Hymns and Spiritual Songs Part 14

2 Thou spreadst the curtains of the night, Great guardian of my sleeping hours; Thy sovereign word restores the light, And quickens all my drowsy powers.

3 I yield my powers to thy command, To thee I consecrate my days; Perpetual blessings from thine hand Demand perpetual songs of praise.

Hymn 1:82.

G.o.d far above creatures; or, Man vain and mortal, Job 4. 77-21.

1 Shall the vile race of flesh and blood Contend with their creator, G.o.d?

Shall mortal worms presume to be More holy, wise, or just than he?

2 Behold he puts his trust in none Of all the spirits round his throne; Their natures, when compar'd with his Are neither holy, just nor wise.

3 But how much meaner things are they Who spring from dust and dwell in clay!

Touch'd by the finger of thy wrath, We faint and vanish like the moth.

4 From night to day, from day to night, We die by thousands in thy sight; Bury'd in dust whole nations lie Like a forgotten vanity.

5 Almighty power, to thee we bow; How frail are we, how glorious thou!

No more the sons of earth shall dare With an eternal G.o.d compare.

Hymn 1:83.

Afflictions and death under providence, Job 5. 6 7 8.

1 Not from the dust affliction grows, Nor troubles rise by chance; Yet we are born to care and woes, A sad inheritance.

2 As sparks break out from burning coals, And still are upwards borne; So grief is rooted in our souls, And man grows up to mourn.

3 Yet with my G.o.d I leave my cause, And trust his promis'd grace; He rules me by his well-known laws Of love and righteousness.

4 Not all the pains that e'er I bore Shall spoil my future peace, For death and h.e.l.l can do no more Than what my Father please.

Hymn 1:84.

Salvation, righteousness, and strength in Christ, Isa. 45. 21 25.

1 Jehovah speaks, let Israel hear, Let all the earth rejoice and fear, While G.o.d's eternal Son proclaims His sovereign honours and his names:

2 "I am the last, and I the first, "The Saviour G.o.d, and G.o.d the just; "There's none beside pretends to shew "Such justice and salvation too.

3 "[Ye that in shades of darkness dwell, "Just on the verge of death and h.e.l.l, "Look up to me from distant lands, "Light, life and heaven are in my hands.

4 "I by my holy Name have sworn, "Nor shall the word in vain return, "To me shall all things bend the knee, "And every tongue shall swear to me.]

5 "In me alone shall men confess "Lies all their strength and righteousness; "But such as dare despise my Name, "I'll clothe them with eternal shame.

6 "In me the Lord, shall all the seed "Of Israel from their sins be freed, "And by their s.h.i.+ning graces prove "Their interest in my pardoning love."

Hymn 1:85.

The same.

1 The Lord on high proclaims His G.o.dhead from his throne; "Mercy and justice are the names "By which I will be known.

2 "Ye dying souls that sit "In darkness and distress, "Look from the borders of the pit "To my recovering grace."

3 Sinners shall hear the sound; Their thankful tongues shall own, "Our righteousness and strength is found "In thee, the Lord, alone."

4 In thee shall Israel trust, And see their guilt forgiven; G.o.d will p.r.o.nounce the sinners just, And take the saints to heaven.

Hymn 1:86.

G.o.d holy, just, and sovereign. Job 9. 2-10.

1 How should the sons of Adam's race Be pure before their G.o.d?

If he contend in righteousness We fall beneath his rod.

2 To vindicate my words and thoughts I'll make no more pretence; Not one of all my thousand faults Can bear a just defence.

3 Strong is his arm, his heart is wise; What vain presumers dare Against their Maker's hand to rise, Or tempt th' unequal war?

4 [Mountains by his almighty wrath From their old seats are torn; He shakes the earth from south to north, And all her pillars mourn.

5 He bids the sun forbear to rise, Th' obedient sun forbears: His hand with sackcloth spreads the skies, And seals up all the stars.

6 He walks upon the stormy sea Flies on the stormy wind; There's none can trace his wondrous way, Or his dark footsteps find.]

Hymn 1:87.

G.o.d dwells with the humble and penitent, Isa. 57. 15 16.

1 Thus saith the High and Lofty One, "I sit upon my holy throne, "My name is G.o.d, I dwell on high, "Dwell in my own eternity.

2 "But I descend to worlds below, "On earth I have a mansion too, "The humble spirit and contrite "Is an abode of my delight.

3 "The humble soul my words revive, "I bid the mourning sinner live, "Heal all the broken hearts I find, "And ease the sorrows of the mind.

4 "When I contend against their sin "I make them know how vile they've been; "But should my wrath for ever smoke, "Their souls would sink beneath my stroke."]

5 O may thy pardoning grace be nigh, Lest we should faint, despair, and die!

Thus shall our better thoughts approve The methods of thy chastening love.

Hymn 1:88.

Life the day of grace and hope. Eccles. 9. 4 3 6 10.

1 Life is the time to serve the Lord, The time t' insure the great reward; And while the lamp holds out to burn The vilest sinner may return.