254. L. M.

DODDRIDGE.

Acting as seeing Him who is invisible.

1.

ETERNAL and immortal King,

Thy peerless splendours none can bear;
But darkness veils seraphic eyes,
When God with all his lustre's there.

2.

Yet faith can pierce the awful gloom,
The great Invisible can see;

And with its tremblings mingle joy
In fixt regards, great God, to thee.

3.

Then every tempting form of sin,
Shamed in thy presence, disappears;
And all the glowing raptured soul
The likeness it contemplates wears.

4.

O ever-conscious to my heart,
Witness to its supreme desire,
Behold it presses on to thee,

And longs to catch the heavenly fire.

5.

This one petition would it urge,
To bear thee ever in its sight;
In life, in death, in worlds unknown,
Its only portion and delight.

L

255. c. M.

DODDRIDGE.

Secret

prayer.

1.

FATHER divine, thy piercing eye Shoots through the darkest night; In deep retirement thou art nigh With heart-discerning sight.

2.

There shall that piercing eye survey
My duteous homage paid,
With every morning's dawning ray
And every evening shade.

3.

O may thine own cœlestial fire
The incense still inflame,
While my warm vows to thee aspire,
Through my Redeemer's name!

4.

So shall the visits of thy love
My soul in secret bless;

So shalt thou deign in worlds above
Thy suppliant to confess.

GREAT God! thy peerless excellence Let all created natures own:

Deep on our minds impress the sense Of glories which are thine alone.

2.

Let these our admiration raise,

And fill us with religious awe;

Tune both our hearts and tongues to praise,
And bend us to thy holy law.

3.

But where we may resemble thee,
And in the godlike nature share,
Thy humble followers let us be,
And somewhat of thy likeness bear.

4.

Pure may we be, averse to sin,
Just, holy, merciful, and true!
And let thine image, form'd within,
Shine out in all we speak and do.

257. c. M.

WATTS.

The way and end of the righteous.

1..

My God, the steps of pious men
Are order'd by thy will;

Though they should fall, they rise again,
Thy hand supports them still.

2.

The Lord delights to see their ways,
Their virtues he approves;
He'll ne'er deprive them of his grace,
Nor leave the men he loves.

3.

The heavenly heritage is theirs,
Their portion and their home;

He feeds them now, and makes them heirs
Of blessings long to come.

1

.

4.

Mark well the man of righteousness,
His several steps attend;

True pleasure runs through all his ways,
And peaceful is his end.

258. L. M. Altered from H. MOORE. The blessings of the righteous.

1.

BLEST are the pious gentle race,
In whom, with full reflected grace,
Imprest in many a lovely line,

The beamings of heaven's beauty shine.

2.

Sweet hope is theirs, of eye serene,
Mild as some smiling angel's mien ;
Strong-pinion'd faith that dares the sky,
And the rapt seraph's glowing joy.

3.

Theirs is content, life's precious balm ;
Theirs peace ætherial, ever calm :

The morning bright, the temperate even;
Fair dawnings of the day of heaven.

4.

In God the almighty king they view
Their judge, and tender father too :
His flaming bolts no terrors bear
While trusting to his faithful care.

5.

God is their life, their sun, their shield, Their thoughts on him sweet comfort yield: Through mists that cloud their dying eyes They see eternal glories rise.

259. c. M. WATTS.

The blessedness of the just and pure.

1.

BLEST are the undefiled in heart,
Whose ways are right and clean;
Who never from thy law depart,
But fly from every sin.

2.

Blest are the men who keep thy word
And practise thy commands;
With their whole heart they seek the Lord,
And serve thee with their hands.

3.

Great is their peace who love thy law;
How firm their souls abide!
Nor can a bold temptation draw
Their steady feet aside.

4.

Then shall my heart have inward joy,
And keep my face from shame,
When all thy statutes I obey,
And honour all thy name.

BLEST are the humble souls that see
Their emptiness and poverty;

Treasures of grace to them are given,
And crowns of joy laid up in heaven.