3 All earthly joys are overweigh'd
With mountains of vexatious care:
And where's the sweet that is not laid,
A bait to some destructive snare ?
4 Come, heav'n, and fill my vast desires,
My soul pursues the sov'reign good:
She was all made of heav'nly fires,
Nor can she live on meaner food.
The Future Increase of the Church Promised. Psalm ii. 8.
Fre thine exalted Son,
ATHER, is not thy promise pledg'd
That through the nations of the earth
Thy word of life shall run?
2 "Ask, and I'll give the heathen lands,
For thine inheritance;
And to the world's remotest ends
Thine empire shall advance."
3 Hast thou not said, the blinded Jews
Shall their Redeemer own;
While Gentiles to his standard crowd,
And bow before his throne ?
4 Are not all kingdoms, tribes, and tongues, Under th' expanse of heav'n,
To the dominion of thy Son,
Without exception giv'n?
5 From east to west, from north to south,
Then be his name ador'd!
Let earth, with all its millions, shout
Hosannas to the Lord!
HYMN 252. L. M.
Prayer for the Millennium.
How many years has man been driv’n
Far off from happiness and heav'n? -
When wilt thou, gracious Lord, restore
Thy wand'ring church, to roam no more?
2 Six thousand years are nearly past,
Since Adam from thy sight was cast;
And ever since, his fallen race,
From age to age, are void of grace.
3 When will the happy trump proclaim
The judgment of the martyr'd Lamb?
When shall the captive troops be free,
And keep th' eternal jubilee!
4 Hasten it, Lord, in ev'ry land,
Send thou thine angels, and command,
"6 Go, sound deliv'rance, loudly blow
Salvation to the saints below!"
5 We long to have the day appear,
The promis'd great sabbatic year;
When, far from grief, and sin and hell,
Israel in ceaseless peace shall dwell.
6 Till then, we will not let thee rest,
Thou still shalt hear our strong request;
And this our daily pray'r shall be,
Lord, sound the trump of jubilee.
HYMN 253. Eights.
Christians Praying for Jews. ATHER of faithful Abra'm, hear, Our earnest suit for Abra'm's seed: Justly they claim the softest prayer From us, adopted in their stead; Who mercy through their fall obtain, And Christ by their rejection gain.
2 Outcast from thee, and scatter'd wide,
Through ev'ry nation under heav'n,
Blaspheming whom they crucify'd,
Unsav'd, unpity'd, unforgiv'n:
Branded like Cain, they bear their load,
Abhor'd of men, and curs'd of God.
3 But hast thou finally forsook,
For ever cast thine own away?
Wilt thou not bid the murd❜rers look
On him they pierc'd, and weep and pray?
Yes, gracious Lord, thy word is past;
"All Israel shall be sav'd at last."
4 Come then, thou great Deliv❜rer, come,
The veil from Jacob's heart remove;
Receive thine ancient people home,
That, quicken'd by thy dying love,
The world may their reception view,
And shout to God the glory due.
A Prayer for the Opposers of Experimental
Religion.
LEST Lord, behold the guilty scorn
Of those who hate and mock our praise,
Pity their state, and make them turn,
No more to walk in sinful ways.
2 Anxious we see their wretched state,
Who never think of heav'n or hell;
They laugh and sport, and court the gate,
Which opes where endless terrors dwell.
3 If pray'r and faith did e'er prevail,
Now help us, Lord, to raise our hands;
Prepare our hearts thy grace to hail,
Then break their soul-destroying bands.
4 Lead them to view a sinful heart,
A soul all enmity to thee,
Destroy'd, defil'd in every part,
Too proud to bow, too blind to see.
5 Lead them to view a holy law,
Which justly dooms to endless death,
To feel that guilt which Jesus saw,
And pray'd, forgive, with dying breath.
6 Open their eyes, unstop their ears,
To hear condemning justice sound;
Lord, change their hearts, and then their tears
Will witness grief to all around.
7 Once we were blind, like them we strove,
Till sov'reign mercy chang'd our ways;
Lord, bow their wills, and make them love,
Then they will join our songs of praise.
HYMN 255. L. M.
A Prayer for Success to Missions.
REAT God of glory, show thy face,
And crown our efforts with thy grace;
In heathen lands thy gospel bless,
And here secure its large increase.
2 Let Jews and Gentiles, bond and free,
Embrace salvation, Lord, by thee;
While those who now in darkness dwell,
Deliv'rance sing from guilt and hell.
Millions there are on heathen ground,
Who never heard the gospel's sound;
Oh, send it forth, and let it run,
Swift and reviving as the sun.
4 Oh, look on those, who stand to tell
Sinners the way that leads from hell:
Guide thou their lips, their hearts unite;
Teach them to act as in thy sight.
5 To those who give, do thou impart
A gen'rous, wise and tender heart;
Lord, crown their zeal, reward their care,
That in thy grace they all may share.
6 Let many stand around thy throne,
From diff'rent climes, let many own,
The banner of the cross unfurl'd
Has sav'd from hell a ruin'd world.
HYMN 256. Eights and Sevens.
Declension Lamented.
NCE, O Lord, thy garden flourish'd,
Ev'ry part look'd gay and green;
Then thy word our spirits nourish'd,
Happy seasons we have seen!
2 But a drought has since succeeded,
And a sad decline we see ;
Lord, thy help is greatly needed,
Help can only come from thee.
3 Where are those we counted leaders,
Fill'd with zeal and love and truth?
Old professors, tall as cedars,
Bright examples to our youth!
4 Some in whom we once delighted,
We shall meet no more below;
Some, alas! we fear are blighted,
Scarce a single leaf they show.
5 Younger plants--the sight how pleasant! Cover'd thick with blossoms stood;
But they cause us grief at present,
Frosts have nipp'd them in their bud!
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