Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

VIII.-Esau. Chap. xxv. 34. Heb. xii. 16.

1 POOR Esau repented too late,
That once he his birth-right despis'd,
And sold, for a morsel of meat,

What could not too highly be priz'd:
How great was his anguish when told,
The blessing he sought to obtain
Was gone with the birth-right he sold,
And none could recall it again!
2 He stands as a warning to all,
Wherever the Gospel shall come :
O hasten and yield to the call,

While yet for repentance there's room!
Your season will quickly be past;
Then hear and obey it to-day,
Lest, when you seek mercy at last,

The Saviour should frown you away.
3 What is it the world can propose?
A morsel of meat at the best!
For this are you willing to lose
A share in the joys of the blest?
Its pleasures will speedily end,

Its favour and praise are but breath;
And what can its profits befriend

Your soul in the moments of death?
4 If Jesus, for these, you despise,
And sin to the Saviour prefer;
In vain your entreaties and cries,

When summon'd to stand at his bar :
How will you his presence abide ?
What anguish will torture your heart!
The saints all enthron'd by his side,
And you be compell'd to depart.

5 Too often, dear Saviour, have I Preferr'd some poor trifle to thee; How is it thou dost not deny

The blessing and birth-right to me?
No better than Esau I am,

Though pardon and heaven be mine;
To me belongs nothing but shame,
The praise and the glory be thine.

IX.-Jacob's Ladder. Chap. xxviii. 12.

1 Ir the Lord our leader be,

We may follow without fear;
East or west, by land or sea,
Home, with him, is every where;
When from Esau Jacob fled,
Though his pillow was a stone,
And the ground his humble bed,
Yet he was not left alone.

2 Kings are often waking kept,

Rack'd with cares on beds of state;
Never king like Jacob slept,

For he lay at heaven's gate:

Lo! he saw a ladder rear'd,

Reaching to the heav'nly throne;
At the top the Lord appear'd,
Spake, and claim'd him for his own.
3' Fear not, Jacob, thou art mine,
And my presence with thee goes!
On thy heart my love shall shine,
And my arm subdue thy foes:
From my promise comfort take,
For my help in trouble call;
Never will I thee forsake,

Till I have accomplish'd all.'
4 Well does Jacob's ladder suit
To the Gospel-throne of grace;
We are at the ladder's foot,
Ev'ry hour, in ev'ry place :

By assuming flesh and blood,
Jesus heav'n and earth unites ;
We by faith ascend to God*,

God to dwell with us delights.

5 They who know the Saviour's name
Are for all events prepar'd;
What can changes do to them,
Who have such a guide and guard?
Should they traverse earth around,
To the ladder still they come;
Ev'ry spot is holy ground,

God is there and he 's their home.

X.-My Name is Jacob. Chap. xxxii, 27.

1 NAY, I cannot let thee go,
Till a blessing thou bestow;
Do not turn away thy face,
Mine's an urgent pressing case.
Dost thou ask me who I am?
Ah, my Lord, thou know'st my
Yet the question gives a plea
To support my suit with thee.

name

3 Thou didst once a wretch behold,
In rebellion blindly bold,

Scorn thy grace, thy power defy;
That poor rebel, Lord, was I.
4 Once a sinner near despair
Sought thy mercy-seat by pray'r;
Mercy heard and set him free;
Lord, that mercy came to me.
5 Many years have pass'd since then,
Many changes I have seen,

Yet have been upheld till now;
Who could hold me up but thou?

* 2 Cor. vi. 16.

!

6 Thou hast help'd in every need, This emboldens me to plead ; After so much mercy past,

Canst thou let me sink at last? 7 No-I must maintain my hold, 'Tis thy goodness makes me bold; I can no denial take,

When I plead for Jesus' sake.

XI.-Plenty in the Time of Dearth. Chap. xli. 56.

1 My soul once had its plenteous years,
And throve, with peace and comfort fill'd,
Like the fat kine and ripen'd ears,

Which Pharaoh in his dream beheld.
2 With pleasing frames and grace receiv'd,
With means and ordinances fed,
How happy for a while I liv'd,

And little fear'd the want of bread!
3 But famine came, and left no sign
Of all the plenty I had seen;
Like the dry ears and half-starv'd kine,
I then look'd wither'd, faint, and lean.

4 To Joseph the Egyptians went ;

To Jesus I made known my case;
He, when my little stock was spent,
Open'd his magazine of grace.
5 For he the time of dearth foresaw,
And made provisions long before;
That famish'd souls, like me, might draw
Supplies from his unbounded store.

6 Now on his bounty I depend,

And live from fear of dearth secure;
Maintain'd by such a mighty friend,
I cannot want till he is poor.

7 O sinners, hear his gracious call!

His mercy's door stands open wide; He has enough to feed you all,

And none who come shall be deny'd.

XII.-Joseph made known to his Brethren.
Chap. xlv. 3, 4.

1 WHEN Joseph his brethren beheld,
Afflicted and trembling with fear,
His heart with compassion was fill'd;
From weeping he could not forbear.
A while his behaviour was rough,

To bring their past sin to their mind;
But, when they were humbled enough,
He hasted to shew himself kind.
2 How little they thought it was he,
Whom they had ill-treated and sold!
How great their confusion must be,
As soon as his name he had told !
I am Joseph your brother,' he said,
And still to my heart you are dear;
You sold me, and thought I was dead,
But God, for your sake, sent me here.'
3 Though greatly distressed before,

[ocr errors]

When charg'd with purloining the cup,
They now were confounded much more,
Not one of them durst to look up.
'Can Joseph, whom we would have slain,
Forgive us the evil we did?

And will he our households maintain ?
O this is a brother indeed !'

4 Thus dragg'd by my conscience I came,
And laden with guilt to the Lord,
Surrounded with terror and shame,
Unable to utter a word.

« AnteriorContinuar »