'Tis boundless, 'tis amazing love,
That bears us up from hell!

2 The burden of our weighty guilt
Would sink us down to flames;
And threat'ning vengeance rolls above,
To crush our feeble frames.

3 Almighty Goodness cries, Forbear!
And straight the thunder stays:
And dare we now provoke his wrath,
And weary out his grace!

4 Lord, we have long abus'd thy love,
Too long indulg'd our sin;

Our aching hearts e'en bleed to see
What rebels we have been.

5 No more, ye lusts, shall ye command,
No more will we obey;

Stretch out, O God, thy conq'ring hand, And drive thy foes away.

32}

HYMN 103. B. 2. C. M.
Christmas, Carthage.

Love of God, in the gift of his Son.

1 COME, happy souls, approach your God,
With new melodious songs;
Come, render to almighty grace
The tribute of your tongues.

2 So strange, so boundless was the love
That pity'd dying men,

The Father sent his equal Son

To give them life again.

3 Thy hands, dear Jesus, were not arm'd With a revenging rod;

No hard commission to perform

The vengeance of a God.

4 But all was mercy, all was mild,
And wrath forsook the throne,

When Christ on the kind errand came,
And brought salvation down.

5 Here, sinners, you may heal your wounds,
And wipe your sorrows dry;
Trust in the mighty Saviour's name,
And you shall never die.

6 See, dearest Lord, our willing souls
Accept thine offer'd grace;

We bless the great Redeemer's love,
And give the Father praise.

33}

1

2

3

4

HYMN 104. B. 2. S. M.

Watchman, Pelham.

Love and mercy of God.

RAISE your triumphant songs
To an immortal tune;

Let the wide earth resound the deeds

Celestial grace has done.

Sing how Eternal Love

Its chief Beloved chose,

And bid him raise our wretched race

From their abyss of woes.

His hand no thunder bears,

No terror clothes his brow;

No bolts to drive our guilty souls
To fiercer flames below.

'Twas mercy fill'd the throne,

And wrath stood silent by,

When Christ was sent with pardons down To rebels doom'd to die.

5

Now, sinners, dry your tears,

Let hopeless sorrow cease;

Bow to the sceptre of his love,

And take the offer'd peace.

6 Lord, we obey thy call;
We lay an humble claim
To the salvation thou hast brought,
And love and praise thy name.

34

PSALM 113. P. M.

St. Hellens, or 46th Psalm.
Majesty and condescension of God.

1 YE that delight to serve the Lord,
The honours of his name record,
His sacred name forever bless:
Where'er the circling sun displays
His rising beams or setting rays,

Let lands and seas his pow'r confess. 2 Not time, nor nature's narrow rounds, Can give his vast dominion bounds; The heavens are far below his height; Let no created greatness dare With our eternal God compare,

Arm'd with his uncreated might! 3 He bows his glorious head to view What the bright hosts of angels do, And bends his care to mortal things; His sov'reign hand exalts the poor, He takes the needy from the door, And makes them company for kings. 4 When childless families despair, He sends the blessing of an heir, To rescue their expiring name : The mother, with a thankful voice, Proclaims his praises and her joys: Let ev'ry age advance his fame.

35}

PSALM 113. L. M.

New-Court, Gloucester.

Majesty and condescension of God.

1 YE servants of th' Almighty King,

In ev'ry age his praises sing:

Where'er the sun shall rise or set, The nations shall his praise repeat. 2 Above the earth, beyond the sky, Stands his high throne of majesty : Nor time, nor place, his pow'r restrain, Nor bound his universal reign.

3 Which of the sons of Adam dare, Or angels, with their God compare! His glories how divinely bright, Who dwells in uncreated light! 4 Behold his love! He stoops to view What saints above and angels do: And condescends yet more to know The mean affairs of men below. 5 From dust and cottages obscure, His grace exalts the humble poor; Gives them the honour of his sons, And fits them for their heav'nly thrones. 6 [A word of his creating voice

Can make the barren house rejoice: Though Sarah's ninety years were past, The promis'd seed is born at last. 7 With joy the mother views her son, And tells the wonders God has done; Faith may grow strong when sense despairs, Though nature fails, the promise bears.1

36}

PSALM 36. S. M.

Aylesbury, Ustick.

Majesty of God, and wickedness of man.

1 WHEN man grows bold in sin,

My heart within me cries, "He hath no faith of God within, "Nor fear before his eyes."

2 [He walks awhile conceal'd In a self-flatt'ring dream,

b

Till his dark crimes, at once reveal'd, Expose his hateful name.]

3 His heart is false and foul,

His words are smooth and fair;
Wisdom is banish'd from his soul,
And leaves no goodness there.
4 He plots upon his bed,
New mischiefs to fulfil;

He sets his heart, and hands, and head
To practise all that's ill.

5 But there's a dreadful God,
Though men renounce his fear;
His justice, hid behind the cloud,
Shall one great day appear.
6 His truth transcends the sky;
In heav'n his mercies dwell;
Deep as the sea his judgments lie,
His anger burns to hell.

7 How excellent his love,
Whence all our safety springs!
O never let my soul remove
From underneath his wings!

37}

PSALM 145. 3d Part. C. M.
Stade, St. Martins, Irish.

Mercy of God to sufferers.

1 LET ev'ry tongue thy goodness speak,
Thou sov'reign Lord of all;
Thy strength'ning hands uphold the weak,
And raise the poor that fall.

2 When sorrow bows the spirit down,
Or virtue lies distress'd

Beneath some proud oppressor's frown,
Thou giv'st the mourners rest.