16 Worthy praise can ne'er be giv❜n,
'Till his saints arrive at heav'n,
There, with all the glorious ones,
Sing his praise and cast their crowns.
PARA. II. Names of Christ, expressive of his Of fices, taken from various parts of Scripture.
1 Low at thy feet, O Christ, we fall,
Enabled to confess,
And call thee by the Holy Ghost,
The Lord our righteousness.
2 God over all Immanuel reigns,
With his great Father one;
The brightness of his glory thou,
And partner of his throne.
3 Author and finisher of faith,
In all that know thy name;
A lion to thy stubborn foes,
But to thy friends a lamb.
4 Sceptre of Israel, prince of peace,
Immortal king of kings:
The sun of righteousness that shines
With healing in his wings.
5 The gift of God to fallen man,
The Lord of quick and dead:
A well of life to fainting souls,
And their sustaining bread.
6 Foundation of thy people's joy,
Their pardon and their rest;
On earth our sacrifice for sin,
In heav'n our great high priest.
7 The Lord of life, who suffer'd death
That we might heav'n regain :
The source of blessing, who on earth,
Was made a curse for man.
8 Was poor, that Adam's needy sons
Treasure in thee might find;
Repairer of the dreadful breach,
Restorer of mankind.
9 Through thy desert a fallen race
To God may gain access;
With thy fine linen deck our souls,
Thy perfect righteousness.
10 With that celestial robe endued,
We ev'ry foe defy;
On earth it shall our armour be,
Our glory in the sky.
PARA. III. The Prayer of King Manasses paraphrased.
1 AUTHOR of all in earth and sky,
From whom the stars derive their light,
When thou art wroth the planets die,
And melt as nothing in thy sight.
2 Measur'd by thine almighty hand,
Unfathom'd seas of liquid glass,
Obedient, own thy high command,
And keep the bounds they cannot pass.
3 Shut up by their restraining Lord,
They in their proper channels flow:
Obey Jehovah's sovereign word,
Here, and no farther, shall ye go." 4 Thy terrors as a blazing flame,
Devour and weigh the sinner down: The mighty tremble at thy name,
And nations quake beneath thy frown.
5 Tremendous as thy judgments are,
Thy pity too no limit knows;
Thine arm is stretch'd the meek to spare,
And terribly consume thy foes.
6 With shame, great God, I own with me,
Thy waiting mercy long hath borne,
Yet would I not come back to thee,
Proudly refusing to return.
7 When mercy call'd I stopp'd my ear,
How did I from the Saviour rove,
And, bent on death, refuse to hear
The voice of thy inviting love!
8 Blind were my eyes, and hard my heart, And proof against thy striving grace: I would from thee, my strength, depart, And cease to walk in wisdom's ways. 9 But lo! On thee I fix my hope;
Be thou my friend and advocate:
Gracious Redeemer, lift me up,
And raise me to my first estate.
10 Faith in thy merit is thy gift,
By which thou dost backsliders heal:
Impart it, gracious Lord, to lift
My abject soul from whence I fell. 11 Destruction shall not seize the just, Whose sin already is forgiv'n,
Whom thou hast rescu'd from the lost,
And number'd with the heirs of heav'n.
12 To sinners, of whom I am chief,
Thy healing promises pertain;
Who fell from thee through unbelief,
By faith may be restor❜d again.
13 Of boundless mercy I have need,
My sins have took deep hold on me;
In number they the grains exceed,
That form the margin of the sea.
14 Meek on the earth thy servant lies,
And humbly makes his sorrows known;
Unworthy to lift up my eyes
To heav'n my injur'd Maker's throne. 15 Bow'd with my sense of sin, I faint, Beneath the complicated load; Father, attend my deep complaint, I am thy creature, thou my God! 16 Tho' I have broke thy righteous law, Yet with me let thy Spirit stay; Thyself from me do not withdraw, Nor take my spark of hope away.
17 Mercy unlimited is thine,
God of the penitent thou art;
The saving pow'r of blood divine,
Shall wipe the anguish from my heart.
18 Then let not sin my ruin be,
Give me in thee my rest to find:
Jesus, the sick have need of thee,
The great physician of mankind.
19 In my salvation, Lord, display
The triumphs of abounding grace:
Tell me my guilt is done away,
And turn my mourning into praise.
20 Repriev'd so long from hell's abyss,
Thou wilt not hurl me there at last,
But cheer me with the smile of
Nor look at my offences past. 21 Then shall I add my feeble song
To their's who chaunt thy praise on high,
And spread, with an immortal tongue,
Thy glory through the echoing sky.
PARA. IV. PSALM XX.
1 BELOV'D of God, may Jesus hear
The ardent breathings of thy pray'r,
And cancel thy transgressions;
Be with thee in affliction's day,
Redeem thee from thy fears, and say
Amen to thy petitions!
2 Thy ev'ry need he will supply;
His saints shall surely find him nigh,
The God whom they rely on;
He will not turn away his face,
But save thee from his holy place,
And send thee help from Sion.
3 Thy feeblest pray'r shall reach his throne,
Thy ev'ry pang is noted down,
And thou shalt be forgiv'n;
He loves thee, troubled as thou art;
And all the pantings of thy heart
Are treasured up in heav'n.
4 God is our triumph in distress;
His children's privilege it is
To smile at tribulation:
Jesus, to thee we lift our voice,
By grace enabled to rejoice,
In hope of thy salvation.
5 Ready to hear, O Lord, thou art,
Mighty to take thy people's part,
And help them in affliction :
Creation kneels to thy command,
The saving strength of thy right hand,
Shall be our sure protection.
6 In chariots some repose their trust,
Of horses others make their boast,
But we in God are stronger:
Who on the arm of flesh rely,
Trembling before our face shall fly,
When we shall more than conquer.
7 Still may the palm to us be giv❜n,
Thy saints, O mighty King of heav'n,
Continue to deliver:
Support us with thy strength'ning grace,
'Till we, in yon celestial place,
Sit down with thee for ever.
PARA. V. PSALM CXIX. ver. 169. to the end.
1 CONSIDER, Lord, my just complaint,
Wisdom divine is what I want;
From lack of knowledge, Lord, I groan:
O when shall I my God put on?
2 O let my supplication rise,
As fumes of incense to the skies,
Enter Jehovah's high abode,
The presence chamber of my God.
3 When I am truly taught thy ways,
My lips shall only speak thy praise;
My tongue shall sing of thee alone,
And tell the wonders thou hast done.
4 Assist me in thy love to stand,
And hold me by thy guardian hand:
Help me to choose the lot of grace,
The way of life, the path of peace.
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