The Advantages of Divine Chastisement.
Job. v. 19. Heb. xii. 5-12.
1 HOW happy the sorrowful man,
Whose sorrow is sent from above!
Indulg'd with a visit of pain,
Chastiz'd by omnipotent love:
The Author of all his distress
He comes by affliction to know,
And God he in heaven will bless
That ever he suffer'd below.
2 Thus, thus may I happily grieve,
And hear the intent of his rod,
The marks of adoption receive,
The strokes of a merciful God;
With nearer access to his throne
My burthen of folly confess
The cause of my miseries own,
And cry for an answer of
peace.
3 O Father of mercies, on me,
On me in affliction bestow,
A power of applying to thee,
A sanctified use of
I would, in a spirit of prayer,
To all thy appointments submit,
The pledge of my happiness bear,
And joyfully die at thy feet.
4 Then, Father, and never till then,
I all the felicity prove
Of living a moment in pain,
Of dying in Jesus's love:
A sufferer here with my Lord,
With Jesus above I sit down,
Receive an eternal reward,
And glory obtain in a crown.
Life renounced. Job. vii. 16. Phil. i. 23.
1 NO; I would not always live,
Always sin, repent, and grieve,
Always in my dungeon groan,
Always serve a God unknown;
Or if thou appear'st to me,
Darkly through a glass I see,
Know in part, and deeper mourn
"Till I to thy arms return.
2 Pardon'd, still for sin I grieve,
Never can myself forgive;
Weeping, though my heart were pure,
Would I to the end endure,
Still lament, and daily die,
'Till my Saviour from the sky
Wipe the gracious tears away,
Bear me to eternal day.
Pleading for Mercy and for Direction, under Sorrow. Job x. 2.
NUT me not off, almighty Lord,
But use thy rod, and not thy sword;
The cross no longer I decline,
But save me from the curse divine;
Let sorrow break this wretched heart,
Let pain my soul and body part,
But suffer not my soul to be
For ever separate from thee.
2 Why dost thou this affliction send,
Why with a feeble worm contend?
Unneeded pain thou canst not give,
Or causelessly thy children grieve:
Father in kind compassion shew
What means this providential blow:
O may I here thy mercy see,
And all the good design'd for me.
God the Infinite and Incomprehensible.
Job xi. 7, &c.
1 SHALL foolish, weak, short-sighted man Beyond archangels go,
The great almighty God explain,
Or to perfection know?
His attributes divinely soar
Above the creatures' sight,
And prostrate Seraphim adore
The glorious Infinite.
2 Jehovah's everlasting days,
They cannot number'd be,
Incomprehensible the space
Of thine immensity;
Thy wisdom's depths by reason's line
In vain we strive to sound,
Or stretch our labouring thought t' assign
Omnipotence a bound.
3 The brightness of thy glories leaves
Description far below;
Nor man, nor angel's heart conceives
How deep thy mercies flow;
Thy love is not unsearchable,
And dazzles all above;
They gaze but cannot count or tell
The treasures of thy love!
Submission and Faith. Job xiii. 15.
AND let my body languish,
(So he my soul redeem)
Or fail through mortal anguish,
Yet I will trust in him:
2 Destruction as a blessing
At Jesus' hand I meet,
And calmly die embracing
My dear Destroyer's feet!
Waiting for Death and for Glory. Job xiv. 13, 14, 15.
1HIDE me in my Saviour's grave
Till thy wrath is all o'erpast;
Now appoint a time to save,
Think on me for good at last;
Brought out of thy secret place
Pure in heart to see thy face.
2 For this only thing I wait,
Wait with fervent patient hope,
Rais'd to an eternal state
I shall after God wake up,
Glorious in thine image shine,
Fill'd with life and love divine.
3 Summon'd to my heavenly home,
Then I shall with joy reply,
Answering to thy call I come,
Gladly get me up and die,
Made, and bought by grace diyine,
Thine I am, for ever thine.
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