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,

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.

XXXIV. SEEKING THE
BELOVED.

To those who know the Lord I speak;
Is my Beloved near?

The Bridegroom of my soul I seek,
Oh! when will he appear?

Though once a man of grief and shame,
Yet now he fills a throne,

And bears the greatest, sweetest name That earth or heaven has known

D

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 everlasting 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.

Oh! hadst thou left me unchastised,
Thy precepts I had still despised;
And still the snare in secret laid
Had my unwary feet betrayed.

I love thee, therefore, O my God,
And breathe towards thy dear abode;
Where, in thy presence fully blest,
Thy chosen saints for ever rest.

XXXVIII. TEMPTATION. THE billows swell, the winds are high, Clouds overcast my wintry sky; Out of the depths to thee I call,—— My fears are great, my strength is small.

O Lord, the pilot's part perform, And guard and guide me through the storm;

Defend me from each threatening ill, Control the waves,-say, "Peace! be still."

Amidst the roaring of the sea

My soul still hangs her hope on thee;
Thy constant love, thy faithful care,
Is all that saves me from despair.

Dangers of every shape and name
Attend the followers of the Lamb,
Who leave the world's deceitful shore,
And leave it to return no more.
Though tempest-tost and half a wreck,
My Saviour through the floods I seek;
Let neither winds nor stormy main
Force back my shattered bark again.
XXXIX. LOOKING UPWARDS
IN A STORM.

GOD of my life, to thee I call,
Afflicted at thy feet I fall;
When the great water-floods prevail,
Leave not my trembling heart to fail!

Friend of the friendless and the faint,
Where should I lodge my deep complaint?
Where but with thee, whose open door
Invites the helpless and the poor!
Did ever mourner plead with thee,
And thou refuse that mourner's plea?
Does not the word still fixed remain,
That none shall seek thy face in vain?

That were a grief I could not bear,
Didst thou not hear and answer prayer;
But a prayer-hearing, answering God
Supports me under every load.

Fair is the lot that's cast for me;
I have an Advocate with thee;
They whom the world caresses most
Have no such privilege to boast.
Poor though I am, despised, forgot,
Yet God, my God, forgets me not:
And he is safe, and must succeed,
For whom the Lord vouchsafes to plead.

XL. THE VALLEY OF THE

SHADOW OF DEATH.

My soul is sad, and much dismayed; See, Lord, what legions of my foes, With fierce Apollyon at their head,

My heavenly pilgrimage oppose! See, from the ever-burning lake,

How like a smoky cloud they rise! With horrid blasts my soul they shake, With storms of blasphemies and lies. Their fiery arrows reach the mark,

My throbbing heart with anguish tear; Each lights upon a kindred spark,

And finds abundant fuel there.

I hate the thought that wrongs the Lord; Oh! I would drive it from my breast, With thy own sharp two-edged sword, Far as the east is from the west.

Come, then, and chase the cruel host, Heal the deep wounds I have received! Nor let the powers of darkness boast That I am foiled, and thou art grieved!

XLI. PEACE AFTER A STORM. WHEN darkness long has veiled my mind,

And smiling day once more appears, Then, my Redeemer, then I find

The folly of my doubts and fears. Straight I upbraid my wandering heart, And blush that I should ever be Thus prone to act so base a part, Or harbour one hard thought of thee.

D2

Oh! let me then at length be taught What I am still so slow to learn; That God is Love, and changes not, Nor knows the shadow of a turn.

Sweet truth, and easy to repeat!

But when my faith is sharply tried, I find myself a learner yet,

Unskilful, weak, and apt to slide.

But, O my Lord, one look from thee Subdues the disobedient will, Drives doubt and discontent away, And thy rebellious worm is still.

Thou art as ready to forgive

As I am ready to repine; Thou, therefore, all the praise receive; Be shame and self-abhorrence mine.

XLII. MOURNING AND LONGING.

THE Saviour hides his face! My spirit thirsts to prove Renewed supplies of pardoning grace, And never-fading love.

The favoured souls who know What glories shine in him, Pant for his presence as the roe Pants for the living stream.

What trifles tease me now! They swarm like summer flies; They cleave to everything I do, And swim before my eyes.

How dull the Sabbath day Without the Sabbath's Lord! How toilsome then to sing and pray, And wait upon the word!

Of all the truths I hear,
How few delight my taste!
I glean a berry here and there,
But mourn the vintage past.

Yet let me (as I ought)
Still hope to be supplied;
No pleasure else is worth a thought,
Nor shall I be denied.

Though I am but a worm, Unworthy of his care, The Lord will my desire perform, And grant me all my prayer.

XLIII. SELF-ACQUAINTANC

DEAR Lord! accept a sinful heart,
Which of itself complains,

And mourns, with much and freque smart,

The evil it contains.

There fiery seeds of anger lurk,
Which often hurt my frame;
And wait but for the tempter's work
To fan them to a flame.

Legality holds out a bribe

To purchase life from thee;
And Discontent would fain prescribe
How thou shalt deal with me.
While Unbelief withstands thy grace,
And puts the mercy by;
Presumption, with a brow of brass,
Says, "Give me, or I die!"

How eager are my thoughts to roam
In quest of what they love!
But ah! when Duty calls them home,
How heavily they move!

Oh, cleanse me in a Saviour's blood,
Transform me by thy power,
And make me thy beloved abode,
And let me roam no more.

XLIV. PRAYER FOR PATIENCE.

LORD, who hast suffered all for me,
My peace and pardon to procure,
The lighter cross I bear for thee

Help me with patience to endure.
The storm of loud repining hush;

I would in humble silence mourn; Why should the unburnt, though burning bush,

Be angry as the crackling thorn?

Man should not faint at thy rebuke,

Like Joshua falling on his face, When the cursed thing that Achan took Brought Israel into just disgrace.