8 For the wonders he has wrought, Let us now our praises give; And by fweet experience taught, him while we live.

Call upon

ON THE SCRIPTURE.

LXII. C. The light and glory of the word.

HE Spirit breathes upon the word,
And brings the truth to fight;
Precepts and promises afford
A fanctifying light.

2 A glory glides the facred page,
Majeftic like the fun;

It gives a light to ev'ry age,
It gives, but borrows none.

3. The hand that gave it ftill fupplies
The gracious light and heat;
His truths upon the nations rife,
They rife but never set.

4 Let everlasting thanks be thine,
For fuch a bright display,
As makes a world of darkness fhine
With beams of heav'nly day.

5. My foul rejoices to pursue
-The fteps of him I love;
Till glory breaks upon my view
In brighter worlds above,

LXIII. The

LXIII. The word more precious than gold. 1 pRecious Bible! what a treasure

Does the word of GOD afford?

All I want for life or pleasure,

FOOD and MED'CINE, SHIELD and SWORD: Let the world account me poor,

Having this I need no more.

2 Food to which the world's a ftranger,
Here my hungry foul enjoys;
Of excefs their is no danger,
Tho' it fills, it never cloys:

On a dying CHRIST I feed,
He is meat and drink indeed!
3 When my faith is faint and fickly,
Or when Satan wounds my mind,
Cordials to revive me quickly,
Healing MED'CINES here I find:
To the promises I flee,

Each affords a remedy.

4 In the hour of dark temptation
Satan cannot make me yield;
For the word of confolation
Is to me a mighty SHIELD:

5

While the fcripture truths are fure,
From his malice I'm fecure.

Vain his threats to overcome me,
When I take the Spirit's SwORD;
Then with ease I drive him from me,
Satan trembles at the word:

'Tis a fword for conqueft made,
Keen the edge, and ftrong the blade..
6 Shall

6 Shall I envy then the mifer,
Doating on his golden ftore ?>
Sure I am, or fhould be wifer,
I an Rich, 'tis he is Poor:

JESUS gives me in his word,

FOOD and MEDICINE SHIELD and SWORD.

III. PROVIDENCES

LXIV. On the commencement of hoftilities in

I

TH

America.

HE gath'ring clouds, with afpect dark,
A rifing ftorm presage;

Oh to be hid within the ark,

And fhelter'd from its rage!

2 See the commiffion'd angel frown (ƒ)!
That vial in his hand,

Fill'd with fierce wrath, is pouring down
Upon our guilty land!

3 Ye faints unite in wrestling pray'r,
If yet there may be hope ;-
Who knows but mercy yet may fpare,
And bid the angel ftop (g)?

4 Already is the plague begun (h),
And fir'd with hoftile rage,

Brethren, by blood and int'reft one,
With brethren now engage.

5 Peace

(Rev. xvi. 1.

(g) 1 Sam, xxiv. 16.

(b) Numbers xvi. 46.

5

Peace fpreads her wings, prepar'd for flight,
And war, with flaming fword,
And hafty ftrides draws nigh, to fight
The battles of the LORD.

6 The firft alarm, alas, how few,
While diftant, feem to hear!

But they will hear and tremble too,
When GOD fhall fend it near.

7 So thunder o'er the diftant hills,
Gives but a murm'ring found;
But as the tempeft fpreads, it fills,
And shakes the welkin (i) round.

8 May we, at least, with one consent,
Fall low before the throne;

With tears the nation's fins lament,
The churches, and our own.

9 The humble fouls who mourn and pray,
The LORD approves and knows;
His mark fecures them in the day
When vengeance strike his foes.

FAST-DAY HYMN S.

LXV. Confeffion and prayer. Dec. 13. 1776. I OH may the pow'r which melts the rock

Be felt by all affembled here!

Or else our fervice will but mock
The GOD whom we profefs to fear!

2 LORD,

() Firmament, or Atmosphere.

2 LORD, while thy judgments fhake the land, Thy people's eyes are fix'd on thee! We own thy juft uplifted hand,

Which thoufands cannot, will not fee.

3 How long haft thou bestow'd thy care
On this indulg'd ungrateful spot;
While other nations, far and near,
Have envy'd and admir'd our lot.
4 Here peace and liberty have dwelt,
The glorious gofpel brightly fhone;
And oft our enemies have felt

That God has made our cause his own.

5 But ah! both heav'n and earth have heard Our vile requital of his love!

We, whom like children he has rear'd, Rebels against his goodness prove (k). 6 His grace defpis'd, his pow'r defy'd, And legions of the blackeft crimes, Profaneness, riot, luft and pride, Are figns that mark the prefent times. 7 The LORD difpleas'd, has rais'd his rod ; Ah where are now the faithful few Who tremble for the ark of GOD, And know what Ifrael ought to do (1) ? 8 LORD, hear thy people ev'ry where, Who meet to mourn, confefs and pray; The nation and thy churches fpare, And let thy wrath be turn'd away.

LXVI.

(*) Isaiah i, 2.

(4) 1 Chron. xii.

32.