5

Let all who worldly pelf

6

7

And worldly spirits have,
Observe, each for himself,
The answer Abra'm gave:

"Remember thou wast fill'd with good, While the poor beggar pin'd for food.

Neglected at thy door,

With tears he begg'd his bread;

But now he weeps no more,
His griefs and pains are fled;
His joys eternally will flow,
While thine expire in endless woe."

Lord, make us truly wise,
To choose thy people's lot,
And earthly joys despise,
Which soon will be forgot:
The greatest evil we can fear,
Is to possess our portion here!

CVİ. The importunate Widow.*
Chap. xviii. 1-7.

1 OUR Lord, who knows full well
The heart of every saint,

Invites us by a parable

To pray and never faint.

2 He bows his gracious ear,
We never plead in vain ;
Yet we must wait till he appear,
And pray, and pray again.

3 Though unbelief suggest,

Why should we longer wait?
He bids us never give him rest,
But be importunate.

* Book ii. hymn 60.

4 'Twas thus a widow poor,

1

Without support or friend,
Beset the unjust judge's door,
And gain'd, at last, her end.

5 For her he little car'd,

As little for the laws;

Nor God, nor man, did he regard,
Yet he espous'd her cause.

6 She urg'd him day and night,
Would no denial take;

At length he said, "I'll do her right,
For my own quiet's sake."

7 And shall not Jesus hear

His chosen when they cry?

Yes, though he may awhile forbear,
He'll help them from on high.

8 His nature, truth, and love,
Engage him on their side;

When they are griev'd, his bowels move,
And can they be denied?

9 Then let us earnest be,

And never faint in prayer ;

He loves our importunity,

And makes our cause his care.

CVII. Zaccheus. Chap. xix. 1-6.

ZACCHEUS climb'd the tree,

And thought himself unknown ;

But how surpris'd was he

When Jesus call'd him down!

The Lord beheld him, though conceal'd, And by a word his power reveal'd.

2

Wonder and joy at once
Were painted in his face ;
"Does he my name pronounce,
And does he know my case?

Will Jesus deign with me to dine?
Lord, I, with all I have, are thine."

3 Thus, where the gospel's preach'd,
And sinners come to hear,

5

6

The hearts of some are reach'd
Before they are aware:

The word directly speaks to them,
And seems to point them out by name.

'Tis curiosity

Oft brings them in the way,

Only the man to see,

And hear what he can say ;

But how the sinner starts to find
The preacher knows his inmost mind!

His long-forgotten faults

Are brought again in view,
And all his secret thoughts
Reveal'd in public too :

Though compass'd with a crowd about,
The searching word has found him out.

While thus distressing pain
And sorrow fills his heart,

He hears a voice again,
That bids his fears depart.

Then like Zaccheus he is blest,
And Jesus deigns to be his guest.

CVIII. The Believer's Danger, Safety, and Duty. Chap. xxii. 31, 32.

1 "SIMON, beware, (the Saviour said), Satan, your subtle foe,

1

Already has his measures laid
Your soul to overthrow.

2 He wants to sift you all as wheat,
And thinks his vict❜ry sure;
But I his malice will defeat,
My prayer shall faith secure."
3 Believers, tremble and rejoice,
Your help and danger view ;
This warning has to you a voice,
This promise speaks to you.

4 Satan beholds with jealous eye
Your privilege and joy;
He's always watchful, always nigh,
To tear and to destroy.

5 But Jesus lives to intercede,
That faith may still prevail;
He will support in time of need,
And Satan's art shall fail.

6 Yet let us not the warning slight,
But watchful still be found:

Though faith cannot be slain in fight,
It may receive a wound.

7 While Satan watches, dare we sleep?
We must our guard maintain;
But, Lord, do thou the city keep,
Or else we watch in vain.*

CIX. Father, forgive them. Chap. xxiii. 34.
"FATHER, forgive, (the Saviour said),
They know not what they do :"

His heart was mov'd, when thus he pray'd
For me, my friends, and you.

2 He saw that as the Jews abus'd And crucified his flesh,

So he by us would be refus'd,

And crucified afresh.

3 Through love of sin we long were prone
To act as Satan bid;

But now with grief and shame we own,
We knew not what we did.

4 We knew not the desert of sin,
Nor whom we thus defied;

Nor where our guilty souls had been,
If Jesus had not died.

5 We knew not what a law we broke,
How holy, just, and pure!
Nor what a God we durst provoke,
But thought ourselves secure.

6 But Jesus all our guilt foresaw,
And shed his precious blood,
To satisfy the holy law,

And make our peace with God,

7 My sin, dear Saviour, made thee bleed,
Yet didst thou pray for me!

I knew not what did, indeed,
When ignorant of thee.

'cx.

The two Malefactors. Chap. xxiii. 39-43.

1 Sov'REIGN grace has power alone
To subdue a heart of stone;

And the moment grace is felt,
Then the hardest heart will melt.

2 When the Lord was crucified
Two transgressors with him died;
One, with vile blaspheming tongue,
Scoff'd at Jesus as he hung.