299 Excellence and sufficiency.

1 FATHER of mercies, in thy word What endless glory shines! Forever be thy name adored

For these celestial lines.

2 Here may the wretched sons of want Exhaustless riches find;

Riches above what earth can grant,
And lasting as the mind.

3 Here the fair tree of knowledge grows,
And yields a free repast;
Sublimer sweets than nature knows
Invite the longing taste.

4 Here the Redeemer's welcome voice
Spreads heavenly peace around;
And life and everlasting joys
Attend the blissful sound.

50 may these heavenly pages be
Our ever dear delight;

And still new beauties may we see,
And still increasing light.

6 Divine Instructor, gracious Lord,
Be thou forever near;
Teach us to love thy sacred word,
And view the Saviour there.

301 God giveth the increase.-1 Cor. 3: 7.

1 ALMIGHTY God, thy word is cast
Like seed upon the ground;

O let the dew of heaven descend,
And shed its influence round.

2 Let not the foe of Christ and man
This holy seed remove;

May it take root in every heart,
And grow in faith and love.

3 Let not this life's deceitful cares,
Nor worldly wealth and joy,

Nor scorching beam, nor stormy blast, The rising plant destroy.

4 Where'er the word of life is sown, A large increase bestow;

That all who hear thy message, Lord, Its saving power may know.

JOHN CAWOOD, ALT. BY W. F. HALL,

HAVEN.

C. M.

2

THOMAS HASTINGS.

302

Lord, help my unbelief.

1 How sad our state by nature is!
Our sin, how deep it stains!
And Satan binds our captive souls
Fast in his slavish chains..

2 But there's a voice of sovereign grace
Sounds from the sacred word:
"Ho! ye despairing sinners, come,
And trust a faithful Lord."

3 My soul obeys the gracious call,
And runs to this relief;

I would believe thy promise, Lord;
O help my unbelief!

4 To the blest fountain of thy blood,
Incarnate God, I fly;

Here let me wash my guilty soul
From crimes of deepest dye.

5 A guilty, weak, and helpless worm, Into thine arms I fall;

Be thou my strength and righteousness, My Jesus, and my all.

ISAAC WATTS.

303 Without God in the world.

1 GOD is in this and every place;
But O, how dark and void
To me!-'tis one great wilderness,
This earth without my God.

2 Empty of him who all things fills, Till he his light impart,

Till he his glorious self reveals,
The veil is on my heart.

1 PLUNGED in a gulf of dark despair,
We wretched sinners lay,

Without one cheering beam of hope,
Or spark of glimmering day.

2 With pitying eyes the Prince of grace Beheld our helpless grief:

He saw, and, O amazing love!

He ran to our relief.

3 Down from the shining seats above,
With joyful haste he sped,
Entered the grave in mortal flesh,
And dwelt among the dead.

4 O for this love let rocks and hills
Their lasting silence break;
And all harmonious human tongues,
The Saviour's praises speak.

5 Angels, assist our mighty joys;
Strike all your harps of gold;

But when you raise your highest notes, His love can ne'er be toid.

ISAAC WATTS,

LOUVAN.

L. M.

VIRGIL CORYDON TAYLOR.

305 Original corruption and actual sin.

1 LORD, we are vile, conceived in sin,
And born unholy and unclean;
Sprung from the man whose guilty fall
Corrupts his race, and taints us all.

2 Soon as we draw our infant breath
The seeds of sin grow up for death;
Thy law demands a perfect heart,
But we're defiled in every part.

3 Behold, we fall before thy face;
Our only refuge is thy grace:
No outward forms can make us clean;
The leprosy lies deep within.

4 Nor bleeding bird, nor bleeding beast,
Nor hyssop branch, nor sprinkling priest,
Nor running brook, nor flood, nor sea,
Can wash the dismal stain away.

5 Jesus, thy blood, thy blood alone, Hath power sufficient to atone;

Thy blood can make us white as snow; No Jewish types could cleanse us so.

6 While guilt disturbs and breaks our

SHAWMUT. S. M.

ABR. BY LOWELL MASON,

308. In trespasses and sins.
1 My former hopes are fled;
My terror now begins:
I feel, alas! that I am dead
In trespasses and sins.

2 When I review my ways,

I dread impending doom:

But hark! a friendly whisper says, "Flee from the wrath to come.'

8 With trembling hope I see A glimmering from afar;

A beam of day that shines for me, To save me from despair.

4 Forerunner of the sun,

It marks the pilgrim's way; I'll gaze upon it while I run, And watch the rising day.

309

WILLIAM COWPER.

Dependence on the Spirit.

1 How helpless nature lies,
Unconscious of her load!

The heart unchanged can never rise
To happiness and God.

2 Can aught but power divine
The stubborn will subdue?
'Tis thine, eternal Spirit, thine
To form the heart anew;

3 The passions to recall,

And upward bid them rise;
To make the scales of error fall
From reason's darkened eyes.

4 O change these hearts of ours,
And give them life divine;
Then shall our passions and our powers,
Almighty Lord, be thine.

310 Helpless and guilty.

1 AH, how shall fallen man Be just before his God?

ANNE STEELE.

If he contend in righteousness,
We sink beneath his rod.

2 If he our ways should mark
With strict inquiring eyes,

Could we for one of thousand faults A just excuse devise?

Thou, by thy voice, the marble rend,
The rock in sunder cleave:

Thou, by thy two-edged sword,
My soul and spirit part;

Strike with the hammer of thy word,
And break my stubborn heart.

2 Saviour, and Prince of peace,
The double grace bestow;
Unloose the bands of wickedness,
And let the captive go:

Grant me my sins to feel,

And then the load remove:

Wound, and pour in, my wounds to heal, The balm of pardoning love.

312

CHARLES WESLEY.

Christ our ransom.

1 OUR sins on Christ were laid;
He bore the mighty load;
Our ransom-price he fully paid
In groans, and tears, and blood.

2 To save a world, he dies;
Sinners, behold the Lamb!
To him lift up your longing eyes;
Seek mercy in his name.
3 Pardon and peace abound;
He will your sins forgive;
Salvation in his name is found,-
He bids the sinner live.

4 Jesus, we look to thee;

Where else can sinners go? Thy boundless love shall set us free From wretchedness and woe.

JOHN FAWCETT

STATE STREET. S. M.

JONATHAN CALL WOODMAN,

313

The only name.
1 JESUS, thou Source divine,
Whence hope and comfort flow!
Jesus, no other name than thine
Can save from endless woe.

2 None else will Heaven approve:
Thou art the only way,
Ordained by everlasting love,
To realms of endless day.

3 Here let our feet abide,

Nor from thy path depart:

Direct our steps, thou gracious Guide!
And cheer the fainting heart.

4 Safe through this world of night,
Lead to the blissful plains,
The regions of unclouded light,
Where joy forever reigns.

AZMON. C. M.

ANNE STEELK.

1 GOD's holy law transgressed, Speaks nothing but despair; Convinced of guilt, with grief oppressed,

We find no comfort there.

2 Not all our groans and tears,

Nor works which we have done, Nor vows, nor promises, nor prayers, Can e'er for sin atone.

3 Relief alone is found

In Jesus' precious blood:

'Tis this that heals the mortal wound, And reconciles to God.

4 High lifted on the cross

The spotless Victim dies;

This is salvation's only source;

Hence all our hopes arise.

BENJAMIN BEDDOME.

CARL GOTTHELF GLASER, ARR, BY LOWELL MASON.

315

Wonders of redemption.

1 How great the wisdom, power, and grace, Which in redemption shine!

The heavenly host with joy confess
The work is all divine.

2 Before His feet they cast their crowns,-
Those crowns which Jesus gave,-
And, with ten thousand thousand tongues,
Proclaim his power to save.

3 They tell the triumphs of his cross,
The sufferings which he bore;
How low he stooped, how high he rose,
And rose to stoop no more.

4 With them let us our voices raise,
And still the song renew:
Salvation well deserves the praise
Of men and angels too.

BENJAMIN BEDDOME.