5 O come and show thy pow'r to save,
And spare my fainting breath;
For who can praise thee in the grave,
Or sing thy name in death?

6 Satan, my cruel envious foe,
Insults me in my pain;

He smiles to see me brought so low,
And tells me hope is vain.

7 But hence, thou enemy, depart,
Nor tempt me to despair;

My Saviour comes to cheer my heart,
The Lord has heard my pray'r.

XLVI. None upon Earth I desire beside thee.
Psalm 1xxiii. 25.

1 How tedious and tasteless the hours, When Jesus no longer I see;

Sweet prospects, sweet birds, and sweet flow'rs Have lost all their sweetness with me; The midsummer sun shines but dim,

The fields strive in vain to look

But when I am happy in him,
December's as pleasant as May.

gay;

2 His name yields the richest perfume,
And sweeter than music his voice;
His presence disperses my gloom,
And makes all within me rejoice:
I should, were he always thus nigh,
Have nothing to wish or to fear;
No mortal so happy as I,

My summer would last all the year.

3 Content with beholding his face, My all to his pleasure resign'd, No changes of season or place,

Would make any change in my mind; While bless'd with a sense of his love, A palace a toy would appear; And prisons would palaces prove,

If Jesus would dwell with me there.

4 Dear Lord, if indeed I am thine,

If thou art my sun and my song;
Say, why do I languish and pine,
And why are my winters so long?
O drive these dark clouds from my sky,
Thy soul-cheering presence restore;
Or take me unto thee on high,

Where winter and clouds are no more.

XLVII. The Believer's Safety. Psalm xci.

1 INCARNATE God! the soul that knows
Thy name's mysterious pow'r,
Shall dwell in undisturb'd repose,
Nor fear the trying hour.

2 Thy wisdom, faithfulness, and love,
To feeble helpless worms,
A buckler and a refuge prove
From enemies and storms.

3 In vain the fowler spreads his'net,
To draw them from thy care;

Thy timely call instructs their feet
To shun the artful snare.

4 When, like a baneful pestilence, Sin mows its thousands down On ev'ry side, without defence,

Thy grace secures thine own.

5 No midnight terrors haunt their bed,
No arrow wounds by day;

Unhurt on serpents they shall tread,
If found in duty's way.

6 Angels, unseen, attend the saints,
And bear them in their arms,
To cheer the spirit when it faints,
And guard the life from harms.

7 The angels' Lord himself is nigh
To them that love his name;
Ready to save them when they cry,
And put their foes to shame.

8 Crosses and changes are their lot,
Long as they sojourn here :

But since their Saviour changes not,
What have the saints to fear?

XLVIII. Another.

1 THAT man no guard or weapons needs, Whose heart the blood of Jesus knows; But safe may pass, if duty leads,

Through burning sands or mountain-snows.

2 Releas'd from guilt, he feels no fear; Redemption is his shield and tow'r;

He sees his Saviour always near

To help in ev'ry trying hour.

3 Though I am weak, and Satan strong,
And often to assult me tries;
When Jesus is my shield and song,
Abash'd the wolf before me flies.

4 His love possessing I am blest,

Secure whatever change may come ; Whether I go to east or west,

With him I still shall be at home.

5 If plac'd beneath the northern pole,

Though winter reigns with rigour there; His gracious beams would cheer my soul, And make a spring throughout the

6 Or if the desert's sun-burnt soil

year.

My lonely dwelling e'er should prove; His presence would support my toil, Whose smile is life, whose voice is love.

XLIX. He led them by a right Way. Ps. cvii. 7.

1 WHEN Israel was from Egypt freed,

The Lord, who brought them out,
Help'd them in ev'ry time of need,
But led them round about*.

2 To enter Canaan soon they hop'd;
But quickly chang'd their mind,
When the Red Sea their passage stopp'd
And Pharaoh march'd behind.

3 The desert fill'd them with alarms,
For water and for food;

And Amalek, by force of arms,

To check their progress stood.

4 They often murmur'd by the way,
Because they judg'd by sight;
But were at length constrain'd to say,
The Lord had led them right.

5 In the Red Sea, that stopp'd them first, Their enemies were drown'd;

The rocks gave water for their thirst,
And Manna spread the ground.

6 By fire and cloud their way was shown Across the pathless sands;

And Amalek was overthrown
By Moses' lifted hands.

7 The way was right their hearts to prove,
To make God's glory known;
And show his wisdom, pow'r, and love,
Engag'd to save his own.

8 Just so the true believer's path
Through many dangers lies;

Though dark to sense, 'tis right to faith,
And leads us to the skies.

L. What shall I render*? Ps. cxvi. 12, 13.

1 FOR mercies, countless as the sands,
Which daily I receive

From Jesus my Redeemer's hands,
My soul, what canst thou give?

2 Alas! from such a heart as mine,
What can I bring him forth?

My best is stain'd and dy'd with sin,
My all is nothing worth.

* Book iii. Hymn 67.