185.

Common Metre. Watts.

Assistance and victory in the spiritual warfares

1

FOR

OR ever blessed be the LORD,
My saviour and my shield!
He sends his spirit with his word,
To arm me for the field.

2 When all my foes their force unite,
He makes my soul his care;
Instructs me to the heav'nly fight,
And guards me through the war.
3 A friend and helper so divine
Does my weak courage raise;
He makes the glorious vict'ry mine,
And his shall be the praise.

1

2

T%

186.

Short Metre. WATTS.

Praise for salvation.

GOD, the only wise,

Our Saviour and our King,

Let all the saints with joyful hearts,
Their humble praises sing.

'Tis his almighty love,
His counsel and his care,

Preserves us safe from sin and death,
And ev'ry hurtful snare.

3 He will present us pure,
Unblemish'd and complete,
Before the glory of his face,
With joys divinely great.

4

Then, all his faithful sons

Shall meet around the throne,

Shall bless the conduct of his grace,
And make his wonders known.

5 To GOD, the only wise,
All majesty belongs;

And be his pow'r and grace ador'd
In everlasting songs!

187.

Common Metre. MRS. STEELE.
Light and deliverance.

1 HE weary trav'ler, lost in night, Breathes many a longing sigh,

And marks the welcome dawn of light,
With rapture in his eye.

2 Thus sweet the dawn of heav'nly day Lost weary sinners find,

When mercy, with reviving ray,
Beams o'er the fainting mind.

3 To slaves opprest with cruel chains,
How kind, how dear the friend,

Whose gen'rous hand relieves their pains,
And bids their sorrows end!

4 Thus kind, thus dear, that friend divine,
Who rescues captive souls;
Unbinds the galling chains of sin,
And all its pow'r controls.

5 My God! to thy revealed light
My dawn of hope I owe;

Once, wand'ring in the shades of night,
And sunk in hopeless woe.

'Twas thy blest hand redeem'd the slave,
And set the pris'ner free:
Be all I am, and all I have,
Devoted, LORD, to thee!

1

PART VII.

Divine Revelation.

188.

Short Metre. WATTS.

The book of nature and scripture.

EHOLD! the lofty sky

Declares its Maker God;

And all his starry works on high
Proclaim his pow'r abroad.

2 The darkness and the light
Still keep their course the same;
While night to day, and day to night,
Divinely teach his name.

3 In ev'ry diff'rent land

4

5

Their gen❜ral voice is known: They show the wonders of his hand, And orders of his throne.

Ye christian lands, rejoice;

Here he reveals his word:

We are not left to nature's voice
To bid us know the LORD.

His statutes and commands
Are set before our eyes;
He put his gospel in our hands,
Where our salvation lies.

6

1

His laws are just and pure, His truth without deceit; His promises for ever sure,

And his rewards are great.

189.

Long Metre. Watts.

The works and word of GɔD.

THE

HE heav'ns declare thy glory, LORD!
In ev'ry star thy wisdom shines;
But when our eyes behold thy word,
We read thy name in fairer lines.

2 The rolling sun, the changing light,
And nights, and days, thy pow'r confess;
But the blest volume thou hast writ,
Reveals thy justice and thy grace.

3 Sun, moon, and stars, convey thy praise
Round the whole earth, and never stand;
So when thy truth began its race,
It touch'd and glanc'd on ev'ry land.
4 Nor shall thy spreading gospel rest,
Till thro' the world thy truth has run:
Till CHRIST has all the nations blest
That see the light or feel the sun.

5 Father of lights! in glory rise,

Bless the dark world with heav'nly light;
Thy gospel makes the simple wise,
Thy laws are pure, thy judgments right,

P