"If thou of murmuring wouldst be cured, ""Tis I appoint thy daily lot, And I do all things well; Thou soon shalt leave this wretched spot, And rise with me to dwell. "In life my grace shall strength supply, At death thou still shalt find me nigh, Thus I, who once my wretched days Taught in my Saviour's school of grace, XX. OLD TESTAMENT GOSPEL. Heb. iv. 2. ISRAEL, in ancient days, Not only had a view Of Sinai in a blaze, But learn'd the Gospel too; The types and figures were a glass, The paschal sacrifice, And blood-besprinkled door,* Exod. xii. 13. Seen with enlighten'd eyes, And once applied with power, The Lamb, the Dove, set forth Whose blood of matchless worth For he who can for sin atone, The scape-goat on his head + Was to be seen no more: In him our Surety seem'd to say, 66 Dipt in his fellow's blood, The living bird went free; ‡ Described a guilty soul enlarged, Jesus, I love to trace, Throughout the sacred page, The footsteps of thy grace, The same in every age! O grant that I may faithful be To clearer light vouchsafed to me! * Lev. xii. 6. + Lev. xvi. 21. Lev. xiv. 51-53. XXI. SARDIS. Rev. iii. 1-6. "WRITE to Sardis," saith the Lord, Find thy zeal and love decay'd: "Watch, remember, seek, and strive, Exert thy former pains; Let thy timely care revive, And strengthen what remains : Cleanse thine heart, thy works amend, Former times to mind recall, Lest my sudden stroke descend, And smite thee once for all. "Yet I number now in thee Let my faithful servants hear, And woe be to the rest." XXII, PRAYER FOR A BLESSING ON THE YOUNG BESTOW, dear Lord, upon our youth The gift of saving grace ; And let the seed of sacred truth Fall in a fruitful place. Grace is a plant, where'er it grows, Ye careless ones, O hear betimes Your youth is stain'd with many crimes, True, you are young, but there's a stone Or half the crimes which you have done For you the public prayer is made, We pray that you may early prove XXIII. PLEADING FOR AND WITH YOUTH. SIN has undone our wretched race, But Jesus has restored, And brought the sinner face to face This we repeat, from year to year, Blessings upon the rising race! We feel for your unhappy state, And would awhile ourselves forget Το We see, though you perceive it not, Dear Saviour, let this new-born year And cry in every careless ear, 66 Prepare to meet thy God!" |