PROSPERITY AND ADVERSITY.
O LORD! how tender is thy love,
Thy justice how august!
Hence, all her fears my soul derives,
There, anchors all her trust.
Thou showr'st the manna from above,
To feed the barren waste;
Or point'st with death the fiery hail,
And famine waits the blast.
Thou bid'st distress forget to groan,
The sick from anguish cease;
In dungeons spread'st thy healing wing,
And softly whisper❜st peace.
Thy vengeance rides the rushing wind,
Or tips the bolt with flame :
Thy goodness breathes in ev'ry breeze,
And warms in ev'ry beam.
Oh! grant, with ever grateful heart
My years resign'd may run :
'Tis thine to give or to resume;
And may thy will be done!
TRUST IN GOD UNDER AFFLICTION.
O GOD! the cov❜nant of thy love
Abides for ever sure;
We in its matchless mercy feel
Our happiness secure.
What though we want the health or ease
Which nature may desire ?
To nobler joys than nature gives,
Thy servants all aspire.
Since thou, the everlasting GOD!
Our father art become;
And in the gospel bid'st us hope
That heav'n shall be our home:
We welcome all thy sov'reign will;
For all that will is love :
And, when we do not know thy law,
We'll trust for light above.
Thy mercy, in the darkest gloom
Shall heavn'ly rays impart;
And, when our eye-lids close in death,
Shall warm our trembling heart.
TAKE Courage now, while GOD is near;
What enemy have we to fear?
How can we want a sure defence,
Whose refuge is omnipotence?
Though thickest dangers crowd our way,
Our GOD can chase our fears away :
Our feeble faith on him relies,
And all those dangers still defies.
Though billows after billows roll,
To overwhelm our sinking soul;
Firm as a rock we still shall stand,
Upheld by GOD's almighty hand.
In life, his presence is our aid;
In death, 'twill guide us through the shade;
Chase all our rising fears away,
And turn our darkness into day.
RESIGNATION IN AFFLICTION.
NAKED, as from the earth we came,
And rose to life at first,
We to the earth return again,
And mingle with the dust.
The dear delights we here enjoy,
And call our own in vain,
Are but short pleasures borrow'd now,
To be repaid again.
'Tis GOD bestows our greatest joys, Or sinks them in the grave;
He gives, and, blessed be his name!
He takes but what he
Peace, then, ye restless passions, peace!
Let each repining sigh
Be silent at his sov'reign will;
And ev'ry murmur die.
PEACE, my complaining, doubting heart!
Ye busy cares, be still!
Adore the just, the sov'reign LORD,
Nor murmur at his will.
Unerring wisdom guides his hand ;
Nor dares my guilty fear,
Amid the sharpest pains I feel,
Pronounce his hand severe.
To soften ev'ry painful stroke,
Indulgent mercy bends,
And unrepining when I plead,
His gracious car attends.
Let me reflect with humble awe
Whene'er my heart complains ;
Compar'd with what my sins deserve,
How gentle are my pains!
Yes, LORD! I own thy sov'reign hand,
Thou just, and wise, and kind!
Be ev'ry anxious thought supprest,
And my whole heart resign'd.
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