Each sin-infected sire, alas!
Begets a sin-infected child:
Thus propagation spreads the curse;
And man born bad, grows worse and worse. But lo! the second Adam came,
The serpent's subtle head to bruise; He cancels his malicious claim,
And disappoints his dev❜lish views ;
Ransoms poor pris'ners with his blood,
And brings the sinner back to God.
To understand these terms aright,
This grand distinction should be known;
Tho' all are sinners in God's sight,
There are but few so in their own.
To such as these the Lord was sent;
They're only sinners who repent.
What comfort can a Saviour bring
To those who never felt their wo?
A sinner is a sacred thing;
The Holy Ghost has made him so:
New life from him we must receive
Before for sin we rightly grieve.
Let the self-righteous hence beware,
Lest he this great salvation scorn;
Let ev'ry careless soul take care;
For they that laugh shall one day mourn.
High flying lights, learn hence to stoop;
Dry knowledge only puffs men up.
This faithful saying, let us own;
Well worthy 'tis to be believ'd
That Christ into the world came down,
That sinners might by him be sav'd;
Sinners are high in his esteem,
And sinners highly value him.
51. Justification. c. M.
Of all the creatures God has made,
There is but man alone
That stands in need to be array'd
In cov'rings not his own.
By nature, bears, and bulls, and swine,
With fowls of every wing,
Are much more warm, more safe, more fine,
Than man, their fallen king.
Naked and weak, we want a screen;
But, when with clothes we're deckt,
Not only lies our shape unseen,
But we command respect.
Can sinful souls, that stand unclad
Before God's burning throne,
All bare; or, (what is quite as bad)
In cov'rings of their own?
Rich garments must be worn to grace
The marriage of the Lamb;
No nasty rags, to stink the place,
Nor nakedness to shame.
Robes of imputed righteousness
Will gain us God's esteem;
No naked pride, no fig-leaf dress,
How fair soe'er it seem.
"Tis call'd' a robe, perhaps to mean
Man has by nature none;
It grows not native, like our skin,
But is by faith put on.
A sinner cloth'd in this rich vest,
And garments wash'd in blood,
Is render'd fit with Christ to feast,
And be the guest of God.
52. Christmas. 7.
HARK! the herald angels sing,
Glory to the new born King!
Peace on earth and mercy mild,
God and sinners reconcil'd.
Joyful, all ye nations, rise,
Join the triumphs of the skies;
With th' angelic host proclaim,
Christ is born in Bethlehem!"
Christ, by highest heaven ador'd,
Christ the everlasting Lord;
Late in time behold him come,
Offspring of a virgin's womb.
Veil'd in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail th' incarnate Deity;
Pleas'd as man with men ť
Jesus our Immanuel here.
Mild he lays his glory by,
Born that man no more may die;
Born to raise the sons of earth,
Born to give them second birth.
Come, desire of nations, come,
Fix in us thy humble home;
Rise, the woman's conquering seed,
Bruise in us the serpent's head.
53. Another. 8. 5. 8. LIFT up your heads in joyful hope, Salute the happy morn;
Each heavenly power
Proclaims the glad hour,
Lo, Jesus the Saviour is born!
All glory be to God on high,
To him all praise is due;
The promise is seal'd,
The Saviour's reveal'd,
And proves that the record is true.
Let joy around like rivers flow,
Flow on and still increase,
Spread o'er the glad earth
At Jesus's birth,
For heaven and earth are at peace.
Now the good will of heaven is shewn Tow'rds Adam's helpless race; Messiah is come
To ransom his own,
To save them by infinite grace.
Then let us join the heavens above,
Where hymning seraphs sing;
Join all the glad powers,
For their Lord is ours,
Our Prophet, our Priest, and our King,
54. The Nativity. C. M.
HARK, the glad sound, Messiah comes! The Saviour promis'd long,
Let every heart prepare a throne, voice a song.
He comes the prisoners to release,
In Satan's bondage held,
The gates of brass before him burst,
The iron fetters yield.
He comes the broken heart to bind,
The bleeding soul to cure,
And with his righteousness and blood
T'enrich the humble poor.
Our glad hosannahs, Prince of Peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim,
And heaven's eternal arch shall ring
With thy beloved name.
55. Christmas. L. M.
JESUS, all praise is due to thee,
That thou wast pleas'd a man to be;
A virgin's womb thou didst not scorn,
And angels shout to see thee born.
The blessed Father's only Son
Chuseth a manger for his throne;
And though the high and mighty God,
Assumes our feeble flesh and blood.
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