PASSAGE OVER JORDAN.
*Found in Mrs. Graham's pocket after her decease.
"'PREPARE you victuals, for within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go in to possess the land which the Lord your God giveth you to possess it. When ye see the ark of the covenant of the Lord your God, and the priests bearing it, then ye shall remove and go after it: that ye may know the way by which ye must go, for ye have not passed this way heretofore.'
"'Sanctify yourselves, for to-morrow the Lord will do wonders among you.'
"'Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan: and it shall come to pass, that as soon as the soles of the feet of the priests that bear the ark of the Lord, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters, that the waters of Jordan shall be cut off from the waters that come down from above; and they shall stand upon a heap.'
"'And it came to pass, that when the people removed from their tents to pass over Jordan, and the priests bearing the ark of the covenant before the people, that as they that bare the ark were come into Jordan, and the feet of the priests were dipped in the
brim of the water, that the waters that came down from above stood and rose up upon a heap; and the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground.'
"'And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the Lord stood; and they are there unto this day.'
"'When your children shall ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean these stones? ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this Jordan on dry land; for the Lord your God dried up the waters from before you until ye were passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up, until we were passed over; that all people of the earth might know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the Lord your God for ever,' Amen. Josh. 1:11; chap. 3, 4.
"Oh, thou Jehovah; Israel's God, and by thy new covenant, my God; thus far hast thou brought me through the wilderness: bearing, chastising, forgiving, restoring. Well hast thou made out thy wilderness name to me: 'The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.' Great have been my provocations, but greater still thy covenant mercy. I have not perished with them that believed not; sore bitten I am, but thou hast fixed mine eyes on the lifted-up Healer, and I am in his hand for further cure. My journey has been long, and my way devious; but my blessed Joshua is still in view. I must be near to
Jordan's flood; I have been preparing victuals from thine own repository of truth. And now, my blessed High-priest and Ark of the covenant, lead on my staggering steps the little further. I have not gone this way heretofore, but thou hast measured these waters while they overflowed all their banks. Thou hast passed through, and made the passage safe for thy people. At thy command the waters stand up upon a heap, and they pass through in thy presence on faith's firm ground. Keep then mine eye upon thee, and I shall fear no evil. And Oh, my, blessed Leader, if it might please thee, I would ask a boon, yet with submission, that thy sensible presence might be with me all the way through; and that thou wouldst bring from my quivering lips a testimony to the glory of thy grace, that my children may know that thou hast pardoned, restored, perfected, dried up the waters of terror, carried me triumphantly through, and put me in possession of the purchased inheritance. Amen.
"'This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am chief.' chief.' 1 Tim. 1:15.
"I have often inquired, What is there within us, or without us, on which a sinner can rest in peace in a dying hour? If it be a holy life, there can be no peace for me — taking the law of God for my standard; backslider is my name; yet I think in this sacred volume I find a hope even for me, the chief of sinners.
"'As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever
believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.' 'He that cometh from heaven is above all, and what he hath seen and heard, that he testifieth.' 'He that receiveth his testimony has set to his seal that God is true.' 'The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand; he that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life.' John 3:14-36. Here is a hope for me; the world is made up of sinners, I am one of them, and though the chief, am not excluded. The Son of man came to save that which was lost, Matt. 18:11; I am of that description. 'The Pharisees said, Why eateth your master with publicans and sinners? Jesus said, The whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.' Matt. 9:11. I am a sinner, and sick. 'I will have mercy, and not sacrifice; for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.' I am a sinner, and need repentance. 'Him hath God exalted with his right hand, to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.' Acts 5:31. 'The Lord is long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.' 2 Pet. 3:9.
"Christ said to the woman of Samaria, a notorious sinner, 'If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that saith to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water. Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing
up into everlasting life.' John 4:10, 14. Yes, my Redeemer, a draught of this water, received in faith from the hand of the Spirit, will give life in death. O pour it into my thirsty soul in that searching hour.
"Jesus said to a mixed multitude of sinners like me, 'Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you; for him hath God the Father sealed,' John 6:27. These sinners said unto him, 'What shall we do that we might work the works of God?' 'That ye believe on Him whom he hath sent. My Father giveth you the true bread from heaven, for the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world: I am the bread of life; he that cometh unto me shall never hunger, and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever. And the bread which I shall give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Jesus said unto them, Except ye eat the flesh, and drink the blood of the Son of man, ye have no life in you: whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.' The Father giveth this bread, the Son giveth this bread; whosoever will, may take of this bread, and the promise with it. Father, I take this bread, I take and believe that I have in thee eternal life, according to thy word. O holy and blessed Comforter, Spirit of the Father and of the Son, whose office it is to take of the things of Christ and show them unto his redeemed, when the bread and the
water that perish can no longer refresh this dying body, apply this living bread and living water to my soul, that life may spring up in the midst of death; and in that trying hour, bear witness with my spirit that I dwell in Christ, and Christ in me, and that I shall never die.
"'In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This spake he of the Spirit, that they who believe on him should receive.' John 7:37. This he proclaimed to a mixed multitude of sinners like myself. Lord, I believe, and am sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. Be it unto me according to thy word: 'I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die. Believest thou this?' John 11:25. I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God, which should come into the world; the promised Messiah; the gift of the Father, the covenant given to the people; the anointed Prophet and King, and consecrated High-priest; who through the eternal Spirit offeredst thyself without spot unto God; who came to do that most perfect will of God, by which we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Christ once for all. Lamb of God, which takest away the sins of the world, on thee I lay my precious never-dying soul; wash me in thy blood, clothe me in thy righteousness; sanctify me, soul, spirit, and body, to thy service. I have no other foundation of hope, nothing within me, nothing without me; my entire dependence
is on thy finished work; into thy hands I commit my spirit.
"Let me hear thy consoling voice, compassionate Saviour. 'Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. I will come again and receive you unto myself, that where I am, there ye may be also,' John 14:1-3. O seal this upon my heart, and it is enough. To be where thou art, is heaven enough to me. To be where thou art, to see thee as thou art, and to be made like thee, the last sinful motion for ever past — no more opposition, no more weariness, listlessness, dryness, deadness; but conformed to my blessed Head, every way capacitated to serve him, and to enjoy him — this is heaven.
"'Jesus said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no man cometh to the Father, but by me.' Blessed Comforter, do thine office; take these things of Christ and show them unto me; lead me in this way, feed me with this truth, and animate me with this life: 'Whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye ask any thing in my name, I will do it.' Blessed Comforter, here also do thine office: I know not what to ask for as I ought; help mine infirmities as thou hast said; suggest the prayer, be in me the spirit of prayer and supplication, and especially in that hour of need, when sickness saps the clay tabernacle, discomposing the spirit, and confusing perhaps the ideas: still, still let my thoughts rise to my God. Oh, let no unhallowed subject get hold of me in that hour, but keep my Saviour's name in my heart, and on my lips.
Is not this according to thy will? watch over it then, and keep the avenues of my soul from every vain idea.
"'If ye love me, keep my commandments, and I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself unto him; and we will come and make our abode with him. The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you: let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.' In that last warfare, when nothing on earth can give peace; when the world recedes, and disappears; when friends must stand aloof and leave me to the combat alone; Oh, blessed and promised Comforter, bring to my remembrance, and impress on my weary spirit these sweet words of my Saviour. But it has often occurred to me, and may in that hour, that though Jesus received sinners, they were ignorant sinners. The Jews understood not the gospel contained in their types and sacrifices; they were unenlightened and unconverted; the Gentiles were totally blind, serving dumb idols; neither had known the gospel, neither had tasted the grace of God, neither were backsliders, like me. I have known the truth, been enlightened, tasted of the
heavenly gift, been made a partaker of the Holy Ghost, tasted of the good word of God, and of the power of the world to come.
"Fifty years ago the Lord convinced me of my sin, my misery, and my total helplessness. I was also, I think, enabled to lay hold on the hope set before me.
"I have, in numerous exercises and acts, accepted of God's gift of Jesus Christ to me a condemned sinner; taking hold of the Scripture words of invitation and promise held out for my acceptance. I have pleaded his own covenant provision, in the substitution of his own Son in my stead, making him to be sin, who knew no sin, that sinners might be made the righteousness of God in him. I put in my claim as a sinner, among the ungodly for whom Christ died. I believed his testimony, and set to my seal that God is true. I rested on this foundation — I yet have no other; I know there is no other. The foundation standeth sure. But Oh, what am I to think of the fruits? I have again and again turned back into the world, grieved the Spirit, crucified the Son of God afresh, and put him to open shame. No wonder I stand alarmed at the apostle's assertion: my conscience testifies that my character is nearly, if not altogether, such as the apostle, by the Holy Spirit, says it is impossible to renew to repentance. Hebrews 6:4, 5. But thou hast renewed to repentance! Thy name is 'the Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin.' Thou wilt by no means clear the guilty; but thou hast provided a substitute, and laid my guilt and guilty person on thine own Son.
"By this gracious name thou wast known to thy backsliding Israel in the wilderness; whose heart, like mine, was not right with God; neither were they steadfast in his covenant; but he, 'being full of compassion, forgave their iniquity, and destroyed them not.' Many a time turned he his anger away, and did not stir up all his wrath. They forgot God their Saviour, who had done great things for them; they transgressed his commandment, and in their heart turned back again to Egypt; they brought upon themselves many afflictions, and many times did he deliver them; they provoked him with their counsel, and were brought low for their iniquity; nevertheless, he heard their cry, and repented according to the multitude of his mercies; while the blood of bulls and of goats typified the great propitiatory sacrifice, by which 'God can be just and justify the ungodly.' By this name was the Lord God, merciful and gracious, known in the pleasant land; and by the same sacrifice, the blood of Christ, which cleanseth from all sin, was typified. Psalms 103, 51.
"The prophets prophesied in his name. 'All we, like sheep, have gone astray, and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all. He was wounded for our transgressions, and bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was laid on him, and by his stripes we are healed.' 'Deliver him from going down to the pit; I have found a ransom.' Even backsliders, among whom I stand chief, have been recalled. 'My people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and have hewn out to themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that can hold no water. Is Israel a servant; is he a home-born slave; wherefore is he spoiled? Hast thou not procured
this to thyself, in that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the way? And now what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? or what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy backslidings shall reprove thee. Know therefore, and see that it is an evil and bitter thing, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God, and that my fear is not in thee, saith the Lord God of hosts. For of old I have broken thy yoke, and burst thy bands; and thou saidst, I will not transgress; when upon every high hill and under every green tree thou wanderest, playing the harlot. Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me? Why gaddest thou about so much to change thy way? thou also shalt be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria. Have I been a barren wilderness, or a land of darkness unto thee? Wherefore say my people, We are lords, and will come no more to thee? Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me, days without number.' Jeremiah 2. 'They say, If a man put away his wife, and she go from him, and become another man's, shall he return to her again? shall not that land be greatly polluted? But thou hast played the harlot with many lovers; yet return again unto me, saith the Lord. Wilt thou not from this time cry unto me. My Father, thou art the guide of my youth?' What can I say to such grace? Thou art infinite in thy mercy to pardon, and in thy power to save. Such has been my character, and such the amazing mercy of my offended God.
Often, often has he pardoned, restored, blessed, and made me happy. But Oh, just is the renewed charge against me. 'For the house of Israel and the house of Judah have dealt very treacherously with me, saith the Lord. They have belied the Lord, and said, It is not he, neither shall evil come upon us.' 'Go and proclaim these words, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the Lord, I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord thy God; and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the Lord. Turn, O backsliding children, for I am married unto you.' Jer. 3. What, O what can I say to such grace? Truly, thy ways are not as our ways, nor thy thoughts as our thoughts. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are thy ways higher than our ways, and thy thoughts than our thoughts. Oh, how is my guilt aggravated by all this grace; and yet thou callest, Return; and thou thyself turnest me. I do, O Lord God, merciful and gracious, I do acknowledge my iniquity; every time I turn back my eyes upon my past life my sins rise in magnitude, heightened by more enlarged views of thy goodness. It is of the Lord's mercies that I am not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
"A voice was heard upon the high places, weeping and supplication of the children of Israel, for they have perverted their ways, and they have forgotten the Lord their God. Yes, thou hast, my gracious God, granted repentance. Thine eye has seen the tears I have shed; thou hast given me a contrite heart. I have looked upon him whom I have pierced, and
been in bitterness as for a first-born. I feel it now, and must feel it while the body of sin exists. But Oh, Lord God, merciful and gracious, the cause is in thyself, that I hear thy voice, and that I answer. 'Return, ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings. Behold, I come unto thee, for thou art the Lord our God. Truly in vain is salvation hoped for from the hills and the multitude of mountains. Truly, in the Lord God is the salvation of Israel. We lie down in our shame, our confusion covereth us: for we have sinned against the Lord our God; we and our fathers, even from our youth; and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord God. Thus saith the Lord God, I will even deal with thee as thou hast done, who hast despised the oath in breaking the covenant. Nevertheless, I will remember my covenant with thee in the days of thy youth; and I will establish unto thee an everlasting covenant, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. That thou mayest remember and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified towards thee, saith the Lord God.' Amen, Lord God, merciful and gracious. Be it so. It is so now — it must, it will be so, until death shall open mine eyes on that mystery: The glory of God arising out of the abounding of sin, through the superabounding of grace, and grace reigning through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord!
"Till then, while sin dwelleth in me, let me enjoy the blessedness of a contrite heart; yea, even shame and confusion, since it is the sign that thou art pacified with me. Thou hast dealt with me, thou hast chastened, and in some instances taken vengeance on my
inventions. But thou art pacified with me, and I dare look again to thy holy temple, to the temple not made with hands, to the minister of the sanctuary, and the true tabernacle which the Lord pitched, and not man; to the blessed High-priest, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself a sacrifice without spot unto God, and by his own blood entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us, and when he had purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high; to the blessed Mediator of the new and better covenant, established on better promises; to the Surety of the new testament, and sealed with his own blood. Oh, I will look unto Jesus, the object, the author, and the finisher of that faith which interests us in himself and the whole of his purchase. He bids me look unto him, and be saved. I do look unto him, and I am saved. Who dares condemn the sinner whom Christ acquits? Who shall lay any thing to his charge? 'It is Christ that died; yea, rather, who is risen again; who is even at the right hand of God; who also maketh intercession for us.'"
ISAIAH 44:22. "RETURN UNTO ME.
A SCRIPTURE PARAPHRASE BY D. B——
"Return to thee, my God? dost thou
The invitation yet renew?
Return to thee! my chiefest joy,
Till sin did all my peace destroy.
"And yet, to hear thy pardoning voice
Must make my trembling heart rejoice;
Though sin is there, thou well dost know
It is my burden and my foe.
"O let me hear those gracious words:
Be still, my soul, they are the Lord's;
That God, who once on thee did shine,
And filled thee with a hope divine.
"'Thy black transgressions, trembling soul —
Thy sins so heinous and so foul,
Which like a cloud obscure thy day,
I've blotted out, I've washed away.
"'Return to me, thou 'rt mine; I own
Thee for my servant, and my son;
I have redeemed thy precious soul,
And none my purchase shall control.'
"I hear, I come, my covenant God:
Thy love's my life, my raiment, food;
Thy favor, through my Jesus given,
Is to my soul the bliss of heaven.
"I come, my Jesus; hold me fast,
Till, life and Jordan's journey past,
My faith to vision yield her place,
And I shall see thy unveiled face.
"Then, with the loudest of the throng,
Of sins forgiven I'll raise the song —
Of pardon bought with Jesus' blood,
Sinners made kings and priests to God."
PSALM 103. FIFTY YEARS AGO.
"Oh thou, my soul, bless God the Lord,
And all that in me is
Be stirréd up, his holy name
To magnify and bless," etc.
"'I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me?
He that hath seen me, hath seen the Father. Howbeit, when the Spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth. He shall glorify me; for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it unto you. All things that the Father hath are mine; therefore said I, that he shall take of mine, and shall show it unto you.' John 14; 16:14. 'Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me and I in thee, that they may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them, that they may be one, even as we are one, I in them and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me; for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world.' John 17:20, etc. 'All are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's.' 1 Cor. 3:22. 'Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory.' Col. 3:3. 'For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.' Col. 2:9. 'There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling: one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ.' Eph. 4:4.
"'I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me,' Gal. 2: 20.
"'Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world! And looking upon Jesus as he walked, John saith, Behold the Lamb of God!' John 1:29, 36.
"'Therefore let no man glory in men: for all things are yours; whether Paul, or Apollos, or Cephas, or the world, or life, or death, or things present, or things to come; all are yours; and ye are Christ's; and Christ is God's,' 1 Cor. 3:21.
"'It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence; he putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope; he giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.' Lam. 3:27.
"'That thou mayest remember, and be confounded, and never open thy mouth any more, because of thy shame, when I am pacified toward thee for all that thou hast done, saith the Lord.' Ezek. 16:63. Amen.
"'A day of darkness and of gloominess, a day of clouds and of thick darkness, as the morning spread upon the mountains. Therefore, also now, saith the Lord, turn ye unto me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning. Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God; for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil,' Joel 2:2, 12.
"'I will visit upon her the days of Baalim: she went after her lovers, and forgat me, saith the Lord.
I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will betroth thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in loving-kindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the Lord.' Hosea 2:13.
"'O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself; but in me is thy help.' 'Return unto the Lord thy God, for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity. Take with you words, and turn to the Lord; say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips. Ashur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy.' Hosea 13:14.
"'I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for mine anger is turned away from him. I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall grow as the lily, and cast forth his roots as Lebanon. Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him. I am like a green fir-tree; from me is thy fruit found.' Hosea 14.
"'O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, because we have sinned against thee. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him.' Daniel 9.
"'He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs in his arms, and carry them in his bosom; and shall gently lead those that are with young. Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God? Hast thou not
known, hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall; but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.' Isa. 40:11, etc.
"'Who gave Jacob for a spoil, and Israel to the robbers? Did not the Lord, he against whom we have sinned? For they would not walk in his ways, neither were they obedient to his law. Therefore he hath poured upon him the fury of his anger, and the strength of battle: and it hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; and it burned him, yet he laid it not to heart. But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not; for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour. Since thou wast precious in my sight thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee.' Isa. 42:24, etc.
"Yes, my God, I remember and am confounded; amazed at my ingratitude, amazed at thy grace. I am thy witness, just so has been thy way with me. What can I say? Thou hast wrought with me for thy name's sake. I am dumb before thee; Oh, I am vile — and
yet I am thine! Thou hast redeemed me; it is thy good pleasure to save me. Glorify thy name. 'I have blotted out, as a thick cloud, thy transgressions, and as a cloud, thy sins: return unto me; for I have redeemed thee. Sing, O ye heavens; for the Lord hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest and every green tree therein; for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel.'
"'For if by one man's offence, death reigned by one; much more they which receive abundance of grace, and of the gift of righteousness, shall reign in life by one, Christ Jesus. Where sin abounded, grace did much more abound: that as sin hath reigned unto death, so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life, by Jesus Christ our Lord.'
"'Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely shall one say, In the Lord have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the Lord shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.' 'Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel. Even to your old age, I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you.' Isa. 45:22; 46:3.
"'Thus saith the Lord; I, even I, will both search my sheep, and seek them out. As a shepherd seeketh out his flock in the day that he is among his sheep
that are scattered; so will I seek out my sheep, and will deliver them out of all places where they have been scattered in the cloudy and dark day. And I will bring them out from the people, and gather them to their own land, and feed them upon the mountains of Israel by the rivers, and in all the inhabited places of the country. And I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the high mountains of Israel shall their fold be: there shall they lie in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel. I will feed my flock, and I will cause them to lie down, saith the Lord God. I will seek that which was lost, and bring again that which was driven away, and will bind up that which was broken, and will strengthen that which was sick.' Ezek. 34:11. He hath done it, I am his witness: I, the poor wanderer, the happy subject of this grace. 'And I will raise up for them a plant of renown,' my Jesus, 'and they shall be no 'more consumed with hunger in the land, neither bear the shame of the heathen any more. Thus shall they know that I the Lord their God am with them, and that they, even the house of Israel, are my people, saith the Lord God. And ye my flock, the flock of my pasture, are men, and I am your God, saith the Lord God.' Ezek. 34:29. 'As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth, even for ever.' Psa. 125:2.
"'When the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings. And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries; according to their ways and according to their doings I judged them. And when they entered unto the heathen,
whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the Lord, and are gone forth out of his land. But I had pity for my holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went. Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord God: I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for my holy name's sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went. And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the Lord, saith the Lord God, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes. For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. I will also save you from all your uncleannesses: and I will call for the corn, and will increase it, and lay no famine upon you. And I will multiply the fruit of the tree, and the increase of the field, that ye shall receive no more reproach of famine among the heathen. Then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight for your iniquities, and for your abominations. Not for your sakes do I this, saith the
Lord God, be it known unto you: be ashamed and confounded for your own ways, O house of Israel.' Ezek. 36:17, etc."
EZEKIEL 16:63; 36:32.
A SCRIPTURE PARAPHRASE BY D. B——.
"Not for your sakes; for, born unclean,
The slaves of Satan and of sin.
I saw no comeliness in you,
To bid my grace such wonders do.
"Not for your sakes; for when my love
And grace should your affections move,
The working of an evil heart
Still makes you from my truth depart.
"Not for your sakes; for, bold and blind,
To lust and avarice inclined,
Each shadowy idol you obey,
Disowning my paternal sway.
"Not for your sakes; with heaven in view,
For sin you sell your souls anew;
You barter, for a gilded bait,
The joys of an eternal state.
"Not for your sakes; for though you eyed
The cross of Christ on which he died,
You scorn his love for worldly ends,
And wound him in the house of friends.
"Not for your sakes; with Jesus' name,
You put him to an open shame;
And by your sins, consent again
To have the dear Redeemer slain.
"Not for your sakes; 'tis my free grace
That grants you pardon, life, and peace;
And works a change on all your frame,
And binds you to adore my name.
"Not for my sake! — I hail the sound;
Let power of grace my pride confound:
Salvation is a work divine;
Confusion and the shame be mine.
"Not for my sake! — did I but trust
To weakness, vanity, and dust,
I ne'er could reach the heavenly prize,
Nor hope a mansion in the skies.
"Not for my sake! — yet save and call;
Let Jesus be my all in all:
When glory comes I'll self disown,
And grace, free grace shall wear the crown."
"'Praise ye the Lord. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: for his mercy endureth for ever.' Psalm 106:1.
"'Remember me, O Lord, with the favor that thou bearest unto thy people: O visit me with thy salvation, that I may see the good of thy chosen, that I may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that I may glory with thine inheritance.' Psalm 106:4, 5.
"'At that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world; but now, in Christ Jesus, ye who sometime were far off, are made nigh by the blood of Christ.' Eph. 2:12, 13.
"'Lord, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.' Psalm 10:17.
"'Thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness,
to humble thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no. And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live. Thy raiment waxed not old upon thee, neither did thy foot swell, these forty years.'
"'Thou shalt also consider in thy heart, that as a man chasteneth his son, so the Lord thy God chasteneth thee. Therefore thou shalt keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, to walk in his ways, and to fear him.' Deut. 8:2-6.
"'Thou, God, seest me.' Gen. 16:13.
"'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ; according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: having predestinated us to the adoption of sons by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the Beloved; in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace; wherein he hath abounded towards us in all wisdom and prudence; having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself: that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in
heaven, and which are on earth; even in him, in whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will: that we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.' Eph. 1:3-12.
"'God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved,) and hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus; that in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his grace, in his kindness towards us, through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast; for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them. Now therefore ye,' Gentiles, 'are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow-citizens with the saints, and of the household of God; and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord: in whom ye also are builded together for a habitation of God through the Spirit.' Eph. 2:4, etc. 'I,' Paul, 'bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that he would grant you according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, may
be able to comprehend with all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God. Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.' Eph. 3:14-21.
"'I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all. But unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gift of Christ. That we may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: from whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth' — ministers and people in the use of all appointed means — 'according to the effectual working in the measure of every part, maketh increase of the body to the edifying of itself in love.' Eph. 4:1, etc.
"'I am the vine, ye are the branches; he that abideth in me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing.' John 15:5, 7.
"'And Moses said, The Lord heareth your murmurings that ye murmur against him; and what are we? your murmurings are not against us, but against the
Lord. And Moses said, This is the bread which the Lord hath given you to eat. And the children of Israel did eat manna until they came unto the borders of the land of Canaan.' Exodus 16.
"'I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.' John 6:51, etc.
"'For of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.' 1 Cor. 1:30.
"'Seeing then that we have a great High-priest, who is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not a High-priest who cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.' Heb. 4:14. 'For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord: I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: and they shall not teach every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that
which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away.' Heb. 8:10-13.
"'This is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God, hath not life.' 1 John 5:11, 12. Thanks be to God for his unspeakable gift.' 2 Cor. 9:15.
"'Truly my soul waiteth upon God; from him cometh my salvation. He is my defence; I shall not be greatly moved. My soul, wait thou only upon God, for my expectation is from him: he only is my rock and my salvation; he is my defence; I shall not be moved. In God is my salvation and my glory: the rock of my strength, and my refuge is in God.' Psa. 62:1-7."
REST.
"'Thus the heavens and the earth were finished: and on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made, and he rested the seventh day from all his work which he had made; and God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it, because that in it he had rested from all his work that he had created and made.' Genesis 2:1-3.
"'And Moses said, To-morrow is the rest of the holy Sabbath unto the Lord. So the people rested on the seventh day.' Exodus 16:23, 30.
"'And the women followed after, and beheld the sepulchre, and how his body was laid. And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments; and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment.' Luke 23:55, 56.
"Christ rested in the tomb of Joseph the last Sabbath under the law; but the evening and the morning were the first day. On that morning he closed his work of humiliation, manifested his victory over death — the curse denounced — by rising from the tomb, and rested on the first day of the week from all his humiliation work; his death, burial, and rest in the grave on the seventh day being the last part of that work."
__________
"My God, thy service well demands
The remnant of my days:
Why is this feeble life preserved,
But to repeat thy praise?
"Thine arms of everlasting love
Do this weak frame sustain,
While life is hovering o'er the grave,
And nature sinks with pain.
"Thou, when the pains of death assail,
Wilt chase the fears of hell,
And teach my pale and quivering lips
Thy matchless grace to tell.
"Calmly I'll lay my fainting head
On thy dear faithful breast:
Pleased to obey my Father's call
To his eternal rest.
"Into thy hands, my Saviour God,
Do I my soul resign,
In firm dependence on that truth
That made salvation mine."
__________
THE INWARD WARFARE.
"Strange and mysterious is my life;
What opposites I feel within:
A stable peace, a constant strife,
The rule of grace, the power of sin.
Too often I am captive led,
Yet daily triumph in my Head.
"I prize the privilege of prayer;
But O, what backwardness to pray:
Though on the Lord I cast my care,
I feel its burden every day.
I seek his will in all I do,
Yet find my own is working too.
"I call the promises mine own,
And prize them more than mines of gold;
Yet, though their sweetness I have known,
They leave me unimpressed and cold.
One hour upon the truth I feed;
The next, I know not what I read.
"I love the holy day of rest,
When Jesus meets his gathered saints:
Sweet day, of all the week the best,
For its return my spirit pants;
Yet often, through my unbelief,
It proves a day of guilt and grief.
"While on my Saviour I rely,
I know my foes shall lose their aim;
And therefore dare their power defy,
Assured of conquest through his name;
But soon my confidence is slain,
And all my fears return again.
"Thus different powers within me strive,
And death and sin by turns prevail.
I grieve, rejoice, decline, revive,
And victory hangs in doubtful scale;
But Jesus has his promise passed,
That grace shall overcome at last."
__________
FLESH AND SPIRIT.
"What different powers of grace and sin
Attend our mortal state:
I hate the thoughts that work within,
Yet do the works I hate.
"Now I complain, and groan, and die,
While sin and Satan reign;
Now raise my songs of triumph high,
For grace prevails again.
"So darkness struggles with the light,
Till perfect day arise;
Water and fire maintain the fight,
Until the weaker dies.
"Thus will the flesh and spirit strive,
And vex and break my peace;
But I shall quit this mortal life,
And sin for ever cease."
__________
"Join all the names of love and power
That ever men or angels bore;
All are too mean to speak his worth,
Or set Emmanuel's glory forth.
"But O, what condescending ways
He takes to teach his heavenly grace:
Mine eyes, with joy and wonder, see
What forms of love he bears for me.
"The Angel of the covenant stands,
With his commission in his hands;
Sent from his Father's milder throne,
To make his great salvation known.
"Great Prophet, let me bless thy name;
By thee the joyful tidings came,
Of wrath appeased and sins forgiven,
Of hell subdued, and peace with heaven.
"My bright Example, and my Guide,
I would be walking by thy side;
Oh, let me never run astray,
Nor follow the forbidden way.
"I love my Shepherd, he shall keep
My wandering soul among his sheep;
He feeds his flock, he tells their names,
And in his bosom bears the lambs.
"My Surety undertakes my cause,
Answering his Father's broken laws:
Behold my soul at freedom set,
My Surety paid the dreadful debt.
"Jesus, my great High-priest, has died,
I seek no sacrifice beside;
His blood did once for all atone,
And now it pleads before the throne.
"My Advocate appears on high,
The Father lays his thunders by;
Not all that earth or hell can say,
Shall turn my Father's heart away.
"My Lord, my Conqueror, and my King,
Thy sceptre and thy sword I sing;
Thine is the victory, and I sit
A joyful subject at thy feet.
"Aspire, my soul, to glorious deeds,
The Captain of salvation leads;
March on, nor fear to win the day,
Though death and hell obstruct thy way.
"Though death and hell, and powers unknown,
Put all their forms of mischief on,
I shall be safe, for Christ displays
Salvation in more sovereign ways."
__________
"Be this my one great business here,
With holy trembling, holy fear,
To make my calling sure;
Thine utmost counsel to fulfil,
And suffer all thy righteous will,
And to the end endure.
"Then, Saviour, then my soul receive,
Transported from this vale, to live,
And reign with thee above:
Where faith is sweetly lost in sight,
And hope in full supreme delight,
And everlasting love."
__________
"Hush, my distrustful heart,
And cease to flow, my tears;
For greater, Lord, thou art
Than all my doubts and fears.
Did Jesus once upon me shine?
Then Jesus is for ever mine.
"Unchangeable his will,
Whatever be my frame:
My Saviour's heart is still
Eternally the same.
My soul through many changes goes,
His love no variation knows.
"Thou, Lord, wilt carry on,
And perfectly perform,
The work thou hast begun
In me, vile sinful worm.
Mine own self-will brings grief and woe,
But Jesus will not let me go.
"The bowels of thy grace,
At first did freely move;
And still I see thy face,
And feel that God is love.
Into thine arms my soul I cast;
By sovereign mercy saved at last.
"The Priest and Ark now move
To Jordan's gulfy strand;
Come now in covenant love,
Take firm thy promised stand:
Only to me thy countenance show,
I ask no more the Jordan through."
__________
"Come, let us join our cheerful songs
With angels round the throne;
Ten thousand thousand are their tongues,
But all their joys are one.
"Worthy the Lamb that died, they cry,
To be exalted thus;
Worthy the Lamb, our souls reply,
For he was slain for us.
"Jesus is worthy to receive
Honor and power divine;
And blessings, more than we can give,
Be, Lord, for ever thine.
"The whole creation join in one,
To bless the sacred name
Of Him that sits upon the throne,
And to adore the Lamb."
__________
"Give me the wings of faith, to rise
Within the veil, and see
The saints above, how great their joys,
How bright their glories be.
"Once they were mourners here below,
And wet their couch with tears;
They wrestled hard, as we do now,
With sins, and doubts, and fears.
"I ask them whence their victory came:
They, with united breath,
Ascribe their conquest to the Lamb,
Their triumph to his death.
"They marked the footsteps that he trod;
His zeal inspired their breast;
And following their incarnate God,
Possessed the promised rest.
"Our glorious Leader claims our praise,
For his own pattern given;
While the long cloud of witnesses
Show the same path to heaven."
__________
"With heart and hands, and lifted eyes,
I'll praise thee while I've life and breath;
And, while my loosened spirit flies,
I'll gasp thy praise in very death.
"Faith fain would say, in cheerful mood,
Thy name be glorified,
By leading through the swelling flood,
Or through the channel dried.
"If grace in time of need I have,
And strength as is my day,
I'll triumph through the foaming wave,
As through the side-walled way."
__________
"I'll praise my Maker while I've breath;
And when my voice is lost in death,
Praise shall employ my noblest powers;
My days of praise shall ne'er be past,
"While life and thought and being last.
And immortality endures."
__________
"My God, indulge my humble claim;
Thou art my hope, my joy, my rest;
The glories that compose thy name
Stand all engaged to make me blest.
"Thou great and good, thou just and wise,
Thou art my Father and my God;
And I am thine by sacred ties,
Thy child, thy servant, bought with blood.
"With heart, and eyes, and lifted hands,
For thee I long, to thee I look;
As travellers in thirsty lands
Pant for the cooling water-brook."
__________
"Jesus, the weary wanderer's rest,
Give grace thy sovereign will to bear;
With steadfast patience arm my breast,
With holy love and lowly fear.
"Thankful, I take the cup from thee,
Prepared and mingled by thy skill;
Though bitter to the taste it be,
It has a sovereign power to heal.
"Be thou a Rock of ages nigh;
My savéd soul on thee alone
Shall safely rest, and fears shall fly,
As clouds before the mid-day sun.
"Speak to my troubled conscience peace;
Say to my trembling heart, Be still;
My power thy strength and fortress is.
Amen, to all thy sovereign will.
"O Death, where is thy sting? where now
Thy boasted victory, O grave?
Who shall contend with God, or who
Condemn whom he delights to save."
__________
"How sweet the name of Jesus sounds
In a believer's ear:
It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.
"It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast;
'Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary, rest.
"Dear Name, the Rock on which I build,
My Shield and Hiding-place;
My never failing Treasury, filled
With boundless stores of grace:
"Jesus, my Shepherd, Husband, Friend,
My Prophet, Priest, and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring.
"Weak is the effort of my heart,
And cold my warmest thought;
But when I see thee as thou art,
I'll praise thee as I ought.
"Till then I would thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath;
And may the music of thy name
Refresh my soul in death."
__________
"Amazing grace! how sweet the sound
That saved a wretch like me:
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.
"'Twas grace that taught my heart to fear,
And grace my fears relieved:
How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed.
"Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
Already I have come:
'Twas grace that brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.
"Yes, when this heart and flesh shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess, within the veil,
A life of joy and peace."
A swelling Jordan rolls between —
A timid pilgrim, I;
But grace shall order all the scene,
And Christ himself be nigh.
He shall roll back the foaming wave,
Command the channel dry;
No sting has death, no victory grave?
With Jesus in my eye.
"Come, thou Fount of every blessing,
Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of endless praise.
"Teach me some melodious sonnet,
Sung by flaming tongues above;
Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it —
Mount of God's unchanging love.
"Here I raise my Ebenezer,
Hither by thy help I'm come,
And I hope, by thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.
"Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold of God;
He, to save my soul from danger,
Interposed with precious blood.
"Oh, to grace how great a debtor
Daily I'm constrained to be:
Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter,
Bind my wandering heart to thee.
"Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it,
Prone to leave the God I love;
Here's my heart, O take and seal it,
Seal it from thy courts above."
__________
Eternal God, I bless thy name,
The same thy power, thy grace the same;
The tokens of thy friendly care
Open and crown and close the year.
I mid ten thousand dangers stand,
Supported by thy gracious hand;
And see, when I survey thy ways,
Ten thousand monuments of grace.
Thus far thine arm has led me on;
Thus far I make thy mercy known;
And while I tread this desert land,
New mercies shall new songs demand.
My grateful soul on Jordan's shore
Shall raise one sacred pillar more;
Then bear, in thy bright courts above,
Inscriptions of immortal love.
__________
No works to rest upon have I,
No boast of moral dignity;
If e'er I lisp a song of praise,
Grace is the note my soul shall raise.
'Twas grace that quickened me when dead;
'Twas grace my soul to Jesus led,
Grace brings me pardon for my sin,
And grace subdues my lusts within.
'Tis grace that sweetens every cross,
'Tis grace supports in every loss;
In Jesus' grace my soul is strong,
Grace is my hope, and Christ my song.
Thus, 'tis alone of grace I boast,
And 'tis alone in grace I trust:
For all that's past, grace is my theme,
For what's to come 'tis still the same.
And when I come to Jordan's shore,
I'll raise one Ebenezer more;
Th' ark of the covenant in my view,
I'll sing of grace the Jordan through.
__________
"Is this the kind return,
Are these the thanks we owe —
Thus to abuse eternal love,
Whence all our blessings flow?
"To what a stubborn frame
Has sin reduced our mind!
What strange rebellious wretches we,
And God as strangely kind!
"Turn, turn us, mighty God!
And mould our souls afresh;
Break, sovereign grace, these hearts of stone,
And give us hearts of flesh.
"Let past ingratitude
Provoke our weeping eyes;
And hourly, as new mercies fall,
Let hourly thanks arise."
__________
"O the sweet wonders of that cross,
Where Christ my Saviour loved and died;
Her noblest life my spirit draws,
From his dear wounds and bleeding side.
"I would for ever speak his name,
In sounds to mortal ears unknown;
With angels join to praise the Lamb,
And worship at his Father's throne."
__________
"Jesus, the vision of thy face
Hath overpowering charms;
Scarce shall I feel death's cold embrace,
If Christ be in my arms."
__________
"O glorious hour! O blest abode!
I shall be near and like my God;
And flesh and sin no more control
The sacred pleasures of my soul."
"When in death's gloomy vale I tread,
With joy e'en there I'll lift my head;
From fear and dread he'll keep me free,
His rod and staff shall comfort me."
__________
"Jesus, to thy dear faithful hand
My naked soul I trust;
My flesh but waits for thy command,
To drop into the dust."
__________
"Before we quite forsake our clay,
Or leave this dark abode,
The wings of love bear us away
To see our smiling God."
__________
"O make it true, my Saviour God;
Raise me all fears above;
And when I think on Jesus' blood,
Let my last pulse beat love."
__________
"O for an overcoming faith,
To cheer my dying hours;
To triumph o'er the monster Death,
And all his frightful powers.
"Joyful, with all the strength I have,
My quivering lips should sing,
'Where is thy boasted victory, Grave,
And where the monster's sting?'
"If sin be pardoned, I'm secure;
Death has no sting beside;
The law gives sin its damning power,
But Christ, my Ransom, died.
"Now to the God of victory,
Immortal thanks be paid;
Who makes us conquerors while we die,
Through Christ, our living Head."
__________
All mortal vanities be gone,
Nor tempt mine eyes, nor tire mine ears;
Behold, amidst the eternal throne,
A vision of the Lamb appears.
All the assembling saints around,
Fall worshipping before the Lamb;
And in new songs of gospel sound,
Address their honors to his name.
Our voices join the heavenly strain,
And with transporting pleasure sing,
Worthy the Lamb that once was slain,
Our blessed Prophet, Priest, and King.
Thou hast redeemed our souls from hell,
With thine invaluable blood;
And wretches, that did once rebel,
Are now made fav'rites of their God.
Worthy for ever is the Lord,
That died for treasons not his own,
By every tongue to be adored,
And dwell upon his Father's throne.
__________
THE NEW TESTAMENT IN THE BLOOD OF CHRIST.
"The promise of my Father's love,
Shall stand for ever good;
He said, and gave his soul to death,
And sealed it with his blood.
"To this dear covenant of thy word,
I set my worthless name;
I seal the engagement of the Lord,
And make my humble claim.
"The light, and strength, and pardoning grace,
And glory shall be mine;
My life and soul, my heart and flesh,
And all my powers are thine.
"I call that legacy mine own,
Which Jesus did bequeath;
'Twas purchased with a dying groan,
And ratified in death.
"Sweet is the memory of His name,
Who blessed us in his will:
And to his testament of love
Made his own life the seal.
"To him that washed me in his blood,
Be everlasting praise;
Salvation, honor, glory, power,
Eternal as his days."
__________
"Blest be the Father, and his love,
To which celestial source we owe
Rivers of endless joys above,
And rills of comfort here below.
"Glory to the great Son of God;
From his dear wounded body rolls
A precious stream of vital blood,
Pardon and life for dying souls.
"We give thee, sacred Spirit, praise,
Who in our hearts of sin and woe
Mak'st living springs of grace arise,
And into boundless glory flow.
"Thus God the Father, God the Son,
And God the Spirit, we adore;
The sea of life and love unknown,
Without a bottom or a shore."
__________
"Let me but hear my Saviour say,
Strength shall be equal to thy day;
Then I rejoice in deep distress,
Leaning on all-sufficient grace.
"I glory in infirmity,
That Christ's own power may rest on me:
When I am weak, then am I strong;
Grace is my shield, and Christ my song.
"I can do all things, or can bear
All sufferings, if my Lord be there;
Sweet pleasures mingle with the pains,
While his strong hand my head sustains.
"Faith has an overcoming power,
It triumphs in the dying hour;
Christ is our life, our joy, our hope,
Nor can we sink with such a prop."
__________
"Jesus, I love thy charming name,
'Tis music to mine ear;
Fain would I sound it out so loud
That heaven and earth should hear.
"Yes, thou art precious to my soul,
My transport and my trust;
My Saviour, Shepherd, Husband, Friend,
No other good I boast.
"All my capacious powers can wish,
In thee doth richly meet;
Not to mine eye is light so dear,
Nor friendship half so sweet.
"Thy grace still dwells upon my heart,
And sheds its fragrance there:
The noblest balm of all my wounds,
The cordial of my care.
"I'll speak the honors of thy name
With my last faltering breath;
Then speechless clasp thee in my arms,
The antidote of death."
__________
"Grace, 'tis a charming sound,
Harmonious to my ear;
Heaven with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear.
"Grace first contrived the way
To save rebellious man;
And all the steps that grace display,
Which drew the wondrous plan.
"Grace taught my wandering feet
To tread the heavenly road;
And new supplies each hour I meet,
While pressing on to God.
"Grace all the work shall crown,
Through everlasting days;
It lays in heaven the topmost stone,
And well deserves the praise."
__________
"My God, the spring of all my joys,
The life of my delights,
The glory of my brightest days,
And comfort of my nights:
"In darkest shades, if thou appear,
My dawning is begun;
Thou art my soul's sweet Morning-star,
And thou my rising Sun.
"The opening heavens around me shine
With beams of sacred bliss,
While Jesus shows his heart is mine,
And whispers I am his.
"My soul would leave this heavy clay,
At that transporting word;
Run up with joy the shining way,
T' embrace my dearest Lord.
"Fearless of hell and ghastly death,
I'd break through every foe;
The wings of love, and arms of faith,
Should bear me conqueror through."
__________
"Backward with humble shame I look,
On my original;
How is my nature dashed and broke,
In our first father's fall.
"To all that's good averse and blind,
But prone to all that's ill;
What dreadful darkness veils my mind,
How obstinate my will.
"Conceived in sin: O wretched state;
Before I drew my breath,
My first young pulse began to beat
Iniquity and death.
"How strong in my degenerate blood
The old corruption reigns;
And mingling with the crooked flood,
Wanders through all my veins.
"Yet, mighty God, thy wondrous love
Can make my nature clean;
While Christ and grace prevail above
The tempter, death, and sin.
"The second Adam shall restore
The ruins of the first;
Hosanna to that sovereign power,
That new-creates our dust."
__________
JORDAN.*
Joshua 1:11, chapter 3; Psalm 23:4; 73:24.
*The three following effusions by Mrs. Graham, constituting a part of her "Provision," were found in a separate paper after her funeral sermon was preached. The hymn of Newton which she had annexed to the first, was selected by Dr. Mason and sung on that occasion; and the circumstances described at the beginning of the third, page 434, occurred at her death, as narrated in the memoir, though the existence of this paper was then unknown.
__________
*"Let us love, and sing, and wonder,
Let us praise the Saviour's name;
He has hushed the law's loud thunder,
He has quenched mount Sinai's flame;
He has washed us in his blood,
He has brought us nigh to God.
*Olney Hymns, 82, book 3.
__________
HEAVEN.
To be where thou my Saviour art,
To see, and be conformed to thee,
Perfect in holiness this heart;
This; this is heaven itself to me.
To see thee in thy glory, Lord,
Thy Father's glory and thy own;
The eternal, the incarnate Word,
Adored upon his Father's throne.
To see as seen, to know as known,
My Saviour in my flesh and blood;
To be made like him, with him one,
I in him, and he in God.
The holy, holy, holy One,
Who was, and is, and is to come,
The earth his footstool, heaven his throne,
The church his bride, he her Bridegroom.
Angels and elders, earth and heaven,
Are summoned to unseal the book;
But silent all, no answer given,
None worthy found therein to look.
But Judah's Lion, David's Son,
And David's Root, the great I AM,
Appears upon his Father's throne,
As slain for sacrifice, the Lamb.
He takes the book he can unseal;
He worthy is, and he has power
God's secret counsels to reveal,
And to fulfil each in its hour.
The heavenly host united fall
In humble worship at his feet;
One glorious theme inspires them all,
The joy is full, the concert sweet.
New odors to the throne ascend,
In accents new their praises soar;
Each finds in each a glowing friend,
And all the God of all adore.
And shall I join that prostrate throng,
In love's ecstatic heaven-taught lays,
With powers expanded, that new song
Hymn to the Lamb's exalted praise?
"Worthy art thou to take the book,
And loose the seals, and read therein,
God's holy mysteries to unlock;
Worthy art thou, for thou wast slain.
"Thou hast redeemed us with thy blood,
From every nation of the earth;
And made us kings and priests to God,
And sharers of a heavenly birth."
Myriads of angels stand around,
Uniting in the loud acclaim;
And fill the temple with the sound
Of our Redeemer's gentle name.
"Worthy the Lamb that once was slain,
A sacrifice for every sin,
All power and glory to obtain,
And universal empire win."
Heaven, earth, and sea shall swell the tone
Of fervent universal praise;
And grateful joy around the throne,
Its voice from age to age shall raise.
In all these myriads, is there one
Who had on earth so much forgiven?
And shall I reach their highest tone
Of love to Jesus? THIS IS HEAVEN.
And when this breast to heave shall cease,
And heart and lungs are hushed to peace,
Some friendly hand the eyelids close,
And leave the clay to short repose.
Still on your knees be thanks expressed,
According as the Lord has blessed;
This tongue, then mute, can now foretell
Jesus shall have done all things well.
Should the great Sovereign will it so,
That I in secret with him go,
'T will be enough that He stands by,
He all my wants will well supply.
Upon his dear, his faithful breast,
My heart and head shall safely rest;
The fluttering pulse and bursting sigh,
He'll soothe with, "Fear not; it is I."
Into his hands my spirit I'll breathe,
Inhaling life from him in death;
Though none should see, faith can foretell
My Jesus shall do all things well.
Though he deny my half-formed prayer,
Well may I cast on Him my care;
All things are mine, or life or death;
In praise of Him I'll spend my breath.
Be this my only wish beside,
That God's great name be glorified,
What me concerns faith can foretell,
My Jesus shall do all things well.
__________
WIDOWHOOD.
WRITTEN IN THE ISLAND OF ANTIGUA
SHORTLY AFTER DR. GRAHAM'S DEATH.
PART I.
Hail; thou state of widowhood,
State of those that mourn to God;
Who, from earthly comforts torn,
Only live to pray and mourn.
Meanest of the number, I
For my dear companion sigh;
Patiently my loss deplore,
Mourn for one that mourns no more.
Me my consort hath outrun,
Out of sight he quite has gone;
He his course has finished here,
First come to the sepulchre.
Following on with earnest haste,
Till my mourning days are past,
I my partner's steps pursue,
I shall soon be happy too;
Find the ease for which I pant,
Gain the only good I want;
Quietly lay down my head,
Sink into my earthy bed.
There my flesh shall rest in hope,
Till the quickened dust mount up,
When to glorious life I'll rise,
To meet my husband in the skies.
PART II.
Happy they who trust in Jesus,
Jesus turns our loss to gain;
Still his balmy mercies ease us,
Sweeten all our grief and pain.
When he calls our friends t' inherit
All the glories of the blest,
He assures the widowed spirit,
"Thou shalt quickly be at rest."
Though my flesh and spirit languish,
Let me not too much complain;
Sure at last t' outlive my anguish,
Sure to find my friend again.
Ransomed from a world of sorrow,
He to-day is taken home;
I shall be released to-morrow —
Come, my dear Redeemer, come.
From my sanctified distresses,
Now, or when thou wilt, receive;
Grant with him in thine embraces,
After all my deaths, to live.
PART III.
Hail, holy, holy, holy Lord,
Mysterious Three in One!
For ever be thy name adored,
Thy will for ever done.
For this alone on earth I wait,
To glorify my God;
And suffer, since thou will'st, the state
Of sacred widowhood.
And may I, in thy strength, fulfil
My awful character;
And prove thine acceptable will,
And do thy pleasure here;
The children to thyself restore,
Whom thou to me hast given;
And rule my house with all my power,
And train them up for heaven.
Be this my hospitable care:
The stranger to receive,
The burden of thy church to bear,
And all their wants relieve;
My labor of unwearied love
With pleasure to repeat,
My faith unto thy saints to prove,
And gladly wash their feet.
The servant of thy servants bless
With active earnest zeal;
And every work of righteousness
I shall with joy fulfil.
__________
LINES,
Occasioned by viewing the portrait of Mrs. Graham, prefixed to the
first edition of her memoir. By the late Mrs. Margaret Brown,
daughter of Rev. Dr. John Mason.
While in this faded form I trace
The features which I loved so well,
Remembrance brings each mental grace
Within its hallowed shrine to dwell.
For I have seen that darkened eye
In all the fire of genius roll,
With eagle-gaze explore the sky,
Or with a keener glance descry
The secret workings of the soul.
And I have seen this pallid cheek
Suffused with feeling's richest glow;
And virtue's brightest halo deck
With sacred charms these locks of snow.
And on these lips in silence closed,
With rapt attention oft I hung,
And heard those wondrous truths disclosed
Which sages taught or seraphs sung.
And I have known this withered hand
Extended wide the poor to bless;
And this contracted breast expand
With generous schemes to aid distress.
And now, though far removed from earth
And every scene of mortal pain,
This dear memorial of her worth
Shall many a drooping heart sustain.
Still shall it dry the widow's tear,
The hapless orphan's want supply,
Guide to a blessed asylum here,
And point to happier realms on high.
My father's friend — how poor the praise,
By his unworthy offspring given,
Who thus records, in humble lays,
What angels registered in heaven.
FRANKFORT, Kentucky, August, 1816.
One hundred dollars was paid by John W. Hamersley, Esq. of New York, towards perpetuating this volume.