5 It makes me deaf, and dumb, and blind,
And impotent and lame;
- And overclouds, and fills my mind With folly, fear and shame.
6 A thousand evil thoughts intrude Tumultuous in my breast; Which indispose me for my food, And rob me of my rest.
7 Lord, I am sick, regard my cry, And set my spirit free: Say, canst thou let a sinner die, Who longs to live to thee?
LXXXIV. Satan returning. Chap. xii. 43-45.
1 WHEN Jesus claims the sinner's heart, Where Satan rul'd before;
The evil spirit must depart, And dares return no more.
2 But when he goes without constraint, And wanders from his home, Although withdrawn, 'tis but a feint, He means again to come.
3 Some outward change perhaps is seen, If Satan quit the place;
But though the house seem swept and clean, 'Tis destitute of grace.
4 Except the Saviour dwell and reign
Within the sinner's mind,
Satan, when he returns again, Will easy entrance find.
5 With rage and malice sevenfold, He then resumes his sway;
No more by checks to be controll❜d, No more to go away.
6 The sinner's former state was bad, But worse the latter far;
He lives possessed, blind, and mad, And dies in dark despair.
7 Lord, save me from this dreadful end! And from this heart of mine,
O drive and keep away the fiend Who fears no voice but thine.
LXXXV. C. The Sower. Chap. xiii. 3,
1 YE sons of earth, prepare the plough, Break up your fallow ground! The sower is gone forth to sow, And scatter blessings round.
2 The seed that finds a stony soil Shoots forth a hasty blade;
But ill repays the sower's toil,
Soon wither'd, scorch'd, and dead.
3 The thorny ground is sure to balk All hopes of harvest there : We find a tall and sickly stalk, But not the fruitful ear.
4 The beaten path and highway side Receive the trust in vain;
The watchful birds the spoil divide, And pick up all the grain.
5 But where the Lord of grace and pow r
Has bless'd the happy field; How plenteous is the golden store
The deep-wrought furrows yield!
6 Father of mercies, we have need Of thy preparing grace;
Let the same hand that gives the seed Provide a fruitful place.
LXXXVI. The Wheat and Tares. Ch. xiii. 37-42.
1 THOUGH in the outward church below The wheat and tares together grow, Jesus ere long will weed the crop, And pluck the tares, in anger, up.
2 Will it relieve their horrors there, To recollect their stations here? How much they heard, how much they knew, How long amongst the wheat they grew?
3 Oh! this will aggravate their case! They perish'd under means of grace; To them the word of life and faith Became an instrument of death.
4 We seem alike when thus we meet, Strangers might think we all are wheat; But to the Lord's all-searching eyes, Each heart appears without disguise,
5 The tares are spar'd for various ends; Some for the sake of praying friends; Others, the Lord, against their will, Employs his counsels to fulfil.
6 But though they grow so tall and strong, His plan will not require them long; In harvest, when he saves his own, The tares shall into hell be thrown.
LXXXVII. Peter walking upon the Water. Chap. xiv. 28-31.
1 A WORD from Jesus calms the sea, The stormy wind controls, And gives repose and liberty To tempest-tossed souls.
2 To Peter on the waves he came, And gave him instant peace; Thus he to me reveal'd his name, And bid my sorrows cease.
3 Then fill'd with wonder, joy, and love, Peter's request was mine;
"Lord, call me down, I long to prove "That I am wholly thine.
4" Unmov'd at all I have to meet "On life's tempestuous sea, "Hard shall be easy, bitter sweet, "So I may follow thee."
5 He heard and smil'd, and bid me try; I eagerly obey'd;
But when from him I turn'd my eye, How was my soul dismay'd!
6 The storm increas'd on ev'ry side, I felt my spirit shrink :
And soon, with Peter, loud I cry'd, "Lord, save me, or I sink." 3 F
7 Kindly he caught me by the hand,
And said, "Why dost thou fear, "Since thou art come at my command, "And I am always near?
8" Upon my promise rest thy hope, "And keep my love in view; "I stand engag'd to hold thee up, "And guide thee safely through."
LXXXVIII. Woman of Canaan. Chap. xv. 22-28.
1 PRAY'R an answer will obtain, Though the Lord a while delay; None shall seek his face in vain, None be empty sent away.
2 When the woman came from Tyre, And for help to Jesus sought; Though he granted her desire, Yet at first he answer'd not.
3 Could she guess at his intent, When he to his foll'wers said, "I to Israel's sheep am sent,
Dogs must not have children's bread."
4 She was not of Israel's seed,
But of Canaan's wretched race; Thought herself a dog indeed: Was not this a hopeless case?
5 Yet although from Canaan sprung, Though a dog herself she styl'd, She had Israel's faith and tongue, And was own'd for Abr'ham's child.
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