2 The plate of gold which crowns his brows, His holiness describes ;

His breast displays, in shining rows,
The names of all the tribes.

3 With the atoning blood he stands
Before the mercy seat;

And clouds of incense from his hands
Arise with odour sweet.

4 Urim and Thummim near his heart,
In rich engravings worn,
The sacred light of truth impart,
To teach and to adorn.

5 Through him the eye of faith descries,
A greater priest than he :

Thus Jesus pleads above the skies,
For you, my friends, and me.

6 He bears the names of all his saints
Deep on his heart engrav'd;
Attentive to the state and wants
Of all his love has sav'd.

7 In him a holiness complete,
Light and perfections shine
And wisdom, grace, and glory meet;
A Saviour all divine.

8 The blood, which as a priest he bears

For sinners, is his own;

The incense of his

prayers

Perfume the holy throne.

and tears

9 In him my weary soul has rest
Though I am weak and vile;

I read my name upon his breast,
And see the Father smile.

NUMBERS.

XX. Balaam's Wish*. Chap. xxiii. 10.

1 How blest the righteous are
When they resign their breath!
No wonder Balaam wish'd to share
In such a happy death.

2 "Oh! let me die," said he,

"The death the righteous do; "When life is ended, let me be

"Found with the faithful few."

3 The force of truth, how great!
When enemies confess,

None but the righteous, whom they hate,
A solid hope possess.

4 But Balaam's wish was vain,

His heart was insincere ;
He thirsted for unrighteous gain,
And sought a portion here.

5 He seem'd the Lord to know,
And to offend him loath;
But Mammon prov'd his overthrow,
For none can serve them both.

6 May you, my friends, and I,

Warning from hence receive;

If like the righteous we would die,
To choose the life they live.

*Book iii. Hym 71.

JOSHUA.

XXI. Gibeon. Chap. x. 6.

1 WHEN Joshua, by God's command,
Invaded Canaan's guilty land,
Gibeon, unlike the nations round,
Submission made, and mercy found.

2 Their stubborn neighbours who, enrag'd,
United war against them wag'd,
By Joshua soon were overthrown,
For Gibeon's cause was now his own..

3 He from whose arm they ruin fear'd,
Their leader and ally appear'd;
An Emblem of the Saviour's grace,
To those who humbly seek his face.

4 The men of Gibeon wore disguise,
And gain'd their peace by framing lies;
For Joshua had no power to spare,
If he had known from whence they were.

5 But Jesus invitations sends,

Treating with rebels as his friends;
And holds the promise forth in view,
To all who for his mercy sue.

6 Too long his goodness I disdain’d,
Yet went at last and peace obtain'd;
But soon the noise of war I heard,
And former friends in arms appear'd.

7 Weak in myself, for help I cried,
“Lord, I am press'd on ev'ry side;
"The cause is thine, they fight with me,
"But ev'ry blow is aim'd at thee."

8 With speed to my relief he came,
And put my enemies to shame ;
Thus sav'd by grace I live to sing
The love and triumphs of my King.

JUDGES.

XXII. C. Jehovah Shalem,-The Lord send
Peace. Chap. vi. 24.

1 JESUS, whose blood so freely stream'd
To satisfy the law's demand,

By thee from guilt and wrath redeem'd,
Before the Father's face I stand.

2 To reconcile offending man,

Make justice drop her angry rod;
What creature could have form'd the plan,
Or who fulfil it, but a God?

3 No drop remains of all the curse,
For wretches who deserv'd the whole;
No arrows dipt in wrath, to pierce
The guilty, but returning soul.

4 Peace by such means so dearly bought,
What rebel could have hop'd to see?
Peace, by his injur'd Sov'reign wrought,
His Sov'reign fasten'd to a tree.

5 Now, Lord, thy feeble worm prepare ! For strife with earth and hell begins; Confirm and gird me for the war,

They hate the soul that hates his sins.

6 Let them in horrid league agree!

They may assault, they may distress;
But cannot quench thy love to me,
Nor rob me of the Lord my peace.

XXIII.

Gideon's Fleece, Chap. vi. 37-49.

1 THE signs which God to Gideon gave, His holy sov'reignty made known, That He alone has pow'r to save,

And claims the glory as his own.

2 The dew which first the fleece had fill'd,
When all the earth was dry around,
Was from it afterwards withheld,
And only fell upon the ground.

3 To Israel thus the heavenly dew

Of saving-truth was long restrain'd;
Of which the Gentiles nothing knew,
But dry and desolate remain'd.

4 But now the Gentiles have receiv'd
The balmy dew of Gospel peace;
And Israel, who his Spirit griev'd,
Is left a dry and empty fleece.

5 This dew still falls at his command,
To keep his chosen plants alive;
They shall, though in a thirsty land,
Like willows by the waters thrive*,

6 But chiefly when his people meet,

To hear his word and seek his face;
The gentle dew, with influence sweet,
Descends and nourishes their grace,

7 But, ah! what numbers still are dead,

Though under means of grace they lie! The dew still falling round their head, And yet their heart untouch'd and dry.

* Isa, xliv. 4.