7 The Law, like this hand writing, ftands,
And speaks the wrath of God *;
But Jefus anfwers its demands,
And cancels it with blood.

* Coloffians, ii. 14.

JONA H.

LXXV. The Gourd. Chap. iv. 7.

AS once for Jonah, fo the Lord,

To footh and cheer my mournful hours,
Prepar❜d for me a pleafing gourd,
Cool was its fhade, and fweet its flow'rs.

2 To prize his gift was furely right,
But thro' the folly of my heart,
It hid the Giver from my fight,
And foon my joy was chang'd to fmart.
3 While I admir'd its beauteous form,
Its pleasant fhade and grateful fruit;
The Lord difpleas'd, fent forth a worm,
Unfeen, to prey upon the root.

4

5

I trembled when I faw it fade,

But guilt reftrain'd the murm'ring word;
My folly I confefs'd, and pray'd,
Forgive my fin, and fpare my gourd.

His wond'rous love can ne'er be told,
He heard me and reliev'd my pain;
His word the threat'ning worm controul'd,
And bid my gourd revive again.

6 Now, Lord, my gourd is mine no more,
'Tis thine, who only could't it raise;
The idol of my heart before,
Henceforth thall flourish to thy praise.

ZECHARIAH.

LXXVI. Prayer for the LORD's promifed prefence Chap. ii. 10.

ON of God! thy people shield !
Muft we ftill thine abfence mourn?

Let thy promife be fulfill'd,

Thou haft faid, "I will return!"
2 Gracious Leader, now appear,
Shine upon us with thy light!
Like the fpring, when thou art near,
Days and funs are doubly bright.
3 As a mother counts the days
Till her abfent fon the fee,

Longs and watches, weeps and prays,
So our fpirits long for thee.

4 Come, and let us feel thee nigh,
Then thy fheep fhall feed in peace;
Plenty blefs us from on high,
Evil from amongst us cease.

5 With thy love, and voice, and aid,
Thou can't ev'ry care affuage;
Then we fhall not be afraid,
Tho' the world and Satan rage.
Thus each day for thee we'll fpend,
While our callings we purfue;
And the thoughts of such a friend
Shall each night our joy renew.
7 Let thy light be ne'er withdrawn,
Golden days afford us long!
Thus we pray at early dawn,
This shall be our ev'ning song.

LXXVII.

LXXVII, A Brand plucked out of the Fire.
Chap. iii, 1.-5.

WITH Satan, my accufer, near,
My fpirit trembled when 1 faw

The Lord in majefty appear,

And heard the language of his law.

2 In vain I wifh'd and ftrove to hide
The tatter'd filthy rags I wore;
While my fierce foe, infulting cry'd,
"See what you trusted in beföre !"
3 Struck dumb, and left without a plea
I heard my gracious Saviour fay,
"Know, Satan, I this finner free,
I dy'd to take his fins away.

This is a brand which I, in love,
To fave from wrath and fin defign
In vain thy accufations prove;
I anfwer all, and claim him mine."

5 At his rebuke the tempter fled;
Then he remov'd my filthy drefs;
"Poor finner, take this robe, he faid,
It is thy Saviour's righteoufnefs.

6 And fee, a crown of life prepar'd!
That I might thus thy head adorn,
I thought no fhame or fuffering hard,
But wore for thee a crown of thorn.'
7 O how I heard thefe gracious words!
They broke and heal'd my heart at onces
Conftrain❜d me to become the Lord's,
And all my idol gods renounce.

8 Now, Satan, thou haft loft thy aim,
Against this brand thy threats are vain
Jefus has pluck'd it from the flame,
And who fhall put it in again?

LXXVIII. On one Stone shall be feven Eyes. Chap. iii. 9.

JESU

1 TESUS CHRIST, the Lord's anointed, Who his blood for finners spilt,

Is the Stone by God appointed,.

And the church is on him built:

He delivers all who truft him from their guilt.

2 Many eyes at once are fixed

On a perfon fo divine;

Love, with awful juftice mixed, In his great redemption shine: Mighty Jelus! give me leave to call thee mine. 3 By the Father's eye approved, Lo, a voice is heard from heaven *, "Sinners, this is my beloved,

For your ransom treely giv❜n: All offences, for his fake, fhall be forgiven.' 4 Angels with their eyes purfu'd him †, When he left his glorious throne; With aftonishment they view'd him Put the form of fervant on:

Angels worthipp'd him who was on earth un known.

5 Satan and his hoft amazed,

Saw this Stone in Zion laid;

Jefus, tho' to death abased,

Bruis'd the fubtle ferpent's head ‡,

When, to fave us, on the crofs his blood he shed.

6 When a guilty finner fees him,

While he looks his foul is heal'd;
Soon this fight from anguifh frees him,
And imparts a pardon feal'd ||:

May this Saviour be to all our hearts reveal'd.

* Matth. ii. 17.

John xii. 31.

t1 Tim. iii. 16.

#John iii. 15.

.7 With

7 With defire and admiration,

All his blood-bought flock behold;
Him who wrought out their salvation,
And inclos'd them in his fold *:

Yet their warmest love and praises are too cold. By the eye of carnal reason

Many view him with difdain†;

How will they abide the feafon

When he'll come with all his train? Toescape him then they'll with, but wifh in vain.

9

How their hearts will melt and tremble

When they hear his awful voice ‡;
But his faints he'll then affemble,

As his portion and his choice,

And receive them to his everlasting joys.

LXXIX. C. Praife for the Fountain opene Chap. xiii. 1.

THERE is a fountain fill'd with blood

Drawn from Emmanuel's veins ;

And finners plung'd beneath that flood,
Lofe all their guilty ftains.

2 The dying thief rejoic'd to fee
That fountain in his day;
And there have I, as vile as he,
Wash'd all my fins away.

3 Dear dying Lamb, thy precious blood
Shall never lofe its pow'r,

Till all the ranfom'd church of God
Be fav'd to fin no more.

4 E'er fince, by faith, I faw the ftream
Thy flowing wounds fupply,
-Redeeming love has been my theme,
And fhall be till I die.

1 Pet. ii. 7.

† Rev. i. 7.

† Pfalm cxviii. 22.

D 4

5. Then