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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.

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.*

XXXIV. THE WAITING SOUL.

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 resign'd,
And wait with patient hope;
But hope delay'd 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 ev'ry door is shut but one,
And that is mercy's door.

There, till the dear Deliv'rer come,
I'll wait with humble pray'r;
And when he calls his exile home,
The Lord shall find me there.

Canticles v. 8.

XXXV. 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.

XXXVI. AFFLICTIONS SANCTIFIED BY THE WORD.

O 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!

Tong unafflicted, undismay'd,
In pleasure's path secure I stray'd;
Thou madest me feel thy chastening rod,+
And straight I turn'd unto my God.

What though it pierced my fainting heart,
I bless 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 precept I had still despised;
And still the snare in secret laid,
Had my unwary feet betray'd.

Hebrews xii. 8.

† Psalm cxix. 71.

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.

XXXVII. 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-toss'd and half a wreck,
My Saviour through the floods I seek;
Let neither winds nor stormy main
Force back my shatter'd bark again.

XXXVIII. 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 fix'd 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.

Psalm 1xix. 15.

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.

XXXIX. THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH.
My soul is sad, and much dismay'd,
See, Lord, what legions of my foes,
With fierce Apollyon at their head,
My heavenly pilgrimage oppose!
Sce, 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 foil'd, and thou art grieved!

XL. PEACE AFTER A STORM.

WHEN darkness long has veil'd 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!
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.
Ephesians vi. 16.

Psalm xl. 17.

Thou art as ready to forgive
As I am ready to repine;

Thou, therefore, all the praise receive;
Be shame and self-abhorrence mine.

XLI. MOURNING AND LONGING.
THE Saviour hides his face!
My spirit thirsts to prove
Renew'd supplies of pardoning grace,
And never-fading love.

The favour'd 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.

XLII. SELF-ACQUAINTANCE.

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

And mourns, with much and frequent 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.

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