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Ver. All beings are his utenfils,

And creatures of his pow'r ;
Nor can they longer than he wills
In ufe or being 'dure.

14 Should he recal man's vital breath,
He did at first inspire,

All mankind, perifhing by death,
Would to the grave retire.
15 All mortal flesh to mother dust,
At pleasure he remands;
Immortal fouls for judgment juft,
Unto their Father's hands

SONG LIV.

GOD's Omniscience, from which no Sin can be bid.
Job xxxiv. 21, 22.

21 JEHOVAH's all-difcerning eye,

Man's life intire furveys;

His thoughts, foon as they rife, does fpy,
And watches all his ways.

The Judge fupreme, 'tis clear from hence,
Can never, through mistake,

Be partial; nor, through ignorance,
A wrong decifion make.

Shifts, therefore, or evafive arts,

In vain the wicked ufe;

In vain their crimes, with cunning hearts,
They labour to excufe.

22 No darknefs from his fight can screen,
Whofe piercing eye makes way
Through mid-night fhades, alike as in
The blazing noon of day.

Can lewd mens clofeft hiding cell,

His fearching fight defy,

When darkest caves of death and hell
Lie naked to his eye?

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GOD's Power irresistible. Job xxxiv. 29.

Ver. WHEN God gives quietness and reft

29

From ruin and from fin,

Who then with trouble can moleft,

Or hinder peace within!

But when difpleas'd he hides his face,
Or favour does withhold,
Who then can fee, or with folace,
An angry God behold?

Against a land, or single man,

Be his difpleafure bent;
Nor more nor lefs refillance can
Refiftlefs wrath prevent.

Not by the ftrength of nations whole,
Can pow'r divine be flay'd;
Nor fmallnefs of one fingle foul
His cognifance evade.

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The afflicted Perfon bumbled. Job xxxiv. 29. 3.

29 'TIS furely meet thus to address The Majefty divine,

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Juft are thy judgments, I confefs;
"For fin and gilt are mine.
"Nor will I now at juftice' bar,

"Commit a fresh offence,

"By looking at my fins afar,

And pleading innocence,"

Lord, what I fee not teach thou me,
Difplay thy heav'nly light;

Away like fhades of darknefs flee,

And day fucceed to night.

Forgive my grievous wickednefs;

Thy peace and joy reitore:

Lord, I have finn'd? yea, but, through grace,

I'll henceforth fin no more.

SONG LVII.

God's Highness cannot be burt with Man's Wickedness. Job xxxv. 5,-8.

Ver. FROM earth, O mortal, to the heav'ns,

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Lift thy admiring eyes;

Behold the bright celeftial orbs,

And view the distant skies.

They're high, yet does JEHOVAH's throne
Their tow'ring height exceed;
Far more than that bright starry frame,
Is rais'd above thy head.

6 Hence never can this glorious One,
Who fits in heav'n fublime,
Be hurt or damag'd by thy fin,
Nor by the blackest crime.
His plenitude of blifs can ne'er
Be made a whit the lefs,
Should't thou, by multiply'd affonts,
Grow bold in wickednels.

7 Nor can his happy being e're

The leaft advantage reap,
Should'st thou devoutly him revere,
And all his precepts keep.

Yet hence let not thy wicked heart,
This falfe conclufion draw,
That thou wouldst act a fruitless part,
Shouldst thou obey his law.

Thy goodness gainful not above,

But to the earth may be;

Thy wickedness may hurtful prove,

Though not to God, to thee.

GOD juftified, though deaf to the Cry of the oppref

fed. Job xxxv. 9,—13.

9 SOME cry aloud of violence,

Whom God does not regard;

He hears the cries of penitence,
When paffion is not heard.

Ver. They under great opppreffion groan,
But ne'er remember God;

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Nor notice what his hand hath done,

But wail the heavy rod.

10 None fay, O where's my Maker great,
Who now can make me whole?
But where's my healthy, wealthy state,
And where's my heartfome bowl?
They never after God enquire,
Who foon can ease bestow;
And, as he did their breath infpire,
Can moderate their woe:

Who, in the night of miferies,
Can give them fongs of joy,
And fweeten earth's calamities
With heav'n's auguft employ:
Who gave to man, to guide him right,
And paffion to controul,

A portion of etherial light,

A reasonable foul:

II Which thus might argue,

"Does tenderly protect

"He whofe care

"Beasts of the earth, birds of the air,
"Will never man neglect."

Yet man, 'bove thefe tho' honour'd high,
His reafon prostitutes,
Who does of wants and trouble cry
No otherwife than brutes.

12 These crying with their best instinct,
Their God does them fuftain;

But men their nobler reafon fink,
And therefore cry in vain.

13 God proud and wicked fuits denies,
He fees the inmoft mind:

In vain to Heav'n they raife their cries,
Who leave their fouls behind.

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God's gracious Defign in bringing bis own People

under affliction. Job xxxvi. 8, 9, 10.

Ver. IF God in fetters of distress

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His favour'd people bind;
If heavy loads of grief opprefs

Their body or their mind:

9 He means to fhew to them their fin,
In thought, in word, and deed;
How they to excess did therein
All boundaries exceed.

He hereby caufes them betimes,
With penitence, reflect

On all their bafe unkindly crimes
His kindly hands correct.

He likewife ftrikes fin's growing pow'r
Defign'dly to reftrain;

That in their heart and life no more
It may victorious reign.

When faulty faints deferve a blow,
He learns them by the rod,
More clearly than before, to know
Their duty and their God.

10 Unto inftuctive difcipline

Their ears he opens wide,

Attentive to the laws divine,
From which they turn'd aside.

Their profp'rous flate had ftopt their ear
But now their adverse lot
Commands, with loud alarms, to hear
The voice of him that fmote.

His grace alone, that makes t' obey,
Concurring with the rod,

Excites them ftraight, thro' Chrift the way,
To turn from fin to God.

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