Perform'd the office that's appointed me,* I go from earth more happy climes to see; But He remains redemption to complete, To perfect fully the almighty work.
This, my last charge, that you obedient prove, And give your Saviour honor, faith, and love. Eternal happiness is His to give,
Those who accept Him shall the bounty have ; But, who reject Him, them He can consign To lasting torments in a world of pain. Behold the axe laid at the very root+
Of trees that bear not sweet and wholesome fruit, To cut them down as fitting for the fire, And, root and branch to have consumed there!
Lo, this is He, the latchets of whose shoes, I am unworthy to stoop down and loose! I do, indeed, as His sent Presbyter, Baptize with water, thereby to prepare, Fit the repentant thankful to receive God's holy spirit, Whom, is His to give; But He, Redeemer, bears the parting fan, The wheat to separate, make clean His grain, It to His blessed garner mildly quaff, But to eternal flame make fly the chaff. See, now from Galilee to Jordan's streams, To be baptiz'd by me my Saviour comes;
* See John chap. i. ver. 29.
See Matthew and Luke, chap. iii of both their gospels.
Demands the institution's not withheld, As righteousness must always be fulfill'd.- "Lord, I obey!"-The ordinance perform'd, . Up Jordan's banks see, God's lov'd Son ascend; To, on His knees, upon the rocky shore, Thank His great Parent in sincerest prayer! Now view the opening skies!-behold the Dove, In plume celestial, bearing grace and love, Conspicuous resting on His blessed head,
Ordaining Him the High Priest of His God:
Hear from the heav'ns this great command issu'd,
"THIS IS MY SON, WITH WHOM I AM WELL PLEAS'D, "HEAR! HEAR, YOU HIM!"
Bless'd is the heart that's humble, meek, and low,
From which no proud ambitious notions flow ;*
That on no worldly grandeur is intent,
Of luxuries and not repines for want; Such hearts assur'dly are the most dispos'd That My religion be therein repos'd. Bless'd the benevolent, the loving mind, Hereafter it shall exaltation find; That mercy it to others kindly shews, Then to itself in rich abundance flows.
O, blessed ye, refusing to engage In sensual pleasures of a giddy age; * See Matthew chap. v.
Such self-denial here will comfort give, And happiness hereafter shall receive; For souls so faithful, holy, and sincere, May rest convinc'd, they will God's love procure. Bless'd those ill us'd for My religion's sake, They shall at last of heav'nly rest partake ; Their warfare ended, they much joy shall see, And in My kingdom ever live with Me. Be not surpris'd that holy men of old
Were persecuted by a wicked world; For so they will while wickedness reigns here, As evil minds can not the good endure : My precepts and man's sensuality,
Can in no age or climate e'er agree.
Lo! those who will My holy faith embrace, Like salt that's us'd corruption to efface, A corrupt world must strive to purify, Its filthy habits purge and rectify; But, they, themselves, must first of all be clean Ere others they attempt to guide and learn. You, who're ordain'd to propagate My word, Must be sincere in every word and deed, Your light in perfect brilliancy must glow, And not polluted from the fountain flow, Transparently must spread, be clear and free, That ev'ry one its purity may see; For, like a building placed on a hill,
Your words, your works, conspicuous are to all;
If men keep free of acts incurring blame, Then, none can justly charge them with a crime; If malice accusations will display,
Guilt falls on it, and justifi'd are they.
I'm come not holiness to overturn, My institutions menace no such thing; I'm come to serve My God, obey His will, The law, the prophecies, here to fulfil, And he whose practice best obeys the law, I do assure you, is preferr'd by Me: Who do its holy precepts well observe, My gospel are the fittest to receive, I'm come not to destroy the moral part, But to obey and fully perfect it.
If from false teachers you the doctrine hear, 'Tis not your duty God's law to revere, Should their allurements cause you to consent, To wilful violate its pure intent,
You never need expect to reap from Me Preferment in a bless'd eternity.
A murd'rous act no one shall ever do,
Is one commandment of the moral law; But now I add, that no foul enmity Thy neighbour shall experience from thee; For when possessing a malicious heart, Thou no true worship canst to God impart. My institutions are spiritual,
'Tis their intent to purify the soul ;
As evils first the intellects possess, Men there begin God's statutes to transgress. Ill thoughts encourag'd always end in guilt, Then from the heart they must be rooted out; Prevent conception of bad actions there, Few words or deeds will man produce impure. Ah! never nourish lewd propensities, At risk of everlasting happiness,
By nature man's impure, to ill inclin'd, So cannot guard too much a corrupt mind. Who lustful passions suffers to excite To gain enjoyment of his neighbour's wife, Is guilty of adultery's foul stain,
Though actually he can't his purpose gain : Thy lawful wife must ever be thine own Until death separates; she chang'd for none : On no pretext you separated be,
But for the crime of prov'd adultery.
See, this command you scrupulously perform, On no vain pretence use your Maker's name; Swear not by earthly things, they are His own, Nor e'er by heavenly, there is fix'd His throne. Pray, will an oath confer on you the power, To change the colour of a single hair? Nay; then affirm with yea, let no deny, If more be us'd it will be vanity; And should e'er folly otherwise advise, Be sure from such that evil will arise.
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