Then Satan his efforts renews;

To vex and ensnare me again :
All my pleafing enjoyments I lose,
And can only lament and complain.
3 By thefe changes I often pass thro',
I am taught my own weakness to know;
I am taught what my Shepherd can do,
And how much to his mercy I owe:
It is he who fupports me thro' all,
When I faint he revives me again;
He attends to my pray'r when I call,
And bids me no longer complain.

4 Wherefore then fhould I murmur and grieve?
Since my Shepherd is always the fame,
And has promis'd he never will leave (1)
The foul that confides in his name:
To relieve me from all that I fear,
He was buffeted, tempted, and flain;
And at length he will furely appear,
Tho' he leaves me awhile to complain.
5 While I dwell in an enemy's land,
Can I hope to be always in peace!
'Tis enough that my Shepherd's at hand,
And that thortly this warfare will cease;
For ere long he will bid me remove (m)
From this region of forrow and pain,
To abide in his prefence above,
And then I no more fhall complain."

R

XXXI. Return, O LORD, bow long.
ETURN to blefs my waiting eyes,
And cheer
my mourning heart, OLORD,
(4) Jer, i. 19. (m) Rev. ii, 10.

Without thee, all beneath the skies
No real pleasure can afford.

2 When thy lov'd prefence meets my fight,
It foftens care, and fweetens toil ;
The fun fhines forth with double light,
The whole creation wears a smile.
3 Upon thine arm of love I reft,
Thy gracious voice forbids my fear;
No ftorms difturb my peaceful breast,
No foes affault when thou art near.

$4 But ah! fince thou hast been away,
Nothing but trouble have I known;
And Satan marks me for his prey
Because he fees me left alone.

5 My fun is hid, my comforts loft,
My graces droop, my fins revive;
Diftrefs'd, difmay'd, and tempeft-tofs'd,
My foul is only just alive!

I

LORD, hear my cry, and come again,
Put all mine enemies to fhame,

And let them fee 'tis not in vain
That I have trufted in thy name.

XXXII. Caft down, but not destroyed.

THO

HO' fore befet with guilt and fear,
I cannot, dare not, quite defpair;
If st muft perifh, would the LORD
Have taught my heart to love his word?
Would he have giv'n me eyes to fee (*)
My danger, and my remedy,

(") Judges xiii.23.

Reveal'd

3

Reveal'd his name, and bid me pray,
Had he refolv'd to say me nay?

2 No-tho' caft down, I am not flain;
I fall, but I shall rife again (0);
The prefent, Satan, is thy hour,
But JESUS fhall control thy pow'r :
His love will plead for my relief,
He hears my grones, he fees my grief;
Nor will he fuffer thee to boast,
A foul that fought his help was loft.
'Tis true, I have unfaithful been,
And griev'd his Spirit by my fin;
Yet ftill his mercy he'll reveal,
And all my wounds and follies heal:
Abounding fin I must confefs (p),
But more abounding is his grace;
He once vouchfaf'd for me to bleed,
And now he lives my cause to plead.
4. I'll caft myself before his feet,
I fee him on his mercy-feat;
('Tis fprinkled with atoning blood)
There finners find accefs to GoD:
Ye burden'd fouls approach with me,
And make the Saviour's name your plea;
JESUS will pardon all who come,
And ftrik our fierce accufer dumb.

XXXIII. The benighted traveller.

I FOREST beafts, that live by prey,
Seldom fhew themselves by day;

But

(0) Micah vii, 8.

(p) Rom. v, 20.

But when day-light is withdrawn (9),
Then they rove and roar till dawn.
2 Who can tell the travellers fears,
When their horrid yells he hears;
Terror almoft ftops his breath,
While each step he looks for death.
3 Thus when JESUS is in view,
Cheerful I my way purfue:
Walking by my Saviour's light,
Nothing can my foul affright.

4 But when he forbears to fhine,
Soon the trav'ller's cafe is mine;
Loft, benighted, ftruck with dread,
What a painful path I tread!
5 Then, my foul with terror hears
Worfe than lions, wolves, or bears,
Roaring loud in ev'ry part,

Thro' the foreft of my heart.

6 Wrath, impatience, envy, pride,
Satan and his hoft befide,
Prefs around me to devour;
How can I escape their pow'r ?
7 Gracious LORD, afford me light,
Put these beafts of prey to flight;
Let thy pow'r and love be fhewn (r),
Save me, for I am thine own.

XXXIV. The prifoner.

I

WHE

CA

HEN the poor pris'ner thro' a grate
Sees others walk at large;

(9) Pfalm civ. zo. (r) Pfalm cxix. 94.

How

ET

How does he mourn his lonely state,
And long for a discharge?

2 Thus I, confin'd in unbelief,
My lofs of freedom mourn;
And spend my hours in fruitlefs grief,
Untill my LORD return.

3

The beam of day which pierces thro
The gloom in which I dwell,
Only discloses to my view

The horrors of my cell.

4 Ah! how my penfive fpirit faints,
To think of former days!
When I could triumph with the faints,
And join their fongs of praise.

5 But now my joys are all cut off,
In prifon I am caft;

And Satan, with a cruel fcoff (s),
Says, "Where's your GoD at laft ?"
6 Dear Saviour, for thy mercy's fake,
My ftrong, my only plea,

Thefe gates and bars in pieces break (1),
And fet the pris❜ner free!

7 Surely my foul fhall fing to thee,
For liberty reftor'd;

And all thy faints admire to see
The mercies of the LORD.

XXXV. Perplexity relieved.

Uncertain how the way to find

Which to falvation led;

(s) Pfalm cxv. 2.

(+) Pfalm cxlii. 7.