He bids ye guilty now draw near,
Repent, believe, dismiss your fear;
Hark, hark, what precious words I hear,
Mercy's free, mercy's free.

2 Did Christ, when I was sin pursuing,
Think on me?

And did He snatch my soul from ruin;
Can it be !

Oh! yes, He did salvation bring,
He is my Prophet, Priest, and King,
And now my happy soul can sing,
Mercy's free, mercy's free.

3 Jesus the mighty God hath spoken
Peace to me;

Now all my chains of sin are broken,
I am free.

Soon as I in His name believed,
The Holy Spirit I received;
Mercy's free, mercy's free.

4 Jesus, my weary soul refreshes-
It is He;

And every moment Christ is precious
Unto me.

None can describe the bliss I prove,
While through this wilderness I rove:
All may enjoy a Saviour's love—
Mercy's free, mercy's free.

5 This precious truth, ye sinners, hear itCome and see!

Ye ministers of God declare it-
Come and see!

Visit the heathen's dark abode,

And spread the glorious news abroad,
Mercy's free, mercy's free.

6 Long as I live I'll still be crying Unto Thee,

And this shall be my theme when dying-
Mercy's free.

And when the vale of death I've passed,
When lodged above the stormy blast,
I'll sing while endless ages last,
Mercy's free, mercy's free.

A

392.

SAFE stronghold our God is still,
A trusty shield and weapon;

He'll help us clear from all the ill

That hath us now o'ertaken.
The ancient Prince of hell
Hath risen with purpose fell;
Strong mail of craft and power
He weareth in this hour-

On earth is not his fellow.

2 With force of arms we nothing can,
Full soon were we down-ridden;
But for us fights the proper Man,
Whom God Himself hath bidden.
Ask ye, who is this same?
Christ Jesus is His name,
The Lord, Zebaoth's Son,
He, and no other one,

Shall conquer in the battle.

3 And were the world all devils o'er,
And watching to devour us,
We lay it not to heart so sore,

Not they can overpower us;

And let the Prince of ill,
Look grim as e'er he will,
He harms us not a whit;
For why? His doom is writ-

A word shall quickly slay him.

4 God's word, for all their craft and force,
One moment will not linger,
But spite of hell shall have its course—
'Tis written by His finger;
And though they take our life,
Goods, honor, children, wife,
Yet is their profit small—
These things shall vanish all,

The Church of God remaineth.*

LUTHER

*This is the celebrated War and Victory-Hymn of the Evangelical faith, written the year before the Diet of Augs burg. Translated by Carlyle.

XVI. AFFLICTION.

I. SEVERE SUFFERING, MENTAL OR BODILY.

393.

The Sympathy of Jesus.

C. M.

"For we have not an high priest which can not be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."-HEB. 4: 15.

ESUS, my sorrow lies too deep
For human sympathy,

It knows not how to tell itself
To any but to Thee.

2 Thou dost remember, amidst all
The glories of Thy throne,

The sorrows of humanity,

For they were once Thine own.

8 Yes, and as if Thou wouldst be God

but Thine own,

Even in misery,
Thou'st left no sorrow,
Untouched by sympathy.

4 Jesus, my fainting spirit brings
Its fearfulness to Thee;

Thine eye alone can penetrate
The clouded mystery.

5 And is it not enough, O Lord!
Thy holy sympathy!.

That sorrow can not be too deep,
That I may bring to Thee.

0

SAVIOUR! whose mercy, severe in its kindness,

Hath chastened my wanderings and guided

my way,

Adored be the power that pitied my blind

ness,

And weaned me from phantoms that smiled to betray.

2 Enchanted with all that was dazzling and fair,

I followed the rainbow-I caught at the toy;

And still in displeasure Thy goodness was there,

Disappointing the hope and defeating the joy.

3 The blossom blushed bright, but a worm was below;

The moonlight shone fair, there was blight in the beam,

Sweet whispered the breeze, but it whispered of woe;

And bitterness flowed in the soft flowing

stream.