4 His word of promise is my food, Thus daily is my strength renew'd, 5 For him I count as gain each loss, Well may I glory in his cross, While he prepares my crown! 6 Let worldlings then indulge their boast, EZEKIEL. LXX. Humbled and silenced by Mercy. Chap. xvi. 63.. 1 ONCE perishing in blood I lay, 2 Though Satan still his rule maintain'd, That mighty word his rage restrain'd, 3 At length the time of love arriv'd When I my Lord should know; O can I e'er that day forget, When Jesus kindly spoke! "Poor soul, my blood has paid thy debt, "And now I break thy yoke. * Book, iii. Hymn 59. 5" Henceforth I take thee for my own, "And give myself to thee; "Forsake the idols thou hast known, 6 Ah, worthless heart! it promis'd fair, 7 Lord, dost thou such backslidings heal, 8 My tongue, which rashly spoke before, LXXI. C. The Covenant. Chap. xxxvi. 25—28. 1 THE Lord proclaims his grace abroad! Behold, I change your hearts of stone; Each shall renounce his idol-god, And serve, henceforth, the Lord alone. 2 My grace, a flowing stream, proceeds 3 My truth the great design ensures, 4 Yet not unsought or unimplor'd, The plenteous grace shall I confer*; 5 From the first breath of life divine, LXXII. C. Jehovah-Shammah. Chap. xlviii. 35. 1 As birds their infant brood protect†, And spread their wings to shelter them, Thus saith the Lord to his elect, "So will I guard Jerusalem." 2 And what then is Jerusalem, This darling object of his care? 3 Jehovah founded it in blood, The blood of his incarnate Son; 4 There, though besieg'd on ev'ry side, The utmost force of earth and hell. 5 Let earth repent, and hell despair, Her name is call'd, The Lord is there, * Ver 37. VOL. III. + Isaiah xxxi. 5. 3 D DANIEL. LXXIII. The Power and Triumph of Faith. Chap. iii. 6. 1 SUPPORTED by the word, Though in himself a worm, The servant of the Lord Can wond'rous acts perform: 2 The haughty king in vain, The furnace could not make them fear, 3 As vain was the decree Which charg'd them not to pray; And worshipp'd thrice a day. 4 Secure they might refuse Compliance with such laws; For what had they to lose, When God espous'd their cause? 5 The Lord is still the same, And bear them harmless through the flame. 6 Yet we too often shrink When trials are in view; And never can get through: From all these fears we should be freed. LXXIV. Belshazzar. Chap. v. 5, 6. 1 POOR sinners! little do they think 2 Belshazzar thus, profanely bold, 3 He saw a hand upon the wall, (And trembled on his throne,) Which wrote his sudden dreadful fall In characters unknown. 4 Why should he tremble at the view 5 See him o'erwhelm'd with deep distress! His eyes with anguish roll; His looks and loosen'd joints express 6 His pomp and music, guests and wine, Oh, sinner! ere this case be thine, |