Th' assuring faculty it keeps,
Ev'n when its eye in darkness sleeps,
Wrapp'd up in doubts; but when it wakes,
It rouses up assuring acts.

The harmony and discord between faith and sense; how they help, and how they mar each other.

THOUGH gallant faith can keep the field
When cow'rdly sense will fly or yield;

Yet while I view their usual path,

Sense often stands and falls with faith,

Faith ushers in sweet peace and joy,
Which further heartens faith's employ :
Faith like the head, and sense the heart,
Do mutual vigour fresh impart,

When lively faith and feeling sweet,
Like dearest darlings kindly meet,
They straight each other help and hug
In loving friendship-close and snug.

Faith gives to sense both life and breath,
And sense gives joy and strength to faith;
"O now, says faith, how fond do I
"In sense's glowing bosom lie?”

Their mutual kindness then is such,
That oft they doting too too much,
Embrace each other out of breath;
As Esop hugg'd his child to death.

Faith leaping into sense's arms,
Allur'd with her bewitching charms,
In hugging these, lets rashly slip
The proper object of its gripe.

Which being lost, behold the thrall!
Anon faith loses sense and all;
Thus unawares cuts sense's breath,
While sense trips up the heels of faith.

Her charms assuming Jesus' place,
While faith's lull'd in her soft embrace;
Lo, soon in dying pleasures wrapt,
Its living joy away is snapt.

The valour and victories of Faith.

BY faith I unseen Being see,
forth lower beings call,

And say to nothing, Let it be ;
And nothing hatches all.

By faith I know the worlds were made
By God's great word of might;
How soon, Let there be light, he said,
That moment there was light.

By faith I soar and force my flight
Through all the clouds of sense;
I see the glories out of sight,
With brightest evidence.

By faith I mount the azure sky,
And from the lofty sphere,

The earth a little mote espy,
Unworthy of my care.

By faith I see the unseen things
Hid from all mortal eyes;
Proud reason stretching all its wings,
Beneath me flutt'ring lies.

By faith I build my lasting hope
On righteousness divine;
Nor can I sink with such a prop,
Whatever storms combine.

By faith my works, my righteousness, And duties all I own

But loss and dung; and lay my stress
On what my Lord has done.

By faith I overcome the world,
And all its hurtful charms;
I'm in the heav'nly chariot hurl'd
Through all opposing harms.

By faith I have a conqu'ring pow'r
To tread upon my foes,

To triumph in a dying hour,
And banish all my woes.

By faith in midst of wrongs I'm right,
In sad decays I thrive :

In weakness I am strong in might,
In death I am alive.

By faith I stand when deep I fall,
In darkness I have light;
Nor dare I doubt and question all
When all is out of sight.

By faith I trust a pardon free,
Which puzzles flesh and blood;
To think that God can justify,
Where yet he sees no good.

By faith I keep my Lord's commands,

To verify my trust;

I purify my heart and hands,
And mortify my lust.

By faith my melting soul repents,
When pierced Christ appears;
My heart in grateful praises vents,
Mine eyes in joyful tears.

By faith I can the mountains vast
Of sin and guilt remove;
And them into the ocean cast,
The sea of blood and love.

By faith I see Jehovah high,
Upon a throne of grace;
I see him lay his vengeance by,
And smile in Jesus' face.

By faith I hope to see the Sun,
The light of grace that lent:
His everlasting circles run
In glory's firmament.

By faith I'm more than conqueror,
Ev'n though I nothing can;
Because I set Jehovah's pow'r
Before me in the van.

By faith I counterplot my foes,
Nor need their ambush fear;
Because my life-guard also goes
Behind me in the rear.

By faith I walk, I run, I fly,
By faith I suffer thrall;
By faith I'm fit to live and die,
By faith I can do all.

The heights and depths of sense.

VHEN Heav'n me grants at certain times,
Amidst a pow'rful gale,

Sweet liberty to mone my crimes,
And wand'rings to bewail;

Then do I dream my sinful brood,
Drown'd in the ocean-main
Of crystal tears and crimson blood,
Will never live again.

I get my foes beneath my feet,
I bruise the serpent's head;
I hope the vict'ry is complete,
And all my lusts are dead.

How gladly do I think and say,
When thus it is with me,
Sin to my sense is clean away,
And so shall ever be ?

But ah, alas! th' ensuing hour,
My lusts arise and swell,

They rage and re-inforce their pow'r,
With new recruits from hell.

Though I resolv'd and swore through grace
In very solemn terms,

I never should my lusts embrace,
Nor yield unto their charms;

Yet such deceitful friends they are,
While I no danger dream,
I'm snar'd before I am aware,
And hurry'd down the stream.