Although the ship in which he sail'd
By dreadful storms was toss'd;
The promise over all prevail'd,
And not a life was lost.
Jesus! the God whom Paul ador'd,
Who saves in time of need;
Was then confess'd by all on board,
A present help indeed!
Though neither sun nor stars were seen,
Paul knew the Lord was near;
And faith preserv'd his soul serene,
When others shook for fear.
Believers thus are toss'd about
On life's tempestuous main;
But grace assures beyond a doubt,
They shall their port attain.
They must, they shall appear one day, Before their Saviour's throne;
The storms they meet with by the way, But make his pow'r known.
passage lies across the brink
Of many a threat'ning wave;
The world expects to see them sink,
But Jesus lives to save.
Lord, though we are but feeble worms,
Yet since thy word is past,
We'll venture through a thousand storms,
To see thy face at last.
BALAAM assayed to curse for hire
The chosen tribes to endless fire,
At Balak's vile request ;
He did his rams and bullocks slay,
And thought to turn God's love away
From Israel, who were blest.
But, ah! how weak his efforts prove,
God's everlasting love to move
From this rebellious race!
Salvation comes from God alone,
Firm as His own eternal throne,
To praise his glorious grace.
In vain, to curse God's chosen sons,
In vain he wills, in vain he runs,
Or moves from vale to hill:
No sinner, once in Christ belov'd,
Shall from his bosom be remov'd;
"Tis chosen Israel still.
He lifts his voice, and loud declares, "Vain are the altars Balak rears,
"And vain the sacrifice;
"How shall I curse whom God hath blest? "What he hath said shall stand the test,
There's no enchantment shall take place,
Great God, against thy chosen race,
For they are dear to thee;
No divination shall prevail.
To hurt thy blood-bought Israel,
Till Thou shalt cease to be.
Jesus, thy blood hath Israel bought,
Thou hast for them a garment wrought
Of linen, white and clean:
Clad in this vesture, God can see,
My filthy soul, no spot in thee,
Though all defil'd by sin.
JONAH the prophet once was sent
To preach to Nineveh ;
But he, alas! to Tarshish went,
Great God, to fly from Thee.
To shun the cross he strove in vain, For thou wouldst have him go; And sunk him in the boundless main, Though not in endless woe.
But shall this chosen vessel die,
And see thy face no more:
Shall he beneath thy judgments lie,
And wrath's eternal roar?
No; to the temple of thy grace
He'll turn his eyes again,
And view within that sacred place
The Lamb for sinners slain.
Electing love, that three-fold cord,
Which saves from lowest hell;
Shall bring him to his sov'reign Lord,
And shew Thee faithful still.
Jonah shall for his folly smart;
Yet, in his fall, shall prove
The deep rebellion of his heart,
And God's Unchanging Love.
Like Jonah, Lord, my soul which fled
A thousand devious ways,
From Thee who for my pardon bled, As oft has prov'd thy grace.
CHRIST is the sinner's only friend
Salvation's in his name ;
His love to Zion knows no end,
To endless years the same.
Christ is a refuge in distress,
When tempests rage within,
Or when her foes around her press,
The world, death, hell, and sin.
The way, the glorious way to God,
Shines in his bleeding side;
From ev'ry stain of sin that flood
Shall surely cleanse his bride.
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