Thy reasons lie conceal'd from sense,
Mysterious and unknown.

3. Yet nature may have leave to speak, And plead before her God,

Lest the o'erburden'd heart should break Beneath thine heavy rod.

4. These mournful groans and flowing tears
Give my poor spirit ease;
Whilst ev'ry groan my father hears,
And ev'ry tear he sees.

5. Is not some smiling hour at hand
With peace upon its wings?
Give it, O God, thy swift command,
With all the joys it brings.

Hymn 416. c. M.

SOV

OV'REIGN of life, I own thy hand
In ev'ry chast❜ning stroke ;
And whilst I smart beneath thy rod,
Thy presence I invoke.

2. To thee in my distress I cried,
And thou hast bow'd thine ear;
Thy powerful word my life prolong❜d,
And brought salvation near.

3. Unfold, ye gates of righteousness,
That, with the pious throng,
I may record my solemn vows,
And tune my grateful song.

4. Praise to the Lord, whose gentle hand
Renews our lab'ring breath:
Praise to the Lord, who makes his saints
Triumphant e'en in death.

1.

8. DEATH.

Hymn 417. c. M.

STOOP down, my thoughts, that use to rise,

Converse

Think how a gasping mortal lies
And pants away his breath.

2. His quiv'ring lips hang feebly down,
His pulse are faint and few :
Then speechless, with a doleful groan,
He bids the world adieu.

3. But O the soul that never dies!
At once it leaves the clay !

Ye thoughts, pursue it where it flies,
And trace its wond'rous way.

#

4. Up to the courts where angels dwell,
It mounts triumphant there;
Or devils plunge it down to hell,
In infinite despair.

5. And must my body faint and die?
And must this soul remove?
O for some guardian angel nigh,
To bear it safe above.

6. Jesus, to thy dear faithful hand,
My naked soul I trust;
My flesh shall wait for thy command,
And drop into my dust.

Hymn 418. c. M

•DEATH cannot make our souls afraid,

If God be with us there;

We may walk thro' its darkest shade,
And never yield to fear.

2. I could renounce my all below,

If my Creator bid;

1

And run, if I were call'd to go,
And die as Moses did.

3. Might I but climb to Pisgah's top,
And view the promis'd land,
My flesh itself would long to drop,
And pray for thy command.

4. Clasp'd in my heav'nly Father's arms
I should forget my breath,

And lose my life amidst the charms
Of so divine a death.

Hymn 419. c. M.

1. LORD, at thy temple we appear,

As happy

came,

And hope to meet our Saviour here ;
O make our joys the same!

2. With what divine and vast delight
The good old man was fill'd,
When fondly in his wither'd arms
He clasp'd the holy child :

3. "Now I can leave this world, he cried,.
Behold thy servant dies;

"I've seen thy great salvation, Lord,
"And close my peaceful eyes.

4. "This is the light prepar'd to shine
"Upon the Gentile lands,
Thine Israel's glory, and their hope,
"To break their slavish bands."

5. Jesus! the vision of thy face,

Hath over-pow'ring charms!
Scarce shall I feel death's cold embrace,
If Christ be in my arms.

Hymn 420. c. M.

ARK! from the tombs a doleful sound,

H My ears attend the cry :

"Ye living men, come view the ground,
"Where you must shortly lie.

2. "Princes, this clay must be your bed,
"In spite of all your
tow'rs!
"The tall, the wise, the rev'rend head,
"Must lie as low as ours.""

3. Great God! is this our certain doom? And are we still secure?

Still walking downward to the tomb,,
And yet prepare no more!

4. Grant us the pow'r of quick'ning grace,,
To fit our souls to fly ;

Then, when we drop this dying flesh,.,
We'll rise above the sky.

1.

Hymn 421. c. M.

D

The rich fool surprised. Luke xii. 16-22.
ELUDED souls! who think to find
A solid bliss below:

Bliss! the fair flow'r of paradise,

On earth can never grow.

2. See how the foolish wretch is pleas'd,
T' increase his worldly store;

Too scanty now he finds his barns,
And covets room for more.

3. "What shall I do?" distrest, be cries: "This scheme will I pursue:

4.

"My scanty barns shall now come down,
"I'll build them large and new.

"Here will I lay my fruits, and bid
"My soul to take her ease:
"Eat, drink, be glad, my lasting store
"Shall give what joys I please."

5. Scarce had he spoke, when lo! from heav'n Th' Almighty made reply:

"For whom dost thou provide, thou fool? "This night thyself shall die." 6. Teach me, O God, all earthly joys Are but an empty dream: And may I seek my bliss alone, In thee the good Supreme.

Hymn 422. c. M.

THER

THERE is a land of pure delight,
Where saints immortal reign,
Infinite day excludes the night,
And pleasures banish pain.

2. There everlasting spring abides,
And never with'ring flowers::
Death, like a narrow sea, divides,
This heav'nly land from ours..
3. Sweet fields beyond the swelling flood
Stand dress'd in living green;
So to the Jews old Canaan stood,
While Jordan roll'd between.

4. But tim'rous mortals start and shrink,
To cross this narrow sea,

And linger, shiv'ring on the brink,
And fear to launch away.

3

3. Oh! could we make our doubts remove,
These gloomy doubts which rise,

And see the Canaan that we love,
With unbeclouded eyes.

6. Could we but climb where Moses stood, i And view the landscape o'er,

Not Jordan's stream, nor death's cold flood,
Should fright us from the shore.

Hymn 423. c. M.

1. LORD, 'tis an infinite delight

To see thy lovely