4 Wisdom its dictates here imparts,
To form our minds, to cheer our hearts:
Its influence makes the sinner live,
It bids the drooping saint revive.
5 Our raging passions it controls,
And comfort yields to contrite souls;
It brings a better world in view,
And guides us all our journey through.
6 May this blest volume ever lie
Close to my heart, and near my eye,
Till life's last hour my soul engage,
And be my chosen heritage!
THEN quiet in my house I sit,
My joy Thy sayings to repeat,
Talk o'er the records of Thy will,
And search the oracles divine,
Till every heartfelt word be mine.
2 O may the gracious words divine
Subject of all my converse be:
So will the Lord His follower join,
And walk and talk Himself with me;
So shall my heart His presence prove,
And burn with everlasting love.
S Oft as I lay me down to rest,
O may the reconciling word
Sweetly compose my weary breast!
While, on the bosom of my Lord,
I sink in blissful dreams away,
And visions of eternal day.
4 Rising to sing my Saviour's praise,
Thee may I publish all day long;
And let Thy precious word of grace
Flow from my heart, and fill my tongue;
Fill all my life with purest love,
And join me to the church above.
Second Division.
THE CHARACTER, PROBATION,
AND SALVATION OF MAN.
HYMNS CONCERNING THE FALLEN
CONDITION OF MAN.
7s & 6s.
Eccles. vii. 29.
UPRIGHT, both in heart and will,
We by our God were made;
But we turned from good to ill,
And o'er the creature strayed;
Multiplied our wandering thought,
Which first was fixed on God alone;
In ten thousand objects sought
The bliss we lost in one.
2 From our own inventions vain
Of fancied happiness,
Draw us to Thyself again,
And bid our wanderings cease;
Jesus, speak our souls restored,
By Love's divine simplicity:
Re-united to our Lord,
And wholly lost in Thee!
URIED in shadows of the night
B We lie, till Christ restores the light;
Wisdom descends to heal the blind, And chase the darkness of the mind. 2 Our guilty souls are drowned in tears, Till His atoning blood appears; Then we awake from deep distress, And sing-The Lord our righteousness."
3 Jesus beholds where Satan reigns, Binding his slaves in heavy chains; He sets the prisoners free, and breaks The iron bondage from their necks. 4 Poor helpless worms in Thee possess Grace, wisdom, power, and righteousness: Thou art our mighty All; and we
Give our whole selves, O Lord, to Thee!
OW sad our state by nature is!
Hour sin, how deep it stains!
And Satan binds our captive souls
Fast in his slavish chains.
2 But there's a voice of sovereign grace
Sounds from the sacred word:
"Ho! ye despairing sinners, come,
And trust upon the Lord!"
3 My soul obeys the' Almighty's call,
And runs to this relief:
I would believe Thy promise, Lord;
O help my unbelief!
4 To the blest fountain of Thy blood,
Incarnate God, I fly :
Here let me wash my spotted soul
From sins of deepest dye.
5 Stretch out Thy arm, victorious King!
My reigning sins subdue;
Drive sin and Satan from their seat,
My inmost soul renew.
6 A guilty, weak, and helpless worm,
Into Thy arms I fall;
Be Thou my strength and righteousness,
My Jesus, and my All.
Describing Formal Religion.
LONG have I seemed to serve Thee, Lord,
With unavailing pain:
Fasted, and prayed, and read Thy word,
And heard it preached in vain.
2 Oft did I with the' assembly join,
And near Thine altar drew;
A form of godliness was mine,
The power I never knew.
3 I rested in the outward law;
Nor knew its deep design:
The length and breadth I never saw,
And height, of love divine.
4 To please Thee thus, at length I see,
Vainly I hoped and strove :
For what are outward things to Thee,
Unless they spring from love?
5 I see the perfect law requires
Truth in the inward parts;
Our full consent, our whole desires,
Our undivided hearts.
6 But I of means have made my boast,
Of means an idol made;
The spirit in the letter lost,
The substance in the shade.
7 Where am I now, or what my hope?
What can my weakness do?
Jesus! to Thee my soul looks up:
"Tis Thou must make it new.
TILL for Thy lovingkindness, Lord,
SI in Thy temple wait;
I look to find Thee in Thy word,
Or at Thy table meet.
2 Here, in Thine own appointed ways,
I wait to learn Thy will:
Silent I stand before Thy face,
And hear Thee say, "Be still!”
3 "Be still! and know that I am God!""Tis all I live to know;
To feel the virtue of Thy blood,
And spread its praise below!
4 I wait my vigour to renew,
Thine image to retrieve,
The veil of outward things pass through,
And gasp in Thee to live.
5 I work; and own the labour vain;
And thus from works I cease:
I strive, and see my fruitless pain,
"Till God create my peace.
6 Fruitless, till Thou Thyself impart,
Must all my efforts prove:
They cannot change a sinful heart;
They cannot purchase love.
7 I do the thing Thy laws enjoin,
And then the strife give o'er;
To Thee I then the whole resign;
I trust in means no more.
8 I trust in Him, who stands between
The Father's wrath and me;
Jesu! Thou great eternal Mean,
I look for all from Thee.
Mahee what shall I say?
gracious, loving Lord,
Well may I tremble at Thy word,
And scarce presume to pray.
Ten thousand wants have I:
Alas! I all things want;
But Thou hast bid me always cry,
And never, never faint.
2 Yet, Lord, well might I fear,
Fear ev'n to ask Thy grace;
So oft have I, alas! drawn near,
And mocked Thee to Thy face:
With all pollutions stained,
Thy hallowed courts I trod:
Thy name and temple I profaned,
And dared to call Thee God!
Nigh with my lips I drew;
My lips were all unclean:
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