2 As well might Ethiopian flaves
Wash out the darknels of their skin;
The dead as well may leave their graves,
As old tranfgreffors ceafe to fin.
3 Where vice has held its empire long,
'Twill not endure the leaft control;
None but a power divinely strong
Can turn the current of the foul.
Great God! I own thy power divine,
That works to change this heart of mine;
I would be form'd anew, and blefs
The wonders of creating grace.
HYMN CLXI. Common Metre. [b]
Chriftian virtues; or, the difficulty of conversion.
TRAIT is the way, the door is strait,
That leads to joys on high;
'Tis but a few that find the gate,
While crowds mistake and die.
2 Beloved felf must be deny'd,
The mind and will renew'd,
Paffion fupprefs'd, and patience try'd,
And vain defires fubdu'd.
8 [Flefh is a dangerous foe to grace,
Where it prevails and rules;
Flesh must be humbled, pride abas'd,
Left they deftroy our fouls.
4 The love of gold be banish'd hence,
(That vile idolatry)
And every member, every fenfe,
In fweet fubjection lie.
5 The tongue, that most unruly power,
Requires a ftrong restraint:
We must be watchful every hour,
And pray, but never faint.
6 Lord! can a feeble, helplefs worm
Fulfil a task fo hard!
Thy grace muft all my work perform,
And give the free reward.
HYMN CLXII. Common Metre.
Meditation of heaven; or, the joys of faith.
Y thoughts, furmount thefe lower skies,
And look within the veil;
There fprings of endless pleasure rife,
The waters never fail.
2 There I behold, with fweet delight,
The bleffed Three in One;
And ftrong affections fix my fight
On God's incarnate Son.
3 His promife ftands forever firm,
His grace fhall ne'er depart :
He binds my name upon his arm,
And feals it on his heart.
4 Light are the pains that nature brings;
How fhort our forrows are!
When with eternal future things
The prefent we compare.
5 I would not be a ftranger fill
To that celeftial place,
Where I forever hope to dwell
Near my Redeemer's face.
HYMN CLXIII. Common Metre. [9] Complaint of defertion and temptation.
EAR Lord, behold our fore diftrefs;
Our fins attempt to reign;
Stretch out thine arm of conquering grace,
And let thy foes be flain.
2 The lion, with his dreadful roar,
Affrights thy feeble fheep:
Reveal the glory of thy power,
And chain him to the deep.
3 Muft we indulge a long defpair ?
Shall our petitions die?
Our mournings never reach thine ear?
Nor tears affect thine eye?]
4 If thou defpife a mortal groan,
Yet hear a Saviour's blood;
An Advocate fo near the throne,
Pleads and prevails with God.
5 He brought the Spirit's powerful fword,
To flay our deadly foes:
Our fins fhall die beneath thy word,
And hell in vain oppose.
6 How boundless is our Father's grace,
In height, and depth, and length !
He made his Son our righteousness,
His Spirit is our ftrength.
HYMN CLXIV. Common Metre.
The end of the world.
HY fhould this earth delight us fo?
Why should we fix our eyes
On these low grounds, where forrows grow,
And every pleasure dies?
2 While time his fharpeft teeth prepares
Our comforts to devour,
There is a land above the ftars,
And joys above his power.
3 Nature fhall be diffolv'd and die-
The fun muft end his race:
The earth and fea forever fly
Before my Saviour's face.
4 When will that glorious morning rife,
When the laft trumpet found,
And call the nations to the skies
From underneath the ground?
HYMN CLXV.
Unfruitfulness, ignorance, and unfanctified affections.
ONG have I fat beneath the found
Of thy falvation, Lord;
But ftill how weak my faith is found,
And knowledge of thy word.
Oft I frequent thy holy place,
And hear almoft in vain :
How fmall a portion of thy grace
My memory can retain !
3 [My dear Almighty, and my God,
How little art thou known
By all the judgments of thy rod,
And bleffings of thy throne!]
4 [How cold and feeble is my love!
How negligent my fear!
How low my hope of joys above!
How few affections there!
5 Great God! thy fovereign power impart,
To give thy word fuccefs;
Write thy falvation in my heart,
And make me learn thy grace.
[Shew my forgetful feet the way
That leads to joys on high;
There knowledge grows without decay,
And love fhall never die.]
HYMN CLXVI. Common Metre. [*]
The divine perfections.
OW fhall I praife th" eternal God!
That Infinite Unknown?
Who can afcend his high abode,
Or venture near his throne ? 2 [The great Invifible! He dwells Conceal'd in dazzling light; But his all-fearching eye reveals The fecrets of the night.
3 Those watchful eyes, that never sleep, Survey the world around;
His wifdom is a boundless deep,
Where all our thoughts are drown'd.]
4 [Speak we of ftrength? His arm is strong,
To fave, or to deftroy;
Infinite years his life prolong,
And endless is his joy.]
5 [He knows no fhadow of a change,
Nor alters his decrees;
Firm as a rock his truth remains,
To guard his promifes.]
6 [Sinners before his prefence die;
How holy is his name!
His anger and his jealousy
Burn like devouring flame.]
7 Juftice, upon a dreadful throne,
Maintains the rights of God;
While mercy fends her pardons down,
Bought with a Saviour's blood.
8 Now to my foul, immortal King,
Speak fome forgiving word;
Then 'twill be double joy to fing
The glories of my Lord.
HYMN CLXVII.
The divine perfections.
GMy holy fear, my humble joy
REAT God! thy glories fhall employ
My lips, in fongs of honour bring
Their tribute to th' eternal King.
2 [Earth and the ftars, and worlds unknown, Depend precarious on his throne;
All nature hangs upon his word,
And grace and glory own their Lord.]
3 [His fovereign power what mortal_knows?
If he command, who dare oppofe?
With ftrength he girds himself around,
And treads the rebels to the ground.]
4 [Who fhall pretend to teach him skill?
Or guide the counfels of his will?
His wifdom, like a fea divine,
Flows deep and high beyond our line.]
5 [His name is holy, and his
Burns with immortal jealoufy;
He hates the fons of pride, and fheds
His fiery vengeance on their heads.]
6 [The beamings of his piercing fight
Bring dark hypocrify to light;
Death and deftruction naked lie,
And hell uncover'd to his eye.]
7 [Th' eternal law before him ftands ;
His juftice, with impartial hands,
Divides to all their due reward,
Or by the fceptre, or the fword.]
8 [His mercy like a boundless sea,
Wafhes our load of guilt away,
While his own Son came down and dy'd
T'engage his juftice on our fide.]
9 [Each of his words demands my faith,
My foul can reft on all he faith;
His truth inviolably keeps
The largest promife of his lips.]
10 Oh, tell me, with a gentle voice,
"Thou art my God," and I'll rejoice!
Fill'd with thy love, I dare proclaim
The brightest honours of thy name.
HYMN CLXVIII. Long Metre.
EHOVAH reigns, his throne his high;
His robes are light and majesty ;
His glory fhines with beams fo bright,
No mortal can fuftain the fight.
2 His terrors keep the world in awe,
His juftice guards his holy law;
His love reveals a fmiling face,
His truth and promife feal the grace.
3 Through all his works his wisdom shines,
And baffles Satan's deep defigns;
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