454

S. M.

ENFIELD.

Compassion and Forgiveness.

1 I HEAR the voice of woe!
I hear a brother's sigh!

Then let my heart with pity flow,
With tears of love, my eye.

2 I hear the thirsty cry!

The hungry beg for bread!
Then let my spring its stream supply,
My hand its bounty shed.

3 The debtor humbly sues,

Who would but cannot pay;
And shall I lenity refuse,

Who need it every day?

4 Shall not my wrath relent,

Touched by that humble strain,
My brother crying, "I repent,

Nor will offend again"?

5 If not, how shall I dare

Appear before thy face,

Great God, and how present the prayer
For thy forgiving grace?

455

C. M.

DODDRIDGE.

Against following a Multitude to do Evil.

1 LORD, when iniquities abound,
And growing crimes appear,
We view the deluge rising round
With sorrow and with fear.

2 Yet when its waves most fiercely beat, And spread destruction wide;

Thy Spirit can a standard raise,
To stem the roaring tide.

3 May thy triumphant arm awake,
Thy sacred cause to plead;
And let the multitude confess
That thou art God indeed.

4 Our feeble souls at least support,
And there thy power display;
Then multitudes shall strive in vain
To draw us from thy way.

456

C. M.

Prudence.

WATTS.

1 O, 'TIS a lovely thing to see A man of prudent heart,

Whose thoughts, and lips, and life, agree To act a useful part.

2 When envy, strife, and wars, begin
In little, angry souls,

Mark how the sons of peace come in,
And quench the kindling coals.

3 Their minds are humble, mild, and meek, Nor let their fury rise;

Nor passion moves their lips to speak,
Nor pride exalts their eyes.

4 Their frame is prudence mixed with love; Good works fulfil their day;

They join the serpent with the dove,
But cast the sting away.

The Christian encouraged.

1 GIVE to the winds thy fears; Hope, and be undismayed;

MORAVIAN.

God hears thy sighs, and counts thy tears;
God shall lift up thy head.

2 Through waves, through clouds and storms,
He gently clears thy way;
Wait thou his time; so shall the night
Soon end in joyous day.

3 He every where hath rule,

And all things serve his might;
His every act pure blessing is,
His path unsullied light.

4 Thou comprehend'st him not;
Yet earth and heaven tell,
God sits as Sovereign on the throne;
He ruleth all things well.

5 Thou seest our weakness, Lord;
Our hearts are known to thee;
O, lift thou up the sinking hand,
Confirm the feeble knee!

6 Let us, in life or death,

Boldly thy truth declare,

And publish, with our latest breath,
Thy love and guardian care.

357

458

L. M.

SIR H. WOTTON.

The Character of a happy Life.

1 HOW happy is he born and taught, That serveth not another's will, Whose armor is his honest thought,

And simple truth his utmost skill!

2 Whose passions not his masters are, Whose soul is still prepared for death, Untied unto the world by care

Of public fame, or private breath;

3 Who envies none that chance doth raise,
Nor vice hath ever understood,

How deepest wounds are given by praise,
Nor rules of state, but rules of good; -

4 Who hath his life from rumors freed;

Whose conscience is his strong retreat;
Whose state can neither flatterers feed,
Nor ruin make oppressors great ;-

5 Who God doth late and early pray
More of his grace than gifts to lend,
And entertains the harmless day
With a religious book or friend;

6 This man is freed from servile bands
Of hope to rise, or fear to fall;
Lord of himself, though not of lands,
And having nothing, yet hath all.

358

459

L. M.

The Beatitudes.

WATTS.

1 BLEST are the humble souls that see Their emptiness and poverty;

Treasures of grace to them are given, And crowns of joy laid up in heaven. 2 Blest are the meek, who stand afar From rage and passion, noise and war; God will secure their happy state,

And plead their cause against the great. 3 Blest are the souls that thirst for grace, Hunger and long for righteousness; They shall be well supplied and fed With living streams and living bread.

4 Blest are the men whose bowels move
And melt with sympathy and love;
From Christ the Lord shall they obtain
Like sympathy and love again.

5 Blest are the pure, whose hearts are clean
From the defiling powers of sin;
With endless pleasure they shall see
A God of spotless purity.

6 Blest are the men of peaceful life,
Who quench the coals of growing strife;
They shall be called the heirs of bliss,
The sons of God, the God of peace.

7 Blest are the sufferers who partake
Of pain and shame for Jesus' sake;
Their souls shall triumph in the Lord;
Glory and joy are their reward.