins who on His body bore;
As incense sweet our prayers arise,
Mingled with His great sacrifice.

His offering pure we call to mind,
There on the golden altar laid,
Whose Godhead with the manhood join'd,
For every soul atonement made;
And have whate'er we ask of God,
Through faith in that all-saving blood.

2398.

[I in this emblem see]

And a certain man lame from his mother's, &c. —iii. 2, 3.

I in this emblem see
My own unhappy case,
My nature's poverty
And utter helplessness;
So impotent to good I am,
Who from the womb a cripple came.

Here at the Temple's gate
(The real Temple,) I
A feeble beggar wait,
And for His mercy cry,

159

Who only can my wants relieve,
And power and peace, and pardon give.

Day after day distress'd
On Jesus I attend,
And urging my request
Besiege the sinner's Friend;
In patient prayer expect a cure,
Till He pronounce my pardon sure.

2399.

[Master, Thy pitying eye]

And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, &c. —iii. 4, 5.

Master, Thy pitying eye
Is fasten'd now on me,
Thou bidd'st my soul rely,
And look for help to Thee:
To Thee I steadfastly give heed,
For all the good Thou know'st I need.

I every moment hope
To hear Thy pardoning word,
Mine eyes are lifted up,
Are ever to the Lord,
On Thee my fix'd regard I turn,
And for the consolation mourn.

2400.

[Thou seest my helplessness]

Silver and gold have I none; but such as I, &c. —iii. 6, 7.

Thou seest my helplessness,
Thou hear'st my sad complaint;
The riches of Thy grace
And nothing else I want,
Those riches which the world despise,
Are all I wish, and all I prize.

The blessing I implore
Kindly vouchsafe to give,
Or through Thy servants poor,
Or by Thyself relieve,

160

Raise by Thine own immediate word,
And speak my soul to health restored.

Thyself lay hold on me,
And lifted up by grace
And apprehending Thee
I walk in all Thy ways,
More active as I further go,
And swifter than a bounding roe.

A sinner poor and lame,
At Thy command I rise;
Thine efficacious Name
With springing life supplies,
Thy Name, the moment I believe,
Doth strength and perfect soundness give.

2401.

[Jesus through faith alone]

And he leaping up stood, and walked, and, &c. —iii. 8.

Jesus through faith alone
I answer to Thy call;
I stand, and walk, and run,
And leap o'er every wall,
Enter with joy the hallow'd place,
And loudly sing my Saviour's praise.

Both strength and righteousness
In Thee I surely have,
Gladly I Thee confess
Omnipotent to save,
My helpless unbelief to heal,
And pardon on my conscience seal.

2402.

[Who our weaknesses have known]

And all the people saw him walking and praising God. —iii. 9.

Who our weaknesses have known
Should our conversion see,

161

While with joyful lips we own
The name that sets us free,
By our walk the change sincere,
By holiness of life we prove,
While we humbly persevere
In gratitude and love.

2403.

[Stranger far the miracle]

And they were filled with wonder. —iii. 10.

Stranger far the miracle
Which doth a soul convert,
When our Lord vouchsafes to heal
Our impotence of heart:
Outward miracles are done
That we the' Invisible may see,
God who all His power makes known
In man's infirmity.

2404.

[Through the ministry of man]

The people ran together unto them...greatly wondering. —iii. 11.

Through the ministry of man
Whoe'er their cure receive,
Fondly they at first detain,
And to the preacher cleave:
Farther taught by grace Divine,
The Author of all good they own,
Every instrument resign,
And cleave to Christ alone.

Lord, in these Thy Spirit's days
Thou dost Thy work renew,
Daily miracles of grace
On helpless sinners show:
O might all the thoughtless crowd
With wonder struck my change to see,
Flock into the courts of God,
And run for faith to Thee!

162

2405.

[His name through faith alone]

His name through faith in His name hath, &c. —iii. 16.

His name through faith alone
The halt and lame hath heal'd,
Impotent souls with life unknown,
With heavenly vigour fill'd:
His name believed and loved
Did miracles perform,
And sin's infirmity removed
From many a helpless worm:

The witnesses appear
Even now before your face,
Restored to perfect soundness here
Through reconciling grace:
Jesus the faith bestow'd
On men ye see and know,
Who daily praise their pardoning God,
And walk with Christ below.

2406.

[Sinners what have ye done]

Through ignorance ye did it, as did also your, &c. —iii. 17.

Sinners what have ye done
In nature's ignorance!
Your crime, ye unbelievers own,
Your unperceived offence:
Ye have exposed to shame
The' eternal Son of God,
Murder'd afresh the slaughter'd Lamb,
And trampled on His blood.

Your learned rulers too
Who sit in Moses' chair,
Have crucified their Lord anew;
And still their Saviour tear:

163

Alas, they know not yet,
In sin and error bred,
Who spitefully the members treat,
They persecute the Head.

2407.

[The sinful will of man]

Those things, which God before had shewed, &c. —iii. 18.

The sinful will of man
Without his own design
Subserves, if so our God ordain,
The holy will Divine:
Our God's almighty grace
O'errules the bounded ill,
To answer His great purposes,
And all His thoughts fulfil.

Of sinners He foretells
The wickedness foreknown,
Permits their act but not compels,
Their act is all their own.
Who can the wisdom sound
Of His eternal mind,
That makes my Saviour's mortal wound
The life of all mankind!

2408.

[O that we could to God present]

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that, &c. —iii. 19, 20.

O that we could to God present
Our hearts by true contrition rent
Through His beloved Son;
To Christ our mighty Fortress turn,
Look upon Him we pierced and mourn,
Till our Desire come down!

Jesus through Thy atoning blood
Blot out this thick, incumbent cloud,
Which hides the face of Heaven;

164

Thou art that Presence of the Lord:
Descend, Divine Eternal Word,
And speak our sins forgiven.

Whene'er Thou dost our crimes efface,
The times of sweet refreshing grace,
The Comforter is come,
The Pledge, the Witness, and the Seal,
That God again on earth shall dwell
And take His exiles home.

2409.

[The body He did once assume]

Whom the heaven must receive until the, &c. —iii. 21.

The body He did once assume,
Did of the virgin's substance take,
The flesh which swell'd her sacred womb,
And suffer'd torment for our sake,
Join'd with the Deity is gone,
And sits on His eternal throne.

The body pure of flesh and blood,
Subject no more to death or pain,
Sublime at the right hand of God,
Doth in perpetual rest remain:
Its virtues, fruits, effects we prove;
Yet still the body dwells above.

Enrobed with majesty and power,
It fills and brightens all the sky,
Till coming all things to restore,
And visible to mortal eye,
Earth He renews by sovereign grace,
And shows the world His glorious face.

Immortal Son of Man, appear,
Our Maker, on Thine azure seat,
Begin the great sabbatic year,
Thy people spotless and complete

165

In full millennial joy maintain,
And then in Thine eternal reign!

2410.

[Moses the meek man of God]

A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up, &c. —iii. 22.

Moses the meek man of God,
A type of Christ was seen,
Head of faithful Israel stood,
And guide of sinful men,
Show'd as prophet of the Lord
The land to all believers given,
Herald of Jehovah's word,
Interpreter of Heaven.

Israel he from Egypt led,
But must to Jesus yield;
Jesus like His brethren made,
His brethren far excell'd;
Moses form'd the church of old,
And one peculiar nation join'd;
Christ received into His fold
The souls of all mankind.

Soon as Moses prophesied,
Israel's deliverance came;
Soon as Jesus spake, and died
The sacrificial Lamb,
Life, the grand effect, ensued;
That blood for every soul was spilt,
Purged that all-redeeming blood
The universal guilt.

Those who quaked and could not bear
Jehovah's thundering word,
Ask'd that Moses might declare
The dictates of his Lord:

166

Wearied by the law of fire,
Much more the slaves of guilty fear
Fly from Sinai, and desire
The voice of Christ to hear.

Moses truly minister'd,
A servant, not a Son;
Christ, who in our flesh appear'd,
Came from His Father down;
Equal to the Lord Most-High,
By all the heavenly hosts confess'd,
Re-enthroned beyond the sky,
Our God for ever bless'd.

2411.

[Lord with open heart and ear]

Him shall ye hear in all things. —iii. 22.

Lord with open heart and ear
We would Thy law receive,
All Thy gracious sayings hear,
And savingly believe,
All Thy kind commands obey,
The pattern trace which Thou hast given,
Walk in Thee, the Truth, the Way,
The Life, and Heaven of heaven.

2412.

[Ye adders deaf, who stop your ears]

Every soul, which will not hear that prophet, &c. —iii. 23.

Ye adders deaf, who stop your ears
Against the' immortal Prophet's voice,
(That voice which dying sinners cheers,
And bids our broken hearts rejoice,)
Who nature's perfect law maintain,
Your own weak reason idolize,
And dare the' incarnate God disdain,
The God who made both earth and skies.

Ye men who Christ profess to know,
And vainly call Him God and Lord,

167

But will not in His footsteps go,
Or hearken to His Spirit's word,
Deists and formalists, who slight
His love, expect His wrath to feel,
Cut off and banish'd from His sight
Ye both shall shortly meet in hell.

2413.

[The seers and holy men of old]

All the prophets...foretold of these days. —iii. 24.

The seers and holy men of old
Have spoken of these gospel-days,
The kingdom of their Lord foretold,
The reigning power of Jesus' grace;
O might their prophecies on me,
On every soul be soon fulfill'd,
Redeem'd from all iniquity,
Rejoicing in our pardon seal'd.

2414.

[First to the Jews was Shiloh sent]

Ye are the children,...&c. —iii. 25, 26.

First to the Jews was Shiloh sent,
Power effectual to repent
On Israel He bestow'd,
With pardon and salvation bless'd,
His murderers from their sins released,
And wash'd them in His blood.

He now is sent to every heart,
Every soul He would convert
In this accepted day;
And heathens now are justified,
And feel through faith the blood applied,
Which takes our sins away.

2415.

[The God of all grace]

God, having raised up His Son Jesus, sent, &c. —iii. 26.

The God of all grace,
To restore a lost race,

168

Hath raised up His Son,
And sent Him again in the Comforter down.
Ye sinners, believe,
And your Saviour receive,
By His Father bestow'd,
That ye all may return to the bosom of God.

God sent Him to bless
With unspeakable peace
The children of men,
That ye here may His favour and image regain:
'Twas His only design,
By the Spirit Divine
To redeem you from woe,
And indulge with a taste of your heaven below.

He is ready to prove
The truth of His love:
And when Jesus reveals
Your pardon obtain'd, He His office fulfils;
He bids you be clean
From the nature of sin
Through the power of His blood,
And He makes your hearts happy, by making them good.

Repent and believe
And the blessing receive,
The felicity pure,
The salvation of God which shall always endure.
Your Saviour embrace,
With His fulness of grace,
And hold fast the high Prize,
And live upon earth as they live in the skies.

169

CHAPTER IV.

2416.

[Envious and wicked priests appear]

The priests,...and the Sadducees, came upon them, &c. —iv. 1.

Envious and wicked priests appear
In every age, the church to' oppose,
'Gainst every gospel-minister
They head the troop of Jesus' foes;
Zealots and Sadducees combine
The truth by violence to suppress,
Deists and priests their forces join
To silence all the witnesses.

2417.

[Hirelings without remorse or pain]

Being grieved that they taught the people. —iv. 2.

Hirelings without remorse or pain
Dare to their passions sacrifice
The truth, the precious souls of men,
And bar their passage to the skies.
The preacher's mouth, the hearer's ears,
They stop through a malignant zeal,
And strive as Satan's messengers
Heaven to defraud, and people hell.

2418.

[Who preach the truth, the gospel-word]

And they laid hands on them, and put them in, &c. —iv. 3.

Who preach the truth, the gospel-word,
Must no repose expect to know,
To suffer like their patient Lord
Is all their recompence below,
Their suffering is their mission's seal,
They glory in captivity,
If Christ thereby His grace reveal,
And set the' imprison'd spirits free.

2419.

[Five thousand added in a day]

The number of the men was about five thousand. —iv. 4.

Five thousand added in a day,
Born by the Spirit from above,
The energy of grace display,
The strength of their Redeemer's love.

170

The welcome truth they all receive,
Joyful to know their sins forgiven;
Five thousand souls at once believe,
And banquet on the bread from heaven.

The word is crown'd with more success,
Because the preacher suffers more,
While God doth by the flock's increase
Augment His patient servants' power;
His servants' constancy and zeal
Confirm the followers of their Lord,
And all conspire to work His will,
And spread through earth His pardoning word.

2420.

[Power, wisdom, learning all combine]

Their rulers, and elders, and scribes...were, &c. —iv. 5, 6.

Power, wisdom, learning all combine,
Churchmen and seculars agree
To frustrate, Lord, Thy love's design,
And stop the men sent forth by Thee:
But lo, by all the world forsook,
Like those who first Thy grace made known,
With stronger confidence we look
For promised help to Thee alone.

2421.

[God permits His works to be]

They asked, By what power, or by what name, &c. —iv. 7.

God permits His works to be
By worldly judges tried,
Shall not ours the scrutiny
Of sinful men abide?
Though Thy hand therein appears,
Thy hand, O God, they will not own,
Sentencing the messengers,
For what our Lord hath done.

Who our conduct scrutinize,
For this we dare not blame,

171

But because they shut their eyes,
Determined to condemn.
To the truth they will not yield,
Or proof infallible receive,
Though ten thousand souls are heal'd,
And to Thy glory live.

2422.

[Do ye not still, ye ruling men]

If we this day be examined of the good deed, &c. —iv. 9.

Do ye not still, ye ruling men,
Permit that open vice should reign,
And courtly wickedness;
Yet while the evil is allow'd,
Ye turn your zeal against the good,
And all its friends oppress.

Ye now into our deeds inquire,
Not through a laudable desire
To praise and imitate,
But matter of offence to find,
(With sin, the world, and Satan join'd,)
And blast the good ye hate.

2423.

[Rulers in church and state give ear]

Be it known unto you all, and to all the people, &c. —iv. 10.

Rulers in church and state give ear;
And all the house of Israel, hear,
Hear His appointed witnesses,
And Christ the crucified confess;
Jesus the Lord, like us, receive,
Who lives and shall for ever live.

Author of immortality
By sin ye nail'd Him to the tree,
But God hath raised again His Son,
And made His life on sinners known,
And souls diseased, and spirits lame,
Are daily heal'd through Jesus' name.

172

Ye see the wonders of His hand,
The men that in your presence stand!
One step towards heaven they could not go;
But now the power of faith they know;
They walk in Christ, their feet are sure,
And pardon brings their perfect cure.

2424.

[Be it to all the nations known]

There is none other name...whereby we must, &c. —iv. 12.

Be it to all the nations known,
Salvation is in Christ alone!
Jesus did every soul redeem,
And all the saved are saved by Him;
His only name can cancel sin,
His only blood can wash us clean.

Believing into Jesus' name
Through grace already saved I am,
I have redemption in His blood,
I have the peace and life of God;
The Spirit doth His mind impart,
And plant His nature in my heart.

Sinners, believe, and now be free
From sin, and Satan's tyranny,
From earth, and curse, and death, and fear,
Redeem'd by faith in Jesus here;
His name, His love, His nature given,
Plucks you from hell, and lifts to heaven.

2425.

[No, there is no other name]

No, there is no other name,
Feelingly convinced I am;
Unredeem'd to Jesus cry,
Help, or unredeem'd I die.

173

Sole Deliverer of Thine own,
Help is laid on Thee alone:
Thine the power to pardon sin,
Thine to bid my heart be clean.

Virtue still proceeds from Thee,
Vital grace, and purity;
Thou the open Fountain art,
Wash with blood my filthy heart.

Hear a desperate sinner pray,
Tear me from myself away:
Do what only Thou canst do,
Make my heart entirely new.

Save me that I may proclaim
All the wonders of Thy name;
Live by deeds to testify
Jesus is the Lord Most-High.

Jesus is my light within,
Rooting out the seeds of sin,
Is salvation from above,
Peace, and power, and perfect love.

2426.

[Where is now the feeble reed]

They saw the boldness of Peter and John, &c. —iv. 13.

Where is now the feeble reed
Shaken by a damsel's breath?
Man he can no longer dread,
Pain, imprisonment, and death;
Fill'd with virtue from his Lord,
With the Spirit of faith and power,
Peter stands, by grace restored,
Stands a rock and shakes no more!

Reeds may still, if Thou ordain,
Into rocks and pillars rise:

174

Me, the weakest child of man,
Jesus, strengthen from the skies;
Fill me with that Spirit of grace
Witness for a dying God,
Then I shall the truth confess,
Dare to seal it with my blood.

2427.

[Weakness still with ignorance]

And perceived that they were unlearned and, &c. —iv. 13.

Weakness still with ignorance
And poverty combined
Triumph o'er the boasted sense
And wisdom of mankind;
Grandeur, wealth, and power subdue,
For Jesus' self maintains our cause,
Jesus who the world o'erthrew
While bleeding on His cross.

Men in every age are seen
By grace Divine employ'd,
Simple, rude, unletter'd men,
And only taught of God.
Sent into the world we go,
And gather souls on every side,
Nothing else resolved to know
But Jesus crucified.

Let the great and wise confess
From whence this boldness flows,
Jesus' meanest witnesses
We cannot dread our foes;
Men who have with Jesus been,
And at His mouth received the word,
Conquerors of the world and sin
We only fear the Lord.

175

2428.

[The greatest miracles of grace]

They could say nothing against it. —iv. 14.

The greatest miracles of grace
Can only silence and confound,
Not change the persecuting race,
Unless the Lord their conscience wound,
His efficacious love exert
And break the unbeliever's heart.

The dire effects of envious pride
Even now our blind opposers show:
The proofs stand forth on every side,
The sinners heal'd they see and know,
And can no longer, Lord, gainsay,
Yet still refuse the truth to' obey.

2429.

[To' elude His wonders and suppress]

They conferred among themselves. —iv. 15.

To' elude His wonders and suppress,
To' o'erthrow His merciful design,
Who now revives His work of grace,
The world in fruitless counsel join;
Their counsel vain shall never stand,
Or shorten an Almighty hand.

Jehovah sends by whom He will,
His grace in season due bestows:
Who now the chair of Moses fill,
Confederate with your Saviour's foes,
Ye cannot stop the growing word,
Or bind that Spirit of the Lord.

2430.

[Still at a loss, ye know not how]

What shall we do to these men? for that, &c. —iv. 16.

Still at a loss, ye know not how
With these wild vagabonds to deal:
Shall priests irregulars allow,
Or stop by force the growing ill?

176

But, should ye crush by open force,
Ye fear to make the mischief worse.

2431.

[Not speak at all in Jesus' name?]

They...commanded them not to speak at all, &c. —iv. 18.

Not speak at all in Jesus' name?
For this alone we live,
The Friend of sinners to proclaim,
Who would the worst forgive:
From house to house we still must teach
His love whate'er betide,
In streets, highways, and deserts preach
Jehovah crucified.

2432.

[God bids, To all My name confess]

Whether it be right in the sight of God to, &c. —iv. 19.

God bids, To all My name confess,
And make My gospel known;
Man orders us to hold our peace,
And publish it to none:
But saved from earthly hopes and fears
Whate'er our elders say
We speak as Jesus' messengers,
And God, not man obey.

Yourselves must judge it meet and right
That we the thing should do
Well-pleasing in our Master's sight,
And God prefer to you:
Wherefore we exercise His will
As His first servants did,
And thus our ministry fulfil
Though all the world forbid.

2433.

[Unawed by man's authority]

We cannot but speak the things which we, &c. —iv. 20.

Unawed by man's authority,
Unable to forbear,

177

What we have seen and heard of Thee,
Our God, we must declare:
Who have Thy great salvation seen,
And heard the Lord from heaven,
We tell the sinful sons of men
They all may live forgiven.

The bleeding Lamb before our eyes
Set forth we have beheld,
And heard His dead-reviving cries,
And felt our pardon seal'd;
We speak as Jesus' witnesses,
His power on others shown,
And testify the works of grace
He hath for thousands done.

We speak because we have believed,
So freely justified
Forgiveness through His blood received,
His precious blood applied:
The balmy virtue of His death
We must through life proclaim,
And publish with our latest breath
The all-redeeming Lamb!

2434.

[Their hate they can no further show]

They let them go, finding nothing how they, &c. —iv. 21.

Their hate they can no further show,
Constrain'd to let the preachers go,
Though thirsting for their blood:
What power obstructs the fierce career
Of men, who God disdain to fear?
They fear the multitude.

Elders, and priests, and rulers rage,
Against the Lord their powers engage;
His work the people own,

178

His truth and ministers embrace,
And glorify the God of grace
For all which He hath done.

The people praise a pardoning God,
His miracles of healing show'd
On young and old confess;
They see His hand with joyful eyes,
And heal'd themselves through Jesus rise
A cloud of witnesses!

2435.

[The evils which the church befall]

They...reported all that the chief priests, &c. —iv. 23.

The evils which the church befall,
Its dangers and escapes to all
The faithful we make known,
That wrestling all in mighty prayer
They may the common burden bear,
And bring the Spirit down.

2436.

[Lord of hosts, our God and Lord]

They lifted up their voice to God with one, &c. —iv. 24–28.

Lord of hosts, our God and Lord,
To Thee we lift our voice,
Praise Thy name with one accord,
And in Thy strength rejoice:
Heaven is Thine, and earth, and sea,
The work of Thine Almighty hand,
Every creature made by Thee
Must bow to Thy command.

Thy prophetic word we find
Fulfill'd before our eyes,
Heathens still with Jews are join'd,
And kings and rulers rise;

179

Thee and Christ Thy Son to' oppose,
The lords of earth conspire again,
Rage the world of Jesus' foes,
But all their rage is vain.

Lo with furious malice wild
They rush impetuous on,
Leagued against Thy holy Child,
Thy dear anointed Son!
Successors to those of old,
Who when they nail'd Him to the tree,
Verified the thing foretold,
And answer'd Thy decree.

2437.

[Lord the cause belongs to Thee]

And now, Lord, behold their threatenings, &c. —iv. 29, 30.

Lord the cause belongs to Thee
When truth's opposers rise,
Thou who dost their evil see
Disperse it with Thine eyes!
They and we are in Thine hand
Who sittest on Thy righteous throne,
Let Thine awful counsel stand,
Thy sovereign will be done.

Now behold their threatenings, Lord,
Who Thee and Thine withstand,
Arm the preachers of Thy word
By stretching forth Thy hand;
Now exert Thy power to heal,
Thy hated ministers inspire,
Warm their hearts with heavenly zeal,
And touch their lips with fire.

Through the name and sprinkled blood
Of Thy unspotted Child,

180

Miracles of grace be show'd
On sinners reconciled;
Dying sinners to relieve
To certify their sins forgiven,
Jesus' purchased Spirit give,
And send the sign from heaven.

2438.

[Thou who once didst shake the place]

And when they had prayed, the place was, &c. —iv. 31.

Thou who once didst shake the place
Where praying saints were met,
Spirit of faith and holiness
The miracle repeat;
Shake our souls, and stir them up
To seize the crown prepared above,
Fill with confidence of hope,
And purity of love.

Power to every messenger
And ready utterance give,
That we boldly may declare
The Name through which we live,
Preach the reconciling Word
Who did His peace to all bequeath,
Followers of our lamb-like Lord,
And faithful unto death.

2439.

[Happy the multitude]

The multitude of them that believed were of, &c. —iv. 32.

Happy the multitude
(But far above our sphere)
Redeem'd by Jesus' blood
From all we covet here!
To Him, and to each other join'd
They all were of one heart and mind.

His blood the cement was
Who died on Calvary,

181

And fasten'd to His cross
They could not disagree;
One soul did all the members move,
The soul of harmony and love.

Jesus Thy church inspire
With apostolic love,
Infuse the one desire
To' ensure our wealth above,
Freely with earthly goods to part,
And joyfully sell all in heart.

With Thy pure Spirit fill'd,
And loving Thee alone,
We shall our substance yield,
Call nothing here our own,
Whate'er we have or are submit,
And lie as beggars at Thy feet.

2440.

[See here an apostolic priest]

Barnabas...(The son of consolation,) a Levite, &c. —iv. 36.

See here an apostolic priest,
Commission'd from the sky,
Who dares of all himself divest,
The needy to supply!
A primitive example rare
Of gospel poverty,
To feed the flock his only care,
And like his Lord to be.

Jesus to us apostles raise,
Like-minded pastors give
Who freely may dispense Thy grace
As freely they receive;
Who disengaged from all below
May earthly things despise,
And every creature good forego
For treasure in the skies.

182

CHAPTER V.

2441.

[How soon alas the selfish sin]

Ananias, with Sapphira...sold a possession, &c. —v. 1, 2.

How soon alas the selfish sin
The love of property comes in,
While man from God withholds a part,
Yet seems to give Him all his heart!
Deceived the' Omniscient cannot be
By avarice and hypocrisy,
Who lurking under love's disguise
Present detested sacrifice.

2442.

[In works of charity who hide]

Why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the, &c. —v. 3.

In works of charity who hide
Their fraud and sacrilegious pride,
As not infallible they deem
The Holy Ghost, the God supreme:
Their hearts they think He cannot know
Conceal'd beneath an outward show,
And thus the Spirit of truth deny,
And thus blaspheme the Lord Most-High.

2443.

[God who His creatures' love requires]

Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? —v. 4.

God who His creatures' love requires,
Our only happiness desires,
He claims the whole and not a part,
Not half our goods but all our heart.
My heart, O God, is all Thy due,
Is always naked to Thy view;
And if I love not Thee alone,
I make the' impostor's doom my own.

2444.

[Tremble thou hypocrite profane]

Ananias hearing these words fell down, and, &c. —v. 5.

Tremble thou hypocrite profane,
Who dost mankind deceive,

183

Though God His righteous wrath refrain
And let thy body live!
Even while it sins thy soul expires,
And soon sent down to hell
In unextinguishable fires
The second death shall feel.

2445.

[Marriage was by God design'd]

How is it that ye have agreed together to tempt, &c. —v. 9.

Marriage was by God design'd
That every happy two
Might in closest union join'd
Their heavenly Lord pursue;
Holier through each other prove,
And hand in hand with joy go on
To the highest feast of love,
The Lamb's eternal throne.

How do you, alas, profane
The solemn mystery,
You who worse than meet in vain,
And but in sin agree!
Join'd in every wicked deed
Ye thus your mutual ruin seal,
Hand in hand go on, and lead
Each other down to hell.

2446.

[Her spirit she gave up!]

Then fell she down...at his feet, and yielded up, &c. —v. 10.

Her spirit she gave up!
And thus the righteous Lord,
An evil in its birth to stop,
Makes bare His glittering sword!
Beginning at His house,
He never spares His own,
That all may know our God allows
Impunity to none.

184

Not rigid wrath extreme,
But wisdom mix'd with love,
Severely kind, a rotten limb
Doth from the rest remove;
Cut off one member is
To keep the body whole:
And well for her if final peace
Surprised her parting soul.

2447.

[Thou, Lord, art greatly to be fear'd]

And great fear came upon all the church. —v. 11.

Thou, Lord, art greatly to be fear'd,
And dost our homage claim;
Thou wilt be by Thy saints revered,
By all that know Thy name:
Thy judgments keep the church in awe,
Even those who sweetly prove
Wrote on their hearts the perfect law
Of liberty and love.

2448.

[Here a true specimen we see]

Here a true specimen we see
A church in its integrity
Call'd by the gospel-word,
Distinguish'd from the sinful race,
By faith and the baptismal grace,
Grafted into its Lord.

Inspired and actuated by love
To set their hearts on things above
By Jesus' Spirit led,
In fellowship of every kind
Compacted close, and disciplined
By hypocrites struck dead.

2449.

[God, to make His mercy known]

By the hands of the apostles were many signs, &c. —v. 12.

God, to make His mercy known,
His wondrous power declares,

185

Shows the gracious work His own,
His own the messengers;
Answering, Lord, Thy great design,
Our faith's integrity we prove,
By the bond of peace Divine
And all-uniting love.

2450.

[Piety respect inspires]

And of the rest durst no man join himself, &c. —v. 13.

Piety respect inspires,
But rarely in the great:
Oft the multitude admires
And longs to imitate:
Ready for converting grace
They thus evince the work begun,
Who in others love and praise
The power of faith unknown.

2451.

[Lord, the sacred terror send]

And believers were the more added. —v. 14.

Lord, the sacred terror send
Into the worldly crowd,
Thus Thine heritage defend
From all who know not God:
Put the infidels in fear,
And let them at a distance stand,
Till by humble faith brought near
They join the happy band.

Guarded by Thy loving care,
And compassèd about,
While we watch with ceaseless prayer
To keep the' unworthy out;
Men of upright hearts sincere
Thou wilt increase and multiply,
Added to Thy people here
With us to live and die.

186

2452.

[While a weak worm pass'd by]

That...the shadow of Peter passing by might. —v. 15.

While a weak worm pass'd by
Could Peter's shadow heal?
The Lord omnipotent was nigh,
And did Himself reveal;
He made their bodies whole,
Substance of God supreme:
And still for each distemper'd soul
The power proceeds from Him.

O that Thy Spirit of love
Might now o'ershadow me,
My plague of unbelief remove,
My nature's malady!
O might my last distress
Attract Thy pitying eye!
Heal my incurable disease,
Or see Thy patient die.

2453.

[When the gospel of grace]

There came also a multitude out of the cities, &c. —v. 16.

When the gospel of grace
Is proclaim'd in our days
From all places around
What a multitude flock to the life-giving sound!
To the church they repair;
For Jesus is there
In His virtue to heal,
And ready His love in their hearts to reveal.

The desperate crowd
With infirmities bow'd,
Sick of every sin,
And vex'd with a legion of spirits unclean,

187

The Physician attend,
And His goodness commend,
Who His patients relieves
And a pardon to all the incurable gives.

2454.

[Can priests with Sadducees agree]

Then the high priest rose up, and all they that, &c. —v. 17.

Can priests with Sadducees agree,
With men who mock at heaven and hell?
Common their rage and enmity
Their bitter persecuting zeal
'Gainst all the ministers of grace
When Jesus gives His word success.

Who love to reign install'd on high,
For honour, power, and riches care,
And who an after state deny,
That growing truth they cannot bear
Which pomp pontifical destroys,
And fills us here with heavenly joys.

2455.

[Bonds for ornaments we take]

And laid...hands on the apostles, and put them, &c. —v. 18.

Bonds for ornaments we take
When our faith by bonds is tried:
Jesus bore them for our sake,
Bore, ennobled, sanctified:
Suffering for His cause alone
Confessors of Jesus' name
Sing we into dangers thrown,
Glory in our Master's shame.

2456.

[Men should patiently endure]

But the angel of the Lord...opened the prison, &c. —v. 19.

Men should patiently endure,
Leave their God to act for them:
Bars and chains cannot secure
Whom He willeth to redeem:

188

Christ, whose might invincible
Burst the prison of the grave,
Christ who shuts and opens hell
Can He not from dungeons save?

2457.

[When our benign almighty Lord]

Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people, &c. —v. 20.

When our benign almighty Lord
Will use the ministry of man,
He makes a way to preach the word,
And earthly powers oppose in vain;
His works and man's to Him are known,
And all that God appoints is done.

Our foes may in the temple seize,
And load us with a felon's chain,
Jesus His prisoners can release
And send us to His house again:
And servants of His sovereign will
We must our ministry fulfil.

We yet shall to the people speak
The words that life eternal give,
Point out the way to all who seek
With Christ in paradise to live,
The words which spoke by Him we know
Are spirit, life, and heaven below.

2458.

[Know all who doubt or fear to know]

They doubted...whereunto this would grow. —v. 24.

Know all who doubt or fear to know
How far this error will proceed,
Thy word shall still prevail and grow,
Through ours and every nation spread,
Till every soul the Saviour knows,
And righteousness the earth o'erflows.

189

2459.

[Howe'er the angry world oppose]

Behold, the men...are...teaching the people. —v. 25.

Howe'er the angry world oppose
We must the work of God pursue,
Where persecution's storm arose
Publish the word with vigour new,
Assured while we His will perform
Our Lord is Master of the storm.

2460.

[The world sometimes their rage suppress]

They brought them without violence. —v. 26.

The world sometimes their rage suppress,
And lay their violence quite aside,
But shall we look for lasting peace,
Or in their gentleness confide?
When most humane our foes appear
They spare us, not from love, but fear.

2461.

[Behold the' apostles of the Lamb]

Behold the' apostles of the Lamb
They follow meek wherever led,
Who preach'd the truth in Jesus' name
They come to suffer as their Head.
With power Divine endued and fill'd
To man's authority they yield.

They will not enemies withstand,
Or use their power themselves to save,
Their lives are in the Saviour's hand
In whom they full affiance have,
And know, their Lord will keep His own,
Till all His will and work be done.

2462.

[Humble and wise, they offer not]

When they had brought them,...they set them, &c. —v. 27.

Humble and wise, they offer not
Before the judgment seat to' appear,
But yield, and let themselves be brought
Superior both to wrath and fear,

190

Fill'd with the Spirit of God supreme,
Who first o'ercame the world for them.

Fill'd with the same almighty grace
Our foes we neither seek nor shun,
Let them at their tribunals place
We there our Lord and Pattern own,
And glory His reproach to share
And stand with Jesus at the bar.

2463.

[We must speak on, forbid by all]

Did not we straitly command you that ye, &c. —v. 28.

We must speak on, forbid by all,
And preach salvation in this name,
By Jesus' own command we call
On every soul, Behold the Lamb!
We teach according to His will
The faithful acceptable word,
And long the universe to fill
With the pure doctrine of our Lord.

By countless acts of wickedness
The Prince of life ye seized and slew,
The Man from heaven who bought our peace
We surely charge His death on you:
Ye murderers of incarnate God
Ye speak the thing by us design'd,
We mean to bring His sprinkled blood
On you, ourselves, and all mankind.

2464.

[When man presumes a law to' enjoin]

We ought to obey God rather than men. —v. 29.

When man presumes a law to' enjoin
Which contradicts the law Divine,
Shall we a moment doubting stay
Which to reject and which obey?
Or bold before the world avow
To God's, not man's commands we bow.

191

Zeal to prefer our Maker's will
With modest confidence shall fill,
Shall own, in all our gestures seen,
That we who have with Jesus been
His will our only rule receive,
Or die for Him by whom we live.

2465.

[Sent to the great, and rich, and wise]

The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom, &c. —v. 30.

Sent to the great, and rich, and wise,
(God and His law before our eyes,)
We speak their conscience to convince,
Publicly tax their public sins,
Without insulting we reprove,
In just severity of love.

Preachers are call'd, above the rest,
To stand for innocence oppress'd,
Themselves by hellish hate pursued
To vindicate their suffering God;
And set at man's unrighteous bar,
To' arraign their wicked judges there.

2466.

[By His own Almighty Spirit]

Him hath God exalted with His right hand, &c. —v. 31.

By His own Almighty Spirit
God hath glorified His Son;
Pardon'd now through Jesus' merit
Penitents approach His throne;
Christ bestows the true contrition,
Makes us feel our soul-disease,
Then appearing our Physician
Heals and bids us go in peace.

In Thy state of exaltation
Answer Lord its end on me,
Thou the God of my salvation
Thou my Prince and Ruler be;

192

Let me first, the true repentance
Self-condemn'd from Thee receive,
Then reverse the fearful sentence,
Bid Thy pardon'd rebel live.

2467.

[O could I mourn for God]

O could I mourn for God,
Obtain the grace I claim,
Purchased by my Redeemer's blood,
And publish'd in His name,
Promised to all that pray,
With patience persevere,
And offer'd in His gracious day,
To every sinner here.

Saviour of men, and Prince,
Thy mercy's power exert:
By a kind pitying look convince,
And break my flinty heart;
Wound by Thy Spirit's sword,
One who so long has tried,
So often trampled on my Lord,
So often crucified.

O let Thy love constrain
The murderer to submit!
And bring me down with shame, and pain,
And sorrow at Thy feet.
To wash them with my tears,
For mercy, mercy pray,
And when Thy smiling face appears
To weep my life away.

2468.

[We witness for our Prince]

We are His witnesses of these things: and, &c. —v. 32.

We witness for our Prince
And Saviour in the sky,

193

Who doth the soul of sin convince
And freely justify:
At God's right hand He dwells
The double grace to' impart;
He breaks, and then forgiveness seals
On the poor broken heart.

His Spirit too declares
Our Lord enthroned for this,
Working with all the ministers
Of evangelic peace:
Jesus He testifies
Our true eternal God,
Condemns the world, and then applies
That all-atoning blood.

The Father of our Lord
The Holy Ghost hath given,
To sinners saved who keep His word,
The' anointed heirs of heaven:
Who faithfully obey
Their Saviour from above,
And wait His coming in that day
To crown them with His love.

2469.

[They felt the sharp two-edgèd sword]

When they heard that, they were cut to the, &c. —v. 33.

They felt the sharp two-edgèd sword,
Provoked and harden'd by the word
Which thousands saved and heal'd,
The offers of salvation scorn'd,
With fiery indignation burn'd,
With rage and madness fill'd.

Servants of Christ, the same expect,
Their offer'd Lord who now reject
When ready to forgive;

194

You they will spitefully entreat,
Imprison, judge, and vex, and beat,
And count not fit to live.

2470.

[Human events we should attend]

For before these days rose up Theudas, &c. —v. 36, 37.

Human events we should attend,
Their rise, their progress, and their end,
Review, compare, reflect;
The ways of Providence to learn,
The work of God from man's discern,
Religion from a sect.

God's work to ruin or prevent
Satan in every age has sent
His messengers before;
Yet when the true apostles rose,
Nor earth nor hell their mouth could close,
Or shut the gospel door.

2471.

[Ye sages of the world, be wise]

I say unto you, Refrain from these men, &c. —v. 38, 39.

Ye sages of the world, be wise,
Take the judicious scribe's advice,
And let these men alone:
Their work if plann'd by human thought
Shall soon decay and come to nought,
And prove itself their own.

But if this counsel is Divine,
In vain the powers of earth combine
To hinder or o'erthrow:
Your utmost skill and strength employ,
Man never can the work destroy,
Which God revives below.

Wisely ye may consult, contrive,
Earth's potsherds with your Maker strive,
Your God withstand, defy;

195

But O 'tis quite impossible
Against the' Almighty to prevail,
Or conquer the Most-High!

2472.

[Of whom should His apostles speak]

They commanded that they should not speak, &c. —v. 40.

Of whom should His apostles speak
But Him who fills their hearts and mind,
Who sends them forth, the lost to seek,
To call and gather all mankind?
And all entrusted with His word
Forbid by men will God obey;
We must proclaim our dying Lord,
Though pain and death obstruct the way.

2473.

[Reluctantly they let them go]

They...let them go. —v. 40.

Reluctantly they let them go,
The men devoted unto death,
God over all appoints it so,
And plucks the prey out of their teeth;
Like them your mission to fulfil,
Servants of the Most-High go on,
Nor fear who can the body kill—
But not till all your work is done.

2474.

[Made out of weakness strong]

And daily in the temple, and in every house, &c. —v. 42.

Made out of weakness strong,
By sufferings fortified,
We preach Him all day long
Who once for sinners died;
'Tis double joy to make Him known,
And suffer for His sake alone.

We cannot be withheld
By stripes or menaces,

196

But by His love compell'd
Our Saviour-Prince confess,
In churches, houses, fields proclaim
Pardon for all in Jesu's name.

CHAPTER VI.

2475.

[See the first fatal step to part]

And in those days...there arose a murmuring. —vi. 1.

See the first fatal step to part
Men of one soul, and of one heart!
Undue respect of man,
Pride imperceptibly steals in,
Begets the discontented sin,
And mars the perfect plan.

Where are humility and peace?
The root of envious bitterness
Pride, only pride could prove:
Envy unkind suspicion wakes;
Suspicion all the murmurs makes
And poisons social love.

Who can, O God, Thy counsels tell!
Thy judgments are unsearchable!
The pure and perfect way,
Religion undefiled and true
Scarcely appear'd to mortal view,
And vanish'd in a day!

2476.

[Excused from earthly cares]

It is not reason that we should leave the word, &c. —vi. 2.

Excused from earthly cares,
Detach'd from all below,

197

Jesus' authentic ministers
Should only Jesus know:
Their privilege to deal
Supersubstantial bread,
And with the meat invisible
Poor hungry souls to feed.

Ye apostolic men
Your one great business own,
The low concerns of earth disdain,
And live for Christ alone:
By ministering His word
His people multiply,
And with the Spirit of your Lord
The growing church supply.

Your call is to dispense
His blessings from above,
The peace of cancell'd guilt, the sense
Of holy joy and love:
Make the full proof appear
On multitudes forgiven,
Go on to save the souls that hear,
Go on to people heaven.

2477.

[We live to make the Saviour known]

We will give ourselves continually to prayer, &c. —vi. 4.

We live to make the Saviour known,
And bring His gifts and blessings down
On those who Christ obey;
Joyful in this to persevere,
For all the pastor's business here
Is but to preach and pray.

Still let us earthly matters leave,
Ourselves to God entirely give
And to His church below;

198

Live out a life of prayer and love,
And to our great reward above
In Jesus' footsteps go.

2478.

[When superior pastors show]

And the saying pleased the whole multitude. —vi. 5.

When superior pastors show
Their humble zeal and love,
In the' apostles' footsteps go,
The church their deed approve:
When of worldly honours proud
Their state and grandeur they maintain,
Irksome both to man and God
The lordly tyrants reign.

2479.

[Happy were the church, could all]

And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith, &c. —vi. 5.

Happy were the church, could all
Her ministers agree;
Evidence their lawful call
To their high ministry,
Fulness of the Spirit obtain,
And Stephen's faithful zeal express,
Offering up their lives, to gain
The crown of righteousness.

2480.

[When the stumbling-block is gone]

And the word of God increased. —vi. 7.

When the stumbling-block is gone
Envy and contentious pride,
Then the word doth swiftly run,
Then the church is multiplied;
When the Christians all agree
Priests themselves in troops submit,
Those that nail'd Him to the tree
Fall and kiss His bleeding feet.

199

2481.

[One single minister renew'd]

Stephen, full of faith and power, did great, &c. —vi. 8.

One single minister renew'd
And fill'd with faith's resistless might,
Does wonders in the cause of God,
Puts Satan's synagogue to flight,
In all his loving toils succeeds,
And Christ among the people spreads.

Such ministry, O Christ ordain,
And fill with power invincible
Thy truth and goodness to maintain
Through Stephen's faith, and fervent zeal
Mighty the alien host to' o'erthrow,
And all Thy gracious wonders show.

2482.

[Who Jesus' work resolves to do]

Then there arose certain...disputing with, &c. —vi. 9.

Who Jesus' work resolves to do
Will always contradiction meet,
In every age disputers new
Satan's strong arguments repeat;
But all the hellish sophists yield
To one with heavenly wisdom fill'd.

Champion of God, in Jesus' might,
In Jesus' Spirit he goes on,
Single against a world to fight;
He treads their baffled reasons down,
And all the' opposers of his Lord
Quells with the hammer of the word.

2483.

[Silenced, but not convinced, the foes]

Then they suborned men,...which said, We, &c. —vi. 11, 12.

Silenced, but not convinced, the foes
Of Christ a surer method take,
Violence and fraud to truth oppose,
Slander and lies their refuge make,

200

And rouse the sons of wickedness,
The furious crowd, their prey to seize.

Whose words they can no more withstand
They now their persons apprehend,
Attended with a ruffian band
Like ravenous wolves the sheep they rend
As guilty criminals entreat,
And drag them to the judgment-seat.

2484.

[See ye misbelieving race]

And all that sat in the council, looking, &c. —vi. 15.

See ye misbelieving race,
Read it on your prisoner's face;
By the shining token know
Stephen is not Moses' foe:
God Himself doth witness bear,
More than innocent declare,
With celestial grace endued,
Marks him for the friend of God.

Signs alas! cannot suffice,
Blind your hearts, if not your eyes,
All the human angel see,
All that angel's death decree!
Thus, my God, if Thou bestow
Angels on Thy church below,
Still the world refuse to own,
Still the messengers they stone.

201

CHAPTER VII.

2485.

[In every time and place]

Get thee out of thy country, and from thy, &c. —vii. 3.

In every time and place
Who serve the Lord Most-High,
Are call'd His sovereign will to' embrace,
And still their own deny;
To follow His command,
On earth as pilgrims rove,
And seek an undiscover'd land,
And house and friends above.

Father, the narrow path
To that far country show;
And in the steps of Abraham's faith
Enable me to go;
A cheerful sojourner
Where'er Thou bidd'st me roam,
Till, guided by Thy Spirit here,
I reach my heavenly home.

2486.

[Who Jesu's word esteem]

From thence, when his father was dead, &c. —vii. 4.

Who Jesu's word esteem
And own Him for our Head,
The world to us and we to them
Are crucified, and dead:
Renouncing our first birth
With the desires of men,
We pass from all the things of earth:
And then our Canaan gain.

2487.

[This earth on which awhile we stay]

He gave him none inheritance in it. —vii. 5.

This earth on which awhile we stay,
We cannot call our own,

202

So suddenly we pass away
Into that land unknown:
That land unknown, our promised place,
Not yet to us is given;
But heirs through hope, we shall possess
The' inheritance of heaven.

2488.

[If God to man a promise make]

Yet He promised that He would give it to him, &c. —vii. 5.

If God to man a promise make
Our hearts may well be still,
His truth and justice are at stake
And must His word fulfil;
With humble faith's simplicity
The means to God we leave,
Deceived Himself He cannot be,
He cannot us deceive.

2489.

[In sin I long have dwelt]

God spake...That his seed should sojourn in a, &c. —vii. 6.

In sin I long have dwelt
The wretched slave of man,
My guilty burden felt,
With Satan's galling chain;
By cruel taskmasters oppress'd,
Far from the land of gospel rest.

Estranged alas from God,
The God of pardoning grace,
I tremble at the rod,
Yet serve the' Egyptian race;
Repeat my melancholy moan,
And in the iron furnace groan.

2490.

[Jesus at last arise]

The nation to whom they shall be in bondage, &c. —vii. 7.

Jesus at last arise
To' avenge me of my foe,

203

Thy justice exercise,
Thy righteous anger show;
These sins that hold my soul in thrall,
These tyrant sins, destroy them all.

With patience I attend
For that redeeming word,
Which makes my troubles end,
Which bids me serve my Lord,
And brings me forth with joy and peace
Into the land of righteousness.

2491.

[In Abraham our God we find]

So Abraham begat Isaac,...and Isaac begat, &c. —vii. 8.

In Abraham our God we find
Father of Christ and all mankind,
Whose love deliver'd up His Son
The Victim dear in Isaac shown;
Jacob presents in figure true
The Third proceeding from the Two,
Jacob whose wrestling spirit of grace
Gives birth to all the chosen race.

2492.

[Jesus the Father's darling Son]

And the patriarchs, moved with envy, &c. —vii. 9, 10.

Jesus the Father's darling Son
In Joseph we behold,
The Man with God for ever one
By envious brethren sold;
To Gentile hands deliver'd o'er
Whom God did soon release,
Whom every knee shall bow before,
And every tongue confess.

204

Redeem'd from all His sufferings here
All power to Him is given,
Advanced in His own right to' appear
Before the King of heaven;
The Spirit He hath received above
Of wisdom and of grace,
The fulness of His Father's love
For Jacob's favour'd race.

The church His house and kingdom stands,
And subjected to Him,
Acknowledges the mild commands
Of its great Head supreme;
Not of a servant but a Son
Jesus the power maintains,
With full authority alone
O'er earth and heaven He reigns.

2493.

[Where the true Joseph is not seen]

Now there came a dearth over all the land. —vii. 11.

Where the true Joseph is not seen
To show His providential care,
Pining distress and famine lean
And want of every good is there;
For Jesus is the real Bread
Who gives Himself our souls to feed.

Saviour, Thou know'st the things of earth
For hungry souls cannot suffice:
Remove this universal dearth,
Thyself descending from the skies;
Thyself revive our famish'd race,
And fill the world with pardoning grace.

2494.

[The grain of wheat, the quicken'd grain]

When Jacob heard that there was corn in, &c. —vii. 12.

The grain of wheat, the quicken'd grain,
Which life and strength to man imparts,

205

Which doth immortal souls sustain
And cheers and glads our drooping hearts,
We find in Jesus Christ alone,
To all that seek by faith made known.

We hear the word which faith conveys,
That corn is still in Egypt found,
That mercy rich and gospel grace
Doth for the worst of men abound,
And sinners taste their Lord reveal'd,
And Heathens with His love are fill'd.

2495.

[In Abraham's sepulchre they rest]

They were...laid in the sepulchre that, &c. —vii. 16.

In Abraham's sepulchre they rest,
Who once did in his footsteps go,
Pilgrims, like him, themselves confess'd,
Strangers and sojourners below
By faith embraced the promise given,
And sought their settlement in heaven.

Who faith's sincere obedience show'd
Their Isaacs here by offering up
Are gather'd to the friends of God;
Their bodies too repose in hope,
Their souls in Abraham's bosom lie
Safe with their Father in the sky.

2496.

[Who is so great a God as ours!]

Another king arose, which knew not Joseph. —vii. 18.

Who is so great a God as ours!
He can His church sustain,
Without the help of earthly powers
The countenance of man:
Let worldly potentates disown,
We rest beneath His wings,

206

And know we are to Jesus known,
The sovereign King of kings.

2497.

[Deceit and force are still employ'd]

The same dealt subtilly with our kindred, &c. —vii. 19.

Deceit and force are still employ'd
Against the church and truth of God
And its defenders here:
The Lord permits it so to be,
That in our last extremity
He may Himself appear.

2498.

[The type in Moses we confess]

In which time Moses was born, and was, &c. —vii. 20.

The type in Moses we confess
Born in a time of great distress,
And born divinely fair:
But who of all the sons of men,
When once the Antitype is seen
With Jesus can compare?

Born to fulfil the promises,
His captive people to release,
In a strange land He lives;
And persecuted from His birth,
The lot of all His saints on earth
With meekest love receives.

2499.

[Shall I in desperate straits despair]

When he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter, &c. —vii. 21.

Shall I in desperate straits despair,
Or doubt His providential care?
Forsook, I still retain my hope
The Lord Himself will take me up,
Adopt, and nourish for His son,
And raise the outcast to a throne.

207

2500.

[Learning secular, profane]

Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the, &c. —vii. 22.

Learning secular, profane,
To use if God intends,
Pestilent no more, or vain,
It serves the noblest ends;
Wrests the weapons from their hands
Who learnedly the truth oppose,
Puts to flight the' Egyptian bands,
And quells the church's foes.

Lord, the figure we look through,
The truth substantial see,
All the stores of wisdom true
Are treasured up in Thee:
Powerful all Thy doctrines are,
Thy Spirit speaks in every word,
All Thy works the hand declare
Of an Almighty Lord.

2501.

[How should Israel's sons commend]

It came into his heart to visit his brethren, &c. —vii. 23.

How should Israel's sons commend
His kind humility,
Who so greatly did descend
His brethren poor to see?
O with what stupendous love
Did Christ His heavenly bliss forsake,
Leave His Father's throne above,
Our nature to partake!

Only love Thy heart inclined,
In majesty supreme,
Brought Thee, Saviour of mankind,
Thine Israel to redeem;

208

Gall'd by sin and Satan's chain
For us once more the heavens bow,
Jesus, visit us again,
And save Thy people now.

2502.

[Lord appear, the wrongs redress]

And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he, &c. —vii. 24.

Lord appear, the wrongs redress
Unto Thy people done,
Let the world no more oppress
Whom Thou hast call'd Thine own;
Set Thine injured brethren free
From Satan's dire despotic sway,
Now destroy his tyranny,
And sin for ever slay.

2503.

[Jesus coming to Thine own]

He supposed his brethren would have, &c. —vii. 25.

Jesus coming to Thine own
Thine own receive Thee not,
All the wonders Thou hast done
Are slighted and forgot:
O that I may understand
Thy gracious mind, and plainly see
That Divine Almighty Hand
Stretch'd out to rescue me!

2504.

[Was it not Thy kind design]

He shewed himself unto them as they strove, &c. —vii. 26.

Was it not Thy kind design
To make our discord cease,
God with man to' unite, and join
Thy church in lasting peace?
Answering Thy benign intent
Come in Thy Spirit from above;
All Thy people, Lord, cement
In pure fraternal love.

209

2505.

[How gross our nature's blindness is]

He that did his neighbour wrong thrust him, &c. —vii. 27.

How gross our nature's blindness is
Who spurn what Christ would fain bestow!
Diseased, we cherish the disease,
Nor will our kind Physician know;
The subject will not own his Prince,
The criminal his Judge implore,
The slave Who frees him from his sins,
Or I a pardoning God adore.

But ah suffice the season pass'd,
I now to my dread Lord submit;
My Judge I recognise at last,
And groan for mercy at Thy feet:
Placed by Thy Father's arm Thou art,
A Prince, a Saviour, on the throne,
To certify my trembling heart
My Judge and Advocate are One.

2506.

[How different Christ from Moses here!]

Wilt thou kill me, as thou diddest the Egyptian, &c. —vii. 28.

How different Christ from Moses here!
He came not to destroy but save,
Not death but life to minister
And ransom sinners from the grave;
He came, our sins, not us to kill,
Our souls and God again to join,
With life and larger life to fill,
With life, and sanctity Divine.

But slighted and repulsed by men
The people whom He loved so well,
He bids His servants count the gain
Of all their ministerial zeal:
Lord, we expect the same return
If sharers of Thy charity,

210

Objects of universal scorn,
And hated by the world, like Thee.

2507.

[In the lonely desert place]

There appeared to him in the wilderness, &c. —vii. 30.

In the lonely desert place
God doth oft to man appear,
Shows the counsels of His grace
To His chosen minister:
Christ, that Angel of the Lord,
Still instructs us from the sky,
Then we preach the gospel-word,
Joyful news of Jesus nigh.

2508.

[I the miracle admire]

When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight. —vii. 31.

I the miracle admire,
Daily I behold the same
Unconsumed amidst the fire,
Tempted, yet preserved, I am!
In the flaming furnace whole
I the sevenfold test endure,
Till the Lord bring forth my soul,
Pure, in Him entirely pure.

2509.

[Moses when Abraham's God is near]

Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. —vii. 32.

Moses when Abraham's God is near,
Will not presume his eyes to raise,
With reverence struck at Isaac's Fear
On Jacob's Lord he dares not gaze:
But all who know the sprinkled blood
With humble confidence draw nigh,
With awe approach a pardoning God,
Yet still they Abba Father cry.

2510.

[Would we attend the voice Divine]

Put off thy shoes from the feet. —vii. 33.

Would we attend the voice Divine,
Jehovah's gracious counsels know,

211

We must the things of earth resign,
Put off the thoughts of all below
With deep humility draw near,
Call'd by His Spirit from above
The great redeeming God to hear,
Who turns our terror into love.

2511.

[Almighty Redeemer of men]

I have seen, I have seen, the affliction of My, &c. —vii. 34.

Almighty Redeemer of men,
All pity and love as Thou art,
Thou hear'st the expressions of pain,
The groans of a sorrowful heart:
The sorrow Thou seest in my breast,
The daily affliction I feel
By guilt above measure oppress'd,
And bruised by the tyrant of hell.

Enslaved to the world I have been,
And struggle in vain to get free;
Detain'd in the furnace of sin,
No end of oppression I see:
My burden of trouble and grief
Thou know'st, I no longer can bear;
Come down to a sinner's relief,
And ransom a soul from despair.

Thy Spirit of faith from above
He only has power to release,
The yoke and the scourge to remove,
And bring me the freedom and peace;
Come Lord, to a prisoner of hope,
Appear as a crucified God,
And out of my sins I go up,
And pardon I have in Thy blood.

212

2512.

[What tongue can express]

He brought them out, after that he had, &c. —vii. 36.

What tongue can express
The great actions of grace,
The miracles done
By the Lover of souls, in behalf of His own;
His exploits to set free
Such a sinner as me,
To redeem a poor slave,
From the bondage of sin and of Satan to save!

By His wonderful name
Out of Egypt I came,
Through the sea of His blood
He hath brought me a justified sinner to God:
In the wilderness led,
By miracles fed,
And upheld by His hand,
I at last shall arrive at the heavenly land.

2513.

[To each sinful inclination]

Him shall ye hear. —vii. 37.

To each sinful inclination
Lord, no longer we give ear,
Thee, the God of our salvation,
Only Thee, we now would hear;
Prophet, to Thy brethren given
We to Thy commands submit:
Speak; and make it all our heaven
Still to listen at Thy feet.

2514.

[Moses with the church abode]

This is he, that was in the church in the, &c. —vii. 38.

Moses with the church abode
Travelling o'er the wilderness,
Heard the awful Angel-God
Uttering laws for all our race;

213

Christ the Father's Messenger,
God Himself with us abides,
Leads us by His Spirit here,
To the heavenly Canaan guides.

2515.

[But the Antitype much more]

Moses...received the lively oracles to give unto us. —vii. 38.

But the Antitype much more
Did the living words receive,
Words of energy and power,
Words which cause the dead to live:
Jesus, God's supreme Delight,
Thou hast heard His words above;
On the fleshly tables write,
Teach our hearts the law of love.

2516.

[Horrible apostasy!]

To whom our fathers would not obey, but, &c. —vii. 39

Horrible apostasy!
Sinful souls how can it be?
Sinful souls so dearly bought,
From the house of bondage brought;
Wash'd in your Redeemer's blood,
Tasting once that God is good,
Can ye your good God forsake,
Can ye to the world draw back?

Yes; I own the crime abhorr'd,
Weary of my gracious Lord,
Him I have repulsed and scorn'd,
Back again to Egypt turn'd;
That I may revolt no more
Jesus come with all Thy power,
All Thy purity impart,
Fix by reigning in my heart.

2517.

[Who to some brutish lust submit]

They...offered sacrifice unto the idol, &c. —vii. 41.

Who to some brutish lust submit
And seek therein your happiness,

214

The ancient sin ye still repeat,
The creature for your God confess;
Prostrate before the idol fall,
Vile worshippers of sordid vice,
Your gods, your health, your time, your all,
Your souls to self ye sacrifice.

2518.

[I have other gods adored]

Then God turned, and gave them up to, &c. —vii. 42.

I have other gods adored
With vile idolatry,
Oft provoked my injured Lord
To turn His eyes from me;
Yet Thou dost my soul reprieve,
Unpunish'd after my desert,
Dost not give me up, or leave
To my own evil heart.

Hadst Thou left me, Lord, alone,
And quite withdrawn Thy grace,
Every act I should have done
Of desperate wickedness:
But Thou hast my manners borne
That, saved from all idolatry,
All my soul to God may turn,
And worship none but Thee.

2519.

[David the man of war]

But Solomon built Him an house. —vii. 47.

David the man of war
The alien hosts o'erthrows,
Type of that mighty Conqueror
Who trod down all His foes,
Who in His mortal days,
By having all subdued
Heap'd exhaustless stores of grace
To build the house of God.

215

David's immortal Son
Magnificent in power,
Sublime on His celestial throne
He reigns for evermore;
The real Prince of Peace,
The Solomon from on high,
He rears the house of holiness,
And bids it reach the sky.

Before His Father's face
Our Advocate with God
Favour He finds for us, and grace
Through His prevailing blood;
His meritorious death,
Which now He pleads above
Doth peace to all His church bequeath
And pure confirming love.

Who laid the ground alone,
The temple of the Lord
He by His Spirit carries on
And by His hallowing word.
And when the Finisher
Of faith Himself reveals,
The rising church He perfects here
The house with glory fills.

2520.

[Who can compass or contain]

The Most High dwelleth not in temples, &c. —vii. 48.

Who can compass or contain
The glorious Infinite?
Ask that heaven-descended Man
In whom He takes delight;
Only one immortal Shrine
Jehovah's self is pleased to own

216

Worthy of the Sire Divine—
The body of His Son!

One the body mystical
Is with its heavenly Head,
Therefore God vouchsafes to dwell
In all the faithful seed;
In the hearts of men to' abide,
When throughly cleansed by Jesu's blood,
By the Spirit sanctified
And all resign'd to God.

2521.

[Of bliss essentially possess'd]

What is the place of My rest? —vii. 49.

Of bliss essentially possess'd
Out of Himself He cannot rest,
The all-sufficient God we own
His proper End Himself alone:
But whom the heavens cannot contain
Reveals Himself the End of man;
We find Him in our hearts, and prove
The all-sufficient God is love!

2522.

[Who act the persecutor's part]

Ye do always resist the Holy Ghost. —vii. 51.

Who act the persecutor's part
A stubborn stiff-neck'd Jewish race,
Uncircumcised in ears and heart
Ye still resist the Spirit of grace,
Harden your heart, and stop your ears,
When God commands you to repent,
And run upon the messengers,
And stone the Sender in the sent.

2523.

[Happy saint, so quickly driven]

He...saw...Jesus standing on the right hand, &c. —vii. 55.

Happy saint, so quickly driven
From the flesh by violent pain,

217

Here enjoy the sight of heaven,
Here behold the Son of Man,
Jesus waiting
To receive thy soul again!

Lo, He stands with arms extended,
(Risen from His dazzling throne,)
Sees His servant's warfare ended,
Sends His flaming chariot down,
Smiles triumphant,
Reaches out the palm and crown!

Every confessor and servant
Who of Jesus testifies,
Faithful unto death and fervent,
Shall obtain the victor's prize;
See his Saviour
Grasp Him through the opening skies.

If Thou call even us to' inherit
Joys for martyr'd saints prepared,
Thou wilt fill us with Thy Spirit
Pledge of that supreme reward;
Sinking, dying,
We shall view our heavenly Lord.

Thou wilt set Thyself before us,
Standing in the holiest place,
God omnipotently glorious
We shall on Thy brightness gaze,
Gaze triumphant
On Thy beatific face.

Jesus, to our supplication
In that final hour attend,
To the God of our salvation
While our spirits we commend;

218

Then receive us,
Crown'd with bliss which ne'er shall end!

2524.

[Canst thou, O Saul, believe]

The witnesses laid down their clothes at a, &c. —vii. 58.

Canst thou, O Saul, believe
While wet with Stephen's blood
Thou shalt thyself his lot receive,
A confessor of God?
Stoned for thy Saviour's sake,
Whom now thou dost blaspheme
Shalt thou at last his death partake
And yield thy soul to Him?

Now are ye join'd in love,
In bonds of lasting peace:
Stephen and Saul are friends above,
Where pain and sorrow cease;
Rank'd with the saints in light
Who death by death subdued,
Who wash'd their robes, and made them white
Through the Redeemer's blood.

2525.

[Offering up his soul in prayer]

And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, &c. —vii. 59.

Offering up his soul in prayer
Stephen on his God relies
Call'd the Saviour's death to share,
Join'd to Jesu's sacrifice;
“Trusting in Thy only merit,
Thee my Lord and God I own,
O receive my ransom'd spirit
Take a sinner to Thy throne.”

2526.

[Rival meek of Jesu's passion]

Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. —vii. 60.

Rival meek of Jesu's passion,
Lo, the lamblike victim bleeds,

219

Breathes the final supplication,
For his murderers intercedes,
Loudly in His Spirit crying
Through whose only death we live,
Echoes the Redeemer dying,
Bows his head, and gasps “Forgive!”

2527.

[See the first expiring witness]

When he had said this, he fell asleep. —vii. 60.

See the first expiring witness
Qualified for glorious rest,
Meet with love's celestial meetness
Sinks on his Redeemer's breast.
Safe his soul in Jesu's keeping,
Dust to dust his body borne
Lies reposed, and sweetly sleeping
Till his heavenly Lord return.

O how infinite the price is
Of a slaughter'd Christian's prayer!
O how vast a harvest rises
From the seed that's buried there!
Sinful souls by grace forgiven
Rise, a countless multitude
Spread, and fill both earth and heaven
From a single martyr's blood!

Saul, the furious Saul, confesses
First the power of Stephen's cries,
Jesu's witnesses increases
For his Saviour lives and dies!
Myriads since have vied with Stephen,
Raised the martyrs' noble host,
Died, and in the highest heaven
Found the life on earth they lost.

220

CHAPTER VIII.

2528.

[Who shall presume to' explore]

There was a great persecution...and they, &c. —viii. 1.

Who shall presume to' explore,
Or tell us all His mind,
If God let loose the adverse power
The wicked hands unbind?
By man doth He chastise
In vengeful wrath His own?
Or bid the raging tempest rise
To make His mercy known?

His love and righteousness
May they not both agree?
While God permits the world to' oppress
That all His power may see
While the whole preaching crowd
To different climes are driven
And water'd by the martyrs' blood
The church grows up to heaven.

2529.

[Unmoved the pillars stand]

Except the apostles. —viii. 1.

Unmoved the pillars stand,
For God ordains it so,
Supported by their Saviour's hand
They prop His house below;
Against the furious storm
They turn their steady face:
And we can all things now perform
Through His Almighty grace.

In this degenerate age
If persecution roar,
A few shall stand the utmost rage
Of earthly, hellish power.

221

And whom the Lord shall choose
For Satan to disperse
Shall fly, and spread the joyful news
Throughout the universe.

2530.

[Bleeding from their bosom rent]

And devout men...made great lamentation, &c. —viii. 2.

Bleeding from their bosom rent
Might they not a saint lament?
From the flock by violence torn
Might they not a shepherd mourn?

Free from nature's fond excess
Thus we may our grief confess,
Thus a parted friend deplore
Grieved for them that grieve no more.

Chiefly, where the Lord of all
Doth His instruments recall,
Miss we our instructors here,
Mourn a ravish'd minister.

Deeply, justly sensible,
Then the general loss we feel,
Testify our grateful love,
Weep for one who sings above.

2531.

[See the fierce beast, whose rage untamed]

As for Saul, he made havock of the church. —viii. 3.

See the fierce beast, whose rage untamed
Scatters the flock of Christ, and tears!
He rushes on by hell inflamed,
And neither age or sex he spares:
In vain a single victim dies;
More thirsty through a taste of blood
He foams, and vows to sacrifice
The whole exterminated brood.

222

Insatiate, fill'd with mad despite
Threatenings he doth and slaughter breathe,
As murder were his soul's delight
Numbers he hales to bonds and death;
But let the Saviour speak with power
“Thy persecuted Lord I am,”
The furious beast is fierce no more,
The wolf himself becomes a lamb!

2532.

[Well the bodily possession]

Unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, &c. —viii. 7.

Well the bodily possession
Doth our inward state explain,
While the fiend, with fierce oppression,
Tears the tortured soul of man;
Then the word alone can ease us,
Gospel of redeeming grace,
Pardon in the name of Jesus
Drives the foe to his own place.

Where the word His blood applying
Seals forgiveness on my heart,
Spirits foul with horror crying
From their old abode depart;
Legion now no more shall enter,
Pride shall vex my soul no more;
Ransom'd from my dire tormentor
I my Lord and God adore.

2533.

[A plain indisputable case!]

There was a certain man, called Simon, &c. —viii. 9.

A plain indisputable case!
Once upon earth there witchcraft was,
A compact with the hellish foe;
“But seventeen hundred years ago,
In Asia not in Europe made;
The fiend hath here forgot his trade.”

223

2534.

[Jesus, Thou know'st the nations still]

Of long time he had bewitched them with, &c. —viii. 11.

Jesus, Thou know'st the nations still
Bewitch'd, and slaves to Satan's will
By magical illusions held
Where Thou wast never yet reveal'd,
Visit them, Lord, with gospel light
Dispersing all the shades of night,
The dark Americans set free,
And end the' infernal tyranny.

2535.

[Soon as the Saviour's messenger]

But when they believed Philip preaching, &c. —viii. 12.

Soon as the Saviour's messenger
Did to their hearts proclaim
Glad tidings of a kingdom near
And peace in Jesu's name,
Their souls were suddenly unbound;
A long deluded crowd
The gospel word they felt, and found
The real “power of God.”

Satan must tremble and give place
Before the Spirit's might,
The strength of efficacious grace
Puts all his hosts to flight;
His kingdom falls, his charms and spells
And works are all o'erthrown,
When Jesus in the faithful dwells
And rules their hearts alone.

By divination to prevail
The fiend again may try,
Received within the church's pale
His malice we defy;

224

Baptized into our Saviour's name
And sprinkled with His blood,
The members are with Christ the same,
And all are fill'd with God.

2536.

[Convinced I of the truth may be]

Then Simon himself believed also: &c. —viii. 13.

Convinced I of the truth may be,
To Jesus' faithful servants cleave,
His mighty works with wonder see,
His sacramental rite receive,
But never let my idols go,
Or truly my Redeemer know.

Still in the gall of bitterness
Bound with the chains of sin I am,
Till Jesus by His blood release;
And then accepted in His name
I stand before His Father's sight
And then my sprinkled heart is right.

2537.

[Ye sacrilegious race]

Thy money perish with thee, because thou, &c. —viii. 20.

Ye sacrilegious race
Your genuine father own
Who boldly hope to purchase grace
By what yourselves have done:
Your righteous rags unclean
Who would for pardon sell,
Your works and you are nought but sin
And fit for nought but hell.

Repent, and cast aside
Your fancied righteousness,
Your goodness sin, your virtue pride,
Your faith a lie, confess:

225

Even you may then believe
The Lord doth justify,
And freely that to sinners give
Which they can never buy.

Jesus exalted is
Salvation to bestow,
His rest, His Spirit, and His peace
Which all believers know:
And every soul of man
May our Redeemer love,
A pardon without price obtain,
And then a crown above.

2538.

[To the world and Satan sold]

Thou hast neither part nor lot in this, &c. —viii. 21.

To the world and Satan sold,
Sinner, what is Christ to thee?
Pleasure is thy god, or gold;
Bond-slave of iniquity
Panting for the praise of men
Canst thou feel a heavier chain?

Didst thou ever yet intend
God in all thy ways to please?
No; the creature is thy end:
Dost thou not the charge confess?
Naked in its Maker's sight
Ask thy heart if it be right?

No; thy guilty heart must own,
Far from God, and foul as hell:
Feel it now, and deeply groan
All its filthiness to feel;
Struggle in the' infernal snare,
Sink at last in self-despair.

226

Then behold the heavenly Lamb
Pouring out His blood Divine,
On the brink of Tophet claim
Christ the sinner's Friend for thine;
Find with all His saints thy part,
Find thy Saviour in thy heart.

2539.

[Sinners, ye all remain]

Thou art in...the bond of iniquity. —viii. 23.

Sinners, ye all remain
Fetter'd and close confined;
Sin is the iron chain
That doth your spirits bind,
Your conscience is the dungeon foul,
Satan your jailer stands,
And watches lest one guilty soul
Escape out of his hands.

But Jesus Christ is He
That hath a ransom found,
And preaches liberty
To souls in prison bound:
His blood shall make your conscience clean,
Cast down your hellish foe,
Break all the manacles of sin,
And let the captives go.

2540.

[Lo, the thing impossible]

A man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great, &c. —viii 27.

Lo, the thing impossible
Is by the' Almighty done,
God doth to the rich reveal
And make salvation known!
Courtiers, ministers of state,
Resolved to cast the world behind,
Willing in His house to wait,
Shall their Redeemer find.

227

2541.

[Statesmen, here your pattern see]

And ..sitting in his chariot read Esaias, &c. —viii. 28.

Statesmen, here your pattern see,
Be found employ'd like him,
Men of power and dignity
Your precious time redeem;
Talk with prophets on the road,
Apostles your companions own,
Search the oracles of God,
And draw His blessing down.

2542.

[The moment we direction need]

Philip ran...to him, and heard him read, &c. —viii. 30.

The moment we direction need
The Lord doth oft direct our way,
Instructs us by His Spirit led,
Both when to speak, and what to say:
We then with ready utterance speak
His unpremeditated word,
And help poor souls who darkly seek,
To know, and apprehend their Lord.

2543.

[A casual unexpected guest]

He desired Philip that he would come up, &c. —viii. 31.

A casual unexpected guest
Who seems at first, may yet be sent
To execute his Lord's behest,
To' interpret the Divine intent;
Wondering we then the Master own,
The messenger with joy embrace,
Design'd to make his Saviour known,
And fill our hearts with heavenly grace.

2544.

[Justice He could not obtain]

In His humiliation His judgment was taken, &c. —viii. 33.

Justice He could not obtain
In His humble state beneath,

228

No humanity from man,
No relief—but pain and death.
Took from earth, He of our sins
Doth the chastisement receive,
Endless life's immortal Prince
Dies, that all mankind may live.

2545.

[Who can count His worshippers]

Who shall declare His generation? —viii. 33.

Who can count His worshippers,
Offspring of the slaughter'd Lamb?
Only He that tells the stars
He that calls them each by name.
Written in Thy book above
All Thy saints are known to Thee;
God of unexhausted love
Find with them a place for me!

2546.

[Jesus I humbly seek]

Of whom speaketh the prophet this? —viii. 34.

Jesus I humbly seek,
And of Himself inquire,
Did not the prophet speak
Of Thee, the world's Desire?
Thou poor, despised, afflicted Man,
His meaning to my heart explain.

Art Thou the Lamb of God
Who didst from heaven come,
Led by the multitude
Before Thy shearers dumb,
The patient, speechless Man of woe,
By sinners crucified below?

Swept from the face of earth
Didst Thou our sorrows bear,
Whose everlasting birth
God only can declare,

229

Whose countless seed shall soon arise,
And shine as stars beyond the skies?

Adopt me by Thy grace
Into Thy family,
My heart shall then confess
The prophet spake of Thee,
Then, to mine inmost soul made known,
I feel he spake of Thee alone.

2547.

[When Thou hast disposed a heart]

Then Philip opened his mouth, and began, &c. —viii. 35.

When Thou hast disposed a heart
Saving truth with joy to hear,
Utterance, Lord, Thou dost impart
To Thy chosen messenger,
Then he finds the Scripture key,
Then he speaks, and preaches Thee.

Jesus, in the sacred book
Thou art everywhere conceal'd:
There for Thee alone we look,
By Thy Spirit's light reveal'd,
Thee set forth before our eyes
Faith in every page descries.

Thee we preach to sinful men,
Urging them their Lord to' embrace,
Pardon in Thy blood to gain,
Hope for all the promised grace,
Glad in all Thy footsteps move,
Grasp the crown of heavenly love.

Thou the Saviour of mankind,
Thou the whole Salvation art;
All summ'd up in Thee I find,
All contain'd within my heart;

230

None but Christ on earth I know,
None but Christ to others show.

O that all mankind were fill'd
With the knowledge of the Lamb,
Conscious all of God reveal'd,
All baptized into His name,
Every soul with love o'erflow'd,
Wash'd and saved through Jesu's blood.

2548.

[He asks an undivided heart]

If thou believest with all thine heart, thou, &c. —viii. 37.

He asks an undivided heart;
And is the whole too much for Him
Who freely did Himself impart
A world of sinners to redeem?
God hath His all on man bestow'd,
Shall man refuse his all to God?

Jesus the Lord I would confess,
My God with full assurance own
Who bought the universal peace,
And cleave by faith to Him alone,
The faith He never can reprove,
The faith that works by perfect love.

2549.

[Thee, Jesus, I believe the Son]

I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. —viii. 37.

Thee, Jesus, I believe the Son,
The' eternal Son of the Most-High,
Jehovah's glorious Fellow own,
Maker of all in earth and sky,
Essential God, to sinners given,
Whose presence fills both earth and heaven.

The sovereign everlasting Lord
Thee by the Holy Ghost I call,

231

Adore, by angel hosts adored,
And who before Thy Father fall,
Him I confess in Thee alone,
And have no other gods but One.

2550.

[Let us without delay]

And he commanded the chariot to stand, &c. —viii. 38.

Let us without delay
Improve the grace bestow'd;
To-day, while it is call'd to-day,
Devote ourselves to God;
With timely wisdom wise;
Nor wait our loss to mourn,
Our opportunity that flies,
And never shall return.

2551.

[Before a man of God we lose]

The eunuch saw him no more: and he, &c. —viii. 39.

Before a man of God we lose,
We wisely profit by his stay,
The messenger of mercy use
Who points us out the heavenly way;
Yet not to him, but Christ, we cleave,
Him for his Master's sake we love,
And neither pine, nor fondly grieve
If God His instrument remove.

His counsels then we bear in mind,
Rejoicing in the truth made known,
Cast all the things of earth behind,
And guided by the Spirit alone
Hold fast the faith and grafted word
Through Jesus' preaching servant given,
And following him as he his Lord
Keep on our way, and meet in heaven.

232

2552.

[Jesus instructs His servants here]

But Philip was found at Azotus: and, &c. —viii. 40.

Jesus instructs His servants here
Detach'd from persons and from place,
Their providential course to steer,
And follow Him in all their ways:
To whom they shall dispense the word,
Or when, or where extend their line,
They leave entirely to their Lord,
And still adore the choice Divine.

Thy providence explains Thy will;
And where the pointing hand we see,
We run Thy counsel to fulfil,
And work the work prepared by Thee;
Spreading the odour of Thy love,
In journeys we pursue Thy plan,
Directed by Thy Spirit move,
Nor take a single step in vain.

CHAPTER IX.

2553.

[The wisdom of our God adore]

And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings, &c. —ix. 1.

The wisdom of our God adore
Who laughs to scorn the rage of man,
Lets loose the persecutor's power,
Slackens the hellish murderer's chain,
But by their vain designs o'erthrown
He serves and stablishes His own.

The sacrilegious power bestow'd
By priestly hate on furious Saul,
Marks out the instrument of God,
Just ready for his second call;

233

The mission dire by Satan given
Conducts him to his Lord from heaven.

The war against Thy people dear
Jesus, Thou turn'st into their peace,
And Satan's fiercest messenger
Deserting doth their joy increase,
Their souls with stronger comforts bless'd,
With stronger tastes of glorious rest.

2554.

[Ah, whither will ye fly]

As he journeyed, he came near Damascus. —ix. 3.

Ah, whither will ye fly
Ye sheep of Jesus' fold?
The death approaching nigh,
The slaughtering wolf behold:
He comes besmear'd with Stephen's blood
To martyr all the saints of God.

Now, now he ready is
To spring upon his prey,
The helpless flock to seize,
And rend, and tear, and slay!
Lord what shall stop his headlong rage,
And save Thy wasted heritage?

A word, a look from Thee
Can make the savage tame,
Disarm his cruelty
And change him to a lamb,
Can strike opposers to the ground
And all Thy church's foes confound.

Thou them in their distress
Didst at Damascus save,
That we when men oppress
Full confidence may have,

234

Rest in the fold, and safe from harm
Depend on Thine unshorten'd arm.

2555.

[He doth not seek the light]

Suddenly there shined round about him, &c. —ix 3.

He doth not seek the light,
Or labour or inquire,
It shines into his deepest night
Preventing his desire;
Not waiting for his call
It stops his mad career:
And thus the grace which ransoms all
Doth once to all appear.

It visits us unsought
That first celestial ray,
Preventing every serious thought
And every wish to pray;
We no advances make
To meet the God unknown,
Till mercy doth our souls attack
And seizes for its own.

2556.

[The members here and Head above]

Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? —ix. 4.

The members here and Head above,
United in the Spirit of love
One mystic body make,
And Jesus, once a Man of woe
The sufferings of His saints below
Doth still in heaven partake.

Oppress'd we in His Spirit groan;
Our sorrows He accounts His own,
And answers sigh for sigh;
Fighting with God our foes are found,
And touching us, they madly wound
The apple of His eye.

235

Hear this, thou persecutor hear,
And smote from heaven with sudden fear
Before thy Smiter fall;
The madness of resistance find,
And know—the Saviour of mankind
Is rich in grace for all.

2557.

[Mine eyes are ever unto Thee]

Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do? —ix. 6.

Mine eyes are ever unto Thee,
Till open'd by Thy love they see:
Yet still Thou must Thy counsel show,
For still I know not what to do:
I would not see, but in Thy light;
I would not walk, but by Thy might;
Or work a work, or speak a word,
Or think a thought, without my Lord.

2558.

[Three days he groans deprived of sight]

He was three days without sight. —ix. 9.

Three days he groans deprived of sight,
And struggling in the Spirit's throes!
The shade of that exterior night
The blindness of his nature shows,
The state his soul had long been in,
The night of unbelief within.

Three days he bears the' Egyptian load
To' impress him with a deeper sense
Of Christ the persecuted God,
Arm'd with Divine omnipotence
His thoughts from outward things to' avert
And turn them on his wretched heart.

2559.

[The Pharisee was proud and blind]

Behold, he prayeth. —ix. 11.

The Pharisee was proud and blind
Though learn'd in Moses' law,

236

Nor knew the darkness of his mind,
But thought he clearly saw;
Who many a tedious form had made
And read them o'er and o'er,
A thousand times his prayers he said
But never pray'd before.

A zealot of the straitest sect
May thus himself deceive,
And till he his own light reject,
He never can believe.
But struck, and suddenly cast down,
By one celestial ray
Compell'd his unbelief to own
He then begins to pray.

2560.

[Poor, and ignorant, and blind]

And hath seen in a vision a man...coming in, &c. —ix. 12.

Poor, and ignorant, and blind,
Hope in Thee, O Lord, I find;
Though Thou dost Thy gifts defer,
Thee I feel in darkness near:
Thou shalt lay Thy hand on me,
Give me eyes Thy love to see,
Faith and peace at once impart,
Cure the blindness of my heart.

Warn'd of Thy approach I wait,
Dark, but not disconsolate,
Wait according to Thy word
For the coming of my Lord:
Thou wilt soon the cloud dispel,
Pardon in my soul reveal,
Then I feel the sprinkled blood,
Then I know my Lord, my God!

237

2561.

[By nature we incline]

Lord, I have heard by many of this man, &c. —ix. 13.

By nature we incline
To reason against Thee,
And measure with our scanty line
Thy love's immensity;
Ignorant of Thy ways
Unable to conceive
That Thou the God of boundless grace
So greatly canst forgive.

2562.

[But our High Priest above]

And here he hath authority from the chief, &c. —ix. 14.

But our High Priest above
With His commission sent
The chosen vessel of His love,
And alter'd Saul's intent;
Before his hands he laid
On those who Christ adored
Saul is himself stopp'd short, and made
The prisoner of the Lord.

2563.

[Forth against all the world he goes]

To bear My name before the Gentiles, and, &c. —ix. 15.

Forth against all the world he goes
Whom Christ vouchsafes to choose,
The Gentile ignorance to' oppose,
The stubbornness of Jews;
War with the rich he dares proclaim,
On pride and grandeur fall,
And through the power of Jesu's name
He more than conquers all.

Master, if me Thou canst employ
Thy poorest messenger,
Even I the tidings of great joy
Before the world declare;

238

The name which sure salvation brings
I live to testify
To Heathens, Pharisees, and kings,
And in the service die.

2564.

[Great things ordain'd for Thee to do]

I will shew him how great things he must, &c. —ix. 16.

Great things ordain'd for Thee to do,
Thou dost our souls prepare
By labouring strength, and patience too
Great things for Thee to bear;
Afflictions with Thy grace abound,
And make Thy favourites known,
And those who suffer most are found
The nearest to Thy throne.

2565.

[His sight he first receives]

And he received sight forthwith, and arose, &c. —ix. 18.

His sight he first receives:
And thus the will Divine
Sometimes to humbled sinners gives
The grace without the sign:
Baptized, he then obeys,
And shows it just and fit
That all who have obtain'd the grace
Should to the sign submit.

2566.

[Eager to repair the wrong]

Straightway he preached Christ in the, &c. —ix. 20.

Eager to repair the wrong
He to the church had done,
Christ he spreads before the throng
And makes his Saviour known;
Jesu's love his heart constrains,
And all who know the precious grace
Spend their utmost strength and pains
To save the sinful race.

239

Jesu's love I cannot feel
And hide it in my heart;
No: I must the secret tell,
I must to all impart,
Publish God's eternal Son—
Sinner, He bought us on the tree,
Tasted death for every one,
And offers life to Thee!

2567.

[Who Jesus to the world confess]

But Saul increased the more in strength. —ix. 22.

Who Jesus to the world confess
And preach before His foes,
Our labour doth our strength increase,
Our grace by using grows;
Our talents more and more abound,
Who Christ proclaim aloud,
And prove (His haters to confound)
This is the' eternal God.

2568.

[Who lately shed the martyrs' blood]

They watched...day and night to kill him. —ix. 24.

Who lately shed the martyrs' blood
Is now himself to death pursued,
By day and night beset;
But Christ he confidently knows
Will rescue him from all his foes,
And break the hellish net.

Yet conscious of his Lord's design,
He will not human means decline
The threaten'd death to flee;
To ways most humbling he submits,
And by a basket's help defeats
The dire conspiracy.

240

2569.

[God will not needlessly be seen]

Barnabas took him, and brought him to the, &c. —ix. 27.

God will not needlessly be seen,
But lets the work be done by men
Which may by man be done,
His saints to common ways He leaves,
And in due time occasion gives
To make His wonders known.

Others He finds our faith to tell,
Our sights of Christ, and prosperous zeal
In publishing the word,
That saints acknowledging our grace
With joy may know, with love embrace,
Their brethren in the Lord.

2570.

[Where first by us it came, we there]

And he was with them...at Jerusalem. —ix. 28.

Where first by us it came, we there
Should chiefly the offence repair,
A better pattern give,
And show the unconverted race
How sinful men transform'd by grace
How real Christians live.

2571.

[Not the advice of flesh and blood]

They...sent him forth to Tarsus. —ix. 30.

Not the advice of flesh and blood,
But love for souls, and zeal for God
Lead the apostle on,
To preach Him in his native place,
That those by nature join'd, by grace
Might live for ever one.

2572.

[O that now the church were bless'd]

Then had the churches rest...and were edified, &c. —ix. 31.

O that now the church were bless'd
With faith and faith's increase!
Grant us, Lord, the outward rest,
And true internal peace:

241

Build us up in holy love,
And let us walk with God below,
Serve Thee as Thy hosts above,
And all Thy comfort know.

With the humble filial fear
Be mix'd the joy of grace,
While we gladly persevere
In all Thy righteous ways:
Thus let each in Thee abide,
Let each improve the blessing given,
Till Thy church is multiplied
Beyond the stars of heaven.

2573.

[Not for the sake of health alone]

All that dwelt at Lydda and Saron saw him, &c. —ix. 35.

Not for the sake of health alone
Jesus His healing power displays,
But that the sin-sick kind may own
His mightier miracles of grace.
He works to make our pardon sure;
His arm omnipotent reveals,
And by a single body's cure
Ten thousand helpless souls He heals!

2574.

[When I have run my earthly race]

All the widows stood by him weeping, and, &c. —ix. 39.

When I have run my earthly race,
Lord, I want no greater praise
If Thy true worshippers
Their momentary loss deplore,
And widows desolate and poor
Embalm me with their tears.

Till then I would my hands employ
Serving them with humblest joy,
And warmest charity;

242

For taught of God I surely know
That ministering to saints below
I clothe and cherish Thee.

2575.

[The poor afflicted saints]

And she opened her eyes: and when she saw, &c. —ix. 40.

The poor afflicted saints
Their common loss bemoan,
And God regards in their complaints
The Spirit of His Son:
Who gave the Son of man,
He lets the servant go
Out of His arms to earth again
And tend His church below.

What heart can e'er conceive
How great the soul's surprise
When sent again in flesh to live
She here lifts up her eyes!
Did not her eyes o'erflow
This weeping vale to see,
These scenes of wretchedness and woe,
Of sinful misery?

The poor might well embrace
With joy their friend restored,
The church their powerful Saviour praise
Who thus confirm'd His word:
But could a saint return
To dwell beneath the skies,
And not with deepest sorrow mourn
Her twice-lost paradise?

From spirits glorified
As soon as she withdrew,
Oblivion's veil was drawn to hide
The vision from her view:

243

She then with double zeal
Employ'd her added days,
To do the Saviour's perfect will,
To' improve His utmost grace.

Superior joys above
For lengthen'd toils prepared,
And richer stores of heavenly love
Enhanced her vast reward;
Call'd to a happier state
When all her work was done
She found a more exceeding weight
Of glory in her crown!

CHAPTER X.

2576.

[A man may his Creator fear]

A devout man, and one that feared God with, &c. —x. 2.

A man may his Creator fear,
Devout and truly wise
Train up his house with zeal sincere,
And point them to the skies;
May much accepted alms bestow
With constant prayer to God,
Who doth not yet his Saviour know,
Or feel the sprinkled blood.

2577.

[Were his alms and ceaseless prayers]

Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for, &c. —x. 4.

Were his alms and ceaseless prayers
Splendid sins in God's esteem?
No: the Lord Himself declares
Both acceptable to Him:
Grateful both as incense rise,
Bring an angel from the skies.

244

Prayers and alms to heaven ascend,
But they first from heaven come down:
Man to help if man intend
Good design'd is not his own:
If to God his heart aspire
God infused the chaste desire.

2578.

[The angel might have preach'd his Lord]

Send...to Joppa, and call for one Simon, &c. —x. 5.

The angel might have preach'd his Lord,
Or Christ proclaim'd Himself from heaven,
But God, to magnify His word,
The' appointed means of sins forgiven,
Commands a pious soul to hear
The gospel from His messenger.

The angel from Jehovah sent,
But points him out the common road,
Directs to Jesu's instrument,
That man may preach a dying God:
And then the Lord His Son reveals,
And pardon by His Spirit seals.

2579.

[Whome'er he doth for servants take]

He called two of his household servants, and, &c. —x. 7.

Whome'er he doth for servants take,
The pious man will find or make
Such as himself he is,
Teach them their heavenly Lord to' obey,
That all with him to God may pay
Their faithful services.

2580.

[How can it be? A soldier good!]

A devout soldier. —x. 7.

How can it be? A soldier good!
A man of war whose trade is blood!
The' impossibility

245

Is done by an almighty Lord:
And still in some who use the sword
We true religion see.

Mercy has ways to find them out,
To make the worst of men devout:
And when a soldier trusts
His soul into those hands Divine,
Listed beneath Immanuel's sign
He serves the Lord of Hosts.

2581.

[Servants and lord, when God they fear]

When he had declared all these things unto, &c. —x. 8.

Servants and lord, when God they fear,
An openness of heart sincere
Experience from above,
A mutual trust till then unknown,
Inspired by piety alone,
A confidence of love.

2582.

[The vision doth a church present]

And saw heaven opened, and a certain vessel, &c. —x. 11.

The vision doth a church present
Descending from the heavenly place,
Not in a single corner pent,
But taking in the human race!
From all the ends of earth are brought
Poor souls into that boundless sheet,
And by a common Ransom bought
Jews, Heathens, Turks and Christians meet.

Born from above, their heavenly birth
The universal church maintain,
Collected and redeem'd from earth,
Superior to the sons of men;
In Christ their Saviour and their Head
They live the life that never dies,

246

Inspired, and by His Spirit led
To claim their Father in the skies.

2583.

[Nothing unclean can come from heaven]

What God hath cleansed, that call not thou, &c. —x. 15.

Nothing unclean can come from heaven;
We all were pure as made by God:
And God His only Son hath given
To wash the nations in His blood:
Jesus the middle wall removed,
He made both Jews and Gentiles one,
And all are now in Christ beloved,
And all are God's, through Christ alone.

The creature was created good,
Though since defiled and marr'd by sin,
But Jesus pour'd the sacred flood
Which makes a world of sinners clean:
Our pristine purity restored
By water, and by blood, we find,
And Holiness unto the Lord
Is wrote afresh on all mankind.

2584.

[Things which from without befal us]

While Peter doubted in himself...behold, the, &c. —x. 17.

Things which from without befal us
Answer oft the things within:
Thus we know the Lord doth call us,
Thus His pointing hand is seen!
For their mutual explanation
Thoughts and providences join,
Prove the Spirit's revelation
True, infallible, Divine.

2585.

[Peter musing on the vision]

While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit, &c. —x. 19.

Peter musing on the vision,
Ready made by just degrees

247

For the Spirit's admonition
Farther still and farther sees:
Searching out the mind of heaven
Thus we prove it more and more,
Find that light and grace are given
Only for the present hour.

2586.

[Stand we for a season still]

Go with them, doubting nothing; for I have, &c. —x. 20.

Stand we for a season still
Doubting of the' Almighty's will,
Humble fear our God to' offend
Doth our active powers suspend:
But Thou wilt Thy face display,
By Thy word direct our way,
Show whate'er Thou hast design'd,
Teach us all Thy Spirit's mind.

2587.

[“Apply to Jesus' minister,”]

Cornelius...was warned from God...to send, &c. —x 22.

“Apply to Jesus' minister,”
Is the first lesson given
To one who doth his Maker fear,
By an express from heaven.

2588.

[Our relatives who know not God]

Cornelius...had called together his kinsmen, &c. —x. 24.

Our relatives who know not God
Dear by the ties of flesh and blood
For them we kindly care,
And if our friends we truly love
The real blessings from above
We wish them all to share.

Happy alone we cannot rest,
But call'd ourselves, the gospel feast
We for their souls provide,

248

That speaking in His minister
They all the voice of God may hear,
And feel the blood applied.

2589.

[How beautiful the feet appear]

Cornelius...fell down at his feet, and, &c. —x. 25.

How beautiful the feet appear
Of Jesus' joyful messenger!
Yet will He not from man receive
What man to God alone should give:
And can his successor permit
Adoring crowds to kiss his feet?

2590.

[Shall a poor worm of grace be proud]

But Peter took him up, saying, Stand up, &c. —x. 26.

Shall a poor worm of grace be proud,
Or man mistake himself for God,
Or sacrilegiously allow
That others at his shrine should bow,
His idolised perfections praise,
Or set him in his Maker's place?

With true humility inspired
A saint abhors to be admired;
He makes his blind adorers rise,
Abhors their impious sacrifice,
Their honours blasphemously vain,
And always feels “I am but man.”

2591.

[We lift our hearts (for God is here)]

Now therefore are we all here present before, &c. —x. 33.

We lift our hearts (for God is here),
Assembled in His sight appear,
And listen to the word,
Whate'er He now vouchsafes to give,
And from the servant's mouth receive
As spoken from the Lord.

249

Jehovah sends by whom He will,
And let Him now His truths reveal
His utmost counsel show,
Bless'd with a ready, resolute mind
We'll do the things by Him enjoin'd,
And practise all we know.

2592.

[God is not partial in His love]

God is no respecter of persons. —x. 34.

God is not partial in His love,
Nor e'er decreed a few to' approve
And all the rest pass by;
Whole nations unredeem'd to leave,
Who never can His grace receive,
But must for ever die.

The Lord to every soul is good,
For every soul He shed His blood,
That each might pardon find;
His, and the common Saviour praise,
The God of free, unbounded grace,
The Friend of all mankind.

2593.

[The everlasting gospel hear]

In every nation he that feareth Him, and, &c. —x. 35.

The everlasting gospel hear
To neither time nor place confined,
Whoe'er thou art thy Maker fear,
The awful Father of mankind,
The great and bountiful, and wise,
Who made, and rules both earth and skies.

The sovereign Cause and End of all,
Who justly claims His creature's heart,
On Him with pious reverence call,
From all acknowledged ill depart,
And, true to thy imperfect light,
Do what thy heart approves as right.

250

While thy religious actions show
The principle of secret grace,
Led by a Friend thou dost not know
In all the paths of righteousness,
Heathen, Mahometan, or Jew,
Thy soul is safe, as God is true.

Surely thou dost even now partake
The grace and favour of thy God,
Accepted for His only sake
Who bought the nations with His blood;
And when He makes thy pardon known,
Thou know'st that God and Christ are one.

2594.

[Who in Jesus believe]

We are witnesses of all things which He did, &c. —x. 39.

Who in Jesus believe
True witness we give
Of all He hath suffer'd and done;
Put to death in our stead,
How He rose from the dead,
And return'd to His heavenly throne.

His vouchers we are,
And still we declare
That Himself He is willing to show;
That He daily is seen
By the children of men,
And converses with sinners below.

Though a few might suffice
To attest His first rise,
When the Spirit of faith He imparts,
One and all we maintain
“He is risen again,”
And we carry the proof in our hearts!

251

2595.

[When Jesus' meanest messenger]

While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy, &c. —x. 44.

When Jesus' meanest messenger
To sinners testifies the same,
The Spirit falls on those that hear
Forgiveness preach'd in Jesus' name,
The Holy Ghost the truth reveals,
And pardon on the conscience seals.

As light and heat the solar rays
Mercy accompanies the word,
The doctrine of redeeming grace
Obtain'd through faith in Christ the Lord;
And to confirm our sins forgiven
The Holy Ghost comes down from heaven.

2596.

[Ye Jews of our days Who Heathens reject]

They of the circumcision...were astonished, &c. —x. 45.

Ye Jews of our days Who Heathens reject,
Confining the grace Of Christ to a sect,
His strange dispensation Of mercy adore,
While gospel salvation Is preach'd to the poor.

The sinners unclean Are wash'd in His blood,
The outcasts of men Accepted with God,
Through Jesus's merit They pardon receive,
And fill'd with the Spirit Of holiness live.

2597.

[Who now the water can deny]

Can any man forbid water, that these should, &c. —x. 47.

Who now the water can deny
To those that have in Christ believed,
And found their Father in the sky,
And God the Holy Ghost received?
Who can forbid the sacred use
Of what the Lord did once enjoin,
Or argue from the dire abuse
Against the ordinance Divine?

252

“But by the Holy Ghost baptized,
The truth, the substance we possess,
And need the outward sign be prized
By us, who know the inward grace?”
Yes; for He bids the wash'd with blood
Be sprinkled with the water too,
Who was himself inspired of God,
Who all the mind of Jesus knew.

If then ye have the Spirit known,
Ye Christians unbaptized submit
Your Lord's authority to own,
And lay your reason at His feet:
Obedience is the sacrifice
He waits from Christians to receive:
Obey; and gain Divine supplies,
And fill'd with all His fulness live.

Saviour of all, lay to Thine hand,
The veil from upright hearts remove,
Which will not let them understand
The true intention of Thy love:
Of water and the Spirit born,
May all Thy saints in one agree,
With songs of joy to God return,
And face to face Thy glory see.

2598.

[God, the' eternal God and true]

He commanded them to be baptized in the, &c. —x. 48.

God, the' eternal God and true
Residing in His Son,
Taught by the Holy Ghost they knew
To be with Jesus one:
The Father, Son, and Spirit is Lord,
One God in persons Three,
From all eternity adored
To all eternity.

253

2599.

[If Christ His servant bless]

Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. —x. 48.

If Christ His servant bless
And seal by him our peace,
Peace which speaks our sins removed,
Then we know not how to part,
For his Master's sake beloved,
Hold him in our grateful heart.

We wish his longer stay
Till call'd by Christ away,
Him we patiently resign;
Closer then to Jesus cleave
Sure our Comforter Divine
Never will His people leave.

CHAPTER XI.

2600.

[Let the true servant of the Lord]

They...of the circumcision contended with, &c. —xi. 2.

Let the true servant of the Lord
Be blamed for publishing the word
Which God vouchsafes to bless,
Let men from a false zeal gainsay,
And censure on the preacher lay
To balance his success.

Their narrowness of heart they show;
But God permits it should be so
In wisdom and in grace;
Better the Jews should still contend,
Than Jesus' minister commend,
And poison him with praise.

254

2601.

[Ye murmur and accuse in vain]

Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and, &c. —xi. 3.

Ye murmur and accuse in vain,
That mingling with the worst of men
Fraternal love we show;
Our Master did with sinners eat;
His servants count it right and meet
In all His steps to go.

Who want the form of godliness
To them we must our love express;
But always ready are
A simple full account to give,
And with our angry brethren's leave
The matter to declare.

2602.

[He did not scorn to make reply]

But Peter rehearsed the matter from the, &c. —xi. 4.

He did not scorn to make reply,
His conduct blamed to justify
Against their erring zeal;
He did not the first place assume,
Or sit with all the pride of Rome,
A judge infallible.

From his submissiveness we know
What each to each the members owe:
And let our elders call
The men they hastily reprove,
We own ourselves in humble love
Accountable to all.

2603.

[By wisdom pure, and humble love]

In a trance I saw a vision. —xi. 5.

By wisdom pure, and humble love
Made slow and circumspect,
One of a thousand we approve
And all the rest reject;

255

Visions, and ecstasies, and dreams,
If others seek or shun,
We steer betwixt the two extremes
To credit all, or none.

2604.

[To beasts we aptly may compare]

I...saw fourfooted beasts of the earth, and wild, &c. —xi. 6.

To beasts we aptly may compare
The slaves of appetite,
The things of earth their only care
And sense their whole delight;
With furious hate intestine wars
The savages maintain,
And each his fellow-creature tears,
And man's a wolf to man.

They creep on earth who gold adore
With grovelling avarice,
On wings of pride the' ambitious soar
And seem to reach the skies;
On ashes, dust, and husks they feed,
By brutal passions stirr'd,
And none are rational indeed
But those that love the Lord.

2605.

[The church's servant should be wise]

Moreover these six brethren accompanied me, &c. —xi. 12.

The church's servant should be wise,
Appearances of evil shun,
Walk in the light, abhor disguise,
And nothing act unseen, alone,
But vouchers for his conduct take
For Jesus' and the gospel's sake.

2606.

[We too of Jesus sing]

The Holy Ghost fell on them, as on us, &c. —xi. 15.

We too of Jesus sing
Who did salvation bring;

256

Sinners of the Gentiles we
Joyful news of Jesus hear,
We the great Salvation see,
We receive the Comforter.

Our Father doth forgive
The moment we believe;
Now the promise is fulfill'd,
Now our Pentecost is come,
Now the Son of God reveal'd
Makes our hearts His constant home.

2607.

[Our true and faithful Lord]

Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. —xi. 16.

Our true and faithful Lord
Spoke the prophetic word,
First to His apostles spake,
Then to all the ransom'd kind,
All may now the grace partake,
All the promised blessing find.

What the prediction meant
We learn by its event,
Gentile, Jew, and all our race
May the truth of Jesus prove,
Born again their Lord embrace,
Sons of God by faith and love.

The pure baptismal Fire
Shall me, even me inspire,
I from my own works shall cease,
I the Spirit's birth shall know,
Live the life of holiness,
Perfect holiness, below.

Come holy, hallowing Flame,
And plunge me in Thy name!

257

Partner of Thy nature then,
Then I live and sin no more,
All the promises obtain,
Lost in silent love adore.

2608.

[We triumph in the word's success]

When they heard these things, they...glorified God. —xi. 18.

We triumph in the word's success
Whoe'er the welcome news proclaim,
The God of our salvation bless,
And magnify His precious name;
For other souls' prosperity
Joyful as for our own, we prove
The Son hath made us truly free,
And God beyond ourselves we love.

2609.

[That change entire of life and heart]

Then hath God also to the Gentiles granted, &c. —xi. 18.

That change entire of life and heart
Which only God effects in man,
Saviour and Prince to us impart,
And in our inmost souls explain;
The death of sin, the life of grace,
We then shall feel Divinely given,
And pass, rejoicing all our days,
To that eternal life in heaven.

2610.

[Giver of repentance, Thee]

Giver of repentance, Thee
My Lord I long to prove,
O vouchsafe the grace to me,
The grief of contrite love:
Sunk in sin, to Thee I pray
Exalted on Thy glorious throne;
Saviour, Prince, Thy power display,
And break my heart of stone.

258

Waits my heart insensible
Thy mercy's power to know,
Cast the pitying look, and fill
My soul with sacred woe;
Then I to my Lord shall turn,
And conscious of the blood applied
Look on Him I pierced, and mourn
With Jesus crucified.

Thus my few remaining days
I would in sorrow spend,
Trampler on the God of grace
And murderer of my Friend;
Weeping till my Friend appears,
By Him, but not myself forgiven,
Till He wipes away my tears,
And comforts me in heaven.

2611.

[Saviour and Prince, I lift]

Saviour and Prince, I lift
To Thee my flinty heart,
Who only dost the precious gift
Of penitence impart;
Clothed with omnipotence
Thou canst the stone remove,
Thou wilt bestow the contrite sense,
For Thou, O God, art Love.

I wait the powerful look
Of tenderness Divine,
The sight which many a heart hath broke
Almost as hard as mine;
The piteous spectacle
Of Jesus on the tree,
Which bids my wounded spirit feel
The death He bore for me.

259

Soon as Thy cross appears
The rocks again are rent,
Sinners dissolve in gracious tears,
And I, their chief repent!
I weep, and still weep on
Till Thou my sins remove,
Lamenting with my latest groan
That e'er I grieved Thy love.

2612.

[What can persecution do]

They which were scattered abroad upon the, &c. —xi. 19.

What can persecution do
Against the cause of God?
All things work if God be true
To spread the truth abroad;
Foes intending to destroy
His work, and slay the witnesses,
Higher raise the gospel joy,
And make the church increase.

God Himself prepares our way,
The door He opens wide,
Then we cheerfully obey
And follow Christ our guide,
Pilgrims o'er the desert rove,
And every place our country own,
Where we can our Saviour love,
And live to God alone.

Chased from home we cannot be,
Or into exile sent;
All this wilderness we see
Our place of banishment.
Servants of the church we live,
And who to death our bodies doom

260

Sooner they our souls shall drive
To their eternal home.

2613.

[Lord, if at Thy command]

And the hand of the Lord was with them: &c. —xi. 21.

Lord, if at Thy command
The word of life we sow,
Water'd by Thy almighty hand,
The seed shall surely grow:
The virtue of Thy grace
A large increase shall give,
And multiply the faithful race,
Who to Thy glory live.

Now then the ceaseless shower
Of gospel blessings send,
And let the soul-converting power
Thy ministers attend.
On multitudes confer
The heart-renewing love,
And by the joy of grace prepare
For fuller joys above.

2614.

[Jesus, the spirit of jealousy]

Who, when he came, and had seen the grace, &c. —xi. 23.

Jesus, the spirit of jealousy
Root out of all employ'd by Thee
To make Thy mercy known
That each, if Thou his brethren bless,
May praise the Lord for their success
As much as for his own.

Be it our greatest joy below
To see Thy heavenly kingdom grow,
Thy gracious work increase,
While multitudes are turn'd to God,
And show the virtue of Thy blood,
The power of godliness.

261

2615.

[Jesus Thy preaching servants bless]

And much people was added unto the Lord. —xi. 24.

Jesus Thy preaching servants bless,
That fill'd with faith and holiness,
Fit instruments for Thy design,
They numbers to Thy church may join,
May by the Spirit's ministry
Unite whole multitudes to Thee.

While sinners in Thy name they call
To' adore the God who died for all,
Let listening souls receive the grace
Which pardon brings to all our race,
Fills the glad heart with love unknown,
And makes the saved and Saviour one.

2616.

[Who only seeks his Lord to praise]

Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul. —xi. 25.

Who only seeks his Lord to praise
Would all into the service press,
On every creature call;
Use every help to make Him known
Who did for the whole world atone,
The dying Friend of all.

Joyful to share his happy toil,
Suffice for him if Jesus' smile
His faithfulness approve;
Rivals in fame he cannot fear
A man of piety sincere,
And fill'd with faith and love.

2617.

[Happy the men who first partook]

The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. —xi. 26.

Happy the men who first partook
The name and nature of their Lord!
They all iniquity forsook,
And God in spirit and truth adored.
What they were call'd, they were indeed.
Anointed with Jehovah's power,

262

His children by His Spirit led,
And born of God they sinn'd no more.

But millions now with lips profane
The venerable name assume,
And dead in sins, confess in vain
That Jesus in the flesh is come:
The form of godliness they have,
The power, the unction they deny,
And will not let the Saviour save,
But heathens live, and heathens die.

2618.

[By tenderness of love to man]

Then the disciples,...determined to send relief, &c. —xi. 29.

By tenderness of love to man
Their genuine love to Christ was shown:
They did not bear His name in vain,
But put His yearning bowels on,
Joyful their brethren to relieve,
And taste the blessedness to give.

The worldling shrinks at famine near,
More loth with his good things to part;
The Christian doth for others fear,
He opens both his hand and heart,
To' obviate their approaching wants,
And kindly feed the needy saints.

The truly Christian man alone
His charity unbounded proves,
Loves and assists the poor unknown
As members of the Lord he loves,
With them his every blessing shares,
And feels that all he has is theirs!

263

CHAPTER XII.

2619.

[He hath at last his heart's desire]

And he killed James the brother of John, &c. —xii. 2.

He hath at last his heart's desire,
Who did above the rest aspire
To sit with Jesus on His throne:
First of the twelve he drinks the cup,
He fills his Lord's afflictions up,
Baptized with God's expiring Son:
Ambitious of the foremost place
He all outruns and wins the race,
With strength from Jesus' cross supplied
He dies; and sits triumphant down
Distinguish'd by a brighter crown,
And nearest to his Saviour's side.

2620.

[Once embark'd in wickedness]

Because he saw it pleased the Jews, he, &c. —xii. 3.

Once embark'd in wickedness
Sinners all restraint despise,
Satan and the world to please
Still from crime to crime they rise:
When their measure is fulfill'd,
When they can no further go,
Then the wrath of God reveal'd
Sends them to their place below.

2621.

[Let fiends and men their wisdom join]

He put him in prison, and delivered him, &c. —xii. 4.

Let fiends and men their wisdom join
The purpose of the Lord to' o'erthrow,
They only blast their own design,
And by their wise precaution show
That all submits to His command
Whose counsel shall for ever stand.

264

Herod intends a saint to kill,
But Christ intends to set him free:
Who can resist the Sovereign will
If God's omnipotent decree
One servant to Himself receives,
Another to His people leaves?

2622.

[The mournful church, of James bereft]

Peter therefore was kept in prison: but, &c. —xii. 5.

The mournful church, of James bereft,
(Who bleeds his Lord to glorify,)
Beholds the zealous Peter left,
But left in bonds and doom'd to die;
Helpless, disconsolate, distress'd,
With pious, unavailing care
To save her minister oppress'd,
She finds her sole resource in prayer.

No other arms but prayer she knows
(Which mix'd with tears to heaven ascends)
To stop the fury of her foes,
Or aid her persecuted friends;
The fervent prayer of faith Divine
Cannot be offer'd up in vain,
When all in one petition join
They must from God their suit obtain.

What shall the Spirit's will defeat,
The joint request to God made known
When all the race of Jacob meet
And Israel's hosts besiege His throne!
When Jesus in His members prays,
Their prayer redeems the saint from death,
Their prayer the bloody current stays,
And plucks the prey from Satan's teeth.

265

2623.

[While his watchful friends are weeping]

The same night Peter was sleeping between, &c. —xii. 6.

While his watchful friends are weeping,
Wrestling on in ceaseless prayer,
See him in the dungeon sleeping,
Careless, calm, and happy there!
Peace surpassing all expression
Fills and keeps his faithful heart,
Earnest of the full possession
Makes him eager to depart.

Shackled, death-devoted Peter
Sleeps on the beloved breast,
(Never were his slumbers sweeter,)
Dreams of everlasting rest,
Passing o'er his bloody passion
To a palace in the skies,
Sees the God of his salvation,
Grasps his Lord in paradise.

2624.

[What could earth and hell do more]

The keepers before the door kept the prison. —xii. 6.

What could earth and hell do more
Their prisoner to secure?
Let but a short night pass o'er
And Peter's death is sure;
Keepers, guards, and gates surround,
Yet cannot all effectual prove,
While one open way is found
Of rescue—from above.

2625.

[God His suffering servants sees]

And, behold, the angel of the Lord came, &c. —xii. 7.

God His suffering servants sees,
And all their sorrows shares,
Leaves them to the last distress
And then He grants their prayers;

266

True and faithful to His word
He then His guardian power makes known,
Saves as an almighty Lord
Who never fails His own.

Then we testify His grace,
And ever watchful love,
Join our songs with those that praise
His hallow'd name above;
Jesus doth His church redeem
From all the rage of fiends and men,
None can ever trust in Him
Or ask His help in vain.

2626.

['Tis here my nature's state I see!]

And, behold,...a light shined in the prison, &c. —xii. 7.

'Tis here my nature's state I see!
Fast bound in sin and misery,
In chains of hellish night
Ready to render up my breath
I slept, condemn'd to endless death,
Nor miss'd that heavenly light.

The' infernal jailer stood before,
With guards that watch'd the prison door,
Yet unawaken'd I
And link'd to Satan's soldier's lay,
(The next was execution-day,)
Nor dream'd of death so nigh.

'Twas then the heavenly messenger
Did in my dungeon's gloom appear;
The light of grace unknown
(Of grace which free salvation brought)
Came unexpected and unsought,
And in my nature shone.

267

Alarm'd by mercy's sudden stroke,
My careless sleeping conscience woke;
And lifting up mine eyes
I saw the glory from above,
I heard the voice of pardoning love,
Which bade my spirit rise.

My sins fell off, my will was free,
I rose, restored to liberty;
A messenger of peace
I put the gospel-sandals on,
And clothed with Christ, prepared to run
And spread His righteousness.

I follow'd my immortal Guide,
Who saved me by His blood applied,
Who did my sins redeem,
And turn'd my soul's captivity:
Yet still I ask'd how can it be?
And thought it all a dream.

Darkness was light, and rugged plain,
Before that heaven-descended Man
Whose footsteps I pursued:
I pass'd the first and second ward,
And opening of its own accord
The iron gate I view'd.

Jesus hath made me free indeed,
Into the sacred city led;
And now He tells my heart
He will not leave me here alone;
Who freely loves and saves His own
He never will depart.

268

Saviour, Thou dost my soul restore:
My body too Thy gracious power
Shall ransom from the grave,
Out of this worldly prison bring,
And show me that my Lord and King
Can to the utmost save.

Under the conduct of Thy grace
I follow, in the holiest place
Jerusalem above
The church of the first-born to meet,
And praise, around Thy dazzling seat
My God's eternal love.

2627.

[Reflecting on Thy wondrous ways]

Now I know of a surety, that the Lord hath, &c. —xii. 11.

Reflecting on Thy wondrous ways,
Thy dealings, Lord, with me,
Unnumber'd miracles of grace
Throughout my life I see:
From all the rage of fiends and men
Escaped I knew not how,
I own'd not my Deliverer then,
But praise Thy goodness now.

Those steps I never should have took,
(As now I understand)
Unless Thou hadst my soul awoke,
And led me by the hand:
The dangers that I could not shun
Were hidden from my view,
And frightful obstacles unknown
Which Thou hast brought me through.

What but Thy grace that went before
Could earth and hell control,
And open every iron door,
And save my captive soul?

269

I now my great Redeemer bless,
And taste my liberty,
And all the glory of Thy grace
With joy ascribe to Thee.

2628.

[If two agree in their request]

He came...where many were gathered together, &c. —xii. 12.

If two agree in their request,
The blessing ask'd they must receive,
If thousands cry, and will not rest
Till God the peaceful answer give,
He shall the promised grace bestow,
And all His faithful mercies show.

The prayer of those that Jesus love
What can it not from God obtain?
It calls deliverance from above,
It breaks the bloody tyrant's chain,
It brings the prisoner back, to raise
Their hearts, and turn their prayer to praise.

2629.

[God passes kings and conquerors by]

A damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. —xii. 13.

God passes kings and conquerors by,
And lets them in oblivion lie,
But doth to everlasting fame
Consign a simple damsel's name.
Throughout the church He makes it known
That goodness we in all may own,
In saints of every rank approve
Their joyful zeal, and patient love.

2630.

[Their wonder plainly show'd]

When they...saw him, they were astonished. —xii. 16.

Their wonder plainly show'd
That sueing for His aid
They had not dictated to God,
But with submission pray'd;

270

In humble faith made known
Their sorrowful request,
And left the' event to Him alone
Whose will is always best.

But God the poor attends
When saints afflicted cry,
He knows His Spirit's mind, and sends
Deliverance from the sky;
He lifts the humble up
Who at His footstool grieve,
And more than they presumed to hope
Their Lord delights to give.

2631.

[Out of the dungeon brought]

And he departed, and went into another place. —xii. 17.

Out of the dungeon brought,
Through reason's light alone
The' ambassador of Christ is taught
His furious foes to shun;
The man of prudent zeal
Withdraws out of their sight,
And when preserved by miracle
Preserves himself by flight.

2632.

[Where is the boastful tyrant's power]

Herod...sought for him, and found him not, &c. —xii. 19.

Where is the boastful tyrant's power
By wonders but confirm'd the more
In cruelty and pride!
Yet all his bloody search is vain,
He never can be found by man,
Whom God is pleased to hide.

Jesus, from hell and earth, and sin,
Thou art a place to hide me in,
My refuge sure Thou art;

271

And saved and clean escaped away,
They never shall retake their prey,
Or tear me from Thy heart.

2633.

[Herod mounts the gorgeous throne]

Herod, arrayed in royal apparel, sat upon, &c. —xii. 21.

Herod mounts the gorgeous throne
The scaffold he ascends,
Means to' exalt himself alone,
Nor knows what God intends,
Means in the triumphant day
In brightest majesty to shine,
All his majesty display,
And stately pomp divine.

But the King of kings decrees
E'en now His power to show,
Blast the monarch's loftiness,
And lay the tyrant low:
Now the' oppressor's doom to seal,
Who Jesu's saints to death pursued,
Smite His foe implacable
And blood require for blood.

God doth thus to kings declare
His Deity supreme;
Nothing but by Him they are,
And only reign for Him;
Men they die, if kings they live,
And must with all to judgment come,
Quickly at His bar receive
Their everlasting doom.

2634.

[Adored by the acclaiming crowd]

The angel...smote him, because he gave not, &c. —xii. 23.

Adored by the acclaiming crowd,
He falls a man, and not a god!

272

He falls (no sooner deified
Than smote) a sacrifice to pride,
Anticipates the fatal hour,
And worms their fellow-worm devour.

The man who praise from man receives,
Nor to his God the glory gives,
In him the just reward we see
Of sacrilegious vanity;
And all which nature call'd her own
We now refer to God alone.

But chiefly, Lord, the gifts of grace
To Thy sole glory we confess,
Afraid to rob Thee of Thy right,
And arrogate with vain delight,
Or take the homage of the throng
Which only doth to Thee belong.

Whoe'er, like Lucifer, aspire,
And suffer men their grace to' admire,
Most humbled, when exalted most,
Of Christ alone we make our boast,
And own (if we perfection name)
Perfection is with Christ the same.

2635.

[Peter between the soldiers bound]

And gave up the ghost. —xii. 23.

Peter between the soldiers bound,
Ready for instant death, is freed;
Herod, amidst his courtiers crown'd
Extoll'd, and worshipp'd—is struck dead!
The hand Divine in both is seen,
That saints may all from Him receive,
And heathens know themselves but men,
And all to God His glory give.

273

2636.

[Having fulfill'd the charge enjoin'd]

Barnabas and Saul returned...when they had, &c. —xii. 25.

Having fulfill'd the charge enjoin'd,
A minister of grace
Returns with ready zeal, to find
His stated work and place;
Gladly, if God appoint it so,
He deals the outward bread,
But 'tis his chief delight below
Poor hungry souls to feed.

CHAPTER XIII.

2637.

[Happy man with princes bred]

There were in the church...Manaen which had, &c. —xiii. 1.

Happy man with princes bred
Who knows his gracious day,
From a court's temptations freed
And clean escaped away!
With the choice of Moses bless'd,
The world he doth for Christ forego,
Suffers with His saints distress'd,
And serves His church below.

2638.

[Chosen by God's immediate will]

The Holy Ghost said, Separate Me Barnabas, &c. —xiii. 2.

Chosen by God's immediate will,
Seal'd with the Spirit's authentic seal,
He was ordain'd before,
As Christ's ambassador had gone,
And made his Lord to sinners known,
His truth, and love, and power.

Yet lo, the Holy Ghost commands
The elders to lay on their hands,
And recognise His call,

274

To teach the apostolic way
That preachers may the church obey,
And each be sent by all.

2639.

[Christ's ministers apart are set]

For the work whereunto I have called them. —xiii. 2.

Christ's ministers apart are set
For work, not idleness or state,
For toils that never cease;
By Him in all their labours bless'd
Till Jesus gives His servants rest
And bids them die in peace.

2640.

[Holy Ghost, beneath whose power]

So they, being sent forth by the Holy Ghost, &c. —xiii. 4.

Holy Ghost, beneath whose power
Our praying souls we bow,
Open wide the gospel-door
Send forth apostles now:
Men by inspiration moved
The tidings of great joy to tell,
Men whose call is fully proved
By signs infallible.

Messengers of Christ the Lord,
The Lamb for sinners slain,
Boldly let them preach the word
Of God, and not of man:
If the word is surely Thine
Which testifies our sins forgiven,
To demonstrate it Divine,
Thyself come down from heaven.

2641.

[Not by the crafty wizard sway'd]

The deputy...who desired to hear the word of God. —xiii. 7.

Not by the crafty wizard sway'd
The prudent man his judgment show'd,
Not of the slander'd truth afraid,
But listening to the word of God,

275

For God infused the good desire
And stirr'd a sinner up to' inquire.

2642.

[Satan in his allies withstands]

But Elymas the sorcerer...withstood them, &c. —xiii. 8.

Satan in his allies withstands
The preaching of that word,
Which sinners plucks out of his hands,
And turns them to the Lord;
Which brings them faith and power to quell
The fury of the foe,
And baffle all the wiles of hell,
And all the strength o'erthrow.

The great are compass'd round by those
Who would their mind pervert,
The truth of saving grace oppose,
And keep out of their heart;
But few amidst the world, desire
To find apostles near,
Or prudently resolve to' inquire,
And for themselves to hear.

2643.

[With the Omniscient Spirit fill'd]

Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled, &c. —xiii. 9.

With the Omniscient Spirit fill'd
Who knows what is in man,
Paul perceives the fiend conceal'd
From mortal view in vain;
Looks with Jesus' flaming eyes,
Which sin-consuming virtue dart,
Sees his heart without disguise,
His false infernal heart.

Not with angry passion fired,
But holy fervent zeal,
By his righteous Lord inspired
His judgments to reveal;

276

Paul rebukes in truth severe,
The power of Jesus to display,
Gives the wizard's character,
And drags him into day.

Sharpness exercised on one
Is mercy shown to all,
Warns them of the pit unknown,
Nor suffers them to fall;
Love of truth and innocence
Are to the Lamb's apostle given,
Justify his vehemence,
And prove his zeal from Heaven.

2644.

[Who sees the miracle believes]

Then the deputy, when he saw what was, &c. —xiii. 12.

Who sees the miracle believes,
Who feels it is an heathen still,
Nor yet beneath the judgment grieves,
Or bows to Christ his stubborn will;
Judgments alone cannot convert,
Or chase the fiend out of his heart.

One only way doth still remain
To turn a sorcerer's heart or mine;
My heart if Jesus' love constrain,
Changed from infernal to Divine,
Him and His doctrine I receive,
And saved, to serve my Saviour live.

2645.

[Confirm'd by daily miracle]

He...believed, being astonished at the doctrine, &c. —xiii. 12.

Confirm'd by daily miracle
The doctrine of the Lord, we find,
It doth the heavenly light reveal
But strikes the truth's opposers blind;
Baffles their utmost craft and power,
And leaves them darker than before.

277

Amazed the strange effects we see
Wrought by the Spirit's two-edged sword,
And in the world's obscurity
Discern the quick and powerful word,
Which all the sons of darkness still
Deny the Scriptures and fulfil.

2646.

[Of evangelic pains afraid]

John departing from them returned to, &c. —xiii. 13.

Of evangelic pains afraid,
With danger or fatigue dismay'd,
Ah, why did he draw back?
Counsel with flesh and blood he took,
That the good work which he forsook
I never may forsake.

Or if I have turn'd back in heart,
Or basely threaten'd to depart,
And from my brethren fly,
My weakness, Lord, like John I mourn,
And by Thy gracious help return
With them to live and die.

2647.

[Unmoved by human hope or fear]

Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with, &c. —xiii. 16.

Unmoved by human hope or fear,
Who publishes his Lord
Speaks, as Jehovah's messenger,
The' authoritative word,
Boldly of Christ he testifies,
And knows his Lord's intent
That those who hear should recognise
The Sender in the sent.

2648.

[Have not I for forty years]

Forty years suffered He their manners in the, &c. —xiii. 18.

Have not I for forty years
Wandering in the wilderness

278

Tempted by my doubts and fears,
Grieved the Spirit of His grace;
By rebellions multiplied
Dared my Angel-Guide to' offend,
Jesus' utmost patience tried,
Found His mercies never end.

Yes, Thou hast my manners borne,
God of love, to anger slow:
When I would to sin return,
Still Thou wouldst not let me go;
Oft as in my heart I err'd
Thou wast ready to forgive,
Hast till now the rebel spared,
Strangely suffer'd me to live.

O the depths of mercy shown
One who did Thee such despite!
Infinite my sins I own
Mercy is more infinite!
Let me then Thy grace implore
Since Thou hast so much forgiven,
Bear me a few moments more,
Lead me to my rest in heaven.

2649.

[God is the King by kings adored]

When He had destroyed seven nations in the, &c. —xiii. 19.

God is the King by kings adored,
The world and all therein are His:
Empires and states fulfil His word,
And rise and sink as He decrees:
He gives earth's potentates to know
Their royal rights are in His hand,
His frown doth all their power o'erthrow,
His smile appoints their thrones to stand.

While Canaan He to Israel gives,
The Lord His righteous power reveals,

279

Sinners to just destruction leaves,
His faithful promises fulfils;
Rewards the just, idolatry
Destroys, the worship true makes known,
And stablishing His love's decree
Prepares the coming of His Son.

2650.

[Ah, never Lord in anger grant]

They desired a king: and God gave...them, &c. —xiii. 21.

Ah, never Lord in anger grant
My foolish fond request,
But give whate'er Thou know'st I want,
Whate'er Thou know'st is best:
Happy I in Thy hands remain,
My king be Thou alone,
And in my humble heart maintain
Thine everlasting throne.

2651.

[Jesus, of Jesse's line]

I have found David the son of Jesse, a, &c. —xiii. 22.

Jesus, of Jesse's line
We sing Thy birth Divine:
God's substantial character
(Thou the real David art)
Thou dost all His glory bear,
Fashion'd after His own heart.

Thou, Lord, and Thou alone
His utmost will hast done,
Subject to Thy Father made,
Him Thou never didst displease,
Hast in every point obey'd,
Wrought a perfect righteousness.

With Thee we put it on,
And bold approach the throne,
We have done what God hath will'd
Whole in Thy integrity,

280

We have all His law fulfill'd
Dear to God as one with Thee.

Even I through Thy desert
Am after God's own heart,
Other merit I disclaim,
Other title I resign,
Justified by Jesus' name
Saved by righteousness Divine.

2652.

[God in His Son incarnate]

Of this man's seed hath God according, &c. —xiii. 23.

God in His Son incarnate
Hath shown His promised favour,
Hath raised Him up
The sinner's Hope,
The universal Saviour;
Sprung from the house of David
Yet every tongue and nation
May mercy claim;
For in His name
He brings us all salvation.

Baptized into His nature
We bless the name of Jesus,
To us who prove
His pardoning love
Inestimably precious;
And all Thy loving Israel,
And every true believer,
Who now in Thee
Salvation see,
Shall see Thy face for ever.

2653.

[Jesu's every harbinger]

And as John fulfilled his course, he said, &c. —xiii. 25.

Jesu's every harbinger
Should decrease and disappear,

281

Should throughout his course below
Only Christ resolve to know,
Only manifest His grace,
Only glory in His praise.

O that like the Bridegroom's friend,
I mine earthly course might end,
Nothing in mine own esteem
Render all the praise to Him,
Live my Lord to testify,
Witnessing of Jesus die.

2654.

[Father I would Thy will obey]

David, after he had served his own, &c. —xiii. 36.

Father I would Thy will obey,
Serve Thy church in this my day,
And answer Thy design,
As minister of all and least
Till from my finish'd work I rest
Within the arms Divine.

Rest after toil is doubly sweet!
All my cares I shall forget
If Thou my soul receive;
Shall incorruptible arise,
And see Thee with my body's eyes,
And in Thy glory live.

2655.

[The prophecies foreshow'd]

Beware therefore, lest that come upon you, &c. —xiii. 40.

The prophecies foreshow'd
The justice and the grace,
The love and righteousness of God
Toward all our sinful race;
And if we still rebel,
Nor will for mercy sue,
We must His rigorous anger feel,
And prove His threatenings true.

282

Then let us all beware
While yet we may repent,
By humble watchfulness and prayer
The coming woe prevent;
Improve the added space
Ere God His wrath reveal,
Believe the prophecies of grace,
And by our faith fulfil.

2656.

[The awful prophecy]

Behold, ye despisers, and wonder, and perish. —xiii. 41.

The awful prophecy
Accomplish'd now we own,
While Christian infidels deny
And mock the God unknown:
Thy present work of grace
They will not Lord believe,
Though thousands by their lives confess,
Thou dost on earth forgive.

Amazed the scoffers stand,
And see on every side
The wonders of Thine outstretch'd hand
On sinners justified.
Convinced they will not be
Till mercy's day is pass'd,
In stubborn incredulity
Resolved to die at last.

2657.

[Led by the word's attractive power]

The next Sabbath day came almost the, &c. —xiii. 44.

Led by the word's attractive power,
The souls who once therewith are fed,
Eagerly seek and covet more
As hungering for their daily bread;
But only God their zeal can bless,
And make it saving eagerness.

283

This fervency of good desire
How soon it cools and dies away,
These sparks of grace in smoke expire
When men perverse the truth gainsay;
They outrage then their gospel friends,
And love in persecution ends.

2658.

[Who now His work revives]

Then Paul and Barnabas waxed bold, &c. —xiii. 46.

Who now His work revives
In these apostate days,
Invites professors first, and gives
To you the word of grace:
Into your churches sent
With news of sin forgiven
We preach the kingdom near; repent,
Believe, and enter heaven.

If harden'd ye remain,
Refuse by faith to live,
The gift of righteousness disdain
Which God would freely give;
Ye wilfully refuse
The life of glory too;
And know, ye grace rejecting Jews,
There is no heaven for you.

Embolden'd through the name
Which speaks salvation sure,
Our call we follow, and proclaim
The gospel to the poor;
Repulsed by you we know,
And guided by His will,
To the highways and hedges go,
And thus our charge fulfil:

284

The sons of wickedness
The slaves of open sin,
Outcasts and vagabonds we press,
And force them to come in:
And lo from sin released
Heathens obey the call,
Baptized, or unbaptized they feast
With Him who died for all.

2659.

[True Light of mankind]

I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles. —xiii. 47.

True Light of mankind,
Shine into the mind
Of poor heathens like me,
And open our eyes Thine appearing to see.
The obscurity chase
Which involves our whole race,
Till Thou bid it depart,
And the blindness remove from the infidel heart.

When Thy mercy appears
It disperses our fears,
Blots out the thick cloud,
And shows us the face of a pacified God;
By the heavenly ray,
We discover our way,
By the Spirit of love
We are led to the house of our Father above.

2660.

[The unspeakable Grace]

I have set thee...that thou shouldest be for, &c. —xiii. 47.

The unspeakable Grace
By faith we embrace,
Whom His Father doth give,
In the ends of the earth our salvation receive;

285

Salvation from sin
With Jesus brought in
We exult to obtain,
And the favour of God and His image regain.

O that all the lost kind
Our Redeemer might find,
On the Gentiles bestow'd
Who bought the whole world with His life-giving blood.
Who would have them believe,
And His fulness receive,
And created again
For a moment endure, and eternally reign.

2661.

[Ordain'd, prepared, disposed]

As many as were ordained to eternal life, &c. —xiii. 48.

Ordain'd, prepared, disposed
By His preventing grace,
With Christ they gladly closed,
The Friend of human race;
Their proffer'd Saviour they received,
And every open'd heart believed.

Saviour and Friend of men
Be still benignly near,
And us to life ordain
Who now Thy gospel hear,
Incline us to depart from sin,
And thus Thy grace and glory win.

Our broken hearts prepare
By deepest poverty,
And then by entering there
Fulfil Thine own decree
That every penitent may find
The' eternal Life of all mankind.

286

2662.

[See the last brutish refuge, see]

But the Jews stirred up the devout and, &c. —xiii. 50.

See the last brutish refuge, see
Of baffled infidelity!
Enraged at our success,
Our words unable to gainsay,
The world their impotence betray,
And seek by force to' oppress.

Shall women too the fight maintain,
Their sex forget, their honour stain,
By furious passions stirr'd,
Devoutly show their blindfold zeal,
Or think whoe'er the servants kill
Must greatly please the Lord?

Shall men of name and dignity
With basest rioters agree,
And head the multitude?
Or magistrates their power abuse,
As fools employ'd by wicked Jews
To persecute the good?

In Satan's cause they all combine;
And then we fly by God's design
To other sinners driven,
Who gladly our report believe,
And listening crowds the truth receive,
And know their sins forgiven.

2663.

[The dust shook off, shall rise]

But they shook off the dust of their feet against, &c. —xiii. 51.

The dust shook off, shall rise
In judgment to condemn
Sinners, who dare the men despise,
That offer Christ to them;

287

The dust shook off shall prove
Salvation once was near,
But they refused the Master's love
Who spurn'd the messenger.

Who put their guides to flight,
Nor will the truth obey,
Reject with them the gospel light
And cast the salt away:
Who faithful men and just
Out of their pale expel,
Out of the church themselves they thrust,
Themselves they doom to hell.

2664.

[The' apostles fly the faithless race]

And the disciples were filled with joy, &c. —xiii 52.

The' apostles fly the faithless race
But other sinners find,
Their work perform'd they leave the place,
But leave their Lord behind;
On those who suffer for their God
His glorious Spirit rests,
And sheds His rapturous love abroad,
And fills their ravish'd breasts.

The messengers they cannot miss
Who have the Master still,
The largest taste of heavenly bliss
Who in His Spirit feel:
And in the day of our distress
We too shall gladly own
That stripp'd of all, we all possess
In Jesus' love alone.

288

CHAPTER XIV.

2665.

[They spake more boldly than before]

And so spake, that a great multitude both of, &c. —xiv. 1.

They spake more boldly than before,
Demonstrating the Spirit's power
Who ready utterance gave;
They spake, commission'd from above
To publish their Redeemer's love,
And listening souls to save.

Gentiles and Jews at once believed,
And both into the fold received
Were in one body join'd
Through Jesus reconciled to God,
Whose grace on all alike bestow'd
The Saviour of mankind.

Who now dispense the pardoning word,
So let us speak and preach the Lord,
That numbers may embrace
Their Saviour in their hearts reveal'd,
And live with all His Spirit fill'd,
With all His life of grace.

2666.

[Made by persecution strong]

Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly, &c. —xiv. 3.

Made by persecution strong
If Christ His strength bestows,
There we shall continue long
Where infidels oppose,
Confident our Lord proclaim,
Our Peace and Advocate with God,
Preach salvation through His name,
And pardon in His blood.

Bold in our almighty Lord,
While Thee we testify,

289

Present to confirm the word
We on Thyself rely:
Thou Thy confessors confess,
The truth in sinners' hearts reveal,
Welcome news of saving grace
By Thy own Spirit seal.

More than outward wonders show
On those that humbly hear,
Let their souls the witness know
The' indwelling Comforter;
Let their lives resemble Thine
And preach the kingdom from above,
Holy joy and peace Divine,
And pure unbounded love.

Thus Thy testimony give
To all who speak for Thee,
Thus let thousands turn and live
In faith's sincerity;
Through our ministerial hands
Ten thousand more with grace supply,
Power to practise Thy commands,
And live for God and die.

2667.

[Not peace but a divisive sword]

But the multitude of the city was divided: &c. —xiv. 4.

Not peace but a divisive sword
On earth the Saviour sends;
His enemies are by the word
Distinguish'd from His friends;
But if the world refuse to know
The joys His people feel,
Better, that part to heaven should go,
Than all rush on to hell.

No neuters in the Christian war,
But all are friends or foes;

290

And lo, I for the truth declare;
I have my party chose;
Safe on the apostolic side,
(For there my Lord I see,)
Jesus, I still resolve to' abide
In life and death with Thee.

2668.

[The flight of those by Jesus sent]

They were ware of it, and fled unto Lystra, &c. —xiv. 6.

The flight of those by Jesus sent
That sinners may His grace obtain,
To some a fearful punishment,
To others is an heavenly gain;
To every faithful soul that hears
Christ in His exiled messengers.

2669.

[And let the world His servants chase]

And there they preached the gospel. —xiv. 7.

And let the world His servants chase
Who spread the news of Jesus' love,
We travel on from place to place,
And Jesus preach where'er we rove;
Rejoice what we receive to give
Who only by the gospel live.

2670.

[Praise is the proof, the touchstone praise]

The apostles...rent their clothes, and ran in, &c. —xiv. 14.

Praise is the proof, the touchstone praise
Which Jesus' faithful servants tries:
To sinners who dispense His grace,
Dare ye refuse their sacrifice?
The most refined applause of men
Incense prepared with nicest art,
Can ye reject with just disdain,
Can ye abhor with all your heart?

2671.

[As in the watery glass]

We also are men of like passions with you. —xiv. 15.

As in the watery glass
Face corresponds to face,

291

The heart of man to man
In pleasure and in pain,
With strictest sympathy agrees,
And feels the same infirmities.

Even saints by grace renew'd
Dread to be counted good,
Confess their own desert
When God hath cleansed their heart,
When all His image they regain
They rank themselves with sinful men.

2672.

[Man from adoring man]

Scarce restrained they the people, that they had, &c. —xiv. 18.

Man from adoring man
Can scarcely be withheld,
Yet urged a thousand times in vain
His due we will not yield
To God, who left the skies
Our sins and us to part,
And asks no other sacrifice
Than a poor broken heart.

2673.

[Who can the sudden turns explain]

Who having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city. —xiv. 19.

Who can the sudden turns explain,
Or trust the various hearts of men?
This hour they cry with sacred fear,
The gods in human shape appear!
The next, they contradict the word,
And persecute whom they adored,
Curses instead of praises give,
And stone the wretch not fit to live.

2674.

[And can a messenger be proud]

And can a messenger be proud,
Extoll'd by the admiring crowd,
Honours Divine with joy receive,
Which sinners blasphemously give?

292

Ah, no: the praise that comes from men
Exchanging for reproach and pain,
He would be like the' apostle tried,
And rather slain than deified.

2675.

[Oft in deaths before he dies]

Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about, &c. —xiv. 20.

Oft in deaths before he dies
A dying life he lives,
Oft repeats his sacrifice,
And all to Jesus gives;
Breathes again, of breath bereft,
And starts afresh his course to run,
Never by his Saviour left
Till all his work is done.

2676.

[When the work and cause of God]

And the next day he departed, &c. —xiv. 20.

When the work and cause of God
No more require his stay,
To the torrent of the crowd
A minister gives way;
Outraged by their fierce despite,
Not obstinate his foes to brave,
So he saves himself by flight,
Immortal souls to save.

2677.

[Who his Lord and pattern knows]

They returned again to Lystra, and to Iconium, &c. —xiv. 21.

Who his Lord and pattern knows
Will render good for ill,
Seek again his cruel foes,
Through him they sought to kill:
To his charge he hastens back,
His faith in thickest dangers proves,
Cannot finally forsake
Whom more than life he loves.

293

2678.

[Saviour, Thy preaching servants bless]

Confirming the souls of the disciples, and, &c. —xiv. 22.

Saviour, Thy preaching servants bless,
When most we suffer in Thy cause
Our labours crown with full success,
And spread the doctrine of Thy cross;
As vessels of confirming grace
Give us to build Thy people up,
To root and ground the pardon'd race
In loving faith, and patient hope.

O may we still the truth declare
Which flesh and blood cannot receive,
Our brethren for the lot prepare
Of all resolved in Thee to live;
Teach us their calling here to show
Which ascertains the glittering prize,
The narrow path of sacred woe
That leads Thy followers to the skies.

This is the consecrated way,
The true and royal way to God;
Here will we with our Captain stay,
And strive, resisting unto blood:
The suffering and reward are sure;
And who Thy daily cross sustain,
And faithful unto death endure,
We, only we, Thy crown shall gain.

2679.

[Elders if the church ordain]

And when they had ordained them elders in, &c. —xiv. 23.

Elders if the church ordain,
Ministers in things Divine,
All should strive the grace to' obtain,
All in prayer and fasting join,
Faithfully approach the throne,
Bring the heavenly blessing down.

294

Every soul for them should plead,
Who the common burden bear,
Each desire their work may speed
Who for every sinner care,
Men by Christ Himself design'd
Christ to spread through all mankind.

2680.

[May we not trust our flock to Him]

They commended them to the Lord, on whom, &c. —xiv. 23.

May we not trust our flock to Him,
To Him our children leave,
Who did their precious souls redeem,
Who did their pardon give?
Jesus the saving grace bestow'd,
And will His saints defend,
Who hang on their redeeming God,
Till faith in vision end.

2681.

[When ministers make known]

When they were come, and had gathered the, &c. —xiv. 27.

When ministers make known
What God by them hath done,
We who pray'd for their success,
Thankful for our answer'd prayer,
Testify His faithfulness,
All His gracious works declare.

With joy we now approve
The truth of Jesus' love,
God, the universal God
He the door hath open'd wide,
Faith on sinners poor bestow'd,
Wash'd them in His bleeding side.

Purged from the stains of sin,
By faith they enter'd in,
Purchased and redeem'd of old,
Added to the chosen race,

295

Now received into the fold
Heathens sing their Saviour's praise.

With them we lift our voice,
Partakers of their joys,
Conscious of the blood applied,
Freely all through faith forgiven;
Faith renews the justified,
Faith unfolds the gates of heaven.

2682.

[Oft an evangelic guide]

And there they abode long time with the disciples. —xiv. 28.

Oft an evangelic guide
Finds his work diversified,
Useful still by all confess'd;
Change of labour is his rest:
Where he makes his long abode
Building up the church of God,
God by him His power displays,
Stablishes our hearts with grace.

CHAPTER XV.

2683.

[Men from her infancy have rose]

Certain men which came down from Judæa, &c. —xv. 1.

Men from her infancy have rose
Disturbers of the church's peace,
The yoke of needless things to' impose,
Of outward vain observances;
The gospel and the law to blend,
Deny the power of grace unknown,
As sinners would His doctrine mend
Nor suffer Christ to save alone.

Redeem'd through faith by blood Divine
They tell us now we cannot be,
Unless our righteous actions join
And Moses help to set us free:

296

The Judaizing teachers cry
We must the grace through works receive,
We must ourselves the pardon buy
Which Jesus cannot freely give.

2684.

[Ought we to yield and condescend]

Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension, &c. —xv. 2.

Ought we to yield and condescend,
When Pharisees the truth gainsay,
Or strenuous for the faith contend
Which others silently betray?
The truth opposed we boldly own
That all are saved by grace alone.

Who but the' apostles of the Lamb
Shall this important point decide?
They teach through faith in Jesus' name
Sinners are freely justified;
And the whole church this doctrine calls
The truth by which she stands or falls.

2685.

[Occasion of great joy and praise]

They declared all things that God had done with them. —xv. 4.

Occasion of great joy and praise,
We to the church afford,
Who tell the miracles of grace,
The goodness of our Lord:
His only goodness we declare,
Who all the work hath done,
And humbly seek with jealous care
To' exalt our God alone.

2686.

[Faith, which when it comes, sets free]

Certain of the sect of the Pharisees which believed, &c. —xv. 5.

Faith, which when it comes, sets free
And purifies the heart,
Doth not perfect purity
And light at once impart:
Errors and mistakes remain,
And various prepossessions blind:

297

Purged by Christ from every stain
We know not all His mind.

Justified through faith alone
We may in Babel dwell,
May in words the truth disown
Which in our hearts we feel;
Still as saved by works and grace
To Moses and his law incline,
Add our human righteousness
To righteousness Divine.

2687.

[Jesus their true and constant Guide]

The apostles and elders came together for, &c. —xv. 6.

Jesus their true and constant Guide
Had promised with the church to stay,
In His unerring Spirit to' abide
And lead them in the perfect way:
Yet dared they not the help refuse
Which nature's God did first bestow,
Who will'd them all the light to use
That reason sanctified could show.

2688.

[Happy the man by Jesus sent]

God made choice among us, that the Gentiles, &c. —xv. 7

Happy the man by Jesus sent,
Mercy's chosen instrument
That sinners may receive
The gospel of redeeming grace,
Their Friend and Peacemaker embrace,
And savingly believe.

Oh that the happiness were mine!
Lamb immaculate Divine,
I would Thy love proclaim,
Declare how full of grace Thou art,
That heathens poor in life and heart
May truly bear Thy name.

298

While at my mouth the outcasts hear
Tidings of salvation near,
Of present, endless rest,
Saviour, let faith by hearing come,
The weary prodigals bring home
And lodge them in Thy breast.

2689.

[The witness of the Lord is sure]

God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them, &c. —xv. 8.

The witness of the Lord is sure
Who only can impart
The faith which makes a sinner pure,
The love which fills his heart:
Proof incontestable He gives,
And all may see and know
That every true believer lives
As Jesus lived below.

By works of outward righteousness
They show the root within,
The Spirit of sanctifying grace
In all His fruits is seen;
His holy name and character
In them the Father owns,
And all their spotless lives declare
They are His genuine sons.

2690.

[God of grace, vouchsafe to me]

God...giving them the Holy Ghost,...purifying, &c. —xv. 8, 9.

God of grace, vouchsafe to me
That Spirit of holiness,
Sighs my heart for purity,
And pants for perfect peace;
Spirit of faith, the blood apply,
Which only can my filth remove,
Fill my soul, and sanctify
By Jesu's heavenly love.

299

2691.

[By Thy Spirit's inspiration]

By Thy Spirit's inspiration
Bid my evil thoughts depart,
All the filth of pride and passion,
Purge out of my faithful heart:
Then I shall with joy embrace Thee,
Meet to see Thy face above,
Then I worthily shall praise Thee,
Then I perfectly shall love.

2692.

[The unbelieving heart's unclean]

Purifying their hearts by faith. —xv. 9.

The unbelieving heart's unclean,
The faithful heart is purged by sin
While Christ His blood applies,
Which cleanses us from every stain,
Sprinkles and washes us again,
And daily purifies.

He will not first bestow on me
The faith and then the purity,
But both at once impart;
And when His mercy He reveals,
In love Divine His Spirit seals
My pardon on my heart.

My heart is set on things above,
Detach'd from every creature love;
And more and more renew'd,
Closer and closer still I cleave
To Him, and grace for grace receive
Through His atoning blood.

Lord, if Thou dost my faith approve
And Thee in some degree I love,
My little faith increase;

300

So shall I know and love Thee more,
Till fill'd with all Thy Spirit's power,
With all Thy holiness.

Contemplating Thy shining face
Reflected in the gospel glass,
I too, like Thee, shall shine,
Shall put Thy brightest glories on,
Clothed with the uncreated Sun
Of righteousness Divine.

Yet something still Thou know'st will be
Lacking in faith and purity
Till Thou the want supply;
I then the crowning grace receive,
And Thou who giv'st me faith to live.
Wilt give me faith to die.

2693.

[Mine earnest expectation]

Mine earnest expectation
Is to its Author known;
I thirst for Thy salvation,
I gasp for God alone.
I want the constant Witness
Of my Redeemer's love,
The' anticipating fitness
For all the joys above.

O might Thy hallowing Spirit
My soul for heaven prepare,
And make me meet to' inherit
The highest raptures there!
Not by a single blessing
Or sudden stroke of grace,
But through Thine act unceasing
I trust to see Thy face.

While on Thy blood relying
My Saviour I adore,

301

Thy Spirit sanctifying
Shall change me more and more
From glory into glory,
Till quite mature I rise
Thy bliss untransitory
To share in paradise.

2694.

[If God the Holy Ghost impart]

If God the Holy Ghost impart,
The living faith bestow,
His Spirit purifies the heart,
And makes us white as snow:
The heart that in His Son believes
Is purged from every stain,
And he who still to Jesus cleaves
Shall never sin again.

O would my gracious God confer
The Spirit of faith on me,
A foul desponding sinner cheer
By peace and purity!
Father in me reveal Thy love
If reconciled Thou art,
And all the filth of sin remove,
And keep my sprinkled heart.

The heart which in Thy Son confides
No longer is unclean,
Where Purity Himself resides
It must be pure from sin;
O may He dwell by faith in mine,
And thus Himself explain,
The real Holiness Divine
The perfect love in man!

2695.

[What but the Spirit of faith Divine]

What but the Spirit of faith Divine
Can purify a heart like mine,

302

The seat of every noisome lust,
Unclean, unholy, and unjust,
The sink of pride and vanity,
As Satan's, contrary to Thee.

Yet if in me Thy Spirit dwell
The Pledge, the Witness, and the Seal,
My heart shall lose its inbred stain,
Holy, and just, and pure remain;
Free from concupiscence, and pride,
While God doth in His house reside.

Thy presence makes the hallow'd place,
And keeps the vessel of Thy grace;
Thy presence saves my soul from sin,
Which never more shall enter in,
When Thou art with Thy Father come
To fill Thine everlasting home.

2696.

[Who can the yoke of Moses bear?]

A yoke...which neither our fathers nor we, &c. —xv. 10.

Who can the yoke of Moses bear?
It drives a sinner to despair;
Crushes the soul, but not relieves,
Commands, but no assistance gives,
Confounds, but not destroys our pride,
And lets us still in death abide.

The law our irksome duty shows,
But no obedient power bestows,
It brings us light and knowledge vain
More to increase our sin and pain,
It aggravates our heaviest load,
And leaves us to the curse of God.

But Jesus' death hath set us free
From sin and curse and penalty;
For us He purchased on the cross
A power to keep His righteous laws,

303

To bear His easy yoke, and prove
All His commands fulfill'd in love.

2697.

[Not by a legal righteousness]

But we believe that through the grace of the, &c. —xv. 11.

Not by a legal righteousness,
Or works ourselves have done,
But freely saved we are by grace
Through faith in Christ alone:
Our God is pleased to justify
Who in His Son believe;
And when we first on Him rely
The pardon we receive.

Through faith we then are saved by grace
From sin's oppressive power,
And pure in heart behold His face,
And God in Christ adore;
Through faith we claim His whole desert,
And in His image shine,
Created after His own heart
In holiness Divine.

The power of efficacious love
In each believing soul
Doth all remains of sin remove,
And sanctify the whole:
And thus prepared with God to live
We lay our bodies down,
And faith's triumphant end receive
In an immortal crown.

2698.

[Who Jesus revere]

Then all the multitude...gave audience to, &c. —xv. 12.

Who Jesus revere
To His servants give ear,
While we publish and show
The miraculous work of His mercy below;

304

His astonishing grace
To the reprobate race,
Who are saved and set free
By a sight of the Lamb, as He hangs on the tree.

They had nothing to plead,
Not a word, or a deed,
Not a truly good thought,
When His mercy appear'd with a pardon unsought.
They were strangers to God,
An heathenish crowd,
They had nothing to pay,
When He wash'd all their sins in a moment away.

Freely pardon'd they were,
And to sinners declare,
Who all evil have done
May with them be absolved by His mercy alone;
By believing in Him
Ever near to redeem
A poor desperate race,
And to save the whole world by His wonderful grace.

2699.

[Thee Jesus, and Thy church below]

I will return, and will build again the, &c. —xv. 16.

Thee Jesus, and Thy church below
In David and his house we see,
The souls which sin did once o'erthrow
Shall they not rise restored by Thee?
Surely Thou wilt Thy house repair,
And fix Thy constant presence there.

We look for our returning Lord
To raise the nations from their fall;
Thou wilt according to Thy word,
In pardoning grace appear to all,
Visit the whole apostate race,
And stir them up to seek Thy face.

305

The Heathens still Thy creatures are,
Blind children of a God unknown,
Thy work, their Maker's name they bear
Whose blood did for their sins atone;
And those who bear the Christian sign,
Heathens baptized, are doubly Thine.

Come then, and claim Thy property,
Thou Friend and lover of mankind,
Let every soul be found in Thee,
In Thee his great Restorer find,
That all our ransom'd world may own
The saving work is all Thine own!

2700.

[Nothing can escape Thine eye]

Known unto God are all His works from, &c. —xv. 18.

Nothing can escape Thine eye
Who at a single view
Past and future dost descry,
And all Thy works look through:
All Thy works at once are known,
And grasp'd by Thine immensity;
Present, past, to come are one
Eternal now with Thee!

All Thy other works are wrought
That Thy great work of grace
May be to perfection brought
In the peculiar race;
Stands the world for this alone,
That here prepared to reign with Thee,
Saints may soon ascend Thy throne,
And God for ever see!

2701.

[The authors of their flock's distress]

Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain, &c. —xv. 24.

The authors of their flock's distress
Wise pastors will forbear to name,

306

Yet openly their mind express
And all erroneous guides disclaim;
The faithful should the false deny,
Though of their own community,
The zealots blind who preach a lie,
And contradict our God's decree.

Full of a false misguided zeal
The genuine gospel they debase,
Greatly withstand the men who tell
Poor souls that they are saved by grace:
Poor souls unsettled they subvert,
And from the gospel hope remove;
And nothing can repair the hurt
But true, Divine, enlighten'd love.

2702.

[Happy church when all are join'd]

It seemed good unto us, being assembled with, &c. —xv. 25.

Happy church when all are join'd
In one spirit, heart, and mind,
In the truth's defence agree,
In the bond of charity
All at Jesus' glory aim,
All rejoice to speak the same!

None affects dominion there,
Challenges the' unerring chair;
None the hoodwink'd people guides,
Magisterially decides,
Bids the rest submit to him
Judge infallible, supreme.

On the common good intent
All conspire with one consent
Peace and concord to restore,
Saints aspire to nothing more;
Only seek by this to prove
Jesus and His church they love.

307

2703.

[Unworthy of the ministry]

Men that have hazarded their lives for the, &c. —xv. 26.

Unworthy of the ministry
Most unqualified is he
Who doth not life despise,
For Jesus and His church below,
And freely to the mountain go
Where his Redeemer dies.

Jesus, if Thou my Master art,
Bless me with the martyr's heart,
The ministerial grace;
I then Thy ready servant am,
And all the virtues of Thy name
In life and death confess.

2704.

[Who then shall needless things impose]

It seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, &c. —xv. 28.

Who then shall needless things impose
Their own authority to prove,
Or make new laws to govern those
That, subject to their Saviour's love,
Deny the Antichristian claim,
And bow to none but Jesus' name?

Authority in things Divine
Belongs to God and God alone:
Whate'er His oracles enjoin
Our only rule of life we own:
And rulers by His power are seal'd
To see the laws of Christ fulfill'd.

2705.

[The solemn interdict of blood]

Abstain...from blood. —xv. 29.

The solemn interdict of blood
(In honour of the blood Divine
Which life on all mankind bestow'd)
The Spirit did Himself enjoin;

308

The church by His direction led
With cordial unanimity
The' original command obey'd,
And ratified their Lord's decree.

From Noah's down to Moses' days
From Moses to our God reveal'd,
Beyond the apostolic race
The law continued unrepeal'd;
After a length of ages pass'd
Who then so greatly could presume
To cancel the decree at last?
The man of sin that reigns at Rome.

2706.

[Let teachers false their sentence close]

From which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall, &c. —xv. 29.

Let teachers false their sentence close
With dire anathemas and woes,
Let the fierce partisans of Rome
To death and sure damnation doom;
The' apostles of the Lamb we see
With love confirm their mild decree;
Love is the truth's authentic seal,
And bids obedient souls Farewell.

2707.

[If one concise epistle read]

When they had read, they rejoiced for the, &c. —xv. 31.

If one concise epistle read
Did such abundant comfort give,
Such mighty joy administer'd,
What may we not from all receive
By the inspiring Spirit given
That saints on earth may reign in heaven!

The sacred book on man bestow'd
But one Divine epistle is,
Which teaches the whole mind of God,
Which fills our hearts with heavenly bliss,

309

And makes unto salvation wise,
And gives us thrones above the skies.

2708.

[Jesus our Desire and Hope]

Judas and Silas, being prophets also, &c. —xv. 32.

Jesus our Desire and Hope,
All Thy church's wants supply,
Raise Thy preaching servants up,
Send them forth to prophesy,
Fill their mouths with words of grace,
Fill their lives with righteousness.

Taught to teach Thy people here
By the unction from above,
Blessings let them minister,
Build us up in faith and love,
Execute Thy saving plan,
Bring us to a perfect man.

2709.

[God to apostolic men]

They were let go in peace: notwithstanding, &c. —xv. 33, 34.

God to apostolic men
An holy freedom leaves,
By some secret way unseen
The true direction gives:
Oft His servant's heart inclines
To that or this distinguish'd place,
Answers thus His own designs,
And manifests His grace.

2710.

[Dispensers of the gospel grace]

Let us go again and visit our brethren in, &c. —xv. 36.

Dispensers of the gospel grace
Visit their flock in every place,
The state of each to see;
To water what their hands had sow'd,
And mark their children's growth in good,
In faith, and charity.

310

The church engrosses all their care;
Anxious how every soul may fare
They every soul attend,
From place to place unwearied go,
Till all their faithful toils below
In rest eternal end.

2711.

[Deserters willing to come back]

Barnabas determined to take with them John, &c. —xv. 37.

Deserters willing to come back
We should like Barnabas receive,
And yet of Paul example take
Nor fugitives uncensured leave,
Lest others should embolden'd be
As hirelings from the flock to flee.

'Tis not a slight offence to start
And quit the post by heaven assign'd;
If once from Jesus I depart,
And cast the care of souls behind,
Whoe'er the penitent receive,
I never can myself forgive.

2712.

[Why were they left to disagree?]

The contention was so sharp between them, &c. —xv. 39.

Why were they left to disagree?
Not to encourage sin,
Or prove the' impossibility
Of constant peace within;
Not to confirm the daring lie
'Gainst Christ the Finisher,
Or countenance the men who cry
“There's no perfection here.”

The fault, if fault indeed there was,
In one apostle stood,
Eagerly partial in the cause
Of his own flesh and blood:

311

And God to teach us watchfulness
Let the sharp contest rise,
That we may pray, and never cease
Till harbour'd in the skies.

Saviour, by Thy permissive will
The fellow-labourers part
The gracious counsels to fulfil
Of Thy most loving heart;
They part to' advance the work Divine,
To spread Thy victory,
And by the separation join
Ten thousand more to Thee.

2713.

[The pastor when his flock he leaves]

Paul...departed, being recommended, &c. —xv. 40.

The pastor when his flock he leaves,
A parting benediction gives;
The flock his prosperous labours shares,
And helps the pastor by their prayers,
His fatherly concern approve
With piety of filial love.

To God each other they commend,
And showers of grace on both descend;
In body for a while they part,
Inseparable still in heart;
To earth's remotest corners driven,
They part below to meet in heaven.

2714.

[He lost his ancient colleague's aid]

He went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming, &c. —xv. 41.

He lost his ancient colleague's aid,
But Jesus left him not alone,
Himself with His apostle stay'd,
His all-sufficient grace made known;
And lo, with double power endow'd
He flies to build the church of God.

312

Lord of the gospel-harvest, give
Such labourers now Thy church to raise,
That saints entirely Thine may live,
Stablish'd in truth and righteousness,
Strong in the faith which cannot move,
Sunk in the lowest depths of love.

CHAPTER XVI.

2715.

[Who seeks the souls of men]

Him would Paul have to go forth with him, &c. —xvi. 3.

Who seeks the souls of men
Above all earthly views,
A fellow-labourer to gain
Will no occasion lose:
If Providence present
A man to preach the word,
He marks the chosen instrument,
And claims him for his Lord.

2716.

[The pastor good and wise]

And took and circumcised him because of the, &c. —xvi. 3.

The pastor good and wise
Doth hindrances remove,
And every just expedient tries
Of condescending love.
He gives his freedom up
(Yet pure from guile or sin)
All things becomes to all, in hope
Some precious souls to win.

2717.

[Free from self-exalting pride]

As they went through the cities they delivered, &c. —xvi. 4.

Free from self-exalting pride,
They their associates own,

313

Would not, though inspired, decide
And rule the church alone:
Elders with themselves they join'd,
Allow'd the meanest saint his part,
All who had the Spirit's mind,
And knew the Saviour's heart.

Thus from error's endless maze
The faithful we secure,
Teaching them the ancient ways
We make their footsteps sure;
To the saints where'er we go
The apostolic laws we give;
Walking by this rule, they know
The life that angels live.

2718.

[Master of His own word and grace]

They were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach, &c. —xvi. 6.

Master of His own word and grace,
The Lord is wise in all His ways,
And knows His own design;
His gospel sends where'er He will,
The sovereign purpose to fulfil
Of purest love Divine.

His counsellors we cannot be,
The motives of His actions see,
The reasons comprehend;
But should with silent awe adore,
Nor pry into His choice before
Our faith in vision end.

He now instructs us to receive
The gifts which He vouchsafes to give,
With humblest thanks and praise;

314

For if we claim them as our right,
We force Him to withdraw the light,
And to revoke the grace.

2719.

[Highly favour'd them we call]

From Troas, we came...to Samothracia, &c. —xvi. 11, 12.

Highly favour'd them we call
Who the apostle heard,
While an holy preaching Paul
The joyful news declared;
We even we may now obtain
The grace as often as we will,
Read the words he utter'd then,
And hear him preaching still.

With Divine instructions fraught
We his epistles see,
Learn the heavenly truth he taught,
And taste the liberty:
Oh would all the truth embrace,
The welcome news with us receive,
Justified by Jesu's grace,
And saved, for ever live!

2720.

[Each precious opportunity]

We went out of the city by a river side, &c. —xvi. 13.

Each precious opportunity
A zealous minister improves,
To publish grace divinely free,
To preach the Man who sinners loves,
Sinners with open arms receives,
And grace to every beggar gives.

2721.

[Women, excused from public care]

Women, excused from public care,
Design'd for nobler service seem;

315

God gives them time in frequent prayer,
His handmaids to attend on Him;
And more to piety inclined
We always see the gentler kind.

Women we own the foremost still
Where stated prayer is made to' appear,
They first the place of worship fill,
They first the joyful tidings hear,
The welcome messengers receive,
And patterns to the faithful live.

2722.

[By prayer disposed to hear the word]

A certain woman...which worshipped God, &c. —xvi. 14.

By prayer disposed to hear the word
Which did the saving faith convey,
She readily received her Lord;
But He inclined her heart to pray,
And carried on the work begun,
And made His pardoning mercy known.

The Lord whoever truly hears,
Sincere in an imperfect state,
Least of His outward worshippers,
Earnest for farther light to wait,
The gospel-light shall clearly see,
And feel “The Saviour died for me.”

2723.

[To me, almighty Saviour, give]

Whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended, &c. —xvi. 14.

To me, almighty Saviour, give
Thy servant's sayings to receive,
The true simplicity impart,
The nobleness of Lydia's heart:
Of every heart Thou hast the key,
Command that mine may yield to Thee,
May hear Thy whisper in Thy word,
And opening now admit its Lord.

316

2724.

[Her house is open'd with her heart]

She besought us saying, If ye have judged, &c. —xvi. 15.

Her house is open'd with her heart,
Soon as Jesus doth impart
The faith that works by love:
And still whoe'er in Him believe,
Their Saviour's messengers receive
As angels from above.

2725.

[The nations dark who long beguiled]

A certain damsel possessed with a spirit, &c. —xvi. 16.

The nations dark who long beguiled,
Till silenced by that Hebrew child
And banish'd from his Delphic fane,
Returns to mock the world again,
The curious fools that still presume
And pry into the things to come,
The oracles of God despise,
But trust in hell's ambiguous lies.

2726.

[Partly false and partly true]

She cried, These men are the servants of the, &c. —xvi. 17.

Partly false and partly true
Is Satan's oracle:
No salvation is for you
Apostate spirits of hell;
Christ the Way, ye lying fiends,
To men, and not to you we show;
Kept for pain that never ends
Your dreadful doom ye know.

Servants of the Lord Most-High
No other voucher need;
Commendations we defy
Which from your mouth proceed;
Praise abhorr'd cannot ensnare;
With you all commerce we disclaim,
Who the way to heaven declare
The faith in Jesus' name.

317

2727.

[Paul exorcised the maid possess'd]

Paul...said,...I command thee...to come out of, &c. —xvi. 18.

Paul exorcised the maid possess'd,
And Satan chased out of her breast;
But now the wiser world's afraid
To ruin the diviner's trade;
You, who the laws of God repeal,
Permit the fiend in souls to dwell;
And much the superstitious doubt
If all your “Acts” could cast him out.

2728.

[The' accursed love of money leads]

When her masters saw that the hope, &c. —xvi. 19.

The' accursed love of money leads
The haters of our Lord
To all unjust and cruel deeds
'Gainst us who preach His word;
Who hinder your dishonest gains
Ye would not have us live,
And while your thirst of gold remains
Ye never can forgive.

2729.

[Disturbers of the public peace]

These men ...do exceedingly trouble our, &c. —xvi. 20, 21.

Disturbers of the public peace,
We do indeed molest
Poor souls who dwell in sinful ease,
And will not let them rest;
Truths which the world could never bear,
We openly avow,
Pardon in Jesus' blood declare—
And all may feel it now!

2730.

[The tools of bad revengeful men]

And the multitude rose up together against, &c. —xvi. 22.

The tools of bad revengeful men
Even Christian magistrates will be,
Unless they steadily maintain
Their place, and sacred dignity,

318

All things with calmest caution prove,
And truth revere, and justice love.

The world did thus Thy saints entreat
Of whom the world unworthy was!
And still they seize, and tear, and beat
The zealous champions of Thy cause,
Rabble and rulers join to shame
The confessors of Jesus' name.

2731.

[Thy servants, Lord, in every age]

When they had laid many stripes upon them, &c. —xvi. 23.

Thy servants, Lord, in every age
The' afflictions of the gospel share,
And midst the persecutors' rage
Thy name among the Gentiles bear;
Answer their ministerial call,
All conquering, by enduring all.

2732.

[Number'd with the transgressors see]

Thrust them into the inner prison, &c. —xvi. 24.

Number'd with the transgressors see
The faithful followers of the Lamb!
Partakers of His infamy
They glory in the sacred shame,
His bonds and stripes with joy abide,
And bow to Jesus crucified.

How beautiful their feet appear,
When fetter'd for their Saviour's sake!
His people's Strength and Comforter
Doth on Himself their burden take;
And in the dungeon's deepest gloom
Their joy is full, their Light is come!

2733.

[The person sanctifies the place]

And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, &c. —xvi. 25.

The person sanctifies the place;
The prison where a saint's confined

319

Becomes a house of prayer and praise,
Where angels and archangels join'd
Extol the grace to sinners given,
In presence of their Lord from heaven.

In hunger, weariness, and pain,
Cover'd with stripes and streaming blood,
In chains and stocks behold the men!
The friends and confessors of God!
As pure, impassive spirits they rest,
With glorious joy supremely bless'd.

Their prayer calls down the' eternal King,
And conscious of the answer'd prayer
Like seraphs on their thrones they sing,
Beatified—for Christ is there!
Sorrow before His presence flies,
And heaven is darted from His eyes.

2734.

[They heard the strange unwonted sound]

And the prisoners heard them. &c. —xvi. 25.

They heard the strange unwonted sound
Of joy enhanced by smart and woe,
Of liberty in fetters found:
The voice of saints who Jesus know,
Which comforts every soul that mourns,
And dungeons into temples turns.

They heard the voice so rarely heard
By wretches poor in bonds confined,
The voice which spake their God prepared
Imprison'd spirits to unbind,
Out of their sinful sleep to raise,
And fill their hearts with prayer and praise.

2735.

[In suffering saints when Jesus cries]

And suddenly there was a great earthquake, &c. —xvi. 26.

In suffering saints when Jesus cries
The prayer by mighty signs is seal'd;

320

It brings deliverance from the skies,
It shows Jehovah's arm reveal'd,
The earth from its foundations shakes,
And sinners dead in sin awakes.

Nor earth nor hell its power withstands,
Open it throws the prison doors,
It looses every captive's bands
Their souls to liberty restores,
While all confess the pardoning God,
And feel redemption in His blood.

2736.

[As soon as suffering saints require]

The keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep. —xvi. 27.

As soon as suffering saints require
That Jesus may their foes forgive,
He satisfies His own desire,
He bids the persecutors live,
And lo the vilest wretch and worst
Find mercy and salvation first.

What but the power which wakes the dead
Could reach a stubborn gaoler's heart,
In cruelty and rapine bred,
Who took the ancient murderer's part?
Could make a harden'd ruffian feel,
And shake him o'er the mouth of hell?

2737.

[Urged by his old infernal lord]

He drew out his sword, and would have killed, &c. —xvi. 27.

Urged by his old infernal lord,
Who fear'd to lose his lawful prey,
He draws the self-destroyer's sword
Body and soul at once to slay,
Nor knows the End of sin and fear,
His true eternal Life was near.

321

2738.

[He sees him with the Saviour's eyes]

But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, &c. —xvi. 28.

He sees him with the Saviour's eyes,
(Eyes that in thickest darkness see,)
In vehemence of affection cries,
As taught by Jesus on the tree,
Evil to recompense with good,
And save the foes who shed his blood.

2739.

[The sufferers who His name confess]

He...fell down before Paul and Silas. —xvi. 29.

The sufferers who His name confess
God amply recompenses here:
The chosen vessels of His grace
He calls them forth to minister
That Spirit which from Jesus flows,
And uses them to save their foes.

2740.

[Saved from the present guilt they feel]

What must I do to be saved? —xvi. 30.

Saved from the present guilt they feel,
Saved from the future wrath they dread,
Lost sinners sinking into hell
With all their crimes upon their head,
Pardon and holiness may claim,
And heaven through faith in Jesus' name.

2741.

[Must I not do all I can?]

Must I not do all I can?
Yes; and own the labour vain,
Feel my utter helplessness,
Feel salvation is of grace:
When I have my utmost done,
Lord, I look to Thee alone,
Help my unbelief, or I
Must with all my doings die.

2742.

[Author of our sure salvation]

What must I do to be saved?...Believe, &c. —xvi. 30, 31.

Author of our sure salvation,
Author of our faith Thou art,

322

Call me out of condemnation,
Sprinkle with Thy blood my heart,
Give the faith that moves the mountain,
Pardon'd, saved by faith alone,
Lead me through that open fountain
To Thine everlasting throne.

2743.

[O that I could but act on Thee]

O that I could but act on Thee
One simple act of faith Divine!
Saviour I then from sin set free
Should truly call Thy fulness mine:
Believing through Thy grace alone
My pardon truly I receive;
And if I once Thy love have known,
Redeem'd I may for ever live.

O help my unbelieving heart
To pant, and break, and struggle through;
Till Thou the faithful power impart,
Thou know'st I know not what to do;
I only can of Thee inquire
What must I do to' escape from sin?
Answer; fulfil Thine own desire,
And cleanse my heart by entering in.

Fast bound in chains of hellish night,
I still for full redemption groan;
Arise, Thou everlasting Light,
And send a ray of glory down,
Emit that emanation pure
Which only can my griefs remove,
My fears disperse, my evils cure,
And tell my soul that God is love.

323

2744.

[Alas, what shall, or can I do]

Alas, what shall, or can I do
But what I have already done?
My labour vain again renew,
My search after a God unknown?
Were there a mean 'twixt heaven and hell,
I could my anxious hopes forego:
But if with God I cannot dwell,
I must with fiends in endless woe.

What must I do? who hears my heart,
God, the incarnate God reply,
And save me through His own desert
Before the second death I die;
Through faith in His atoning blood
Which purges all iniquity,
Which for a world of sinners flow'd,
Mercy there is reserved for me.

2745.

[All, except the children? No]

Thou shalt be saved, and thy house. —xvi. 31.

All, except the children? No:
Them the Lord will not accept
Members of His church below,
For His heavenly kingdom kept.
Who would helpless infants wrong?
Through the consecrating blood
Infants all to Christ belong,
Infants all are dear to God.

2746.

[Happy prisoner of the Lord]

They spake unto him the word of the Lord, &c. —xvi. 32.

Happy prisoner of the Lord
Who his persecutors wins,
Souls redeems through Jesus' word,
Sinners looses from their sins!
Paid for all his toil and pain,
Minister of saving love,

324

Greater joy he cannot gain
Till he finds his place above.

2747.

[Faith cannot unfruitful prove]

And he took them the same hour of the, &c. —xvi. 33.

Faith cannot unfruitful prove,
Cannot its effects defer:
Well he might return their love,
Wash their stripes with grateful care.
They with greater tenderness
Pour'd the balm into his soul,
Minister'd the gospel grace,
Made his wounded spirit whole.

While their host with loving zeal
Kindly doth his patients tend,
Would they not of Jesus tell,
Point him to his dearest Friend?
Lo; the Crucified appears,
See, the bleeding tokens see!
Sinner wash them with thy tears,
Kiss the stripes He bore for thee!

2748.

[It cannot be a house of woe]

He...rejoiced, believing in God with all his, &c. —xvi. 34.

It cannot be a house of woe
Where souls their dear Redeemer know,
And glory in His love:
Partakers of the life Divine,
With joy unspeakable they join
The family above.

O that in every house there were
A church who could their Lord declare,
And saved by grace alone
Rejoice with joy of faith sincere,
Till confident we all appear
Before the' eternal throne!

325

2749.

[The Lord our persecutors knows]

The magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, &c. —xvi. 35.

The Lord our persecutors knows,
And can convince of sin
Our bloodiest, most remorseless foes,
By secret checks within;
Make them reverse the judgment rash,
The force of conscience find,
And smart beneath the torturing lash
Of their own guilty mind.

We, and the men whose wrath we feel,
Are in the Saviour's hand;
And all the powers of earth and hell
Must stoop to His command:
If He their enmity suspends,
Or bids their malice cease,
Our foes themselves become our friends
And bid us go in peace.

2750.

[He would not urge the plea before]

But Paul said unto them, They have beaten, &c. —xvi. 37.

He would not urge the plea before
To' avoid his Saviour's pain and shame,
But cheerfully the scourging bore,
For Jesus had endured the same,
And bade His patient followers rise
In all His footsteps to the skies.

He pleads his privilege at last,
And puts his conscious foes in fear
That Heathens when their rage was pass'd,
Might injured innocency clear,
And magistrates themselves confess
The troublers of the public peace.

A Christian innocently may
Insist on his external right,

326

Nor yet through fear the truth betray,
Or shamefully decline the fight,
Or hope, engaged in Jesus' cause,
To gain the crown without the cross.

The world in every age the same,
Will never wait our cause to know:
To us who teach the slaughter'd Lamb
No mercy or remorse they show;
All laws and justice they defy,
And execute before they try.

2751.

[They would not obstinate appear]

They went out of the prison, and entered, &c. —xvi. 40.

They would not obstinate appear,
Or warmly their advantage press,
As far from anger as from fear,
At peace with enemies to peace;
Departing at their foes' request,
A testimony sure they leave
In every persecutor's breast
That Christians can like Christ forgive.

2752.

[Never weary of well doing]

And entered into the house of Lydia: and, &c. —xvi. 40.

Never weary of well doing,
Never faint with braving ill,
Jesus' saints their work pursuing,
Faithful and laborious still,
Share the mighty consolation
With their sympathising friends,
Largest earnest of salvation,
Glorious joy that never ends.

Give us Lord like them to' inherit
Thy benevolence of mind,
Peace and quietness of spirit,
Fervent love and unconfined,

327

Arm us with Thy perfect patience
Till we have the world o'ercome,
Pass'd through all our tribulations,
Reach'd our everlasting home.

CHAPTER XVII.

2753.

[His manner was, when it could be]

Paul, as his manner was, went in unto, &c. —xvii. 2.

His manner was, when it could be,
Their rules and orders to maintain,
Friend of external decency,
Jesus he preach'd, the Life of man,
First at the wonted time and place,
And then to all the ransom'd race.

2754.

[Reason he did not cast aside]

He reasoned with them out of the scriptures, &c. —xvii. 2, 3.

Reason he did not cast aside
As a vain gift on man bestow'd,
Nor deem'd it a sufficient guide
To' interpret all the mind of God,
But rightly used its glimmering ray
Which show'd the need of brighter day.

Discoursing from the written word,
Strong arguments of Christ he gave,
Dead, and again to life restored,
By both a sinful world to save:
He died for all your sins to' atone,
And raised, He draws you to His throne.

Preachers of Christ, His death we prove
The' accomplishment of His decree:
That strange necessity of love
Humbled and nail'd Him to the tree:

328

Yet urge, evince, and testify
That God, or all mankind must die.

His death the prophecies fulfill'd,
And laid the general ransom down,
The promises His rising seal'd,
Ensuring man's immortal crown:
And Jesus whom we preach, is He
The Christ that died and rose for thee.

2755.

[Added to the chosen seed]

And some of them believed, and consorted, &c. —xvii. 4.

Added to the chosen seed
The moment we believe,
All who truly hold the Head
Will to the members cleave:
Many, Lord, yet one in Thee,
(If Thou our common Saviour art,)
From each other's company
Nor life nor death can part.

2756.

[Grace doth not the rich prefer]

And of the chief women not a few. —xvii. 4.

Grace doth not the rich prefer,
Doth not the rich refuse;
Saved alike by Christ they are
If all for Him they use;
If for Him they all forsake,
Jesus declares their pardon sure,
Raises, and vouchsafes to make
Them equal to the poor.

2757.

[Satan his zealous servants hath]

The Jews which believed not, moved with, &c. —xvii. 5.

Satan his zealous servants hath,
And doth as champions send
Strangers and enemies of faith
His kingdom to defend:

329

The vulgar great provoke the small,
The people's lowest lee
Is stirr'd by their allies, and all
In Satan's work agree.

Eager to see the men suppress'd
Who point us to that blood,
They rouse the many-headed beast,
The frantic multitude;
With drunken rioters engage
To prop their master's cause,
And by a lawless rabble's rage
Supply defective laws.

The city they with uproar fill
With blasphemies and fears,
Assault that they may seize and kill
The hated messengers.
Servants of Christ, your calling see!
By all abused, abhorr'd,
In life and death His followers be,
And triumph with your Lord.

2758.

[Christ's little flock who vex and tear]

These that have turned the world upside, &c. —xvii. 6.

Christ's little flock who vex and tear
The troublers of our Israel are,
The restless foes to peace;
They set the city in a blaze,
And then a furious outcry raise
'Gainst us incendiaries!

The sons of violence misuse,
And then as rioters accuse
The quiet in the land:

330

The difference plain 'twixt wrong and right,
Falsehood and truth, and day and night,
They will not understand.

The Lamb, they say, disturbs the stream,
The world confounded is by them
Who its confusions end:
Yet still “Away with them,” they cry,
“The Christians burn, or crucify,
Or to the lions send.

“Discord they bring, and civil strife,
Poison the sweets of private life:
Our ways as folly shun,
Against our rules and customs go,
And all our maxims wise o'erthrow,
And turn us upside down.

“The rich they set below the poor;
Pleasure renounce, and mirth abjure,
Obstruct and ruin trade;
Order and government invert,
Their baleful influence exert,
And make the world run mad.”

The world which lies in wickedness,
To interrupt their hellish peace
With loving zeal we try:
Sinners alarm'd, where'er we come
We warn of their impending doom,
Ye must repent or die.

Soon as in you the word takes place,
Renew'd, transform'd by saving grace,
Ye former things forget;

331

The change throughout your lives is shown,
The world out of your hearts is thrown,
And cast beneath your feet.

Preferr'd to those that seem'd the best,
The worst of men with pardon bless'd
Superior honours gain;
Poor beggars into princes rise,
Look down on kings, this earth despise,
And one with Jesus reign.

2759.

[Yes; another King we own]

Saying...there is another king, one Jesus. —xvii. 7.

Yes; another King we own,
Him the sovereign Lord maintain:
Raised, upheld by Him alone,
Earthly potentates, ye reign:
We by His authority
Cæsar's due to Cæsar give,
Subjected to man's decree,
Subjected to Jesus live.

Clothed with majesty Divine
We the King of kings adore,
All our hearts to Him resign,
Ruled by love's resistless power:
What His kingdom is we know,
Who our Lord's afflictions bear;
Reigning by His cross below
We His heavenly throne shall share.

2760.

[Moved by every wind the sea]

They troubled the people and the rulers. —xvii. 8.

Moved by every wind the sea,
Soon the multitude is stirr'd,
Soon the world incensed may be
'Gainst the servants of our Lord:

332

Mob and magistrates are join'd
On the messengers to fall;
Then the strength of God we find,
Then through Christ we conquer all.

2761.

[Who always took His people's part]

When they had taken security of Jason, &c. —xvii. 9.

Who always took His people's part,
He interposes still,
Jesus, that made the human heart,
And turns it at His will.
Rulers, if He permits, oppress;
Or just compassion show,
As friends of equity and peace
They let His prisoners go.

2762.

[Who trust in His protecting grace]

The brethren immediately sent away Paul, &c. —xvii. 10.

Who trust in His protecting grace,
Nor rash nor negligent,
We use the common means and ways
For our deliverance sent:
Through love and honour of the cross,
The stewards of His word
We dare not prejudice the cause
And interest of our Lord.

Labouring till all our work is done
The middle course we steer,
With equal care and caution shun
Audaciousness and fear:
We neither humble nor presume,
Prepared to stand or fly:
But when the joyful hour is come
We get us up, and die.

333

2763.

[Can we in unbelievers find]

These were more noble...in that they, &c. —xvii. 11, 12.

Can we in unbelievers find
That noble readiness of mind
To hear, investigate, and prove
The truth of Jesus' pardoning love?
Yes, Lord; through Thy preventing grace,
There are who cordially embrace
The joyful news of sins forgiven,
With God Himself sent down from heaven.

Up from the sleep of nature stirr'd,
They daily search Thy written word,
Inquiring if these things be so,
To Thine own oracles they go:
Thine oracles the answer give,
And willing multitudes believe
The gospel by Thy Spirit seal'd,
And find Thy glorious Self reveal'd.

What then are they that dare forbid
The unconvinced Thy book to read,
Who take the sacred key away,
Damp their desire to search and pray,
Conceal Thy records from their view,
“The Scriptures were not wrote for you:
Accept your more unerring guide,
The church, the Catholics—the bride!”

Turn, sinners, turn from such away,
And rather God than man obey,
The Scriptures search both day and night,
And try if what ye hear be right;
Put forth your grain of gracious power,
(Your use of that shall bring ye more,)
Till the true Light Himself impart,
And breathes the Witness in your heart

334

2764.

[Women in days of old]

Many of the honourable women believed. —xvii. 12.

Women in days of old
Did Jesus' flock increase,
The fearful sex were bold
Their Saviour to confess,
And gladly sacrificed their fame;
And gloried in the Christian name.

Who bare the title then
Of high or low degree,
Exposed to grief and pain
And loss and infamy,
Were call'd the fiery test to' abide,
And shame, and bonds, and death defied.

'Tis not the name, but thing,
But truth of Christian grace
Doth now the scandal bring
On the anointed race:
But who will sell their character,
And Jesus' love to life prefer?

Not many rich and great
And honourable now
Renounce their pride and state,
Or dare to Jesus bow;
Women of rank the cross disclaim,
And lose their souls to save their fame.

2765.

[O how restless is the foe]

When the Jews...had knowledge that the, &c. —xvii. 13.

O how restless is the foe
Jesus' kingdom to o'erthrow!
Fill'd with diabolic zeal,
All the messengers of hell
Labour on and never cease
True religion to suppress.

335

Shall not we as zealous prove
Publishers of Jesu's love,
Spread the savour of His grace,
Scatter life in every place,
Dare the world's and Satan's frown,
Turn his kingdom upside down?

2766.

[True love will readily give place]

Immediately the brethren sent away Paul. —xvii. 14.

True love will readily give place,
True wisdom counts it no disgrace
From violent rage to fly;
To fly, and spare the guilt of those
Who truth maliciously oppose
And fight with the Most-High.

Our persecuting foes to shun
From city we to city run,
Yet still 'tis all our aim
Our suffering Master to confess,
And Christ the universal Peace
Throughout the world proclaim.

2767.

[An envious, proud, and selfish man]

Receiving a commandment unto Silas, &c. —xvii. 15.

An envious, proud, and selfish man,
Will partners in his work disdain,
But holy humble Paul
The gospel everywhere to spread,
Doth faithful fellow-labourers need,
And asks the help of all.

2768.

[Where can we now a city see]

He saw the city wholly given to idolatry. —xvii. 16.

Where can we now a city see
Not given to idolatry?
Altars the world to idols raise,
To Pleasure, Power, and Wealth, and Praise;

336

Whate'er they fear, desire, esteem
Is a false deity to them:
But few the' almighty Jesus own,
The God supreme,—the God unknown!

A zealous servant of the Lord
Will surely feel his spirit stirr'd,
With zeal and just abhorrence moved
To see the creature served and loved:
Set up in their Creator's place
By a poor blind apostate race,
By all the superstitious crowd
Who self and pride prefer to God.

2769.

[Pure apostolic zeal]

Therefore disputed he in the synagogue, &c. —xvii. 17.

Pure apostolic zeal
Cannot inactive lie;
A preacher will his message tell
Whoe'er the truth deny;
He must the tidings spread
In synagogues and streets,
And Jesus risen from the dead
Proclaim to all he meets.

2770.

[Zeno and his followers still]

Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, &c. —xvii. 18.

Zeno and his followers still
With Epicurus join,
Men that their own lusts fulfil,
And live the life of swine;
God they think resembles them,
His providential care deny,
Pleasure count their good supreme,
And wish like beasts to die.

Stoics with the sons of ease
Can against Christ agree,

337

Christen'd sages, who confess
A blind fatality;
Swollen with pride and self-regard
On vice they scornfully look down;
“Virtue is its own reward,
And wants no other crown.”

Both the clashing sects unite:
Yet still the gospel spread
Brings immortal life to light
With our reviving Head;
Vice, and virtuous pride confounds,
Rejects our filthy righteousness,
Sends us lost to Jesus' wounds,
And saves the world by grace.

2771.

[Men of philosophic pride]

What will this babbler say? —xvii. 18.

Men of philosophic pride,
Fond of themselves alone,
Blindly censure and deride
The things they have not known;
Wisdom in a mystery
To Greeks it always folly was,
God expiring on a tree
To save us by His cross!

2772.

[Yes; ye all may comprehend]

May we know what this new doctrine, &c. —xvii. 19.

Yes; ye all may comprehend
This doctrine strange yet true:
God did from His throne descend,
And tasted death for you:
Conqueror of the grave, He rose
To prove a sinful world forgiven,
Pardon purchased for His foes,
And purity and heaven.

338

This the doctrine new receive
By our first father known:
In the Second Man believe,
And live through faith alone,
Life the glorious gospel brings,
Through that atoning blood applied,
Lifts you into priests and kings,
And seats you by His side.

2773.

[Christ presenting to their view]

Thou bringest certain strange things to, &c. —xvii. 20.

Christ presenting to their view
Their resurrection here,
Setters forth of doctrines new
We to the wise appear:
Things astonishing we tell
By vain philosophy untaught,
Love incomprehensible,
And souls redeem'd for nought!

The stupendous things of God
To guilty man we show,
Testify the grace bestow'd
Which every soul may know;
News we bring of cancell'd sin
From Him, whose love is unconfined,
Nothing can His mercy mean
But life—for all mankind!

2774.

[Modern Athenians, hear]

All the Athenians...spent their time in, &c. —xvii. 21.

Modern Athenians, hear
Your worthless character,
Unprofitable men,
Who seem to live—in vain,
Dissolved in academic ease,
In learned luxurious idleness.

339

In worse than childish play
Ye lounge your time away;
Your talents misemploy'd,
Your life a useless void,
As God who did your being give
Design'd you for yourselves to live.

Inquisitive to know
The trifling things below,
The things ye will not learn
Which precious souls concern,
Ensure your real happiness,
And seal your everlasting peace.

Yet here your curious pride
Is never satisfied,
Who restlessly pursue
On earth amusements new,
Till gasping out your idle breath
Ye feel the novelties beneath.

2775.

[Paul in its strongest fortress here]

Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, &c. —xvii. 22.

Paul in its strongest fortress here
The wisdom of the world assails:
Arm'd with the Truth he cannot fear,
The great Essential Truth prevails,
And one to Power almighty join'd
Is sure to conquer all mankind.

2776.

[Thy poor external worshipper]

I found an altar with this inscription, &c. —xvii. 23.

Thy poor external worshipper,
My poverty I own,
With trembling hands an altar rear
As to the God unknown!

340

Left by a God who hides His face,
And seemingly forgot,
I own in darkness and distress
That now I know Thee not.

Yet drawn by Thine alluring grace
Still after Thee I feel,
And worship toward the holy place,
And seek the' Invisible;
I follow on and cannot rest
Till I my Maker see,
And with His special presence bless'd
Perceive my God in me.

Wilt Thou not soon display Thy heart
In Jesus reconciled,
Thy servant graciously convert
Into a loving child?
Father, Thy Deity declare
In Jesus Christ reveal'd,
Acknowledge Thine undoubted heir,
An heir of glory seal'd.

2777.

[Ye sprinkled Heathen hear]

Whom...ye ignorantly worship, Him, &c. —xvii. 23, 24.

Ye sprinkled Heathen hear,
Who urged by fear alone
Your superstitious altars rear
Unto the God unknown:
Him I to you proclaim
The sovereign Lord Most-High,
Who built this universal frame,
And reigns above the sky.

One only Shrine He had
Where once on earth He dwelt,

341

When God was flesh for sinners made,
And seen, and heard, and felt:
Substantially reveal'd
In Christ the Father shone,
His fulness then the Temple fill'd,
The body of His Son.

2778.

[Can the great God His creatures need?]

Neither is worshipped with men's hands, &c. —xvii. 25.

Can the great God His creatures need?
His creature doth from Him proceed
Who life, and breath, and all things gives;
Him when we worship, serve, and praise,
In love and condescending grace
His majesty its own receives.

Him self-sufficient and alone,
Fountain of every good we own,
And humbly rendering Him His right
Our spirits at His footstool lay,
Our prostrate adoration pay,
And sink to nothing in His sight!

2779.

[We all are sprung from Adam's line]

And hath made of one blood all nations, &c. —xvii. 26.

We all are sprung from Adam's line,
The workmanship of Love Divine,
Who doth His family disperse;
God all our motions regulates,
The time of our duration sets,
And spreads us o'er the universe:
Nothing to fate or chance He leaves;
The nation's bounds to each He gives,
To each assigns their measured land;
Rivers their course appointed know,
And seas by His direction flow,
And everlasting mountains stand.

342

2780.

[Be it to every nation known]

That they should seek the Lord, if haply, &c. —xvii. 27.

Be it to every nation known,
On earth we live for this alone,
To seek the Lord who placed us here;
By reason's feeble aid to feel
After the great Invisible,
If haply we may find Him near.

We may in all the creatures find
The proofs of an Eternal Mind,
Of Power and Wisdom from above:
But when His Spirit He imparts,
We feel our Maker in our hearts,
And know that God in Christ is love.

2781.

[Far off we need not rove]

Though He be not far from every one, &c. —xvii. 27, 28.

Far off we need not rove
To find the God of love,
In His providential care
Ever intimately near,
All His various works declare
God, the bounteous God, is here!

We live, and move, and are
Through His preserving care;
He doth still in life maintain
Every soul that moves and lives;
Gives us back our breath again,
Being every moment gives.

Who live O God in Thee,
Entirely Thine should be:
Thine we are a heaven-born race,
Only to Thy glory move,
Thee with all our powers we praise,
Thee with all our being love.

343

2782.

[Father, Thine offspring own]

As certain also of your own poets have said, &c. —xvii. 28.

Father, Thine offspring own
Regenerate in Thy Son:
Doubly Thine in Christ we live,
Thine adopted children now;
Heathens would in vain conceive,
Reason fails to tell them how.

Through faith in the God-Man
A being new we gain;
Strong in hope we higher rise,
Swiftly move Thy face to see;
Live the life that never dies,
Find our heaven—in loving Thee.

2783.

[When man cast off his Maker's yoke]

We ought not to think that the Godhead is, &c. —xvii. 29.

When man cast off his Maker's yoke,
Inferior form'd to God alone
By reason and his God forsook,
Silver and gold, and wood and stone,
His sordid deities he made,
Senseless as that to which he pray'd.

When Christians lukewarm grown, and cold,
Their Saviour neither loved nor fear'd,
Grosser than all the Pagans old,
The' idolatries of Rome appear'd,
And taught the superstitious crowd
That man might make, and eat—his God!

2784.

[Repent, ye self-destroying race]

Because He hath appointed a day, in the, &c. —xvii. 31.

Repent, ye self-destroying race,
Improve the momentary grace
He offers you once more;

344

Obey His merciful command;
The end of all things is at hand,
The Judge is at the door!

Expecting that appointed day,
When heaven and earth shall flee away
Before their Maker's frown,
I pass my time in watchful fear,
Till Jesus in the clouds appear,
Till the great God come down.

The Man who suffer'd in our stead
His Father raised Him from the dead,
Ordain'd the Judge supreme,
That all at His tribunal placed
May be pronounced accursed or bless'd,
Condemn'd or crown'd by Him.

Assured I am by Jesus' rise
To see Him coming in the skies,
The Man who died for me,
That crucified with Him below
I may His glorious kingdom know,
And God for ever see!

2785.

[Proud sinners who in learning trust]

When they heard of the resurrection of the, &c. —xvii. 32.

Proud sinners who in learning trust,
Learning unsanctified,
The hope and wisdom of the just
They always will deride;
The power of faith and godliness,
The preachers they condemn;
And our true glory we confess,
Is to be hiss'd by them.

2786.

[Lovers of earthly things defer]

Others said, We will hear thee again of this, &c. —xvii. 32.

Lovers of earthly things defer
Unto another day

345

The one important business here,
As life would always stay,
As grace were in the sinner's power,
And God compell'd to give
Whene'er they find a vacant hour
His mercy to receive.

The gospel some with scorn refuse,
The joyful tidings hate,
Others neglect the grace to use,
And still procrastinate;
To scoff the saving truth they dare,
Or cast it quite aside,
And these, alas, the Christians are,
And these the world divide.

2787.

[They promised him again to hear]

So Paul departed from among them. —xvii. 33.

They promised him again to hear
The message he declared,
But God's neglected messenger
Again they never heard;
So short his stay in learning's seats,
So soon their time is o'er!
And Christ's ambassador retreats,
And Paul returns no more!

What numbers like the' Athenians, mean,
And vow to turn at last,
But linger to forsake their sin,
Till all their trial's pass'd!
The man of God is call'd away
Who preach'd salvation nigh,
And souls outstand their gracious day,
And unconverted die.

346

2788.

[Learning itself cannot withstand]

Among the which was Dionysius the, &c. —xvii. 34.

Learning itself cannot withstand
If God lay to His mighty hand;
The Judge submits, if mercy calls,
And at his Saviour's footstool falls:
The word cannot return in vain,
Some souls the saving faith shall gain,
To Jesus and His members cleave,
And pure from sin in Athens live.

Father regard Thy Spirit's groans,
Who pleads in us for learning's sons,
Open our nation's boasted eyes,
And make them with Thy wisdom wise;
Some converts to our Athens give,
Who may to thy apostle cleave,
Fools for His sake, their Lord confess,
And stand with Jesu's witnesses!

CHAPTER XVIII.

2789.

[The persecuted pair]

And found a certain Jew, &c. —xviii. 2.

The persecuted pair
How bless'd in banishment,
By providential care
To an apostle sent!
Into the arms of mercy driven,
They find a plainer way to heaven.

2790.

[Where are the venerable men]

Because he was of the same craft, &c. —xviii. 3.

Where are the venerable men
Who Paul for an example take,
Their living by their labour gain,
Of none expense the gospel make?

347

Their uncontested right forego,
And freely ministering the word
Nothing desire or seek below
But souls converted to their Lord?

2791.

[He did not his assistants call]

Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified, &c. —xviii. 5.

He did not his assistants call
Himself in Jesus' work to spare,
But labouring still surpass'd them all,
And strove with more unwearied care
Jesus the Christ to testify,
The God supreme, the Lord Most-High.

Our whole delightful task below
Who have His ministry obtain'd,
Is Jesus to declare and show,
In spirit press'd, by love constrain'd,
To tell, Ye all may Jesus find,
King, Priest, and Prophet of mankind.

2792.

[Who dares the gospel truth blaspheme]

When they opposed themselves, and, &c. —xviii. 6.

Who dares the gospel truth blaspheme,
Self-harden'd in his lost estate,
What hope, alas, remains for him,
A seal'd abandon'd reprobate!
Who mock the' inspiring Spirit's grace,
Deride the sense of pardon'd sin,
They challenge hell as their own place,
They force the pit to take them in.

2793.

[When we must our raiment shake]

He departed thence, and entered into a, &c. —xviii. 7.

When we must our raiment shake
Pure from the blasphemer's blood,
Sinners finally forsake;
Surely we depart for good:

348

Good to other souls design'd;
Thankful for the grace transferr'd,
They the gospel-blessing find,
Find salvation in the word.

2794.

[Heathens hear what Jews reject]

Many of the Corinthians hearing believed. —xviii. 8.

Heathens hear what Jews reject,
Cordially the truth embrace,
Reprobates become elect,
Constitute the chosen race:
Whom self-righteous saints deny
Sinful crowds with joy receive,
Outcasts at the point to die
Turn to Christ, believe and live.

2795.

[Jesus, Thou takest Thy servant's part]

For I am with thee, and no man shall set, &c. —xviii. 10.

Jesus, Thou takest Thy servant's part,
Present with us Thou always art,
Who Thee proclaim the Christ of God,
Who publish pardon in Thy blood:
The threatening world assault in vain,
If Thou their violent rage restrain.

2796.

[Ten thousand thousand in our isle]

And he continued there a year and six months. —xviii. 11.

Ten thousand thousand in our isle
Are waiting for their Saviour's smile:
Here let us then with joy remain,
Ten thousand thousand souls to gain,
Assured Thou wilt our labours bless,
The faithful witnesses increase
Raised up Thy Godhead to adore,
Thy church, till time shall be no more.

2797.

[Passion brands religion pure]

This fellow persuadeth men to worship, &c. —xviii. 13.

Passion brands religion pure,
And sinners blind blaspheme,

349

Contrary to law be sure
If contrary to them:
Truth they wilfully mistake,
Abhorrers of the gospel-light,
Zeal for God a cloak they make,
Who 'gainst His servants fight.

Contrary to custom's law
Our doctrine we confess,
Teach, that souls should stand in awe
Of sin and wickedness,
Teach, that wash'd in Jesus' blood
They all may feel His saving power,
All may then the pardoning God
In spirit and truth adore.

2798.

[The wary magistrate we praise]

If it were a matter of wrong or wicked, &c. —xviii. 14, 15.

The wary magistrate we praise,
If wise and humble he decline
To take his great Creator's place,
And judgment pass on things Divine,
If to determine he forbears,
As umpire in religious jars.

But did he not refuse the cause
Through humour, indolence and ease,
Alike for vice, or virtue's laws
A careless unconcern express,
As those who bore the Christian name
Heathens and Jews were all the same?

2799.

[Contempt he justly might express]

But if it be a question of...names,...look, &c. —xviii. 15.

Contempt he justly might express
For his own Heathen deities,
His ear from idle questions turn,
And all their names and fables scorn;

350

But Jesus is the' important Name
In which the world's Salvation came,
The only Name to sinners given,
More worth than all in earth and heaven!

Yet curious man whose reasoning eye
Would into all creation pry,
Hath no innate desire to know
The things of God reveal'd below;
Averse from the inquiring pain,
He counts that only knowledge vain
On which his present peace depends
And bliss supreme which never ends.

2800.

[Ought not the rulers to suppress]

Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes,...and, &c. —xviii. 17.

Ought not the rulers to suppress
The dire effects of blindfold zeal,
Curb the bold sons of wickedness,
Beat down the instruments of ill,
Licentious violence restrain,
And truth defend, and peace maintain?

He made their wickedness his own
Not hindering what he might prevent,
He did the wrong by others done,
The judge oppress'd the innocent;
And thus his false pretence disproved
Who neither truth nor justice loved.

Servants of God, your treatment see,
Such justice from the world expect:
Their boasted love of equity
Always excepts the Christian sect;
And if your lives the rulers spare
They let your foes in pieces tear.

351

Cognizance of your slighted cause
No Gallio is concerned to take:
Unshelter'd by your country's laws,
Hated of all for Jesus' sake,
Fly outlaws, fly to David's Son,
And refuge find in Christ alone.

2801.

[Assaulted, but not hurt, he found]

And Paul after this tarried there yet a, &c. —xviii. 18.

Assaulted, but not hurt, he found
The heavenly vision true,
And stay'd to spread the joyful sound,
The Master's work to do:
By grace invisibly sustain'd
All danger he defied,
And safe amidst the wolves remain'd
With Jesus at his side!

2802.

[Still busy, still for Christ employ'd]

And sailed thence into Syria. —xviii. 18.

Still busy, still for Christ employ'd
In motion or in rest,
The man, the messenger of God,
Is in His service bless'd;
His providence by land he eyes,
His wonders in the deep,
And sails to distant climes, and flies
With Jesus in the ship.

2803.

[Two are better far than one]

With him Priscilla and Aquila. —xviii. 18.

Two are better far than one,
(Jesus sent them forth by pairs,)
Join'd they bring each other on,
Each his fellow's burden bears,
Who can break a threefold cord,
Mutual helpers in the Lord?

352

2804.

[Not through vile hypocrisy]

Having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for, &c. —xviii. 18.

Not through vile hypocrisy,
Not through superstition vain;
With the Jews a Jew is he
Jews in Jesus' cause to gain,
With indifferent things complies,
Wise, for their salvation, wise.

O that I like him could stoop,
By my condescending love
Lift the souls of sinners up,
Turn them to their Friend above,
All things unto all become
Instrument of saving some!

2805.

[Long undesired with foes he stay'd]

When they desired him to tarry longer, &c. —xviii. 20.

Long undesired with foes he stay'd,
Yet could his friends' request withstand,
By no inferior motives sway'd,
A servant at his Lord's command
With messages to sinners sent,
Only where Jesus will'd he went.

2806.

[Festivals observed to God]

I must...keep this feast...in Jerusalem. —xviii. 21.

Festivals observed to God
We by apostles see:
Let who will the deed explode,
We own the' authority;
Mysteries of redeeming love
We celebrate like Paul the bless'd,
Till we keep with saints above
The everlasting feast.

2807.

[Christian piety sincere]

When he had landed at Cæsarea, and, &c. —xviii 22.

Christian piety sincere
Our social love commends:

353

Paul enjoy'd the comfort here
The converse of his friends;
Both his countenance and zeal
He sharpen'd by the pleasing sight,
Travelling on to meet, and dwell
With all the saints in light.

2808.

[An apostolic minister]

He...went over all the country of Galatia, &c. —xviii. 23.

An apostolic minister
His pastoral unwearied care
By restless labours shows,
Travels and flies from place to place,
And precious souls in Jesus' grace
Confirms where'er he goes.

To each he severally applies,
In strengthening all his children tries
Each moment to redeem,
Till life's last hour he labours on,
And grieves that he hath nothing done
For One who died for him.

2809.

[The Lord who sends by whom He will]

A certain Jew named Apollos,...an, &c. —xviii. 24, 25.

The Lord who sends by whom He will
Doth oft out of the people choose
A man of eloquence and zeal
Made ready for the Master's use,
Arm'd with the Spirit's two-edged sword,
'Gainst sin, the world, and fiend to fight,
And mighty to expound the word
And manifest that heavenly light.

Prepared to make their Saviour known,
Earnest to propagate His love,
The call extraordinary we own
Of men instructed from above,

354

Our lack of service to supply
Who minister in sacred things,
While bold to all they testify
The grace that sure salvation brings.

2810.

[Are there not found instructors still]

This man was instructed in the way of, &c. —xviii. 25.

Are there not found instructors still
The gospel way who partly know,
And all inflamed with fervent zeal
The Lamb, the' approaching Saviour show?
Warmly they urge and cry, “Repent,
Jesus the promised Christ believe,
Believe in God, whom God hath sent,
And mercy will—at last forgive.”

2811.

[The man that hath, that still retains]

They...expounded unto him the way of, &c. —xviii. 26.

The man that hath, that still retains,
Improving his inferior light,
A clearer light and knowledge gains
To deal the word of truth aright;
If powerful in the Scriptures now
And rich in talents he submit
With meek humility to bow,
And listen at a layman's feet.

The meanest saint who Jesus knows
Can show a learn'd Apollos more,
The joy that from believing flows,
The life, and purity, and power;
A woman by her Saviour taught
A teacher of good things may prove,
And lead the man with wisdom fraught
Into the way of perfect love.

2812.

[A warm concern for Jesu's name]

And when he was disposed to pass into, &c. —xviii. 27.

A warm concern for Jesu's name
Is not to one estate confined:

355

People and priests may all proclaim
The dying Saviour of mankind:
The ministerial spirit may rest
On men who want the character,
With graces, gifts, and talents bless'd
To preach the heavenly kingdom here.

The' company of faithful men
Should such with willing hearts embrace,
And suffer God Himself to' ordain
The chosen vessels of His grace:
The' apostles' successors below
With glad alacrity should join,
Not to impart, not to bestow,
But recognise their call Divine.

2813.

[All the comfortable aid]

Who, when he was come, helped them, &c. —xviii. 27.

All the comfortable aid
Through a worm to worms convey'd,
All the grace we gladly own,
Lord, it flows from Thee alone:
Yet, if Thou vouchsafe to bless,
Crown their labours with success,
Ministers shall helpers prove,
Much increase our faith and love.

Needful Thee alone we know:
Grace by whom Thou wilt bestow,
Stablishing, confirming grace,
Power to perfect holiness:
We the instruments receive,
Through their word Thy Spirit give;
Cephas use, Apollos, Paul,
Still Thou workest all in all.

356

CHAPTER XIX.

2814.

[Pastors, who live at ease]

Paul having passed through the upper coasts, &c. —xix. 1.

Pastors, who live at ease
Without reproach or care
Preachers like Paul, with his,
Your services compare,
Your sloth with his extensive zeal,
And self-condemn'd the difference feel.

While the succession true
As wholly yours ye claim,
The' apostles' steps pursue,
The toil, the pain, the shame,
Their portion upon earth receive,
And only for your Master live.

2815.

[Christians make the same reply]

We have not so much as heard whether there, &c. —xix. 2.

Christians make the same reply
Or a worse answer give;
Some audaciously deny
That Him ye can receive.
“Ask; but God will not bestow
The Holy Ghost with you to dwell;
Only fools and madmen know
Or now the Spirit feel.”

Most are ignorant that God
Doth still His Spirit impart,
Sheds Him with His love abroad
In every faithful heart;
By the blood of Jesus bought,
The Principle of righteous deeds,

357

Every holy word and thought
From Him alone proceeds.

Few alas! the need confess
Of His converting power,
Know that God we cannot please,
Or without Him adore;
Cannot seek the things Divine,
Till He the hindrances remove,
Secretly our hearts incline
To pray, repent, and love.

2816.

[Who John's sincere disciples are]

John verily baptized with the baptism of, &c. —xix. 4.

Who John's sincere disciples are,
They seek their Lord above,
The fruits of true repentance bear,
And tremble, till they love:
Expecting pardon for His sake,
Jesus, they trust will come,
Their souls and bodies too to make
His Spirit's constant home.

Our Saviour mindful of His word
To us who dare believe
And wait for our redeeming Lord,
Will soon His Spirit give;
Will with the Holy Ghost baptize,
His saving name declare,
And fit His members for the skies,
And crown with glory there.

2817.

[Gifts extraordinary bestow'd]

The Holy Ghost came on them; and they, &c. —xix. 6.

Gifts extraordinary bestow'd,
On them that first believed,

358

Powers miraculous from God
Are rarely now received;
True and faithful as Thou art,
We yet Thy promised Spirit claim;
Every fearful sinner's heart
May still expect the same.

Still the Holy Ghost descends
The' indwelling Comforter,
All the griefs and troubles ends
Of those that Christ revere;
Works His miracles within,
Renews their hearts, and tongues, and eyes;
Makes an utter end of sin,
And wholly sanctifies.

Always ready Thee we know
This gospel truth to seal;
Saviour, now on us bestow
The gift unspeakable,
In the Comforter come down,
(Who helps us for Himself to pray,)
Take possession of Thine own,
And here for ever stay.

2818.

[From men who harden their own hearts]

But when divers were hardened, and believed not, &c. —xix. 9.

From men who harden their own hearts
And openly the way blaspheme,
A minister of Christ departs,
In pity and true love to them
Lest they should more obdurate be,
Farther provoke the Lord Most-high,
And fill up their iniquity,
And fighting with their Maker, die.

359

2819.

[Full of paternal tenderness]

He...separated the disciples. —xix. 9.

Full of paternal tenderness,
The pastor good will not expose
His children unconfirm'd in grace
To crafty disputatious foes;
His faithful vigilance he approves
Divinely taught the flock to lead,
Beyond infection's reach removes
And parts the living from the dead.

2820.

[One door is shut, when God permits]

Disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus, &c. —xix. 9.

One door is shut, when God permits,
To open a yet wider door;
The preacher then his toil repeats,
With warmer zeal, and fuller power;
Not every week, but every day
Proclaims the salutary word,
And multitudes the call obey,
And Asia now receives its Lord.

Preachers of Christ, in faith go on,
Nor fear your flock apart to meet,
You, whom self-righteous Jews disown,
May find a church in every street;
In synagogues received no more,
Perceive the thing your Lord intends,
Behold the great effectual door,
And Jesus preach, where'er He sends.

Temple, or house, or barn, or school,
(The gospel consecrates the place,)
No matter where, so Jesus rule,
And teach the lessons of His grace;

360

Though zealots still the way traduce,
And you as schismatics defame,
Go on; convince both Greeks and Jews,
And peace to all mankind proclaim.

2821.

[“Greater miracles than these]

God wrought special miracles by the hands, &c. —xix. 11, 12.

“Greater miracles than these
Shall My disciples do;”
Lord, we at Thy feet confess
The prophecy is true:
Yet Thine only power we own
Who didst by Paul the fiends expel,
Virtue flows from Thee alone,
Body and soul to heal.

Still the promise is fulfill'd
To them that trust in Thee,
Thine almighty arm reveal'd
With awe we daily see;
Outward signs but shadows were
Of greater miracles within,
Fiends expell'd the soul by prayer,
And sinners saved from sin.

2822.

[Impotent attempt and vain]

Certain...Jews...took upon them to call, &c. —xix. 13.

Impotent attempt and vain,
Satan from his house to' expel!
Used, usurp'd by daring man
Jesus' name will not avail,
Nothing by itself can do;
Jesu's Spirit the power supplies,
Satan mocks a faithless Jew,
All the synagogue defies.

Jesus who divinely know
We His name employ aright,

361

Confident therein o'erthrow
All the potentates of night:
Jesus, to the faithful race
Arm'd with Thy great Spirit's power
Satan and his host give place,
Fly their ancient Conqueror.

2823.

[Jesus the woman's conquering Seed]

The evil spirit...said, Jesus I know, and, &c. —xix. 15.

Jesus the woman's conquering Seed
He knew, the Bruiser of his head,
Who hurl'd the' archangel from his throne,
Who cast the foe as lightning down;
And bruises now beneath our feet
And drives him to the burning pit.

He knew the' apostle too, endued
With power from the Incarnate God,
Arm'd with his Lord's authority
To set the thralls of Satan free,
To blast the dire destroyer's aim,
And cast him out in Jesus' name.

But who are ye, or whence your power,
A church that Antichrist adore,
Yet over the demoniac call
The names of Jesus and of Paul,
And still to cast him out pretend
By water sprinkled on the fiend?

The stubborn fiend will not give place
To all the Babylonish race,
Their unintelligible spells,
And charms, and lying miracles;
Nor can he Rome's exorcists fear,
Or fly from his own successor.

362

2824.

[Sinners, if Christ ye truly seek]

Many...brought their books...and burned them. —xix. 19.

Sinners, if Christ ye truly seek
Your covenant with Satan break,
An open detestation show,
Of him and all his works below;
In league with hell who long have been
Bring all your instruments of sin,
Your cards, the devil's books, disdain,
And cast your plays into the flame.

2825.

[Lover of souls he cannot rest]

After these things were ended, Paul purposed, &c. —xix. 21

Lover of souls he cannot rest,
In Ephesus already won
In Asia for his Lord possess'd,
But as he nothing yet had done
To Europe he his line extends,
And then to earth's remotest ends.

No conqueror or hero can
Equal his magnanimity
Whose heart in love to God and man
Enlarged and boundless as the sea,
Its all on every soul bestows,
And the whole universe o'erflows!

2826.

[The love which worldly men pretend]

Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our, &c. —xix. 25.

The love which worldly men pretend
To things Divine will always end
Where it at first begun:
Gain is their only godliness,
In all their actions they confess
They love themselves alone.

2827.

[As for religion's cause]

Not only this our craft is in danger, &c. —xix. 27.

As for religion's cause
The slaves of Mammon fight;

363

“Our craft indeed may suffer loss,
But that we seem to slight
The church in danger is!
The vagrants undermine
Our pomp, magnificence, and ease,
And government divine!
Their heresy they spread
By day and night employ'd;
The church, if farther they proceed,
The church will be destroy'd!
'Tis thus religion's name
We use our ends to screen;
But when the temple! we exclaim,
We our preferment mean.”

2828.

[Jesus in all times and places]

Certain of the chief of Asia, which were his, &c. —xix. 31.

Jesus in all times and places,
For His providential ends,
To His threaten'd servants raises
Secret, unsuspected friends;
Our well wishers at a distance
Till the Ephesian beasts appear;
Then their counsel or assistance
Saves the Saviour's messenger.

2829.

[To the multitude enraged]

When the townclerk had appeased the people, &c. —xix. 35.

To the multitude enraged
Their way at first we give;
When their fury is assuaged
They may the truth receive,
Calm to reason's voice attend,
No further with the craftsmen go,
Leave them to their trusty friend
And sure allies below.

364

2830.

[The universal fault]

Ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly. —xix. 36.

The universal fault
O how shall I eschew?
Precipitate in thought,
In word and action too,
My nature's turbulence I own,
And look for help in Christ alone.

2831.

[Reason and probity forbid]

Ye have brought hither these men, which are, &c. —xix. 37.

Reason and probity forbid
Even those that Christ deny
To second an outrageous deed,
Or join the general cry;
Let Christians hence instructed be
To stand in truth's defence,
And when the just oppress'd they see
To plead for innocence.

2832.

[Howe'er your idols we despise]

These men...are neither robbers of churches. —xix. 37.

Howe'er your idols we despise,
As dirt beneath our feet,
We dare not Heathen scandalize,
Nor sacrilege commit;
Your Queen of Heaven and Patroness
May still her state maintain,
At Ephesus her shrine possess,
Or at Loretto reign.

2833.

[The pagan deities of old]

Nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. —xix. 37.

The pagan deities of old
But lying demons were;
And modern gods of wood or gold
Their hellish birth declare;
We know their dark original,
Yet will we not presume

365

In bitterness of zeal to rail
At Satan, or at Rome.

2834.

[The waves of the sea When highest they rise]

When he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly. —xix. 41.

The waves of the sea When highest they rise,
Are govern'd by Thee Our Lord in the skies;
Thy succour imploring Thy presence we find
To silence the roaring And tie up the wind.

The fierceness of men Who threaten so loud
Thy word can restrain And bridle the crowd,
And when it represses Their madness of will
The hurricane ceases, The tumult is still.

Whoe'er in Thy hand The instrument be,
Thine only command And action we see;
So nigh to deliver Acknowledge Thy power,
Thy mercy for ever And ever adore.

CHAPTER XX.

2835.

[Beyond his persecutors' sight]

Paul...departed for to go into Macedonia. —xx. 1.

Beyond his persecutors' sight
The' apostle prudently withdraws,
Not by an hasty shameful flight
Deserting his Redeemer's cause,
But sent on other souls to call
And Christ proclaim the Lord of all.

2836.

[In our redeeming Lord]

When he had...given them much exhortation, &c. —xx. 2.

In our redeeming Lord
Who have believed indeed,
We many a quickening word
Of exhortation need,

366

Line upon line, to' increase our zeal,
And precept upon precept still.

In answer to our cry
Jesus, exhorters raise,
Who may Thy church supply
With Thy confirming grace,
Thy sanctifying will explain,
And bring us to a perfect man.

2837.

[We do not, Lord, in Thee confide]

When the Jews laid wait for him...he purposed, &c. —xx. 3.

We do not, Lord, in Thee confide,
But tempt, instead of honouring Thee,
Who lay the common means aside,
Neglect our own security,
And look for Thy protecting grace
In a presumptuous idleness.

The prudence which Thy love bestows
As Providence points out, we use,
To disappoint our cruel foes
The most effectual methods choose,
From danger and destruction run,
And then we trust Thy love alone.

2838.

[That day by earliest saints confess'd]

Upon the first day of the week, when the disciples, &c. —xx. 7.

That day by earliest saints confess'd,
That day distinguish'd from the rest
By our reviving Lord,
In solemn prayer His people spend,
And constant in His courts attend
The life-inspiring word.

We all obedient to our Head
Break the commemorative bread,
Drink the mysterious wine,

367

Communion with the members know,
And find our heaven begun below
In fellowship Divine.

O that the world with us would taste
The double spiritual repast;
The word of pardoning grace,
The sacramental food receive,
And quicken'd by Thy Spirit live,
The life of holiness.

Jesus, eternally the same,
Revive the long extinguish'd flame
Of pure primeval love,
To Thee and all Thy people join'd
The world shall then with transport find
How angels live above.

2839.

[Who heard the heaven-instructed man]

And...Paul...continued his speech until midnight. —xx. 7.

Who heard the heaven-instructed man
They did not of the length complain,
Or count the passing hours;
The longest night must short appear,
If God bestow the listening ear,
And love the heart o'erpowers.

Happy the souls allow'd to hear
Jesus' enlighten'd minister
Discoursing on his Lord!
Happy like them even now we may
Attend the preacher night and day,
Nor lose one precious word.

We still may his epistles read,
With Paul's celestial doctrine fed,
And bless the messenger,

368

Nor envy those who heard his voice,
While day and night our hearts rejoice
The Lord Himself to hear.

2840.

[Who after the first Christians tread]

There were many lights in the upper chamber, &c. —xx. 8.

Who after the first Christians tread,
Will all the works of darkness shun,
“In secret have we nothing said,
In secret have we nothing done,”
But walk as children of the light,
Unblamable in open sight.

Yet heathens still by Satan taught
Repeat the old exploded tale,
Crimes in our midnight meetings wrought,
Horrible mysteries of hell,
Reason's reproach and nature's shame,
Fit only for themselves to name!

2841.

[Happy we as those above]

When he...was come up again, and had broken, &c. —xx. 11.

Happy we as those above,
We who keep the feast of love,
Urge each other on to press
Toward the crown of righteousness!
Call'd to different climes away,
We in Christ together stay,
One in spirit, mind, and heart,
Parting we can never part!

2842.

[Pastors thus the flock should leave]

So he departed. —xx. 11.

Pastors thus the flock should leave,
Thus we should to pastors cleave,
With their last instructions bless'd,
Love prefer to nature's rest;
Sup rejoicing with our Lord,
Welcome souls to life restored,

369

Banquet till the morning ray,
Antedate that endless day.

2843.

[Faith cannot pray in vain]

They brought the young man alive, and were, &c. —xx. 12.

Faith cannot pray in vain:
The scarce departed youth
Brought back to life again
A witness of the truth
Increase of faith to each imparts,
And comforts the disciples' hearts.

But our triumphant Head,
Whose death for us we know,
By rising from the dead
Doth mightier joys bestow,
The everlasting gospel seals,
And all His church with transport fills.

2844.

[Fresh fatigue for Jesus' sake]

We...sailed unto Assos, there intending to take, &c. —xx. 13.

Fresh fatigue for Jesus' sake
Is an apostle's rest;
Happy who his zeal partake,
His successors confess'd!
They with joy renounce their ease,
Themselves in everything deny,
Sinners for their Lord to seize,
And Jesus glorify.

2845.

[Constrain'd by Jesus' love]

He hasted, if it were possible...to be at, &c. —xx. 16.

Constrain'd by Jesus' love,
On wings of rapid zeal
He flew, his ministry to prove,
His office to fulfil,
Herald of gospel grace,
To preach their sins forgiven
To sinners met from every place
And nation under heaven.

370

The Comforter bestow'd
He hasten'd to declare,
Purchase of the Redeemer's blood,
And answer of His prayer;
Another Pentecost
That multitudes might find,
And witness God the Holy Ghost
Pour'd out on all mankind.

2846.

[Ye elders of the first degree]

He sent to Ephesus, and called the elders of the, &c. —xx. 17.

Ye elders of the first degree,
Your most important function see;
Your most incessant cares,
Your utmost strength and grace apply
To form, instruct, and edify
The' inferior ministers.

Never unfruitful or alone,
A minister for Jesus won
Includes a multitude:
He carries life where'er he goes,
Truly his gifts on all bestows,
And thousands turns to God.

2847.

[Happy the parting minister]

Ye know, from the first day that I came into, &c. —xx. 18.

Happy the parting minister
Who can to the whole flock appeal,
His own integrity declare,
His life throughout unblamable;
Who dares the world to witness call
Of every word and action past,
And bold appears in sight of all,
One even man from first to last!

O that from instant now I might
The great apostle's steps pursue,

371

Unspotted walk with Christ in white,
My heart and life and converse new!
My Saviour, evermore the same,
Thy steadfast mind implant in me,
And uniform henceforth I am,
And only live and die to Thee.

2848.

[Stranger to pride and stateliness]

Serving the Lord with all humility of mind. —xx. 19.

Stranger to pride and stateliness,
A man of true humility
May yet his own example press,
“Thus far—be followers of me!”
Conscious his way of life is right,
He bids us after him go on,
While least of all in his own sight,
Glory he gives to Christ alone.

2849.

[Servants of God, by Jesus' love]

Serving the Lord...with...tears, and temptations, &c. —xx 19.

Servants of God, by Jesus' love
Are not exempt from grief and pain,
Though caught to the third heaven they prove
That still on earth they are but men,
Through sinners' contradiction here
For others, sorrowful they mourn,
Yet guided by the Comforter
With songs of joy to God return.

The' apostle gloried in distress:
Yet when his ambush'd foes essay'd
To stop the course of gospel grace,
And oft prevail'd with Satan's aid;
Those haters of the' incarnate God
Who made his Saviour's eyes o'erflow,
The same bloodthirsty men he view'd,
And weeping traced the Man of woe.

372

2850.

[Such a witness for my Lord]

I kept back nothing that was profitable unto, &c. —xx. 20.

Such a witness for my Lord
He knows I fain would be,
Minister the gospel word
With true fidelity,
By the simple truth commend
Myself to all men's consciences,
Keep in view my only end,
To profit, not to please.

Faithfully I would declare
Whate'er may useful prove,
Dare to' offend transgressors, dare
The' unruly to reprove;
Preach the cross, whoe'er refuse,
Nor fear by truth to scandalize,
Preach the stumbling-block to Jews,
And folly to the wise.

What I publicly proclaim
I would in private show,
Teach from house to house the same,
And preach where'er I go;
Urge, repeat, apply, enforce,
My talents, gifts, and life employ,
Till I end my painful course
In everlasting joy.

2851.

[Sinners, to God your Maker turn]

Testifying...repentance toward God, and, &c. —xx. 21.

Sinners, to God your Maker turn,
To God your End; and deeply mourn
Your past ingratitude,
The sum of all our teaching this,
Break off your sins, from evil cease,
And follow after good.

373

Repent in heart, and word, and deed;
The power that doth from Christ proceed
By change of life express,
The correspondent actions do,
And proving your repentance true
Awake to righteousness.

But rest not in the work begun,
Nor hope by works or tears to' atone,
And buy your peace with God:
In Jesus seek the living Way:
Jehovah did on Jesus lay
The universal load.

Believe in God; believe in Him,
Who died the nations to redeem:
That you may live forgiven,
He tasted death for every soul:
Believe; and by His wounds made whole
From hell ascend to heaven.

By faith your sins effaced ye know:
By faith in Jesus' footsteps go,
And all His mind retrieve;
By faith arise for glory meet,
Yet still at your Redeemer's feet
As pardon'd sinners grieve.

Always as pardon'd sinners here
Live out your time in lowly fear,
Nor think repentance pass'd
Till all the work of faith is done,
Till all the Christian race is run,
And ye have breathed your last.

374

2852.

[And let the Spirit bind]

And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit, &c. —xx. 22.

And let the Spirit bind
A preacher of the word
To do and suffer all the mind
Of his beloved Lord;
Prepared alike to' endure
Or act, at Christ's command,
He leaves his threaten'd life secure
In his Redeemer's hand.

Not careful to foreknow
What may himself befall,
But only after Christ to go,
As guided by His call;
Assured whom Jesus sends
He covers with His power,
And still His messengers attends,
Till time shall be no more.

2853.

[Jesus Thy Spirit shows]

The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, &c. —xx. 23.

Jesus Thy Spirit shows
That trouble, grief, and pain
Must be the portion of all those
Who would Thy crown obtain;
But we who preach Thy grace,
The outcasts of mankind,
A larger share in every place
Of sharpest sufferings find.

Warn'd by the Comforter,
And strengthen'd in Thy cause,
We meet, without surprise or fear,
The' inevitable cross:

375

To' embrace Thy sacred woe
Thou dost our hearts incline;
And lo, we live and die, below
A sacrifice Divine!

2854.

[The holy unconcern]

But none of these things move me, neither, &c. —xx. 24.

The holy unconcern
That I even I may learn,
Show me, Lord, the dazzling prize,
Thou Thyself my teacher be;
Then I shall my life despise,
Only wish to live for Thee.

When I my Saviour love,
Nor life nor death can move:
Partner of Thy weal or woe,
For that blissful sight I sigh,
Crucified to all below,
Only wish for Thee to die.

Thy gospel-minister
I see my business here,
Witness of Thy saving will,
Of Thy free unbounded grace,
First mine office to fulfil,
Then to win and close my race.

I ask not how or when
But be my Saviour then;
Grant in death my sole desire,
Bid me lay this body down,
Joyful in Thine arms expire,
Share Thine everlasting crown.

2855.

[Watchman of Israel I]

Wherefore I take you to record this day, &c. —xx. 26.

Watchman of Israel I,
The gospel trumpet bear,

376

With loud alarming cry
A coming sword declare!
Set on the city walls I am,
And sinners warn in Jesus' name.

The counsel of the Lord
The gracious will I show:
But all shall feel His sword
Who Christ refuse to know:
Only of faith salvation comes;
But infidels His wrath consumes.

His mind reveal'd I tell
That all should turn and live,
The quickening principle,
The saving faith receive,
And then His utmost counsel prove,
And then go on to perfect love.

On this accepted day
(Witness, ye sinners, bear)
I preach the Truth, the Way,
The Life of souls declare,
I publish now His whole design
To save a world by grace Divine.

If now ye hear in vain,
Your proffer'd Lord neglect,
Or saved from sin, again
His pardoning grace reject,
And die in your iniquity,
Ye cannot charge your death on me.

Pure from the blood of all,
The servant of my God,
I every sinner call
To faith in Jesus' blood,

377

Peace, universal peace proclaim,
And heaven for all in Jesus' name!

2856.

[Arm me Lord with double grace]

Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to, &c. —xx. 28.

Arm me Lord with double grace,
That I may with caution tread,
Circumspect in all my ways,
Humbly to myself take heed;
First myself from evil keep,
Then o'erlook and guard the sheep.

Fill my heart with watchful love
For the flock so dearly bought,
Lest a single soul should rove,
Perish through their shepherd's fault;
Jesus keep them all and guide,
All in Thy own bosom hide.

2857.

[Who but the Holy Ghost can make]

The Holy Ghost hath made you overseers. —xx. 28.

Who but the Holy Ghost can make
The genuine gospel-minister,
The bishop, bold to undertake
Of precious souls the awful care?
The Holy Ghost alone can move
A sinner, sinners to convert,
Infuse the apostolic love,
And bless him with a pastor's heart.

Not all the hands of all mankind
Can constitute one overseer;
But spirited with Jesu's mind,
The heavenly messengers appear,
They follow close with zeal Divine
The Bishop great, the Shepherd good,
And cheerfully their lives resign
To save the purchase of His blood.

378

2858.

[Bought with the blood]

The church of God, which He hath, &c. —xx. 28.

Bought with the blood
Of very God,
The church in every nation
Publishes through earth abroad
The God of their salvation.

The God made man
For sinners slain,
The Life of each believer,
Did from everlasting reign,
And reigns in us for ever.

2859.

[Jesus the faitful pastors keep]

Therefore watch, and remember, that by, &c. —xx. 31.

Jesus the faitful pastors keep,
And stir us up to watch and pray,
As guardians of Thy lambs and sheep
To warn them both by night and day;
To' uncase their Antinomian foe
And all his crafty windings show.

Remember Lord our griefs and fears
Lest Satan make our labours void,
Lest all Thy work (a work of years)
Be instantaneously destroy'd,
(A triumph for the Gnostic fiend,)
And shipwreck'd faith in ranting end.

2860.

[To succour man whate'er is done]

I commend you to God, and to the word, &c. —xx. 32.

To succour man whate'er is done
On earth, Thou dost Thyself alone,
God of the ransom'd race,
Wherefore with Thee my flock I leave;
To Thee may all my children cleave,
And to Thy word of grace.

379

Thy word of grace sufficient is,
To stablish them in perfect peace
Without my ministry,
To build them up in holy love,
And qualify for joys above,
And lodge them safe with Thee.

Who in Thine oracles delight,
There let them find by day and night
Communion with their Lord,
Thou by Thy Spirit the truth apply,
To save, and wholly sanctify
The searchers of Thy word.

Then, then to their immortal state
The doers of Thy word translate,
Bright as the stars to shine;
With all Thy saints on earth renew'd,
Wash'd in Thy sanctifying blood,
And seal'd for ever Thine.

2861.

[Those sacred hands on sinners laid]

Yea, ye yourselves know, that these, &c. —xx. 34.

Those sacred hands on sinners laid
Had oft the Holy Ghost convey'd,
And special wonders done,
Yet labour'd hard for needful food
That you who serve the church of God
May in his footsteps tread.

Those callous hands extended see,
Nor count it strange like Paul to be
Neglected or forsook;
Whate'er yourselves or household need
Rejoice to earn your daily bread,
And still to Jesus look.

380

2862.

[Jesus wept! and never chid]

And they all wept sore. —xx. 37.

Jesus wept! and never chid
Tears of social tenderness;
Saints are not by Him forbid
Thus their frailty to confess,
Thus by passion pure to prove
Saints are men of grief and love.

2863.

[While the' afflicted people weep]

And fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him. —xx. 37.

While the' afflicted people weep
Hardly let their pastor go,
Can he still his distance keep,
No humane emotions know,
Haughty gravity maintain,
Scorn to share the parting pain?

He who knew a father's mind
Must perceive his bowels move,
Must his children's weakness find,
All the tokens of their love
Kindly, cordially receive,
Mix his tears with them that grieve.

Tears of saints! how can it be?
Saints rejoicing evermore,
Signs of man's infirmity,
Proofs of God's almighty power!
He who knows their grief to' explain
Knows the heart of God and man.

2864.

[If parting from a shepherd good]

Sorrowing most of all for the words which, &c. —xx. 38.

If parting from a shepherd good
The loss without regret we bear,
We never rightly understood
How great the blessing and how rare:

381

Nor need we mournfully complain
O'erwhelm'd with grief so quickly o'er;
So soon we all shall meet again
Triumphant on the' eternal shore.

2865.

[Bishop supreme, Thy people bless]

Bishop supreme, Thy people bless
With bishops after Thy own heart,
Who may, as vessels of Thy grace,
Blessings to all our souls impart,
Greatest, as ministers of all
Their apostolic function prove,
As genuine successors of Paul
In zeal, fidelity, and love.

CHAPTER XXI.

2866.

[The Spirit had to them foreshown]

The disciples...said to Paul through the, &c. —xxi. 4.

The Spirit had to them foreshown
The' afflictions waiting for their friend,
They counsell'd him the cross to shun,
Nor to the bloody city ascend;
But partly miss'd the Spirit's mind,
Nor saw the whole by heaven design'd.

Jesus the previous knowledge gives,
And thus His confessor prepares;
His confessor the cross receives,
By faith's anticipating prayers
His one oblation multiplies,
And daily for his Saviour dies.

382

2867.

[So lately to each other known]

They all brought us on our way, with wives, &c. —xxi. 5.

So lately to each other known,
What is it draws and makes them one
By dearest ties allied?
What is it binds the saints above
In everlasting bonds? the love
Of Jesus crucified.

Men the Divine attraction feel,
Women with joy unspeakable
The' uniting grace obtain;
Their children too with heart sincere
Cleave to a parting minister,
And all his blessings gain.

2868.

[Two or three in Jesus' name]

And we kneeled down on the shore, and prayed. —xxi. 5.

Two or three in Jesus' name,
According to His word
Humbly met, may boldly claim
The presence of their Lord;
He Himself prepares the fane
With azure canopy o'erspread,
Ample dome to entertain
The members and their Head.

How august the hallow'd place
To faith's discerning eye!
Hallow'd by the present grace
Of Him who fills the sky!
While the Spirit of love and prayer
Into their simple hearts is given
Christ with all His church is there,
And turns their earth to heaven.

383

2869.

[That warmth without excess]

And when we had taken our leave one of, &c. —xxi. 6.

That warmth without excess
To true believers known,
That mutual tenderness,
Which melts us into one,
When souls in Jesus' name embrace,
Its heavenly origin displays.

From Christ the unction flows,
The Spirit of our Lord,
And here the nature shows
Of our supreme reward,
Sure earnest of our heaven above
Where all is harmony and love.

2870.

['Tis all our joy, while here below]

We came to Ptolemais, and saluted the, &c. —xxi. 7.

'Tis all our joy, while here below
As sojourners we rove,
To visit those that Jesus know,
And our Redeemer love;
Refreshment sweet in them we find,
And faith and strength renew'd,
And cast the evil world behind,
And closer cleave to God.

Awhile in Jesus' servant bless'd,
How short soe'er his stay;
We cheerfully resign our guest
Who tarries but a day;
We travel on with warmer zeal
Till all our toils are o'er,
And meeting on that heavenly hill
Embrace to part no more.

384

2871.

[Nearer the destined time and place]

He took Paul's girdle, and bound his own, &c. —xxi. 11.

Nearer the destined time and place
As Jesus' resolute servant draws,
The spirit of sure prophetic grace
His sufferings in his Master's cause
With clearer evidence foreshows,
And arms' him for the coming woes.

What honour for the follower poor
Entreated as his Lord to be!
Jesus did more for him endure
To buy His creature's liberty:
(Given up into the Heathen's hands)
He bought our peace and burst our bands.

Thrice happy prisoner of the Lord,
Thy gospel still unbound remains;
And nations through the joyful word
Redeem'd shall bless thy sacred chains,
The' apostle of the Gentiles own;
But give the praise to Christ alone.

2872.

[Against distress foreshown]

When we heard these things, ...we...besought, &c. —xxi. 12.

Against distress foreshown
Preventing means we use,
Nor yet our Father's will disown,
Or His decree refuse;
Who oft foretells in love;
That we may 'scape the ill,
And in our timely rescue prove
His acceptable will.

2873.

[The chief of saints may well express]

What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? &c. —xxi. 13.

The chief of saints may well express
A sympathising tenderness,
And blameless sorrow show;

385

The faithful soul with Jesus one
Has put his Saviour's bowels on,
And feels the common woe.

Yet with the mind of Jesus steel'd
He cannot to entreaties yield,
Or leave the bleeding Lamb,
Warn'd by the Spirit's clearest call
For Jesus' sake to give up all
And suffer for His name.

From all the power of passion free,
Against the soft infirmity
Immovable he stands;
No cross, no suffering he declines,
But cheerfully his life resigns,
When Christ his life demands.

O'erjoy'd his faithfulness to' approve,
And pay Him back the bleeding love
Display'd on Calvary,
Paul could not speak a greater word
Than “Here I am, my gracious Lord,
Ready to die for Thee.”

2874.

[Was it his nature's stubbornness]

When he would not be persuaded, we ceased. —xxi. 14.

Was it his nature's stubbornness
Withstood their passionate request?
No; but the constancy of grace
Which reign'd in his determined breast,
And thus should all our friends combine;
Persuaded we must never be
Saviour, to thwart Thine own design,
Or shrink to bear Thy cross with Thee.

386

2875.

[When to the counsel of our Lord]

We ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done. —xxi. 14.

When to the counsel of our Lord
Our unreserved consent we yield,
Comfort and peace we find restored,
And rest in that which He hath will'd:
Whate'er distress our friends befalls,
If Christ lets loose the adverse power,
And arms whom He to suffering calls,
His will be done, we ask no more.

2876.

[The firmness of one, Who follows his call]

We...went up to Jerusalem. —xxi. 15.

The firmness of one, Who follows his call,
With courage unknown May animate all;
Who trace his example, The world we disdain,
And fearlessly trample On danger and pain.

Embolden'd by grace, The mount we ascend,
And joyfully praise Our heavenly Friend;
With confidence steady On Him we rely,
And then we are ready For Jesus to die.

2877.

[An old disciple of thy Lord]

The disciples...brought with them one Mnason, &c. —xxi. 16.

An old disciple of thy Lord
Mnason receive thy sacred guest,
(Thy hospitable love's reward,)
As with an host of angels bless'd:
Thou canst no more on earth require;
For if possess'd of Paul thou art
Thou hast the Gentile church entire,
Carried in their apostle's heart.

2878.

[No universal head]

Paul went in with us unto James; and all, &c. —xxi. 18.

No universal head
By the first church was known,
While all approved the' apostle's deed,
He did it not alone:

387

In every work of grace
His fellow-labourers join'd,
As helpers of the faithful race,
As servants of mankind.

2879.

[Not like an hireling vain]

He declared particularly what things God, &c. —xxi. 19.

Not like an hireling vain
Who boasts his own success,
But humble to the church, and plain,
He speaks of Jesus' grace,
Of things his Lord had done
A just narration gives,
While not himself but Christ alone,
The praise of all receives.

2880.

[Omnipotent Redeemer]

And when they heard it, they glorified, &c. —xxi. 20.

Omnipotent Redeemer,
Our ransom'd souls adore Thee,
Whate'er is done,
Thy work we own,
And give Thee all the glory;
With thankfulness acknowledge
Our time of visitation,
Thine hand confess,
And gladly bless
The God of our salvation.

Thou hast employ'd Thy servants,
And bless'd their weak endeavours;
And lo in Thee
We myriads see
Of practical believers;
The church of pardon'd sinners,
Exulting in their Saviour,

388

Sing all day long
The gospel song,
And triumph in Thy favour.

Thy wonders wrought already
Require our ceaseless praises;
But show Thy power,
And myriads more
Take into Thine embraces:
But fill our earth with glory,
And known by every nation
God of all grace
Receive the praise
Of all Thy new creation.

2881.

[Happy the man through special grace]

And they are all zealous of the law. —xxi. 20.

Happy the man through special grace
From old prejudging errors free,
Errors of birth, or sect, or place,
Habit, or nature's bigotry,
Which with a blind misguided zeal
The heart of true believers fill.

O might I none but Jesus know,
Baptized with pure celestial fire!
Saviour, Thy fervent mind bestow,
And bless me with Thine own desire,
That all Thy perfect law may prove
Of life, and liberty, and love.

2882.

[Dispute and fierce contention springs]

And they are informed of thee, that thou, &c. —xxi. 21.

Dispute and fierce contention springs
From zeal for outward needless things,
With hasty error join'd:

389

Their tenets eager to defend,
Men will not patiently attend
To know each other's mind.

'Tis thus the legalists mistake,
And think that Moses we forsake,
And righteous works deny,
Who make the great salvation known,
And teach that God through faith alone
Doth freely justify.

Themselves the false conclusion draw;
We do not abrogate the law,
But its abuse remove
And fix it on a steadfast base,
And tell the faithful sons of grace
'Tis all fulfill'd in love.

2883.

[Zeal will nothing leave undone]

We have four men which have a vow on, &c. —xxi. 23, 24.

Zeal will nothing leave undone
The ignorant to win;
Prudence yields to every one
Without committing sin:
Humble saints advised will be,
Nor ever of themselves presume:
Condescending charity
Doth all to all become.

But can Paul be justified?
To blame let others dare,
Magisterially decide
“The' apostle went too far;”
Nothing from the account appears,
But that the God of boundless grace
Sends His suffering messengers
To all our ransom'd race.

390

2884.

[Christians as men profane]

And...brought Greeks also into the, &c. —xxi. 28–30.

Christians as men profane
The world doth always treat,
Our horrid crimes suppose, or feign,
And slander whom they beat:
For proof they cannot stay,
But law's defects supply,
And execute the shortest way
Before they hear or try.

The human beasts they rouse
Their temple to defend,
And when we pay our solemn vows
Would us in pieces rend:
The witnesses of grace
Who only Christ adore,
They drag us from the holy place,
And shut the church's door.

2885.

[The wretch so impious and profane]

When they saw the chief captain and the, &c. —xxi. 32.

The wretch so impious and profane,
Abandon'd to outrageous men,
A martyr'd saint appears;
A victim in the sight Divine,
Who freely would his life resign,
To save his murderers.

They vow he shall no longer live,
His friends can no assistance give;
But when his Saviour wills,
A Pagan sent to interpose
Rescues the Christian from his foes,
And the decree fulfils.

391

2886.

[Concern'd for justice, not for him]

Then the chief captain came near, and, &c. —xxi. 33.

Concern'd for justice, not for him,
Heathens may oft a saint redeem,
Restrain the cruel foes of peace,
And save him in his last distress:
The earth doth then the woman aid,
The' Almighty's mandate is obey'd,
And all the subject creatures join
To' accomplish His unknown design.

2887.

[Jews the prophecy fulfil]

And commanded him to be bound with two, &c. —xxi. 33.

Jews the prophecy fulfil,
Jews in the appointed hour,
Whom they sought in vain to kill,
Yield him to the Gentiles' power:
Like his patient Master bound
(So the sovereign will ordains)
Paul must spread the gospel sound,
Ransom captives in his chains.

2888.

[Away with him from earth, they cry]

The multitude...followed after, crying, &c. —xxi. 36.

Away with him from earth, they cry,
The wretch too vile on earth to live!
Away with him, the death to die!
The world can grant him no reprieve,
(Of whom the world unworthy was,)
Stone, burn, or nail him to a cross.

Such honour all the people gain
Who Thee our Lord and Pattern own,
Condemn'd by fierce unrighteous men,
With clamour violently borne down,
Our life we carry in our hand,
And yield it up at Thy command.

392

But arm us for that fiery hour,
Our Saviour God for ever near,
Clothe with the Spirit of Thy power
And threatening man we scorn to fear,
Who cannot slay or ill entreat,
Or touch us, till Thy love permit.

2889.

[Wounded and bruised and drench'd in blood]

Paul...beckoned with the hand unto the, &c. —xxi. 40.

Wounded and bruised and drench'd in blood,
Fit witness for a martyr'd God,
He stems the popular tide;
And while the Saviour he declares,
The marks he in his body bears
Of Jesus crucified.

Happy who thus their Lord confess!
Jesus shall arm them with His grace,
His witnesses inspire,
On them the glorious Spirit shall rest,
With love Divine expand their breast,
And touch their lips with fire.

CHAPTER XXII.

2890.

[Salvation's of the Jews]

I am verily a man which am a Jew, &c. —xxii. 3.

Salvation's of the Jews:
And these must first proclaim
To twice dead souls the joyful news
Of life through Jesus' name:
A Jew must testify
The legal types fulfill'd,

393

The ceremonial veil cast by
The truth in Jesus seal'd.

Lord we with thanks adore
Thy providence Divine,
Which fits Thy vessels long before
To answer Thy design;
Zealots to zealots still
Thou sendest to remove
Our stubborn prejudice of will,
And teach Thy pardoning love.

2891.

[Learning unsanctified]

Brought up...at the feet of Gamaliel. —xxii. 3.

Learning unsanctified
Takes the Deceiver's part,
Puffs up with self-sufficient pride
And blinds the faithless heart;
It makes our fetters strong,
Supplies with arms to' assail,
And dearly prove that right is wrong,
And truth a dotard's tale.

But when the letter'd man
Is by his Lord subdued,
Gamaliel's humbled pupil can
Advance the cause of God;
A fitter instrument
With gifts and graces join'd
To spread the peace in Jesus sent,
To all our ransom'd kind.

2892.

[He who furious inquisition]

I persecuted this way,...binding...both men, &c. —xxii. 4.

He who furious inquisition
After the disciples made,

394

Happier was in his condition
Bound, yet not of death afraid;
Saul a tool of persecution,
Now the persecuted Paul,
Fills the zealots with confusion,
Owns and preaches Christ to all.

2893.

[Happy the man redeem'd at last]

As also the high priest doth bear me witness, &c. —xxii. 5.

Happy the man redeem'd at last
From blind misjudging zeal,
Who dares for all his actions past
To zealous foes appeal:
Able they are to testify
Of him they hate and fear,
They cannot in their hearts deny
The madman was sincere.

2894.

[A man of God, like holy Paul]

It came to pass, that, as I made my journey, &c. —xxii. 6.

A man of God, like holy Paul,
Doth still his pardon'd sins confess,
In season due proclaims to all
The wondrous works of heavenly grace;
Not studious of his own applause,
But zealous for his Master's cause.

What Jesus for his soul hath done
In wisdom meek he testifies,
Makes his dear Lord to sinners known
That they like Him may wake and rise,
And in the heart-felt gospel prove
The power Divine of saving love.

2895.

[The full meridian blaze]

There shone from heaven a great light, &c. —xxii. 6.

The full meridian blaze
Of evangelic grace

395

Doth at first the soul confound,
Dazzling with a flood of light,
Strikes the sinner to the ground,
Blinds and then restores his sight.

Jesus for him employs
His light, His hand, His voice,
First his unbelief reproves,
Casts him down again to raise,
Speaks upbraiding whom He loves,
Then declares His righteousness.

O that like Saul I might
Behold the heavenly light,
Sink beneath Thy mighty hand,
Call'd my righteous Lord to see,
Lifted up by Thy command,
Wash'd from all my sins in Thee!

2896.

[Born of the flesh, I mock'd the men]

I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou, &c. —xxii. 8.

Born of the flesh, I mock'd the men
Renew'd in love and born again,
My carnal enmity
Against Thy members, Lord, was show'd,
And hating all the sons of God
I persecuted Thee.

While obstinate I disbelieved,
Thy Spirit, Lord, I daily grieved,
Denied Thy saving name,
By each transgression of Thy laws,
Again I nail'd Thee to the cross
And put to open shame.

2897.

[The heavenly light to all appear'd]

They...saw indeed the light, and were afraid, &c. —xxii. 9.

The heavenly light to all appear'd,
The sound, but not the voice they heard
With unavailing fright,

396

Sounds indistinct cannot convert,
And stubborn unbelief of heart
Resists an outward light.

To save an infidel from sin,
Eternal Light, appear within
My heart's obscurity;
Display Thy Father in Thy face,
And by the Spirit of Thy grace
Apply Thy word to me.

2898.

[Darken'd by the excess of light]

When I could not see for the glory of that, &c. —xxii. 11.

Darken'd by the excess of light,
My Guide unseen shall lead aright
A soul that nothing sees;
Thy Spirit shall reach out His hand,
And bring me forth into the land
Of rest and righteousness.

2899.

[God, my father's gracious God]

The God of our fathers hath chosen thee, &c. —xxii. 14.

God, my father's gracious God,
If Thou hast made choice of me,
Meant to spread Thy name abroad
Through my prosperous ministry;
Thy whole mind in me reveal,
Life, eternal life impart,
Give the gift unspeakable,
Christ discover to my heart.

O Thou just and holy One
Sighs my broken heart for Thee,
Thee the everlasting Son
Grant me eyes of faith to see;
In Thy bleeding form confess'd
All my unbelief remove,

397

Speak into this troubled breast
Faith and peace and purest love.

2900.

[Why should I longer stay]

And now why tarriest thou? arise, and, &c. —xxii. 16.

Why should I longer stay
And not my Lord receive?
To-day while it is call'd to-day
He would the pardon give;
Convinced I all things need,
Wretched and blind and poor,
I nothing have to pay or plead,
And mercy asks no more.

2901.

[Call'd from above, I rise]

Arise,...and wash away thy sins. —xxii. 16.

Call'd from above, I rise
And wash away my sin,
The stream, to which my spirit flies,
Can make the foulest clean:
It runs divinely clear,
A fountain deep and wide;
'Twas open'd by the soldier's spear
In my Redeemer's side!

2902.

[A preacher full of faith and zeal]

Make haste, and get thee quickly out of, &c. —xxii. 18.

A preacher full of faith and zeal,
Warn'd from above their snares to shun,
Will leave the souls he loves so well
And swiftly from the danger run;
Not struck with unbelieving fear,
But trusted with the gospel word,
He others seeks who gladly hear
And joyfully embrace their Lord.

2903.

[We think by truth Divine impress'd]

And I said, Lord, they know that I, &c. —xxii. 19.

We think by truth Divine impress'd
When its full evidence we feel,

398

It must be soon by all confess'd
The gospel incontestable,
But nothing can the souls convert
Who Jesus Christ will not receive,
Subdue a stubborn bigot's heart,
Or force a Deist to believe.

2904.

[A convert purged of all his stains]

When the blood of Thy martyr Stephen, &c. —xxii. 20.

A convert purged of all his stains
Of his old cancell'd sins retains
The mournful memory;
My God, he cries, hath mercy shown,
And saved, for Jesus' sake alone,
The chief of sinners, me.

Superior grace he cannot boast;
But self-abhorr'd, as in the dust,
Doth still his sins confess;
Less than the least in his own eyes,
Weeping at Jesus' feet he lies,
And humbled all his days.

2905.

[Calm he hears their furious cry]

Away with such a fellow from the earth, &c. —xxii. 22.

Calm he hears their furious cry
Who clamour for his blood,
Knows his life above the sky
Is hid with Christ in God,
Knows he must fulfil his race,
And suffer out his time below;
Fittest for that heavenly place
He then to God shall go.

Ye that now the news proclaim
Of a redeeming Lord,
Witnessing with Paul the same,
Expect the same reward;

399

Judged unfit while here ye rove
To tread the earth or breathe the air,
Lift your hearts to things above
And seek your mansions there.

2906.

[Impotent their rage and vain]

They cried out, and cast off their clothes, —xxii. 23.

Impotent their rage and vain
The sons of violence show,
Bound, beyond their secret chain
The murderers cannot go:
Let them storm and tear the ground,
And rave, and mingle earth and skies,
Paul in Christ as safe is found
As Paul in paradise.

2907.

[Shall we in time of need]

The chief captain...bade that he should be, &c. —xxii. 24.

Shall we in time of need
To human justice fly?
We lean upon a broken reed
Whoe'er on men rely:
They then deceive our hope
When we their help require,
And those that should the torrent stop
Assist to raise it higher.

Blameworthy they suppose
Whom all conspire to blame,
And used as guilty by our foes
As guilty they condemn;
Rulers in proof receive
The crowd's tumultuous cry,
For whom they count unfit to live,
We must deserve to die.

400

2908.

[A stronger reason to take heed]

Take heed what thou doest: for this man, &c. —xxii. 26.

A stronger reason to take heed
May to his hasty foes be show'd,
This man a Christian is indeed,
A servant of the living God!

2909.

[Loosed from his bands, awhile restored]

He loosed him from his bands, and, &c. —xxii. 30.

Loosed from his bands, awhile restored
To partial liberty,
He stands, the servant of the Lord,
Whose soul is always free:
To face his foes he cannot fear,
Who knows the day is nigh
When he and they shall both appear
Before the Lord Most-High.

CHAPTER XXIII.

2910.

[Bold he sets his steadfast face]

And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, —xxiii. 1.

Bold he sets his steadfast face,
Nor fears the face of man,
Safe within a wall of brass
And free from every stain,
Answering in his own defence
He makes the injured truth appear,
Open is his countenance,
And as his conscience clear.

2911.

[The persecuted man]

The high priest Ananias commanded them, &c. —xxiii. 2.

The persecuted man
Who pleads his innocence,
And boldly dares his plea maintain,
Commits a fresh offence;

401

Smote by the slanderous tongue
Unless he silent stand,
The world inflict a further wrong,
And smite him with the hand.

'Tis thus our baffled foes
To lawless violence fly,
And smite and stop the mouth of those
Who contradict their lie;
Unable to gainsay
The words of righteousness,
They answer us a shorter way,
And truth by blows suppress.

2912.

[Transported by prophetic zeal]

God shall smite thee, thou whited wall, &c. —xxiii. 3.

Transported by prophetic zeal,
Constrain'd the judgment to foretell,
He speaks divinely right;
The threaten'd woe belongs to all,
And God shall every whited wall
With sure destruction smite.

2913.

[By that prophetic impulse stirr'd]

I wist not, brethren, that he was the high, &c. —xxiii. 5.

By that prophetic impulse stirr'd
He did not to the robes advert,
But through the Spirit of his Lord
Discern'd the false professor's heart:
He warn'd him of the' impending woe,
That those who fight with the Most-High,
And touch His people now, may know
They touch the apple of His eye.

2914.

[Respect external but unfeign'd]

It is written, Thou shalt not speak evil of, &c. —xxiii. 5.

Respect external but unfeign'd
Is to the worst of rulers due,

402

As dignities by God ordain'd
The heavenly hierarchy to show:
The' unworthiest of men we own
Clothed with Divine authority,
And honouring for Thy sake alone,
Fountain of power we honour Thee.

2915.

[The foes of truth, by malice join'd]

And when he had so said, there arose a, &c. —xxiii. 7.

The foes of truth, by malice join'd,
Soon into different factions run,
No lasting bonds the wicked bind;
Truth only truth continues one,
But error leads a thousand ways
And drops them in the endless maze.

2916.

[The modern Sadducees]

The Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, &c. —xxiii. 8.

The modern Sadducees
Angels and spirits disown,
Deists no after state confess,
No God to man made known;
As when their only care
This present life were o'er,
Their brutal souls would melt in air,
And die to live no more.

The Pharisees maintain
With zealous fury fill'd
'Gainst all your infidels profane
The Christian truths reveal'd:
Yet orthodox at most
In notions who confide
They may of fewer errors boast,
And more abundant pride.

403

2917.

[Zealots though unregenerate men]

The scribes...strove, saying, We find no, &c. —xxiii. 9.

Zealots though unregenerate men
Will for a zealot fight:
Is he of our opinion? then
He must be in the right:
We can in him no evil see,
We can no longer blame;
Let the well-meaning man go free,
He thinks with us the same.

Defenders of His witnesses
The God of truth and power,
Out of their enemies can raise
In the distressing hour;
But suffering saints on Christ depend,
And rest in Christ alone;
Their sure Protector to the end,
Who always saves His own.

2918.

[While with a fleshly arm]

The chief captain, fearing lest Paul should, &c. —xxiii. 10.

While with a fleshly arm
They furiously defend,
To rescue him from harm
Would they in pieces rend?
The love of Pharisees may be
As fatal as their enmity.

But vain the striving zeal
Of friendly Pharisees,
The great almighty will
Prohibits his release,
An order from above detains
And Paul a captive still remains.

404

He knows his Saviour's mind
In his captivity,
In joyful bonds confined
That thousands may go free
To gospel liberty restored,
He rests—the prisoner of the Lord!

2919.

[Nothing they could by tumult gain]

Certain of the Jews banded together, &c. —xxiii. 12.

Nothing they could by tumult gain,
And legal process was but vain,
The wretch unfit to live they know,
Yet still he lives their church's foe:
When neither mob nor council kill,
Inspired with most infernal zeal,
Lo, to their last resource they fly,
And Paul shall by assassins die.

As champions for the church they stand,
An oath unites the sacred band,
The holy league is sworn, and now
They must perform their pious vow,
They cannot weakly change their mind;
The solemn covenant is sign'd,
And earth and hell have both decreed
A stubborn heretic to bleed.

2920.

[Elders commend their catholic zeal]

And they came to the chief priests and elders, &c. —xxiii. 14.

Elders commend their catholic zeal
Devoted heretics to kill,
With joy the reverend conclave join
To' advance their laudable design
The pontiff too his help affords
To gird their consecrated swords,
Their meritorious deed to bless;
And all the saints ensure success.

405

2921.

[Some put their trust in chariots]

Make ready two hundred soldiers, &c. —xxiii. 23.

Some put their trust in chariots,
And horses some rely on,
But Christ alone
His people own
The help and strength of Zion;
A man of God remembers
In peril and temptation
The Lord of hosts,
And calmly trusts
The God of his salvation.

The confessor of Jesus
Confiding in His favour
Perceives prepared
Another guard
By his almighty Saviour;
Myriads of watchful angels
Invisibly attend him,
The flaming band
At Christ's command
With outspread wings defend him.

These, these are Israel's horsemen,
Whom in the dangerous hour
Our Captain sends,
To save His friends
From every hostile power;
And still Elijah's convoy
Is ready to deliver
Their charge below,
Who Jesus know,
And trust in Him for ever.

406

2922.

[The captain doth the priests defeat]

Bring him safe unto Felix the governor. —xxiii 24.

The captain doth the priests defeat,
And saves his prisoner from their snare;
More mercy from the world we meet
Than those who fill the sacred chair;
Soldiers may mild and generous be,
To truth and equity inclined,
But justice and humanity
In wicked priests we never find.

2923.

[Candid and honourable men]

Whom I perceived to be accused of questions of, &c. —xxiii. 29.

Candid and honourable men
Who would the injured right,
The law Divine, the world unseen,
The things eternal slight;
As free from all religious zeal,
And superstitious cares,
As life or death, as heaven or hell,
Were no concern of theirs.

2924.

[To groundless lies and slanders bold]

I...gave commandment to his accusers also, &c. —xxiii. 30.

To groundless lies and slanders bold
If others credit give,
Christians should their assent withhold,
And but on proof believe:
Yet those who bear the name in vain
Nor Pagan justice know,
Believe against the righteous man
His unconfronted foe.

Even you, the holy fathers, you
The' inquisitors severe,
With blindfold enmity pursue
The Saviour's members here:

407

Who tax the murderers of Rome
The house of mercy blame,
As heretics unheard ye doom
Your brethren to the flame.

2925.

[Happy Paul to bonds consign'd!]

He commanded him to be kept in Herod's, &c. —xxiii. 35.

Happy Paul to bonds consign'd!
What monarch is so free?
Thousands shall the blessing find
Of his captivity;
Kept, (but Christ his Keeper is,
And serves by him His own design,)
Kept, he rests in perfect peace
Within the arms Divine.

Jesus, full of truth and love,
Thy Godhead we adore,
Thee we trust the same to prove
Both now and evermore;
Let what will Thy church befall,
It shall to Thy great glory tend,
Magnify the Lord of all,
The saints' eternal Friend.

CHAPTER XXIV.

2926.

[A judge so late, he quits his place]

And after five days Ananias the high, &c. —xxiv. 1.

A judge so late, he quits his place,
(Oh how contemptible and base,
When malice stoops so low!)
See the high priest informer turns,
So fierce his righteous fury burns
Against the church's foe.

408

In ours, in every age are seen
Elders and venerable men
Who sacred things abuse,
Men with infernal malice fraught,
Men in the school of Satan taught
The brethren to accuse.

Swift are the steps of angry zeal,
When bigots set on fire of hell
Their utmost powers employ,
To' excite the world against the just,
Hunt down the men who Jesus trust,
And innocents destroy.

2927.

[The counsel learnèd in the laws]

And when he was called forth, Tertullus, &c. —xxiv. 2.

The counsel learnèd in the laws,
Skilful to flatter and defame,
Opens the prosecutors' cause,
Lost to all sense of truth and shame,
Smoothly employs his venal tongue,
Proves wrong is right, and right is wrong.

The judge corrupt and most unjust,
The' oppressor covetous and base,
The slave of every sordid lust,
His worth he blushes not to praise,
But cringing courts a tyrant's smiles,
Loaded with the whole nation's spoils.

How can the governor withstand,
When such a powerful speaker pleads?
He must allow the priests' demand,
And add to all his worthy deeds
The proof supreme, the crown of all,
By sentencing the vagrant Paul.

409

2928.

[Silence! Tertullus speaks!]

We have found this man a pestilent fellow, &c. —xxiv. 5.

Silence! Tertullus speaks!
“We have this fellow found,
This vagabond who outcasts seeks,
And strolls the nation round:
To spread his poisonous lies
The' itinerant presumes,
And riotous assemblies rise,
And mobs where'er he comes.

A universal pest
He plagues both rich and poor,
And will not let one sinner rest
In Satan's arms secure:
He doth the crowd infect,
Into his net he draws
And multiplies the Christian sect,
And glories in the cross.”

2929.

[According to your law indeed]

Whom we took, and would have judged, &c. —xxiv. 6.

According to your law indeed
Ye with the messengers proceed
Who Jesus testify:
Your justice ye by facts declare,
The men ye first in pieces tear,
And then proceed to try.

2930.

[The men who public peace maintain]

The chief captain Lysias came upon us, &c. —xxiv. 7.

The men who public peace maintain,
And wisely resolute restrain
The rabble's furious will,
Should violent to the violent seem,
And still persist to wrest from them
The power of doing ill.

410

2931.

[No ornaments in its defence]

Forasmuch as I know that thou hast, &c. —xxiv. 10, 11.

No ornaments in its defence
The cause of pure religion needs;
Simplicity, their eloquence,
And truth itself for Christians pleads.

2932.

[Who after Paul and Jesus tread]

I went up to Jerusalem for to worship, &c. —xxiv. 11, 12.

Who after Paul and Jesus tread,
We duly to the temple go,
Thither by His own Spirit led,
We our unfeign'd devotion show;
The house we honour, not profane,
Our solemn prayers and vows repeat,
Communion with the saints maintain,
And then the King of saints we meet.

Our foes, the superstitious crowd,
Who to the brick and mortar cleave,
The church, the church, who roar so loud,
To us both house and altar leave:
They seldom come, or not at all,
The prayers neglect, and slight the word,
Yet us the Separatists they call,
Themselves the temple of the Lord!

2933.

[So worship I my fathers' God]

After the way which they call heresy, so, &c. —xxiv. 14.

So worship I my fathers' God,
Who bought us with His precious blood,
Who died for all, in all to live:
His presence in my heart I feel
In holy joy unspeakable,
Joy, which the world can never give.

Fill'd with His purity and power,
In truth and spirit I adore,
A way by formalists unknown,

411

A way which Rome can never see,
But calls it Northern heresy,
A way to heaven through Christ alone.

2934.

[The written word, entire and pure]

Believing all things which are written, &c. —xxiv. 14.

The written word, entire and pure,
The word which always shall endure,
My rule of faith and life I own;
Not reason or tradition vain,
Not the authority of man,
Not an internal light alone.

Built, through the sacred oracles,
On Christ, the Rock that never fails,
Religion from the fountain brought
I find it in the heavenly book,
What Moses and the prophets spoke,
What Christ and His apostles taught.

2935.

[God is my hope and portion here]

And have hope toward God, which they, &c. —xxiv. 15, 16.

God is my hope and portion here,
And till I at His bar appear
Body and soul with Him I trust:
My enemies themselves confess
That Jesus shall our bodies raise,
Judge of the wicked and the just.

My hope by purity I show,
By labouring all my time below
A spotless conscience to maintain,
With that immortal prize in view,
Careful to render all their due,
Unblamable toward God and man.

412

2936.

[My hope is fix'd on things above]

I came to bring alms to my nation, &c. —xxiv. 17.

My hope is fix'd on things above,
My faith exerts itself by love,
By yearning pity for the poor;
Christ in His members to relieve,
Cheerful my little all I give,
I render them my all and more:

Their advocate with others I,
A beggar turn for their supply,
Their every want my own I make,
Honour as God's peculiar seed,
And only live to serve and feed
My bosom-friends for Jesus' sake.

2937.

[How does he break the law of God]

Certain Jews from Asia found me purified, &c. —xxiv. 18.

How does he break the law of God,
Or stain the house of holiness,
In keeping of that law employ'd,
And reverencing that sacred place?
These are the facts on which they found
Their charge of gross impiety;
For when pure malice is the ground,
Falsehood the only proof can be.

2938.

[The witnesses who cried so loud]

Who ought to have been here before thee, and, &c. —xxiv. 19.

The witnesses who cried so loud,
Demanding succour of the crowd,
All parties if the judge will hear,
They think it time to disappear:
Fierce zealots thus in every age
Against the real Christian rage,
But shrink, abscond, and stand aloof,
When magistrates require the proof.

413

2939.

[Not hasty, not precipitate]

Felix...deferred them, and said, When Lysias, &c. —xxiv. 22.

Not hasty, not precipitate,
To sentence, or to clear,
'Tis wisdom in a judge to wait
And all informants hear;
He then shall to the utmost know,
And Jesu's servant find
A minister of good below,
A friend of all mankind.

2940.

[No smooth-tongued orator is he]

He sent for Paul, and heard him, &c. —xxiv. 24, 25.

No smooth-tongued orator is he,
But foe to all iniquity,
The greatest dares reprove,
A preacher rational of grace,
Explains the life of righteousness,
Sobriety, and love.

He preaches Christ, and faith in Him,
Who died His people to redeem,
Who soon in judgment comes,
And those that made Him die in vain,
That dead in wilful sin remain,
To death eternal dooms.

2941.

[A magistrate corrupt and lewd]

As he reasoned of righteousness, &c. —xxvi. 25.

A magistrate corrupt and lewd,
A sinner wallowing in his blood,
He seizes by the word;
And while his conscience he awakes,
The judge before the prisoner quakes,
And feels the two-edged sword.

He feels the' anticipated fear
Of sinners when the trump they hear,
And see the Judge come down,

414

When on the melting rocks they call,
And bid the burning mountains fall
To hide them from His frown.

The Heathen dreads His righteous doom,
The Jewess slights the wrath to come,
Partaker of his sin,
She sleeps in forms insensible,
Till the wide opening mouth of hell
Vesuvius takes her in.

She was swallowed up there.

2942.

[He trembles, but he cannot stay]

Go thy way for this time; when I have a, &c. —xxiv. 25.

He trembles, but he cannot stay
And perfectly inquire the way,
To' escape the endless woe;
Convinced of his belovèd crime;
Yet for a more convenient time,
He lets the present go.

Alarm'd in vain the truth he hears,
Repentance fatally defers,
And faith in Jesus' name;
He waits as life were in his power,
Waits for a more convenient hour,
Which never, never came.

Neglecting such a time as this,
What crowds of guilty souls will miss
The true celestial way,
(Who would not, when they might repent,)
And in eternal groans lament,
Their damnable delay!

415

2943.

[Silver and gold he none possess'd]

He hoped...that money should have been, &c. —xxiv. 26.

Silver and gold he none possess'd,
Poor follower of a Master poor,
But with substantial riches bless'd,
Riches which evermore endure;
To men that sold themselves for nought,
An instrument their souls to save,
The promised liberty unbought,
Freely as he received, he gave.

2944.

[How soon a miser's fears are past]

Wherefore he sent for him the oftener, &c. —xxiv. 26.

How soon a miser's fears are past,
How transient his remorse within!
Pangs of repentance cannot last
While Felix cherishes his sin:
The love of gold and beastly vice
Destroys the work but just begun,
It stops his ears, puts out his eyes,
And turns again his heart to stone.

2945.

[In vain of temperance he heard]

Felix, willing to shew the Jews a pleasure, &c. —xxiv. 27.

In vain of temperance he heard,
And judgment for a moment fear'd,
Who held his idols in his heart,
Nor would with the adulteress part,
Nor would a suffering saint release,
But fill'd with all unrighteousness
Appeased his foes at the expense
Of injured, helpless innocence.

416

CHAPTER XXV.

2946.

[Favour against the good]

And desired favour against him, that he, &c. —xxv. 3.

Favour against the good,
Not justice they desire,
The Jews to shed a martyr's blood,
The priest, again conspire,
By pride and envy wrought
To slay their guiltless foe;
Such evils (horrible to thought)
From false religion flow!

2947.

[The' imperial dignity alone]

But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept, &c. —xxv. 4.

The' imperial dignity alone
Festus determined to maintain,
But Christ ordains, by means unknown,
To rescue from bloodthirsty men
The chosen vessel of His grace,
The preacher of His righteousness.

Strangers He secretly inclines,
Beyond what they themselves conceive,
To execute His love's designs
On us who for His glory live;
And till His utmost will is done,
In snares and deaths we must live on.

2948.

[Behold the man, the prisoner there!]

Sitting on the judgment seat commanded, &c. —xxv. 6.

Behold the man, the prisoner there!
Who now is standing at the bar,
Shall sit with Jesus' chosen ones,
Apostles shining on their thrones.

The saint whom those outrageous Jews
So fiercely vehement accuse,

417

With His assessors in the sky,
Shall the twelve tribes of Israel try.

The members one with Christ their Head,
So the Almighty hath decreed,
When heaven and earth are pass'd away,
Shall judge the world in that great day!

The angels too, the' accusing fiends,
Sentenced to pain that never ends,
Must then to their just doom submit,
While vengeance seals the burning pit!

2949.

[The' unrighteous world with malice blind]

While he answered for himself, Neither, &c. —xxv. 8.

The' unrighteous world with malice blind,
Against the real Christian speak
Evil and lies of every kind,
And madly our destruction seek:
Accused of every wicked deed
Their hatred we repay with love,
“Not guilty” to their slanders plead,
And challenge them the charge to prove.

To envy's general calumny
An answer short, yet full we give,
Stand fast in our integrity,
Sober and just and godly live:
A general answer may suffice,—
Preserved from every moral stain,
Our country, church, and king we prize,
And keep the laws of God and man.

2950.

[Wilt thou in that bloody place]

Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be, &c. —xxv. 9.

Wilt thou in that bloody place
Before the elders stand,
Tempt the persecuting race,
The sworn assassin band?

418

There the hellish spirit maintains
His court to after ages known,
There the ancient murderer reigns,
As on his favourite throne.

2951.

[I for no favour sue]

For if I be an offender, or have committed, &c. —xxv. 11.

I for no favour sue,
The vilest and the worst
(If such I am) may claim his due;
Condemn; but hear me first:
Me, as the public foe
Whom guilty they presume,
An heretic, or rebel show,
And without mercy doom.

2952.

[Prisoner of Christ, to death pursued]

I appeal unto Cæsar. —xxv. 11.

Prisoner of Christ, to death pursued
By priestly hate implacable,
From those who thirsted for his blood
He doth to Nero's self appeal,
More just than those who saints traduce,
More merciful than canker'd Jews.

Far better 'tis that righteous men
Into the Heathen's hands should fall,
Than theirs who holy things profane
Themselves the Christian temple call,
And dare as all their own to claim
The church's venerable name.

2953.

[So a superior order wills]

Unto Cæsar shalt thou go. —xxv. 12.

So a superior order wills
Which Festus cannot see,
While ignorantly he fulfils
The' omnipotent decree.

419

The secret springs of Providence
Which rule our actions here
Are unperceived by grosser sense,
And but to faith appear.

Beneath the purposes of men
Our God His own conceals,
Conducts the deep mysterious plan,
And governs all the wheels.
The thing His agents least intend,
To do His will they come,
And Jews, combined with Gentiles, send
His messenger to Rome.

2954.

['Twas not the way of Pagan Rome]

It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver, &c. —xxv. 16.

'Twas not the way of Pagan Rome
Unheard the prisoner to condemn,
But Christian Romanists can doom
Men unconvicted to the flame,
Innocent saints in secret kill,
With blood the house of mercy fill.

And shall not, Lord, the Heathens rise
To judge the Christians in that day,
When answering to the martyr's cries,
Thou dost Thy vengeful wrath display,
And pay the murderers their hire,
And cast into eternal fire?

2955.

[With what indifferent carelessness]

Certain questions...of one Jesus. —xxv. 19.

With what indifferent carelessness
He speaks of his expiring God,
Who died for him, and all our race,
And bought our pardon with His blood!
Is it a trivial question then
If Jesus is gone up on high?

420

Unless our Surety lives again
Festus and all mankind must die.

The rich and great of Festus learn
That Jesus slightingly to name;
They in His death have no concern,
No benefit from His life they claim.
Alas, they will not now believe
That every knee to Him shall bend,
And from His mouth their doom receive
To joys or pains that ne'er shall end!

2956.

[“I myself would hear the man,”]

I would also hear the man myself. —xxv. 22.

“I myself would hear the man,”
Wilt thou let thine idols go?
Nature urges thee in vain
New or curious things to know;
If from sin thou dost not cease,
Hearing must thy guilt increase.

Let the self-condemn'd and poor
Long forgiveness to receive,
Let the sick desire their cure,
Sinners languish to believe,
Faith will enter through the ear,
Come, and save the souls that hear.

2957.

[With vain magnificent excess]

Agrippa...and Bernice, with great pomp, &c. —xxv. 23.

With vain magnificent excess,
With gold and gems and costly dress
The trophies of their pride,
They charm the captivated crowd;
But can they from the eye of God
Their shame and vileness hide?

The glare of royal pageantry
Admired by vulgar eyes may be,
And beauty's idle boast,

421

But cannot inward peace procure,
Or dignify the slaves impure
Of foul, incestuous lust.

Their dazzling state let faith compare
With that poor prisoner at the bar,
Who answers God's designs,
Adorn'd with truth and holiness,
With wisdom meek, and constant grace,
He all their pomp outshines.

Ye that in rich attire delight,
Say, which is the illustrious sight,
And more your eyes detains,
A woman lewd in fair disguise,
Loaded with pearls, and stain'd with vice,
Or holy Paul in chains?

2958.

[Brought before kings, he stands]

Paul was brought forth. —xxv. 23.

Brought before kings, he stands,
A greater king than they,
Who o'er sea-sever'd lands
Extend their awful sway,
The saint arraign'd by faith we own
Greater than Cæsar on his throne.

A king to God above
He bears His image here,
The majesty of love,
The Saviour's character,
Superior dignity maintains,
And by the cross of Jesus reigns.

2959.

[No time the prisoner needs]

No time the prisoner needs
For trial to prepare,
Who Jesu's promise pleads
In faith's unceasing prayer,

422

And looks for wisdom in that hour
Their common enemies to' o'erpower.

The Lord of all, he knows,
In whom he puts his trust,
Free utterance bestows
And answers in the just;
And hence he on the word relies
Calm as a saint in paradise.

While standing at the bar
He hears the trumpet's call,
Descending in the air,
Beholds the Judge of all,
And sits with Jesus on His seat
And sees the world beneath his feet.

2960.

[Jews may clamour for his blood]

The Jews...crying that he ought not to live, &c. —xxv. 24.

Jews may clamour for his blood,
Their hate to satisfy,
Louder in the ears of God
The loving Spirit's cry:
While the fiend his death desires,
Nor would another hour reprieve,
Jesus in the saints requires
His minister may live

CHAPTER XXVI.

2961.

[The judge his innocence confess'd]

Paul...answered for himself. —xxvi. 1.

The judge his innocence confess'd
Yet lo, he at the king's request
Repeats his righteous plea;

423

A ready condescension shows,
And pays the just respect he owes
To listening majesty.

Himself permitted to defend,
He answers for a nobler end,
Not for himself alone,
But call'd before the rich and great
Arrests them on the judgment seat,
And makes his Saviour known.

2962.

[To magistrates of God ordain'd]

I think myself happy, king Agrippa, &c. —xxvi. 2.

To magistrates of God ordain'd
We bow with reverence unfeign'd,
Nor wait till Christ they know,
Assured the' almighty Judge supreme,
In love to man, appointed them
His ministers below.

Exempt a Christian would not be,
But counts it his felicity,
When privileged to' appear
His own integrity he shows,
And proves against a world of foes
His life and conscience clear.

2963.

[Happy who for his conduct past]

My manner of life from my youth,...know, &c. —xxvi. 4.

Happy who for his conduct past
Can to his foes appeal,
Foes that have seen from first to last
A life unblamable!
Who dares his warm accusers press,
What have ye found in me?
As touching legal righteousness
A perfect Pharisee!

424

Stripp'd of his rags, with double power
Witness to Christ he gives,
The God that all our sorrows bore,
And sinful men receives.
The promised Peace, Desire, and Hope
Of all our ransom'd race,
Who lifts despairing sinners up,
And saves a world by grace.

2964.

[May not a creating God]

Why should it be thought a thing incredible, &c. —xxvi. 8.

May not a creating God,
Who built this house of clay,
Re-inspire the breathless clod,
In His appointed day?
From the dust He form'd us man,
And shall we circumscribe His power?
Doubtless the Almighty can
Our moulder'd dust restore.

He who breathed into our earth
The breath of life Divine,
By a new celestial birth
Can God and sinners join;
Will a quickening Spirit become,
Our souls extinct again to raise,
Call'd out of our nature's tomb,
To live the life of grace.

Dead in sins and trespasses,
Jesus His people saves:
Lord, by faith we Thee confess,
The opener of our graves;
Joyfully the pledge receive
Of blissful immortality,

425

Sure our bodies too shall live
For ever one with Thee.

2965.

[A bigot obstinately wrong]

I verily thought with myself, that I ought. —xxvi. 9.

A bigot obstinately wrong,
Yet certain he is right,
May confident continue long
Gainst Jesus Christ to fight;
May persecute the witnesses
With blind pernicious zeal,
And while he thinks his God to please
Rejoice the fiends in hell.

2966.

[The witnesses by Jesus sent]

I punished them oft in every...city. —xxvi. 11.

The witnesses by Jesus sent
Have always counted been
As only fit for punishment
By all the slaves of sin;
And urging them the faith to' abjure,
With dire malicious joy
They then behold their ruin sure,
They then their souls destroy.

2967.

[Error, ye Pharisees sincere]

I persecuted them even unto strange cities. —xxvi. 11.

Error, ye Pharisees sincere,
Ye mean to' exterminate,
Nor know, who hate His members here,
That Christ Himself ye hate;
Exposing us to pain and shame,
While in His steps we move,
Ye act against the Saviour's name,
Ye hate the God of love.

426

2968.

[Saviour, whose manifested love]

Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou Me? —xxvi. 14.

Saviour, whose manifested love
A persecuting Saul o'ercame,
Appear, illustrious from above,
To them who now resist Thy name,
With mad despite Thy flock pursue,
For O, they know not what they do.

Send forth a kind convincing ray
Thou glorious Effluence Divine,
To chase the clouds of sin away
In nature's deepest darkness shine,
With dreadful light Thy foes surround,
In mercy smite them to the ground.

Give them to feel the irksome pain
Of men who dare their God oppose,
Who kick against the pricks in vain,
Pierce themselves through with various woes,
But never can successful be,
Or triumph o'er Thy church and Thee.

Their unsuspected guilt reveal,
The sudden keen conviction dart,
And show the men in league with hell
They take Thine ancient murderers' part,
And all who on the members tread
Insult and persecute the Head.

Then, Lord, Thy fallen murderers raise
After Thyself to ask of Thee:
Saviour of all our prostrate race,
Open their eyes Thy love to see,
And in their inmost souls make known
Our God and Thee for ever one.

427

2969.

[Thou who hast cast me down]

But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I, &c. —xxvi. 16.

Thou who hast cast me down
By unresisted grace,
To make Thy mercy known
A grovelling sinner raise;
And lo, with strength Divine I stand,
And walk and run at Thy command.

Jesus to me appear
The Son of God and man,
Thy chosen minister
And witness to ordain;
Who cannot testify of Thee,
Unless Thou show Thyself to me.

No vision of my God
But that of faith I need,
Faith in the' atoning blood
For dying sinners shed;
I want to feel the blood applied,
To see the Lamb as crucified.

Soon as Thy wounds I see,
And my Redeemer know,
Thy death reveal'd in me
I will to others show,
And every fresh display of grace
Proclaim to all the ransom'd race.

2970.

[Where'er our Lord is pleased to send]

Delivering thee from the people, and from, &c. —xxvi. 17.

Where'er our Lord is pleased to send,
He doth His messengers defend,
The faithful God and true;
He leads us oft into distress,
But present with His witnesses
He always brings us through.

428

To Jews and Gentiles sent we feel
The fury of self-righteous zeal,
And violent wickedness;
But feeling our Deliverer nigh,
Our souls, till all the storms pass by,
Are kept in perfect peace.

2971.

[With Thy commission Lord, we go]

To open their eyes, and to turn them from, &c. —xxvi. 18.

With Thy commission Lord, we go,
And wake the dead that sleep below
In nature's dark estate:
Alarm'd they lift their guilty eyes,
And see with terror and surprise
The light which sinners hate.

Poor trembling sinners we incline
(But oh the work is wholly Thine)
With all their sins to part;
From Satan's power to Thee they turn,
And conscious unbelievers mourn
For purity of heart.

Thy Spirit helps them to believe,
And then forgiveness they receive
Seal'd in Thy precious blood,
And cleansed from every sinful stain,
Faithful to death, a lot they gain
With all the saints of God.

Through faith their pardon'd sin they know,
Through faith to full perfection go,
(That depth of humblest love!)
Through faith they put Thine image on,
And win, through faith in Thee alone,
Angelic thrones above.

429

2972.

[Obedient to the heavenly call]

I was not disobedient unto the heavenly, &c. —xxvi. 19, 20.

Obedient to the heavenly call,
Thy mercy's meanest instrument,
Saviour I preach Thy grace to all,
And cry in every place, Repent,
Return, ye wandering souls, to God,
The fruits of true repentance show,
And wash'd with sanctifying blood
In Jesu's steps to glory go.

2973.

[For this let fiery zealots seize]

For these causes the Jews caught me in, &c. —xxvi. 21.

For this let fiery zealots seize,
(If Thou the ruffians' hands unbind;)
Me in the courts of holiness,
The temple's foe, they still may find:
Assured that Thou art always near,
I come to suffer all Thy will,
By love Divine forbid to fear
The men who can this body kill.

2974.

[Yet till Thy sovereign grace permit]

Having...obtained help of God, I continue, &c. —xxvi. 22.

Yet till Thy sovereign grace permit
They cannot touch one sacred hair:
And hence, my Lord, I labour yet
Escaped, unhurt, from every snare;
Rescued by military bands
Or whomsoe'er Thy love employs,
I rest in Thy almighty hands,
And underneath Thy wings rejoice.

Thy servant here I still remain,
And testify to great and small
Whate'er Thine oracles contain;
The sum, the end, the truth of all,

430

Thee, Jesus, Thee I love to show,
Who hast the prophecies fulfill'd;
And in Thy blood we all may know
The promises for ever seal'd.

2975.

[The law and prophets all foretold]

That Christ should suffer, and that He, &c. —xxvi. 23.

The law and prophets all foretold
That Christ should die, and leave the grave;
Gather the world into His fold,
The church of Jews and Gentiles save.
The First-begotten from the dead,
Thou hast into our darkness shone,
In sinners' hearts Thy Spirit shed;
And all our loving souls are one.

Yet, by the prince of darkness bound,
The nations still are wrapp'd in night;
They never heard the joyful sound,
They never saw the gospel light.
Light of the world, again appear
In mildest majesty of grace,
And bring the great salvation near,
And claim our whole apostate race.

2976.

[More of this madness, more]

Paul, thou art beside thyself; much, &c. —xxvi. 24.

More of this madness, more
Of this true learning give,
Jesus, whom I confess before
The world that disbelieve!
My faith let men mistake
For mere insanity,
Beside myself for Thy dear sake,
I live and die to Thee.

431

2977.

[Truth, not ourselves, to justify]

I am not mad, most noble Festus; but, &c. —xxvi. 25.

Truth, not ourselves, to justify
We should with bold respect reply,
Nor silently the world permit
To tread the pearl beneath their feet,
Whene'er their ignorance reprove
The language pure of faith and love.

Freedom the cause of God requires
And wisdom meek His Spirit inspires;
Divinely taught we then express
His power, and truth, and soberness,
And that eternal Reason show
Our God in Christ reveal'd below.

2978.

[Who believes the prophets true]

King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets? —xxvi. 27.

Who believes the prophets true
Will he not Paul believe?
Will he not his Saviour too
Into his heart receive?
Faith which leads us to the skies
In faith historical begins;
Faith Divine the blood applies
That blots out all our sins.

2979.

[Jesus' messenger at last]

I know that thou believest —xxvi. 27.

Jesus' messenger at last
Brings home the pointed word,
Seizes, holds the sinner fast
A captive for his Lord:
See, the vanquish'd monarch see!
He bows to a superior power,
Sinks as one who must agree,
And can resist no more.

432

2980.

[Poor Agrippa! but almost]

Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost, &c. —xxvi. 28.

Poor Agrippa! but almost
Persuaded to embrace
Him who saves the sinner lost,
And offers all His grace!
Grace and Christ almost to gain
Is quite to miss the deathless prize;
Take another step—and then
Thy soul's in paradise.

Partner of the heavenly hope,
In the good work begun
Do not with Agrippa stop,
But now with Paul go on:
Full consent to Jesus yield,
With all thy heart to Jesus given,
His, entirely His, and fill'd
With the pure life of heaven.

2981.

[Conscious of my happiness]

I would to God, that not only thou, but, &c. —xxvi. 29.

Conscious of my happiness,
Peace, unutterable peace
Would I not to all impart,
Peace which now o'erflows my heart,
Makes it tenderly inclined,
Draws it out to all mankind!

Bless'd with my felicity
O that every soul might be,
Feel what real Christians feel,
Joy incomprehensible,
Live the life of those above,
Swallow'd up and lost in love!

433

2982.

[A sufferer for his Saviour's cause]

Except these bonds. —xxvi. 29.

A sufferer for his Saviour's cause
Cannot for sufferings pray,
Nor would the' anticipated cross
On weak beginners lay:
He wishes them to rest unknown,
Conceal'd from grief and shame,
Till Jesus calls them forth to own,
And triumph through His name.

2983.

[Who that moment's price can tell]

And when he had thus spoken, the king rose, &c. —xxvi. 30.

Who that moment's price can tell
On which his all depends,
Heavenly bliss unchangeable,
Or woe, which never ends?
Did the king his time improve,
Or cast the' important point away?
All before the throne above
Shall know, in that great day.

CHAPTER XXVII.

2984.

[In the council of the sky]

It was determined that we should sail into, &c. —xxvii. 1.

In the council of the sky
It predetermined was,
Paul was chosen to testify
Of Him that stain'd the cross;
God, whatever man intends,
Hath work at Rome which must be done;
Thither He his labourer sends,
To serve His will alone.

434

2985.

[Number'd with transgressors here]

They delivered Paul and certain other prisoners, &c. —xxvii. 1.

Number'd with transgressors here,
The servant doth as Christ appear;
With felons link'd, the lot receives
Of Jesus placed between the thieves;
Suffering with Christ, he truly knows
The grace that from his Saviour flows,
The power of Him who reigns above,
And all the life of heavenly love.

2986.

[Luke and Aristarchus too]

Entering into a ship...we launched, &c. —xxvii. 2.

Luke and Aristarchus too
With the suffering saint remain:
Love can all things bear and do,
Love esteems the prisoner's chain;
Keeps and will not let them part,
One in state and one in heart.

Two or three in Jesus' name
Met, according to His mind,
Did they not the promise claim?
Did they not the promise find?
Boldly launch into the deep,
Safe with Jesus in the ship?

2987.

[If Christ to try our faith ordain]

Julius courteously entreated Paul. —xxvii. 3.

If Christ to try our faith ordain,
The cruel hearts of faithless men
To nature's bent He leaves;
And then the persecuting foe,
Let loose his enmity to show,
Our flesh or spirit grieves.

But when our Lord intends to cheer
His poor afflicted confessor,
He doth the hate remove,

435

And soften'd then for His design,
Soldiers' and Heathen's hearts incline
To gentleness and love.

Entreated with humanity,
Jesus Thy love's effect we see,
Thine interposal own,
In enemies or strangers kind
The favour of our God we find,
And praise our God alone.

2988.

[In outward things, with faith endued]

Paul admonished them, and said, &c. —xxvii. 9, 10.

In outward things, with faith endued
Full frequently we find
A present store of counsel good,
And readiness of mind.
The Spirit of faith and wisdom too
Makes future dangers known;
But if our Leader we pursue
We every evil shun.

2989.

[How should a prisoner poor and bound]

The centurion believed the master and the, &c. —xxvii. 11.

How should a prisoner poor and bound
The mariners advise?
A Christian is of judgment sound,
And wiser than the wise;
By providential love employ'd
He serves our greatest need;
And artists too when taught of God
In their own art exceed.

2990.

[Foolish men, your hope is vain]

When the south wind blew softly, supposing, &c. —xxvii. 13, 14.

Foolish men, your hope is vain:
Can ye thus your purpose gain,

436

Warn'd, the warning who despise,
Rashly slight a saint's advice,
Trust a smiling wind, before
God's inspired ambassador!

Tyrants of the sea and land,
Winds arise at His command,
Brought out of His treasuries
The devoted vessel seize;
Serving their almighty Lord,
Winds and storms fulfil His word.

He whom winds and seas obey,
Doth His sovereignty display,
Jesus, Master of the storm
Doth His own designs perform,
Jesus in the Heathen's eyes
His own servant magnifies.

2991.

[The means of life to gain]

We let her drive. —xxvii. 15–17.

The means of life to gain
What will not mortals dare?
Fearless they tempt the stormy main,
And all the dangers there!
On rocks and quicksands still
Through hurricanes they ride,
And trust a feeble pilot's skill,
And in a plank confide.

But few alas, depend
On an almighty Lord,
Whose faithful mercies never end
To those that keep His word;

437

Who counts our every hair,
And hides our souls above,
The objects of His guardian care
And providential love.

2992.

[Worldlings, anticipate the day]

We cast out with our own hands the tackling, &c. —xxvii. 19.

Worldlings, anticipate the day
When that ye count your chiefest good
Yourselves shall wish to cast away,
A sore, and worse than useless load
Which soon will sink your shatter'd ship,
And plunge you in the' infernal deep.

Skin for your skin, and all ye have
Ye give, in jeopardy extreme,
A momentary life to save,
A dying body to redeem;
But if to save your wealth ye choose
Your soul's eternal life ye lose.

2993.

[A picture of my life I view]

All hope that we should be saved was then, &c. —xxvii. 20.

A picture of my life I view,
And sensibly perceive it true,
By long temptations toss'd,
With rocks and shoals and whirlpools near,
My soul, my shipwreck'd soul, I fear
Will be for ever lost.

In a dark world I wander on,
No joyous all-enlivening sun
My gloomy sorrow cheers,
Throughout the melancholy night,
To guide me by its friendly light,
No glittering star appears.

438

My latest hope alas is o'er;
I cannot reach that heavenly shore,
The gusts of passion rise
So fierce, so high the billows roll,
And on this long afflicted soul
So huge a tempest lies.

Bear as ye list, ye whirlwinds bear!
A wretch o'erwhelm'd with just despair,
O'erwhelm me with the wave
Unless the God of love unknown,
Will, for the honour of His Son,
Miraculously save.

2994.

[He first their wilfulness reproves]

Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, &c. —xxvii. 21.

He first their wilfulness reproves,
And then the abjects cheers,
Kindly their sad despair removes,
And dissipates their fears;
Ready through fear of death to die
The comfort they receive,
And all who on the word rely
Shall by the promise live.

The sinners who his counsel slight,
And bear their stubbornness,
A Christian never can delight
To' insult in their distress;
Desponding souls he lifts them up
When sunk beneath their load,
Inspiring them with faith and hope
In his almighty God.

2995.

[A present help in trouble]

There stood by me this night the angel. —xxvii. 23.

A present help in trouble,
Whene'er our wants require,

439

When danger 's nigh,
To Christ we fly,
And find Him always nigher;
No storms or tempests hinder
Our God's commiseration,
Who everywhere
Displays His care,
And shows us His salvation.

With trembling crowds surrounded
With horror and dejection,
Thee, Jesus, Thee
By faith we see,
And rest in Thy protection;
More than an host of angels
Thy promise to deliver
Comforts our hearts,
And strength imparts,
And life that lasts for ever.

2996.

[A few compendious words]

Whose I am, and whom I serve. —xxvii. 23.

A few compendious words
Religion's whole contain;
By faith I am the Lord's,
By faith I His remain;
In hope I serve His blessed will,
And all His law in love fulfil.

The creature of my God
By Him in being held,
The purchase of His blood
To Christ His right I yield,
His, wholly His rejoice to be,
Who made, preserves, and died for me.

440

Jesus, Thine own defend,
Fill up my faith and hope,
And, loving to the end
Receive Thy servant up,
And for the work Thyself hast done
Reward with an immortal crown.

2997.

[Let infidels fear]

Fear not, Paul; thou must be brought before, &c. —xxvii. 24.

Let infidels fear
When destruction is near:
A believer is hidden above,
Out of danger is he,
From anxiety free,
In the arms of omnipotent Love.

The tempest may roar,
But it cannot devour,
While on Jesus's promise alone
Secure he relies,
He all evil defies,
Till the work of his Master is done.

2998.

[One good man endued with power]

And, lo, God hath given thee all them, &c. —xxvii. 24.

One good man endued with power,
Whom all the rest reject,
Singly bold, in danger's hour,
May a whole land protect;
Listening to a Christian's prayers,
Who pleads in faith the' atoning blood,
Oft the God of mercy spares
A sinful multitude.

O that such might now appear,
As in the gap to stand,
One appointed messenger
To guard Britannia's land!

441

Jesus, send by whom Thou wilt;
But ere we plunge into the deep,
Rid us from this load of guilt,
And save the sinking ship.

2999.

[The consolation from above]

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer: for I, &c. —xxvii. 25.

The consolation from above,
Which first himself receives,
Trusting in his Redeemer's love,
To troubled souls he gives:
A Christian among Heathens found,
With God's protection bless'd,
Will comfort by his faith's rebound,
And strengthen all the rest.

The Lord hath spoke, the faithful Lord
His sacred word hath pass'd,
And shall He not fulfil His word,
And save their lives at last?
Jesus in whom a saint confides,
His promise must perform:
And still He on the whirlwind rides,
And still directs the storm!

3000.

[Faith beholds the' invisible]

Howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island. —xxvii. 26.

Faith beholds the' invisible;
An heavenly Pilot's hand
Undergirds the shatter'd keel
And guides it to the strand:
Safe through the tempestuous deep
To Malta's fatal isle he steers,
Malta's isle must break the ship,
And save the passengers.

3001.

[The word conditional he knew]

Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot, &c. —xxvii. 31.

The word conditional he knew,
Did on the' appointed means depend,

442

And God the merciful and true
Would on their toil His blessing send.
He knew the oracle was sure,
For truth Himself the promise gave,
And Jesus would the lives secure
Of all who strove themselves to save.

The Saviour never supersedes
The hallow'd industry of man,
But when our faith His promise pleads
He bids us every sinew strain;
And, while we in the ship abide,
Exerting all our gracious power,
With Jesus we the storm outride,
And reach through Him the heavenly shore.

3002.

[Who would not his advice pursue]

While the day was coming on, Paul besought, &c. —xxvii. 33.

Who would not his advice pursue,
He ceases not to give them new,
He courts till he prevails:
Love is the same, whoe'er oppose,
Nor haughtiness nor anger knows,
And never, never fails.

3003.

[How quickly changed my God, by Thee]

I pray you to take some meat: for this is, &c. —xxvii. 34.

How quickly changed my God, by Thee
Mortals and their conditions are,
The prisoner sets his keepers free,
Redeems them by his faith and prayer.
The Christian if Thy will ordain,
Life to idolaters shall give,
And save a second time the men
Who him account not fit to live.

3004.

[In presence of the Pagan crowd]

He took bread and gave thanks to God, &c. —xxvii. 35.

In presence of the Pagan crowd
He shows his faithfulness,

443

And asks the Giver of their food
To sanctify and bless.
Jesus' Jehovah's worshipper,
He stands in open day:
But Christians before Christians fear
And basely blush to pray.

3005.

[The faith of Paul they see]

Then were they all of good cheer, and they, &c. —xxvii. 36.

The faith of Paul they see,
And then the word receive,
Revived by his alacrity
They venture to believe;
His firmness they behold
Whose life on Christ is cast,
And through his confidence made bold
They all escape at last.

'Tis thus with faithful Paul,
To dying souls we cry,
And bid them trust the Lord of all
On whom ourselves rely:
Redeem'd for Jesus' sake,
Believe our gospel true;
Our own eternal life we stake
On what we promise you.

Our danger is the same,
But lo, we dare depend
For grace and glory on His name
Whom we to you commend:
With us His word believe,
With us His promise prove,
Your life through Jesus' death receive,
And reach the port above.

444

3006.

[So many influenced by one]

And we were in all in the ship two hundred, &c. —xxvii. 37.

So many influenced by one
Whom all for their example take!
Their lives, (and not their lives alone,)
Saved for their unknown Saviour's sake;
Paul could not for their lives entreat,
And their endanger'd souls forget.

Surely he ask'd his Lord to spare
Their souls as at the point to die,
And Jesus in His servant's prayer
Regarding His own Spirit's cry,
Received them all into His fold,
And in His book of life enroll'd.

3007.

[The batter'd ship, by tempest toss'd]

They ran the ship aground; and the forepart, &c. —xxvii. 41.

The batter'd ship, by tempest toss'd
Had all the mighty shocks received,
Yet clear of rocks, and sands, and coast,
Weather'd the storm and strangely lived;
But when it to the land sticks fast
In pieces dash'd, it sinks at last.

3008.

[Strangers to faith we cannot trust]

The soldiers' counsel was to kill the prisoners. —xxvii. 42.

Strangers to faith we cannot trust:
If soften'd for a time they be,
Too soon ungrateful and unjust,
Strangers to kind humanity
With Cain, the murderer, they rise,
Their brethren's lives to sacrifice.

The instruments to save their souls
Without remorse the ruffians kill,
Unless our Lord their rage controls,
Our Lord who bids the winds “be still,”
And binds the sea, through His command,
In chains of adamantine sand.

445

3009.

[Happy loss of liberty]

The centurion, willing to save Paul, &c. —xxvii. 43.

Happy loss of liberty,
Which men with saints endure,
Captives your deliverer see
And rest like Paul secure,
Through a prisoner of the Lord
Preserved from the tempestuous main,
From the peril of the sword
Ye live redeem'd again.

3010.

[Our omnipotent Lord]

And the rest, some on boards, and some on, &c. —xxvii. 44.

Our omnipotent Lord
Remembers His word,
His promise fulfils,
While in human endeavours His arm He conceals;
In the means we perceive
By whose mercy we live,
And thankfully own,
The deliverance wrought, He hath wrought it alone.

All glory and power
To the God we adore!
Salvation is His,
Ever nigh to redeem from the hellish abyss:
Preserved by His love
Our souls are above,
Secure in His hand
Till with joy we arrive in Immanuel's land.

Though our vessel be broke
If we faithfully look
To the Saviour of all,
And on Jesus's name for deliverance call,
A plank or a board
The old ship will afford,
And in Jesus's power
We on that shall escape to the heavenly shore.

446

CHAPTER XXVIII.

3011.

[Who boast their form of godliness]

The barbarous people shewed us no little, &c. —xxviii. 2.

Who boast their form of godliness,
Most cruel enmity express
To them that Jesus know;
Idolaters assistance give,
With hospitable love receive,
And kindest pity show.

Mercy from savages we find,
(When Jesus hath their hearts inclined,)
In the distressing hour,
While Christians civilised in vain,
As sheep appointed to be slain,
The saints of God devour.

3012.

[His loving labour he repeats]

Paul...gatherd a bundle of sticks, &c. —xxviii. 3.

His loving labour he repeats,
With kind industrious care,
To meanest offices submits
The common minister;
Ye friends of God, ye humble saints,
From His example know,
To serve the soul's or body's wants,
Ye cannot stoop too low.

3013.

[Escaped from the tempestuous sea]

There came a viper out of the heat, &c. —xxviii. 3.

Escaped from the tempestuous sea
Who dared in God confide,
By dangers new his faith must be
By fresh temptations tried;
The viper fasten'd on his hand
And shook into the flame
Shall show that both by sea and land
His Saviour is the same.

447

3014.

[Partially by nature taught]

They said...No doubt this man is a, &c. —xxviii. 4.

Partially by nature taught,
Though barbarous and rude,
Murder's crying crime they thought
By wrath Divine pursued:
“God His own decree fulfils,
And always acts as Judge below,
Blessings to the righteous deals,
And to the wicked woe.”

God (as yet they did not see)
Who doth His children grieve,
Spares the sons of cruelty,
And lets a murderer live:
Oft on earth His blood is shed;
But vengeance, if it here delay,
Falls the heavier on his head
In that tremendous day.

3015.

[To opposite extremes so prone]

They changed their minds, and said that, &c. —xxviii. 6.

To opposite extremes so prone,
The giddy multitude
Judge in an hour, the saint unknown
A murderer, and a god!

3016.

[Know all who help bestow]

Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid his, &c. —xxviii. 8.

Know all who help bestow
On Jesus in His poor,
Good to the saints ye cannot show,
Without receiving more;
Expect your kindness here
An hundred-fold restored,
And when His glory shall appear,
Your infinite reward.

But first your present need
Of a Physician know,

448

And virtue shall from Him proceed
Who bore your griefs below;
His help if sinners claim
As quite incurable,
The prayer of faith, in Jesu's name,
Doth soul and body heal.

3017.

[Paul for his companions pays]

So when this was done, others also, &c. —xxviii. 9.

Paul for his companions pays
At Jesus's expense,
In the Heathen's eyes displays
His Lord's omnipotence;
Makes it on their bodies known,
That then their languid souls may prove
Health restored through Christ alone,
And bless His pardoning love.

Debtor both to Greek and Jew,
Did he not Christ proclaim?
Debtor to Barbarians too,
He preach'd where'er he came;
(Conscious of his Master's mind
When to remotest countries driven)
Preach'd the Saviour of mankind,
The Peace of earth and heaven.

3018.

[Unspeakably bless'd]

Who also honoured us with many honours, &c. —xxviii. 10.

Unspeakably bless'd
In a stranger distress'd,
Who Paul entertain,
Unawares they receive an angelical man.
Enrich'd by a wreck,
For his ministry's sake
They esteem and caress
The physician of souls, and the vessel of grace!

449

3019.

[Go, sacred ship, from stormy seas]

A ship,...whose sign was, Castor and Pollux. —xxviii. 11.

Go, sacred ship, from stormy seas
Secure, thy heavenly treasure bear,
Not left to Pagan deities
But safe in Providence's care;
Protected by a nobler sign
Through Jesus' worshipper thou art,
The Saviour's cross and blood Divine,
His God he carries in his heart!

3020.

[Who can tell the consolation]

Puteoli, where we found brethren. —xxviii. 13, 14.

Who can tell the consolation,
When the suffering sons of grace,
Heirs and partners of salvation,
In their Saviour's name embrace?
Peace of Jesus's bestowing,
Joy that swells to be express'd,
Love from the pure Fountain flowing,
Streams through every faithful breast.

3021.

[The prisoner of the Lord]

And were desired to tarry with them seven days. —xxviii. 14.

The prisoner of the Lord,
But His apostle too;
He own'd the pardoning word
Was every sinner's due,
Nor could, wherever sent, delay
His evangelic debt to pay.

Employ in every place
With precious souls he found,
And made their hearts confess
The word could not be bound,
Which captive leads captivity
And bids a sinful world be free.

450

3022.

[Christians he exults to meet]

The brethren...came to meet us...whom, &c. —xxviii. 15.

Christians he exults to meet,
Christians come from Satan's seat,
Where the idols are enthroned
There he sees his Saviour own'd:
Jesus he delights to bless,
Fill'd with joy and thankfulness,
Comfort streaming from above
All the confidence of love.

3023.

[A captive, poor, despised, and bound]

We came to Rome. —xxviii. 16.

A captive, poor, despised, and bound,
His entry into Rome he makes,
Yet greater far than victors crown'd
Whom Jesus for His servant takes!
The plagues and scourges of mankind
They forced the slaves their yoke to feel,
But Paul is come the world to' unbind,
And triumph o'er the hosts of hell.

3024.

[Led into captivity]

Paul was suffered to dwell by himself with, &c. —xxviii. 16.

Led into captivity
Thy servants favour find;
Is it not a look from Thee
That makes their keepers kind?
Human hearts are in Thy hands,
Thy hand in all events we own,
Free, or bound at Thy command,
And kept by Thee alone.

3025.

[Intreated as a criminal]

Though I have committed nothing against, &c. —xxviii. 17.

Intreated as a criminal,
The Saviour's messenger
Doth meekly, in the sight of all,
His innocency clear:

451

Whose character is not his own,
Whom all unjustly blame,
He keeps, for Jesu's sake alone,
A pure unspotted name.

3026.

[We never can recriminate]

Not that I had ought to accuse my nation of. —xxviii. 19.

We never can recriminate
Who to the Lamb belong,
Nor dare our fiercest haters hate,
Or render wrong for wrong;
When charged with crimes they cannot prove,
The truth of justify
We speak constrain'd; but tenderest love
Prevents a sharp reply.

3027.

[Bound he is, yet truly free]

For the hope of Israel I am bound with, &c. —xxviii. 20.

Bound he is, yet truly free,
Bound for his Redeemer's sake,
Him who suffering on the tree
Did for all atonement make;
Doth to every sinner bring
Pardon in His sprinkled blood,
Christ the Prophet, Priest, and King,
Israel's Hope, and Israel's God.

On this only ground relies
Every soul that faith receives,
Jesus my Redeemer dies,
Jesus my Redeemer lives;
Lives, that I and all mankind
May, to liberty restored,
Fulness of salvation find,
Live for ever with our Lord.

3028.

[Where are the venerable men]

We neither received letters out of Judæ, &c. —xxviii. 21.

Where are the venerable men,
The eloquent Tertullus, where?

452

Could Jews their bitter wrath refrain?
Or did their consciences declare
That Pagans were more just than them,
And would not without proof condemn?

While God their baffled rage averts,
They counteract their own design,
Spite of their own malicious hearts,
In Paul's defence the zealots join,
Absent, they on his side appear,
And silent, his uprightness clear.

3029.

[Religion undefiled and true]

We desire to hear of thee what thou, &c. —xxviii. 22.

Religion undefiled and true
Was always by the world decried;
The wisdom, which they never knew,
They still as foolishness deride,
God's children scornfully reject,
And brand them as an impious sect.

But followers of the Nazarene,
Our Lord's reproach we gladly share,
Rejected, and despised of men,
Till bold appearing at His bar,
His confessors with smiles He owns,
Commends, and seats us on our thrones.

3030.

[Whene'er we preach our pardoning Lord]

Some believed...and some believed not. —xxviii. 24.

Whene'er we preach our pardoning Lord,
Some disbelieve the faithful word,
And some confess its power;
Savour of life or death it proves,
The stony from their hearts removes,
Or hardens them the more.

The poor and blind receive their sight,
With faith's unspeakable delight
A precious Christ esteem;

453

But stubborn Pharisees disdain
Salvation through a Saviour slain,
And infidels blaspheme.

3031.

[The Holy Ghost, the' eternal Lord]

Well spake the Holy Ghost.. unto our fathers. —xxviii. 25.

The Holy Ghost, the' eternal Lord,
Jehovah spake the awful word,
Divinely just and true;
Denounced against your fathers first
The threat, ye reprobates accursed,
Shall be fulfill'd on you.

The cause is in yourselves unknown,
Their damning sin ye make your own,
Their incredulity;
The light of truth ye cannot find,
Dead in your sins, and doubly blind,
Because ye will not see.

Your eyes through obstinate despite,
Ye close against the irksome light,
Afraid in this your day
To see what would secure your peace,
The Lamb, whose blood and righteousness
Bore all your sins away.

Your ears ye stop, afraid to hear
Of fiery indignation near,
Of wrath reveal'd from heaven,
Of means the Judge's wrath to shun,
And all His will to man made known,
With news of sin forgiven.

Ye dare not turn to God and live,
Lest when He doth the sin forgive
From which ye would not part,

454

His Spirit of purity and love
Should all its dire remains remove,
And dwell within your heart.

But you who thus refuse to see,
Shut up in unbelief shall be,
And hard be harder still;
Your names erased out of His book,
Your stubborn souls of God forsook,
And left to your own will.

The gospel then ye hear in vain,
The heavenly way direct and plain
Ye see, but not perceive;
And if the Spirit is quench'd at last,
And if your gracious day is past,
Ye never can believe.

In sad judicial blindness left,
Of Jesus totally bereft,
Your hearts insensible,
Your conscience sear'd no longer cries,
And self-destroy'd ye close your eyes
To lift them up in hell.

3032.

[Just in your own eyes, Who Jesus reject]

Be it known therefore unto you that the, &c. —xxviii. 28.

Just in your own eyes, Who Jesus reject,
And proudly despise His vilified sect,
The Jews of our nation Ye will not believe
Or know the salvation Which sinners receive.

The outcasts of men, The reprobate race,
As Heathens profane Their Saviour embrace;
Your hearts if ye harden, They thankfully hear
The news of a pardon And paradise near.

That kingdom of His Which Jesus imparts,
That rapturous peace Is sent to their hearts,

455

To Heathens is given Through faith in His blood
Forgiveness from heaven, Salvation from God.

The publicans hear His peace-giving word,
And sinners sincere Acknowledge their Lord,
His blessing inherit, His image retrieve,
And fill'd with His Spirit In paradise live.

3033.

[Blind infidels, ye must contend]

The Jews...had great reasoning among, &c. —xxviii. 29.

Blind infidels, ye must contend,
And fight, and cavil without end,
Who hate the Truth, the Life, the Way,
Ye must in deadly error stray;
Faith only can your doubts remove
By the pure energy of love,
Make all your vain disputings cease,
And fill your hearts with lasting peace.

3034.

[Gifts to the saints at Rome]

And Paul dwelt two whole years in his, &c. —xxviii. 30.

Gifts to the saints at Rome
He long had wish'd to' impart;
And now the time is come
For uttering all his heart,
For publishing to rich and poor
The kingdom from above,
The joy that always shall endure,
The power of Jesu's love.

Jesus and Him alone
The Saviour he proclaims,
The God and man makes known,
His offices and names,
His doctrine, life, and wonders here,
His suffering and His rise,
His mission of the Comforter,
And reign above the skies.

The door which Christ displays,
Nor men, nor fiends can close,

456

Or stop the course of grace
That through this vessel flows;
The chosen vessel of his Lord
Must His whole counsel show,
And bold dispense that royal word
Which builds His church below.

Not in a lower sphere
Of narrower good he moves,
Ordain'd to minister
To all whom Jesus loves,
Apostle of the ransom'd race
He preaches unconfined,
In every age, in every place,
He writes to all mankind.

3035.

[Jesus, Thy servants bless]

Preaching the kingdom of God, and, &c. —xxviii. 31.

Jesus, Thy servants bless,
Who sent by Thee proclaim
The peace, and joy, and righteousness,
Experienced in Thy name;
The kingdom of our God
Which Thy great Spirit imparts,
The power of Thy victorious blood
Which reigns in faithful hearts.

Our souls with faith supply,
With life and liberty;
And lo, we preach and testify
The things concerning Thee;
We live for this alone,
Thy grace to minister,
And all Thou hast for sinners done
In life and death declare.

University of Virginia Library

THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES.

CHAPTER I.

2350.

[The actions of the sent]