He speaks-obedient to his call
Our warm affections move;
Did he but shine alike on all,
Then all alike would love.
Then love in ev'ry heart would reign,
And war would cease to roar;
And cruel, and blood-thirsty men,
Would thirst for blood no more.
Such JESUS is, and such his grace,
Oh may he shine on you1!
And tell him, when you see his face,
I long to see him too.
XXXV. [Bк. III. xv.]
LIGHT SHINING OUT OF DARKNESS
GOD moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill;
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.
Ye fearful saints fresh courage take,
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
Judge not the LORD by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence,
He hides a smiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding ev'ry hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flow'r.
Blind unbelief is sure to err 2,
And scan his work in vain;
GOD is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.
1 Song of Sol. v. 8. 2 John xiii. 7.
XXXV-20 sweet will be] wait to smell MS. quoted by
XXXVI. [BK. III. xvi.]
WELCOME CROSS
'Tis my happiness below
Not to live without the cross;
But the Saviour's pow'r to know,
Sanctifying ev'ry loss:
Trials must and will befall;
But with humble faith to see
Love inscrib'd upon them all,
This is happiness to me.
GOD; in Israel, sows the seeds
Of affliction, pain, and toil;
These spring up, and choke the weeds
Which would else o'erspread the soil:
Trials make the promise sweet,
Trials give new life to pray'r;
Trials bring me to his feet,
Lay me low, and keep me there.
Did I meet no trials here,
No chastisement by the way;
Might I not, with reason, fear
I should prove a cast-away?
Bastards may escape the rod',
Sunk in earthly, vain delight;
But the true-born child of God,
Must not, would not, if he might.
AFFLICTIONS SANCTIFIED BY THE WORD
O HOW I love thy holy word,
Thy gracious covenant, O LORD!
It guides me in the peaceful way,
I think upon it all the day.
What are the mines of shining wealth,
The strength of youth, the bloom of health!
What are all joys compar'd with those
Thine everlasting word bestows!
Long unafflicted, undismay'd,
In pleasure's path secure I stray'd;
Thou mad'st me feel thy chast'ning rod2,
And strait I turn'd unto my GOD.
15 bring me to] lay me at MS. quoted by J. E. B. Mayor.
What though it pierc'd my fainting heart,
I bless thine hand that caus'd the smart;
It taught my tears awhile to flow,
But sav'd me from eternal woe.
Oh! hadst thou left me unchastiz'd,
Thy precept I had still despis'd;
And still the snare in secret laid,
Had my unwary feet betray'd.
I love thee therefore O my GOD,
And breathe towards thy dear abode;
Where in thy presence fully blest,
Thy chosen saints for ever rest.
XXXVIII. [BK. III. xviii.]
TEMPTATION
THE billows swell, the winds are high,
Clouds overcast my wintry sky;
Out of the depths to thee I call,
My fears are great, my strength is small.
O LORD, the pilot's part perform,
And guide and guard me thro' the storm;
Defend me from each threat'ning ill,
Control the waves, say, "Peace, be still." 8
Amidst the roaring of the sea,
My soul still hangs her hope on thee;
Thy constant love, thy faithful care,
Is all that saves me from despair.
Dangers of ev'ry shape and name
Attend the followers of the Lamb,
Who leave the world's deceitful shore,
And leave it to return no more.
Tho' tempest-toss'd and half a wreck,
My Saviour thro' the floods I seek;
Let neither winds nor stormy main,
Force back my shatter'd bark again.
XXXIX. [Bк. III. xix.]
LOOKING UPWARDS IN A STORM
GOD of my life, to thee I call,
Afflicted at thy feet I fall';
When the great water-floods prevail,
Leave not my trembling heart to fail!
XXXVII-18 precepts Southey.
Friend of the friendless, and the faint!
Where should I lodge my deep complaint?
Where but with thee, whose open door
Invites the helpless and the poor!
Did ever mourner plead with thee,
And thou refuse that mourner's plea?
Does not the word still fix'd remain,
That none shall seek thy face in vain?
That were a grief I could not bear,
Didst thou not hear and answer prayer;
But a pray'r-hearing, answ'ring GOD,
Supports me under ev'ry load.
Fair is the lot that's cast for me!
I have an advocate with thee;
They whom the world caresses most,
Have no such privilege to boast.
Poor tho' I am, despis'd, forgot',
Yet GOD, my GOD, forgets me not;
And he is safe and must succeed,
For whom the LORD Vouchsafes to plead.
THE VALLEY OF THE SHADOW OF DEATH
My soul is sad and much dismay'd;
See, LORD, what legions of my foes,
With fierce Apollyon at their head,
My heav'nly pilgrimage oppose!
See, from the ever-burning lake
How like a smoky cloud they rise!
With horrid blasts my soul they shake,
With storms of blasphemies and lies.
Their fiery arrows reach the mark",
My throbbing heart with anguish tear;
Each lights upon a kindred spark,
And finds abundant fuel there.
I hate the thought that wrongs the LORD;
Oh, I would drive it from my breast,
With thy own sharp two-edged sword,
Far as the east is from the west.
Come then, and chase the cruel host,
Heal the deep wounds I have receiv'd!
Nor let the pow'rs of darkness boast
That I am foil'd, and thou art griev'd!
1 Ps. xl. 17. 2 Eph. vi. 16.
XLI. [BK. III. xxiii.]
PEACE AFTER A STORM
WHEN darkness long has veil'd my mind,
And smiling day once more appears;
Then, my Redeemer, then I find
The folly of my doubts and fears.
Strait I upbraid my wandering heart,
And blush that I should ever be
Thus prone to act so base a part,
Or harbour one hard thought of thee!
Oh! let me then at length be taught
What I am still so slow to learn;
That GOD is love and changes not,
Nor knows the shadow of a turn:
Sweet truth, and easy to repeat !
But when my faith is sharply try'd,
I find myself a learner yet,
Unskilful, weak, and apt to slide.
But, O my LORD, one look from thee
Subdues the disobedient will;
Drives doubt and discontent away,
And thy rebellious worm is still.
Thou art as ready to forgive,
Thou, therefore, all the praise receive,
Be shame, and self-abhorrence, mine.
XLII. [BK. III. xxiv.]
MOURNING AND LONGING
THE Saviour hides his face!
My spirit thirsts to prove
Renew'd supplies of pard'ning grace,
And never-fading love.
The favor'd souls who know
What glories shine in him,
Pant for his presence, as the roe
Pants for the living stream!
What trifles tease me now!
They swarm like summer flies,
They cleave to ev'ry thing I do,
And swim before my eyes.
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