Shall I repine against my God
That kept me all my days?
Then let my tongue forget to taste
When it forgets to praise.

A SONG OF PRAISE FOR THE MORNING.

My God was with me all this night,
And gave me sweet repose:

My God did watch, even whilst I slept,
Or I had never rose.

How many groan'd and wish'd for sleep,
Until they wish'd for day,

Measuring slow hours with their, quick pains,
Whilst I securely lay!

Whilst I did sleep all dangers slept,
No thieves did me affright;

Those ev'ning wolves, those beasts of prey,
Disturbers of the night.

No raging flames nor storms did rend

The house that I was in;

I heard no dreadful cries without,
No doleful groans within.

What terrors have I scap'd this night,
Which have on others fell!

My body might have slept its last;

My soul have wak'd in hell.

Sweet rest hath gain'd that strength to me,
Which labour did devour:

My body was in weakness sown,

But it is rais'd in power.

Lord, for the mercies of the night,

pay;

My humble thanks I
And unto thee I dedicate

The first-fruits of the day.
Let this day praise thee, O my God,

And so let all my days:

And, O let mine eternal day
Be thine eternal praise.

A SONG OF PRAISE FOR THE EVENING.

Now, from the altar of my heart,

Let incense-flames arise: Assist me, Lord, to offer up

Mine evening sacrifice.

Awake, my love; awake, my joy;

Awake, my heart and tongue! Sleep not when mercies loudly call, Break forth into a song.

Man's life's a book of history;
The leaves thereof are days;
The letters, mercies closely join'd;

The title is thy praise.

This day God was my sun and shield,

My keeper and my guide;

His care was on my frailty shown,
His mercies multiplied.

Minutes and mercies multiplied

Have made up all this day : Minutes came quick; but mercies were More fleet and free than they.

New time, new favour, and new joys
Do a new song require:

Till I should praise thee as I would,
Accept my heart's desire.

A SONG OF PRAISE FOR A GOSPEL MINISTRY.

FAIR are the feet which bring the news

Of gladness unto me:

What happy messengers are these

Which my bless'd eyes do see!
These are the stars which God appoints
For guides unto my way,
To lead me unto Bethlem-town,
Where my dear Saviour lay.

These are my God's ambassadors,
By whom his mind I know;
God's angels in his lower heav'n,
God's trumpeters below.

The trumpet sounds, the dead arise,
Which fell by Adam's hand.
Again the trumpet sounds, and they
Set forth for Canaan's land.

Thy servants speak; but thou, Lord, dost
An hearing ear bestow :

They smite the rock; but thou, my God,
Dost make the waters flow.

They shoot the arrow; but thy hand

Doth drive the arrow home:

They call; but, Lord, thou dost compel,
And then thy guests are come.

Angels that fly, and worms that creep, Are both alike to thee;

If thou mak'st worms thine angels, Lord,
They bring my God to me.

As sons of thunder first they come,
And I the lightning fear;

But then they bring me to my home,
And sons of comfort are.

Lord, thou art in them of a truth,
That I might never stray;
The clouds and pillars march before,
And show me Canaan's way:
I bless my God, who is my guide;
I sing in Sion's ways:
When shall I sing on Sion's hill
Thine everlasting praise?

A SONG OF PRAISE FOR GRACE.

O GOD of grace, who hast restor❜d

Thine image unto me,

Which by my sins was quite defac'd,
What shall I render thee!

Thine image and inscription, Lord,
Upon my heart I bear:

Thine own I render unto thee,

O God, my God most dear.

Myself I owe thee for myself,

Whom thou didst make of earth;

But thou hast made me o'er again,
Thou gav'st a second birth.

Twice born, and twice endu'd with life,
I haste to come to thee,

To pay my vows, my thanks, my heart, With all humility.

O, was I born first from beneath,
And then born from above!
Am I a child of man and God?
O rich and endless love!
When I had broke the tables, Lord,
New tables thou didst hew;
And with thy finger didst engrave
Thy laws on them anew.

Earth is my mother, earth my nurse,
And earth must be my tomb:
Yet God, the God of heaven and earth,

My Father is become.

Hell enter'd me, and into hell

I quickly should have run;

But, O! kind heav'n laid hold on me: Heav'n is in me begun.

This spark will rise into a flame,

This seed into a tree;

My songs shall rise, my praises shall
Loud hallelujahs be.