2 Thy works to me are fully known ; Thy patience and thy toil I own : Thy views of Gospel-truth are clear, Nor canst thou other doctrine bear. 3 Yet I must blame while I approve ; Where is thy first, thy fervent love? Dost thou forget my love to thee, That thine is grown so faint to me? 4 Recall to mind the happy days
When thou wast fill'd with joy and praise: Repent, thy former works renew, Then I'll restore thy comforts too. 5 Return at once, when I reprove, Lest I thy candlestick remove, And thou, too late, thy loss lament; I warn before I strike,-Repent.' 6 Hearken to what the Spirit saith,• To him that overcomes by faith; The fruit of life's unfading tree, In paradise his food shall be.'
CXXXVII.-Smyrna. Chap. ii. 8—11.
THE message first to Smyrna sent,
A message full of grace,
To all the Saviour's flock is meant,
In ev'ry age and place.
2 Thus to his church, his chosen bride, Saith the great First and Last, Who ever lives, though once he died, Hold thy profession fast.'
3 Thy works and sorrow well I know, Perform'd and borne for me;
Poor though thou art, despis'd and low, Yet who is rich like thee?..
4 I know thy foes, and what they say, How long they have blasphem'd; The synagogue of Satan they,
Though they would Jews be deem'd.
5 Though Satan for a season rage, And prisons be your lot, I am your friend, and I You shall not be forgot.
6 Be faithful unto death, nor fear A few short days of strife; Behold! the prize you soon shall wear, A crown of endless life!'
7 Hear what the Holy Spirit saith Of all who overcome;
" They shall escape the second death, The sinner's awful doom!'
CXXXVIII. C. Sardis. Chap. iii. 1-6.
1 'WRITE to Sardis,' saith the Lord, And write what he declares,
He whose Spirit, and whose word, Upholds the seven stars :- All thy works and ways I search, Find thy zeal and love decay'd; Thou art call'd a living church, But thou art cold and dead.
Watch, remember, seek, and strive, Exert thy former pains;
Let thy timely care revive,
And strengthen what remains;
Cleanse thine heart, thy works amend,
Former times to mind recall,
Lest my sudden stroke descend,
And smite thee once for all.
Yet I number now in thee A few that are upright; These my Father's face shall see, And walk with me in white : When in judgment I appear,
They for mine shall be confest; Let my faithful servants hear, And woe be to the rest!'
CXXXIX.-Philadelphia. Chap. iii. 7—13.
1 THUS saith the holy One and true, To his beloved faithful few,
Of heav'n and hell I hold the keys, To shut or open as I please.
2 I know thy works, and I approve; Though small thy strength, sincere thy love: Go on, my word and name to own, For none shall rob thee of thy crown. 3 Before thee see my mercy's door, Stands open wide, to shut no more; Fear not temptation's fiery day, For I will be thy strength and stay. 4 Thou hast my promise; hold it fast; The trying hour will soon be past: Rejoice, for, lo! I quickly come To take thee to my heav'nly home. 5 A pillar there, no more to move, Inscrib'd with all my names of love; A monument of mighty grace, Thou shalt for ever have a place.' 6 Such is the conqueror's reward, Prepar'd and promis'd by the Lord; Let him that hath the ear of faith, Attend to what the Spirit saith.
CXL-Laodicea. Chap. iii. 14—20.
I HEAR what the Lord, the great Amen, The true and faithful Witness says! He form'd the vast creation's plan, And searches all our hearts and ways. 2 To some he speaks, as once of old, I know thee, thy profession's vain : Since thou art neither hot nor cold,
I'll spit thee from me with disdain. 3 Thou boastest, "I am wise and rich,
Increas'd in goods, and nothing need;" And dost not know thou art a wretch, Naked, and poor, and blind, and dead. 4 Yet, while I thus rebuke, I love; My message is in mercy sent;
That thou may'st my compassio n prove, I can forgive, if thou repent.
5 Wouldst thou be truly rich and wise? Come, buy my gold in fire well try'd, My ointment to anoint thine eyes, My robe thy nakedness to hide.
6 See at thy door I stand and knock ! Poor sinner, shall I wait in vain ? Quickly thy stubborn heart unlock, That I may enter with my train. 7 Thou canst not entertain a king, Unworthy thou of such a guest! But I my own provisions bring, To make thy soul a heavenly feast.'
CXLI. The little Book*. Chap. x.
1 WHEN the belov'd disciple took The angel's little open book,
Which by the Lord's command he ate, It tasted bitter after sweet.
2 Thus, when the Gospel is embrac❜d, At first 'tis sweeter to the taste, Than honey, or the honey-comb, But there's a bitterness to come.
3 What sweetness does the promise yield, When by the Spirit's power seal'd! The longing soul is fill'd with good, Nor feels a wish for other food.
4 By these inviting tastes allur'd, We pass to what must be endur'd; For soon we find it is decreed, That bitter must to sweet succeed.
5 When sin revives and shews its pow'r, When Satan threatens to devour, When God afflicts, and men revile, We draw our steps with pain and toil.
6 When thus deserted, tempest-tost, The sense of former sweetness lost, We tremble lest we were deceiv'd In thinking that we once believ'd.
7 The Lord first makes the sweetness known, To win and fix us for his own;
And, though we now some bitter meet We hope for everlasting sweet.
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