That he may hold converse with worms,
Dress'd in such feeble flesh as they.
5 Mortals with joy beheld his face,
The eternal Father's only Son:

How full of truth! how full of grace!
When through his eyes the Godhead shone
6 Bless'd angels leave their high abode,
To learn new mysteries here, and tell
The loves of our descending God,
The glories of Immanuel.

21.

L. M.

WATTS.

A Description of Christ, the Beloved.-Cant. v. 9-16.

THE wondering world inquires to know,
Why I should love my Jesus so:

"What are his charms," say they, "above The objects of a mortal love?"

2 Yes, my Beloved to my sight,
Shows a sweet mixture, red and white:
All human beauties, all divine,
In my Beloved meet and shine.

3 White is his soul, from blemish free;
Red with the blood he shed for me;
The fairest of ten thousand fairs;
A sun amongst ten thousand stars.
4 [His head the finest gold excels;
There wisdom in perfection dwells;
And glory, like a crown, adorns
Those temples once beset with thorns.
5 [Compassions in his heart are found,
Hard by the signals of his wound;

His sacred side no more shall bear The cruel scourge, the piercing spear.] 6 [His hands are fairer to behold

Than diamonds, set in rings of gold; Those heavenly hands that on the tree de Were nail'd, and torn, and bled for me.] 7 [Though once he bow'd his feeble knees, Loaded with sins and agonies,

Now, on the throne of his command, His legs like marble pillars stand.] 8 [His eyes are majesty and love, * The eagle temper'd with the dove: No more shall trickling sorrows roll Through those dear windows of his soul.] 9 His mouth, that pour'd out long complaints, Now smiles, and cheers his fainting saints: His countenance more graceful is Than Lebanon, with all its trees.]

10 All over glorious is my Lord;

Must be beloved, and yet adored;
His worth if all the nations knew,

Sure the whole world would love him too!

22.

L. M.

WATTS.

Christ dwells in Heaven, but visits on Earth.-Cant. vi. 1-3, 12. WHEN mourners stand and hear me tell What beauties in my Saviour dwell; Where he is gone they fain would know, That they may seek and love him too. 2 My best Beloved keeps his throne, On bills of light, in worlds unknown;

3

But he descends and shows his face
In the young gardens of his grace.
3 [In vineyards, planted by his hand,
Where fruitful trees in order stand:
He feeds among the spicy beds,
Where lilies show their spotless heads.]
4 He has engross'd my warmest love,
No earthly charms my soul can move;
I have a mansion in his heart,

Nor death, nor hell, shall make us part.
5 [He takes my soul, ere I'm aware,
And shows me where his glories are;
No chariots of Amminadib,

The heavenly rapture can describe.] 6 O may my spirit daily rise

On wings of faith above the skies;
Till death shall make my last remove,
To dwell for ever with my love.

23.

C. M.

HART.

Christ very God and Man.-John i. 1, 14, 29; 1 John i. 7

A MAN there is, a real Man,

With wounds still gaping wide,

From which rich streams of blood once ran,
In hands, and feet, and side.

2 ['Tis no wild fancy of our brains,
No metaphor we speak:

The same dear Man in heaven now reigns,
That suffer'd for our sake.]

8 This wondrous Man, of whom we tell,
Is true Almighty God,

He bought our souls from death and hell;
The price his own heart's blood.
4 That human heart he still retains,
Though throned in highest bliss;
And feels each tempted member's pains:
For our affliction's his.

5 Come, then, repenting sinner, come;
Approach with humble faith;
Owe what thou wilt, the total sum
Is cancell❜d by his death.

6 His blood can cleanse the blackest soul, And wash our guilt away;

He will present us sound and whole,
In that tremendous day.

24.

C. M.

WATTS.

The Witnessing and Sealing Spirit.—Rom. viii. 14, 16; Eph. i. 13, 14. WHY should the children of a King

Go mourning all their days?

Great Comforter! descend and bring
Some tokens of thy grace.

2 Dost thou not dwell in all the saints,
And seal them heirs of heaven?
When wilt thou banish my complaints,
And show my sins forgiven?

3 Assure my conscience of her part
In the Redeemer's blood;

And bear thy witness with my heart,
That I am born of God.

4 Thou art the earnest of his love,
The pledge of joys to come;

And thy soft wings, celestial Dove,
Will safe convey me home.

25.

C. M.

WATTS.

Breathing after the Holy Spirit.-Ps. cxix. 25.

COME, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove,
With thy all-quickening powers;
Kindle a flame of sacred love

In these cold hearts of ours.

2 Look how we grovel here below,
Fond of these trifling toys;
Our souls can neither fly nor go,
To reach eternal joys.

3 In vain we tune our formal songs,
In vain we strive to rise;

Hosannas languish on our tongues,
And our devotion dies.

4 Dear Lord, and shall we ever live
At this poor dying rate?
Our love so faint, so cold to thee,
And thine to us so great?

5 Come, Holy Spirit, heavenly Dove,
With thy all-quickening powers;
Come, shed abroad a Saviour's love,
And that shall kindle ours.

26.

L. M.

WATTS.

The Operations of the Holy Spirit.-Zech. iv. 6.

ETERNAL Spirit! we confess

And sing the wonders of thy grace;
Thy power conveys our blessings down
From God the Father and the Son.