The Works of the Rev. John Newton ...

6 Thou heav'nly wind awake and blow, 7 O make them hear, and feel, and

In answer to the pray'r of faith; Now thine almighty influence show, And fill dry bones with living breath.

shake,

And, at thy call, obedient move; The bonds of death and Satan break, And bone to bone unite in love,

XVI. The Rod of Moses.

1 WHEN Moses wav'd his mystic rod, | 5 Proclaim the thunders of thy law, What wonders follow'd while he

spoke!

Firm as a wall the waters stood,* Or gush'd, in rivers, from the rock.t

2 At his command the thunders roll'd, Lightning and hail his voice obey'd,‡

And Pharaoh trembled to behold
His land in desolation laid.

3 But what could Moses' rod have done,

Had he not been divinely sent? The pow'r was from the Lord alone, And Moses but the instrument.

4 O Lord, regard thy people's pray'rs! Assist a worm to preach aright: And, since thy Gospel rod he bears, Display thy wonders in our sight.

Like lightning let thine arrows fly, That careless sinners, struck with

XVII. God speaking from Mount Zion.

1 THE God who once to Israel spoke
From Sinai's top, in fire and smoke,
In gentler strains of Gospel grace
Invites us now to seek his face.

2 He wears no terrors on his brow,
He speaks, in love, from Zion now;
It is the voice of Jesus' blood
Calling poor wand'rers home to God.

The holy Moses quak'd and fear'd
When Sinai's thund'ring law he
heard;

But reigning grace, with accents mild,

Speaks to the sinner as a child.

4 Hark! how from Calvary it sounds, From the Redeemer's bleeding wounds!

"Pardon and grace I freely give,
"Poor sinner, look to me, and live."

* Exod. xiv. 21.

5 What other arguments can move The heart that slights a Saviour's love!

Yet, till almighty pow'r constrain, This matchless love is preach'd in vain.

6 O Saviour, let that pow'r be felt,

And cause each stony heart to melt!
Deeply impress upon our youth
The light and force of Gospel truth.

7 With this new year may they begin
To live to thee, and die to sin;
To enter by the narrow way
Which leads te everlasting day.

8 How will they else thy presence bear When, as a Judge, thou shalt appear! When slighted love to wrath shall

turn,

And the whole earth like Sinai burn!

XVIII. A Prayer for Power on the Means of Grace.

Thy quick ning influence afford,

It was thy pow'r that brought them low,

And not the trumpets' feeble blast.

And clothe with pow'r the preach- 5 Thus we would in the means be

er's tongue.

He cannot give the hearing ear;

found,

And thus on thee alone depend; To make the Gospel's joyful sound Effectual to the promis'd end.

"Tis thine the stubborn heart to break, 6 Now, while we hear thy word of

And make the careless sinner fear.

3 As when, of old, the water flow'd Forth from the rock at thy command ;*

Moses in vain had wav'd his rod, Without thy wonder working hand.

4 As when the walls of Jericho, Down to the earth at once were cast;†

XIX. Elijah's Mantle.

Grace,

Let self and pride before it fall; And rocky hearts dissolve apace,

In streams of sorrow at thy call.

7 On all our youth assembled here
The unction of thy Spirit pour;
Nor let them lose another year,
Lest thou shouldst strive and call

no more.

2 Kings, ii. 11-14.

1 ELISHA, struck with grief and awe, | 5 When Peter first his mantle wav'd,

Cry'd, “Ah! where now is Israel's
stay ?"

When he his honour'd master saw
"Borne by a fiery car away.

2 But while he look'd a last adieu,
His mantle, as it fell, he caught;
The Spirit rested on him too,
And equal miracles he wrought.

How soon it melted hearts of steel! Sinners, by thonsands, then were

sav'd,

But now how few its virtues feel!

6 Where is Elijah's God, the Lord! Thine Israel's hope, and joy, and boast!

3 "Where is Elijah's God?" he cry'd, And with the mantle smote the 7 flood;

His word controll'd the swelling tide, Th' obedient waters upright stood. 4 The wonder-working Gospel thus, From hand to hand has been convey'd ;

We have the mantle still with us, But where, O where the Spirit's aid.

Reveal thine arm, confirm thy word,
Give us another Pentecost!

Assist thy messenger to speak,

And, while he aims to lisp thy truth,

The bonds of sin and Satan break,
And pour thy blessing on our
youth.

8 For them we now approach thy
throne,
[name;
Teach them to know and love thy
Then shall thy thankful people own
Elijah's God is still the same.

Numbers xx. 11.

+ Joshua, vi. 20.

+ Acts i

HYMNS

AFTER SERMONS TO YOUNG PEOPLE, ON NEW-YEARS' EVENINGS, SUITED TO THE SUBJECTS.

XX. David's Charge to Solomon. 1 Chron. xxviii. 9.

1' O DAVID'S Son, and David's Lord! | 4 From age to age thou art the

same;

Thy gracious presence now afford, And teach our youth to know thy

name.

2 Thy people, Lord, though oft distrest,

Upheld by thee, thus far are come; And now we long to see thy rest, And wait thy word to call us home.

8 Like David, when this life shall end, We trust in thee, sure peace to find; Like him, to thee we now commend The children we must leave behind.

XXI.

Ere long, we hope to be where care, And sin, and sorrow, never come; But, oh! accept our humble pray'r That these may praise thee in our

The Lord's Call to his Children. 2 Cor. vi. 17, 18.

1 LET us adore the grace that seeks

To draw our hearts above!
Attend, 'tis God the Saviour speaks,
And ev'ry word is love.

2 Though fill'd with awe, before his throne

Each angel veils his face;
He claims a people for his own
Amongst our sinful race.

3 Careless a while they live in sin,
Enslav'd to Satan's pow'r ;
But they obey the call divine,
In his appointed hour.

4 "Come forth," he says, "no more pursue

"The paths that lead to death;

"Look up, a bleeding Saviour view, "Look, and be sav'd by faith.

5 "My sons and daughters you shall be "Through the atoning blood; "And you shall claim, and find in me "A Father, and a God."

6 Lord, speak these words to ev'ry heart,

By thine all-pow'rful voice;
That we may now from sin depart,
And make thy love our choice.

7 If now we learn to seek thy face

By Christ, the living way, [grace We'll praise thee for this hour of Through an eternal day.

XXII. The Prayer of Jabez.

1 JESUS, who bought us with his blood, |
And makes our souls his care,
Was known of old as Israel's God,
And answer'd Jabez' pray'r.

1 Chron. iv. 9, 10.

Jabez! a child of grief! the name Befits poor sinners well;

For Jesus bore the cross and shame To save our souls from hell.

9 Teach us, O Lord, like him to plead For mercies from above:

O come, and bless our souls indeed,

With light, and joy, and love.

4 The Gospel's promis'd land is wide, We fain would enter in ;

But we are press'd on ev'ry side
With unbelief and sin.

Arise, O Lord, enlarge our coast,
Let us possess the whole,

That Satan may no longer boast
He can thy work control.

6 Oh! may thy hand be with us still,
Our guide and guardian be,
To keep us safe from ev'ry ill,
Till death shall set us free.

7 Help us on thee to cast our care, And on thy word to rest, [pray'ı, That Israel's God, who heareth Will grant us our request.

XXIII. Waiting at Wisdom's Gates. Prov. viii. 34, 35.

1 ENSNAR'D too long my heart has

been

In folly's hurtful ways;
Oh! may I now, at length, begin
To hear what Wisdom says!

2 'Tis Jesus, from the mercy-seat,
Invites me to his rest;

He calls poor sinners to his feet,
To make them truly blest.

3 Approach, my soul, to Wisdom's gates,

While it is call'd to-day;
No one who watches there, and waits,
Shall e'er be turn'd away.

4 He will not let me seek in vain ;
For all who trust his word

XXIV.

Shall everlasting life obtain,

And favour from the Lord.

5 Lord, I have hated thee too long,
And dar'd thee to thy face;
I've done my soul exceeding wrong
In slighting all thy grace.

6 Now I would break my league with death,

And live to thee alone;
Oh! let thy Spirit's seal of faith
Secure me for thine own.

7 Let all the saints assembled here,
Yea, let all heav'n rejoice,
That I begin, with this new year,
To make the Lord my choice.

Asking the Way to Zion. Jer. 1. 5.

1 ZION, the city of our God,
How glorious is the place!
The Saviour there has his abode,
And sinners see his face!

2 Firm against ev'ry adverse shock,
Its mighty bulwarks prove;
"Tis built upon the living Rock,
And wall'd around with love.

3 There all the fruits of glory grow, And joys that never die ;

[flow,

And streams of grace and knowledge The soul to satisfy.

4 Come, set your faces Zion-ward,
The sacred road inquire;
And let a union to the Lord
Be henceforth your desire.

5 The Gospel shines to give you light, No longer, then, delay;

The Spirit waits to guide you right,
And Jesus is the way.

6 O Lord, regard thy people's pray'r, Thy promise now fulfil;

And young and old, by grace prepare
To dwell on Zion's hill.

XXV. We were Pharaoh's Bondmen. Deut. vi. 20-23.

2 Jesus, in that important hour,

His mighty arm made known; He ransom'd us by price and pow'r, And claim'd us for his own.

5 O might we, ere we hence remove,

Prevail upon our youth

To seek, that they may likewise prove
His mercy and his truth.

3 Now, freed from bondage, sin, and | 6 Like Simeon, we shall gladly go,*

death,

We walk in wisdom's ways;

And wish to spend our ev'ry breath
In wonder, love, and praise.

4 Ere long, we hope with him to dwell
In yonder world above;

And now we only live to tell

The riches of his love.

When Jesus calls us home:
If they are left a seed below,

To serve him in our room.

Lord, hear our pray'r, indulge our hope,

On these thy Spirit pour,

That they may take our story up,
When we can speak no more.

XXVI. Travailling in Birth for Souls. Gal. iv. 19.

1 WHAT Contradictions meet

In minister's employ !

It is a bitter sweet,

A sorrow full of joy :
No other post affords a place
For equal honour or disgrace!

2 Who can describe the pain
Which faithful preachers feel,
Constrain'd to speak in vain,

To hearts as hard as steel!
Or who can tell the pleasures felt,
When stubborn hearts begin to melt!

3 The Saviour's dying love,

The soul's amazing worth, Their utmost efforts move,

And draw their bowels forth : They pray and strive, their rest departs, Till Christ be form'd in sinners' hearts.

4 If some small hope appear,

They still are not content;
But with a jealous fear,

They watch for the event:

Too oft they find their hopes deceiv'd,
Then how their inmost souls are
griev'd!

5 But when their pains succeed,
And from the tender blade
The rip'ning ears proceed,

Their toils are overpaid:
No harvest-joy can equal theirs,
To find the fruit of all their cares.

6 On what has now been sown,
Thy blessing, Lord bestow;
The pow'r is thine alone,

To make it spring and grow:
Do thou the gracious harvest raise,
And thou alone shalt have the praise.

XXVII. We are Ambassadors for Christ. 2 Cor. v. 20.

1 THY message by the preacher seal, | 4 In Jesus, God is reconcil'd,
And let thy pow'r be known,
That ev'ry sinner here may feel
The word is not his own.

2 Amongst the foremost of the throng,
Who dare thee to thy face,
He in rebellion stood too long,
And fought against thy grace.

3 But grace prevail'd, he mercy found,
And now by thee is sent,

To tell his fellow-rebels round,
And call them to repent.

The worst may be forgiv❜n;
Come, and he'll own you as a child,
And make you heir of heav'n.

5 Oh! may the word of Gospel truth
Your chief desires engage!
And Jesus be your guide in youth,
Your joy in hoary age.

6 Perhaps the year that's now begun
May prove to some their last;
The sands of life may soon be run,
The day of grace be past.

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