GRACE AND PROVIDENCE,
ALMIGHTY King! whofe wond'rous hand Supports the weight of fea and land; Whofe grace is fuch a boundless store, No heart fhall break that fighs for more.
Thy providence fupplies my food, And 'tis thy bleffing makes it good; My foul is nourish'd by thy word, Let foul and body praise the Lord.
My ftreams of outward comfort came From him, who built this earthly frame; Whate'er I want his bounty gives,
Either his hand preferves from pain,
Or, if I feel it, heals again;
From Satan's malice fhields my breast, Or over-rules it for the best.
Forgive the fong that falls fo low Beneath the gratitude I owe!
It means thy praise, however poor, An angel's fong can do no more,
FUTURE PEACE AND GLORY OF THE CHURCH. 339
THE FUTURE PEACE AND GLORY OF THE CHURCH. Ifaiah lx. 15,-20.
HEAR What God the Lord hath spoken, O my people, faint and few; Comfortless, afflicted, broken,
Fair abodes I build for you; Themes of heart-felt tribulation Shall no more perplex your ways; You shall name your walls, Salvation, And your gates fhall all be praise. There, like ftreams that feed the garden, Pleafures without end fhall flow; For the Lord, your faith rewarding, All his bounty fhall bestow: Still in undisturb'd poffeffion, Peace and righteousness fhall reign;
Never fhall you feel oppreffion, Hear the voice of war again. Ye no more your funs defcending, Waning moons no more shall fee; But, your griefs for ever ending, Find eternal noon in me; God fhall rife, and fhining o'er you, Change to day the gloom of night; He, the Lord, fhall be your glory, God your everlasting light.
PRAYER FOR A BLESSING.
BESTOW, dear Lord, upon our youth The gift of faving grace;
And let the feed of facred truth Fall in a fruitful place.
Grace is a plant, where-e'er it grows, Of pure and heav'nly root; But faireft in the youngest shews, And yields the sweetest fruit.
Ye'carlefs ones, O hear betimes The voice of fov'reign love! Your youth is ftain'd 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 pray'r is made, Oh! join the public prayer! you the secret tear is fhed,
O fhed yourselves a tear!
We pray that you may early prove
The Spirit's pow'r to teach; You cannot be too young to love
That Jefus whom we preach.
I WILL PRAISE THE LORD AT ALL TIMES. 341
I WILL PRAISE THE LORD AT ALL TIMES.
WINTER has a joy for me,
While the Saviour's charms I read, Lowly, meek, from blemish free, In the fnow-drop's penfive head.
Spring returns, and brings along Life invigorating funs:
Hark! the turtle's plaintive fong, Seems to speak his dying groans.
Summer has a thousand charms, All expreffive of his worth; 'Tis his fun that lights and warms, His the air that cools the earth.
What, has autumn left to say Nothing of a Saviour's grace? Yes, the beams of milder day Tell me of his fmiling face.
342 THE LIGHT AND GLORY OF THE WORD.
Light appears with early dawn;
While the fun makes hafte to rife, See his bleeding beauties drawn On the blushes of the skies.
Ev'ning, with a filent pace, Slowly moving in the west, Shews an emblem of his grace, Points to an eternal rest.
THE LIGHT AND GLORY OF THE WORD,
THE Spirit breathes upon the word,
And brings the truth to fight; Precepts and promises afford A fanctifying light.
A glory gilds the facred page, Majestic like the fun; It gives a light to ev'ry age,
It gives, but borrows none.
« AnteriorContinuar » |