Chapter VI: Book 2: Composed on Divine Subjects (2)

5 'Tis sovereign mercy finds us food, And we are cloth d with love; While grace stands pointing out the road That leads our souls above.

6 His goodness runs an endless round; All glory to the Lord: His mercy never knows a bound, And be his Name ador'd!

7 Thus we begin the lasting song, And when we close our eyes, Let the next age thy praise prolong Till time and nature dies.

Hymn 2:59. Paradise on earth.

1 Glory to God that walks the sky, And sends his blessings thro', That tells his saints of joys on high, And gives a taste below.

2 [Glory to God that stoops his throne That dust and worms may see't, And brings a glimpse of glory down Around his sacred feet.

3 When Christ, with all his graces crown'd, Sheds his kind beams abroad, 'Tis a young heaven on earthly ground, And glory in the bud.

4 A blooming paradise of joy In this wild desert springs; And every sense I straight employ On sweet celestial things.

5 White lilies all around appear, And each his glory shows; The rose of Sharon blossoms here, The fairest flower that blows.

6 Cheerful I feast on heavenly fruit, And drink the pleasures down, Pleasures that flow hard by the foot Of the eternal throne.]

7 But ah! how soon my joys decay, How soon my sins arise, And snatch the heavenly scene away From these lamenting eyes!

8 When shall the time, dear Jesus, when The shining day appear, That I shall leave those clouds of sin, And guilt and darkness here?

9 Up to the fields above the skies My hasty feet would go, There everlasting flowers arise, And joys unwithering grow.

Hymn 2:60. The truth of God the promiser; or, The promises are our security.

1 Praise, everlasting praise be paid To him that earth's foundations laid; Praise to the God whose strong decrees Sway the creation as he please.

2 Praise to the goodness of the Lord Who rules his people by his word, And there as strong as his decrees He sets his kindest promises.

3 [Firm are the words his prophets give, Sweet words on which his children live; Each of them is the voice of God, Who spoke and spread the skies abroad.

4 Each of them powerful as that sound That bid the new-made heavens go round; And stronger than the solid poles, On which the wheel of nature rolls.]

5 Whence then should doubts and fears arise, Why trickling sorrows drown our eyes? Slowly, alas, our mind receives The comforts that our Maker gives.

6 O for a strong, a lasting faith To credit what th' almighty saith! T' embrace the message of his Son, And call the joys of heaven our own.

7 Then should the earth's old pillars shake, And all the wheels of nature break, Our steady souls should fear no more Than solid rocks when billows roar.

8 Our everlasting hopes arise Above the ruinable skies, Where the eternal Builder reigns, And his own courts his power sustains.

Hymn 2:61. A thought of death and glory.

1 My soul, come meditate the day, And think how near it stands, When thou must quit this house of clay, And fly to unknown lands.

2 [And you, mine eyes, look down and view The hollow gaping tomb, This gloomy prison waits for you Whene'er the summons come.]

3 O could we die with those that die, And place us in their stead, Then would our spirits learn to fly, And converse with the dead:

4 Then should we see the saints above In their own glorious forms, And wonder why our souls should love To dwell with mortal worms.

5 [How we should scorn these clothes of flesh, These fetters and this load! And long for evening to undress, That we may rest with God.]

6 We should almost forsake our clay Before the summons come, And pray, and wish our souls away To their eternal home.

Hymn 2:62. God the thunderer; or, The last judgment and hell.*

1 Sing to the Lord, ye heavenly hosts, And thou, O earth, adore, Let death and hell thro' all their coasts, Stand trembling at his power.

2 His sounding chariot shakes the sky, He makes the clouds his throne, There all his stores of lightning lie, Till vengeance dart them down.

3 His nostrils breathe out fiery streams, And from his awful tongue A sovereign voice divides the flames, And thunder roars along.

4 Think, O my soul, the dreadful day When this incensed God Shall rend the sky, and burn the sea, And fling his wrath abroad.

5 What shall the wretch the sinner do? He once defy'd the Lord; But he shall dread the Thunderer now, And sink beneath his word.

6 Tempests of angry fire shall roll To blast the rebel-worm, And beat upon his naked soul In one eternal storm.

* Made in a great sudden storm of thunder, August 20, 1697.

Hymn 2:63. A funeral thought.

1 Hark! from the tombs a doleful sound, My ears attend the cry, "Ye living men, come view the ground "Where you must shortly lie.

2 "Princes, this clay must be your bed, "In spite of all your towers; "The tall, the wise, the reverend head "Must lie as low as ours."

3 Great God, is this our certain doom? And are we still secure? Still walking downward to our tomb, And yet prepare no more?

4 Grant us the powers of quickening grace To fit our souls to fly, Then, when we drop this dying flesh, We'll rise above the sky.

Hymn 2:64. God the glory and defence of Sion.

1 Happy the church, thou sacred place, The seat of thy Creator's grace; Thine holy courts are his abode, Thou earthly palace of our God.

2 Thy walls are strength, and at thy gates A guard of heavenly warriors waits; Nor shall thy deep foundations move, Fix'd on his counsels and his love.

3 Thy foes in vain designs engage, Against his throne in vain they rage, Like rising waves, with angry roar, That dash and die upon the shore.

4 Then let our souls in Zion dwell, Nor fear the wrath of Rome and hell: His arms embrace this happy ground, Like brazen bulwarks built around.

5 God is our shield, and God our sun; Swift as the fleeting moments run, On us he sheds new beams of grace, And we reflect his brightest praise.

Hymn 2:65. The hope of heaven our support under trials on earth.

1 When I can read my title clear To mansions in the skies, I bid farewell to every fear, And wipe my weeping eyes.

2 Should earth against my soul engage, And hellish darts be hurl'd, Then I can smile at Satan's rage, And face a frowning world.

3 Let cares like a wild deluge come, And storms of sorrow fall, May I but safely reach my home, My God, my heaven, my all.

4 There shall I bathe my weary soul In seas of heavenly rest, And not a wave of trouble roll Across my peaceful breast.

Hymn 2:66. A prospect of heaven makes death easy.

1 There is a land of pure delight Where saints immortal reign, Infinite day excludes the night, And pleasures banish pain.

2 There everlasting spring abides, And never withering flowers: Death like a narrow sea divides This heavenly land from ours.

3 [Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood, Stand dress'd in living green So to the Jews old Canaan stood, While Jordan roll'd between.

4 But timorous mortals start and shrink To cross this narrow sea, And linger shivering on the brink, And fear to launch away.]

5 O! could we make our doubts remove, These gloomy doubts that rise, And see the Canaan that we love, With unbeclouded eyes!

6 Could we but climb where Moses stood, And view the landscape o'er, Not Jordan's stream, nor death's cold flood, Should fright us from the shore.

Hymn 2:67. God's eternal dominion.

1 Great God, how infinite art thou! What worthless worms are we! Let the whole race of creatures bow And pay their praise to thee.

2 Thy throne eternal ages stood, Ere seas or stars were made; Thou art the ever-living God Were all the nations dead.

3 Nature and time quite naked lie To thine immense survey, From the formation of the sky To the great burning day.

4 Eternity with all its years Stands present in thy view; To thee there's nothing old appears, Great God, there's nothing new.

5 Our lives thro' various scenes are drawn, And vex'd with trifling cares; While thine eternal thought moves on Thine undisturb'd affairs.

6 Great God, how infinite art thou! What worthless worms are we! Let the whole race of creatures bow And pay their praise to thee.

Hymn 2:68. The humble worship of heaven.

1 Father, I long, I faint to see The place of thine abode, I'd leave thy earthly courts and flee Up to thy seat, my God!

2 Here I behold thy distant face, And 'tis a pleasing sight; But to abide in thine embrace Is infinite delight.

3 I'd part with all the joys of sense To gaze upon thy throne; Pleasure springs fresh for ever thence, Unspeakable, unknown.

4 [There all the heavenly hosts are seen, In shining ranks they move, And drink immortal vigour in, With wonder and with love.

5 Then at thy feet with awful fear Th' adoring armies fall With joy they shrink to _nothing_ there, Before th' Eternal All.

6 There I would vie with all the host In duty and in bliss, While _less than nothing_ I could boast, And _vanity_ confess.] _[1]_

7 The more thy glories strike mine eyes, The humbler I shall lie; Thus while I sink, my joys shall rise Unmeasurably high.

_[1]_ Isaiah 40:17.

Hymn 2:69. The faithfulness of God in his promises.

1 [Begin, my tongue, some heavenly theme, And speak some boundless thing, The mighty works, or mightier name Of our eternal King.

2 Tell of his wondrous faithfulness, And sound his power abroad, Sing the sweet promise of his grace, And the performing God.

3 Proclaim "salvation from the Lord "For wretched dying men;" His hand has writ the sacred word With an immortal pen.

4 Engrav'd as in eternal brass, The mighty promise shines; Nor can the powers of darkness rase Those everlasting lines.]

5 [He that can dash whole worlds to death And make them when he please, He speaks, and that almighty breath Fulfils his great decrees.

6 His very word of grace is strong As that which built the skies, The voice that rolls the stars along Speaks all the promises.

7 He said, "Let the wide heaven be spread," And heaven was stretch'd abroad; "Abrah'm, I'll be thy God," he said, And he was Abrah'm's God.

8 O, might I hear thine heavenly tongue But whisper, "Thou art mine;" Those gentle words should raise my song To notes almost divine.

9 How would my leaping heart rejoice And think my heaven secure! I trust the all-creating voice, And faith desires no more.]

Hymn 2:70. God's dominion over the sea, Psalm 107. 23 &c.

1 God of the seas, thy thundering voice Makes all the roaring waves rejoice, And one soft word of thy command Can sink them silent in the sand.

2 If but a Moses wave thy rod, The sea divides, and owns its God: The stormy floods their Maker knew, And let his chosen armies thro'.

3 The scaly flocks amidst the sea, To thee, their Lord, a tribute pay; The meanest fish that swims the flood Leaps up, and means a praise to God.

4 [The larger monsters of the deep, On thy commands attendance keep, By thy permission sport and play, And cleave along their foaming way.

5 If God his voice of tempest rears, Leviathan lies still and fears, Anon he lifts his nostrils high, And spouts the ocean to the sky.]

6 How is thy glorious power ador'd, Amidst those watery nations, Lord! Yet the bold men that trace the seas, Bold men, refuse their Maker's praise.

7 [What scenes of miracle they see, And never tune a song to thee! While on the flood they safely ride, They curse the hand that smooths the tide.

8 Anon they plunge in watery graves, And some drink death among the waves: Yet the surviving crew blaspheme, Nor own the God that rescu'd them.]

9 O for some signal of thine hand! Shake all the seas, Lord, shake the land, Great Judge, descend, lest men deny That there's a God that rules the sky.

From the 70th to the 109th Hymn, I hope the reader will forgive the neglect of the rhyme in the first and third lines of the stanza.

Hymn 2:71. Praise to God from all creatures.

1 The glories of my Maker God, My joyful voice shall sing, And call the nations to adore Their Former and their King.

2 'Twas his right-hand that shap'd our clay, And wrought this human frame, But from his own immediate breath Our nobler spirits came.

3 We bring our mortal powers to God, And worship with our tongues: We claim some kindred with the skies And join th' angelic songs.

4 Let groveling beasts of every shape, And fowls of every wing, And rocks, and trees, and fires, and seas, Their various tribute bring.

5 Ye planets, to his honour shine, And wheels of nature roll, Praise him in your unwearied course Around the steady pole.

6 The brightness of our Maker's Name The wide creation fills, And his unbounded grandeur flies Beyond the heavenly hills.

Hymn 2:72. The Lord's Day; or, The resurrection of Christ.

1 Bless'd morning, whose young dawning rays Beheld our rising God, That saw him triumph o'er the dust, And leave his dark abode.

2 In the cold prison of a tomb, The dead Redeemer lay, Till the revolving skies had brought The third, th' appointed day.

3 Hell and the grave unite their force To hold our God in vain, The sleeping Conqueror arose, And burst their feeble chain.

4 To thy great Name, Almighty Lord, These sacred hours we pay, And loud hosannas shall proclaim The triumph of the day,

5 [Salvation and immortal praise To our victorious King, Let heaven, and earth, and rocks, and seas, With glad hosannas ring.]

Hymn 2:73. Doubts scattered; or, Spiritual joy restored.

1 Hence from my soul, sad thoughts, be gone, And leave me to my joys, My tongue shall triumph in my God, And make a joyful noise.

2 Darkness and doubts had veil'd my mind, And drown'd my head in tears, Till sovereign grace with shining rays Dispell'd my gloomy fears.

3 O what immortal joys I felt, And raptures all divine, When Jesus told me, I was his, And my Beloved mine.

4 In vain the tempter frights my soul, And breaks my peace in vain, One glimpse, dear Saviour, of thy face, Revives my joys again.

Hymn 2:74. Repentance from a sense of divine goodness; or, A complaint of ingratitude.

1 Is this the kind return, And these the thanks we owe, Thus to abuse eternal love, Whence all our blessings flow?

2 TO what a stubborn frame Has sin reduc'd our mind! What strange rebellious wretches we, And God as strangely kind!

3 [On us he bids the sun Shed his reviving rays, For us the skies their circles run To lengthen out our days.

4 The brutes obey their God, And bow their necks to men, But we more base, more brutish things Reject his easy reign.]

5 Turn, turn us, mighty God, And mould our souls afresh, Break, sovereign grace, these hearts of stone, And give us hearts of flesh.

6 Let old ingratitude Provoke our weeping eyes, And hourly as new mercies fall Let hourly thanks arise.

Hymn 2:75. Spiritual and eternal joys; or, The beatific sight of Christ.

1 From thee, my God, my joys shall rise, And run eternal rounds, Beyond the limits of the skies And all created bounds.

2 The holy triumphs of my soul Shall death itself out-brave, Leave dull mortality behind, And fly beyond the grave.

3 There, where my blessed Jesus reigns In heaven's unmeasur'd space, I'll spend a long eternity In pleasure and in praise.

4 Millions of years my wondering eyes Shall o'er thy beauties rove, And endless ages I'll adore The glories of thy love.

5 [Sweet Jesus, every smile of thine Shall fresh endearments bring, And thousand tastes of new delight From all thy graces spring.

6 Haste, my beloved, fetch my soul Up to thy bless'd abode, Fly, for my spirit longs to see My Saviour and my God.

Hymn 2:76. The resurrection and ascension of Christ.

1 Hosanna to the Prince of Light, That cloth'd himself in clay, Enter'd the iron gates of death, And tore the bars away.

2 Death is no more the king of dread Since our Immanuel rose, He took the tyrant's sting away, And spoil'd our hellish foes.

3 See how the Conqueror mounts aloft, And to his Father flies, With scars of honour in his flesh, And triumph in his eyes.

4 There our exalted Saviour reigns, And scatters blessings down, Our Jesus fills the middle seat Of the celestial throne.

5 [Raise your devotion, mortal tongues, To reach his bless'd abode, Sweet be the accents of your songs To our incarnate God.

6 Bright angels, strike your loudest strings, Your sweetest voices raise, Let heaven, and all created things, Sound our Immanuel's praise.]

Hymn 77. The Christian warfare.

1 [Stand up, my soul, shake off thy fears, And gird the gospel-armour on, March to the gates of endless joy Where thy great Captain-Saviour's gone.

2 Hell and thy sins resist thy course, But hell and sin are vanquish'd foes, Thy Jesus nail'd them to the cross, And sung the triumph when he rose.]

3 [What tho' the prince of darkness rage, And waste the fury of his spite, Eternal chains confine him down To fiery deeps, and endless night.

4 What tho' thine inward lusts rebel, 'Tis but a struggling gasp for life The weapons of victorious grace Shall slay thy sins, and end the strife.]

5 Then let my soul march boldly on, Press forward to the heavenly gate, There peace and joy eternal reign, And glittering robes for conquerors wait.

6 There shall I wear a starry crown, And triumph in almighty grace, While all the armies of the skies Join in my glorious leader's praise.

Hymn 2:78. Redemption by Christ.

1 When the first parents of our race Rebell'd and lost their God, And the infection of their sin Had tainted all our blood;

2 Infinite pity touch'd the heart Of the eternal Son, Descending from the heavenly court He left his Father's throne.

3 Aside the Prince of glory threw His most divine array, And wrapt his Godhead in a veil Of our inferior clay.

4 His living power, and dying love Redeem'd unhappy men, And rais'd the ruins of our race To life and God again.

5 To thee, dear Lord, our flesh and soul We joyfully resign, Bless'd Jesus, take us for thy own, For we are doubly thine.

6 Thine honour shall for ever be The business of our days, For ever shall our thankful tongue Speak thy deserved praise.

Hymn 2:79. Praise to the Redeemer.

1 Plung'd in a gulph of dark despair We wretched sinners lay, Without one cheerful beam of hope, Or spark of glimmering day.

2 With pitying eyes, the Prince of Grace Beheld our helpless grief, He saw, and (O amazing love!) He ran to our relief.

3 Down from the shining seats above With joyful haste he fled, Enter'd the grave in mortal flesh, And dwelt among the dead.

4 He spoil'd the Powers of darkness thus, And brake our iron chains; Jesus has freed our captive souls From everlasting pains.

5 [In vain the baffled prince of hell His cursed projects tries, We that were doom'd his endless slaves, Are rais'd above the skies.]

6 O for this love, let rocks and hills Their lasting silence break, And all harmonious human tongues The Saviour's praises speak.

7 [Yes, we will praise thee, dearest Lord, Our souls are all on flame, Hosanna round the spacious earth To thine adored Name.

8 Angels, assist our mighty joys, Strike all your harps of gold; But when you raise your highest notes His love can ne'er be told.]

Hymn 2:80. God's awful power and goodness.

1 O the Almighty Lord! How matchless is his power! Tremble, O earth, beneath his word, And all the heavens adore.

2 Let proud imperious kings Bow low before his throne, Crouch to his feet, ye haughty things, Or he shall tread you down.

3 Above the skies he reigns, And with amazing blows He deals unsufferable pains On his rebellious foes.

4 Yet, everlasting God, We love to speak thy praise; Thy sceptre's equal to thy rod, The sceptre of thy grace.

5 The arms of mighty love Defend our Sion well, And heavenly mercy walls us round From Babylon and hell.

6 Salvation to the King That sits enthron'd above; Thus we adore the God of might, And bless the God of love.

Hymn 2:81. Our sin the cause of Christ's death.

1 And now the scales have left mine eyes, Now I begin to see; O the curs'd deeds my sins have done! What murderous things they be!

2 Were these the traitors, dearest Lord, That thy fair body tore? Monsters, that stain'd those heavenly limbs With floods of purple gore?

3 Was it for crimes that I had done My dearest Lord was slain When justice seiz'd God's only Son, And put his soul to pain?

4 Forgive my guilt, O Prince of peace, I'll wound my God no more; Hence from my heart, ye sins, be gone, For Jesus I adore.

5 Furnish me, Lord, with heavenly arms From grace's magazine, And I'll proclaim eternal war With every darling sin.

Hymn 2:82. Redemption and protection from spiritual enemies.

1 Arise my soul, my joyful powers, And triumph in my God, Awake, my voice, and loud proclaim His glorious grace abroad.

2 He rais'd me from the deeps of sin, The gates of gaping hell, And fix'd my standing more secure Than 'twas before I fell.

3 The arms of everlasting love Beneath my soul he plac'd, And on the rock of ages set My slippery footsteps fast.

4 The city of my bless'd abode Is wall'd around with grace Salvation for a bulwark stands To shield the sacred place.

5 Satan may vent his sharpest spite, And all his legions roar, Almighty mercy guards my life, And bounds his raging power.

6 Arise, my soul, awake, my voice, And tunes of pleasure sing, Loud hallelujahs shall address My Saviour and my King.

Hymn 2:83. The passion and exaltation of Christ.

1 Thus saith the Ruler of the skies, "Awake, my dreadful sword; "Awake, my wrath and smite the man, "My fellow," saith the Lord.

2 Vengeance receiv'd the dread command, And armed down she flies, Jesus submits t' his Father's hand, And bows his head and dies.

3 But O! the wisdom and the grace That join with vengeance now! He dies to save our guilty race, And yet he rises too.

4 A person so divine was he Who yielded to be slain, That he could give his soul away, And take his life again.

5 Live, glorious Lord, and reign on high, Let every nation sing, And angels sound with endless joy The Saviour and the King.

Hymn 2:84. The same.

1 Come, all harmonious tongues, Your noblest music bring, 'Tis Christ the everlasting God, And Christ the man we sing.

2 Tell how he took our flesh To take away our guilt, Sing the dear drops of sacred blood That hellish monsters spilt.

3 [Alas, the cruel spear Went deep into his side, And the rich flood of purple gore Their murderous weapons dy'd.]

4 [The waves of swelling grief Did o'er his bosom roll, And mountains of almighty wrath Lay heavy on his soul.]

5 Down to the shades of death He bow'd his awful head, Yet he arose to live and reign When death itself is dead.

6 No more the bloody spear, The cross and nails no more; For hell itself shakes at his Name, And all the heavens adore.

7 There the Redeemer sits High on the Father's throne; The Father lays his vengeance by, And smiles upon his Son.

8 There his full glories shine With uncreated rays, And bless his saints' and angels' eyes To everlasting days.

Hymn 2:85. Sufficiency of pardon.

1 Why does your face, ye humble souls, Those mournful colours wear? What doubts are these that waste your faith, And nourish your despair?

2 What tho' your numerous sins exceed The stars that fill the skies, And aiming at th' eternal throne, Like pointed mountains rise?

3 What tho' your mighty guilt beyond The wide creation swell, And has its curs'd foundations laid Low as the deeps of hell?

4 See here an endless ocean flows Of never-failing grace, Behold a dying Saviour's veins The sacred flood increase:

5 It rises high and drowns the hills, 'T has neither shore nor bound: Nor if we search to find our sins, Our sins can ne'er be found.

6 Awake, our hearts, adore the grace That buries all our faults, And pardoning blood that swells above Our follies and our thoughts.

Hymn 2:86. Freedom from sin and misery in heaven.

1 Our sins, alas, how strong they be! And like a violent sea They break our duty, Lord, to thee, And hurry us away.

2 The waves of trouble how they rise! How loud the tempests roar! But death shall land our weary souls Safe on the heavenly shore.

3 There to fulfil his sweet commands Our speedy feet shall move, No sin shall clog our winged zeal, Or cool our burning love.

4 There shall we sit, and sing, and tell The wonders of his grace, Till heavenly raptures fire our hearts, And smile in every face.

5 For ever his dear sacred Name Shall dwell upon our tongue, And Jesus and salvation be The close of every song.

Hymn 2:87. The divine glories above our reason.

1 How wond'rous great, how glorious bright Must our Creator be, Who dwells amidst the dazzling light Of vast infinity!

2 Our soaring spirits upward rise Tow'rd the celestial throne, Fain would we see the blessed Three, And the Almighty One.

3 Our reason stretches all its wings, And climbs above the skies; But still how far beneath thy feet Our groveling reason lies!

4 [Lord, here we bend our humble souls, And awfully adore, For the weak pinions of our mind Can stretch a thought no more.]

5 Thy glories infinitely rise Above our labouring tongue; In vain the highest seraph tries To form an equal song.

6 [In humble notes our faith adores The great mysterious King, While angels strain their nobler powers, And sweep th' immortal string.]

Hymn 2:88. Salvation.

1 Salvation! O, the joyful sound! 'Tis pleasure to our ears; A sovereign balm for every wound, A cordial for our fears.

2 Buried in sorrow and in sin, At hell's dark door we lay, But we arise by grace divine To see a heavenly day.

3 Salvation! let the echo fly The spacious earth around, While all the armies of the sky Conspire to raise the sound.

Hymn 2:89. Christ's victory over Satan.

1 Hosanna to our conquering King! The prince of darkness flies, His troops rush headlong down to hell Like lightning from the skies.

2 There, bound in chains, the lions roar, And fright the rescu'd sheep, But heavy bars confine their power And malice to the deep.

3 Hosanna to our conquering King, All hail, incarnate love! Ten thousand songs and glories wait To crown thy head above.

4 Thy victories and thy deathless fame Thro' the wide world shall run, And everlasting ages sing The triumphs thou hast won.

Hymn 2:90. Faith in Christ for pardon and sanctification.

1 How sad our state by nature is! Our sin how deep it stains! And Satan binds our captive minds Fast in his slavish chains.

2 But there's a voice of sovereign grace Sounds from the sacred word, "Ho, ye despairing sinners, come, "And trust upon the Lord."

3 My soul obeys th' almighty call, And runs to this relief, I would believe thy promise, Lord, O! help my unbelief.

4 [To the dear fountain of thy blood, Incarnate God, I fly, Here let me wash my spotted soul From crimes of deepest die.

5 Stretch out thine arm victorious King, My reigning sins subdue, Drive the old dragon from his seat, With all his hellish crew.]

6 A guilty, weak, and helpless worm, On thy kind arms I fall: Be thou my strength and righteousness, My Jesus, and my all.

Hymn 2:91. The glory of Christ in heaven.

1 O the delights, the heavenly joys, The glories of the place Where Jesus sheds the brightest beams Of his o'erflowing grace.

2 Sweet majesty and awful love Sit smiling on his brow, And all the glorious ranks above At humble distance bow.

3 [Princes to his imperial Name Bend their bright sceptres down, Dominions, thrones, and powers rejoice To see him wear the crown.]

4 Archangels sound his lofty praise Thro' every heavenly street, And lay their highest honours down Submissive at his feet.

5 Those soft, those blessed feet of his That once rude iron tore, High on a throne of light they stand, And all the saints adore.

6 His head, the dear majestic head That cruel thorns did wound, See what immortal glories shine, And circle it around.

7 This is the Man, th' exalted Man, Whom we unseen adore; But when our eyes behold his face, Our hearts shall love him more.

8 [Lord, how our souls are all on fire To see thy bless'd abode, Our tongues rejoice in tunes of praise To our incarnate God.

9 And whilst our faith enjoys this sight, We long to leave our clay, And wish thy fiery chariots, Lord, To fetch our souls away.]

Hymn 2:92 The church saved, and her enemies disappointed.

Composed the 5th of November, 1694.

1 Shout to the Lord, and let our joys Thro' the whole nation run; Ye British skies, resound the noise Beyond the rising sun.

2 Thee, mighty God, our souls admire, Thee our glad voices sing, And join with the celestial choir To praise th' eternal King.

3 Thy power the whole creation rules, And on the starry skies Sits smiling at the weak designs Thine envious foes devise.

4 Thy scorn derides their feeble rage, And with an awful frown Flings vast confusion on their plots, And shakes their Babel down.

5 [Their secret fires in caverns lay, And we the sacrifice: But gloomy caverns strove in vain To 'scape all-searching eyes.

6 Their dark designs were all reveal'd, Their treasons all betray'd: Praise to the God that broke the snare Their cursed hands had laid.]

7 In vain the busy sons of hell Still new rebellions try, Their souls shall pine with envious rage, And vex away and die.

8 Almighty grace defends our land From their malicious power, Let Britain with united songs Almighty grace adore.

Hymn 2:93. God all, and in all, Psalm 73. 25.

1 My God, my life, my love, To thee, to thee I call, I cannot live if thou remove, For thou art all in all.

2 [Thy shining grace can cheer, This dungeon where I dwell; 'Tis paradise when thou art here; If thou depart, 'tis hell.]

3 [The smilings of thy face, How amiable they are! 'Tis heaven to rest in thine embrace, And no where else but there.]

4 [To thee, and thee alone, The angels owe their bliss; They sit around thy gracious throne, And dwell where Jesus is.]

5 [Not all the harps above Can make a heavenly place, If God his residence remove, Or but conceal his face.]

6 Nor earth nor all the sky Can one delight afford; No not a drop of real joy, Without thy presence, Lord.

7 Thou art the sea of love, Where all my pleasures roll, The circle where my passions move, And centre of my soul.

8 [To thee my spirits fly With infinite desire; And yet how far from thee I lie! Dear Jesus, raise me higher!]

Hymn 2:94. God my only happiness, Psalm 73. 25.

1 My God, my portion, and my love, My everlasting all, I've none but thee in heaven above, Or on this earthly ball.

2 [What empty things are all the skies, And this inferior clod! There's nothing here deserves my joys, There's nothing like my God.]

3 [In vain the bright, the burning sun Scatters his feeble light; 'Tis thy sweet beams create my noon; If thou withdraw, 'tis night.

4 And whilst upon my restless bed, Amongst the shades I roll, If my Redeemer shew his head 'Tis morning with my soul.]

5 To thee we owe our wealth and friends, And health, and safe abode; Thanks to thy Name for meaner things, But they are not my God.

6 How vain a toy is glittering wealth, If once compar'd to thee; Or what's my safety, or my health, Or all my friends to me?

7 Were I possessor of the earth, And call'd the stars my own Without thy graces and thyself I were a wretch undone.

8 Let others stretch their arms like seas, And grasp in all the shore, Grant me the visits of thy face, And I desire no more.

Hymn 2:95. Look on him whom they pierced, and mourn.

1 Infinite grief! amazing woe! Behold my bleeding Lord: Hell and the Jews conspir'd his death, And us'd the Roman sword.

2 O the sharp pangs of smarting pain My dear Redeemer bore, When knotty whips and ragged thorns His sacred body tore!

3 But knotty whips and ragged thorns In vain do I accuse; In vain I blame the Roman bands, And the more spiteful Jews.

4 'Twere you, my sins, my cruel sins, His chief tormentors were; Each of my crimes became a nail, And unbelief the spear.

5 'Twere you that pull'd the vengeance down Upon his guiltless head: Break, break, my heart, O burst mine eyes! And let my sorrows bleed.

6 Strike, mighty grace, my flinty soul, Till melting waters flow, And deep repentance drown mine eyes In undissembled woe.

Hymn 2:96. Distinguishing love; or, Angels punished and men saved.

1 Down headlong from their native skies The rebel angels fell, And thunderbolts of flaming wrath Pursu'd them deep to hell.

2 Down from the top of earthly bliss Rebellious man was hurl'd And Jesus stoop'd beneath the grave To reach a sinking world.

3 O love of infinite degree! Unmeasurable grace! Must heaven's eternal Darling die To save a traitorous race?

4 Must angels sink for ever down, And burn in quenchless fire, While God forsakes his shining throne To raise us wretches higher?

5 O for this love let earth and skies With hallelujahs ring, And the full choir of human tongues All hallelujah sing.

Hymn 2:97. The same.

1 From heaven the sinning angels fell, And wrath and darkness chain'd them down; But man, vile man, forsook his bliss, And mercy lifts him to a crown.

2 Amazing work of sovereign grace That could distinguish rebels so! Our guilty treasons call'd aloud For everlasting fetters too.

3 To thee, to thee, Almighty Love, Our souls, ourselves, our all we pay: Millions of tongues shall sound thy praise On the bright hills of heavenly day.

Hymn 2:98. Hardness of heart complained of.

1 My heart, how dreadful hard it is! How heavy here it lies, Heavy and cold within my breast Just like a rock of ice!

2 Sin like a raging tyrant sits Upon this flinty throne, And every grace lies buried deep Beneath this heart of stone.

3 How seldom do I rise to God, Or taste the joys above! This mountain presses down my faith, And chills my flaming love.

4 When smiling mercy courts my soul With all its heavenly charms, This stubborn, this relentless thing Would thrust it from my arms.

5 Against the thunders of thy word Rebellious I have stood, My heart it shakes not at the wrath And terrors of a God.

6 Dear Saviour, steep this rock of mine In thine own crimson sea: None but a bath of blood divine Can melt the flint away.

Hymn 2:99. The book of God's decrees.

1 Let the whole race of creatures lie Abas'd before their God; Whate'er his sovereign voice hath form'd He governs with a nod.

2 [Ten thousand ages ere the skies Were into motion brought, All the long years and worlds to come Stood present to his thought.]

5 [There's not a sparrow or a worm But's found in his decrees; He raises monarchs to their thrones, And sinks them as he please.]

4 If light attends the course I run, 'Tis he provides those rays; And 'tis his hand that hides my sun, If darkness cloud my days.

5 Yet I would not be much concern'd, Nor vainly long to see The volume of his deep decrees, What months are writ for me.

6 When he reveals the book of life, O, may I read my name Amongst the chosen of his love, The followers of the Lamb!

Hymn 2:100. The presence of Christ is the life of my soul.

1 [How full of anguish is the thought, How it distracts and tears my heart If God, at last, my sovereign Judge, Should frown, and bid my soul, "Depart!"]

2 Lord, when I quit this earthly stage, Where shall I fly but to thy breast? For I have sought no other home For I have learn'd no other rest.

3 I cannot live contented here, Without some glimpses of thy face; And heaven without thy presence there Would be a dark and tiresome place.

4 When earthly cares engross the day And hold my thoughts aside from thee, The shining hours of cheerful light Are long and tedious years to me.

5 And if no evening visit's paid Between my Saviour and my soul, How dull the night! how sad the shade! How mournfully the minutes roll!

6 This flesh of mine might learn as soon To live, yet part with all my blood; To breathe when vital air is gone, Or thrive and grow without my food.

7 [Christ is my light, my life, my care, My blessed hope, my heavenly prize, Dearer than all my passions are, My limbs, my bowels, or my eyes.

8 The strings that twine about my heart, Tortures and racks may tear them off, But they can never, never part With their dear hold of Christ my love.]

9 [My God! and can an humble child That loves thee with a flame so high, Be ever from thy face exil'd Without the pity of thine eye?

10 Impossible--For thine own hands Have tied my heart so fast to thee; And in thy book the promise stands, That where thou art thy friends must be.

Hymn 2:101. The world's three great temptations.

1 When in the light of faith divine We look on things below, Honour, and gold, and sensual joy, How vain and dangerous too!

2 [Honour's a puff of noisy breath; Yet men expose their blood, And venture everlasting death To gain that airy good.

3 Whilst others starve the nobler mind, And feed on shining dust, They rob the serpent of his food T' indulge a sordid lust.]

4 The pleasures that allure our sense Are dangerous snares to souls; There's but a drop of flattering sweet, And dash'd with bitter bowls.

5 God is mine all-sufficient good, My portion and my choice; In him my vast desires are fill'd, And all my powers rejoice.

6 In vain the world accosts my ear, And tempts my heart anew; I cannot buy your bliss so dear, Nor part with heaven for you.

Hymn 2:102. A happy resurrection.

1 No, I'll repine at death no more, But with a cheerful gasp resign To the cold dungeon of the grave These dying, withering limbs of mine.

2 Let worms devour my wasting flesh, And crumble all my bones to dust, My God shall raise my frame anew At the revival of the just.

3 Break, sacred morning, thro' the skies, Bring that delightful, dreadful day, Cut short the hours, dear Lord, and come, Thy lingering wheels, how long they stay!

4 [Our weary spirits faint to see The light of thy returning face, And hear the language of those lips Where God has shed his richest grace.]

5 Haste then upon the wings of love, Rouse all the pious sleeping clay, That we may join in heavenly joys, And sing the triumph of the day.

Hymn 2:103. Christ's commission, John 3. 16 17.

1 Come happy souls, approach your God With new melodious songs; Come, render to almighty grace The tribute of your tongues.

2 So strange, so boundless was the love That pity'd dying men, The Father sent his equal Son To give them life again.

3 Thy hands, dear Jesus, were not arm'd With a revenging rod, No hard commission to perform The vengeance of a God.

4 But all was mercy, all was mild, And wrath forsook the throne, When Christ on the kind errand came, And brought salvation down.

5 Here, sinners, you may heal your wounds, And wipe your sorrows dry; Trust in the mighty Saviour's Name, And you shall never die.

6 See, dearest Lord our willing souls Accept thine offer'd grace; We bless the great Redeemer's love, And give the Father praise.

Hymn 2:104. The same.

1 Raise your triumphant songs To an immortal tune, Let the wide earth resound the deeds Celestial grace has done.

2 Sing how eternal love Its chief beloved chose, And bid him raise our wretched race From their abyss of woes.

3 His hand no thunder bears, Nor terror clothes his brow, No bolts to drive our guilty souls To fiercer flames below.

4 'Twas mercy fill'd the throne, And wrath stood silent by, When Christ was sent with pardons down To rebels doom'd to die.

5 Now, sinners, dry your tears, Let hopeless sorrow cease; Bow to the sceptre of his love, And take the offer'd peace.

6 Lord we obey thy call; We lay an humble claim To the salvation thou hast brought, And love and praise thy Name.

Hymn 2:105. Repentance flowing from the patience of God.

1 And are we wretches yet alive? And do we yet rebel? 'Tis boundless, 'tis amazing love That bears us up from hell!

2 The burden of our weighty guilt Would sink us down to flames, And threatening vengeance rolls above To crush our feeble frames.

3 Almighty goodness cries, "Forbear;" And straight the thunder stays; And dare we now provoke his wrath, And weary out his grace?

4 Lord, we have long abus'd thy love, Too long indulg'd our sin; Our aching hearts e'en bleed to see What rebels we have been.

5 No more, ye lusts, shall ye command, No more will we obey; Stretch out, O God, thy conquering hand, And drive thy foes away.

Hymn 2:106. Repentance at the cross.

1 Oh, if my soul was form'd for woe, How would I vent my sighs! Repentance should like rivers flow From both my streaming eyes.

2 'Twas for my sins, my dearest Lord Hung on the cursed tree, And groan'd away a dying life, For thee, my soul, for thee.

3 O how I hate those lusts of mine That crucify'd my God, Those sins that pierc'd and nail'd his flesh Fast to the fatal wood!

4 Yes, my Redeemer, they shall die, My heart has so decreed, Nor will I spare the guilty things That made my Saviour bleed.

5 Whilst with a melting broken heart My murder'd Lord I view, I'll raise revenge against my sins, And slay the murderers too.

Hymn 2:107. The everlasting absence of God intolerable.

1 That awful day will surely come, Th' appointed hour makes haste, When I must stand before my Judge, And pass the solemn test.

2 Thou lovely chief of all my joys, Thou sovereign of my heart, How could I bear to hear thy voice Pronounce the sound, "Depart?"

3 [The thunder of that dismal word, Would so torment my ear, 'Twould tear my soul asunder, Lord, With most tormenting fear.]

4 [What, to be banish'd from my life, And yet forbid to die! To linger in eternal pain, Yet death for ever fly!]

5 O wretched state of deep despair, To see my God remove, And fix my doleful station where I must not taste his Love.

6 Jesus, I throw my arms around, And hang upon thy breast; Without a gracious smile from thee My spirit cannot rest.

7 O tell me that my worthless name Is graven on thy hands; Shew me some promise in thy book Where my salvation stands!

8 [Give me one kind assuring word, To sink my fears again, And cheerfully my soul shall wait Her threescore years and ten.]

Hymn 2:108. Access to the throne of grace by a Mediator.

1 Come, let us lift our joyful eyes Up to the courts above, And smile to see our Father there Upon a throne of love.

2 Once 'twas a seat of dreadful wrath, And shot devouring flame; Our God appear'd consuming fire, And vengeance was his name.

3 Rich were the drops of Jesus' blood, That calm'd his frowning face, That sprinkled o'er the burning throne, And turn'd the wrath to grace.

4 Now we may bow before his feet, And venture near the Lord; No fiery cherub guards his seat, Nor double-flaming sword.

5 The peaceful gates of heavenly bliss Are open'd by the Son; High let us raise our notes of praise, And reach th' Almighty throne.

6 To thee ten thousand thanks we bring Great Advocate on high: And glory to th' eternal King That lays his fury by.

Hymn 2:109. The darkness of providence.

1 Lord, we adore thy vast designs, Th' obscure abyss of providence, Too deep to sound with mortal lines Too dark to view with feeble sense.

2 Now thou array'st thine awful face In angry frowns, without a smile; We thro' the cloud believe thy grace, Secure of thy compassion still.

3 Thro' seas and storms of deep distress We sail by faith and not by sight; Faith guides us in the wilderness Through all the briers and the night.

4 Dear Father, if thy lifted rod Resolve to scourge us here below, Still we must lean upon our God, Thine arm shall bear us safely thro'.

Hymn 2:110. Triumph over death in hope of the resurrection.

1 And must this body die? This mortal frame decay? And must these active limbs of mine Lie mouldering in the clay?

2 Corruption, earth and worms, Shall but refine this flesh, Till my triumphant spirit comes To put it on afresh.

3 God my Redeemer lives, And often from the skies Looks down, and watches all my dust, Till he shall bid it rise.

4 Array'd in glorious grace Shall these vile bodies shine, And every shape and every face Look heavenly and divine.

5 These lively hopes we owe To Jesus' dying love; We would adore his grace below, And sing his power above.

6 Dear Lord, accept the praise Of these our humble songs, Till tunes of nobler sound we raise With our immortal tongues.

Hymn 2:111. Thanksgiving for victory; or, God's dominion and our deliverance.

1 Zion rejoice, and Judah sing; The Lord assumes his throne; Let Britain own the heavenly King, And make his glories known.

2 The great, the wicked, and the proud, From their high seats are hurl'd; Jehovah rides upon a cloud, And thunders thro' the world.

3 He reigns upon th' eternal hills, Distributes mortal crowns, Empires are fix'd beneath his smiles, And totter at his frowns.

4 Navies, that rule the ocean wide, Are vanquish'd by his breath; And legions arm'd with power and pride Descend to watery death.

5 Let tyrants make no more pretence To vex our happy land; Jehovah's Name is our defence, Our buckler is his hand.

6 [Long may the King our Sovereign live To rule us by his word; And all the honours he can give Be offer'd to the Lord.]

Hymn 2:112. Angels ministering to Christ and saints.

1 Great God, to what a glorious height Hast thou advanc'd the Lord thy Son! Angels, in all their robes of light, Are made the servants of his throne.

2 Before his feet their armies wait, And swift as flames of fire they move, To manage his affairs of state In works of vengeance or of love.

3 His orders run thro' all their hosts, Legions descend at his command To shield and guard the British coasts, When foreign rage invades our land.

4 Now they are sent to guide our feet Up to the gates of thine abode, Thro' all the dangers that we meet In travelling the heavenly road.

5 Lord, when I leave this mortal ground, And thou shall bid me rise and come, Send a beloved angel down Safe to conduct my spirit home.

Hymn 2:113. The same.

1 The majesty of Solomon! How glorious to behold The servants waiting round his throne, The ivory and the gold.

2 But, mighty God, thy palace shines With far superior beams; Thine angel-guards are swift as winds, Thy ministers are flames.

3 [Soon as thine only Son had made His entrance on this earth, A shining army downward fled To celebrate his birth.

4 And when oppress'd with pains and fears On the cold ground he lies, Behold a heavenly form appears T' allay his agonies.]

5 Now to the hands of Christ our King Are all their legions given; They wait upon his saints, and bring His chosen heirs to heaven.

6 Pleasure and praise run thro' their host To see a sinner turn; Then Satan has a captive lost, And Christ a subject born.

7 But there's an hour of brighter joy, When he his angels sends Obstinate rebels to destroy, And gather in his friends.

8 O! could I say, without a doubt, There shall my soul be found, Then let the great archangel shout, And the last trumpet sound.

Hymn 2:114. Christ's death, victory and dominion.

1 I sing my Saviour's wondrous death; He conquer'd when he fell: _'Tis finish'd_, said his dying breath, And shook the gates of hell.

2 _'Tis finish'd_, our Immanuel cries, The dreadful work is done; Hence shall his sovereign throne arise, His kingdom is begun.

3 His cross a sure foundation laid For glory and renown, When thro' the regions of the dead He pass'd to reach the crown.

4 Exalted at his Father's side Sits our victorious Lord; To heaven and hell his hands divide The vengeance or reward.

5 The saints from his propitious eye Await their several crowns, And all the sons of darkness fly The terror of his frowns.

Hymn 2:115. God the avenger of his saints; or, His kingdom.

1 High as the heavens above the ground Reigns the Creator God; Wide as the whole creation's bound Extends his awful rod.

2 Let princes of exalted state To him ascribe their crown, Render their homage at his feet, And cast their glories down.

3 Know that his kingdom is supreme, Your lofty thoughts are vain; He calls you gods, that awful name, But ye must die like men.

4 Then let the sovereigns of the globe Not dare to vex the just; He puts on vengeance like a robe, And treads the worms to dust.

5 Ye judges of the earth, be wise, And think on heaven with fear; The meanest saint that you despise Has an avenger there.

Hymn 2:116. Mercies and thanks.

1 How can I sink with such a prop As my eternal God, Who bears the earth's huge pillars up, And spreads the heavens abroad?

2 How can I die while Jesus lives, Who rose and left the dead? Pardon and grace my soul receives From mine exalted head.

3 All that I am, and all I have Shall be for ever thine, Whate'er my duty bids me give My cheerful hands resign.

4 Yet if I might make some reserve, And duty did not call, I love my God with zeal so great That I should give him all.

Hymn 2:117. Living and dying with God present.

1 I cannot bear thine absence, Lord, My life expires if thou depart; Be thou, my heart, still near my God, And thou, my God, be near my heart.

2 I was not born for earth and sin, Nor can I live on things so vile; Yet I would stay my Father's time, And hope and wait for heaven a while.

3 Then, dearest Lord, in thine embrace Let me resign my fleeting breath, And with a smile upon my face Pass the important hour of death.