Hymn LXXX. Common Metre. [or]
The Myfteries of Providence.
OD moves in a mysterious way,
G His counfels to perform?
He marks his footsteps on the fea,
And rides upon the storm.
2 Deep, in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up his bright defigns,
And works his fov'reign will.
3 Let fearful faints fresh courage take
The clouds they fo much dread
Are big with mercy, and fhall break
In bleffings on their head.
4 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But truft him for his grace;
Behind a frowning Providence,
He hides a fmiling face.
His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But fweet will be the flower. 6 Blind unbelief is fure to err, And fean his work in vain ; God is his own interpreter, And he will make it plain.
Hymn LXXXI. Common Metre. [or
Divine Providence, and the Folly of felf Dependence.
OD reigns; events in order flow,
Man's induitry to guide;
But in a different channel goj
To humble human pride.
2 The fwift, not always in the race,
Shall win the crowning prize;
Not always wealth and honour grace
The labours of the wife.
3 Fond mortals do themselves beguile,
When on themselves they rest;
Blind is their wisdom, vain their toil,
By thee, O Lord, unbleft.
4 'Tis ours, the furrows to prepare,
And fow the precious grain ;
'Tis thine to give the fun and air,
And to command the rain.
5 Evil and good before thee ftand,
Their miffion to perform;
The fun fhines bright at thy command;
Thy hand directs the ftorm.
6 In all thy ways, we humbly own
Thy providential power;
Entrusting to thy care alone,
The lot of every hour.
Hymn LXXXII. Long Metre. [* or b]
REAT Author of all nature's frame,
Holy and reverend is thy name;
Thou, Lord of life and Lord of death,
Worlds rife and vanish at thy breath.
2 Nations in thine all-feeing eye
Are lefs than nothing, vanity;
Against thee, who fhall lift his hand?
Before thy terrors who can ftand ?
3 But bleft are they, O gracious Lord,
Who fear thy name, and hear thy word!
With fuch thy dwelling is, on thofe,
Thy peace its joy divine beftows.
4 Thy wifdom guides, thy power defends
Their life, till life its journey ends;
Death fhall convey them to thy feat,
Where all thy faints in glory meet.
5 O that my foul with awful fenfe
Of thy tranfcendent excellence,
May close the day, the day begin,
Watchful against each darling fin.
6 Never, O never from my heart
May this great principle depart;
But act with unabating power,
Within me to my latelt hour.
Hymn LXXXIII. Long Metre. [*]
The Divine Goodness imitated.
REAT Author of the immortal mind,
G For nobleft thoughts and views defign'd;
Make me defirous to exprefs
The image of thy holiness.
2 Whilft I thy boundless love admire,
Grant me to catch the facred fire;
Thus fhall my heav'nly birth be known,
And as thy child, thou wilt me own.
3 Father, I fee thy fun arife,
To cheer thy friends and enemies;
And when from heaven thy rain de scends,
Thy bounty both alike befriends.
4 Fnlarge my foul with love like thine,
My mortal powers by grace refine;
So fhall I feel another's woe,
And freely feed a hungry foe.
I hope for pardon through thy Son,
For all the crimes which I have done;
Then may the grace that pardons me,
Conftrain me to forgive like thee.
Hymn LXXXIV. Hallelujah Metre. [*]
REAT Father of mankind,
We blefs that wond'rous grace,
Which could for Gentiles find,
Within thy courts, a place.
How kind the care
Our God difplays,
For us to raise
A house of prayer!
2 Once we were ftrangers here,
But now approach the throne
For Jefus brings us near,
And makes our caufe his own,
Strangers no more,
To thee we come ;
And find our home,
And reft fecure.
3 To thee our fouls we join,
And love thy facred name;
No more our own, but thine,
We triumph in thy claim.
Our Father, King,
Thy cov❜nant grace
Our fouls embrace,
Thy glories fing.
4 Here in thy house we feaft
On dainties all divine;
And whilft fuch food we taste,
With joy our faces fhine.
Incenfe fhall rife
From flames of love,
And God approve
The facrifice.
5 May all the nations throng,
To worship in thy house;
Wilt thou attend the fong,
And hear their ardent vows!
Indulgent ftill,
Till earth confpire
To join the choir,
On Zion's hill.
Hymn LXXXV. Common Metre. [*]
REAT firft of beings, mighty Lord
Of all this wond'rous frame;
Produc'd by thy creating word,
The world from nothing came.
2 Thy voice fent forth the high command,
"Twas inftantly obey'd;
And through thy goodness all things ftand,
Which by thy power were made.
3 Thy glories fhine throughout the whole,
Each part reflects thy light;
By thee, in course, the planets roll,
And day fucceeds the night.
4 By thee, the fun difpenfes heat,
And beams of cheering day;
The diftant ftars in order fet,
By night, thy power difplay.
5 By thee, the earth its produce yields;
By thee, the waters flow;
And various plants adorn the fields,
And trees afpiring grow.
Infpir'd with praise, our minds pursue
This wife and noble end;
And all we think, and all we do
Shall to thy honour tend.
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