4 JESUS, to prevent his grieving,
Kindly spoke and eas'd his pain;
"Be not fearful, but believing,
Thou fhalt see her live again :
When he found the people weeping,
"Ceafe, he said, no longer mourn;
For fhe is not dead, but sleeping,"
Then they laughed him to fcorn.
5 O thou meek and lowly, Saviour,
How determin'd is thy love!
Not this rude unkind behaviour,
Could thy gracious purpose niove:
Soon as he the room had enter'd
Spoke, and took her by the hand;
Death at once his prey furrender'd,
And the liv'd at his command.
6 Fear not then, diftrefs'd believer,
Venture on his mighty name;
He is able to deliver,
And his love is ftill the fame :
Can his pity or his power,
Suffer thee to pray in vain;
Wait but his appointed hour,
And thy fuit thou shalt obtain.
XCIV. But one loaf (c). Chap. viii. 14. WHEN the difciples crofs'd the lake
With but one loaf on board;
How ftrangely did their hearts mistake
The caution of their LORD.
2 The leaven of the Pharifees
Beware," the Saviour faid;
They thought, it is because he fees
We have forgotten bread.
2 It feems they have forgotten too,
What their own eyes had view'd;
How with what fearce fuffic'd for few,
He fed a multitude.
If five finall loaves, by his command,
Could many thousands ferve;
Might they not truft his gracious hand,
That they should never ftarve !
5 They oft his pow'r and love had known,
And doubtlefs were to blame;
But we have reafon good to own
That we are juft the fame.
6 How often has he brought relief,
And ev'ry want supply'd !
Yet foon, again, our unbelief,
Says, "Can the LORD provide?"
7 Be thankful for one loaf to-day,
Tho' that be all your ftore;
To-morrow, if you truft and pray,
Shall timely bring you more.
XCV. BARTIMEUS. Chap. x. 47, 48.
MERCY, O thou Son of David !"
Thus blind Bartimeus pray'd;
Others by thy word are faved,
Now to me afford thine aid;
Many for his crying chid him,
But he call'd the louder ftill;
Till the gracious Saviour bid him
"Come, and afk me what
you will."
2 Money was not what he wanted,
Tho' by begging us'd to live;
But he afk'd, and JESUS granted
Alms, which none but he could give:
"LORD remove this grievous blindness,
Let my eyes behold the day";
Strait he faw, and won by kindness,
Follow'd JESUS in the way.
3 Oh! methinks I hear him praifing,
Publishing to all around
"Friends is not my cafe amazing?
What a Saviour I have found:
Oh! that all the blind but knew him,
And would be advis'd by me!
Surely, would they haften to him,
He would caufe them all to fee."
XCVI. C. The house of prayer. Chap xi. 17.
HY manfion is the chriftian's heart,
O LORD, thy dwelling-place fecure!
Bid the unruly throng depart,
And leave the confecrated door.
2 Devoted as it is to thee,
A thievifh fwarm frequents the place;
They steal away my joys from me,
And rob my Saviour of his praife.
3 There too a fharp defigning trade
Sin, Satan, and the world, maintain
Nor cease to press me, and persuade,
To part with ease and purchase pain.
4 I know them, and I hate their din,
Am weary of the bustling crowd;
But while their voice is heard within,
I cannot ferve thee as I would.
Oh! for the joy thy prefence gives,
What peace fhall reign when thou art here!
Thy prefence makes this den of thieves,
A calm delightful house of pray'r.
6 And if thou make thy temple fhine,
Yet, felf-abas'd will I adore ;
The gold and filver are not mine,
I give thee what was thine before.
XCVII. The blafted fig-tree. Chap. xi. 20.
NE awful word which JESUS fpoke, Against the tree which bore no fruit; More piercing than the light'ning's stroke, Blafted and dry'd it to the root.
2 But could a tree the LORD offend, To make him fhew his anger thus ? He furely had a farther end,
To be a warning word to us.
3 The fig-tree by its leaves was known, But having not a fig to fhow;
It brought a heavy fentence down, "Let none hereafter on thee grow.”
4 Too many, who the gospel hear,
Whom Satan blinds and fin deceives;
We to this fig-tree may compare,
They yield no fruit, but only leaves.
Knowledge, and zeal, and gifts, and talk,
Unless combin'd with faith and love,
And witnefs'd by a gofpel walk,
Will not a true profeffion prove,
6 Without the fruit the LORD expects Knowledge will make our ftate the worse; The barren trees he ftill rejects,
And foon will blaft them with his curfe.
O LORD, unite our hearts in pray'r!
On each of us thy Spirit fend;
That we the fruits of grace may bear,
And find acceptance in the end.
XCVIII. The two debtors. Chap. vii. 47.
While JESUS fat at meat;
From her eyes fhe pour'd a flood
To wafh his facred feet:
Shame and wonder, joy and love,
All at once poffefs'd her mind;
That the ere fo vile could prove,
Yet now forgiveness find.
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