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123

And when on joyful wing,
Cleaving the sky;

Sun, moon, and stars forgot,
Upward I fly;

Still all my song shall be,
Nearer, my God, to thee,
Nearer to thee!

WED by a mortal's frown, shall I

most high?

How then should I before Him stand;
How meet the terrors of his hand?

Shall I, to please the thoughtless throng,
Soften thy truths, and smooth my tongue;
Or, lured with idle pleasures, flee
The cross, O Lord, endured by thee?

And what is man, his pride and power?
The passing vapour of an hour:
Lord, to thyself my spirit raise,
Above the world, its scorn or praise.

My life, my heart, my soul are thine;
Bright in thine image may I shine:
In me fulfil thy pleasure, Lord;
Thy will be done, thy name adored!

124

ESUS, and shall it ever be,

JA mortal man ashamed of thee?

Scorn'd be the thought by rich and poor!
O may I scorn it more and more!

Ashamed of Jesus? Of that Friend
On whom for heaven my hopes depend?
It must not be: be this my shame,
That I no more revere his Name!.

Ashamed of Jesus? Yes, I may,
When I've no crimes to wash away;
No tears to wipe, no joy to crave,
No fears to quell, no soul to save.

Till then (nor is the boasting vain),
Till then, I'll boast a Saviour slain :
And, O may this my portion be,
That Saviour not ashamed of me!

125

M

OUNT, my soul, to things above,
Speed thy flight from earthly love,
Through this thorny desert flow
Streams of bitterness and woe;
Here thy portion's to complain,
Grieve for sin, and grieve again;
Here thy faith, like silver tried,
Must the fiery test abide.

Yet exult in Christ, my soul!
He can all thy griefs control,
He a sovereign balm can find,
Healing to the wounded mind;
Only trust the Prince of Peace,
Soon shall all thy sorrows cease
Look to heaven thy purchased home,
Wait till Jesus quickly come.

126

0

SAVIOUR, may we never rest,
Till thou art form'd within,

Till thou hast calm'd our troubled breast,

And crush'd the power of sin!

O may we gaze upon thy cross,
Until the wondrous sight

Makes earthly treasures seem but dross,

And earthly sorrows light!

Until released from carnal ties,
Our spirit upward springs,
And sees true peace above the skies,
True joy in heavenly things.

There, as we gaze, may we become

United, Lord, to thee,

And in a fairer, happier home,

127

Thy perfect beauty see.

ISE, my soul, and stretch thy wings;

Thy better portion trace:

Rise from transitory things,

Towards heaven thy native place.
Sun and moon and stars decay;
Time shall soon this earth remove;
Rise, my soul, and haste away
To seats prepared above.

Rivers to the ocean run,

Nor stay in all their course:
Fire ascending seeks the sun :
Both speed them to their source.
So, a soul that's born of God
Pants to view his glorious face;
Upwards tends to his abode,
To rest in his embrace.

Cease, ye pilgrims, cease to mourn,
Press onward to the prize;
Soon your Saviour will return
Triumphant in the skies:
Yet a season, and we know,
Happy entrance will be given;
All our sorrows left below,
And earth exchanged for heaven.

128

LL scenes alike engaging prove

love;

Where'er they dwell, they dwell with Thee,
In heaven, in earth, or on the sea.

To me remains nor place nor time;
My country is in every clime;
I can be calm, and free from care,
On any shore, since God is there.

While place we seek, or place we shun,
The soul finds happiness in none;
But with my God to guide my way,
"Tis equal joy to go or stay.

Could I be cast where Thou art not,
That were, indeed, a dreadful lot:
But regions none remote I call,
Secure of finding God in all.

Then let me to his throne repair,
And never be a stranger there;
Then love divine shall be my guard,

And peace and safety my reward.

129

H Has tempted only to beguile!

OW oft the world's alluring smile

It promis'd health-in one short hour
Perish'd the fair but tender flower:
It promis'd riches-in a day

They made them wings and fled away:
It promis'd friends-all sought their own,
And left my aching heart alone.

Lord! with the barren service spent,
To thee my suppliant knee I bent,
And found in thee a Father's grace,
His hand, his heart, his faithfulness,
The voice of peace, the smile of love,
The bread that feeds the saints above;
And tasted in this world of woe
A joy its children never know.

130

Bin life's uncertain path I stand;

ESET with snares on ev'ry hand,

Saviour divine, diffuse thy light
To guide my doubtful footsteps right!
Engage this roving, treach'rous heart
To fix on Mary's better part:
To scorn the trifles of a day,
For joys that none can take away!

Then let the wildest storms arise;
Let tempests mingle earth and skies;
No fatal shipwreck shall I fear;
But all my treasure with me bear.

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