LXXX. C. Praise for Faith.
1 Of all the gifts thine hand bestows,
Thou Giver of all good!
Not heav'n itself a richer knows
Than my Redeemer's blood.
2 Faith too, the blood-receiving grace,
From the same hand we gain;
Else, sweetly as it suits our case,
That gift had been in vain.
3 Till thou thy teaching pow'r apply,
Our hearts refuse to see,
And, weak as a distemper'd eye,
Shut out the view of thee.
4 Blind to the merits of thy Son,
What mis'ry we endure!
Yet fly that hand, from which alone
We could expect a cure.
5 We praise thee, and would praise thee more, To thee our all we owe;
The precious Saviour, and the pow'r
That makes him precious too.
LXXXI. C. Grace and Providence.
1 ALMIGHTY King! whose wondrous hand
Supports the weight of sea and land,
Whose grace is such a boundless store,
No heart shall break that sighs for more.
2 Thy providence supplies my food,
And 'tis thy blessing makes it good:
My soul is nourish'd by thy word;
Let soul and body praise the Lord.
3 My streams of outward comfort came
From him who built this earthly frame;
Whate'er I want his bounty gives,
By whom my soul for ever lives.
4 Either his hand preserves from pain,
Or, if I feel it, heals again;
From Satan's malice shields my breast, Or overrules it for the best.
5 Forgive the song that falls so low
Beneath the gratitude I owe!
It means thy praise, however poor,-
An angel's song can do no more.
LXXXII.-Praise for redeeming Love.
1 LET us love, and sing, and wonder,
Let us praise the Saviour's name!
He has bush'd the law's loud thunder,
He has quench'd Mount Sinai's flame:
He has wash'd us with his blood,
He has brought us nigh to God.
2 Let us love the Lord who bought us,
Pity'd us when enemies,
Call'd us by his grace, and taught us,
Gave us ears, and gave us eyes:
He has wash'd us with his blood,
He presents our souls to God.
3 Let us sing, though fierce temptation
Threaten hard to bear us down!
For the Lord, our strong salvation,
Holds in view the conqu'ror's crown
He, who wash'd us with his blood,
Soon will bring us home to God.
4 Let us wonder, grace and justice
Join, and point to mercy's.store;
When through grace in Christ our trust is,
Justice smiles, and asks no more;
He, who wash'd us with his blood,
Has secur'd our way to God.
5 Let us praise, and join the chorus
Of the saints enthron'd on high;
Here they trusted him before us,
Now their praises fill the sky :
Thou hast wash'd us with thy blood;
Thou art worthy, Lamb of God* !
6 Hark, the name of Jesus sounded
Loud from golden harps above!
Lord, we blush, and are confounded,-
Faint our praises, cold our love!
Wash our souls and songs with blood,
For by thee we come to God.
LXXXIII. C. I will praise the Lord at all Times. 1 WINTER has a joy for me,
While the Saviour's charms I read,
Lowly, meek, from blemish free,
In the snow-drop's pensive head.
2 Spring returns, and brings along
Life-invigorating suns:
Hark! the turtle's plaintive song
Seems to speak his dying groans
3 Summer has a thousand charms,
All expressive of his worth;
"Tis his sun that lights and warms,
His the air that cools the earth. 4 What! has autumn left to say
Nothing of a Saviour's grace?
Yes, the beams of milder day
Tell me of his smiling face.
* Rev. v. 9.
5 Light appears with early dawn;
While the sun makes haste to rise,
See his bleeding beauties drawn
On the blushes of the skies.
6 Ev'ning, with a silent pace,
Slowly moving in the west,
Shews an emblem of his
grace,
Points to an eternal rest.
LXXXIV.-Perseverance.
1 REJOICE, believer, in the Lord,
Who makes your cause his own;
The hope that's built upon his word
Can ne'er be overthrown.
2 Though many foes beset your road,
And feeble is your arm;
Your life is hid with Christ in God*,
Beyond the reach of harm.
3 Weak as you are, you shall not faint,
Or, fainting, shall not die;
Jesus, the strength of ev'ry saintt,
Will aid you from on high.
4 Though sometimes unperceiv'd by sense,
Faith sees him always near,
A Guide, a Glory, a Defence;
Then what have you to fear?
5 As surely as he overcame,
And triumph'd once for you,
So surely you that love his name
Shall triumph in him too.
LXXXV.-Salvation.
1 SALVATION! what a glorious plan,
How suited to our need!
grace that raises fallen man
2 'Twas wisdom form'd the vast design,
To ransom us when lost;
And love's unfathomable mine
Provided all the cost.
3 Strict Justice with approving look,
The holy cov'nant seal'd;
And Truth and Power undertook
The whole should be fulfill'd.
4 Truth, Wisdom, Justice, Pow'r, and Love, In all their glory shone,
When Jesus left the courts above,
And dy'd to save his own.
5 Truth, Wisdom, Justice, Pow'r, and Love, Are equally display'd;
Now Jesus reigns enthron'd above,
Our Advocate and Head.
6 Now sin appears deserving death,
Most hateful and abhorr'd;
And yet the sinner lives by faith,
And dares approach the Lord.
LXXXVI.-Reigning Grace.
1 Now may the Lord reveal his face,
And teach our stamm'ring tongues
To make his sov'reign, reigning grace*,
The subject of our songs!
No sweeter subject can invite
A sinner's heart to sing,
Or more display the glorious right
Of our exalted King.
2 This subject fills the starry plains
With wonder, joy, and love;
And furnishes the noblest strains
For all the harps above:
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