4 Except the Saviour dwell and reign
Within the finner's mind;
Satan, when he returns again,
Will eafy entrance find.
With rage and malice fevenfold,
He then refumes his fway;
No more by checks to be controul'd,
No more to go away.
6 The finner's former ftate was bad,
But worse the latter far;
He lives poffeffed, blind, and mad,
And dies in dark despair.
7 Lord, fave me from this dreadful end!
And from this heart of mine
O drive and keep away the fiend
Who fears no voice but thine.
LXXXV. C. The Sower. Chap. xiii. 3.
YE fons of earth, prepare the plough,
Break up your fallow ground!.
The fower is gone forth to fow,
And scatter bleffings round.
2 The feed that finds a ftony foil,
Shoots forth a hafty blade;'
But ill repays the fower's toil,
Soon wither'd, fcorch'd, and dead.
3 The thorny ground is fure to baulk
All hopes of harvest there:
We find a tall and fickly ftalk,
But not the fruitful ear.
4 The beaten path and high-way fide
Receive the truft in vain ;
The watchful birds the fpoil divide,
And pick up all the grain.
5 But where the Lord of grace and pow'r
Has blefs'd the happy field;
How plenteous is the golden ftore
The deep-wrought furrows yield!"
6 Father of mercies, we have need
Of thy preparing grace;
Let the fame hand that gives the feed
Provide a fruitful place.
LXXXVI. The Wheat and Tares. Chap. xiii. 37-42.
I THO' in the outward church below,
The wheat and tares together grow,
Jefus ere long will weed the crop,
And pluck the tares, in anger, up.
2 Will it relieve their horrors there,
To recollect their stations here?
How much they heard, how much they knew,
How long amongst the wheat they grew!
3 Oh! this will aggravate their cafe !
They perifh'd under means of grace;
To them the word of lite and faith
Became an inftrument of death.
4. We feem alike when thus we meet,
Strangers might think we all are wheat ;;
But to the Lord's all-fearching eyes,
Each heart appears without difguife.
5 The tares are fpar'd for various ends,
Some, for the fake of praying friends;
Others, the Loid, against their will,
Employs his counfels to fulfil.
6 But tho' they grow fo tall and ftrong,
His plan will not require them long ;:
In harvest, when be taves his own,
The tares thall into hell be thrown.
LXXXVII. Peter walking upon the Water.
Chap. xiv. 28.-31.
A Word from Jefus calms the fea,
The ftormy wind controuls,
And gives repofe and liberty
To tempeft-toffed fouls.
2 To Peter on the waves he came,
And gave him inftant peace;
Thus he to me reveal'd his name,
And bid my forrows cease.
3 Then fill'd with wonder, joy, and love,
Peter's requeft was mine;
Lord, call me down, I long to prove
That I am wholly thine.
4 Unmov'd at all I have to meet
On life's tempeftuous sea,
Hard, fhall be eafy; bitter, fweet,
So I may follow thee.
5. He heard and smil'd, and bid me try,
I eagerly obey'd;
But when from him I turn'd my eye,
How was my foul dismay'd!
The ftorm increas'd on ev'ry fide,
I felt my fpirit fhrink;.
And foon, with Peter, loud I cry'd,
"Lord, fave me, or I fink."
7 Kindly he caught me by the hand,
And faid, "Why doft thou fear?
Since thou art come at my command,
And I am always near.
8 Upon my promise reft thy hope,
And keep my love in view;
I ftand engag'd to hold thee up,
And guide thee jafely through."
LXXXVIII. Woman of Canaan. Chap. xv. 22.-28.
I PRay'r an answer will obtain,
Tho' the Lord a while delay;
None fhall feek his face in vain,
None be empty fent away.
2 When the woman came from Tyre,
And for help to Jefus fought;
Tho' he granted her defire,"
Yet at firft he answer'd not.
4 Could fhe guess at his intent,
When he to his follow'rs faid,
"I to Ifrael's fheep am fent,
Dogs muft not have children's bread."
4 She was not of Ifrael's feed,
But of Canaan's wretched race;
Thought herself a dog indeed;
Was not this a hopeless case?
5 Yet altho' from Canaan fprung,
Tho' a dog herself fhe ftyl'd,
She had Ifrael's faith and tongue,
And was own'd for Abram's child.
6 From his words fhe draws a plea :
"Tho' unworthy children's bread,
'Tis enough for one like me,
If with crumbs I may be fed.”
7 Jefus then his heart reveal'd:
"Woman, canft thou thus believe?
I to thy petition yield,"
All that thou canst wifh, receive."
8 'Tis a pattern fet for us,
How we ought to wait and pray;
None who plead and wreftle thus
Shall be empty fent away.
LXXXIX. What think ye of Chrift?.
Chap. xxii. 42.
I WHAT think ye of Chrift? is the test
To try both your ftate and your scheme;
You cannot be right in the rest,
Unless you think rightly of him.
As Jefus appears in your view,
As he is beloved or not;
So God is difpofed to you,
And mercy or wrath are your lot.
2 Some take him a creature to be,
A man, or an angel at most:
Sure, thefe have not feelings like me,
Nor know themselves wretched and loft:
So guilty, fo helpless am I,
I durft not confide in his blood,
Nor on his protection rely,
Unless I were fure he is God.
3 Some call him a Saviour, in word,
But mix their own works with his plan;
And hope he his help will afford,
When they have done all that they can:
If doings prove rather too light,
(A little, they own, they may fail),
They purpose to make up full weight,
By cafting his name in the fcale.
4 Some style him the pearl of great price,
And fay he's the fountain of joys;
Yet feed upon folly and vice,
And cleave to the world and its toys:
Like Judas, the Saviour they kifs,
And while they falute him, betray;
Ah! what will profeffion like this
Avail in his terrible day?
|