240. The Christian safe in Christ.
BESET with snares on ev'ry hand,
In life's uncertain path I stand:
Saviour divine! diffuse thy light,
To guide my doubtful footsteps right.
Engage this roving, treach'rous heart,
Great God! to choose the better part,
To scorn the trifles of a day,

For joys that none can take away.
Then should the wildest storms arise,
And tempests mingle earth and skies,
No fatal shipwreck shall I fear,
But all my treasure with me bear.
If thou, my Jesus, still art nigh,
Cheerful I live, and cheerful die;
Secure, when mortal comforts flee,
To find ten thousand worlds in thee.

241. Ask and receive.

COME, my soul, thy suit prepare,
Jesus loves to answer pray'r;
He himself has bid thee pray;
He his help will not delay.
Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For his grace and pow'r are such,
None can ever ask too much.

With my burden I begin,
Lord, remove this load of sin!

Let thy blood, for sinners spilt,
Set my conscience free from guilt.
Lord! I come to thee for rest,
Take possession of my breast;
There thy blood-bought right maintain,
And without a rival reign.

As the image in the glass
Answers the beholder's face;
Thus unto my heart appear,
Print thine own resemblance there.
While I am a pilgrim here,
Let thy love my spirit cheer;
As my Guide, my Guard, my Friend,
Lead me to my journey's end.

Shew me what I have to do,
Ev'ry hour my strength renew;
Let me live a life of faith,
Let me die thy people's death.

COME, thou fount of ev'ry blessing!
Tune my heart to sing thy grace!
Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise :
Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise the mount--I'm fixt upon it,
Mount of God's unchanging love!
Here I raise mine Ebenezer,
Hither by thy help I'm come;

And I hope, by thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jesus sought me, when a stranger,
Wand'ring from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interpos'd with precious blood.
O, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrain'd to be!
Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter,
Bind my wand'ring heart to thee!
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;
Prone to leave the God I love-
Here's my heart, Lord, take and seal it;
Seal it from thy courts above!

243. The Christian retiring.

FAR from the world, O Lord, I flee,
From strife and tumult far,
From scenes where Satan wages still
His most successful war.

The calm retreat, the silent shade,
With pray'r and praise agree,
And seem, by thy sweet bounty made,
For those who follow thee.

There if thy Spirit touch the soul,
And grace her mean abode,

O! with what peace, and joy, and love,
She communes with her God!

There, like the nightingale, she pours
Her solitary lays;

Nor asks a witness of her song,
Nor thirsts for human praise.
Author and Guardian of my life,
Sweet source of light divine!
And (all harmonious names in one)
My Saviour, thou art mine!

What thanks I owe thee, and what love,
A boundless, endless store,
Shall echo thro' the realms above
When time shall be no more.

244. Christian Gratitude.

FOR mercies, countless as the sands,
Which daily I receive

From Jesus, my Redeemer's hands,
My soul, what canst thou give ?
Alas! from such a heart as mine
What can I bring him forth?
My best is stain'd and dy'd with sin,
My all is nothing worth.

Yet this acknowledgment I'll make
For all he has bestow'd,
Salvation's sacred cup I'll take,
And call upon my God.

The best returns for one like me,
So wretched and so poor,
Is from his gifts to draw a plea,
And ask him still for more.

I cannot serve him as I ought;
No works have I to boast;

247. Pleading with God.

GOD of my life, to thee I call,
Afflicted at thy feet I fall;

When the great water-floods prevail,
Leave not my trembling heart to fail!

Friend of the friendless, and the faint!
Where should I lodge my deep complaint?
Where but with thee, whose open door
Invites the helpless and the poor?

Did ever mourner plead with thee,
And thou refuse that mourner's plea?
Does not the word still fix'd remain,
That none shall seek thy face in vain?
Poor though I am, despis'd, forgot,
Yet God, my God, forgets me not;
And he is safe, and must succeed,
For whom the Lord vouchsafes to plead.

248. The Christian encouraged.
HARK, my soul! it is the Lord;
'Tis thy Saviour, hear his word;
Jesus speaks, and speaks to thee:
Say, poor sinner, lov'st thou me?'

I deliver'd thee when bound,

And, when bleeding, heal'd thy wound;
Sought thee wand'ring, set thee right,
Turn'd thy darkness into light.

Can a woman's tender care

Cease towards the child she bare?