The Works of the Reverend and Learned Isaac Watts, D. D. Containing, besides his Sermons, and Essays on miscellaneous subjects, several additional pieces, Selected from his Manuscripts by the Rev. Dr. Jennings, and the Rev. Dr. Doddridge, in 1753: to which are prefixed, memoirs of the life of the author, compiled by the Rev. George Burder. In six volumes |
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 | The Works of the Reverend and Learned Isaac Watts, D. D. |  |
297
BOOK II. COMPOSED ON DIVINE SUBJECTS.
HYMN 1. (L. M.) A Song of Praise to God from Great Britain.
I
Nature with all her powers shall singGod the Creator and the King;
Nor air, nor earth, nor skies, nor seas
Deny the tribute of their praise.
II
Begin to make his glories known,Ye seraphs that sit near his throne;
Tune your harps high, and spread the sound
To the creation's utmost bound.
III
All mortal things of meaner frame,Exert your force and own his name!
Whilst with our souls and with our voice
We sing his honours and our joys.
IV
To him be sacred all we haveFrom the young cradle to the grave:
Our lips shall his loud wonders tell,
And every word a miracle.
V
This northern isle, our native land,Lies safe in God th'Almighty's hand:
Our foes of victory dream in vain,
And wear the captivating chain.
VI
He builds and guards the British throne,And makes it gracious like his own,
Makes our successive princes kind,
And gives our dangers to the wind.
VII
Raise monumental praises highTo him that thunders through the sky,
And with an awful nod or frown
Shakes an aspiring tyrant down.
VIII
Pillars of lasting brass proclaimThe triumphs of th'eternal name;
While trembling nations read from far
The honours of the God of War.
IX
Thus let our flaming zeal employOur loftiest thoughts and loudest songs;
Britain pronounce with warmest joy
Hosanna from ten thousand tongues.
X
Yet, mighty God, our feeble frameAttempts in vain to reach thy name;
The strongest notes that angels raise
Faint in the worship and the praise.
HYMN 2. (C. M.) The Death of a Sinner.
I
My thoughts on awful subjects roll,Damnation and the dead;
What horrors seize the guilty soul
Upon a dying bed!
II
Lingering about these mortal shoresShe makes a long delay,
Till like a flood with rapid force
Death sweeps the wretch away.
298
III
Then swift and dreadful she descendsDown to the fiery coast,
Amongst abominable fiends,
Herself a frightful ghost.
IV
There endless crowds of sinners lie,And darkness makes their chains;
Tortur'd with keen despair they cry,
Yet wait for fiercer pains.
V
Not all their anguish and their bloodFor their old guilt atones,
Nor the compassions of a God
Shall hearken to their groans.
VI
Amazing grace, that kept my breath,Nor bid my soul remove,
Till I had learn'd my Saviour's death,
And well insur'd his love!
HYMN 3. (C. M.) The Death and Burial of a Saint.
I
Why do we mourn departing friends?Or shake at death's alarms?
'Tis but the voice that Jesus sends
To call them to his arms.
II
Are we not tending upward tooAs fast as time can move?
Nor would we wish the hours more slow
To keep us from our love.
III
Why should we tremble to conveyTheir bodies to the tomb?
There the dear flesh of Jesus lay,
And left a long perfume.
IV
The graves of all his saints he bless'd,And soften'd every bed;
Where should the dying members rest,
But with the dying head?
V
Thence he arose, ascending high,And shew'd our feet the way;
Up to the Lord our flesh shall fly
At the great rising-day.
VI
Then let the last loud trumpet sound,And bid our kindred rise,
Awake, ye nations under ground,
Ye saints, ascend the skies.
HYMN 4. (L. M.) Salvation in the Cross.
I
Here at thy cross, my dying God,I lay my soul beneath thy love,
Beneath the droppings of thy blood,
Jesus, nor shall it e'er remove.
II
Not all that tyrants think or say,With rage and lightening in their eyes,
Nor hell shall fright my heart away,
Should hell with all its legions rise.
III
Should worlds conspire to drive me thence,Moveless and firm this heart should lie;
Resolv'd (for that's my last defence)
If I must perish, there to die.
IV
But speak, my Lord, and calm my fear;Am I not safe beneath thy shade?
Thy vengeance will not strike me here,
Nor Satan dares my soul invade.
V
Yes, I'm secure beneath thy blood,And all my foes shall lose their aim,
Hosanna to my dying God,
And my best honours to his name.
HYMN 5. (L. M.) Longing to praise Christ better.
I
Lord, when my thoughts with wonder rollO'er the sharp sorrows of thy soul,
And read my Maker's broken laws
Repair'd and honour'd by thy cross;
II
When I behold death, hell and sin,Vanquish'd by that dear blood of thine,
And see the man that groan'd and dy'd
Sit glorious by his Father's side;
III
My passions rise and soar above,I'm wing'd with faith and fir'd with love;
Fain would I reach eternal things,
And learn the notes that Gabriel sings.
IV
But my heart fails, my tongue complains,For want of their immortal strains;
And in such humble notes as these
Must fall below thy victories.
V
Well, the kind minute must appearWhen we shall leave these bodies here,
These clogs of clay, and mount on high
To join the songs above the sky.
299
HYMN 6. (C. M.) A Morning Song.
I
Once more, my soul, the rising daySalutes thy waking eyes,
Once more, my voice, thy tribute pay
To him that rolls the skies.
II
Night unto night his name repeats,The day renews the sound,
Wide as the heaven on which he sits
To turn the seasons round.
III
'Tis he supports my mortal frame,My tongue shall speak his praise;
My sins would rouse his wrath to flame,
And yet his wrath delays.
IV
On a poor worm thy power might tread,And I could ne'er withstand;
Thy justice might have crush'd me dead,
But mercy held thine hand.
V
A thousand wretched souls are fledSince the last setting sun,
And yet thou length'nest out my thread,
And yet my moments run.
VI
Dear God, let all my hours be thineWhilst I enjoy the light,
Then shall my sun in smiles decline,
And bring a pleasing night.
HYMN 7. (C. M.) An Evening Song.
I
Dread Sov'reign, let my evening songLike holy incense rise;
Assist the offerings of my tongue
To reach the lofty skies.
II
Thro' all the dangers of the day,Thy hand was still my guard,
And still to drive my wants away
Thy mercy stood prepar'd.
III
Perpetual blessings from aboveEncompass me around,
But Oh how few returns of love
Hath my Creator found!
IV
What have I done for him that dy'dTo save my wretched soul?
How are my follies multiply'd,
Fast as my minutes roll!
V
Lord, with this guilty heart of mineTo thy dear cross I flee,
And to thy grace my soul resign
To be renew'd by thee.
VI
Sprinkled afresh with pardoning bloodI lay me down to rest,
As in th'embraces of my God,
Or on my Saviour's breast.
HYMN 8. (C. M.) A Hymn for Morning or Evening.
I
Hosanna, with a cheerful sound,To God's upholding hand,
Ten thousand snares attend us round,
And yet secure we stand.
II
That was a most amazing powerThat rais'd us with a word,
And every day and every hour
We lean upon the Lord.
III
The evening rests our weary head,And angels guard the room;
We wake and we admire the bed
That was not made our tomb.
IV
The rising morning can't assureThat we shall end the day,
For death stands ready at the door
To seize our lives away.
V
Our breath is forfeited by sinTo God's revenging law;
We own thy grace, Immortal King,
In every gasp we draw.
VI
God is our sun, whose daily lightOur joy and safety brings:
Our feeble flesh lies safe at night
Beneath his shady wings.
HYMN 9. (C. M.) Godly Sorrow arising from the Sufferings of Christ.
I
Alas! and did my Saviour bleed,And did my Sovereign die?
Would he devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?
II
Thy body slain, sweet Jesus, thine,And bath'd in its own blood,
While all expos'd to wrath divine
The glorious sufferer stood.
300
III
Was it for crimes that I had doneHe groan'd upon the tree?
Amazing pity! Grace unknown!
And love beyond degree!
IV
Well might the sun in darkness hide,And shut his glories in,
When God the mighty Maker dy'd
For man the creature's sin.
V
Thus might I hide my blushing faceWhile his dear cross appears,
Dissolve my heart in thankfulness,
And melt my eyes to tears.
VI
But drops of grief can ne'er repayThe debt of love I owe;
Here, Lord, I give myself away,
'Tis all that I can do.
HYMN 10. (C. M.) Parting with Carnal Joys.
I
My soul forsakes her vain delight,And bids the world farewel,
Base as the dirt beneath my feet,
And mischievous as hell.
II
No longer will I ask your love,Nor seek your friendship more;
The happiness that I approve
Lies not within your power.
III
There's nothing round this spacious earthThat suits my large desire;
To boundless joy and solid mirth
My nobler thoughts aspire.
IV
Where pleasure rolls its living flood,From sin and dross refin'd,
Still springing from the throne of God,
And fit to cheer the mind.
V
Th'almighty ruler of the sphere,The glorious and the great,
Brings his own all-sufficience there
To make our bliss complete.
VI
Had I the pinions of a doveI'd climb the heavenly road;
There sits my Saviour dress'd in love,
And there my smiling God.
HYMN 11. (L. M.) The same.
[I send the joys of earth away]
I
I send the joys of earth away,Away ye tempters of the mind,
False as the smooth deceitful sea,
And empty as the whistling wind.
II
Your streams were floating me alongDown to the gulph of black despair,
And whilst I listen'd to your song,
Your streams had e'en convey'd me there.
III
Lord, I adore thy matchless grace,That warn'd me of that dark abyss,
That drew me from those treacherous seas,
And bid me seek superior bliss.
IV
Now to the shining realms aboveI stretch my hands, and glance mine eyes;
O for the pinions of a dove
To bear me to the upper skies.
V
There from the bosom of my GodOceans of endless pleasure roll;
There would I fix my last abode,
And drown the sorrows of my soul.
HYMN 12. (C. M.) Christ is the Substance of the Levitical Priesthood.
I
The true Messiah now appears,The types are all withdrawn;
So fly the shadows and the stars
Before the rising dawn.
II
No smoking sweets, nor bleeding lambs,Nor kid, nor bullock slain,
Incense and spice of costly names
Would all be burnt in vain.
III
Aaron must lay his robes away;His mitre and his vest,
When God himself comes down to be
The offering and the priest.
IV
He took our mortal flesh to showThe wonders of his love;
For us he paid his life below,
And prays for us above.
V
‘Father, (he cries) forgive their sins,‘For I myself have dy'd,’
And then he shews his open'd veins,
And pleads his wounded side.
301
HYMN 13. (L. M.) The Creation, Preservation, Dissolution, and Restoration of this World.
I
Sing to the Lord that built the skies,The Lord that rear'd this stately frame:
Let half the nations sound his praise,
And lands unknown repeat his name.
II
He form'd the seas, and form'd the hills,Made every drop and every dust,
Nature and time with all their wheels,
And push'd them into motion first.
III
Now from his high imperial throneHe looks far down upon the spheres;
He bids the shining orbs roll on,
And round he turns our hasty years.
IV
Thus shall this moving engine lastTill all his saints are gather'd in,
Then for the trumpet's dreadful blast
To shake it all to dust again!
V
Yet when the sound shall tear the skies,And lightning burn the globe below,
Saints, you may lift your joyful eyes,
There's a new heaven and earth for you.
HYMN 14. (S. M.) The Lord's Day; or, Delight in Ordinances.
I
Welcome, sweet day of rest,That saw the Lord arise;
Welcome to this reviving breast,
And these rejoicing eyes!
II
The King himself comes near,And feasts his saints to-day,
Here we may sit, and see him here,
And love, and praise, and pray.
III
One day amidst the place,Where my dear God hath been,
Is sweeter than ten thousand days
Of pleasurable sin.
IV
My willing soul would stayIn such a frame as this,
And sit and sing herself away
To everlasting bliss.
HYMN 15. (L. M.) The Enjoyment of Christ; or, Delight in Worship.
I
Far from my thoughts, vain world, begone,Let my religious hours alone:
Fain would my eyes my Saviour see,
I wait a visit, Lord, from thee.
II
My heart grows warm with holy fire,And kindles with a pure desire:
Come, my dear Jesus, from above,
And feed my soul with heavenly love.
III
The trees of life immortal standIn flourishing rows at thy right hand,
And in sweet murmurs by their side
Rivers of bliss perpetual glide.
IV
Haste then, but with a smiling face,And spread the table of thy grace:
Bring down a taste of fruit divine,
And cheer my heart with sacred wine.
V
Bless'd Jesus, what delicious fare!How sweet thy entertainments are!
Never did angels taste above
Redeeming grace, and dying love.
VI
Hail, great Immanuel, all divine,In thee thy Father's glories shine;
Thou brightest, sweetest, fairest one,
That eyes have seen, or angels known.
HYMN 16. (L. M.)
[The Enjoyment of Christ; or, Delight in Worship. Part the Second.]
VII
Lord, what a heaven of saving grace,Shines thro' the beauties of thy face,
And lights our passions to a flame!
Lord, how we love thy charming name!
VIII
When I can say, my God is mine,When I can feel thy glories shine,
I tread the world beneath my feet,
And all that earth calls good or great.
IX
While such a scene of sacred joysOur raptur'd eyes and souls employs,
Here we could sit, and gaze away
A long, an everlasting day.
X
Well, we shall quickly pass the nightTo the fair coasts of perfect light;
Then shall our joyful senses rove
O'er the dear object of our love.
302
XI
There shall we drink full draughts of bliss,And pluck new life from heavenly trees:
Yet now and then, dear Lord, bestow
A drop of heaven on worms below.
XII
Send comforts down from thy right hand,While we pass thro' this barren land,
And in thy temple let us see
A glimpse of love a glimpse of thee.
HYMN 17. (C. M.) God's Eternity.
I
Rise, rise, my soul, and leave the ground,Stretch all thy thoughts abroad,
And rouse up every tuneful sound
To praise th'eternal God.
II
Long ere the lofty skies were spreadJehovah fill'd his throne;
Or Adam form'd, or angels made,
The Maker liv'd alone.
III
His boundless years can ne'er decrease,But still maintain their prime;
Eternity's his dwelling-place,
And ever is his time.
IV
While like a tide our minutes flow,The present and the past,
He fills his own immortal now,
And sees our ages waste.
V
The sea and sky must perish too,And vast destruction come!
The creatures—look, how old they grow,
And wait their fiery doom!
VI
Well, let the sea shrink all away,And flame melt down the skies,
My God shall live an endless day
When th'whole creation dies.
HYMN 18. (L. M.) The Ministry of Angels.
I
High on a hill of dazzling light,The King of Glory spreads his seat,
And troops of angels stretch'd for flight
Stand waiting round his awful feet.
II
‘Go,’ saith the Lord, ‘my Gabriel, go,‘Salute the virgin's fruitful womb,
‘Make haste, ye cherubs, down below,
‘Sing and proclaim the Saviour come.’
III
Here a bright squadron leaves the skies,And thick around Elisha stands;
Anon a heavenly soldier flies,
And breaks the chains from Peter's hands.
IV
Thy winged troops, O God of hosts,Wait on thy wandering church below,
Here we are sailing to thy coasts,
Let angels be our convoy too.
V
Are they not all thy servants, Lord?At thy command they go and come,
With cheerful haste obey thy word,
And guard thy children to their home.
HYMN 19. (C. M.) Our frail Bodies, and God our Preserver.
I
Let others boast how strong they be,Nor death, nor danger fear;
But we'll confess, O Lord, to thee,
What feeble things we are.
II
Fresh as the grass our bodies stand,And flourish bright and gay,
A blasting wind sweeps o'er the land,
And fades the grass away.
III
Our life contains a thousand springs,And dies if one begone;
Strange! that a harp of thousand strings
Should keep in tune so long.
IV
But 'tis our God supports our frame,The God that built us first;
Salvation to th'Almighty Name
That rear'd us from the dust.
V
He spoke, and straight our hearts and brainsIn all their motions rose;
‘Let blood,’ said he, ‘flow round the veins,’
And round the veins it flows.
VI
While we have breath or use our tonguesOur Maker we'll adore;
His Spirit moves our heaving lungs
Or they would breathe no more.
HYMN 20. (C. M.) Backslidings and Returns; or, the Inconstancy of our Love.
I
Why is my heart so far from thee,My God, my chief delight?
Why are my thoughts no more by day
With thee, no more by night?
303
II
Why should my foolish passions rove?Where can such sweetness be
As I have tasted in thy love,
As I have found in thee?
III
When my forgetful soul renewsThe savour of thy grace,
My heart presumes I cannot lose
The relish all my days.
IV
But ere one fleeting hour is pass'd,The flattering world employs
Some sensual bait to seize my taste,
And to pollute my joys.
V
Trifles of nature or of artWith fair deceitful charms
Intrude upon my thoughtless heart,
And thrust thee from my arms.
VI
Then I repent and vex my soulThat I should leave thee so,
Where will those wild affections roll
That let a Saviour go?
VII
Sin's promis'd joys are turn'd to pain,And I am drown'd in grief;
But my dear Lord returns again,
He flies to my relief.
VIII
Seizing my soul with sweet surprise,He draws with loving bands;
Divine compassion in his eyes,
And pardon in his hands.
IX
Wretch that I am to wander thusIn chase of false delight!
Let me be fasten'd to thy cross
Rather than lose thy sight.
X
Make haste, my days, to reach the goal,And bring my heart to rest
On the dear centre of my soul,
My God, my Saviour's breast.
HYMN 21. (L. M.) A Song of Praise to God the Redeemer.
I
Let the old heathens tune their songOf great Diana and of Jove;
But the sweet theme that moves my tongue
Is my Redeemer and his love.
II
Behold a God descends and diesTo save my soul from gaping hell;
How the black gulph where Satan lies
Yawn'd to receive me when I fell!
III
How justice frown'd and vengeance stoodTo drive me down to endless pain!
But the great Son propos'd his blood,
And heavenly wrath grew mild again.
IV
Infinite Lover, gracious Lord,To thee be endless honours given;
Thy wondrous name shall be ador'd
Round the wide earth, and wider heaven.
HYMN 22. (L. M.) With God is terrible Majesty.
I
Terrible God, that reign'st on high,How awful is thy thundering hand!
Thy fiery bolts how fierce they fly!
Nor can all earth or hell withstand.
II
This the old-rebel angels knew,And Satan fell beneath thy frown:
Thine arrows struck the traitor through,
And weighty vengeance sunk him down.
III
This Sodom felt, and feels it still,And roars beneath th'eternal load,
‘With endless burnings who can dwell,
‘Or bear the fury of a God!’
IV
Tremble, ye sinners, and submit,Throw down your arms before his throne,
Bend your heads low beneath his feet,
Or his strong hand shall crush you down.
V
And ye, bless'd saints, that love him too,With rev'rence bow before his name,
Thus all his heavenly servants do:
God is a bright and burning flame.
HYMN 23. (L. M.) The Sight of God and Christ in Heaven.
I
Descend from heaven, Immortal Dove,Stoop down and take us on thy wings,
And mount and bear us far above
The reach of these inferior things:
II
Beyond, beyond this lower sky,Up where eternal ages roll,
Where solid pleasures never die,
And fruits immortal feast the soul.
304
III
O for a sight, a pleasing sightOf our almighty Father's throne!
There sits our Saviour crown'd with light,
Cloth'd in a body like our own.
IV
Adoring saints around him stand,And thrones and powers before him fall;
The God shines gracious thro' the man,
And sheds sweet glories on them all.
V
O what amazing joys they feelWhile to their golden harps they sing,
And sit on every heavenly hill,
And spread the triumphs of their King!
VI
When shall the day, dear Lord, appearThat I shall mount to dwell above,
And stand and bow amongst them there,
And view thy face, and sing, and love!
HYMN 24. (L. M.) The Evil of Sin visible in the Fall of Angels and Men.
I
When the great Builder arch'd the skies,And form'd all nature with a word,
The joyful cherubs tun'd his praise,
And ev'ry bending throne ador'd.
II
High in the midst of all the throng,Satan, a tall archangel, sat,
Amongst the morning stars he sung
Till sin destroy'd his heavenly state.
III
'Twas sin that hurl'd him from his throne,Grov'ling in fire the rebel lies:
‘How art thou sunk in darkness down,
‘Son of the morning, from the skies!
IV
And thus our two first parents stoodTill sin defil'd the happy place;
They lost their garden and their God,
And ruin'd all their unborn race.
V
So sprung the plague from Adam's bowerAnd spread destruction all abroad;
Sin, the curst name, that in one hour
Spoil'd six days labour of a God.
VI
Tremble, my soul, and mourn for grief,That such a foe should seize thy breast;
Fly to thy Lord for quick relief;
O may he slay this treacherous guest.
VII
Then to thy throne, victorious King,Then to thy throne our shouts shall rise,
Thine everlasting arm we sing,
For sin the monster bleeds and dies.
HYMN 25. (C. M.) Complaining of Spiritual Sloth.
I
My drowsy powers, why sleep ye so?Awake, my sluggish soul!
Nothing has half thy work to do,
Yet nothing's half so dull.
II
The little ants for one poor grainLabour, and tug, and strive,
Yet we who have a heaven t'obtain,
How negligent we live!
III
We for whose sake all nature standsAnd stars their courses move;
We for whose guard the angel bands
Come flying from above;
IV
We for whom God the Son came down,And labour'd for our good,
How careless to secure that crown
He purchas'd with his blood!
V
Lord, shall we live so sluggish still,And never act our parts?
Come, holy Dove, from th'heavenly hill,
And sit and warm our hearts.
VI
Then shall our active spirits move,Upward our souls shall rise:
With hands of faith and wings of love
We'll fly and take the prize.
HYMN 26. (L. M.) God invisible.
I
Lord, we are blind, we mortals blind,We can't behold thy bright abode;
O 'tis beyond a creature-mind
To glance a thought half way to God.
II
Infinite leagues beyond the skyThe great Eternal reigns alone,
Where neither wings nor soul can fly,
Nor angels climb the topless throne.
III
The Lord of glory builds his seatOf gems insufferably bright,
And lays beneath his sacred feet
Substantial beams of gloomy night.
305
IV
Yet, glorious Lord, thy gracious eyesLook thro', and cheer us from above;
Beyond our praise thy grandeur flies,
Yet we adore, and yet we love.
HYMN 27. (L. M.) Praise ye him, all his Angels, Psalm cxlviii. 2.
I
God! the eternal awful nameThat the whole heavenly army fears,
That shakes the wide creation's frame,
And Satan trembles when he hears.
II
Like flames of fire his servants are,And light surrounds his dwelling-place;
But, O ye fiery flames, declare
The brighter glories of his face.
III
'Tis not for such poor worms as weTo speak so infinite a thing,
But your immortal eyes survey
The beauties of your sovereign King.
IV
Tell how he shews his smiling face,And clothes all heaven in bright array;
Triumph and joy run thro' the place,
And songs eternal as the day.
V
Speak, (for you feel his burning love)What zeal it spreads thro' all your frame:
That sacred fire dwells all above,
For we on earth have lost the name.
VI
Sing of his power and justice too,That infinite right hand of his
That vanquish'd Satan and his crew,
And thunder drove them down from bliss.
VII
What mighty storms of poison'd dartsWere hurl'd upon the rebels there!
What deadly javelins nail'd their hearts
Fast to the racks of long despair!
VIII
Shout to your King, you heavenly host,You that beheld the sinking foe;
Firmly ye stood when they were lost;
Praise the rich grace that kept you so.
IX
Proclaim his wonders from the skies,Let every distant nation hear;
And while you sound his lofty praise,
Let humble mortals bow and fear.
HYMN 28. (C. M.) Death and Eternity.
I
Stoop down, my thoughts, that use to rise,Converse awhile with death:
Think how a gasping mortal lies,
And pants away his breath.
II
His quivering lip hangs feebly down,His pulses faint and few,
Then, speechless, with a doleful groan
He bids the world adieu.
III
But, O the soul that never dies!At once it leaves the clay!
Ye thoughts, pursue it where it flies,
And track its wondrous way.
IV
Up to the courts where angels dwell,It mounts triumphing there,
Or devils plunge it down to hell
In infinite despair.
V
And must my body faint and die?And must this soul remove?
O for some guardian angel nigh
To bear it safe above!
VI
Jesus, to thy dear faithful handMy naked soul I trust,
And my flesh waits for thy command
To drop into my dust.
HYMN 29. (C. M.) Redemption by Price and Power.
I
Jesus, with all thy saints aboveMy tongue would bear her part,
Would sound aloud thy saving love,
And sing thy bleeding heart.
II
Bless'd be the Lamb, my dearest Lord,Who bought me with his blood,
And quench'd his Father's flaming sword
In his own vital flood:
III
The Lamb that freed my captive soulFrom Satan's heavy chains,
And sent the lion down to howl
Where hell and horror reigns.
IV
All glory to the dying Lamb,And never ceasing praise,
While angels live to know his name,
Or saints to feel his grace.
306
HYMN 30. (S. M.) Heavenly Joy on Earth.
I
Come, we that love the Lord,And let our joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne.
II
The sorrows of the mindBe banish'd from the place!
Religion never was design'd
To make our pleasures less.
III
Let those refuse to singThat never knew our God,
But favourites of the heavenly King
May speak their joys abroad.
IV
The God that rules on high,And thunders when he please,
That rides upon the stormy sky,
And manages the seas;
V
This awful God is ours,Our Father and our love,
He shall send down his heavenly powers
To carry us above.
VI
There we shall see his face,And never, never sin;
There from the rivers of his grace
Drink endless pleasures in.
VII
Yes, and before we riseTo that immortal state,
The thoughts of such amazing bliss
Should constant joys create.
VIII
The men of grace have foundGlory begun below,
Celestial fruits on earthly ground
From faith and hope may grow.
IX
The hill of Sion yieldsA thousand sacred sweets
Before we reach the heavenly fields,
Or walk the golden streets.
X
Then let our songs abound,And every tear be dry;
We're marching thro' Immanuel's ground
To fairer worlds on high.
HYMN 31. (L. M.) Christ's Presence makes Death easy.
I
Why should we start and fear to die?What timorous worms we mortals are!
Death is the gate of endless joy,
And yet we dread to enter there.
II
The pains, the groans, and dying strife,Fright our approaching souls away;
Still we shrink back again to life,
Fond of our prison and our clay.
III
O, if my Lord would come and meet,My soul should stretch her wings in haste,
Fly fearless thro' Death's iron gate,
Nor feel the terrors as she past.
IV
Jesus can make a dying bed,Feel soft as downy pillows are,
While on his breast I lean my head,
And breathe my life out sweetly there.
HYMN 32. (C. M.) Frailty and Folly.
I
How short and hasty is our life!How vast our souls' affairs!
Yet senseless mortals vainly strive
To lavish out their years.
II
Our days run thoughtlessly along,Without a moment's stay;
Just like a story or a song
We pass our lives away.
III
God from on high invites us home,But we march heedless on,
And ever hastening to the tomb,
Stoop downwards as we run.
IV
How we deserve the deepest hellThat slight the joys above!
What chains of vengeance should we feel
That break such cords of love!
V
Draw us, O God, with sovereign grace,And lift our thoughts on high,
That we may end this mortal race
And see salvation nigh.
307
HYMN 33. (C. M.) The blessed Society in Heaven.
I
Raise thee, my soul, fly up and runThro' every heavenly street,
And say, There's nought below the sun
That's worthy of thy feet.
II
Thus will we mount on sacred wingsAnd tread the courts above;
Nor earth, nor all her mightiest things
Shall tempt our meanest love.
III
There on a high majestic throneTh'Almighty Father reigns,
And sheds his glorious goodness down
On all the blissful plains.
IV
Bright like a sun the Saviour sits,And spreads eternal noon,
No evenings there, nor gloomy nights,
To want the feeble moon.
V
Amidst! those ever-shining skiesBehold the sacred Dove,
While banish'd sin and sorrow flies
From all the realms of love.
VI
The glorious tenants of the placeStand bending round the throne;
An saints and seraphs sing and praise
The infinite Three One.
VII
But O what beams of heavenly graceTransport them all the while!
Ten thousand smiles from Jesus' face,
And love in every smile!
VIII
Jesus, and when shall that dear day,That joyful hour appear,
When I shall leave this house of clay
To dwell amongst them there?
HYMN 34. (C. M.) Breathing after the Holy Spirit; or, Fervency of Devotion desired.
I
Come, holy Spirit, heavenly DoveWith all thy quickening powers,
Kindle a flame of sacred love,
In these cold hearts of ours.
II
Look, how we grovel here below,Fond of these trifling toys;
Our souls can neither fly nor go
To reach eternal joys.
III
In vain we tune our formal songs,In vain we strive to rise;
Hosannas languish on our tongues,
And our devotion dies.
IV
Dear Lord! and shall we ever lieAt this poor dying rate?
Our love so faint, so cold to thee?
And thine to us so great?
V
Come, holy Spirit, heavenly Dove,With all thy quickening powers;
Come, shed abroad a Saviour's love,
And that shall kindle ours.
HYMN 35. (C. M.) Praise to God for Creation and Redemption.
I
Let them neglect thy glory, Lord,Who never knew thy grace,
But our loud songs shall still record
The wonders of thy praise.
II
We raise our shouts, O God, to thee,And send them to thy throne,
All glory to th'United Three,
The Undivided One.
III
'Twas he (and we'll adore his name)That form'd us by a word,
'Tis he restores our ruin'd frame;
Salvation to the Lord.
IV
Hosanna! let the earth and skiesRepeat the joyful sound,
Rocks, hills, and vales, reflect the voice
In one eternal round.
HYMN 36. (S. M.) Christ's Intercession.
I
Well, the Redeemer's goneT'appear before our God,
To sprinkle o'er the flaming throne
With his atoning blood.
II
No fiery vengeance now,Nor burning wrath comes down;
If justice call for sinner's blood,
The Saviour shews his own.
III
Before his Father's eyeOur humble suit he moves,
The Father lays his thunder by,
And looks, and smiles, and loves.
308
IV
Now may our joyful tonguesOur Maker's honour sing,
Jesus the priest receives our songs,
And bears them to the King.
V
We bow before his face,And sound his glories high,
‘Hosanna to the God of grace
‘That lays his thunder by.
VI
‘On earth thy mercy reigns,‘And triumphs all above;’
But, Lord, how weak are mortal strains
To speak immortal love!
VII
How jarring and how lowAre all the notes we sing!
Sweet Saviour, tune our songs anew,
And they shall please the King.
HYMN 37. (C. M.) The same. [Christ's Intercession.]
I
Lift up your eyes to th'heavenly seatsWhere your Redeemer stays;
Kind Intercessor, there he sits,
And loves, and pleads, and prays.
II
'Twas well, my soul, he dy'd for thee,And shed his vital blood,
Appeas'd stern justice on the tree,
And then arose to God.
III
Petitions now and praise may rise,And saints their offerings bring,
The priest with his own sacrifice
Presents them to the King.
IV
Let papists trust what names they please,Their saints and angels boast;
We've no such advocates as these,
Nor pray to th'heavenly host.
V
Jesus alone shall bear my criesUp to his Father's throne,
He, dearest Lord! perfumes my sighs,
And sweetens every groan.
VI
Ten thousand praises to the King,Hosanna in the Highest;
Ten thousand thanks our spirits bring
To God and to his Christ.
HYMN 38. (C. M.) Love to God.
I
Happy the heart where graces reign,Where love inspires the breast;
Love is the brightest of the train,
And strengthens all the rest.
II
Knowledge, alas! 'tis all in vain,And all in vain our fear,
Our stubborn sins will fight and reign
If love be absent there.
III
'Tis love that makes our cheerful feetIn swift obedience move,
The devils know and tremble too,
But Satan cannot love.
IV
This is the grace that lives and singsWhen faith and hope shall cease,
'Tis this shall strike our joyful strings
In the sweet realms of bliss.
V
Before we quite forsake our clay,Or leave this dark abode,
The wings of love bear us away
To see our smiling God.
HYMN 39. (C. M.) The Shortness and Misery of Life.
I
Our days, alas! our mortal daysAre short and wretched too;
‘Evil and few,’ the patriarch says,
And well the patriarch knew.
II
'Tis but at best a narrow boundThat heaven allows to men,
And pains and sins run through the round
Of threescore years and ten.
III
Well, if ye must be sad and few,Run on my days in haste;
Moments of sin, and months of woe,
Ye cannot fly too fast.
IV
Let heavenly love perpare my soul,And call her to the skies,
Where years of long salvation roll,
And glory never dies.
309
HYMN 40. (C. M.) Our Comfort in the Covenant made with Christ.
I
Our God, how firm his promise stands,E'en when he hides his face!
He trusts in our Redeemer's hands
His glory and his grace.
II
Then why, my soul, these sad complaints,Since Christ and we are one?
Thy God is faithful to his saints,
Is faithful to his Son.
III
Beneath his smiles my heart has liv'd,And part of heaven possess'd;
I praise his name for grace receiv'd,
And trust him for the rest.
HYMN 41. (L. M.) A Sight of God mortifies us to the World.
I
Up to the fields where angels lie,And living waters gently roll,
Fain would my thoughts leap out and fly,
But sin hangs heavy on my soul.
II
Thy wondrous blood, dear dying Christ,Can make this load of guilt remove;
And thou canst bear me where thou fly'st,
On thy kind wings celestial Dove!
III
O might I once mount up and seeThe glories of the eternal skies,
What little things these worlds would be!
How despicable to my eyes!
IV
Had I a glance of thee, my God,Kingdoms and men would vanish soon,
Vanish as tho' I saw them not,
As a dim candle dies at noon.
V
Then they might fight, and rage, and rave,I should perceive the noise no more
Than we can hear a shaking leaf,
While rattling thunders round us roar.
VI
Great All in All, Eternal King,Let me but view thy lovely face,
And all my powers shall bow, and sing
Thine endless grandeur and thy grace.
HYMN 42. (C. M.) Delight in God.
I
My God, what endless pleasures dwellAbove at thy right hand!
The courts below, how amiable,
Where all thy graces stand!
II
The swallow near thy temple lies,And chirps a cheerful note;
The lark mounts upwards to thy skies,
And tunes her warbling throat:
III
And we, when in thy presence, Lord,We shout with joyful tongues,
Or sitting round our Father's board,
We crown the feast with songs.
IV
While Jesus shines with quickening grace,We sing and mount on high;
But if a frown becloud his face,
We faint, and tire, and die.
V
Just as we see the lonesome doveBemoan her widow'd state,
Wandering she flies thro' all the grove,
And mourns her loving mate.
VI
Just so our thoughts from thing to thingIn restless circles rove,
Just so we droop, and hang the wing,
When Jesus hides his love.
HYMN 43. (L. M.) Christ's Sufferings and Glory.
I
Now for a tune of lofty praiseTo great Jehovah's equal Son!
Awake, my voice, in heavenly lays,
Tell the loud wonders he hath done.
II
Sing how he left the worlds of lightAnd the bright robes he wore above,
How swift and joyful was his flight
On wings of everlasting love.
III
Down to this base, this sinful earth,He came to raise our nature high;
He came t'atone almighty wrath;
Jesus the God was born to die.
IV
Hell and its lions roar'd around,His precious blood the monsters spilt,
While weighty sorrows press'd him down,
Large as the loads of all our guilt.
310
V
Deep in the shades of gloomy deathTh'almighty Captive prisoner lay,
Th'almighty Captive left the earth,
And rose to everlasting day.
VI
Lift up your eyes, ye sons of light,Up to his throne of shining grace,
See what immortal glories sit
Round the sweet beauties of his face.
VII
Amongst a thousand harps and songsJesus the God exalted reigns,
His sacred name fills all their tongues,
And echoes thro' the heavenly plains!
HYMN 44. (L. M.) Hell; or, the Vengeance of God.
I
With holy fear and humble song,The dreadful God our souls adore;
Reverence and awe becomes the tongue
That speaks the terrors of his power.
II
Far in the deep where darkness dwells,The land of horror and despair,
Justice has built a dismal hell,
And laid her stores of vengeance there.
III
Eternal plagues and heavy chains,Tormenting racks and fiery coals,
And darts t'inflict immortal pains
Dy'd in the blood of damned souls.
IV
Their Satan the first sinner lies,And roars, and bites his iron bands:
In vain the rebel strives to rise,
Crush'd with the weight of both thine hands.
V
There guilty ghosts of Adam's raceShriek out, and howl beneath thy rod;
Once they could scorn a Saviour's grace,
But they incens'd a dreadful God.
VI
Tremble, my soul, and kiss the Son;Sinners obey the Saviour's call;
Else your damnation hastens on,
And hell gapes wide to wait your fall.
HYMN 45. (L. M.) God's Condescension to our Worship.
I
Thy favours, Lord, surprise our souls;Will the Eternal dwell with us?
What canst thou find beneath the poles
To tempt thy chariot downward thus?
II
Still might he fill his starry throne,And please his ears with Gabriel's songs;
But th'heavenly majesty comes down,
And bows to hearken to our tongues.
III
Great God, what poor returns we payFor love so infinite as thine!
Words are but air, and tongues but clay,
But thy compassion's all divine.
HYMN 46. (L. M.) God's Condescension to Human Affairs.
I
Up to the Lord that reigns on high,And views the nations from afar,
Let everlasting praises fly,
And tell how large his bounties are.
II
He that can shake the worlds he made,Or with his word, or with his rod,
His goodness how amazing great!
And what a condescending God!
III
God that must stoop to view the skies,And bow to see what angels do,
Down to our earth he casts his eyes,
And bends his footsteps downward too.
IV
He over-rules all mortal things,And manages our mean affairs;
On humble souls the King of kings
Bestows his counsels and his cares.
V
Our sorrows and our tears we pourInto the bosom of our God,
He hears us in the mournful hour,
And helps us bear the heavy load.
VI
In vain might lofty princes trySuch condescension to perform;
For worms were never rais'd so high
Above their meanest fellow-worm.
VII
O could our thankful hearts deviseA tribute equal to thy grace,
To the third heaven our songs should rise,
And teach the golden harps thy praise.
HYMN 47. (L. M.) Glory and Grace in the Person of Christ.
I
Now to the Lord a noble song!Awake, my soul, awake, my tongue;
Hosanna to th'eternal name,
And all his boundless love proclaim.
311
II
See where it shines in Jesus' face,The brightest image of his grace;
God, in the person of his Son,
Has all his mightiest works outdone.
III
The spacious earth and spreading floodProclaim the wise the powerful God;
And thy rich glories from afar
Sparkle in every rolling star.
IV
But in his looks a glory stands,The noblest labour of thine hands:
The pleasing lusture of his eyes
Outshines the wonders of the skies.
V
Grace, 'tis a sweet, a charming theme;My thoughts rejoice at Jesus' name:
Ye angels, dwell upon the sound,
Ye heavens reflect it to the ground!
VI
O, may I live to reach the placeWhere he unveils his lovely face,
Where all his beauties you behold,
And sing his name to harps of gold!
HYMN 48. (C. M.) Love to the Creatures is dangerous.
I
How vain are all things here below!How false, and yet how fair!
Each pleasure hath its poison too,
And every sweet a snare.
II
The brightest things below the skyGive but a flattering light;
We should suspect some danger nigh
Where we possess delight.
III
Our dearest joys, and nearest friends,The partners of our blood,
How they divide our wavering minds,
And leave but half for God!
IV
The fondness of a creature's love,How strong it strikes the sense!
Thither the warm affections move,
Nor can we call them thence.
V
Dear Saviour, let thy beauties beMy soul's eternal food;
And grace command my heart away
From all created good.
HYMN 49. (C. M.) Moses dying in the Embraces of God.
I
Death cannot make our souls afraidIf God be with us there;
We may walk thro' her darkest shade,
And never yield to fear.
II
I could renounce my all belowIf my Creator bid,
And run if I were call'd to go,
And die as Moses did.
III
Might I but climb to Pisgah's top,And view the promis'd land,
My flesh itself should long to drop,
And pray for the command.
IV
Clasp'd in my heavenly Father's armsI would forget my breath,
And lose my life among the charms
Of so divine a death.
HYMN 50. (L. M.) Comfort under Sorrows and Pains.
I
Now let the Lord my Saviour smile,And shew my name upon his heart,
I would forget my pains awhile,
And in the pleasure lose the smart.
II
But Oh it swells my sorrows highTo see my blessed Jesus frown!
My spirits sink, my comforts die,
And all the springs of life are down.
III
Yet why, my soul, why these complaints?Still while he frowns, his bowels move;
Still on his heart he bears his saints,
And feels their sorrows and his love.
IV
My name is printed on his breast;His book of life contains my name;
I'd rather have it there impress'd
Than in the bright records of fame.
V
When the last fire burns all things hereThose letters shall securely stand,
And in the Lamb's fair book appear
Writ by th'eternal Father's hand.
VI
Now shall my minutes smoothly run,Whilst here I wait my Father's will;
My rising and my setting sun
Roll gently up and down the hill.
312
HYMN 51. (L. M.) God the Son equal with the Father.
I
Bright King of glory, dreadful God!Our spirits bow before thy seat,
To thee we lift an humble thought,
And worship at thine awful feet.
II
Thy power hath form'd, thy wisdom swaysAll nature with a sovereign word;
And the bright world of stars obeys
The will of their superior Lord.
III
Mercy and truth unite in one,And smiling sit at thy right hand;
Eternal justice guards thy throne,
And vengeance waits thy dread command.
IV
A thousand seraphs strong and brightStand round the glorious Deity;
But who amongst the sons of light
Pretends comparison with thee?
V
Yet there is one of human frame,Jesus, array'd in flesh and blood,
Thinks it no robbery to claim
A full equality with God.
VI
Their glory shines with equal beams;Their essence is for ever one,
Tho' they are known by different names,
The Father God, and God the Son.
VII
Then let the name of Christ our KingWith equal honours be ador'd;
His praise let every angel sing,
And all the nations own their Lord.
HYMN 52. (C. M.) Death dreadful, or delightful.
I
Death! 'tis a melancholy dayTo those that have no God,
When the poor soul is forc'd away
To seek her last abode.
II
In vain to heaven she lifts her eyes,But guilt, a heavy chain,
Still drags her downward from the skies
To darkness, fire, and pain.
III
Awake and mourn, ye heirs of hell,Let stubborn sinners fear,
You must be driven from earth, and dwell
A long for-ever there.
IV
See how the pit gapes wide for you,And flashes in your face,
And thou, my soul, look downwards too,
And sing recovering grace.
V
He is a God of sovereign loveThat promis'd heaven to me,
And taught my thoughts to soar above,
Where happy spirits be.
VI
Prepare me, Lord, for thy right hand,Then come the joyful day,
Come, death, and some celestial band
To bear my soul away.
HYMN 53. (C. M.) The Pilgrimage of the Saints; or, Earth and Heaven.
I
Lord! what a wretched land is thisThat yields us no supply!
No cheering fruits, no wholesome trees,
Nor streams of living joy!
II
But pricking thorns thro' all the groundAnd mortal poisons grow,
And all the rivers that are found
With dangerous waters flow.
III
Yet the dear path to thine abodeLies thro' this horrid land;
Lord! we would keep the heavenly road,
And run at thy command.
IV
Our souls shall tread the desert throughWith undiverted feet;
And faith and flaming zeal subdue
The terrors that we meet.
V
A thousand savage beasts of preyAround the forest roam;
But Judah's Lion guards the way,
And guides the strangers home.
VI
Long nights and darkness dwell below,With scarce a twinkling ray;
But the bright world to which we go
Is everlasting day.
VII
By glimmering hopes and gloomy fearsWe trace the sacred road,
Thro' dismal deeps and dangerous snares
We make our way to God.
VIII
Our journey is a thorny maze,But we march upward still;
Forget these troubles of the way,
And reach at Zion's hill.
313
IX
See the kind angels at the gates,Inviting us to come;
There Jesus the forerunner waits
To welcome travellers home.
X
There on a green and flowery mountOur weary souls shall sit,
And with transporting joys recount
The labours of our feet.
XI
No vain discourse shall fill our tongue,Nor trifles vex our ear,
Infinite grace shall be our song,
And God rejoice to hear.
XII
Eternal glories to the KingThat brought us safely through;
Our tongues shall never cease to sing,
And endless praise renew.
HYMN 54. (C. M.) God's Presence is Light in Darkness.
I
My God, the spring of all my joys,The life of my delights,
The glory of my brightest days,
And comfort of my nights.
II
In darkest shades if he appear,My dawning is begun;
He is my soul's sweet morning star,
And he my rising sun.
III
The opening heavens around me shineWith beams of sacred bliss,
While Jesus shews his heart is mine,
And whispers, ‘I am his!’
IV
My soul would leave this heavy clayAt that transporting word,
Run up with joy the shining way
T'embrace my dearest Lord.
V
Fearless of hell and ghastly deathI'd break thro' every foe;
The wings of love, and arms of faith
Should bear me conqueror through.
HYMN 55. (C. M.) Frail Life and succeeding Eternity.
I
Thee we adore, eternal name,And humbly own to thee,
How feeble is our mortal frame!
What dying worms are we!
II
Our wasting lives grow shorter stillAs months and days increase;
And every beating pulse we tell
Leaves but the number less.
III
The year rolls round, and steals awayThe breath that first it gave;
Whate'er we do, where'er we be,
We're travelling to the grave.
IV
Dangers stand thick through all the groundTo push us to the tomb,
And fierce diseases wait around
To hurry mortals home.
V
Good God! on what a slender threadHand everlasting things!
Th'eternal states of all the dead
Upon life's feeble strings.
VI
Infinite joy or endless woeAttends on every breath;
And yet how unconcern'd we go
Upon the brink of death!
VII
Waken, O Lord, our drowsy senseTo walk this dangerous road;
And if our souls be hurry'd hence
May they be found with God!
HYMN 56. (C. M.) The Misery of being without God in this World; or, vain Prosperity.
I
No, I shall envy them no moreWho grow profanely great,
Tho' they increase their golden store,
And rise to wondrous height.
II
They taste of all the joys that growUpon this earthly clod,
Well they may search the creature thro',
For they have ne'er a God.
III
Shake off the thoughts of dying too,And think your life your own;
But death comes hastening on to you
To mow your glory down.
IV
Yes, you must bow your stately head,Away your spirit flies,
And no kind angel near your bed
To bear it to the skies.
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V
Go now, and boast of all your stores,And tell how bright you shine;
Your heaps of glittering dust are yours,
And my Redeemer's mine.
HYMN 57. (L. M.) The Pleasures of a good Conscience.
I
Lord, how secure and bless'd are theyWho feel the joys of pardon'd sin?
Should storms of wrath shake earth and sea,
Their minds have heaven and peace within.
II
The day glides sweetly o'er their heads,Made up of innocence and love?
And soft and silent as the shades
Their nightly minutes gently move.
III
Quick as their thoughts their joys come on,But fly not half so fast away;
Their souls are ever bright as noon,
And calm as summer evenings be.
IV
How oft they look to th'heavenly hillsWhere groves of living pleasure grow!
And longing hopes and cheerful smiles
Sit undisturb'd upon their brow.
V
They scorn to seek our golden toys,But spend the day and share the night
In numbering o'er the richer joys
That heaven prepares for their delight.
VI
While wretched we, like worms and moles,Lie grovelling in the dust below:
Almighty grace, renew our souls,
And we'll aspire to glory too.
HYMN 58. (C. M.) The Shortness of Life, and the Goodness of God.
I
Time! what an empty vapour 'tis!And days how swift they are!
Swift as an Indian arrow flies,
Or like a shooting star.
II
The present moments just appear,Then slide away in haste,
That we can never say, ‘They're here,’
But only say, ‘They're past.’
III
Our life is ever on the wing,And death is ever nigh;
The moment when our lives begin
We all begin to die.
IV
Yet, mighty God, our fleeting daysThy lasting favours share,
Yet with the bounties of thy grace
Thou load'st the rolling year.
V
'Tis sovereign mercy finds us food,And we are cloth'd with love;
While grace stands pointing out the road,
That leads our souls above.
VI
His goodness runs an endless round;All glory to the Lord:
His mercy never knows a bound,
And be his name ador'd!
VII
Thus we begin the lasting song,And when we close our eyes,
Let the next age thy praise prolong
Till time and nature dies.
HYMN 59. (C. M.) Paradise on Earth.
I
Glory to God that walks the sky,And sends his blessings through,
That tells his saints of joys on high,
And gives a taste below.
II
Glory to God that stoops his throneThat dust and worms may see't,
And brings a glimpse of glory down
Around his sacred feet.
III
When Christ, with all his graces crown'd,Sheds his kind beams abroad,
'Tis a young heaven on earthly ground,
And glory in the bud.
IV
A blooming Paradise of joyIn this wild desert springs;
And every sense I straight employ
On sweet celestial things.
V
White lilies all around appear,And each his glory shows;
The rose of Sharon blossoms here,
The fairest flower that blows.
VI
Cheerful I feast on heavenly fruit,And drink the pleasures down,
Pleasures that flow hard by the foot
Of the eternal throne.
VII
But ah! how soon my joys decay!How soon my sins arise,
And snatch the heavenly scene away
From these lamenting eyes!
315
VIII
When shall the time, dear Jesus, whenThe shining day appear,
That I shall leave those clouds of sin,
And guilt and darkness here?
IX
Up to the fields above the skiesMy hasty feet would go,
There everlasting flowers arise,
And joys unwithering grow.
HYMN 60. (L. M.) The Truth of God the Promiser; or, the Promises are our Security.
I
Praise, everlasting praise be paidTo him that earth's foundations laid;
Praise to the God whose strong decrees
Sway the creation as he please.
II
Praise to the goodness of the LordWho rules his people by his word,
And there as strong as his decrees
He sets his kindest promises.
III
Firm are the words his prophets give,Sweet words on which his children live;
Each of them is the voice of God,
Who spoke and spread the skies abroad.
IV
Each of them powerful as that soundThat bid the new-made heavens go round;
And stronger than the solid poles
On which the wheel of nature rolls.
V
Whence then should doubts and fears arise?Why trickling sorrows drown our eyes?
Slowly, alas, our mind receives
The comforts that our Maker gives.
VI
O for a strong a lasting faith,To credit what th'Almighty saith!
T'embrace the message of his Son,
And call the joys of heaven our own.
VII
Then should the earth's old pillars shake,And all the wheels of nature break,
Our steady souls should fear no more
Than solid rocks when billows roar.
VIII
Our everlasting hopes ariseAbove the ruinable skies,
Where the eternal Builder reigns,
And his own courts his power sustains.
HYMN 61. (C. M.) A Thought of Death and Glory.
I
My soul, come meditate the day,And think how near it stands,
When thou must quit this house of clay,
And fly to unknown lands.
II
And you, mine eyes, look down and viewThe hollow gaping tomb,
This gloomy prison waits for you
Whene'er the summons come.
III
O could we die with those that die,And place us in their stead,
Then would our spirits learn to fly,
And converse with the dead:
IV
Then should we see the saints aboveIn their own glorious forms,
And wonder why our souls should love
To dwell with mortal worms.
V
How we should scorn these clothes of flesh,These fetters and this load!
And long for evening to undress,
That we may rest with God.
VI
We should almost forsake our clayBefore the summons come,
And pray, and wish our souls away
To their eternal home.
HYMN 62. (C. M.) God the Thunderer; or, the last Judgment and Hell.
I
Sing to the Lord, ye heavenly hosts,And thou, O earth, adore,
Let death and hell thro' all their coasts
Stand trembling at his power.
II
His sounding chariot shakes the sky,He makes the clouds his throne,
There all his stores of lightning lie,
Till vengeance dart them down.
III
His nostrils breathe out fiery streams,And from his awful tongue
A sovereign voice divides the flames,
And thunder roars along.
IV
Think, O my soul, the dreadful dayWhen this incensed God
Shall rend the sky, and burn the sea,
And fling his wrath abroad.
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V
What shall the wretch the sinner do?He once defy'd the Lord;
But he shall dread the thunderer now,
And sink beneath his word.
VI
Tempests of angry fire shall rollTo blast the rebel-worm,
And beat upon his naked soul
In one eternal storm.
HYMN 63. (C. M.) A Funeral Thought.
I
Hark! from the tombs a doleful sound,My ears attend the cry,
‘Ye living men, come view the ground
‘Where you must shortly lie.
II
‘Princes, this clay must be your bed,‘In spite of all your towers;
‘The tall, the wise, the reverend head
‘Must lie as low as ours.’
III
Great God, is this our certain doom?And are we still secure?
Still walking downward to our tomb,
And yet prepare no more?
IV
Grant us the powers of quickening graceTo fit our souls to fly,
Then, when we drop this dying flesh,
We'll rise above the sky.
HYMN 64. (L. M.) God the Glory and Defence of Sion.
I
Happy the church, thou sacred place,The seat of thy Creator's grace;
Thine holy courts are his abode,
Thou earthly palace of our God.
II
Thy walls are strength, and at thy gatesA guard of heavenly warriors waits;
Nor shall thy deep foundations move,
Fix'd on his counsels and his love.
III
Thy foes in vain designs engage,Against his throne in vain they rage,
Like rising waves, with angry roar,
That dash and die upon the shore.
IV
Then let our souls in Zion dwellNor fear the wrath of Rome and hell:
His arms embrace this happy ground,
Like brazen bulwarks built around.
V
God is our shield, and God our sun;Swift as the fleeting moments run,
On us he sheds new beams of grace,
And we reflect his brightest praise.
HYMN 65. (C. M.) The Hope of Heaven our Support under Trial on Earth.
I
When I can read my title clearTo mansions in the skies,
I bid farewell to every fear,
And wipe my weeping eyes.
II
Should earth against my soul engage,And hellish darts be hurl'd,
Then I can smile at Satan's rage,
And face a frowning world.
III
Let cares like a wild deluge come,And storms of sorrow fall,
May I but safely reach my home,
My God, my heaven, my all.
IV
There shall I bathe my weary soulIn seas of heavenly rest,
And not a wave of trouble roll
Across my peaceful breast.
HYMN 66. (C. M.) A Prospect of Heaven makes Death easy.
I
There is a land of pure delightWhere saints immortal reign,
Infinite day excludes the night,
And pleasures banish pain.
II
There everlasting spring abides,And never-withering flowers:
Death like a narrow sea divides
This heavenly land from ours.
III
Sweet fields beyond the swelling floodStand dress'd in living green:
So to the Jews old Canaan stood,
While Jordan roll'd between.
IV
But timorous mortals start and shrinkTo cross this narrow sea,
And linger shivering on the brink,
And fear to launch away.
V
O! could we make our doubts remove,These gloomy doubts that rise,
And see the Canaan that we love,
With unbeclouded eyes!
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VI
Could we but climb where Moses stood,And view the landscape o'er,
Not Jordan's stream, nor deaths cold flood,
Should fright us from the shore.
HYMN 67. (C. M.) God's eternal Dominion.
I
Great God, how infinite art thou!What worthless worms are we!
Let the whole race of creatures bow
And pay their praise to thee.
II
Thy throne eternal ages stood,Ere seas or stars were made;
Thou art the ever-living God
Were all the nations dead.
III
Nature and time quite naked lieTo thine immense survey,
From the formation of the sky
To the great burning day.
IV
Eternity with all its yearsStands present in thy view;
To thee there's nothing old appears,
Great God, there's nothing new.
V
Our lives thro' various scenes are drawn,And vex'd with trifling cares;
While thine eternal thought moves on
Thine undisturb'd affairs.
VI
Great God, how infinite art thou!What worthless worms are we!
Let the whole race of creatures bow
And pay their praise to thee.
HYMN 68. (C. M.) The humble Worship of Heaven.
I
Father, I long, I faint to seeThe place of thine abode,
I'd leave thy earthly courts and flee
Up to thy seat, my God!
II
Here I behold thy distant face,And 'tis a pleasing sight;
But to abide in thine embrace
Is infinite delight.
III
I'd part with all the joys of senseTo gaze upon thy throne;
Pleasure springs fresh for ever thence,
Unspeakable, unknown.
IV
There all the heavenly hosts are seen,In shining ranks they move,
And drink immortal vigour in,
With wonder and with love.
V
Then at thy feet with awful fearTh'adoring armies fall;
With joy they shrink to nothing there,
Before th'eternal All.
VI
There I would vie with all the hostIn duty and in bliss,
While less than nothing I could boast
And vanity confess.
VII
The more thy glories strike mine eyes,The humbler I shall lie;
Thus while I sink, my joys shall rise
Unmeasurable high.
HYMN 69. (C. M.) The Faithfulness of God in his Promises.
I
Begin, my tongue, some heavenly theme,And speak some boundless thing,
The mighty works, or mightier name
Of our eternal King.
II
Tell of his wondrous faithfulness,And sound his power abroad,
Sing the sweet promise of his grace,
And the performing God.
III
Proclaim ‘salvation from the Lord‘For wretched dying men;’
His hand has writ the sacred word
With an immortal pen.
IV
Engrav'd as in eternal brassThe mighty promise shines;
Nor can the powers of darkness rase
Those everlasting lines.
V
He that can dash whole worlds to death,And make them when he please,
He speaks, and that almighty breath
Fulfils his great decrees.
VI
His very word of grace is strongAs that which built the skies,
The voice that rolls the stars along
Speaks all the promises.
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VII
He said, ‘Let the wide heaven be spread,’And heaven was stretch'd abroad;
‘Abrah'm, I'll be thy God,’ he said,
And he was Abrah'm's God.
VIII
O, might I hear thine heavenly tongueBut whisper, ‘Thou art mine;’
Those gentle words should raise my song
To notes almost divine.
IX
How would my leaping heart rejoiceAnd think my heaven secure!
I trust the all-creating voice,
And faith desires no more.
HYMN 70. (L. M.) God's Dominion over the Sea, Psalm cvii. 23, &c.
I
God of the seas, thy thundering voiceMakes all the roaring waves rejoice,
And one soft word of thy command
Can sink them silent in the sand.
II
If but a Moses wave thy rod,The sea divides and owns its God;
The stormy floods their Maker knew,
And let his chosen armies through.
III
The scaly flocks amidst the seaTo thee their Lord a tribute pay;
The meanest fish that swims the flood
Leaps up, and means a praise to God.
IV
The larger monsters of the deep,On thy commands attendance keep,
By thy permission sport and play,
And cleave along their foaming way.
V
If God his voice of tempest rearsLeviathan lies still and fears,
Anon he lifts his nostrils high,
And spouts the ocean to the sky.
VI
How is thy glorious power ador'd,Amidst those wat'ry nations, Lord!
Yet the bold men that trace the seas,
Bold men, refuse their Maker's praise.
VII
What scenes of miracles they see,And never tune a song to thee!
While on the flood they safely ride,
They curse the hand that smooths the tide.
VIII
Anon they plunge in wat'ry graves,And some drink death among the waves:
Yet the surviving crew blaspheme,
Nor own the God that rescu'd them.
IX
O for some signal of thine hand,Shake all the seas, Lord, shake the land,
Great Judge descend, lest men deny
That there's a God that rules the sky.
From the 70th to the 108th Hymn, I hope the reader will forgive the neglect of rhyme in the first and third lines of the stanza.
HYMN 71. (C. M.) Praise to God from all Creatures.
I
The glories of my Maker God,My joyful voice shall sing,
And call the nations to adore
Their Former and their King.
II
'Twas his right hand that shap'd our clay,And wrought this human frame,
But from his own immediate breath
Our nobler spirits came.
III
We bring our mortal powers to God,And worship with our tongues:
We claim some kindred with the skies
And join th'angelic songs.
IV
Let grovelling beasts of every shape,And fowls of every wing,
And rocks, and trees, and fires, and seas,
Their various tribute bring.
V
Ye planets, to his honour shine,And wheels of nature roll,
Praise him in your unwearied course
Around the steady pole.
VI
The brightness of our Maker's nameThe wide creation fills,
And his unbounded grandeur flies
Beyond the heavenly hills.
HYMN 72. (C. M.) The Lord's Day; or, the Resurrection of Christ.
I
Bless'd morning, whose young dawning raysBeheld our rising God,
That saw him triumph o'er the dust,
And leave his dark abode.
II
In the cold prison of a tomb,The dead Redeemer lay,
Till the revolving skies had brought
The third, th'appointed day.
III
Hell and the grave unite their forceTo hold our God in vain,
The sleeping Conqueror arose,
And burst their feeble chain.
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IV
To thy great name, almighty Lord,These sacred hours we pay,
And loud hosannas shall proclaim
The triumph of the day.
V
Salvation and immortal praiseTo our victorious King,
Let heaven, and earth, and rocks, and seas,
With glad hosannas ring.
HYMN 73. (C. M.) Doubts scattered; or, spiritual Joy restored.
I
Hence from my soul, sad thoughts, begone,And leave me to my joys,
My tongue shall triumph in my God,
And make a joyful noise.
II
Darkness and doubts had veil'd my mind,And drown'd my head in tears,
Till sovereign grace with shining rays
Dispell'd my gloomy fears.
III
O what immortal joys I felt,And raptures all divine,
When Jesus told me, I was his,
And my Beloved mine.
IV
In vain the tempter frights my soul,And breaks my peace in vain,
One glimpse, dear Saviour, of thy face,
Revives my joys again.
HYMN 74. (S. M.) Repentance from a Sense of divine Goodness; or, a Complaint of Ingratitude.
I
Is this the kind return,And these the thanks we owe?
Thus to abuse eternal love
Whence all our blessings flow?
II
To what a stubborn frameHas sin reduc'd our mind!
What strange rebellious wretches we,
And God as strangely kind!
III
On us he bids the sunShed his reviving rays,
For us the skies their circles run
To lengthen out our days.
IV
The brutes obey their God,And bow their necks to men,
But we more base, more brutish things
Reject his easy reign.
V
Turn, turn us, mighty God,And mould our souls afresh,
Break, sovereign grace, these hearts of stone,
And give us hearts of flesh.
VI
Let old ingratitudeProvoke our weeping eyes,
And hourly as new mercies fall
Let hourly thanks arise.
HYMN 75. (C. M.) Spiritual and eternal Joys; or, the beatific Sight of Christ.
I
From thee, my God, my joys shall rise,And run eternal rounds,
Beyond the limits of the skies
And all created bounds.
II
The holy triumphs of my soulShall death itself out-brave,
Leave dull mortality behind,
And fly beyond the grave.
III
There, where my blessed Jesus reignsIn heaven's unmeasur'd space,
I'll spend a long eternity
In pleasure and in praise.
IV
Millions of years my wondering eyesShall o'er thy beauties rove,
And endless ages I'll adore
The glories of thy love.
V
Sweet Jesus, every smile of thineShall fresh endearments bring,
And thousand tastes of new delight
From all thy graces spring.
VI
Haste, my beloved, fetch my soulUp to thy bless'd abode,
Fly, for my spirit longs to see
My Saviour and my God.
HYMN 76. (L. M.) The Resurrection and Ascension of Christ.
I
Hosanna to the Prince of LightThat cloth'd himself in clay,
Enter'd the iron gates of death,
And tore the bars away.
II
Death is no more the king of dreadSince our Immanuel rose,
He took the tyrant's sting away,
And spoil'd our hellish foes.
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III
See how the Conqueror mounts aloft,And to his Father flies,
With scars of honour in his flesh,
And triumph in his eyes.
IV
There our exalted Saviour reigns,And scatters blessings down,
Our Jesus fills the middle seat
Of the celestial throne.
V
Raise your devotion, mortal tongues,To reach his bless'd abode,
Sweet be the accents of your songs
To our incarnate God.
VI
Bright angels, strike your loudest strings,Your sweetest voices raise,
Let heaven, and all created things,
Sound our Immanuel's praise.
HYMN 77. (L. M.) The Christian Warfare.
I
Stand up, my soul, shake off thy fears,And gird the gospel-armour on,
March to the gates of endless joy
Where thy great Captain-Saviour's gone.
II
Hell and thy sins resist thy course,But hell and sin are vanquish'd foes,
Thy Jesus nail'd them to the cross,
And sung the triumph when he rose.
III
What tho' the prince of darkness rage,And waste the fury of his spite,
Eternal chains confine him down
To fiery deeps and endless night.
IV
What tho' thine inward lusts rebel,'Tis but a struggling gasp for life;
The weapons of victorious grace
Shall slay thy sins, and end thy strife.
V
Then let my soul march boldly on,Press forward to the heavenly gate,
There peace and joy eternal reign,
And glittering robes for conquerors wait.
VI
There shall I wear a starry crown,And triumph in almighty grace,
While all the armies of the skies
Join in my glorious Leader's praise.
HYMN 78. (C. M.) Redemption by Christ.
I
When the first parents of our raceRebell'd and lost their God,
And the infection of their sin
Had tainted all our blood,
II
Infinite pity touch'd the heartOf the eternal Son,
Descending from the heavenly court
He left his Father's throne.
III
Aside the Prince of Glory threwHis most divine array,
And wrapp'd his Godhead in a veil
Of our inferior clay.
IV
His living power, and dying loveRedeem'd unhappy men,
And rais'd the ruins of our race
To life and God again.
V
To thee, dear Lord, our flesh and soulWe joyfully resign,
Bless'd Jesus, take us for thy own,
For we are doubly thine.
VI
Thine honour shall for ever beThe business of our days,
For ever shall our thankful tongues
Speak thy deserved praise.
HYMN 79. (C. M.) Praise to the Redeemer.
I
Plung'd in a gulph of dark despairWe wretched sinners lay,
Without one cheerful beam of hope,
Or spark of glimmering day.
II
With pitying eyes, the Prince of GraceBeheld our helpless grief,
He saw, and (O amazing love!)
He ran to our relief.
III
Down from the shining seats aboveWith joyful haste he fled,
Enter'd the grave in mortal flesh,
And dwelt among the dead.
IV
He spoil'd the powers of darkness thus,And brake our iron chains;
Jesus has freed our captive souls
From everlasting pains.
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V
In vain the baffled prince of hellHis cursed projects tries,
We that were doom'd his endless slaves
Are rais'd above the skies.
VI
O for this love, let rocks and hillsTheir lasting silence break,
And all harmonious human tongues
The Saviour's praises speak.
VII
Yes, we will praise thee, dearest Lord,Our souls are all on flame,
Hosanna round the spacious earth
To thine adored name.
VIII
Angels, assist our mighty joys,Strike all your harps of gold;
But when you raise your highest notes
His love can ne'er be told.
HYMN 80. (S. M.) God's awful Power and Goodness.
I
O the almighty Lord!How matchless is his power!
Tremble, O earth, beneath his word,
And all the heavens adore.
II
Let proud imperious kingsBow low before his throne,
Crouch to his feet, ye haughty things,
Or he shall tread you down.
III
Above the skies he reigns,And with amazing blows
He deals unsufferable pains
On his rebellious foes.
IV
Yet, everlasting God,We love to speak thy praise;
Thy sceptre's equal to thy rod,
The sceptre of thy grace.
V
The arms of mighty loveDefend our Sion well,
And heavenly mercy walls us round
From Babylon and Hell.
VI
Salvation to the KingThat sits enthron'd above;
Thus we adore the God of might,
And bless the God of love.
HYMN 81. (C. M.) Our Sin the Cause of Christ's Death.
I
And now the scales have left mine eyes,Now I begin to see;
Oh the curs'd deeds my sins have done!
What murderous things they be!
II
Were these the traitors, dearest Lord,That thy fair body tore?
Monsters, that stain'd those heavenly limbs
With floods of purple gore?
III
Was it for crimes that I had doneMy dearest Lord was slain,
When justice seiz'd God's only Son,
And put his soul to pain?
IV
Forgive my guilt, O Prince of Peace,I'll wound my God no more;
Hence from my heart, ye sins, be gone,
For Jesus I adore.
V
Furnish me, Lord, with heavenly armsFrom grace's magazine,
And I'll proclaim eternal war
With every darling sin.
HYMN 82. (C. M.) Redemption and Protection from Spiritual Enemies.
I
Arise, my soul, my joyful powers,And triumph in my God,
Awake, my voice, and loud proclaim
His glorious grace abroad.
II
He rais'd me from the deeps of sin,The gates of gaping hell,
And fix'd my standing more secure
Than 'twas before I fell.
III
The arms of everlasting loveBeneath my soul he plac'd,
And on the rock of ages set
My slippery footsteps fast.
IV
The city of my bless'd abodeIs wall'd around with grace,
Salvation for a bulwark stands
To shield the sacred place.
V
Satan may vent his sharpest spite,And all his legions roar,
Almighty mercy guards my life,
And bounds his raging power.
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VI
Arise, my soul, awake, my voice,And tunes of pleasure sing,
Loud hallelujahs shall address
My Saviour and my King.
HYMN 83. (C. M.) The Passion and Exaltation of Christ.
I
Thus saith the Ruler of the skies,‘Awake, my dreadful sword;
‘Awake, my wrath, and smite the man,
‘My fellow,’ saith the Lord.
II
Vengeance receiv'd the dread command,And armed down she flies,
Jesus submits t'his Father's hand,
And bows his head and dies.
III
But oh! the wisdom and the graceThat join with vengeance now!
He dies to save our guilty race,
And yet he rises too.
IV
A person so divine was heWho yielded to be slain,
That he could give his soul away,
And take his life again.
V
Live, glorious Lord, and reign on high,Let every nation sing,
And angels sound with endless joy
The Saviour and the King.
HYMN 84. (S. M.) The same.
[Come, all harmonious tongues]
I
Come, all harmonious tongues,Your noblest music bring,
'Tis Christ the everlasting God,
And Christ the man we sing.
II
Tell how he took our fleshTo take away our guilt,
Sing the dear drops of sacred blood
That hellish monsters spilt.
III
Alas! the cruel spearWent deep into his side,
And the rich flood of purple gore
Their murderous weapons dy'd.
IV
The waves of swelling griefDid o'er his bosom roll,
And mountains of almighty wrath
Lay heavy on his soul.
V
Down to the shades of deathHe bow'd his awful head,
Yet he arose to live and reign
When death itself is dead.
VI
No more the bloody spear,The cross and nails no more;
For hell itself shakes at his name,
And all the heavens adore.
VII
There the Redeemer sitsHigh on the Father's throne;
The Father lays his vengeance by,
And smiles upon his Son.
VIII
There his full glories shineWith uncreated rays,
And bless his saints and angels eyes
To everlasting days.
HYMN 85. (C. M.) Sufficiency of Pardon.
I
Why does your face, ye humble souls,Those mournful colours wear?
What doubts are these that waste your faith,
And nourish your despair?
II
What tho' your numerous sins exceedThe stars that fill the skies,
And aiming at th'eternal throne
Like pointed mountains rise?
III
What tho' your mighty guilt beyondThe wide creation swell,
And has its curs'd foundations laid
Low as the deeps of hell?
IV
See here an endless ocean flowsOf never-failing grace,
Behold a dying Saviour's veins
The sacred flood increase:
V
It rises high and drowns the hills,'T has neither shore nor bound:
Nor if we search to find our sins
Our sins can ne'er be found.
VI
Awake, our hearts, adore the graceThat buries all our faults,
And pardoning blood that swells above
Our follies and our thoughts.
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HYMN 86. (C. M.) Freedom from Sin and Misery in Heaven.
I
Our sins, alas! how strong they be!And like a violent sea
They break our duty, Lord, to thee,
And hurry us away.
II
The waves of trouble how they rise!How loud the tempests roar!
But death shall land our weary souls
Safe on the heavenly shore.
III
There to fulfil his sweet commandsOur speedy feet shall move,
No sin shall clog our winged zeal,
Or cool our burning love.
IV
There shall we sit, and sing, and tellThe wonders of his grace,
Till heavenly raptures fire our hearts,
And smile in every face.
V
For ever his dear sacred nameShall dwell upon our tongue,
And Jesus and Salvation be
The close of every song.
HYMN 87. (C. M.) The divine Glories above our Reason.
I
How wondrous great, how glorious brightMust our Creator be,
Who dwells amidst the dazzling light
Of vast infinity!
II
Our soaring spirits upward riseTow'rd the celestial throne,
Fain would we see the blessed Three,
And the almighty One.
III
Our reason stretches all its wings,And climbs above the skies;
But still how far beneath thy feet
Our grovelling reason lies!
IV
Lord, here we bend our humble souls,And awfully adore,
For the weak pinions of our mind
Can stretch a thought no more.
V
Thy glories infinitely riseAbove our labouring tongue;
In vain the highest seraph tries
To form an equal song.
VI
In humble notes our faith adoresThe great mysterious King,
While angels strain their nobler powers,
And sweep th'immortal string.
HYMN 88. (C. M.) Salvation.
I
Salvation! O, the joyful sound!'Tis pleasure to our ears;
A sovereign balm for every wound,
A cordial for our fears.
II
Bury'd in sorrow and in sin,At hell's dark door we lay,
But we arise by grace divine
To see a heavenly day.
III
Salvation! let the echo flyThe spacious earth around,
While all the armies of the sky
Conspire to raise the sound.
HYMN 89. (C. M.) Christ's Victory over Satan.
I
Hosanna to our conquering King!The prince of darkness flies,
His troops rush headlong down to hell
Like lightning from the skies.
II
There bound in chains the lions roar,And fright the rescu'd sheep,
But heavy bars confine their power
And malice to the deep.
III
Hosanna to our conquering King,All hail, incarnate love!
Ten thousand songs and glories wait
To crown thy head above.
IV
Thy victories and thy deathless fameThrough the wide world shall run,
And everlasting ages sing
The triumphs thou hast won.
HYMN 90. (C. M.) Faith in Christ for Pardon and Sanctification.
I
How sad our state by nature is!Our sin how deep it stains!
And Satan binds our captive minds
Fast in his slavish chains.
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II
But there's a voice of sovereign graceSounds from the sacred word,
‘Ho, ye despairing sinners, come,
‘And trust upon the Lord.’
III
My soul obeys th'almighty call,And runs to this relief,
I would believe thy promise, Lord,
O! help my unbelief.
IV
To the dear fountain of thy blood,Incarnate God, I fly,
Here let me wash my spotted soul
From crimes of deepest dye.
V
Stretch out thine arm, victorious King,My reigning sins subdue,
Drive the old dragon from his seat,
With all his hellish crew.
VI
A guilty, weak, and helpless worm,On thy kind arms I fall:
Be thou my strength and righteousness,
My Jesus, and my all.
HYMN 91. (C. M.) The Glory of Christ in Heaven.
I
O the delights, the heavenly joys,The glories of the place
Where Jesus sheds the brightest beams
Of his o'erflowing grace!
II
Sweet majesty and awful loveSit smiling on his brow,
And all the glorious ranks above
At humble distance bow.
III
Princes to his imperial nameBend their bright sceptres down,
Dominions, thrones, and powers rejoice
To see him wear the crown.
IV
Archangels sound his lofty praiseThrough every heavenly street,
And lay their highest honours down
Submissive at his feet.
V
Those soft, those blessed feet of hisThat once rude iron tore,
High on a throne of light they stand,
And all the saints adore.
VI
His head, the dear majestic headThat cruel thorns did wound,
See what immortal glories shine,
And circle it around.
VII
This is the man, th'exalted man,Whom we unseen adore;
But when our eyes behold his face,
Our hearts shall love him more.
VIII
Lord, how our souls are all on fireTo see thy bless'd abode,
Our tongues rejoice in tunes of praise
To our incarnate God.
IX
And whilst our faith enjoys this sight,We long to leave our clay,
And wish thy fiery chariots, Lord,
To fetch our souls away.
HYMN 92. (C. M.) The Church saved, and her Enemies disappointed.
Composed the 5th of November, 1694.
I
Shout to the Lord, and let our joysThrough the whole nation run;
Ye British skies, resound the noise
Beyond the rising sun.
II
Thee, mighty God, our souls admire,Thee our glad voices sing,
And join with the celestial choir
To praise the eternal King.
III
Thy power the whole creation rules,And on the starry skies
Sits smiling at the weak designs
Thine envious foes devise.
IV
Thy scorn derides their feeble rage,And with an awful frown
Flings vast confusion on their plots,
And shakes their Babel down.
V
Their secret fires in caverns lay,And we the sacrifice:
But gloomy caverns strove in vain
To 'scape all-searching eyes.
VI
Their dark designs were all reveal'd,Their treasons all betray'd:
Praise to the God that broke the snare
Their cursed hands had laid.
VII
In vain the busy sons of hellStill new rebellions try,
Their souls shall pine with envious rage,
And vex away and die.
VIII
Almighty grace defends our landFrom their malicious power,
Let Britain with united songs
Almighty grace adore.
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HYMN 93. (S. M.) God all, and in all, Psalm lxxiii. 25.
I
My God, my life, my love,To thee, to thee, I call,
I cannot live if thou remove,
For thou art all in all.
II
Thy shining grace can cheerThis dungeon where I dwell;
'Tis paradise when thou art here,
If thou depart, 'tis hell.
III
The smilings of thy face,How amiable they are!
'Tis heaven to rest in thine embrace,
And no where else but there.
IV
To thee, and thee alone,The angels owe their bliss;
They sit around thy gracious throne,
And dwell where Jesus is.
V
Not all the harps aboveCan make a heavenly place,
If God his residence remove,
Or but conceal his face.
VI
Nor earth, nor all the skyCan one delight afford,
No, not a drop of real joy
Without thy presence, Lord.
VII
Thou art the sea of love,Where all my pleasures roll,
The circle where my passions move,
And centre of my soul.
VIII
To thee my spirits flyWith infinite desire,
And yet how far from thee I lie!
Dear Jesus raise me higher!
HYMN 94. (C. M.) God my only Happiness, Psalm lxxiii. 25.
I
My God, my portion, and my love,My everlasting all,
I've none but thee in heaven above,
Or on this earthly ball.
II
What empty things are all the skies,And this inferior clod!
There's nothing here deserves my joys,
There's nothing like my God.
III
In vain the bright, the burning sunScatters his feeble light;
'Tis thy sweet beams create my noon;
If thou withdraw, 'tis night.
IV
And whilst upon my restless bed,Amongst the shades I roll,
If my Redeemer shew his head,
'Tis morning with my soul.
V
To thee we owe our wealth, and friends,And health, and safe abode;
Thanks to thy name for meaner things,
But they are not my God.
VI
How vain a toy is glittering wealth,If once compar'd to thee;
Or what's my safety, or my health,
Or all my friends to me?
VII
Were I possessor of the earth,And call'd the stars my own,
Without thy graces and thyself,
I were a wretch undone.
VIII
Let others stretch their arms like seas,And grasp in all the shore,
Grant me the visits of thy face,
And I desire no more.
HYMN 95. (C. M.) Look on him whom they pierced, and mourn.
I
Infinite grief! amazing woe!Behold my bleeding Lord:
Hell and the Jews conspir'd his death,
And us'd the Roman sword.
II
Oh, the sharp pangs of smarting painMy dear Redeemer bore,
When knotty whips and ragged thorns
His sacred body tore!
III
But knotty whips and ragged thornsIn vain do I accuse,
In vain I blame the Roman bands,
And the more spiteful Jews.
IV
'Twere you, my sins, my cruel sins,His chief tormentors were;
Each of my crimes became a nail,
And unbelief the spear.
V
'Twere you that pull'd the vengeance downUpon his guiltless head:
Break, break, my heart, Oh burst mine eyes,
And let my sorrows bleed.
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VI
Strike, mighty grace, my flinty soulTill melting waters flow,
And deep repentance drown mine eyes
In undissembled woe.
HYMN 96. (C. M.) Distinguishing Love; or, Angels punished, and Man saved.
I
Down headlong from their native skiesThe rebel angels fell,
And thunderbolts of flaming wrath
Pursu'd them deep to hell.
II
Down from the top of earthly blissRebellious man was hurl'd;
And Jesus stoop'd beneath the grave
To reach a sinking world.
III
O love of infinite degree!Unmeasurable grace!
Must heaven's eternal darling die
To save a traitorous race?
IV
Must angels sink for ever down,And burn in quenchless fire,
While God forsakes his shining throne
To raise us wretches higher?
V
O for this love let earth and skiesWith hallejahs ring,
And the full choir of human tongue
All hallelujah sing.
HYMN 97. (L. M.) The same.
[From heaven the sinning angels fell]
I
From heaven the sinning angels fell,And wrath and darkness chain'd them down;
But man, vile man, forsook his bliss,
And mercy lifts him to a crown.
II
Amazing work of sovereign graceThat could distinguish rebels so!
Our guilty treasons call'd aloud
For everlasting fetters too.
III
To thee, to thee, almighty love,Our souls, ourselves, our all we pay:
Millions of tongues shall sound thy praise
On the bright hills of heavenly day.
HYMN 98. (C. M.) Hardness of Heart complained of.
I
My heart, how dreadful hard it is!How heavy here it lies,
Heavy and cold within my breast,
Just like a rock of ice!
II
Sin like a raging tyrant sitsUpon this flinty throne,
And every grace lies bury'd deep
Beneath this heart of stone.
III
How seldom do I rise to God,Or taste the joys above!
This mountain presses down my faith,
And chills my flaming love.
IV
When smiling mercy courts my soulWith all its heavenly charms,
This stubborn, this relentless thing
Would thrust it from my arms.
V
Against the thunders of thy wordRebellious I have stood,
My heart it shakes not at the wrath
And terrors of a God.
VI
Dear Saviour, steep this rock of mineIn thine own crimson sea:
None but a bath of blood divine
Can melt the flint away.
HYMN 99. (C. M.) The Book of God's Decrees.
I
Let the whole race of creatures lieAbas'd before their God:
Whate'er his sovereign voice hath form'd
He governs with a nod.
II
Ten thousand ages ere the skiesWere into motion brought,
All the long years and worlds to come
Stood present to his thought.
III
There's not a sparrow or a wormBut's found in his decrees;
He raises monarchs to their thrones,
And sinks them as he please.
IV
If light attends the course I run,'Tis he provides those rays;
And 'tis his hand that hides my sun,
If darkness cloud my days.
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V
Yet I would not be much concern'd,Nor vainly long to see
The volume of his deep decrees,
What months are writ for me.
VI
When he reveals the book of life,O may I read my name
Amongst the chosen of his love,
The followers of the Lamb!
HYMN 100. (L. M.) The Presence of Christ is the Life of my Soul.
I
How full of anguish is the thought,How it distracts and tears my heart,
If God at last my sovereign judge,
Should frown, and bid my soul, ‘Depart!’
II
Lord, when I quit this earthly stage,Where shall I fly but to thy breast?
For I have sought no other home;
For I have learn't no other rest.
III
I cannot live contented here,Without some glimpses of thy face;
And heaven without thy presence there
Would be a dark and tiresome place.
IV
When earthly cares engross the day,And hold my thoughts aside from thee,
The shining hours of cheerful light
Are long and tedious years to me.
V
And if no evening visit's paidBetween my Saviour and my soul,
How dull the night! how sad the shade!
How mournfully the minutes roll!
VI
This flesh of mine might learn as soonTo live, yet part with all my blood;
To breathe when vital air is gone,
Or thrive and grow without my food.
VII
Christ is my light, my life, my care,My blessed hope, my heavenly prize,
Dearer than all my passions are,
My limbs, my bowels, or my eyes.
VIII
The strings that twine about my heart,Tortures and racks may tear them off,
But they can never, never part
With their dear hold of Christ my love.
IX
My God! and can an humble childThat loves thee with a flame so high,
Be ever from thy face exil'd
Without the pity of thine eye?
X
Impossible—For thine own handsHave ty'd my heart so fast to thee;
And in thy book the promise stands,
That where thou art thy friends must be.
HYMN 101. (C. M.) The World's three chief Temptations.
I
When in the light of faith divineWe look on things below,
Honour, and gold, and sensual joy,
How vain and dangerous too!
II
Honour's a puff of noisy breath;Yet men expose their blood,
And venture everlasting death
To gain that airy good
III
Whilst others starve the nobler mind,And feed on shining dust,
They rob the serpent of his food
T'indulge a sordid lust.
IV
The pleasures that allure our senseAre dangerous snares to souls;
There's but a drop of flattering sweet,
And dash'd with bitter bowls.
V
God is mine all-sufficient good,My portion and my choice;
In him my vast desires are fill'd,
And all my powers rejoice
VI
In vain the world accosts my ear,And tempts my heart anew;
I cannot buy your bliss so dear,
Nor part with heaven for you.
HYMN 102. (L. M.) A happy Resurrection.
I
No, I'll repine at death no more,But with a cheerful gasp resign
To the cold dungeon of the grave
These dying withering limbs of mine.
II
Let worms devour my wasting flesh,And crumble all my bones to dust,
My God shall raise my frame anew
At the revival of the just.
III
Break, sacred morning, thro' the skies,Bring that delightful, dreadful day,
Cut short the hours, dear Lord, and come,
Thy lingering wheels, how long they stay!
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IV
Our weary spirits faint to seeThe light of thy returning face,
And hear the language of those lips
Where God has shed his richest grace.
V
Haste then upon the wings of love,Rouse all the pious sleeping clay,
That we may join in heavenly joys,
And sing the triumph of the day.
HYMN 103. (C. M.) Christ's Commission, John iii. 16, 17.
I
Come, happy souls, approach your GodWith new melodious songs;
Come, render to almighty grace
The tribute of your tongues.
II
So strange, so boundless was the loveThat pity'd dying men,
The Father sent his equal Son
To give them life again.
III
Thy hands, dear Jesus, were not arm'dWith a revenging rod,
No hard commission to perform
The vengeance of a God.
IV
But all was mercy, all was mild,And wrath forsook the throne,
When Christ on the kind errand came,
And brought salvation down.
V
Here, sinners, you may heal your wounds,And wipe your sorrows dry;
Trust in the mighty Saviour's name,
And you shall never die.
VI
See, dearest Lord, our willing soulsAccept thine offer'd grace;
We bless the great Redeemer's love,
And give the Father praise.
HYMN 104. (S. M.) The same.
[Raise your triumphant songs]
I
Raise your triumphant songsTo an immortal tune,
Let the wide earth resound the deeds
Celestial grace has done.
II
Sing how eternal loveIts chief beloved chose,
And bid him raise our wretched race
From their abyss of woes.
III
His hand no thunder bears,Nor terror clothes his brow,
No bolts to drive our guilty souls
To fiercer flames below.
IV
'Twas mercy fill'd the throne,And wrath stood silent by,
When Christ was sent with pardons down
To rebels doom'd to die.
V
Now, sinners, dry your tears,Let hopeless sorrow cease;
Bow to the sceptre of his love,
And take the offer'd peace.
VI
Lord, we obey thy call;We lay an humble claim
To the salvation thou hast brought,
And love and praise thy name.
HYMN 105. (C. M.) Repentance flowing from the Patience of God,
I
And are we wretches yet alive?And do we yet rebel?
'Tis boundless, 'tis amazing love
That bears us up from hell!
II
The burden of our weighty guiltWould sink us down to flames,
And threatening vengeance rolls above
To crush our feeble frames.
III
Almighty goodness cries, ‘Forbear;’And straight the thunder stays;
And dare we now provoke his wrath,
And weary out his grace?
IV
Lord, we have long abus'd thy love,Too long indulg'd our sin;
Our aching hearts e'en bleed to see
What rebels we have been.
V
No more, ye lusts, shall ye command,No more will we obey;
Stretch out. O God, thy conquering hand,
And drive thy foes away.
HYMN 106. (C. M.) Repentance at the Cross.
I
Oh, if my soul was form'd for woe,How would I vent my sighs!
Repentance should like rivers flow
From both my streaming eyes.
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II
'Twas for my sins my dearest LordHung on the cursed tree,
And groan'd away a dying life
For thee, my soul, for thee.
III
O how I hate those lusts of mineThat crucify'd my God,
Those sins that pierc'd and nail'd his flesh
Fast to the fatal wood!
IV
Yes, my Redeemer, they shall die,My heart has so decreed,
Nor will I spare the guilty things
That made my Saviour bleed.
V
Whilst with a melting broken heartMy murder'd Lord I view,
I'll raise revenge against my sins,
And slay the murderers too.
HYMN 107. (C. M.) The everlasting Absence of God intolerable.
I
That awful day will surely come,Th'appointed hour makes haste,
When I must stand before my Judge,
And pass the solemn test.
II
Thou lovely chief of all my joys;Thou sovereign of my heart,
How could I bear to hear thy voice
Pronounce the sound, ‘Depart?’
III
The thunder of that dismal wordWould so torment my ear,
'Twould tear my soul asunder, Lord,
With most tormenting fear.
IV
What, to be banish'd for my life,And yet forbid to die!
To linger in eternal pain,
Yet death for ever fly!
V
Oh, wretched state of deep despair,To see my God remove,
And fix my doleful station where
I must not taste his love.
VI
Jesus, I throw my arms around,And hang upon thy breast;
Without a gracious smile from thee
My spirit cannot rest.
VII
O tell me that my worthless nameIs graven on thy hands;
Shew me some promise in thy book
Where my salvation stands!
VIII
Give me one kind assuring wordTo sink my fears again;
And cheerfully my soul shall wait
Her threescore years and ten.
HYMN 108. (C. M.) Access to the Throne of Grace by a Mediator.
I
Come let us lift our joyful eyesUp to the courts above,
And smile to see our Father there
Upon a throne of love.
II
Once 'twas a seat of dreadful wrath,And shot devouring flame;
Our God appear'd consuming fire,
And vengeance was his name.
III
Rich were the drops of Jesus' bloodThat calm'd his frowning face,
That sprinkled o'er the burning throne,
And turn'd the wrath to grace.
IV
Now we may bow before his feet,And venture near the Lord;
No fiery cherub guards his seat,
Nor double flaming sword.
V
The peaceful gates of heavenly blissAre open'd by the Son;
High let us raise our notes of praise,
And reach the almighty throne.
VI
To thee ten thousand thanks we bring,Great Advocate on high:
And glory to th'Eternal King
That lays his fury by.
HYMN 109. (L. M.) The Darkness of Providence.
I
Lord, we adore thy vast designs,The obscure abyss of providence,
Too deep to sound with mortal lines,
Too dark to view with feeble sense.
II
Now thou arrayst thine awful faceIn angry frowns, without a smile;
We through the cloud believe thy grace,
Secure of thy compassion still.
III
Through seas and storms of deep distressWe sail by faith and not by sight;
Faith guides us in the wilderness
Through all the briars and the night.
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IV
Dear Father, if thy lifted rodResolve to scourge us here below,
Still we must lean upon our God,
Thine arm shall bear us safely through.
HYMN 110. (S. M.) Triumph over Death in Hope of the Resurrection.
I
And must this body die?This mortal frame decay?
And must these active limbs of mine
Lie mouldering in the clay?
II
Corruption, earth, and worms,Shall but refine this flesh,
Till my triumphant spirit comes
To put it on afresh.
III
God my Redeemer lives,And often from the skies
Looks down and watches all my dust
Till he shall bid it rise.
IV
Array'd in glorious graceShall these vile bodies shine,
And every shape and every face
Look heavenly and divine.
V
These lively hopes we oweTo Jesus' dying love;
We would adore his grace below,
And sing his power above.
VI
Dear Lord, accept the praiseOf these our humble songs,
Till tunes of nobler sound we raise
With our immortal tongues.
HYMN 111. (C. M.) Thanksgiving for Victory; or, God's Dominion and our Deliverance.
I
Zion rejoice, and Judah sing;The Lord assumes his throne;
Let Britain own the heavenly King,
And make his glories known.
II
The great, the wicked, and the proud,From their high seats are hurl'd;
Jehovah rides upon a cloud,
And thunders through the world.
III
He reigns upon the eternal hills,Distributes mortal crowns,
Empires are fix'd beneath his smiles,
And totter at his frowns.
IV
Navies that rule the ocean wideAre vanquish'd by his breath;
And legions arm'd with power and pride
Descend to watery death.
V
Let tyrants make no more pretenceTo vex our happy land;
Jehovah's name is our defence,
Our buckler is his hand.
VI
Long may the King our sovereign liveTo rule us by his word;
And all the honours he can give
Be offer'd to the Lord.
HYMN 112. (L. M.) Angels ministring to Christ and Saints.
I
Great God, to what a glorious heightHast thou advanc'd the Lord thy Son!
Angels, in all their robes of light,
Are made the servants of his throne.
II
Before his feet their armies wait,And swift as flames of fire they move
To manage his affairs of state,
In works of vengeance or of love.
III
His orders run through all their hosts,Legions descend at his command
To shield and guard the British coasts
When foreign rage invades our land.
IV
Now they are sent to guide our feetUp to the gates of thine abode,
Through all the dangers that we meet
In travelling the heavenly road.
V
Lord, when I leave this mortal ground,And thou shalt bid me rise and come,
Send a beloved angel down
Safe to conduct my spirit home.
HYMN 113. (C. M.) The same.
[The majesty of Solomon!]
I
The majesty of Solomon!How glorious to behold
The servants waiting round his throne,
The ivory and the gold!
II
But, mighty God, thy palace shinesWith far superior beams;
Thine angel guards are swift as winds,
Thy ministers are flames.
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III
Soon as thine only Son had madeHis entrance on this earth,
A shining army downward fled
To celebrate his birth.
IV
And when oppress'd with pains and fearsOn the cold ground he lies,
Behold a heavenly form appears
T'allay his agonies.
V
Now to the hands of Christ our KingAre all their legions given;
They wait upon his saints, and bring
His chosen heirs to heaven.
VI
Pleasure and praise run through their hostTo see a sinner turn;
Then Satan has a captive lost,
And Christ a subject born.
VII
But there's an hour of brighter joyWhen he his angels sends
Obstinate rebels to destroy,
And gather in his friends.
VIII
O! could I say, without a doubt,There shall my soul be found,
Then let the great archangel shout,
And the last trumpet sound.
HYMN 114. (C. M.) Christ's Death, Victory, and Dominion.
I
I sing my Saviour's wondrous death;He conquer'd when he fell:
‘'Tis finish'd,’ said his dying breath,
And shook the gates of hell.
II
‘'Tis finish'd,’ our Immanuel cries,The dreadful work is done;
Hence shall his sovereign throne arise,
His kingdom is begun.
III
His cross a sure foundation laidFor glory and renown,
When thro' the regions of the dead
He pass'd to reach the crown.
IV
Exalted at his Father's sideSits our victorious Lord;
To heaven and hell his hands divide
The vengeance or reward.
V
The saints from his propitious eyeAwait their several crowns,
And all the sons of darkness fly
The terror of his frowns.
HYMN 115. (C. M.) God the Avenger of his Saints; or, his Kingdom supreme.
I
High as the heavens above the groundReigns the Creator, God;
Wide as the whole creation's bound
Extends his awful rod.
II
Let princes of exalted stateTo him ascribe their crown,
Render their homage at his feet,
And cast their glories down.
III
Know that his kingdom is supreme,Your lofty thoughts are vain;
He calls you gods, that awful name,
But ye must die like men.
IV
Then let the sovereigns of the globeNor dare to vex the just;
He puts on vengeance like a robe,
And treads the worms to dust.
V
Ye judges of the earth, be wise,And think on heaven with fear;
The meanest saint that you despise
Has an avenger there.
HYMN 116. (C. M.) Mercies and Thanks.
I
How can I sink with such a propAs my eternal God,
Who bears the earth's huge pillars up,
And spreads the heavens abroad?
II
How can I die while Jesus lives,Who rose and left the dead?
Pardon and grace my soul receives
From mine exalted head.
III
All that I am, and all I haveShall be for ever thine,
Whate'er my duty bids me give,
My cheerful hands resign.
VI
Yet if I might make some reserve,And duty did not call,
I love my God with zeal so great
That I should give him all.
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HYMN 117. (L. M.) Living and dying with God present.
I
I cannot bear thine absence, Lord,My life expires if thou depart;
Be thou, my heart, still near my God,
And thou, my God, be near my heart.
II
I was not born for earth and sin,Nor can I live on things so vile;
Yet I would stay my Father's time,
And hope and wait for heaven awhile.
III
Then, dearest Lord, in thine embraceLet me resign my fleeting breath,
And with a smile upon my face
Pass the important hour of death.
HYMN 118. (L. M.) The Priesthood of Christ.
I
Blood has a voice to pierce the skies,Revenge, the blood of Abel cries;
But the dear stream when Christ was slain
Speaks peace as loud from every vein.
II
Pardon and peace from God on high,Behold he lays his vengeance by,
And rebels that deserv'd his sword,
Become the favourites of the Lord.
III
To Jesus let our praises riseWho gave his life a sacrifice;
Now he appears before his God,
And for our pardon pleads his blood.
HYMN 119. (C. M.) The Holy Scriptures.
I
Laden with guilt, and full of fears,I fly to thee, my Lord,
And not a glimpse of hope appears
But in thy written word.
II
The volume of my Father's graceDoes all my griefs assuage:
Here I behold my Saviour's face
Almost in every page.
III
This is the field were hidden liesThe pearl of price unknown,
That merchant is divinely wise,
Who makes the pearl his own.
IV
Here consecrated water flowsTo quench my thirst of sin;
Here the fair tree of knowledge grows,
Nor danger dwells therein.
V
This is the judge that ends the strife,Where wit and reason fail;
My guide to everlasting life
Through all this gloomy vale.
VI
O may thy counsels, mighty God,My roving feet command;
Nor I forsake the happy road
That leads to thy right hand.
HYMN 120. (S. M.) The Law and Gospel joined in Scripture.
I
The Lord declares his will,And keeps the world in awe;
Amidst the smoke on Sinai's hill
Breaks out his fiery law.
II
The Lord reveals his face,And smiling from above
Sends down the gospel of his grace,
Th'epistles of his love.
III
These sacred words impartOur Maker's just commands;
The pity of his melting heart,
And vengeance of his hands.
IV
Hence we awake our fear,We draw our comfort hence;
The arms of grace are treasur'd here,
And armour of defence.
V
We learn Christ crucify'd,And here behold his blood;
All arts and knowledges beside
Will do us little good.
VI
We read the heavenly word,We take the offer'd grace,
Obey the statutes of the Lord,
And trust his promises.
VII
In vain shall Satan rageAgainst a book divine;
Where wrath and lightning guard the page,
Where beams of mercy shine.
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HYMN 121. (L. M.) The Law and Gospel distinguished.
I
The law commands, and makes us knowWhat duties to our God we owe;
But 'tis the gospel must reveal
Where lies our strength to do his will.
II
The law discovers guilt and sin,And shews how vile our hearts have been;
Only the gospel can express
Forgiving love and cleansing grace.
III
What curses doth the law denounceAgainst the man that fails but once!
But in the gospel Christ appears
Pardoning the guilt of numerous years.
IV
My soul, no more attempt to drawThy life and comfort from the law,
Fly to the hope the gospel gives;
The man that trusts the promise lives.
HYMN 122. (L. M.) Retirement and Meditation.
I
My God, permit me not to beA stranger to myself and thee;
Amidst a thousand thoughts I rove
Forgetful of my highest love.
II
Why should my passions mix with earth,And thus debase my heavenly birth?
Why should I cleave to things below,
And let my God, my Saviour go.
III
Call me away from flesh and sense,One sovereign word can draw me thence;
I would obey the voice divine,
And all inferior joys resign.
IV
Be earth with all her scenes withdrawn,Let noise and vanity be gone;
In secret silence of the mind
My heaven, and there my God I find.
HYMN 123. (L. M.) The Benefit of public Ordinances.
I
Away from every mortal care,Away from earth our souls retreat;
We leave this worthless world afar,
And wait and worship near thy seat.
II
Lord, in the temple of thy graceWe see thy feet, and we adore;
We gaze upon thy lovely face,
And learn the wonders of thy power.
III
While here our various wants we mourn,United groans ascend on high,
And prayer bears a quick return
Of blessings in variety.
IV
If Satan rage and sin grow strong,Here we receive some cheering word;
We gird the gospel-armour on
To fight the battles of the Lord.
V
Or if our spirit faints and dies,(Our conscience gall'd with inward stings)
Here doth the righteous Sun arise
With healing beams beneath his wings.
VI
Father, my soul would still abideWithin thy temple, near thy side;
But if my feet must hence depart
Still keep thy dwelling in my heart.
HYMN 124. (C. M.) Moses Aaron and Joshua.
I
'Tis not the law of ten commandsOn holy Sinai given,
Or sent to men by Moses' hands,
Can bring us safe to heaven.
II
'Tis not the blood which Aaron spilt,Nor smoke of sweetest smell,
Can buy a pardon for our guilt,
Or save our souls from hell.
III
Aaron the priest resigns his breathAt God's immediate will;
And in the desert yields to death
Upon th'appointed hill.
IV
And thus on Jordan's yonder sideThe tribes of Israel stand,
While Moses bow'd his head and dy'd
Short of the promis'd land.
V
Israel rejoice, now Joshua leads,He'll bring your tribes to rest;
So far the Saviour's name exceeds
The ruler and the priest.
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HYMN 125. (L. M.) Faith and Repentance; Unbelief and Impenitence.
I
Life and immortal joys are givenTo souls that mourn the sins they've done,
Children of wrath made heirs of heaven
By faith in God's eternal Son.
II
Wo to the wretch that never feltThe inward pangs of pious grief,
But adds to all his crying guilt
The stubborn sin of unbelief.
III
The law condemns the rebel dead,Under the wrath of God he lies,
He seals the curse on his own head,
And with a double vengeance dies.
HYMN 126. (C. M.) God glorified in the Gospel.
I
The Lord, descending from above,Invites his children near,
While power and truth and boundless love
Display their glories here.
II
Here in thy gospel's wondrous frameFresh wisdom we pursue;
A thousand angels learn thy name
Beyond whate'er they knew.
III
Thy name is writ in fairest lines,Thy wonders here we trace;
Wisdom thro' all the mystery shines,
And shines in Jesus' face.
IV
The law its best obedience owesTo our incarnate God;
And thy revenging justice shows
Its honours in his blood.
V
But still the lustre of thy graceOur warmer thoughts employs,
Gilds the whole scene with brighter rays,
And more exalts our joys.
HYMN 127. (L. M.) Circumcision and Baptism.
(Written only for those who practise the Baptism of Infants.)
I
Thus did the sons of Abrah'm passUnder the bloody seal of grace;
The young disciples bore the yoke,
Till Christ the painful bondage broke.
II
By milder ways doth Jesus proveHis Father's covenant, and his love;
He seals to saints his glorious grace,
And not forbids their infant-race.
III
Their seed is sprinkled with his blood,Their children set apart for God,
His spirit on their offspring shed,
Like water pour'd upon the head.
IV
Let every saint with cheerful voiceIn this large covenant rejoice;
Young children in their early days
Shall give the God of Abrah'm praise.
HYMN 128. (C. M.) Corrupt Nature from Adam.
I
Bless'd with the joy of innocenceAdam, our father, stood,
Till he debas'd his soul to sense,
And eat th'unlawful food.
II
Now we are born a sensual race,To sinful joys inclin'd;
Reason has lost its native place,
And flesh enslaves the mind.
III
While flesh and sense and passion reigns,Sin is the sweetest good:
We fancy music in our chains,
And so forget the load.
IV
Great God renew our ruin'd frame,Our broken powers restore,
Inspire us with a heavenly flame,
And flesh shall reign no more.
V
Eternal Spirit, write thy lawUpon our inward parts,
And let the second Adam draw
His image on our hearts.
HYMN 129. (L. M.) We walk by Faith, not by Sight.
I
'Tis by the faith of joys to comeWe walk thro' deserts dark as night:
Till we arrive at heaven our home,
Faith is our guide, and faith our light.
II
The want of sight she well supplies,She makes the pearly gates appear;
Far into distant worlds she pries,
And brings eternal glories near.
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III
Cheerful we tread the desert thro',While faith inspires a heavenly ray,
Tho' lions roar, and tempests blow,
And rocks and dangers fill the way.
IV
So Abrah'm by divine commandLeft his own house to walk with God;
His faith beheld the promis'd land,
And fir'd his zeal along the road.
HYMN 130. (C. M.) The new Creation.
I
Attend, while God's exalted SonDoth his own glories shew;
‘Behold I sit upon my throne
‘Creating all things new.
II
‘Nature and sin are pass'd away,‘And the old Adam dies;
‘My hands a new foundation lay,
‘See the new world arise.
III
‘I'll be a sun of righteousness‘To the new heavens I make;
‘None but the new-born heirs of grace
‘My glories shall partake.’
IV
Mighty Redeemer, set me freeFrom my whole state of sin;
O make my soul alive to thee,
Create new powers within.
V
Renew mine eyes, and form mine ears,And mould my heart afresh;
Give me new passions, joys and fears,
And turn the stone to flesh.
VI
Far from the regions of the dead,From sin, and earth, and hell,
In the new world that grace has made
I would for ever dwell.
HYMN 131. (L. M.) The excellency of the Christian Religion.
I
Let everlasting glories crownThy head, my Saviour and my Lord;
Thy hands have brought salvation down,
And writ the blessings in thy word.
II
What if we trace the globe around,And search from Britain to Japan,
There shall be no religion found
So just to God, so safe for man.
III
In vain the trembling conscience seeksSome solid ground to rest upon;
With long despair the spirit breaks,
Till we apply to Christ alone.
IV
How well thy blessed truths agree!How wise and holy thy commands!
Thy promises how firm they be!
How firm our hope and comfort stands!
V
Not the feign'd fields of heathenish blissCould raise such pleasures in the mind;
Nor does the Turkish paradise
Pretend to joys so well refin'd.
VI
Should all the forms that men deviseAssault my faith with treacherous art,
I'd call them vanity and lies,
And bind the gospel to my heart.
HYMN 132. (C. M.) The Offices of Christ.
I
We bless the Prophet of the Lord,That comes with truth and grace;
Jesus, thy Spirit and thy word
Shall lead us in thy ways.
II
We reverence our High Priest above,Who offer'd up his blood,
And lives to carry on his love,
By pleading with our God.
III
We honour our exalted King,How sweet are his commands!
He guards our souls from hell and sin
By his almighty hands.
IV
Hosanna to his glorious name,Who saves by different ways;
His mercies lay a sovereign claim
To our immortal praise.
HYMN 133. (L. M.) The Operations of the Holy Spirit.
I
Eternal Spirit! we confessAnd sing the wonders of thy grace;
Thy power conveys our blessings down
From God the Father and the Son.
II
Enlighten'd by thine heavenly ray,Our shades and darkness turn to day;
Thine inward teachings make us know
Our danger and our refuge too.
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III
Thy power and glory works within,And breaks the chains of raging sin,
Doth our imperious lusts subdue,
And forms our wretched hearts anew.
IV
The troubled conscience knows thy voice,Thy cheering words awake our joys;
Thy words allay the stormy wind;
And calm the surges of the mind.
HYMN 134. (C. M.) Circumcision abolished.
I
The promise was divinely free,Extensive was the grace;
‘I will the God of Abrah'm be,
‘And of his numerous race.’
II
He said; and with a bloody sealConfirm'd the words he spoke;
Long did the sons of Abrah'm feel
The sharp and painful yoke.
III
Till God's own Son, descending low,Gave his own flesh to bleed;
And gentiles taste the blessing now,
From the hard bondage freed.
IV
The God of Abrah'm claims our praise,His promises endure,
And Christ the Lord in gentler ways
Makes the salvation sure.
HYMN 135. (L. M.) Types and Prophecies of Christ.
I
Behold the woman's promis'd seed!Behold the great Messiah come!
Behold the prophets all agreed
To give him the superior room!
II
Abrah'm the saint rejoic'd of oldWhen visions of the Lord he saw;
Moses the man of God foretold
This great fulfiller of his law.
III
The types bore witness to his name,Obtain'd their chief design, and ceas'd;
The incense and the bleeding lamb,
The ark, the altar, and the priest.
IV
Predictions in abundance meetTo join their blessings on his head;
Jesus, we worship at thy feet,
And nations own the promis'd seed.
HYMN 136. (L. M.) Miracles at the Birth of Christ.
I
The King of Glory sends his SonTo make his entrance on this earth!
Behold the midnight bright as noon,
And heavenly hosts declare his birth!
II
About the young Redeemer's headWhat wonders and what glories meet!
An unknown star arose and led
The eastern sages to his feet.
III
Simeon and Anna both conspireThe infant-saviour to proclaim;
Inward they felt the sacred fire,
And bless'd the babe, and own'd his name.
IV
Let Jews and Greeks blaspheme aloud,And treat the holy child with scorn;
Our souls adore th'eternal God
Who condescended to be born.
HYMN 137. (L. M.) Miracles in the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Christ.
I
Behold the blind their sight receive;Behold the dead awake and live;
The dumb speak wonders, and the lame
Leap like the hart and bless his name.
II
Thus doth th'eternal Spirit ownAnd seal the mission of the Son;
The Father vindicates his cause
While he hangs bleeding on the cross.
III
He dies; the heavens in mourning stood;He rises, and appears a God;
Behold the Lord ascending high,
No more to bleed, no more to die.
IV
Hence and for ever from my heartI bid my doubts and fears depart,
And to those hands my soul resign
Which bear credentials so divine.
HYMN 138. (L. M.) The Power of the Gospel.
I
This is the word of truth and love,Sent to the nations from above;
Jehovah here resolves to shew
What his almighty grace can do.
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II
This remedy did wisdom findTo heal diseases of the mind;
This sovereign balm, whose virtues can
Restore the ruin'd creature, man.
III
The gospel bids the dead revive,Sinners obey the voice, and live;
Dry bones are rais'd and cloth'd afresh,
And hearts of stone are turn'd to flesh.
IV
Where Satan reign'd in shades of nightThe gospel strikes a heavenly light;
Our lusts its wondrous power controls,
And calms the rage of angry souls.
V
Lions and beasts of savage namePut on the nature of the lamb;
Whilst the wild world esteems it strange,
Gaze, and admire, and hate the change.
VI
May but this grace my soul renew,Let sinners gaze, and hate me too;
The word that saves me does engage
A sure defence from all their rage.
HYMN 139. (L. M.) The Example of Christ.
I
My dear Redeemer and my Lord,I read my duty in thy word,
But in thy life the law appears
Drawn out in living characters.
II
Such was thy truth, and such thy zeal,Such deference to thy Father's will,
Such love, and meekness so divine,
I would transcribe and make them mine.
III
Cold mountains and the midnight airWitness the fervor of thy prayer:
The desert thy temptations knew,
Thy conflict and thy victory too.
IV
Be thou my pattern; make me bearMore of thy gracious image here;
Then God the Judge shall own my name,
Amongst the followers of the Lamb.
HYMN 140. (C. M.) The Examples of Christ and the Saints.
I
Give me the wings of faith to riseWithin the vail, and see
The saints above, how great their joys,
How bright their glories be.
II
Once they were mourning here below,And wet their couch with tears;
They wrestled hard, as we do now,
With sins, and doubts, and fears.
III
I ask them whence their victory came,They, with united breath,
Ascribe their conquest to the Lamb,
Their triumph to his death.
IV
They mark'd the footsteps that he trod,(His zeal inspir'd their breast;)
And following their incarnate God
Possess the promis'd rest.
V
Our glorious leader claims our praiseFor his own pattern given,
While the long cloud of witnesses
Shew the same path to heaven.
HYMN 141. (C. M.) Faith assisted by Sense; or, Preaching, Baptism, and the Lord's Supper.
I
My Saviour-God, my Sovereign-PrinceReigns far above the skies;
But brings his graces down to sense,
And helps my faith to rise.
II
My eyes and ears shall bless his name,They read and hear his word;
My touch and taste shall do the same
When they receive the Lord.
III
Baptismal water is design'dTo seal his cleansing grace,
While at his feast of bread and wine
He gives his saints a place.
IV
But not the waters of a floodCan make my flesh so clean,
As by his Spirit and his blood
He'll wash my soul from sin.
V
Not choicest meats, or noblest winesSo much my heart refresh,
As when my faith goes thro' the signs
And feeds upon his flesh.
VI
I love the Lord that stoops so lowTo give his word a seal;
But the rich grace his hands bestow
Exceeds the figures still.
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HYMN 142. (S. M.) Faith in Christ our Sacrifice.
I
Not all the blood of beastsOn jewish altars slain
Could give the guilty conscience peace,
Or wash away the stain.
II
But Christ the heavenly LambTakes all our sins away;
A sacrifice of nobler name
And richer blood than they.
III
My faith would lay her handOn that dear head of thine,
While like a penitent I stand
And there confess my sin.
IV
My soul looks back to seeThe burdens thou didst bear
When hanging on the cursed tree,
And hopes her guilt was there.
V
Believing we rejoiceTo see the curse remove;
We bless the Lamb with cheerful voice,
And sing his bleeding love.
HYMN 143. (C. M.) Flesh and Spirit.
I
What different powers of grace and sinAttend our mortal state!
I hate the thoughts that work within,
And do the works I hate.
II
Now I complain, and groan, and die,While sin and Satan reign:
Now raise my songs of triumph high,
For grace prevails again.
III
So darkness struggles with the lightTill perfect day arise
Water and fire maintain the fight
Until the weaker dies.
IV
Thus will the flesh and spirit strive,And vex and break my peace;
But I shall quit this mortal life,
And sin for ever cease.
HYMN 144. (L. M.) The Effusion of the Spirit; or, the Success of the Gospel.
I
Great was the day, the joy was great,When the divine disciples met;
Whilst on their heads the Spirit came,
And sat like tongues of cloven flame.
II
What gifts, what miracles he gave!And power to kill, and power to save!
Furnish'd their tongues with wondrous words
Instead of shields, and spears, and swords.
III
Thus arm'd, he sent the champions forthFrom east to west, from south to north;
‘Go, and assert your Saviour's cause,
‘Go, spread the mystery of his cross.’
IV
These weapons of the holy war,Of what almighty force they are
To make our stubborn passions bow,
And lay the proudest rebel low!
V
Nations, the learned and the rude,Are by these heavenly arms subdu'd;
While Satan rages at his loss,
And hates the doctrine of the cross.
VI
Great King of grace, my heart subdue,I would be led in triumph too,
A willing captive to my Lord,
And sing the victories of his word.
HYMN 145. (C. M.) Sight through a Glass, and Face to Face.
I
I love the windows of thy graceThrough which my Lord is seen,
And long to meet my Saviour's face
Without a glass between.
II
O that the happy hour were comeTo change my faith to sight!
I shall behold my Lord at home
In a diviner light.
III
Haste, my beloved, and removeThese interposing days;
Then shall my passions all be love,
And all my powers be praise.
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HYMN 146. (L. M.) The Vanity of Creatures; or, no Rest on Earth.
I
Man has a soul of vast desires,He burns within with restless fires,
Tost to and fro, his passions fly
From vanity to vanity.
II
In vain on earth we hope to findSome solid good to fill the mind,
We try new pleasures, but we feel
The inward thirst and torment still.
III
So when a raging fever burns,We shift from side to side by turns,
And 'tis a poor relief we gain
To change the place but keep the pain.
IV
Great God, subdue this vicious thirst,This love to vanity and dust;
Cure the vile fever of the mind,
And feed our souls with joys refin'd.
HYMN 147. (C. M.) The Creation of the World, Gen. i.
I
‘Now let a spacious world arise,’Said the Creator-Lord:
At once the obedient earth and skies
Rose at his sovereign word.
II
Dark was the deep; the waters layConfus'd and drown'd the land:
He call'd the light; the new-born day
Attends on his command.
III
He bids the clouds ascend on high;The clouds ascend and bear
A watery treasure to the sky,
And float on softer air.
IV
The liquid element belowWas gather'd by his hand;
The rolling seas together flow,
And leave the solid land.
V
With herbs and plants, a flowery birth,The naked globe he crown'd,
Ere there was rain to bless the earth,
Or sun to warm the ground.
VI
Then he adorn'd the upper skies;Behold the sun appears,
The moon and stars in order rise
To make our months and years.
VII
Out of the deep th'almighty KingDid vital beings frame,
The painted fowls of every wing,
And fish of every name.
VIII
He gave the lion and the wormAt once their wondrous birth,
And grazing beasts of various form
Rose from the teeming earth.
IX
Adam was fram'd of equal clay,Though sovereign of the rest,
Design'd for nobler ends than they,
With God's own image bless'd.
X
Thus glorious in the Maker's eyeThe young creation stood;
He saw the building from on high,
His word pronounc'd it good.
XI
Lord, while the frame of nature stands,Thy praise shall fill my tongue;
But the new world of grace demands
A more exalted song.
HYMN 148. (C. M.) God reconciled in Christ.
I
Dearest of all the names above,My Jesus, and my God,
Who can resist thy heavenly love,
Or trifle with thy blood?
II
'Tis by the merits of thy deathThe Father smiles again;
'Tis by thine interceding breath
The Spirit dwells with men.
III
Till God in human flesh I see,My thoughts no comfort find;
The holy, just, and sacred Three
Are terrors to my mind.
IV
But if Immanuel's face appear,My hope, my joy begins;
His name forbids my slavish fear,
His grace removes my sins.
V
While Jews on their own law rely,And Greeks of wisdom boast,
I love th'incarnate mystery,
And there I fix my trust.
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HYMN 149. (C. M.) Honour to Magistrates; or, Government from God.
I
Eternal Sovereign of the sky,And Lord of all below,
We mortals to thy majesty
Our first obedience owe.
II
Our souls adore thy throne supreme,And bless thy providence
For magistrates of meaner name,
Our glory and defence.
III
The crowns of British princes shineWith rays above the rest,
Where laws and liberties combine
To make the nation bless'd.
IV
Kingdoms on firm foundations stand,While virtue finds reward;
And sinners perish from the land
By justice and the sword.
V
Let Cæsar's due be ever paidTo Cæsar and his throne,
But consciences and souls were made
To be the Lord's alone.
HYMN 150. (C. M.) The Deceitfulness of Sin.
I
Sin has a thousand treacherous artsTo practise on the mind;
With flattering looks she tempts our hearts,
But leaves a sting behind.
II
With names of virtue she deceivesThe aged and the young;
And while the heedless wretch believes,
She makes his fetters strong.
III
She pleads for all the joys she brings,And gives a fair pretence;
But cheats the soul of heavenly things,
And chains it down to sense.
IV
So on a tree divinely fairGrew the forbidden food;
Our mother took the poison there,
And tainted all her blood.
HYMN 151. (L. M.) Prophecy and Inspiration.
I
'Twas by an order from the LordThe ancient prophets spoke his word;
His spirit did their tongues inspire,
And warm'd their hearts with heavenly fire.
II
The works and wonders which they wroughtConfirm'd the messages they brought;
The prophet's pen succeeds his breath
To save the holy words from death.
III
Great God, mine eyes with pleasure lookOn the dear volume of thy book;
There my Redeemer's face I see,
And read his name who dy'd for me.
IV
Let the false raptures of the mindBe lost and vanish in the wind;
Here I can fix my hope secure,
This is thy word and must endure.
HYMN 152. (C. M.) Sinai and Sion, Heb. xii. 18, &c.
I
Not to the terrors of the Lord,The tempest, fire, and smoke,
Not to the thunder of that word
Which God on Sinai spoke;
II
But we are come to Sion's hill,The city of our God,
Where milder words declare his will,
And spread his love abroad.
III
Behold th'innumerable hostOf angels cloth'd in light!
Behold the spirits of the just,
Whose faith is turn'd to sight!
IV
Behold the bless'd assembly there,Whose names are writ in heaven;
And God the judge of all declares
Their vilest sins forgiv'n.
V
The saints on earth and all the deadBut one communion make;
All join in Christ their living head,
And of his grace partake.
VI
In such society as thisMy weary soul would rest;
The man that dwells where Jesus is,
Must be for ever blest.
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HYMN 153. (C. M.) The Distemper, Folly, and Madness of Sin.
I
Sin like a venomous diseaseInfects our vital blood;
The only balm is sovereign grace,
And the physician, God.
II
Our beauty and our strength are fled,And we draw near to death;
But Christ the Lord recals the dead
With his almighty breath.
III
Madness by nature reigns within,The passions burn and rage;
Till God's own Son with skill divine
The inward fire assuage.
IV
We lick the dust, we grasp the wind,And solid good despise;
Such is the folly of the mind
Till Jesus makes us wise.
V
We give our souls the wounds they feel,We drink the poisonous gall,
And rush with fury down to hell;
But heaven prevents the fall.
VI
The man possess'd amongst the tombsCuts his own flesh, and cries;
He foams, and raves, till Jesus comes,
And the foul spirit flies.
HYMN 154. (L. M.) Self-righteousness insufficient.
I
‘Where are the mourners,’ saith the Lord‘That wait and tremble at thy word?
‘That walk in darkness all the day?
‘Come, make my name your trust and stay.
II
‘No works nor duties of your own‘Can for the smallest sin atone;
‘ The robes that nature may provide
‘Will not your least pollutions hide.
III
‘The softest couch that nature knows‘Can give the conscience no repose:
‘Look to my righteousness, and live;
‘Comfort and peace are mine to give.
IV
‘Ye sons of pride, that kindle coals‘With your own hands to warm your souls,
‘Walk in the light of your own fire,
‘Enjoy the sparks that ye desire.
V
‘This is your portion at my hands;‘Hell waits you with her iron bands,
‘Ye shall lie down in sorrow there,
‘In death, in darkness and despair.’
HYMN 155. (C. M.) Christ our Passover.
I
Lo the destroying angel fliesTo Pharaoh's stubborn land;
The pride and flower of Egypt dies
By his vindictive hand.
II
He pass'd the tents of Jacob o'er,Nor pour'd the wrath divine;
He saw the blood on every door,
And bless'd the peaceful sign.
III
Thus th'appointed Lamb must bleedTo break th'Egyptian yoke;
Thus Israel is from bondage freed,
And 'scapes the angels stroke.
IV
Lord, if my heart were sprinkled too,With blood so rich as thine,
Justice no longer would pursue
This guilty soul of mine.
V
Jesus our passover was slain,And has at once procur'd
Freedom from Satan's heavy chain,
And God's avenging sword.
HYMN 156. (C. M.) Presumption and Despair; or, Satan's various Temptations.
I
I hate the tempter and his charms,I hate his flattering breath;
The serpent takes a thousand forms
To cheat our souls to death.
II
He feeds our hopes with airy dreams,Or kills with slavish fear;
And holds us still in wide extremes,
Presumption, or despair.
III
Now he persuades, ‘How easy 'tis‘To walk the road to heaven;’
Anon he swells our sins, and cries,
‘They cannot be forgiven.’
IV
He bids young sinners, ‘Yet forbear‘To think of God or death;
‘For prayer and devotion are
‘But melancholy breath.’
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V
He tells the aged, ‘They must die,‘And 'tis too late to pray;
‘In vain for mercy now they cry,
‘For they have lost their day.’
VI
Thus he supports his cruel throneBy mischief and deceit;
And drags the sons of Adam down
To darkness and the pit.
VII
Almighty God, cut short his power,Let him in darkness dwell;
And, that he vex the earth no more,
Confine him down to hell.
HYMN 157. (C. M.) The same.
[Now Satan comes with dreadful roar]
I
Now Satan comes with dreadful roar,And threatens to destroy;
He worries whom he can't devour
With a malicious joy.
II
Ye sons of God, oppose his rage,Resist, and he'll begone;
Thus did our dearest Lord engage
And vanquish him alone.
III
Now he appears almost divineLike innocence and love,
But the old serpent lurks within
When he assumes the dove.
IV
Fly from the false deceiver's tongueYe sons of Adam, fly;
Our parents found the snare too strong,
Nor should the children try.
HYMN 158. (L. M.) Few saved; or, the almost Christian, the Hypocrite and Apostate.
I
Broad is the road that leads to death,And thousands walk together there;
But wisdom shows a narrower path
With here and there a traveller.
II
‘Deny thyself and take thy cross,’Is the Redeemer's great command;
Nature must count her gold but dross
If she would gain this heavenly land.
III
The fearful soul that tires and faints,And walks the ways of God no more
Is but esteem'd almost a saint,
And makes his own destruction sure.
IV
Lord, let not all my hopes be vainCreate my heart entirely new,
Which hypocrites could ne'er attain,
Which false apostates never knew.
HYMN 159. (C. M.) An unconverted State; or, converting Grace.
I
Great King of glory and of grace,We own, with humble shame,
How vile is our degenerate race,
And our first father's name.
II
From Adam flows our tainted bloodThe poison reigns within,
Makes us averse to all that's good,
And willing slaves to sin.
III
Daily we break thy holy laws,And then reject thy grace;
Engag'd in the old serpent's cause
Against our Maker's face.
IV
We live estrang'd afar from God,And love the distance well;
With haste we run the dangerous road
That leads to death and hell.
V
And can such rebels be restor'd!Such natures made divine!
Let sinners see thy glory, Lord,
And feel this power of thine.
VI
We raise our Father's name on high,Who his own Spirit sends
To bring rebellious strangers nigh,
And turn his foes to friends.
HYMN 160. (L. M.) Custom in Sin.
I
Let the wild leopards of the woodPut off the spots that nature gives,
Then may the wicked turn to God,
And change their tempers and their lives.
II
As well might Ethiopian slavesWash out the darkness of their skin;
The dead as well might leave their graves
As old transgressors cease to sin.
III
Where vice has held its empire long'Twill not endure the least control;
None but a power divinely strong
Can turn the current of the soul.
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IV
Great God, I own thy power divine,That works to change this heart of mine;
I would be form'd anew, and bless
The wonders of creating grace.
HYMN 161. (C. M.) Christian Virtues; or, the Difficulty of Conversion.
I
Strait is the way, the door is straitThat leads to joys on high;
'Tis but a few that find the gate,
While crowds mistake, and die.
II
Beloved self must be deny'd,The mind and will renew'd,
Passion suppress'd, and patience try'd,
And vain desires subdu'd.
III
Flesh is a dangerous foe to grace,Where it prevails and rules;
Flesh must be humbled, pride abas'd,
Lest they destroy our souls.
IV
The love of gold be banished hence,(That vile idolatry)
And every member, every sense
In sweet subjection lie.
V
The tongue, that most unruly power,Requires a strong restraint;
We must be watchful every hour,
And pray, but never faint.
VI
Lord, can a feeble helpless wormFulfil a task so hard?
Thy grace must all my work perform,
And give the free reward.
HYMN 162. (C. M.) Meditation of Heaven; or, the Joy of Faith.
I
My thoughts surmount these lower skiesAnd look within the veil;
There springs of endless pleasure rise,
The waters never fail.
II
There I behold with sweet delightThe blessed Three in One;
And strong affections fix my sight
On God's incarnate Son.
III
His promise stands for ever firm,His grace shall ne'er depart;
He binds my name upon his arm,
And seals it on his heart.
IV
Light are the pains that nature brings,How short our sorrows are
When with eternal future things
The present we compare!
V
I would not be a stranger stillTo that celestial place,
Where I for ever hope to dwell
Near my Redeemer's face.
HYMN 163. (C. M.) Complaint of Desertion and Temptations.
I
Dear Lord, behold our sore distress;Our sins attempt to reign;
Stretch out thine arm of conquering grace
And let thy foes be slain.
II
The lion with his dreadful roarAffrights thy feeble sheep:
Reveal the glory of thy power,
And chain him to the deep.
III
Must we indulge a long despair?Shall our petitions die;
Our mournings never reach thine ear,
Nor tears affect thine eye?
IV
If thou despise a mortal groanYet hear a Saviour's blood;
An advocate so near the throne
Pleads and prevails with God.
V
He brought the Spirit's powerful swordTo slay our deadly foes:
Our sins shall die beneath thy word,
And hell in vain oppose.
VI
How boundless is our Father's grace,In height, and depth, and length!
He makes his Son our righteousness,
His Spirit is our strength.
HYMN 164. (C. M.) The End of the World.
I
Why should this earth delight us so?Why should we fix our eyes
On these low grounds where sorrows grow,
And every pleasure dies?
II
While time his sharpest teeth preparesOur comforts to devour,
There is a land above the stars,
And joys above his power.
344
III
Nature shall be dissolv'd and die,The sun must end his race,
The earth and sea for ever fly
Before my Saviour's face.
IV
When will that glorious morning rise!When the last trumpet sound,
And call the nations to the skies,
From underneath the ground?
HYMN 165. (C. M.) Unfruitfulness, Ignorance, and unsanctified Affections.
I
Long have I sat beneath the soundOf thy salvation, Lord,
But still how weak my faith is found,
And knowledge of thy word!
II
Oft I frequent thy holy placeAnd hear almost in vain;
How small a portion of thy grace
My memory can retain!
III
My dear Almighty, and my God,How little art thou known
By all the judgments of thy rod,
And blessings of thy throne!
IV
How cold and feeble is my love!How negligent my fear!
How low my hope of joys above!
How few affections there!
V
Great God, thy sovereign power impartTo give thy word success:
Write the salvation in my heart,
And make me learn thy grace.
VI
Shew my forgetful feet the wayThat leads to joys on high;
There knowledge grows without decay,
And love shall never die.
HYMN 166. (C. M.) The Divine Perfections.
I
How shall I praise th'eternal God,That infinite Unknown?
Who can ascend his high abode,
Or venture near his throne?
II
The great invisible! He dwellsConceal'd in dazzling light;
But his all-searching eye reveals
The secrets of the night.
III
Those watchful eyes that never sleepSurvey the world around;
His wisdom is a boundless deep
Where all our thoughts are drown'd.
IV
Speak we of strength? His arm is strongTo save or to destroy:
Infinite years his life prolong,
And endless is his joy.
V
He knows no shadow of a change,Nor alters his decrees;
Firm as a rock his truth remains
To guard his promises.
VI
Sinners before his presence die;How holy is his name!
His anger and his jealousy
Burn like devouring flame.
VII
Justice upon a dreadful throneMaintains the rights of God;
While mercy sends her pardons down
Bought with a Saviour's blood.
VIII
Now to my soul, immortal King,Speak some forgiving word;
Then 'twill be double joy to sing
The glories of my Lord.
HYMN 167. (L. M.) The Divine Perfections.
I
Great God, thy glories shall employMy holy fear, my humble joy;
My lips in songs of honour bring
Their tribute to th'eternal King.
II
Earth and the stars and worlds unknownDepend precarious on his throne;
All nature hangs upon his word,
And grace and glory own their Lord.
III
His sovereign power what mortal knows?If he command who dares oppose?
With strength he girds himself around,
And treads the rebels to the ground.
IV
Who shall pretend to teach him skill?Or guide the counsels of his will?
His wisdom like a sea divine
Flows deep and high beyond our line.
345
V
His name is holy, and his eyeBurns with immortal jealousy;
He hates the sons of pride, and sheds
His fiery vengeance on their heads.
VI
The beamings of his piercing sightBring dark hypocrisy to light;
Death and destruction naked lie,
And hell uncover'd to his eye.
VII
Th'eternal law before him stands;His justice with impartial hands
Divides to all their due reward,
Or by the sceptre or the sword.
VIII
His mercy like a boundless seaWashes our loads of guilt away,
While his own Son came down and dy'd
T'engage his justice on our side.
IX
Each of his words demands my faith,My soul can rest on all he saith;
His truth inviolably keeps
The largest promise of his lips.
X
O tell me with a gentle voice‘Thou art my God,’ and I'll rejoice!
Fill'd with thy love, I dare proclaim
The brightest honours of thy name.
HYMN 168. (L. M.) The same.
[Jehovah reigns, his throne is high]
I
Jehovah reigns, his throne is high,His robes are light and majesty;
His glory shines with beams so bright
No mortal can sustain the sight.
II
His terrors keep the world in awe,His justice guards his holy law,
His love reveals a smiling face,
His truth and promise seal the grace.
III
Through all his works his wisdom shines,And baffles Satan's deep designs;
His power is sovereign to fulfil
The noblest counsels of his will.
IV
And will this glorious Lord descendTo be my father and my friend!
Then let my songs with angels join;
Heaven is secure if God be mine.
HYMN 169. As the 148th Psalm. The same.
[The Lord Jehovah reigns]
I
The Lord Jehovah reigns,His throne is built on high;
The garments he assumes
Are light and majesty;
His glories shine
With beams so bright
No mortal eye
Can bear the sight.
II
The thunders of his handKeep the wide world in awe;
His wrath and justice stand
To guard his holy law;
And where his love
Resolves to bless,
His truth confirms
And seals the grace.
III
Thro' all his ancient worksSurprising wisdom shines,
Confounds the powers of hell,
And breaks their curs'd designs:
Strong is his arm,
And shall fulfil
His great decrees,
His sovereign will.
IV
And can this mighty KingOf glory condescend?
And will he write his name,
‘My Father and my Friend?’
I love his name,
I love his word;
Join all my powers,
And praise the Lord.
HYMN 170. (L. M.) God Incomprehensible and Sovereign.
I
Can creatures to perfection findTh'eternal uncreated mind?
Or can the largest stretch of thought
Measure and search his nature out?
II
'Tis high as heaven, 'tis deep as hell,And what can mortals know or tell?
His glory spreads beyond the sky,
And all the shining worlds on high.
346
III
But man, vain man, would fain be wise,Born like a wild young colt he flies
Thro' all the follies of his mind,
And swells, and snuffs the empty wind.
IV
God is a king of power unknown,Firm are the orders of his throne;
If he resolve, who dares oppose,
Or ask him why, or what he does?
V
He wounds the heart, and he makes whole;He calms the tempest of the soul;
When he shuts up in long despair
Who can remove the heavy bar?
VI
He frowns, and darkness veils the moon,The fainting sun grows dim at noon;
The pillars of heaven's starry roof
Tremble and start at his reproof.
VII
He gave the vaulted heaven its form,The crooked serpent, and the worm;
He breaks the billows with his breath,
And smites the sons of pride to death.
VIII
These are a portion of his ways,But who shall dare describe his face?
Who can endure his light? or stand
To hear the thunders of his hand?
END OF THE SECOND BOOK.
| The Works of the Reverend and Learned Isaac Watts, D. D. | |