SHALL foolish, weak, short-sighted man
Beyond archangels go,
The great almighty God explain,
Or to perfection know?
His attributes divinely soar
Above the creature's sight,
And prostrate seraphim adore
The glorious infinite.
Jehovah's everlasting days,
They cannot number'd be,
Incomprehensible the space
Of Thine immensity;
Thy wisdom's depths by reason's line
In vain we strive to sound,
Or stretch our labouring thought to assign
Omnipotence a bound.
The brightness of thy glory leaves
Description far below;
Nor man, nor angel's heart conceives
How deep thy mercies flow;
Thy love is most unsearchable,
And dazzles all above;
They gaze but cannot count or tell
The treasures of thy love.
THOU God of glorious majesty,
To thee, against myself, to thee,
A worm of earth, I cry:
An half-awaken'd child of man,
An heir of endless bliss or pain,
A sinner born to die!
Lo! on a narrow neck of land, "Twixt two unbounded seas I stand, Secure, insensible :
A point of time, a moment's space Removes me to that heavenly place, Or shuts me up in hell.
O God mine inmost soul convert! And deeply on my thoughtless heart Eternal things impress:
Give me to feel their solemn weight, And tremble on the brink of fate, And wake to righteousness.
Before me place in dread array The pomp of that tremendous day, When thou in clouds shalt come, To judge the nations at thy bar; And tell me, Lord, shall I be there To meet a joyful doom?
Be this my one great business here,
With serious industry and fear
Eternal bliss t'insure:
Thine utmost counsel to fulfil,
And suffer all thy righteous will,
And to the end endure.
Then, Saviour, then my soul receive,
Transported from this vale to live
And reign with thee above!
Where faith is sweetly lost in sight,
And hope in full supreme delight,
And everlasting love.
A CLOUD lay cradled near the setting sun,
A gleam of crimson tinged its braided snow,
Long had I watched the glory moving on,
O'er the still radiance of the lake below:
Tranquil its spirit seemed, and floated slow,
E'en in its very motion there was rest,
While every breath of eve that chanc'd to blow,
Wafted the traveller to the beauteous west.
Emblem, methought, of the departed soul,
To whose white robe the gleam of bliss is given,
And by the breath of mercy made to roll
Right onward to the golden gates of heaven.
Where to the eye of faith it peaceful lies,
And tells to man his glorious destinies.
O, THOU great power! in whom I move,
By whom I live, to whom I die,
Behold me through thy beams of love,
Whilst on this couch of tears I lie,
And cleanse my sordid soul within
By thy Christ's blood, the bath of sin.
No hallowed oils, no gums I need,
No rags of saints, no purging fire;
One rosy drop from David's seed,
Was worlds of seas to quench thine ire;
Oh precious ransom! which once paid,
That consummatum est was said;
And said by him, that said no more,
But sealed it with his sacred breath: Thou then, that has dispunged my score, And, dying, wert the death of death, Be to me now, on Thee I call, My life, my strength, my joy, my all!
THOU holy Paschal Lamb,
Whose blood for us was shed, Through whom we out of Egypt came, Thy ransomed people led.
Angel of gospel grace,
Fulfil thy character,
To guard and feed thy chosen race,
In Israel's camp appear.
Throughout the desert way,
Conduct us by thy light:
Be thou a cooling shade by day,
A cheering fire by night.
Our fainting souls sustain,
With blessings from above,
And ever on thy people rain
The manna of thy love.
AND let this feeble body fail,
And let it faint or die!
My soul shall quit the mournful vale,
And soar to worlds on high:
Shall join the disembodied saints,
And find its long-sought rest,
That only bliss for which it pants,
In the Redeemer's breast.
In hope of that immortal crown,
I would not now complain,
But gladly wander up and down,
And smile at toil and pain:
Still suffering on my threescore years,
Till my deliverer come,
And wipe away his servant's tears,
And take his exile home.
|