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Thrice favour'd child! no rude alarm
Shall e'er disturb thy holy rest;
Safe gathered in a Saviour's arm,
And nourished in his tender breast.

Dear Lord! whene'er the rising sigh
Would murmur at thy sov'reign will;
O! teach me then to look on high,
And bid each rebel wish "be still.

JESUS, JUSTICE, AND A SINNER.
From "Quarles' Emblems."

JESUS.

Bring forth the prisoner, Justice.

JUSTICE.

Thy commands

Are done, just Judge: see here the prisoner

stands.

JESUS.

What has the prisoner done? Say what's

the cause

Of this commitment?

JUSTICE.

He has broke the laws Of his too gracious God: conspired the death Of that great Majesty that gave him breath, And heaps transgression, Lord, upon transgression.

JESUS.

How knowest thou this?

JUSTICE.

Even by his own confession:

His sins are crying; and they cry aloud! They cry to Heaven, they cry to Heaven for blood.

JESUS.

What say'st thou, Sinner? Hast thou aught to plead

That sentence should not pass? Hold up thy head,

And show thy brazen, thy rebellious face.

SINNER.

Ah me! I dare not: I'm too vile and base To tread upon the earth, much more to lift My eyes to heaven: I need no other shrift Than my own conscience; Lord, I must confess,

I am no more than dust, and no whit less Than my indictment styles me. Ah! if thou Search too severe, with too severe a brow, What flesh can stand? I have transgressed thy laws;

My merits plead thy vengeance, not my

cause.

JUSTICE.

Lord, shall I strike the blow?

JESUS.

Hold, Justice, stay:

Sinner, speak on: what hast thou more to say?

SINNER.

Vile as I am, and of myself abhorred,
I am thy handy work, thy creature, Lord:
Stamped with thy glorious image, and at first,
Most like to thee, though now a poor accursed
Convicted caitiff, and degenerate creature,
Here trembling at thy bar.

JUSTICE.

Thy fault's the greater;

Lord, shall I strike the blow?

JESUS.

Hold, Justice, stay:

Speak, Sinner: hast thou nothing more to

say?

SINNER.

Nothing but Mercy, Mercy; Lord, my state Is miserably poor and desperate:

I quite renounce myself, the world, and flee From Lord to Jesus; from thyself to thee. JUSTICE.

Cease thy vain hopes; my angry God has vowed,

Abused mercy must have blood for blood.
Shall I yet strike the blow?

JESUS.

Stay, Justice, hold: My bowels yearn, my fainting blood grows cold,

To view the trembling wretch! Methinks,

I spy

My Father's image in the prisoner's eye.

1 cannot hold.

JUSTICE.

JESUS.

Then turn thy thirsty blade Into my side: let there the wound be made: Cheer up, dear soul; redeem thy life with mine;

My soul shall smart, my heart shall bleed for thine.

SINNER.

O groundless deeps! O love beyond degree! The offended dies, to set the offended free.

A. Foster, Printer, Kirkby Lonsdale.

[graphic][merged small][merged small]

No. LXXII. DECEMBER, 1829. VOL. VI.

SAMSON.

66

Here is a picture of Samson, who your little catechism says, was the strongest man that ever lived"-and so indeed he wás, for see what two large gates he carries on his back.

You know the children of Israel, of whom we read so much in the Bible, were God's favoured people; but they ill returned all his kindness and care; for they were always a rebellious people. (Deut. ix. 7.) Now God's usual way of punishing the Israelites was by suffering the heathen nations around to conquer them;, as we read in Judges

M

xiii. 1. "And the children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the Lord; and the Lord delivered them into the hand of the Philistines forty years."

It was during this time that an angel appeared to Samson's mother, and told her she should "bear a son," and that he should "begin to deliver Israel out of the hand of the Philistines."

There is something very beautiful in the prayer which Samson's father Manoah offered up for his child: "Then Manoah intreated the Lord, and said; O my Lord, let the man of God which thou didst send come again unto us, and teach us what we shall do unto the child that shall be born."(Judges xiii. 8.)

It is said, "and the child grew, and the Lord blessed him." (Judges xiii. 24.) This was Samson: and he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years." (Judges xv. 20.)

The Philistines had a large city called Gaza: the word Gaza signifies strong; and this was a strong city, and had large gates placed at the entrance. It is sup posed that Samson had no fears of going into Gaza, although he knew that the city was full of his enemies. This fearlessness of danger might arise from Samson's knowing what a terror the Philistines had of him, or else he might fancy his strength so great, that it was not possible they could hurt him. But the

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