And soon this perishable frame With mother earth shall rest below: 2 But O! my soul, if born again, With glory clothed upon shall rise, A place among the saints obtain, And find its Father in the skies.
The vain hopes of the wicked.-Job viii. 11-22.
1 THE rush may rise where waters flow,
And flags beside the stream;
But soon their verdure fades and dies
Before the scorching beam.
2 So is the sinner's hope cut off;
Or, if it transient rise,
'Tis like the spider's airy web,
From every breath that flies.
3 Fix'd on his house, he leans; his house,
And all its props decay :
He holds it fast; but while he holds,
The tottering frame gives way.
4 Fair in his garden, to the sun
His boughs with verdure smile;
And, deeply fix'd, his spreading roots
Unshaken stand a while.
5 But forth the sentence flies from heaven,
That sweeps him from his place;
Which then denies him for its lord,
Nor owns it knew its face.
6 Lo! this the joy of wicked men,
Who heaven's high laws despise ;
They quickly fall; and in their room,
As quickly others rise.
7 But, for the just, with gracious care
God will his power employ;
He'll teach their lips to sing his praise,
And fill their hearts with joy.
God unsearchable.-Job xi. 7.
1 SHALL foolish, weak, short-sighted man Beyond archangels go,
The great Almighty God explain,
Or to perfection know?
His attributes divinely soar
Above the creature's sight,
And prostrate seraphim adore
The glorious Infinite.
2 Jehovah's everlasting days,
They cannot number'd be ;
Incomprehensible the space
Of thine immensity:
Thy wisdom's depths by reason's line
In vain we strive to sound,
Or stretch our labouring thought to' assign
Omnipotence a bound.
3 The brightness of thy glories leaves
Description far below;
Nor man, nor angel's heart conceives
How deep thy mercies flow:
Thy love is most unsearchable,
And dazzles all above;
They gaze, but cannot count or tell
The treasures of thy love!
The Resurrection of the Body.-Job xix. 25.
1 My faith shall triumph o'er the grave,
And trample on the tombs ;
My Jesus, my Redeemer lives,
My God, my Saviour comes :
Ere long I know He shall appear,
In power and glory great;
And death, the last of all his foes,
Lie vanquish'd at his feet.
2 Then, though the worms my flesh devour,
And make my corpse their prey,
I know I shall arise with power,
On the last judgment-day :
When God shall stand upon the earth,
Him there mine eyes shall see;
My flesh shall feel a second birth,
And ever with Him be.
3 Then His own hand shall wipe the tears
From every weeping eye;
And pains, and groans, and griefs, and fears,
Shall cease eternally.
How long, dear Saviour! O, how long
Shall this bright hour delay!
O, hasten thy appearance, Lord,
And bring the welcome day!
Prayer for Holiness.-Job xix. 25.
1 I KNOW that my Redeemer lives,
And ever prays for me:
A token of his love He gives,
A pledge of liberty.
2 I find Him lifting up my head,
He brings salvation near;
His presence makes me free indeed,
And He will soon appear.
3 He wills that I should holy be!
What can withstand his will?
The counsel of his grace in me
He surely shall fulfil.
4 The love of Christ I long to find,
In all its depth and height;
To comprehend the' Eternal Mind,
And grasp the Infinite.
5 When God is mine, and I am his,
Of paradise possess'd,
I taste unutterable bliss,
And everlasting rest.
6 The bliss of those that fully dwell,
Fully in Thee believe,
'Tis more than angel-tongues can tell,
Or angel-minds conceive.
7 Thou only know'st who didst obtain,
And die to make it known;
The great salvation now explain,
And perfect us in one.
Self-abhorrence.-Job xlii. 6.
1 APPEAR, great God, appear to me,
That, by myself abhorr'd,
Ashamed I may for ever be
Before my glorious Lord :
2 That only sight can pride abase,
Can force me to submit,
Which makes archangels veil their face,
And tremble at thy feet!
Glory to God in the highest.-Psalm viii. 1 THE spacious firmament on high, With all the blue ethereal sky,
And spangled heavens, a shining frame,
Their great Original proclaim:
The unwearied sun, from day to day,
Does his Creator's power display,
And publishes to every land,
The work of an Almighty hand.
2 Soon as the evening shades prevail,
The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And, nightly, to the listening earth,
Repeats the story of her birth:
Whilst all the stars that round her burn, And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll,
And spread the truth from pole to pole.
3 What though, in solemn silence, all
Move round this dark terrestrial ball?
What though no real voice, nor sound,
Amidst their radiant orbs be found?
In reason's ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice;
For ever singing, as they shine,
"The hand that made us is divine !"
The Sinner's portion, and the Saint's hope.-Psalm xvii.
1 LORD, I am thine; but Thou wilt prove
My faith, my patience, and my love:
When men of spite against me join,
They are the sword, the hand is thine.
2 Their hope and portion lie below,
'Tis all the happiness they know,
'Tis all they seek; they take their shares,
And leave the rest among their heirs.
3 What sinners value, I resign;
Lord, 'tis enough that Thou art mine;
I shall behold thy blissful face,
And stand complete in righteousness.
4 This life's a dream, an empty show;
But the bright world to which I go
Hath joys substantial and sincere :
When shall I wake, and find me there?
5 O glorious hour! O bless'd abode !
I shall be near and like my God!
And flesh and sin no more control
The sacred pleasures of the soul.
6 My flesh shall slumber in the ground,
Till the last trumpet's joyful sound;
Then burst the chains with sweet surprise,
And in my Saviour's image rise.
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