With soft compassion touch'd, He knows, For He has felt, the sinner's grief; To all our doubts, and all our woes, He promises and gives relief: My soul, dismiss thy self-distracting fears, Thy Saviour-Priest for thee in heav'n appears. EAST. The wandering star, and fleeting wind, Are emblems of the fickle mind; The morning cloud and early dew But cloud and wind, and dew and star, Nor can there aught in nature be So changeable and frail as we. Our outward walk and inward frame, We vow, and straight our vows forget, We sin forsake, to sin return; Are hot, then cold, now freeze, now burn; Then soar to heaven, and triumph there. With flowing tears, Lord, we confess Our folly and unsteadfastness; When shall these hearts more stable be, BEDDOME. O Lord, how vile am I, How can I venture to draw nigh Myself can hardly bear This wretched heart of mine: How hateful must it then appear To those pure eyes of Thine! And must I then indeed Sink in despair and die? Fain would I hope that Thou did'st bleed That blood, which Thou hast spilt, Low at Thy feet I bow, O pity and forgive: Here will I lie and wait, till Thou Shalt bid me rise and live. NEWTON. A dying, risen Jesus, NEWTON. Why did I leave the narrow path Why dare the Almighty's righteous wrath, Why wander from the ways of Heaven, The holy and the true? Why leave the springs so freely given, Saviour of sinners, Son of God! I feel Thy pure and precious blood Thy birth a holy light revealed, Whose glory cannot die, Thy death a fountain's depth unsealed That never can be dry. M. A. BROWNE. V. INVITATIONS TO SINNERS. BEHOLD, I stand at the door and knock.-REV. iii. 18. Let him that is athirst, come: and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.-REV. xxii. 17. Deut. iv. 29-31–xxx. 15, 19—2 Chron. vii. 14-xv. 2-Prov. i. 23-Cant. v. 2-Isaiah i. 18-xli. 17, 18—xlii. 18-xliv. 3, 4, 22-lv. 1-3, 6, 7-Jer. iii. 12, 14, 22—xviii. 8-Ezek. xviii. 31, 32-xxxiii. 11-Hos. ii. 14-xiv. 1, 2—Joel ii. 12, 13-Zech. i. 3-ix. 12-Mal. iii. 7. Matt. vii. 7, 8-ix. 12, 13—xi. 28-30-xv. 24-Luke xiv. 21-23-xix. 10-John iv. 10, 14-vi. 35, 37-vii. 37-x. 9, 16xii. 32-1 Cor. vii. 15-2 Cor. vi. 17, 18-1 Tim. ii. 4-6-Heb. vii. 25-Rev. iii. 18, 20-xviii. 4—xxi. 6—xxii. 17. Ho! every one that thirsts draw nigh, The living Well behold; Mercy and free salvation buy, But offer neither gem nor gold. See from the rock a fountain rise, His unbought love and pardon tastes. Why seek ye that which is not good, The bread of life, the word of grace. WESLEY. (altered.) Oh, hearken to the healing voice That speaks from heaven in tones so mild! MONTGOMERY. Lord, I accept, with grateful heart, My Saviour! may Thy powerful love MRS. STEELE, Behold a Stranger at the door! You use no other friend so ill. |