2 The armed bands had quickly fail'd, And perith'd in the fight,'
If Mofes pray'r had not prevail'd
To put the foes to flight.
3 When Mofes' hands thro' weakness dropp'd, The warriors fainted too;
Ifrael's fuccefs at once was ftopp'd,
And Am'lek bolder grew.
4 A people, always prone to boast,
Were taught by this fufpence,
That not a num'rous armed hoft,
But God was their defence.
5 We now of Beets and armies vaunt,
And thips and men prepare;
But men like Mofes moft we want,
To fave the ftate by pray'r.
6 Yet, Lord, we hope thou haft prepar'd
A hidden few to-day,
(The nation's fecret strength and guard),
To weep, and mourn, and pray.
70 hear their pray'rs, and grant us aid,
Bid war and discord cease;
Heal the fad breach which fin has made,
And blefs us all with peace.
LXVII. The Hiding Place. Feb. 10. 1779
I SEE the gloomy gath'ring cloud,
Hanging o'er a finful land!
Sure the Lord proclaims aloud,
Times of trouble are at hand:
Happy they who love his name!
They fhall always find him near;
Tho' the earth were wrapp'd in flame,
They have no juft caufe for fear.
2 Hark, his voice, in accents mild,
(Oh, how comforting and sweet!)
Speaks to every humble child,
Pointing out a fure retreat!
Come, and in my chambers hide
To my faints of old well known;
There you fafely may abide,
Till the ftorm be overblown.
3 You have only to repofe
On my wisdom, love, and care;
When my wrath confumes my foes,
Mercy fhall my children fpare;
While they perifb in the flood,
You that bear my holy mark †,
Sprinkled with atoning blood,
Shall be fafe within the ark.
4 Sinners, fee the ark prepar'd!
Hafte to enter while there's room;
Tho' the Lord his arm has bar'd,
Mercy ftill retards your doom:
Seek him while there yet is hope,
Ere the day of grace be past,
Left in wrath he give you up,
And this call fhould prove your last.
LXVIII. On the Earthquake, Sept. 8. 1775
Ltho' on maffy pillars built,
The earth has lately hook; It trembles under Britain's guilt, Before its Maker's look.
2 Swift as the shock amazement spreads, And finners tremble too;
What flight can fcreen their guilty heads, If earth itself pursue ?
3 But mercy fpar'd us while it warn'd,
The fhock is felt no more;
And mercy, now, alas! is fcorn'd
By finners, as before.
.4 But if thefe warnings prove in vain,
Say, finner, can't thou tell,
How foon the earth may quake again,
And open wide to hell.
5 Repent before the Judge draws nigh;
Or elfe when he comes down,
Thou wilt in vain for earthquakes cry,
To hide thee from his frown *.
6. But happy they who love the Lord,
And his falvation know;
The hope that's founded on his word,
No change can overthrow.
7 Should the deep-rooted hills be hurl'd,
And plung'd beneath the feas,
And ftrong convulfions fhake the world,
Your hearts may rest in peace.
8 Jefus, your Shepherd, Lord, and Chief,
Shall fhelter you from ill;
And not a worm or shaking leaf
Can move, but at his will.
LXIX. On the Fire at Olney. Sept. 22. 1777
IW Earied by day with toil and cares,
How welcome is the peaceful night?
Sweet fleep our wafted ftrength repairs,
And fits us for returning light.
2 Yet when our eyes in fleep are clos'd,.
Our reft may break ere well begun;
To dangers ev'ry hour expos'd
We neither can forefee nor fhun.
3 'Tis of the Lord that we can fleep
A fingle night without alarms;
His eye alone our lives can keep
Secure amidst a thousand harms.
4- For months and years of fafety paft
Ungrateful we, alas! have been;
Tho' patient long, he spoke at last,
And bid the fire rebuke our fin.
The fhout of fire! a dreadful cry,
Impreft each heart with deep difmay ;-
While the fierce blaze and red'ning ky
Made midnight wear the face of day.
6 The throng and terror.who can speak?
The various founds that fill'd the air!
The infant's wail, the mother's fhriek,
The voice of blafphemy and pray'r!
7 But pray'r prevail'd, and fav'd the town;-
The few who lov'd the Saviour's name
Were heard, and mercy hafted down,
To change the wind, and ftop the flame.
8 Oh, may that night be ne'er forgot!
Lord, ftill encrease thy praying few!
Were Olney left without a Lot,
Ruin like Sodom's would enfue.
LXX. A Welcome to Chriftian Friends
I KIndred in Chrift, for his dear fake,
A hearty welcome here receive;
May we together now partake,
The joys which only he can give!
2 To you and us by grace 'tis giv'n.
To know the Saviour's precious name;
And fhortly we fhall meet in heav'n,
Our hope, our way, our end, the fame.-
3 May he, by whofe kind care we meet, Send his good Spirit from above, Make our communications fweet,
And cause our hearts to burn with love!
4 Forgotten be each worldly theme,
When Chriftians fee each other thus;
We only with to speak of him,
Who liv'd, and dy'd, and reigns for us.)
5 We'll talk of all he did and faid,
And fuffer'd for us here below;
The path he mark'd for us to tread,
And what he's doing for us now.
6 Thus, as the moments pass away,
We'll love, and wonder, and adoré;
And haften on the glorious day,
When we hall meet to part no more,
S the fun's enliv'ning eye
Shines on ev'ry place the fame;
So the Lord is always nigh
To the fouls that love his name.
2 When they move at duty's call,
He is with them by the way;
He is ever with them all,
Thole who go, and those who stay.
3 From his holy mercy-feat
Nothing can their fouls confine;
Still in spirit they may meet,
And in fweet communion join.
4 For a feafon call'd to part,
Let us then ourselves commend
To the gracious eye and heart
Of our ever-prefent Friend.
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