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XXVI. [BK. II. xliv.]

ON OPENING. A PLACE FOR SOCIAL PRAYER

JESUS, where'er thy people meet,
There they behold thy mercy-seat;
Where'er they seek thee thou art found,
And ev'ry place is hallow'd ground.

For thou, within no walls confin'd,
Inhabitest the humble mind;

Such ever bring thee, where they come,
And going, take thee to their home.
Dear Shepherd of thy chosen few!
Thy former mercies here renew;
Here, to our waiting hearts, proclaim
The sweetness of thy saving name.

Here may we prove the pow'r of pray'r,
To strengthen faith, and sweeten care;
To teach our faint desires to rise,
And bring all heav'n before our eyes.
Behold! at thy commanding word,
We stretch the curtain and the cord';
Come thou, and fill this wider space,
And help us with a large encrease.
Lord, we are few, but thou art near;
Nor short thine arm, nor deaf thine ear;
Oh rend the heav'ns, come quickly down,
And make a thousand hearts thine own!

XXVII. [BK. 11. liii.]

WELCOME TO THE TABLE
THIS is the feast of heav'nly wine,
And GOD invites to sup;
The juices of the living vine
Were press'd, to fill the cup.

Oh, bless the Saviour, ye that eat,
With royal dainties fed;
Not heav'n affords a costlier treat,
For JESUS is the bread!

The vile, the lost, he calls to them,
Ye trembling souls appear!
The righteous, in their own esteem,
Have no acceptance here.

1 Isa. liv. 2.

20 help] bless later editions.

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Approach ye poor, nor dare refuse
The banquet spread for you;
Dear Saviour, this is welcome news,
Then I may venture too.

If guilt and sin afford a plea,

And may obtain a place;

Surely the LORD will welcome me,
And I shall see his face!

XXVIII. [BK. II. lv.]

JESUS HASTING TO SUFFER
THE Saviour! what a noble flame
Was kindled in his breast,
When hasting to Jerusalem
He march'd before the rest!

Good-will to men, and zeal for God,
His ev'ry thought engross;

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He longs to be baptiz'd with blood1,
He pants to reach the cross.
With all his suff'rings full in view,

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And woes, to us unknown,

Forth to the task his spirit flew,
"Twas love that urg'd him on.

LORD, we return thee what we can!
Our hearts shall sound abroad
Salvation, to the dying Man,
And to the rising GOD!

And while thy bleeding glories here
Engage our wond'ring eyes;

We learn our lighter cross to bear,
And hasten to the skies.

XXIX. [BK. II. lx.]

EXHORTATION TO PRAYER

WHAT various hindrances we meet

In coming to a mercy-seat !

Yet who that knows the worth of pray'r,

But wishes to be often there?

Pray'r makes the dark'ned cloud withdraw,

Pray'r climbs the ladder Jacob saw;

Gives exercise to faith and love,

Brings ev'ry blessing from above.

1 Luke xii. 50.

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Restraining pray'r, we cease to fight;
Pray'r makes the Christian's armour bright;
And Satan trembles, when he sees

The weakest saint upon his knees.

While Moses stood with arms spread wide,
Success was found on Israel's side';
But when thro' weariness they fail'd,
That moment Amalek prevail'd.

Have you no words! Ah, think again,
Words flow apace when you complain;
And fill your fellow-creature's ear
With the sad tale of all your care.

Were half the breath thus vainly spent,
To heav'n in supplication sent;

Your cheerful song would oft'ner be,

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"Hear what the LORD has done for me!" 24

XXX. [BK. II. lxii.]

THE LIGHT AND GLORY OF THE WORD

THE Spirit breathes upon the word,

And brings the truth to sight;
Precepts and promises afford

A sanctifying light..

A glory gilds the sacred page,
Majestic like the sun;

It gives a light to ev'ry age,

It gives, but borrows none.

The hand that gave it, still supplies
The gracious light and heat;

His truths upon the nations rise,
They rise, but never set.

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XXXI. [BK. II. lxxiii.]

ON THE DEATH OF A MINISTER

His Master taken from his head,

Elisha saw him go;

And, in desponding accents said,
"Ah, what must Israel do?"

But he forgot the LORD, who lifts
The beggar to the throne;
Nor knew, that all Elijah's gifts
Would soon be made his own.

What! when a Paul has run his course,
Or when Apollos dies;

Is Israel left without resource?

And have we no supplies?

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Yes, while the dear Redeemer lives,

We have a boundless store;

And shall be fed with what he gives,
Who lives for evermore.

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When I review my ways,

I dread impending doom;

But sure, a friendly whisper says, "Flee from the wrath to come."

I see, or think I see,

A glimm'ring from afar;

A beam of day that shines for me,
To save me from despair.

Fore-runner of the sun ',
It marks the Pilgrim's way;
I'll gaze upon it while I run
And watch the rising day.
1 Ps. cxxx. 6.

XXXI-8 Should A.

XXXII-1 fled] dead 1779.

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XXXIII. [BK. III. X.]

THE WAITING SOUL

BREATHE from the gentle South, O LORD,
And cheer me from the North;
Blow on the treasures of thy word,
And call the spices forth!

I wish, thou know'st, to be resign'd,
And wait with patient hope ;

But hope delay'd fatigues the mind,
And drinks the spirit up.

Help me to reach the distant goal,

Confirm my feeble knee;

Pity the sickness of a soul

That faints for love of thee.

Cold as I feel this heart of mine,

Yet since I feel it so-

It yields some hope of life divine
Within, however low.

I seem forsaken and alone,
I hear the lion roar;

And ev'ry door is shut but one,
And that is mercy's door.

There, till the dear Deliv'rer come,
I'll wait with humble pray'r;
And when he calls his exile home,
The LORD shall find me there.

XXXIV. [BK. III. xiii.]

SEEKING THE BELOVED

To those who know the LORD I speak,
Is my beloved near?

The bridegroom of my soul I seek,

Oh! when will he appear!

Tho' once a man of grief and shame,
Yet now he fills a throne;

And bears the greatest, sweetest name,
That earth or heav'n have known.

Grace flies before, and love attends
His steps where'er he goes;

Tho' none can see him but his friends,
And they were once his foes.

24 me] him first in 1787.

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