2 As in the ancient days appear!
The sacred annals speak thy fame :
Be now omnipotently near,

To endless ages still the same.

3 By death and hell pursued in vain,
To Thee the ransom'd seed shall come;
Shouting, their heavenly Zion gain,
And pass, through death, triumphant home.

48.

The Gospel Invitation.-Isa. lv. 1. 1 Ho! every one that thirsts, draw nigh; ('Tis God invites the fallen race) Mercy and free salvation buy;

Buy wine, and milk, and gospel grace.

2 Come to the living waters, come!
Sinners, obey your Maker's call;
Return, ye weary wanderers home,
And find my grace is free to all.
3 See from the Rock a fountain rise!
For you in healing streams it rolls;
Money ye need not bring, nor price,
Ye labouring, burden'd, sin-sick souls.
4 Nothing ye in exchange shall give,
Leave all you have, and are, behind;
Frankly the gift of God receive,
Pardon and peace in Jesus find.

5 Why seek ye that which is not bread,
Nor can your hungry souls sustain?
On ashes, husks, and air ye feed;
Ye spend your little all in vain.

6 In search of empty joys below,
Ye toil with unavailing strife:
Whither, ah! whither would ye go?
I have the words of endless life.

7 Hearken to Me with earnest care,
And freely eat substantial food;

The sweetness of my mercy share, And taste that I alone am good. 8 I bid you all my goodness prove, My promises for all are free: Come taste the manna of my love, And let your souls delight in Me. 9 Your willing ear and heart incline, My words believingly receive; Quicken'd your souls by faith divine, An everlasting life shall live.

49.

Effects of the Gospel.-Isa. lv. 10.

1 MARK the soft-falling snow
And the diffusive rain;

To heaven, from whence it fell,
It turns not back again;
But waters earth

Through every pore,
And calls forth all
It's secret store.

Array'd in beauteous green
The hills and valleys shine,
And man and beast is fed
By providence divine;
The harvest bows

Its golden ears,

The copious seed

Of future years.

3" So," saith the God of grace, "My gospel shall descend, Almighty to effect

The purpose I intend;

Millions of souls

Shall feel its power,
And bear it down
To millions more.

4" Joy shall begin your march,
And peace protect your ways,
While all the mountains round
Echo melodious praise;

The vocal groves
Shall sing the God,
And every tree
Consenting nod."

50.

The wretchedness of the wicked.-Isa. lvii. 20, 21.
1 THEY must be as the troubled sea,
They cannot rest who know not Thee,
Whose working hearts, disturb'd within,
Cast up the mire of actual sin.

2 No peace the wicked e'er can know,
While hastening to their place below,
But trouble must with sin remain,
Sad earnest of eternal pain.

51.

Answers to prayer.-Isa. lxv. 24.

1 OFT hast Thou, Lord, in tender love, Prevented my request,

And sent thy Spirit from above

An unexpected guest:

2 Oft when my prayer was scarce begun
Thou didst thy grace impart,

And make thy pardoning mercy known,
And seal it on my heart.

3 Why this profusion of thy grace
On such a worm as me?

Father, I ask in fix'd amaze,
Explain the mystery.

4 How canst thou to a sinner's cry

Incline thy pitying ear?

Thou hear'st mine Advocate on high,
And wilt forever hear.

52.

Self-deceivers.-Jer. vii. 4.

1 THE men who slight thy faithful word In their own lies confide,

These are the temple of the Lord,

And heathens all beside.

The temple of the Lord are these,
The only church and true,

Who live in pomp, and wealth, and ease,
And Jesus never knew.

2 The temple of the Lord-they pull
Thy living temples down,

And cast out every gracious soul
That trembles at thy frown:
The church-they from their pale expel
Whom Thou hast here forgiven:
And all the synagogue of hell

Are the sole heirs of heaven!

3 O would'st Thou, Lord, reveal their sins, And turn their joy to grief,

The world, the Christian world convince
Of damning unbelief;

The formalists confound, convert,

And to thy people join,

And break, and fill the broken heart

With confidence divine!

53.

Late Repentance.-Jer. viii. 20.
1 THE harvest of my joys is past,
The summer of my comforts fled,
Yet am I unredeem'd at last,
And sink unsaved among the dead,
If on the margin of the grave,
Thou canst not in a moment save.

2 Destroy me not by thy delay;
Delay is endless death to me:

But the last moment of my day
Is as a thousand years to Thee:
Come, Jesus, while my head I bow,
And show me thy salvation now!

54.

Profane families warned.-Jer. x. 25.
I TREMBLE, ye families profane,
Where the great God is not adored,
Who take the name of Christ in vain,
But do not invocate your Lord;
Regardless of his smile or frown,
Ye pull his heaviest judgments down.

2 Before the threaten'd curse takes place,
And sweeps your prayerless souls to hell,
Daily unite to' implore his grace,
Invite Him in your tents to dwell,
Let every house his worship show,
And every heart his presence know.

55.

The deceitfulness of the heart.-Jer. xvii. 9. 1 How often, Lord, have I believed

Myself instead of Thee,

Ten thousand, thousand times deceived
By my credulity!

In every victory of grace

I thought the conflict o'er:
So strong my hill of holiness,

I can be moved no more.

2 But O, how desperately proud

My wretched heart unknown,
Which told me, "I am fill'd with God,
And all the work is done!"
It whisper'd" I am saved from sin,
And need no farther care,

If now I feel it not within,
It is no longer there."