He pleads his righteousness that brought, All rents the law could crave; Whate'er its precepts, threat'nings sought, Thy Husband fully gave. Did holiness in precepts stand, And for perfection call, Justice in threat'nings death demand? Thy Husband gave it all. His blood the fiery law did quench, Its summons need not scar: Tho 't cite thee to Heav'n's awful bench, Thy Husband 's at the bar. This Advocate has much to say, For God the Father hears him ay, A cause fail'd never in his hand. His Father grants his whole demand, Hell-forces all may rendezvous; Yet fear thou not who art his spouse, Thy Husband's cause is thine. By solemn oath JEHOVAH did Let earth and hell then counterplead, SECTION V.. THE BELIEVER'S FAITH AND HOPE ENCOURAGED, EVEN IN THE DARKEST NIGHTS OF DESERTION AND DISTRESS. THE Cunning serpent may accuse, But never shall succeed; The God of peace will Satan bruise, Hell-furies threaten to devour, But, lo! in ev'ry per❜lous hour, That feeble faith may never fail, * Rom. xvi. 20, Though winnowing tempest may assail, Though grievous trials grow apace, And put thee to a stand; Thou mayst rejoice in ev'ry case, Trust, though, when in desertion dark, His beams anon the clouds can rent, Thy Husband is the sun. Without the sun who mourning go, And scarce the way can find, He brings through paths they do not know ;* Thy Husband leads the blind. Through fire and water he with skill Brings to a wealthy land; Isa. xliii. 16. Rude flames and roaring floods, Be still, Thy Husband can command. When sin disorders heavy brings, That press thy soul with weight; Then mind how many crooked things Thy Husband has made straight. Still look to him with longing eyes, Though both thine eyes should fail; Cry, and at length, though not thy cries, Thy Husband shall prevail. Still hope for favor at his hand, Though favor do n't appear; When help seems most aloof to stand, In cases hopeless-like, faint hopes But most when stript of earthly props, If providence the promise thwart, And yet thy humbled mind 'Gainst hope believes in hope,* thou art Thy Husband's dearest friend. Rom. vi. 18. Art thou a weakling, poor and faint, Let not thy weakness move thy plaint, Thy Husband has the pow'r. Dread not the foes that foil'd thee long Will ruin thee at length: When thou art weak, then art thou strong; When foes are mighty, many too, "T is not with thee they have to do, "Tis hard to fight against a host, SECTION VI. BENEFITS ACCRUING TO BELIEVERS, FROM THE OFFICES, NAMES, NATURES, AND SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST. ART thou by lusts a captive led, Which breeds thy deepest grief? |