2.

Blest are the men of broken heart,
Who mourn for sin with inward smart;
From heaven the streams of mercy flow,
A healing balm for all their woe.

3.

Blest are the meek, who stand afar
From rage and passion, noise and war;
God will secure their happy state,
And plead their cause against the great.

4.

Blest are the souls that thirst for grace,
Hunger and long for righteousness;
They shall be well supplied and fed
With living streams and living bread.

PAUSE.

5.

Blest are the pure, whose hearts are clean
From the defiling powers of sin;

With endless pleasure they shall see
A God of spotless purity.

6.

Blest are the men whose bowels move
And melt with sympathy and love;
From Christ the Lord shall they obtain
Like sympathy and love again.

7.

Blest are the men of peaceful life,
Who quench the coals of growing strife;
They shall be call'd the heirs of bliss,
The sons of God, the God of

peace.

8.

Blest are the sufferers who partake
Of pain and shame for Jesus' sake;
Their souls shall triumph in the Lord,
Glory and joy are their reward.

261. S. M. WATTS.

Characters of the righteous and of the wicked. [Psalm i.]

1.

THE man is ever blest

Who shuns the sinner's ways, Amongst their counsels never stands, Nor takes the scorner's place;

2.

But makes the law of God His study and delight Amidst the labours of the day And watches of the night.

3.

He like a tree shall thrive

With waters near the root;

Fresh as the leaf his name shall live,
His works are heavenly fruit.

4.

Not so the ungodly race,

They no such blessings find;
Their hopes shall fly like empty chaff
Before the driving wind.

5.

God knows and he approves

The way the righteous go;

But sinners and their works shall meet

A dreadful overthrow.

262. c. M.

MISS WILLIAMS.

Habitual devotion.

1.

WHILE thee I seek, protecting Power!
Be my vain wishes still'd;
And may this consecrated hour
With better hopes be fill'd!

2.

Thy love the powers of thought bestow'd;
To thee my thoughts would soar :
Thy mercy o'er my life has flow'd:
That mercy I adore.

3.

In each event of life how clear
Thy ruling hand I see!

Each blessing to my soul more dear,
Because conferr'd by thee.

4.

In every joy that crowns my days,
In every pain I bear,

My heart shall find delight in praise,
Or seek relief in prayer.

5.

When gladness wings my favour'd hour, Thy love my thoughts shall fill: Resign'd when storms of sorrow lower, My soul shall meet thy will.

6.

My lifted eye, without a tear,

The lowering storm shall see;

My steadfast heart shall know no fear:
That heart will rest on thee.

263. L. M.

T. SCOTT.

Devotion vain without virtue.

1.

THE uplifted eye and bended knee
Are but vain homage, Lord, to thee:
In vain our lips thy praise prolong,
The heart a stranger to the song.

2.

Can rites and forms and flaming zeal
The breaches of thy precepts heal?
Or fast and penance reconcile
Thy justice, and obtain thy smile?

3.

The pure, the humble, contrite mind,
Thankful, and to thy will resign'd,
To thee a nobler offering yields

Than Sheba's groves or Sharon's fields.

4.

"Be just and kind:" that great command Doth on eternal pillars stand:

This did thine ancient prophets teach,
And this thy well-beloved preach.

264. C. M.

BROWNE.

The true way to please God.

1.

WHEREWITH shall I approach the Lord,
And bow before his throne;

Or how procure his kind regard,
And for my guilt atone?

2.

Shall altars flame, and victims bleed,
And spicy fumes ascend?

Will these my earnest wish succeed,
And make my God my friend?

3.

O no, my soul, 't were fruitless all;
Such victims bleed in vain :
No fatlings from the field or stall
Such favour can obtain.

4.

To men their rights I must allow,
And proofs of kindness give;
To God with humble reverence bow,
And to his glory live.

5.

Hands that are clean, and hearts sincere,

He never will despise ;
And cheerful duty he'll prefer

To costly sacrifice.

265. P. M. J. TAYLOR.

Imperishable wealth.

1.

SHALL man, to sordid views confined,
His powers unfold,

And waste his energy of mind
In search of gold?

Rise, rise, my soul, and spurn such low desires,

Nor quench in groveling dust heaven's noblest fires.