2 The fire restrain'd by GoD's commands,
Could only burn his people's bands (ƒ),
Too faint, when he was with them there,
To finge their garments or their hair.
3 At Daniel's feet the lions lay (g)
Like harmlefs lambs, nor touch'd their prey,
And ravens, which on carrion fed,
Procur'd Elijah flesh and bread.
4 Thus creatures only can fulfill
Their great Creator's holy will;
And when his fervants need their aid,
His purposes must be obey'd.
5 So if his bleffing he refufe,
Their pow'r to help they quickly lofe,
Sure as on creatures we depend,
Our hopes in disappointment end.
6 Then let us truft the LORD alone,
And creature-confidence difown,
Nor if they threaten need we fear,
They cannot hurt if he be near.
7 If inftruments of pain they prove,
Still they are guided by his love;
As lancets by the furgeon's fkill,
Which wound to cure, and not to kill,
HEN lumber feals our weary eyes, The bufy fancy wakeful keeps ; The scenes which then before us rife, Prove, fomething in us never fleeps.
2 As in another world we feem,
A new creation of our own;
All appears real, tho' a dream,
And all familiar, tho' unknown.
3 Sometimes the mind beholds again
The paft day's bus'nefs in review;
Refumes the pleasure or the pain,
And fometimes all we meet is new.
4 What schemes we form, what pains we take!
We fight, we run, we fly, we fall;
But all is ended when we wake,
We scarcely then a trace recall,
5 But tho' our dreams are often wild,
Like clouds before the driving ftorm;
Yet fome important may be ftil'd,
Sent to admonifh or inform.
What mighty agents have accefs,
What friends from heav'n, or foes from hell,
Our minds to comfort or diftrefs,
When we are fleeping, who can tell?
7 One thing, at least, and 'tis enough,
We learn from this furprising fact;
Our dreams afford fufficient proof,
The foul, without the flesh, can act.
8 This life, which mortals fo esteem,
That many choose it for their all,
They will confefs, was but a dream
When 'waken'd by death's awful call.
XCIX. The world.
I SEE, the world for youth prepares,
Harlot like, her gaudy fnares!
N 3
Pleasures round her feem to wait,
But 'tis all a painted cheat.
2 Rafh and unfufpecting youth
Thinks to find thee always fmooth,
Always kind, till better taught,
By experience dearly bought.
3 So the calm, but faithlefs fea,
(Lively emblem, world, of thee)
Tempts the fhepherd from the thore,
Foreign regions to explore.
4 While no wrinkled wave is feen,
While the sky remains ferene;
Fill'd with hopes, and golden fchemes,
Of a ftorm he little dreams.
5 But ere long the tempeft raves,
Then he trembles at the waves;
Wishes then he had been wife,
But too late-he finks and dies.
6 Haplefs thus, are they, vain world,
Soon on rocks of ruin hurl'd;
Who admiring thee, untry'd,
Court thy pleasure, wealth or pride.
Such a fhipwreck had been mine,
Had not JESUS (Name Divine!)
Sav'd me with a mighty hand,
And restor❜d my foul to land.
8 Now, with gratitude I raise
Ebenezers to his praife;
Now my rafh pursuits are o'er,
I can trust thee, world, no more.
C. The inchantment dissolved.
I. BLinded in youth by Satan's arts,
The world to our unpractis'd hearts,
A flatt'ring prospect shows;
Our fancy forms a thoufand ichemes
Of gay delights, and golden dreams,
And undisturb'd repofe.
2 So in the defert's dreary waste,
By magic pow'r produc'd in hafte,
(As ancient fables say)
Caftles, and groves, and mufic fweet,
The fenfes of the trav❜ller meet,
And ftop him in his way.
But while he liftens with furprize,
The charm diffolves, the vifion dies,
'Twas but inchanted ground;
Thus if the LORD our fpirit touch,
The world, which promis'd us so much,
A wilderness is found.
4 At first we start, and feel diftrefs'd,
Convinc'd we never can have reft,
In fuch a wretched place;
But he whose mercy breaks the charm,
Reveals his own almighty arm,
And bids us feek his face.
5 Then we begin to live indeed,
When from our fin and bondage freed,
By this beloved Friend;
We follow him from day to day,
Affur'd of grace thro' all the way,
And glory at the end.
According to the Order and Subject of the HYMNS.
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