And blood-besprinkled door,
Seen with enlightened eyes,
And once applied with power, Would teach the need of other blood, To reconcile an angry God.
The Lamb, the Dove, set forth
His perfect innocence, Whose blood of matchless worth Should be the soul's defence; For he who can for sin atone Must have no failings of his own.
The scape-goat on his head
The people's trespass bore,
And to the desert led,
Was to be seen no more :
In him our Surety seemed to say,
Behold, I bear your sins away.'
Dipt in his fellow's blood, The living bird went free; The type, well understood, Expressed the sinner's plea ; Described a guilty soul enlarged, And by a Saviour's death discharged.
Jesus, I love to trace,
Throughout the sacred page,
The footsteps of thy grace,
The same in every age!
Oh grant that I may faithful be
To clearer light vouchsafed to me!
XXI. SARDIS. Rev. iii. 1—6. "WRITE to Sardis," saith the Lord,
"And write what he declares,
He whose Spirit, and whose word,
Upholds the seven stars :-
All thy works and ways I search,
Find thy zeal and love decayed;
Thou art called a living church,
But thou art cold and dead.
"Watch, remember, seek, and strive, Exert thy former pains; Let thy timely care revive,
And strengthen what remains; Cleanse thine heart, thy works amend,
Former times to mind recall, Lest my sudden stroke descend, And smite thee once for all.
"Yet I number now in thee
A few that are upright;
These my Father's face shall see,
And walk with me in white.
When in judgment I appear,
They for mine shall be confessed; Let my faithful servants hear,And woe be to the rest!"
XXII. PRAYER FOR A BLESSING
ON THE YOUNG.
BESTOW, dear Lord, upon our youth,
The gift of saving grace;
And let the seed of sacred truth
Fall in a fruitful place.
Grace is a plant, where'er it grows,
Of pure and heavenly root;
But fairest in the youngest shows,
And yields the sweetest fruit.
Ye careless ones, oh hear betimes
The voice of sovereign love!
Your youth is stained with many crimes,
But Mercy reigns above.
True, you are young, but there's a stone
Within the youngest breast;
Or half the crimes which you have done
Would rob you of your rest.
For you the public prayer is made;
Oh join the public prayer!
For you the secret tear is shed;
Oh shed yourselves a tear!
We pray that you may early prove
The Spirit's power to teach;
You cannot be too young to love
That Jesus whom we preach.
XXIII. PLEADING FOR AND
WITH YOUTH.
SIN has undone our wretched race;
But Jesus has restored,
And brought the sinner face to face
With his forgiving Lord.
This we repeat from year to year,
And press upon our youth;
Lord, give them an attentive ear,
Lord, save them by thy truth!
XXIV. PRAYER FOR CHILDREN.
GRACIOUS Lord, our children see,
By thy mercy we are free;
But shall these, alas ! remain
Subjects still of Satan's reign?
Israel's young ones, when of old
Pharaoh threatened to withhold,
Then thy messenger said, “No;
Let the children also go !"
When the angel of the Lord,
Drawing forth his dreadful sword,
Slew with an avenging hand,
All the first-born of the land;
Then thy people's doors he passed,
Where the bloody sign was placed:
Hear us, now, upon our knees
Plead the blood of Christ for these!
Lord, we tremble, for we know
How the fierce malicious foe,
Wheeling round his watchful flight,
Keeps them ever in his sight:
Spread thy pinions, King of kings!
Hide them safe beneath thy wings;
Lest the ravenous bird of prey
Stoop, and bear the brood away.
XXV. JEHOVAH JESUS.
My song shall bless the Lord of all,
My praise shall climb to his abode ; Thee, Saviour, by that name I call,
The great Supreme, the Mighty God.
Without beginning or decline, Object of faith and not of sense; Eternal ages saw him shine,
He shines eternal ages hence.
As much, when in the manger laid,
Almighty ruler of the sky,
As when the six days' work he made
Filled all the morning stars with joy.
Of all the crowns Jehovah bears,
Salvation is his dearest claim;
That gracious sound well pleased he hears,
And owns Emmanuel for his name.
A cheerful confidence I feel,
My well-placed hopes with joy I see; My bosom glows with heavenly zeal, To worship him who died for me.
As man, he pities my complaint,
His power and truth are all divine; He will not fail, he cannot faint; Salvation's sure, and must be mine.
XXVI. ON OPENING A PLACE FOR SOCIAL PRAYER.
JESUS! where'er thy people meet,
There they behold thy mercy-seat;
Where'er they seek thee, thou art found,
And every place is hallowed ground.
For thou, within no walls confined,
Inhabitest the humble mind;
Such ever bring thee where they come,
And going, take thee to their home.
Dear Shepherd of thy chosen few!
Thy former mercies here renew;
Here to our waiting hearts proclaim
The sweetness of thy saving name.
Here may we prove the power of prayer.
To strengthen faith, and sweeten care;
To teach our faint desires to rise,
And bring all heaven before our eyes.
Behold, at thy commanding word
We stretch the curtain and the cord:
Come thou, and fill this wider space,
And bless us with a large increase.
Lord, we are few, but thou art near, Nor short thine arm, nor deaf thine ear; Oh rend the heavens, come quickly down, And make a thousand hearts thine own.
XXVII. WELCOME TO THE
TABLE.
THIS is the feast of heavenly wine,
And God invites to sup;
The juices of the living Vine
Were pressed to fill the cup.
Oh bless the Saviour, ye that eat,
With royal dainties fed;
Not heaven affords a costlier treat,
For Jesus is the bread.
The vile, the lost, he calls to them;
Ye trembling souls, appear!
The righteous in their own esteem
Have no acceptance here.
Approach, ye poor, nor dare refuse
The banquet spread for you; Dear Saviour, this is welcome news, Then I may venture too.
If guilt and sin afford a plea,
And may obtain a place,
Surely the Lord will welcome me,
And I shall see his face!
XXVIII. JESUS HASTENING
TO SUFFER.
THE Saviour, what a noble flame
Was kindled in his breast,
When hasting to Jerusalem,
He marched before the rest!
Good will to men, and zeal for God,
His every thought engross;
He longs to be baptized with blood,
He pants to reach the cross!
With all his sufferings full in view,
And woes to us unknown,
Forth to the task his spirit flew ;
'Twas love that urged him on.
Lord, we return thee what we can:
Our hearts shall sound abroad
Salvation to the dying Man,
And to the rising God!
And while thy bleeding glories here
Engage our wondering eyes,
We learn our lighter cross to bear,
And hasten to the skies.
XXIX. EXHORTATION TO
PRAYER.
WHAT various hindrances we meet
In coming to a mercy-seat!
Yet who that knows the worth of prayer
But wishes to be often there?
Prayer makes the darkened cloud withdraw,
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,
Gives exercise to faith and love,
Brings every blessing from above.
Restraining prayer, we cease to fight; Prayer makes the Christian's armour bright;
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.
While Moses stood with arms spread wide,
Success was found on Israel's side;
But when through weariness they failed,
That moment Amalek prevailed.
Have you no words? Ah! think again,
Words flow apace when you complain,
And fill your fellow-creature's ear
With the sad tale of all your care.
Were half the breath thus vainly spent
To Heaven in supplication sent,
Your cheerful song would oftener be,
"Hear what the Lord has done for me."
XXX. THE LIGHT AND GLORY
OF THE WORD.
THE Spirit breathes upon the Word,
And brings the truth to sight;
Precepts and promises afford
A sanctifying light.
A glory gilds the sacred page,
Majestic like the sun;
It gives a light to every age,
It gives, but borrows none.
The hand that gave it still supplies
The gracious light and heat;
His truths upon the nations rise,
They rise, but never set.
Let everlasting thanks be thine,
For such a bright display,
As makes a world of darkness shine
With beams of heavenly day.
My soul rejoices to pursue
The steps of him I love,
Till glory break upon my view
In brighter worlds above.
XXXI. ON THE DEATH OF A
MINISTER.
HIS master taken from his head,
Elisha saw him go;
And in desponding accents said,
"Ah, what must Israel do?"
But he forgot the Lord, who lifts
The beggar to the throne;
Nor knew that all Elijah's gifts
Would soon be made his own.
What! when a Paul has run his course, Or when Apollos dies,
Is Israel left without resource?
And have we no supplies?
Yes, while the dear Redeemer lives,
We have a boundless store,
And shall be fed with what he gives,
Who lives for evermore.
XXXII. THE SHINING LIGHT.
My former hopes are fled,
My terror now begins;
I feel, alas! that I am dead
In trespasses and sins.
Ah, whither shall I fly?
I hear the thunder roar;
The law proclaims destruction nigh,
And vengeance at the door.
When I review my ways,
I dread impending doom:
But sure a friendly whisper says,
"Flee from the wrath to come."
I see, or think I see,
A glimmering from afar; A beam of day, that shines for me, To save me from despair. Forerunner of the sun,
It marks the pilgrim's way; I'll gaze upon it while I run, And watch the rising day.
XXXIII. THE WAITING SOUL.
BREATHE from the gentle south, O Lord,
And cheer me from the north;
Blow on the treasures of thy word,
And call the spices forth!
I wish, thou know'st, to be resigned,
And wait with patient hope;
But hope delayed fatigues the mind,
And drinks the spirit up.
Help me to reach the distant goal;
Confirm my feeble knee;
Pity the sickness of a soul
That faints for love of thee!
Cold as I feel this heart of mine,
Yet, since I feel it so,
It yields some hope of life divine
Within, however low:
I seem forsaken and alone,
I hear the lion roar;
And every door is shut but one,
And that is Mercy's door.
There, till the dear Deliverer come,
I'll wait with humble prayer;
And when he calls his exile home,
The Lord shall find him there.
Grace flies before, and love attends
His steps where'er he goes;
Though none can see him but his friends,
And they were once his foes.
He speaks ;-obedient to his call
Our warm affections move:
Did he but shine alike on all,
Then all alike would love.
Then love in every heart would reign,
And war would cease to roar;
And cruel and bloodthirsty men
Would thirst for blood no more.
Such Jesus is, and such his grace;
Oh, may he shine on you!
And tell him, when you see his face,
I long to see him too.
XXXV. LIGHT SHINING OUT OF DARKNESS.
GOD moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace; Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
Blind unbelief is sure to err, And scan his work in vain : God is his own interpreter, And He will make it plain.
XXXVI. WELCOME CROSS.
'Tis my happiness below
Not to live without the cross,
But the Saviour's power to know,
Sanctifying every loss:
Trials must and will befall;
But with humble faith to see
Love inscribed upon them all,
This is happiness to me.
God in Israel sows the seeds
Of affliction, pain, and toil;
These spring up and choke the weeds
Which would else o'erspread the soil:
Trials make the promise sweet,
Trials give new life to prayer;
Trials bring me to his feet,
Lay me low, and keep me there.
Did I meet no trials here,
No chastisement by the way,
Might I not with reason fear
I should prove a castaway?
Bastards may escape the rod,
Sunk in earthly vain delight:
But the true-born child of God
Must not,
would not, if he might.
XXXVII. AFFLICTIONS SANCTIFIED BY THE WORD.
OH, how I love thy holy word,
Thy gracious covenant, O Lord!
It guides me in the peaceful way;
I think upon it all the day.
What are the mines of shining wealth, The strength of youth, the bloom of health!
What are all joys compared with those
Thine eyerlasting Word bestows!
Long unafflicted, undismayed,
In pleasure's path secure I strayed;
Thou madest me feel thy chastening rod,
And straight I turned unto my God.
What though it pierced my fainting heart,
Iblessed thine hand that caused the smart;
It taught my tears awhile to flow,
But saved me from eternal woe.
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