I

2

3

CCCXXXIX.

W

Long Metre. TATE.

Wisdom of Affliction.

Ifdom repines not, though it meet The bitter mixed with, every fweet; It is not mine or your hard fate,

But the fixed lot of human state.

And fince this portion is affign'd
By the great Father of mankind;
Though yet not fully understood,
We should prefume the method good.
Thus does our God his love express,
To lead us thro' this wildernefs;

Left fluggards we fhould take our stand,
And ftop fhort of the promised land.

Trial the Friend of Man.

N our profperity we cry,

Our mountain is thro' life fecured:
Vain thought! it is thy mercy, Lord,
That it has one rude fhock endured.
2 If thy protection were withdrawn,
Storms would affault on every fide;
And, by thy will no longer awed,
Would thake the bafis of our pride.

3

Affliction is the friend of man, Kindly reminds us that thou art, Recalls our wandering thoughts to thee, It humbles, foftens, mends the heart.

Long

2

3

4

CCCXLI. Long Metre. STEELE.

The Happiness of Divine Truft.

HE Lord attends my humble call; What terrors can my heart appal? While God my guardian friend is near, I know no ill, I own no fear.

This only boon my heart defires,
To this my ardent wish aspires;
Be this thro' life my virtuous care,
Be this thro' life my conftant prayer.
With thee and thine to spend my days,
My life, devoted to thy praife,

In thy own house thy glory trace,
And learn the wonders of thy grace.

When troubles rife, my Saviour God Will shield me from oppreffion's rod: Firm as a rock my hope shall stand, Suftain'd by his almighty hand.

CCCXLII.

C

Common Metre. WATTS.

Equity.

NOME, let us fearch our ways, and try;
Have they been juft and right?

Is the great rule of equity

Our practice and delight?

2 What we would with our neighbour do,
Have we ftill done the fame ?

Withheld from none the debt we owe,
Which all from all do claim?

3 In all we fell, in all we buy,

Have we ne'er known a ftain?
Can we in all, mankind defy
Our juftice to arraign?

4 Have we ne'er envied others' good?
Ne'er envied others' praise?
In no man's path malignant ftood,
Nor ufed detraction's ways?

5 Have we not spurn'd the humble gueft,
Nor turned from fellow woe?

The scorn which wrings the fufferer's breaft
Have we abhorr'd to fhow?

6 Then may we raise our modeft prayer
To God the just and kind;
And hope in every human care
The grace of heaven to find.

7 Religion's path we never trod,
Who equity contemn;

Nor ever are we just to God,
Who are unjust to men.

CCCXLIII.

Common Metre. WATTS,

Virtuous Prudence.

'TIS a lovely thing to fee

A man of prudent heart,

Whose thoughts, and lips, and life agree To act a useful part.

2 When envy, ftrife, and war begin

In little angry fouls;

Mark how the fons of peace come in,

And quench the kindling coals.

3 Their

3

Their minds are humble, mild and meek,
No furious paffions rife;

Nor malice moves their lips to speak,

Nor pride exalts their eyes.

4 Their lives are prudence mixed with love;
Good works employ their day;

They join the ferpent with the dove,
But caft the fting away.

5 Such was the Saviour of mankind,
Such pleasures he purfued;

I

His manners gentle and refined,
His foul divinely good.

i

CCCXLIV. Long Metre. DODDRIDGE.

Charitable Judgment.

LL feeing God, 'tis thine to know

A The fprings whence wrong opinions flow,

To judge, from principles within,
When frailty errs, and when we sin.
Who among men, high Lord of all,
Thy fervant to his bar fhall call?
For modes of faith judge him thy foe,
And doom him to the realms of woe?

3 Who with another's eye can read?
Or worship by another's creed?
Revering thy commands alone,
We humbly form and ufe our own.
4 If wrong, forgive; accept, if right;
While faithful we obey our light,
And without pride, are zealous ftill
To follow, as to learn thy will.

5

When thall our happy eyes behold Thy people fashioned in thy mould? And charity our lineage prove,

Derived from thee, O God of love?

CCCXLV. Common Metre. WATTS.
The Excellence of Love.

WEET love! thy praises claim my strain,
All-bleffing and all-blest!

SWE

Thou faireft of fair virtue's train,
And guardian of the rest!
2 Let pharifees of high efteem
Their faith and zeal declare;
All their religion is a dream,
If love be wanting there.
3 Infpired by love no task we know,
Our duties pleasant prove:

The wicked know and tremble too,
The wicked cannot love.

4 Love fuffers long with patient eye,
Nor is provoked in hafte;
She lets the prefent injury die,
As the forgets the paft.

5

She nor defires nor feeks to know
The fcandal of the time;

Nor looks with pride on those below,
Nor envies thofe who climb.

6 Her own advantage fhe declines
A fellow-heart to prove;
Our Saviour's fair example fhines
In all the forms of love.
Τ

7 'Tis