6 Thine image, Lord, beftow,

Thy prefence and thy love;
I afk to ferve thee here below,

And reign with thee above.
7 Teach me to live by faith,
Conform my will to thine;
Let me victorious be in death,
And then in glory fhine..
8 If thou thefe bleffings give,
And wilt my portion be,
Cheerful the world's poor toys I leave
To them who know not thee.

XXXIV. Queen of SHE BA
Chap. x. 1,-9.

I FROM Sheba a distant report
Of Solomon's glory and fame,.
Invited the queen to his court,
But all was outdone when.fhe came;
She cry'd, with a pleafing furprife,
When firft fhe before him appear'd,
"How much, what I fee with my eyes,,
Surpaffes the rumour I heard!"

2. When once to Jerufalem come,

The treasure and train fhe had brought,
The wealth fhe poffeffed at home,
No longer had place in her thought:
His houfe, his attendants, his throne,
All ftruck her with wonder and awe ;,
The glory of Solomon fhone
In every object fhe faw.

3 But Solomon most she admir'd,
Whofe fpirit conducted the whole;
His wifdom, which God had infpir'd,
His bounty and greatnefs of foul;

2

Of all the hard questions fhe put,
A ready folution he fhew'd; --
Exceeded her with and her fuit,

And more than fhe afk'd him beftow'd.

4 Thus I when the gofpel proclaim'd
The Saviour's great name in my ears,
The wildom for which he is fam'd,
The love which to finners he bears;
I long'd, and I was not deny'd,
That I in his prefence might bow;
I faw, and transported I cry'd,
"A greater than Solomon Thou!"
5 My confcience no comfort could find,
By doubt and hard questions oppos'd:
But Hè reftor'd peace to my mind,
And anfwer'd each doubt I propos'd:
Beholding me poor and diftrefs'd,
His bounty fupply'd all my wants;
My pray's could have never exprefs'd
So much as this Solomon grants.

6 I heard, and was flow to believe,
But now with my yes
C I behold

Much more than my heart could conceive,
Or language could ever have told:1
How happy thy fervants must be,

Who always before thee appear!
Vouchfafe, Lord, this bleffing to me,
I find it is good to be here.

XXXV. EL 174H fed by Ravens
Chap. xvii. 6.

ELAH's example declares,

Whatever diftrefs may betide,

The faints may commit all their cares
To him who will furely provide:

Book lil. Hymn 47′′

When

When rain long with-held from the earth
Occafion'd a famine of bread,

The prophet, fecur'd from the dearth,
By ravens was conftantly fed.

2 More likely to rob than to feed,
Were ravens who live upon prey;
But when the Lord's people have need,
His goodness will find out a way:

This inftance to thofe may feem ftrange,
Who know not how faith can prevail;
But fooner all nature fhall change,
Than one of God's promifes fail.

3 Nor is it a fingular cafe,

The wonder is often renew'd;
And many can fay to his praise,
He fends them by ravens their food:
Thus worldlings, tho' ravens indeed,
Tho' greedy and felfish their mind,,
If God has a fervant to feed,
Against their own wills can be kind..
4 Thus Satan, that raven unclean,
Who croaks in the ears of the faints,
Compell'd by a power unfeen,
Adminifters oft to their wants:
God teaches them how to find food.
From all the temptations they feel;
This raven, who thirfts for my blood,
Has help'd me to many a meal.

5

How fate and how happy are they
Who on the good Shepherd rely!

He gives them out ftrength for their day,
Their wants he will surely fupply:
He ravens and lions can tame,
All creatures obey his command;
Then let me rejoice in his name,
And leave all my cares in his hand.

XXXVI. The Meal and Cruife of Oil.
Chap. xvii. 16.

BY

Y the poor widow's oil and meal
Elijah was fuftain'd;

Tho' fmall the ftock, it lafted well,

For God the store maintain❜d.

;

2 It feem'd as if from day to day,
They were to eat and die
But ftill, tho' in a secret way,
He fent a fresh fupply.

3 Thus to his poor he still will give
. Juft for the present hour;
But for to-morrow they must live
Upon his word and pow'r.

4 No barn or ftore-house they poffefs
On which they can depend;
Yet have no caufe to fear diftrefs,
For. Jefus is their friend.

Then let no doubts your mind affail,
Remember God has faid,

"The cruife and barrel fhall not fail,
My people fhall be fed."

86

6 And thus tho' faint it often seems,
He keeps their grace alive;
Supply'd by his refreshing streams,
Their dying hopes revive.

7 Tho' in ourselves we have no stock,
The Lord is nigh to fave;

His door flies open when we knock,,
And 'tis but ask and have..

II. KINGS.

II. KING S.

XXXVII. JERICHO; Or, The Waters bealed. Chap. ii. 19,-22.

TH

'HO' Jericho pleasantly stood,
And look'd like a promifing foil;
The harveft produc'd little food,
To answer the husbandman's toil.
The water fome property had,
Which poisonous prov'd to the ground;
The fprings were corrupted and bad,
The ftreams spread a barrenness round.
2 But foon by the cruife and the falt,
Prepar'd by Elifha's command,
The water was cur'd of its fault,
And plenty enriched the land:
An emblem fure this of the grace
On fruitless dead finners bestow'd;
For man is in Jericho's cafe,
'Till cur'd by the mercy of God.

3 How noble a creature he feems!

What knowledge, invention, and skill!
How large and extenfive his schemes!
How much can he do if he will!
His zeal to be learned and wife

Will yield to no limits or bars;

He measures the earth and the skies,
And numbers and marsfhals the stars.

4 Yet ftill he is barren of good;
In vain are his talents and art;
For fin has infected his blood,
And poifon'd the. ftreams of his heart:
Tho' cockatrice eggs he can hatch *,
Or, fpider-like, cobwebs can weave;
'Tis madness to labour and watch
For what will deftroy or deceive.

* Isaiah, lix. 5.