CCXI.
For GOD to manifeft himself according to his Promise.
BEH
EHOLD this congregation, Lord,
That's met to pray and hear thy word:
As thou haft promis'd-now appear",
And manifeft thy prefence here;
That by thy coming we may prove
The pow'r of thy redeeming love:
'Tis to the living Gods, we cry!
For none elfe can our wants supply.
(n) Matt. xxviii. 19, 20.
(p) Rom. iii. 24.
(0) John xiv. 20, 21. (q) Pfal. Ixxxiv. 2.
This barning gulph, where I blafpheming lie, "'Tis time, no more, but vaft eternity!
the devil, Heb. ii. 14. And that there shall be no more death, neither
forrow, nor crying, neither fhall there be any more pain, &c. Rev. xxi. 4.
and again that there shall be no more curfe, Rev. xxii. 3.
Yet many
gofpel minifters and good men, by laying too much stress upon other
paffages of Scripture, do, in the most ftrenuous manner, affert quite
the contrary. Hence fome have erroneously reprefented the GOD
OF LOVE, (whofe mercy is everlafling) as being full of eternal im-
placable wrath to the greatest part of mankind, and to all the fallen
angels. A few poetical lines which I have lately met with from an
unknown author, I fhall here give as a fpecimen,-though big with
infernal horror, far too fhocking for the human understanding.
For an answer to thefe, I refer the reader to the worthy labours of the Rev. ELHANAN WINCHESTER.
2 "Tis God we want,-that God alone
Who hath of old his wonders' fhown!
With power come, and Lord, impart
True life to ev'ry waiting heart;
And grant that henceforth we may be
At all times wholly led by thee;
Till from this vale of tears we rife
To fing thy praise above the fkies.
Faith in GOD for the fulfilment of his Promifes.
•
JEH
EHOVAH Jah! eternal is thy fame; IO Hence we are met to worship in thy name: 10 For Jefu's fake, O Lord, thy children hear, IO And now, as in the ancient days, appear1.
10
2 Our off'ring and ourselves, O God, receive,
For we do all thy promifes believe;
Strengthen our faith, and let thy love combine
In all our works, to prove that we are thine.
3 Heaven and earth fhall fooner pafss away
Than thou canft lie', or thy own word gainfay! Thou cannot change", nor yet thyfelf deny",Therefore we on thy faithfulness rely.
(r) Ffal. lxxvii. 11. (f) Ats ii. 2, &c. (t) Tit. i. 2.-Heb. vi. 18. (u) Mal. iii, 6, (w) Ifa. xl. 11. (x) Gal. iii. 13.
4 Thine arm shall fave", and keep the faithful here
Unhurt by fin or any fervile fear:
Chrift, to redeem from death and misery,
Did die, and hath for ever made us free!
(s) Matt. xxiv. 35. (v) 2 Tim. ii. 13.
CCXIII.
Praifing GOD, and defiring to be like Chrift in all his immitable Perfections.
CO
I OME, ye who wish to dwell above,
Join us to praise the God of love!
For now with joy we gladly fing
Of Chrift, our Prophet, Prieft, and King!
2 Ye unconverted, hear us tell
How he redeem'd our fouls from hell;-
Hafte his great mercy to embrace,
And fhare the riches of his grace.
4 May we his great exampled mind,-
Be humble, merciful, and kind;
Forgive and love our greateft foes,
And fin with prudent zeal oppose.
5
Hence, if we fuffer for his name
Much vile reproach or outward fhame; ;
Still may we glory in his crofs,
For all things elfe are dungf and drofs...
6 Patient in fuff'ring may we be
Fixt patterns of true piety;
Through health and fickness, lofs and gain,
In death of hardships not complain.
3 O may we all henceforth confefs,
And own THE LORD our RIGHTEOUSNESS!
Always to him our wills reign,
With good works to his glory fhine.
7 Thus, while God doth his grace dispense,
Faith will prove more than mere pretence;
For works fhall of our faith declare,
That we in Chrift new creatures" are.
(y) 2 Cor. xiii. 11. (z) Deut. xviii. 15. (b) Ifa. xxxii. 1. (c) Jer. xxiii. 6.. (d) (e) Gal. vi. 14. (f) Phil. iii. 8. (g) Jam. ii. (b) 2 Cor. v. 17.—Gal, vi. 15.
(a) Heb. ix. 11.
Pet. ii. 21 17, ---- 26.
3 Lord, grant to us and all mankind
Thy Spirit conftantly to find;
And let us all the fulness prove
Of thy unmeafurable love.
CCXIV.
For Grace to endure Suffering, the Converfion of our Enemies, and the downfal of Satan's Kingdom.
IVE fuff'ring grace, Lord, we implore,
I
G While we are lacre below;
For lo, the wicked rage and roar,
And hate the way we go.
2 Give us the bond of charity,
That we may not repine;
But love and blefs our enemyk,
And to thy will refign.
3 For once, like them, (unchang'd by grace)
We fcorn'd a ferious thought;
And daily finn'd before thy face,
But thou a change haft wrought.
4 O that thou likewife would redeem,
And fave thefe wand'ring fheep,
That they may not thy name blafpheme,
But all thy precepts keep.
5 Send down thy Spirit from above,-
Our enemies convert,
And let the flames of facred love
Chace fin from ev'ry heart.
60 let us fee the great downfal
Of Satan's kingdom here,
Till all the world, both great and small,
Do thy great name revere.
(i) 2 Cor. iv. 6, - - - 18. (j) Col. iii. 14. (1) Heb. viii. 11.
CCXV.
For Grace to bear Reproaches, and that GOD may Save the Wicked.
1 TO fave, O God, do thou arifeTM,
With grace replenish all our wants;
For wicked men plot and devise
Which way they may deftroy thy faints.
2 With fcornful taunts, and much disdain,
They fret and foam, and madly rave;
Hence, with reproach and flanders vain,
They act more cruel than the grave.
3
But fav'd by thee, lo! we rejoice°,
And on thy pow'r alone rely:
Thy will for ever be our choice,
Through whom we all their rage defy..
4 Tremendous great almighty God!
Who rules o'er heav'n, and earth, and hell,
Shouldft thou affume thy iron rod,
Oh! who their anguish' then could tell?
5 But fuch as live in this fad ftate,
Do thou for Jefu's fake, we pray,
Anew in righteousness create,
And fave them from the downward way.
6 Come, holy Ghost, thou heav'nly DOVE! Make all our foes with us to share
A portion of redeeming love,
And for a coming world prepare.
(m) Pfal. iii. 7. (p) Matt. vi. to. () Eph. ii. 15.
(n) Heb. xi. 36. (q) Rev. xix. (s) John i. 32.
(0) Matt. v. 10, 11, 12.
(r) Rom. ii. 9.
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