"I delivered thee when bound,

And, when bleeding, healed thy wound, Sought thee wandering, set thee right, Turned thy darkness into light.

"Can a woman's tender care

Cease towards the child she bare?
Yes, she may forgetful be,
Yet will I remember thee.

"Mine is an unchanging love,
Higher than the heights above,
Deeper than the depths beneath,
Free and faithful, strong as death.

"Thou shalt see my glory soon,
When the work of grace is done;
Partner of my throne shalt be :-
Say, poor sinner, lovest thou me ?"

Lord, it is my chief complaint
That my love is weak and faint;
Yet I love thee and adore,—

Oh! for grace to love thee more!

XIX. CONTENTMENT

Phil. iv. II

FIERCE passions discompose the mind,
As tempests vex the sea;
But calm content and peace we find
When, Lord, we turn to thee.

In vain by reason and by rule
We try to bend the will;
For none but in the Saviour's school
Can learn the heavenly skill.

Since at his feet my soul has sate,
His gracious words to hear,
Contented with my present state,
I cast on him my care.

"Art thou a sinner, soul?" he said,
"Then how canst thou complain?
How light thy troubles here, if weighed
With everlasting pain!

"If thou of murmuring wouldst be cured,
Compare thy griefs with mine ;
Think what my love for thee endured,
And thou wilt not repine.

""Tis I appoint thy daily lot,

And I do all things well;

Thou soon shalt leave this wretched spot, And rise with me to dwell.

"In life my grace shall strength supply, Proportioned to thy day;

At death thou still shalt find me nigh,
To wipe thy tears away."

Thus I, who once my wretched days
In vain repinings spent,
Taught in my Saviour's school of grace,
Have learned to be content.

XX. OLD TESTAMENT GOSPEL

Heb. iv. 2

ISRAEL in ancient days

Not only had a view
Of Sinai in a blaze,

But learned the Gospel too;
The types and figures were a glass,
In which they saw a Saviour's face.

The paschal sacrifice

And blood-besprinkled door,
Seen with enlightened eyes,

And once applied with power,

Would teach the need of other blood

To reconcile an angry God.

The Lamb, the Dove, set forth
His perfect innocence,
Whose blood of matchless worth

Should be the soul's defence;

For he who can for sin atone
Must have no failings of his own.

"Watch, remember, seek, and strive, Exert thy former pains; Let thy timely care revive,

And strengthen what remains;

Cleanse thine heart, thy works amend,

Former times to mind recall,

Lest my sudden stroke descend
And smite thee once for all.

"Yet I number now in thee
A few that are upright;
These my Father's face shall see,
And walk with me in white.

When in judgment I appear,

They for mine shall be confessed;
Let my faithful servants hear,—
And woe be to the rest!"

XXII. PRAYER FOR A BLESSING ON THE YOUNG

BESTOW, dear Lord, upon our youth

The gift of saving grace;
And let the seed of sacred truth
Fall in a fruitful place.

Grace is a plant, where'er it grows,
Of pure and heavenly root;
But fairest in the youngest shows,
And yields the sweetest fruit.

Ye careless ones, oh hear betimes
The voice of sovereign love!

Your youth is stained with many crimes,
But mercy reigns above.

True, you are young, but there's a stone
Within the youngest breast;

Or half the crimes which you have done
Would rob you of your rest.

For you the public prayer is made;
Oh join the public prayer!
For you the secret tear is shed;
Oh shed yourselves a tear!

We pray that you may early prove
The Spirit's power to teach;
You cannot be too young to love
That Jesus whom we preach.

XXIII. PLEADING FOR AND WITH YOUTH

SIN has undone our wretched race;

But Jesus has restored,

And brought the sinner face to face
With his forgiving Lord.