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2 Enter; but, with a serious thought,
Consider who is near!
This is a consecrated spot,
The Lord is present here!

3 A question of the utmost weight,
While reading, meets your eye;
May conscience witness to your state,
And give a true reply!

4 Is Jesus to your heart reveal'd,
As full of truth and grace?

And is his name your hope and shield,
Your rest and hiding-place?

5 If so, for all events prepar'd,
Whatever storms may rise,

He whom you love will safely guard,
And guide you to the skies.

6 No burning sun, or storm, or rain,
Will there your peace annoy;
No sin, temptation, grief, or pain,
Intrude to damp your joy.

7 But if his name you have not known,
Oh! seek him while you may!

Lest

you should meet his awful frown
In that approaching day.

8 When the avenging Judge you see,
With terrors on his brow,
Where can you hide, or whither flee,
If you reject him now?

XCVII.-The Creatures in the Lord's Hands.

1 THE waters stood like walls of brass,
To let the sons of Israel pass*;
And from the rock in rivers burst †,
At Moses' pray'r, to quench their thirst.

* Exod. xiv. 22.

+ Numb. xx. 11.

2 The fire restrain'd by God's commands,
Could only burn his people's bands,
Too faint, when he was with them there,
To singe their garments or their hair*.
At Daniel's feet the lions lay,

Like harmless lambs, nor touch'd their prey +;
And ravens, which on carrion fed,
Procur'd Elijah flesh and bread.

4 Thus creatures only can fulfil
Their great Creator's holy will;
And, when his servants need their aid,
His purposes must be obey'd.

5 So, if his blessing he refuse,

Their pow'r to help they quickly lose;
Sure as on creatures we depend,
Our hopes in disappointment end.
6 Then let us trust the Lord alone,
And creature-confidence disown:
Nor, if they threaten, need we fear;
They cannot hurt if he be near.
7 If instruments of pain they prove,
Still they are guided by his love;
As lancets by the surgeon's skill,
Which wound to cure, and not to kill.

XCVIII-On Dreaming.

1 WHEN slumber seals our weary eyes,
The busy fancy wakeful keeps ;
The scenes which then before us rise
Prove something in us never sleeps.

2 As in another world we seem,
A new creation of our own,
All appears real, though a dream,
And all familiar, though unknown.
* Dan. iii. 27.
† Dan. vi. 24.

3 Sometimes the mind beholds again The past day's bus'ness in review; Resumes the pleasure or the pain,

And sometimes all we meet is new.

4 What schemes we form! what pains we take !
We fight, we run, we fly, we fall;
But all is ended when we wake,
We scarcely then a trace recall.

5 But though our dreams are often wild,
Like clouds before the driving storm,
Yet some important may be styl❜d,
Sent to admonish or inform.

6 What mighty agents have access,

What friends from heav'n, or foes from hell,
Our minds to comfort or distress,

When we are sleeping, who can tell?
7 One thing at least, and 'tis enough,
We learn from this surprising fact,
Our dreams afford sufficient proof,
The soul without the flesh can act.
8 This life, which mortals so esteem,
That many choose it for their all,
They will confess was but a dream *
When waken'd by death's awful call.

XCIX. The World.

1 SEE, the world for youth prepares,
Harlot-like, her gaudy snares!
Pleasures round her seem to wait,
But 'tis all a painted cheat.

2 Rash and unsuspecting youth
Thinks to find thee always smooth,—
Always kind, till better taught,
By experience dearly bought.

* Isa. xxix. 8.

S So the calm, but faithless, sea,
(Lively emblem, world, of thee,)
Tempts the shepherd from the shore,
Foreign regions to explore.

4 While no wrinkled wave is seen,
While the sky remains serene,
Fill'd with hopes and golden schemes,
Of a storm he little dreams.

5 But ere long the tempest raves;
Then he trembles at the waves:
Wishes then he had been wise;
But too late-he sinks and dies!

6 Hapless, thus, are they, vain world,
Soon on rocks of ruin hurl'd,
Who admiring thee, untry'd,

Court thy pleasure, wealth, or pride.

7 Such a shipwreck had been mine,
Had not Jesus (name divine !)
Sav'd me with a mighty hand,
And restor❜d my soul to land.

8 Now with gratitude I raise
Ebenezers to his praise;

Now my rash pursuits are o'er,
I can trust thee, world, no more.

C.-The Enchantment dissolved.

1 BLINDED in youth by Satan's arts,
The world to our unpractis'd hearts
A flatt'ring prospect shews;
Our fancy forms a thousand schemes
Of gay delights, and golden dreams,
And undisturb'd repose.

2 So in the desert's dreary waste,
By magic pow'r produc'd in haste,

(As ancient fables say,)

Castles and groves, and music sweet,
The senses of the trav❜ller meet

And stop him in his way.

3 But, while he listens with surprise, The charm dissolves, the vision dies, "Twas but enchanted ground: Thus, if the Lord our spirit touch, The world, which promis'd us so much, A wilderness is found.

4 At first we start, and feel distress'd,
Convinc'd we never can have rest
In such a wretched place;

But He, whose mercy breaks the charm,
Reveals his own almighty arm,

And bids us seek his face.

5 Then we begin to live indeed,
When, from our sin and bondage freed
By this beloved Friend,
We follow him from day to day,
Assur'd of grace through all the way,
And glory at the end.

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