Describing the Pleasantness of Religion.
APPY the man, who finds the grace,
The blessing of God's chosen race,
The wisdom coming from above,
The faith that sweetly works by love.
2 Happy, beyond description, he
Who knows "The Saviour died for me!"
The gift unspeakable obtains,
And heavenly understanding gains.
3 Wisdom Divine! Who tells the price
Of Wisdom's costly merchandise?
Wisdom to silver we prefer,
And gold is dross, compared to her.
4 Her hands are filled with length of days,
True riches, and immortal praise;
Riches of Christ, on all bestowed,
And honour, that descends from God.
5 To purest joys she all invites,
Chaste, holy, spiritual delights;
Her ways are ways of pleasantness,
And all her flowery paths are peace.
6 Happy the man who Wisdom gains;
Thrice happy, who his Guest retains!
He owns, and shall for ever own,
Wisdom, and Christ, and Heaven are onė.
APPY soul, that, free from harms,
Rests within his Shepherd's arms!
Who his quiet shall molest?
Who shall violate his rest?
Jesus doth his spirit bear:
Jesus takes his every care:
He who found the wandering sheep,
Jesus, still delights to keep.
2 O that I might so believe,
Steadfastly to Jesus cleave;
On His only love rely,
Smile at the destroyer nigh:
Free from sin and servile fear,
Have my Jesus ever near;
All His care rejoice to prove ;
All His paradise of love!
3 Jesus, seek Thy wandering sheep;
Bring me back, and lead, and keep ;
Take on Thee my every care ;
Bear me, on Thy bosom bear:
Let me know my Shepherd's voice,
More, and more in Thee rejoice;
More, and more of Thee receive;
Ever in Thy Spirit live.
4 Live, till all Thy life I know,
Perfect, through my Lord, below:
Gladly then from earth remove,
Gathered to the fold above:
O that I at last may stand
With the sheep at Thy right hand ;
Take the crown so freely given,
Enter in by Thee to heaven!
OLEST is the man, supremely blest, Whose wickedness is all forgiven, Who finds in Jesu's wounds his rest, And sees the smiling face of Heaven. 2 But while, through pride, I held my tongue, Nor owned my helpless unbelief,
My bones were wasted all day long,
My strength consumed with pining grief; 3 Resolved, at last, "To God," (I cried,) "My sins I will at large confess; My shame I will no longer hide, My depth of desperate wickedness:
4 All will I own unto my Lord,
Without reserve or cloaking art ;'
I said; and felt the pardoning word,
Thy mercy spoke it to my heart.
5 For this shall every child of God
Thy power and faithful love declare,
And claim the grace on all bestowed,
Who make to Thee their timely prayer.
6 But when the floods of judgment rise
And sweep the guilty souls away,
Remains for sin no sacrifice;
For ended is their gracious day.
OW happy are they, who the Saviour obey, And have laid up their treasure above! Tongue cannot express the sweet comfort and peace Of a soul in its earliest love.
2 That comfort was mine, when the favour Divine I first found in the blood of the Lamb;
When my heart it believed, what a joy it received, What a heaven in Jesus's name !
3 Jesus, all the day long, was my joy and my song; O that all His salvation may see! [died, He hath loved me, I cried, He hath suffered and To redeem such a rebel as me.
4 O the rapturous height of that holy delight,
Which I felt in the life-giving blood!
Of my Saviour possest, I was perfectly blest,
As if filled with the fulness of God.
L.M. 6 lines. C. WESLEY. 1798.
HE that in Christ his soul doth hide.
HR That secret place of God Most High,
Shall safe and undisturbed abide,
With sin, the world, and Satan nigh;
Wrapt in a covering from above,
And shadowed by Almighty Love.
2 Thy faith in Him shall not be vain ;
He shall from Satan's snare release,
Save thee from sin's infectious stain,
And cleanse from all unrighteousness;
Thy God shall still His own defend,
And hide and love thee to the end.
3 Thee no alarms of war can fright,
Or take Thy confidence away;
The pestilence that walks by night,
And sweeps whole nations in a day,
With all the pomp of mortal pain,
Surrounds thy fearless soul in vain.
4 Whose refuge is the Lord Most High,
Whose trust is in His gracious power,
Evil and plague shall not come nigh,
And sin shall never touch thee more;
While all the heavenly hosts attend
The man, whom God hath called His friend.
WATTS. 1709.
DLEST are the humble souls that see
Their emptiness and poverty;
Treasures of grace to them are given,
And crowns of joy laid up in heaven.
2 Blest are the men of broken heart,
Who mourn for sin with inward smart ;
The blood of Christ divinely flows,
A healing balm for all their woes.
3 Blest are the souls that long for grace,
Hunger and thirst for righteousness;
They shall be well supplied, and fed
With living streams, and living bread.
4 Blest are the pure, whose hearts are clean
From the defiling power of sin;
With endless pleasure they shall see
The God of spotless purity.
5 Blest are the sufferers, who partake
Of pain and shame for Jesu's sake;
Their souls shall triumph in the Lord;
Glory and joy are their reward.
6. These are the men, the holy race,
Who seek the God of Jacob's face;
These shall enjoy that blissful sight,
And dwell in everlasting light.
APPY the souls who first believed,
H To Jesus, and each other cleaved;
Joined by the unction from above,
In mystic fellowship of love.
2 Meek, simple followers of the Lamb,
They lived, and spake, and thought the same;
They joyfully conspired to raise
Their ceaseless sacrifice of praise.
3 On God they cast their every care,
Wrestling with God in mighty prayer;
They claimed the grace through Jesus given;
By prayer they shut and opened heaven.
4 With grace abundantly endued,
A pure, believing multitude,
They all were of one heart and soul,
And only love inspired the whole.
5 Oh, what an age of golden days!
Oh, what a choice, peculiar race!
Washed in the Lamb's all-cleansing blood,,
Anointed Kings and Priests to God!
6 Where shall I wander now to find
Successors they have left behind?
The faithful, whom I seek in vain,
Are 'minished from the sons of men.
7 Ye different sects, who all declare,
"Lo, here is Christ!" or, "Christ is there!"
Your stronger proofs divinely give,
And show me where the Christians live.
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