And emulate, with joy unknown,
The glowing seraphs round thy throne.
196. Brotherly Love. 1 NOW by the bowels of my God,
His sharp distress, his sore complaints, By his last groans, his dying blood, I charge my soul to love his saints. 2 Clamour, and wrath, and war be gone, Envy and spite for ever cease; Let bitter words no more be known Among the saints, the sons of peace. 3 The Spirit, like a peaceful dove,
Flies from the realms of noise and strife; Why should we vex and grieve his love, Who seals our souls to heav'nly life? 4 Tender and kind be all our thoughts; Through all our lives let mercy run: So God forgives our num'rous faults, For the dear sake of Christ his Son.
197. The promis`d Land. 1 FAR from these narrow scenes of night, Unbounded glories rise,
And realms of infinite delight,
Unknown to inortal eyes.
2 There pain and sickness never come,
And grief no more complains;
Health triumphs in immortal bloom,
And endless pleasure reigns.
3 No cloud those blissful regions know,
For ever bright and fair!
For sin, the source of mortal woe,
Can never enter there.
4 There no alternate night is known,
Nor sun's faint sickly ray;
But glory from the sacred throne
Spreads everlasting day.
5 O may the heav'nly prospect fire
Our hearts with ardent love,
Till wings of faith, and strong desire,
Bear ev'ry thought above.
6 Prepare us, Lord, by grace divine,
For thy bright courts on high;
Then bid our spirits rise and join
The chorus of the sky.
198. Sins and Sorrows laid before God.
THAT we knew the secret place
Where we might find our God!
We'd spread our wants before his face,
And pour our woes abroad.
2 We'd tell him how our sins arise,
What sorrows we sustain;
How grace decays, and comfort dies,
And leaves our hearts in pain.
3 He knows what arguments we'd take
To wrestle with our God':
We'd plead for his own mercy's sake,
And for our Saviour's blood.
4 Our God will pity our complaints,
And heal our broken bones;
He takes the meaning of his saints, .
The language of their groans.
5 Arise, my soul, from deep distress,
And banish ev'ry fear;
He calls thee to his throne of grace,
To spread thy sorrows there.
199. The pardoning God.
1 GREAT God of wonders, all thy ways. Are matchless, godlike, and divine;
But the fair glories of thy grace
More godlike and unrivall'd shine,
Who is a pard'ning God like thee? Or who has grace so rich and free? 2 Crimes of such horror to forgive,
Such guilty daring worms to spare:
This is thy grand prerogative,
And none shall in the honour share.
Who, &c.
3 Angels and men, resign your claim
To pity, mercy, love, and grace;
These glories crown Jehovah's name
With an incomparable blaze.
Who, &c.
4-In wonder lost, with trembling joy
We take the pardon of our God,
Pardon for crimes of deepest dye,
A pardon bought with Jesus' blood.
50 this
may
this matchless grace,
This godlike miracle of love,
Fill the wide earth with grateful praise,
And all th' angelic hosts above!
Who is a pard'ning God like thee?
Or who has grace so rich and free?
200. Trust in God in Difficulties. 1 WHY, O my heart, these anxious cares? Why these tumultuous sick'ningf ears? Why thus all-pensive and forlorn,
Dost thou thy thick'ning troubles mourn?
2 When threat'ning storms around thee rise,
And louring tempests spread the skies,
On God, my soul, thy burden cast,
And seek him in a peaceful rest.
3 If falsehood and deceit abound,
And envy's darts in secret wound,
If earthly springs of comfort dry,
And ev'ry blooming joy should die ;
4 Silent I'll bear thy chastening rod,
Thy just displeasure, O my God!
On thee I'll wait with eager eyes,
To thee my pray'r with hope shall rise.
5 Yes, I shall hear thy cheering voice;
In thee my soul shall yet rejoice;
Thou wilt reveal thy smiling face,
And hence these gloomy horrors chace.
6 Thou art my Saviour, thou my God!
Thy grace will I proclaim abroad;
That grace which bears my guilt away;
And turns the blackest pight to day.
201. The returning Backslider.
THE Lord is kind in all his ways,
When most they seem severe;
He frowns, and scourges, and rebukes,
That we may learn his fear.
2 With thorns he fences up our path,
And builds a wall around;
To guard us from the death that lurks
In sin's forbidden ground.
3 When other lovers sought in vain,
Our fond address despise;
He opens his indulgent arms
With pity in his eyes:
4 Return, ye wand'ring souls, return,
And seek his tender breast;
Call back the mem'ry of those days,
When there you found your rest.
5 Behold, great God! we come to thee,
Though blushes veil our face;
Constrain'd our last retreat to seek
In thy much injur'd grace.
202. A Prayer for a new Spirit.
LMIGHTY God of truth and love!
In me thy pow'r exert ;
The mountain from my soul remove,
The hardness of my heart:
My most obdurate heart subdue
In honour to thy Son,
And now thy gracious wonder shew,
And take away the stone.
2 I want a principle within
Of jealous, godly fear;
A sensibility of sin,
A pain to feel it near:
I want the first approach to feel
Of pride, or vain desire,
To catch the wand'rings of my will,
And quench the kindling fire.
3 From thee, that I no more depart,
No more thy goodness grieve;
The filial awe, the fleshly heart,
The tender conscience give:
Quick as the apple of an eye,
O God! my conscience make:
Awake my soul when sin is nigh,
And keep it still awake.
203. The heavenly Guest. AND will the Lord thus condescend
To visit sinful worms?
Thus at the door shall merey stand
In all her winning forms?
2 Surprizing grace!and shall my heart
Unmov'd and cold remain ?
Has this hard rock no tender part?
Must mercy plead in vain ?
3 Shall Jesus for admission sue,
His charming voice unheard?
And this vile heart, his rightful due,
Remain for ever barr'd?
4 'Tis sin, alas! with tyrant pow'r,
The lodging has possess'd:
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