"The soul that seeks me shall obtain
"Immortal wealth and heav'nly gain;
"Immortal life is his reward,
"Life, and the favour of the Lord.
"But the vile wretch that flies from me,
"Doth his own soul an injury;
"Fools that against my grace rebel,
"Seek death, and love the road to hell."
270. L. M. Steele.
Our Example.. John xiii. 15.
AND is the gospel peace and love!
Such let our conversation be;
The serpent blending with the dove,
Wisdom and meek simplicity,
2 Whene'er the angry passions rise,
And tempt our thoughts or tongues to strife, To Jesus let us lift our eyes,
Bright pattern of the christian life!
3 O how benevolent and kind!
How mild! how ready to forgive!
Be this the temper of our mind,
And these the rules by which we live.
4 To do his heav'nly Father's will,
Was his employment and delight:
Humility and holy zeal
Shone through his life divinely bright!
3 Dispensing good where'er he came,
The labours of his life were love;
O! if we love the Saviour's name,
Let his divine example move!
6 Thy fair example may we trace,
To teach us what we ought to be;
Make us, by thy transforming grace,
Dear Saviour, daily more like thee
271. L. M. Dr. Watis.
The Example of Christ.
'My dear Redeemer and my Lord!
I read my duty in thy word;
But in thy life the law appears
Drawn out in living characters.
2 Such was thy truth, and such thy zeal,
Such def'rence to thy father's will,
Such love, and meekness so divine,
I would transcribe and make them mine.
3 Cold mountains and the midnight air
Witness'd the fervour of thy pray'r;
The desert thy temptations knew,
Thy conflict and thy victory too.
4 Be thou my pattern; make me bear
More of thy gracious image here;
Then God the judge shall own my name
Amongst the follow'rs of the Lamb.
FIGURATIVE REPRESENTATIONS
272. C. M. Dr. Watts.
Christ the Foundation of the Church.
Psalm cxviii. 22, 23.
'BEHOLD the sure foundation stone,
To build our heav'nly hopes upon,
And his eternal praise!
2 Chosen of God, to sinners dear,
And saints adore the name;
They trust their whole salvation here,
Nor shall they suffer shame.
3 The foolish builders, scribe, and priest,
Reject it with disdain;
Yet on this rock the church shall rest,
And envy rage in vain.
4 What though the gates of hell withstood,
Yet must this building rise;
Tis thy own work, Almighty God!
And wondrous in our eyes.
273. S. M. Dr. Watts.
The same, or an Hosanna for the Lord's Day. Psalm cxviii. 22—27.
The builders did refuse!
Yet God hath built his church thereon,
In spite of envious Jews.
2 The scribe and angry priest
Reject thine only Son;
Yet on this rock shall Zion rest,
As the chief corner-stone.
The work, O Lord, is thine,
And wondrous in our eyes!
This day declares it all divine,
This day did Jesus rise.
This is the glorious day
That our Redeemer made;
Let us rejoice, and sing, and pray,
Let all the church be glad!
Hosanna to the King,
Of David's royal blood!
Bless him, ye saints; he comes to bring
Salvation from your God.
We bless thine only word
Which all this grace displays;
And offer on thine altar, Lord,
Our sacrifice of praise.
274. L. M. Dr. Watts.
Another.
1Lof what a glorious corner-stone
The Jewish builders did refuse;
But God hath built his church thereon,
In spite of envy and the Jews.
2 Great God! the work is all divine,
The joy and wonder of our eyes;
This is the day that proves it thine,
The day that saw our Saviour rise.
3 Sinners rejoice, and saints be glad;
Hosanna, let his name be blest,
A thousand honours on his head,"
With peace, and light, and glory rest!
4 In God's own name he comes to bring
Salvation to our dying race;
Let the whole church address their King
With hearts of joy, and songs of praise!
275. L. MA Dr. Doddridge.
Corner-Stone. 1 Pet. ii. 6. Isa. xxviii. 16, 17
LORD, dost thou show a corner-stone
For us to build our hopes upon,
That the fair edifice may rise
Sublime in light beyond the skies?
2 We own the work of sov'reign love;
Nor death nor hell these hopes shall move,
Which, fix'd on this foundation, stand,
Laid by thine own almighty hand.
3 Thy people long this stone have tried,
And all the pow'rs of hell defy';
Floods of temptation beat in vam;
Well doth this rock the house sustain.
4 When storms of wrath around prevail,
Whirlwind and thunder, fire and hail,
'Tis here our trembling souls shall hide,
And here securely they abide.
5 While they that scorn this precious stone,
Fond of some quicksand of their own,
Borne down by weighty vengeance, die,
And, buried deep, in ruin lie.
276. L. M. Mr. John Fawcett.
Bread of Life. John. vi. 35, 48.
minds on
1DEPRAove, nor seek for heav'nly bread;
They chuse the husks which swines do eat,
Or meanly crave the serpent's meat.
2 Jesus, thou art the living bread,
By which our needy souls are fed:
In thee alone thy children find
Enough to fill the empty mind.
3 Without this bread I starve and die;
No other can my need supply;
But this will suit my wretched case,
Abroad, at home, in ev'ry place.
4 Tis this relieves the hungry poor,
Who ask for bread at mercy's door:
This living food descends from heav'n,
As manna to the Jews was giv❜n.
5 This precious fruit my heart revives,
What strength, what nourishment it gives!
O let me evermore be fed
With this divine celestial bread!
Fountain opened for Sinners. Zęc. xiii. 1.
HE fountain of Christ, Lord, help us to sing,
The blood of our priest, our crucify'd King
The fountain that cleanses from sin and from filth,
And richly dispenses salvation and health.
2 This fountain from guilt not only makes pure,
But gives, soon as felt, infallible cure,
But if guilt removed, return and remain,
Its pow'r may be proved again and again.
3 This fountain unseal'd, stands open for all
Who long to be heal'd, the great and the small; Here's strength for the weakly that hither are led, Here's health for the sickly, and life for the dead. 4 This fountain, though rich, from charge is quite
The poorer the wretch, the welcomer here: Come needy and guilty, come loathsome and bare,
Though lep'rous and filthy, come just as you are. 5 This fountain in vain has never been try'd, It takes out all stain whenever apply'd,'
The fountain flows sweetly with virtue divine, To cleanse souls completely, though lep'rous as mine.
Christ the Physician of Souls. Jer. vill. 22.
DEWhere shall the sinner find a cure?
EEP are the wounds which sin has made,
In vain, alas! is nature's aid,
The work exceeds all nature's power.
2 Sin, like a raging fever, reigns
With fatal strength in every part;
The dire contagion fills the veins,
And spreads its poison to the heart.
3 And can no sovereign balm be found?
And is no kind physician nigh
To ease the pain and heal the wound,
Ere life and hope for ever fly?
4 There is a great physician near,
Look up, O fainting soul, and live
See, in his heavenly smiles appear
Such ease as nature cannot give!
5 See, in the Saviour's dying blood,
Life, health, and bliss, abundant flow!
Tis only this dear sacred flood
Can ease thy pain and heal thy woe.
8 Sin throws in vain its pointed dart,
For here a sov'reign cure is found;
A cordial for the fainting heart,
A balm for every painful wound.
279. L. M. Miss Scott.
Christ the Great Physician,
WHY droops my soul with grief opprest
Whence these wild tumults in my breast!
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