231. 8. 7. BRADFORD' Col.
TOTHING can preferve my going
But falvation full and free;
Nothing can my soul dishearten
But my abfence, Lord, from thee:
Nothing can delay my progrefs,
Nothing can disturb my reft,
If, I can, whate'er the danger,
Lean my spirit on thy breaft.
In thy prefence I am happy,
In thy presence I'm fecure ;
In thy prefence all afflictions
I can easily endure :
In thy presence I can conquer,
I can fuffer, I can die :
Far from thee I faint and languifh;
O, my Savior,, keep me nigh!
HOW happy is the christian's state!
His fins are all forgiv'n;
A cheering ray confirms the grace
And lifts his hopes to heav'n.
Though, in the rugged path of life,
He heaves the penfive figh;
Yet, trufting in his God, he finds
Deliv'ring grace is nigh.
If, to prevent his wand'ring steps,
He feels the chaft'ning rod;
The gentle stroke shall bring him back
To his forgiving God.
And when the welcome meffage comes,
To call his foul away;
His foul, in raptures, thall ascend
To everlafting day.
God the only Happiness of his People.
MMy everlafting All,
Y God, my Portion, and my Love,
I've none but thee in heav'n above,
Nor on this earthly ball.
What empty things are all the skies,
And this inferior clod!
There's nothing here deferves my joys,
There's nothing like my God.
In vain the bright, the burning fun
Scatters his feeble light :
Thy cheering beams create my noon,
If thou withdraw, 'tis night.
To thee I owe my wealth and friends,
And health and safe abode :
Thanks to thy love for meaner things;
But they are not my God.
How våin a toy is fhining wealth,
If once compar'd to thee?
Or what's my fafety, or my health,
Or all my friends to me?
Let others ftretch their arms like feas,
And grafp in all the shore;
Grant me the vifits of thy face,
And I defire no more.
NREAT God, create my foul anew,
Conform my will to thine:
Melt down my heart, and let it flow,
And take the mould divine.
Seize my whole frame into thy hand;
Here all my pow'rs I bring:
Manage the wheels by thy command,
And govern ev'ry fpring.
O may my feet no more depart,
Nor wand'ring fenfes rove;
Nor let my unbelieving heart
Arraign the God I love!
Then not the fun, fhall, more than I,
His Maker's will perform;
Nor travel fwifter through the sky,
Nor burn with zeal so warm.
NOME, thou Fount of ev'ry bleffing,
Tune my heart to fing thy grace;
Streams of mercy never ceafing
Call for fongs of loudeft praife.
Teach me fome melodious fonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above,
Where the ranfom'd all unite in
Praise of God's unchanging love.
Here I raise my Ebenezer,
Hither by thy help I'm come,
Trufting, Lord, by thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
Jefus fought me when a stranger,
Wand'ring from the fold of God;
He, to rescue me from danger,
Interpos'd his precious blood.
Oh! to grace, how great a debtor
Daily I'm conftrain'd to be!
Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter,
Bind my wand'ring heart to thee:
Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it ;
Prone to leave the God I love!
Here's my heart, Lord, take and feal it,
Seal it from thy courts above.
ORD, when my thoughts with wonder roll,
O'er the fharp forrows of thy foul,
And fee my Maker's broken laws
Repair'd and honor'd by thy crofs;
When I behold death, hell, and fin,
Vanquish'd by that dear blood of thine
And fee the Man, that groan'd and dy'd,'
Sit glorious by his Father's fide;
My foul would rise and foar above,
Be wing'd with faith, and fir'd with love!
Fain would I reach eternal things,
And learn the notes that Gabriel fings.
But my heart faints, my tongue complains,
For want of those immortal strains;
And, in fuch humble notes as these,
Muft fall below thy victories.
The glorious time will foon appear,
When I shall leave my prison here;
This house of clay; and mount on high,
To join in fongs beyond the iky.
TOW to the Lord, that makes us know
The wonders of his dying love,
Be humble honors paid below,
And strains of nobler praise above.
'Twas he alone that cleans'd our fins,
And wath'd us in his richest blood; 'Tis he that makes us priefts and kings, And brings us rebels back to God.
To Jefus, our atoning Priest,
To Jefus, our Superior King,
Be everlasting praise addreft,
And ev'ry tongue his glory fing!
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