2 Sinners, who dare provoke his face,
Who on his patience long prefume,
And trifle out his day of grace,
Will find he has a day of doom.
3 As pangs the lab'ring woman feels,
Or as the thief, in midnight fléep;
So comes that day, for which the wheels
Of time, their ceafelefs motion keep!

4

5

Hark! from the fky, the trump proclaims-
JESUS, the Judge approaching nigh!
See, the creation wrapt in Aames,

Firft kindled by his vengeful eye
i

When thus the mountains melt like wax; When earth, and air, and fea, fall burn;. When all the frame of nature breaks, Poor finner, whither wilt thou turn? 6 The puny works which feeble men Now boaft, or covet, or admire; Their pomp, and arts, and treasures, then Shall perish in one common fire.

LORD, fix our hearts and hopes above!

Since all below to ruin tends;

Here may we truft, obey, and love,

And there be found amongst thy friends..

LXXIX. The great tribunal (e).

JOHN in vifion faw the day

JOH

When the Judge will haften down;,
Heav'n and earth fhall flee away

From the terror of his frown:

(e) Rev. xx, 11, 124

Dead

Dead and living, fmall and great,
Raifed from the earth and fea;
At his bar fhall hear their fate,
What will then become of me?
2 Can I bear his awful looks?
Shall I ftand in judgment then,
When I fee the open'd books,
Written by the Almighty's pen?
If he to remembrance bring,
And expofe to public view,
Ev'ry work and fecret thing,
Ah, my foul, what canft thou do?
When the lift fhall be produc'd
Of the talents I enjoy'd;

3

Means and mercies, how abus'd!! Time and ftrength, how mifemploy'd! Confcience then, compell'd to read, Muft allow the charge is true; Say, my foul, what canft thou plead In that hour, what wilt thou do? 4 But the book of life I fee, May my name be written there ! Then from guilt and danger free, Glad I'll meet him in the air: That's the book I hope to plead, 'Tis the gospel open'd wide; LORD, I am a wretch indeed!

5

I have finn'd, but thou haft dy'd ̃(ƒ). Now my foul knows what to do; Thus I fhall with boldness stand,

Number'd with the faithful few,

Own'd and fav'd, at thy right hand;

If thou help a feeble worm

j To believe thy promife now; Juftice will at laft confirm

What thy mercy wrought below.

I

IV. CREATIO N.

LXXX. The old and new creation.

THAT

HAT was a wonder-working word Which could the vaft creation raife! Angels, attendant on their LORD (g); Admir'd the plan, and fung his praise. 2 From what a dark and fhapeless mafs, All nature fprang at his command! Let there be light, and light there was, And fun and ftars, and fea and land.

3 With equal fpeed the earth and feas, Their mighty Maker's voice obey'd; He fpake, and ftrait the plants and trees, And birds, and beasts, and man were made, the lord and crown of all, But man, By fin his honor foon defac'd;

4

His heart (how alter'd fince the fall!)
Is dark, deform'd, and void, and wafte.

5 The new creation of the foul

Does now no lefs his pow'r display (b); 'Than when he form'd the mighty whole, And kindled darkness into day.

(g) Job, xxxviii. 7

(b) 2 Cor. i 6.

6 Tho' felf-deftroy'd, O LORD, we are,
Yet let us feel what thou canst do;
Thy word the ruin can repair,
And all our hearts create anew.

I

LXXXI. The book of creation.
HE book of nature open lies,
With much inftruction ftor'd;
But till the LORD anoints our eyes
We cannot read a word.

2 Philofophers have por'd in vain,
And guefs'd, from age to age;
For reafon's eye could ne'er attain
To understand a page.

3

Tho' to each ftar they give a name,
Its fize and motions teach ;

The truths which all the stars proclaim,
Their wifdom cannot reach.

4 With skill to measure earth and fea,
And weigh the subtle air;
They cannot, LORD, difcover thee
Tho' present ev'ry where.

5 The knowledge of the faints excells
The wisdom of the schools;
To them his fecrets GOD reveals,
Tho' men account them fools.

6 To them the fun and ftars on high
The flow'rs that paint the field (i),'
And all the artless birds that fly,
Divine inftruction yield.

(i) Matt, vi. 2628,

7 The creatures on their fenfes prefs,
As witnesses to prove

Their Saviour's pow'r, and faithfulness,
His providence and love.

8 Thus may we study nature's book
To make us wife indeed!

And pity thofe who only look
At what they cannot read (4).

LXXXII. The rainbow..

HEN the fun,, with cheerful beams,
Smiles upon a low'ring fky;

Soon its afpect foft'ned feems,
And a rainbow meets the eye:
While the sky remains ferene,
This bright arch is never feen.
2 Thus the LORD's fupporting pow'r
Brighteft to his faints appears,
When afflictions threat'ning hour
Fills their fky with clouds and fears:
He can wonders then perform,
Paint a rainbow on the ftorm().

3 All their graces doubly shine
When their troubles press them fore;
And the promises divine

Give them joys unknown before :
As the colours of the bow,

To the cloud their brightnefs owe. 4 Favor'd John a rainbow faw(m) Circling round the throne above;

Hnce

(*) Romi, 20. (◊) Gen. ix, 14. (m) Rev.iv. 3.