(Some might think it thrown away)
Now a large increase is found:
Tho' conceal'd, it was not loft,
Tho' it dy'd, it lives again;
Eaftern ftorms, and nipping frofts
Have oppos'd its growth in vain.
4 Let the praife be all the LORD'S,
As the benefit is ours!

5

I

He, in feafon ftill affords
Kindly heat, and gentle fhow'rs:
By his care the produce thrives
Waving o'er the furrow'd lands;
And when harveft-time arrives,
Ready for the reaper ftands.
Thus in barren hearts he fows
Precious feeds of heav'nly joy (t);
Sin, and hell, in vain oppofe,
None can grace's crop deftroy:
Threat'ned oft, yet ftill it blooms,
After many changes past,

Death, the reaper, when he comes,
Finds it fully ripe at last.

CHRISTMAS.

XXXVII. Praife for the incarnation.

SWEE

WEETER founds than mufic knows
Charm me in EMMANUEL's name;

All her hopes my spirit owes

To his birth, and crois, and fhame.

(1) Hofea xiv. 7. Mark iv. 26-29.

2 When

2 When he came the angels fung,

3

66

Glory be to God on high;"

LORD, unloofe my ftamm'ring tongue,
Who should louder fing than I?
Did the LORD a man become,

That he might the law fulfil,
Bleed and fuffer in my room,

And canft thou, my tongue, be ftill? 4 No, I muft my praises bring,

Tho' they worthlefs are and weak;
For fhould I refuse to fing

Sure the very ftones would fpeak.
5 O my Saviour, Shield, and Sun,
Shepherd, Brother, Hufband, Friend,
Ev'ry precious name in one,

I will love thee without end.

XXXVIII. C. JEHOVAH-JESUS.

I

MX

Y fong fhall blefs the LORD of all, My praise fhall climb to his abode; Thee, Saviour, by that name I call The great Supreme, the mighty God. 2 Without beginning, or decline, Object of faith, and not of fenfe; Eternal ages faw him shine, He fhines eternal ages hence.

3 As much, when in the manger laid,
Almighty ruler of the sky;

As when the fix days work he made,
Fill'd all the morning ftars with joy.

4 Of all the crowns Jehovah bears, Salvation is his deareft claim;

That gracious found well pleas'd he hears, And owns EMMANUEL for his name. 5 A cheerful confidence I feel,

My well-plac'd hopes with joy I fee;
My bofom glows with heav'nly zeal
To worship him who dy'd for me.
6 As man, he pities my complaint,
His pow'r and truth are all divine;
He will not fail, he cannot faint,
Salvation's fure, and must be mine.

XXXIX. Man honoured above angels.
NOW let us join with hearts and tongues,
And emulate the angel's fongs;

Yea, finners may addrefs their King,
In fongs that angels cannot fing.

2 They praise the Lamb who once was flain,
But we can add a higher strain (u);
Not only fay," He fuffer'd thus,
But that he fuffer'd all for us.
3 When angels by tranfgreffion fell,
Juftice confign'd them all to hell;
But mercy form'd a wond'rous plan,
To fave and honour fallen man.

4 JESUS, who pafs'd the angels by (x),
Affum'd our flesh to bleed and die;
And ftill he makes it his abode,
As man he fills the throne of GOD.

(*) Rev, v. (x) Heb, ii, 16.

5 Our next of kin, our Brother now, Is he to whom the angels bow;

They join with us to praife his name, But we the neareft intereft claim. 6 But ah! how faint our praises rife! Sure, 'tis the wonder of the fkies: That we, who share his richest love, So cold and unconcern'd fhould prove. 7 Oh glorious hour it comes with fpeed! When we, from fin and darkness freed, Shall fee the GOD whody'd for man, And praife him more than angels can ().

XL. Saturday evening.

* SAFELY thro' another week

God has brought us on our way;
Let us now a bloffing feek

On th' approaching fabbath-day:
Day of all the week the best;
Emblem of eternal reft.

2 Mercies multiply'd each hour,
Thro' the week our praife demand
Guarded by almighty pow'r,

Fed and guided by his hand:
Tho' ungrateful we have been,
Only made returns of fin.

3 While we pray for pard'ning grace,
Thro' the dear Redeemer's name;

Shew thy reconciled face,

Shine away our fin and shame:

From

(y) Book III, Hymn 88.

4

From our wordly care fet free,
May we reft this night with thee.
When the morn fhall bid us rife,
May we feel thy prefence near;
May thy glory meet our eyes,
When we in thy house appear!
There afford us, LORD, a tafte
Of our everlasting feaft.

5 May thy gofpel's joyful found
Conquer finners, comfort faints;
Make the fruits of grace abound,
Bring relief for all complaints:

Thus may all our fabbaths prove
Till we join the church above!

THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR,

XLI. EBENEZER (z.)

HE LORD, our falvation and light, The guide and the ftrength of our days; Has brought us together to-night, A new Ebenezer to raise:

The year we have now paffed thro', His goodness with bleffings has crown'd; Each morning his mercies were new, Then let our thanksgivings abound. 2 Encompafs'd with dangers and fnares, Temptations, and fears, and complaints; His ear he inclin'd to our pray❜rs, His hand open'd wide to our wants :

(x) 1 Sam, vii. 12.

We