Classic Poem

CHAPTER II.

God who on Sinai's top came down
The law of fear to' engrave in stone,
Returns all-gracious from above
To teach mankind the law of love,
And by His Spirit's power imparts
And writes it on His people's hearts.

J EHOVAH doth the heavens bow,
The Lord is in the whirlwind now!
His terror first alarms, and wakes,
With sudden dread the conscience shakes,
That sinners may His mercy prove,
And lose their fears in pardoning love.

See in the strong impetuous sign
The' almighty power of grace Divine!
The wind which on our spirits blows,
And moves, and pierces, and o'erthrows,
Refreshes, fills, and purifies,
And swiftly lifts us to the skies!

D IVIDED tongues of fire
The burning Spirit express,
Who doth His messengers inspire,
And gives His word success:
Active as darted flame
It flies with rapid speed,
As lightning with resistless aim
It strikes the sinner dead.

That Fire inflames the heart,
Expands and spreads within,
Severs the pure and drossy part,
And burns up all our sin;
It consecrates the soul
A living sacrifice,
And offers up the saint a whole
Burnt-offering to the skies.

F ILL'D with the Spirit of holiness
One family is join'd
With all the tongues of earth to praise
The Saviour of mankind;
Earnest of the whole world employ'd
In their own tongues to sing,
In season due, the' incarnate God,
The saints' eternal King.

T ONGUES at first were multiplied,
Proud aspiring worms to' abase,
Rebels to confound, divide,
Wide disperse the' audacious race;
God by different languages
Baffled their gigantic power,
Bade their impious project cease,
Stopp'd the heaven-invading tower.

Tongues are multiplied again,
(While our God in love comes down,)
To collect the sons of men
Reconcile the world in one,
Make us each with each agree,
Pride the cause of strife remove,
Teach our hearts humility,
Join us all in faith and love.

O N the great auspicious day
When He forms His church below,
Every tongue should homage pay,
His stupendous mercies show:
Meet and right it is, that all
Should in one thanksgiving join'd
On the common Saviour call,
Praise the Lord of all mankind.

Mighty miracles of love,
Jesus, Thou for us hast wrought,
God descended from above,
By Thy blood the nations bought;
Raised Thou dost Thy members raise,
Pour Thy Spirit from on high,
Fill the vessels of Thy grace,
Fit, and bear us to the sky.

P ERSECUTION'S progress see!
The worldly war begun
With contempt and mockery,
In cavilling goes on,
Then the chafed oppressors fret,
Proceed the saints in bonds to lay;
Then the confessors they beat,
And then the martyrs slay.

The world fulfil their Saviour's word,
A winebibber they call'd their Lord;
His servants now they drunkards name,
And all His saints the honour claim,
Fill'd by His Spirit from above,
With power, sobriety, and love.

The modern infidels are bold
In comments to surpass the old,
With blind unskilful impudence
They tell us what religion means,
And causes natural assign
To' effects miraculous, Divine.

Opposers of the Spirit's course
They His ascribe to fancy's force,
His peace is — " a complexion good, "
His love — " a milkiness of blood, "
And all our strange delights and pains
" The texture of the nerves " explains.

Joy in the Lord, or grief confess'd,
Is " spirits elated, or depress'd; "
The truths of grace delusion seem
To them, and faith " a madman's dream " :
No difference can their wisdom find
For all is dark, when hearts are blind!

F RIGHTEN'D by a servant's word
Who Christ so late denied,
Boldly now he owns his Lord,
By sinners crucified,
Publishes before his foes
The saving power of Jesus' name,
To the' assembled nations shows
The glories of the Lamb.

This the work of Thy right hand,
Thy Spirit's work I see!
This shall make my weakness stand,
Shall soon embolden me.
Saviour, at Thy bleeding cross
I wait; and faithfully expect
From the same almighty Cause
The same Divine effect.

S COURGED by the world's opprobrious tongue,
Silent, I bear the private wrong
With meek humility;
Reviled, I answer not a word,
Assured that Thou, my righteous Lord,
Wilt speak at last for me.

But when the honour of Thy name
Thy cause and church my service claim,
Commanded to contend
I must the' imputed crime disown,
Trample the foul accuser down,
And Thee, and Thine defend.

The Lord Most-High on earth was seen,
The God whom angel hosts adore,
The Word was flesh, and dwelt with men,
His Spirit on all flesh to pour,
Sinners unto Himself to take,
And spiritual of carnal make.
The Spirit of thaTheavenly Man
Resides in all who now believe,
While fill'd with love, and born again,
His mind and nature we receive,
We put Jehovah's image on,
And then ascend the' eternal throne.

A FTER He hath sent His Son
He doth His Spirit send;
Who the benefits unknown
Can fully comprehend?
Him in whom the Spirit dwells
With all His grace and boundless power
When in us our God reveals,
Our God can give no more!

W HEN the great God His Spirit pours
Judgment attends in flaming showers,
To plague the disobedient race,
And vindicate His slighted grace.
His wrath He with His love reveals,
The vessels of destruction fills,
The bold despisers of His word,
And pleads His cause with fire and sword.

I N this Divine epitome,
Father, we Thy goodness see,
Who kindly dost declare,
The way through which to heaven we go,
And all our duty here below
Summ'd up in faith and prayer.
Father, the promised bliss I claim,
Thee invoke in Jesus' name;
For Jesus' sake forgive,
Save me from sin, and earth, and hell,
Stamp with Thy hallowing Spirit's seal,
And to Thy throne receive.

L ORD , whoe'er resist Thy will,
By opposing it fulfil;
Compassing their own design,
Blindly they accomplish Thine,
Contradict their own intent,
Cause the good they never meant.

Sinners' hearts are in Thy hand,
Subjected to Thy command,
Free and uncontroll'd in ill
When Thine only Son they kill,
Then they serve Thy love's decree,
Do the thing ordain'd by Thee.

Prince of life, for sinners slain,
Who Thy passion can explain?
Love, and hatred in excess,
Human, hellish wickedness
With celestial goodness join,
With philanthropy Divine!

Earth and heaven and hell agree
Nailing Jesus to the tree,
All conspire for human good
Shedding my Redeemer's blood,
Blood which first my pardon buys,
Speaks me then to paradise.

W HY should believers droop?
The Father of our Lord
Again hath raised Him up,
The dead to life restored:
Jesus, His mortal pangs are o'er,
He lives, He lives to die no more.

It was not possible
That Hades should hold fast
The God who saves from hell,
And death destroys at last;
Long in the grave He could not lie,
Or Life Himself for ever die.

J ESUS the royal prophet's Lord,
Sum of every written word
And prophecy Thou art:
The Psalmist spake of Thee alone,
And makes to all Thy people known
The tempers of Thy heart.

Contemplating the great reward,
The celestial bliss prepared
For His co-equal Son,
Thou always saw'st the Father stand
To hold Thee up by Thy right hand,
And lift Thee to His throne.

Thou didst exult His love to know,
Gladly publish it below,
While ready to return.
Thy sacred flesh reposed in hope
That God would surely raise Thee up
On the third joyful morn.

He would not have Thy soul to wait
In that separate estate,
When the third day was come,
He could not suffer it to be,
Or let Thy sinless body see
Corruption in the tomb.

The paths of life to Thee He show'd:
Very God of very God,
His living Character,
Thou didst with majesty Divine
The Brightness of His glory shine,
And at His side appear.

O UR Saviour and Head
Is return'd from the dead,
His witnesses we
Declare Him alive, who expired on the tree:
The' omnipotent power
Of our God did restore
His crucified Son,
And received Him again to a share of His throne.

His Spirit attests
The truth in our breasts;
The Witness and Seal
And the rapturous earnest of heaven we feel.
We acknowledge the prayer
Of our Advocate there,
Who the Comforter gives,
And Himself in His people eternally lives.

L ET the whole house of Israel know
Jehovah hath extoll'd His Son,
That Jesus crucified below
Who laid the general ransom down,
His Father hath supremely magnified
And raised Him up to sit in triumph at His side.

All power He to the Man hath given,
That ye may surely know and praise
The glorious Lord of earth and heaven,
Sublime in majesty and grace,
Him Prophet, Priest, and King with rapture own,
And shout your God restored to His eternal throne.

Jesus, if Thou the faith impart,
Assured we of Thy Godhead are,
We find Thee praying in our heart,
We hear our heavenly Teacher there,
Thy partners in celestial places sit,
And reign with the Most-High — adoring at Thy feet.

C OMPUNCTION of heart, If Jesus bestow,
And kindly impart. The sorrowful woe,
Our dying condition If mercy reveals,
We seek a Physician Who penitents heals.
O what shall we do Who Jesus have slain;
Have murder'd anew That meek Son of Man?
Of all we inquire, Till Christ from above
The answer inspire, The sense of His love.

T URNING with contrite hearts to God,
Plunged in the depths of Jesus' name,
Pardon of sins through faith bestow'd,
Through faith the Holy Ghost we claim,
That Spirit of the Lord Most-High,
That mystic Gift unspeakable,
To help and cheer and sanctify
In all believing souls shall dwell.
The promised Spirit of holiness
To every age and nation given,
Father, we faithfully embrace,
And wait His sure descent from heaven,
Who now with willing mind obey
Thy gospel's, and Thy Spirit's call,
We find Him sent in this our day,
We feel the promise is for all.

W HILE the glad tidings we proclaim,
Preach that all through Jesu's name
May full redemption have,
If He the given word apply,
We urge, exhort, and testify
Yourselves ye sinners save.

Come out from those who know not God,
Those that trample on His blood
Who died that they might live;
This froward world this moment quit,
And wait at Jesus' wounded feet
Your pardon to receive.

Touch'd by the blood your souls are clean
From the guilt and power of sin,
Completely saved by grace;
Ye then from faith to faith go on,
O'ertake your Saviour on His throne,
And see Him face to face.

O PEN their hearts, almighty Lord,
That sinners may receive
With joyful readiness Thy word,
And by Thy gospel live:
Thousands in this and every day
Unto Thy people join,
And let their spotless lives display
The power of faith Divine.

I N our degenerate years revive
The wonders of Thy grace,
And let us in affection strive
With the primeval race:
In apostolic doctrine found,
(The doctrine from above,)
And build us on the solid ground
Of Thy redeeming love.

O may we constantly abide
As hearers in Thy school,
(Thy Spirit our unerring Guide,
Thy word our sacred rule,)
Gladly supply each other's wants,
Propriety disown,
One in the fellowship of saints,
With all Thy members one.

On us the Christian feast bestow,
The sacramental bread,
That daily we Thy death may show,
And on Thy body feed;
Till Thou, whose passion we record,
On earth again appear,
And reign our dear triumphant Lord,
With all Thine ancients here.

On all the house of Jacob's race,
On Sion's mourners pour
The Spirit of supplicating grace
In one unceasing shower;
That wrestling on with faith and hope
We may in prayer abide,
Till Thou descend to take us up,
And place us by Thy side.

S AVIOUR , in Thy church appear
All opposers to control,
Still alarm with sacred fear
Every persecuting soul;
Let the world again confounded
Scarce presume to stir or move,
Till we in the faith are grounded
Rooted fast in humble love.

Heathens stand amazed, affrighted,
When Thy people they survey
As a marshal'd host united,
Terrible in firm array;
When the shield of faith we bear
Mindful of our dying Lord,
Prevalent in mighty prayer,
Brandishing Thy Spirit's sword!

When the church of Thine election
Rising from the wilderness,
Simply full of pure affection
Lives like those of ancient days;
When the universal mother
Gathers all her sons in one,
When the Christians love each other, —
Satan tumbles from his throne.

N O outward miracles we claim,
Whose God and gospel are the same,
Yet trust our faithful Lord
His truth and mercy to reveal,
And pardon on the conscience seal
Through His attested word.

Whene'er we preach the dying God,
And free forgiveness through His blood,
The gospel-grace is given,
Spiritual signs are daily shown,
And God the Holy Ghost sends down
In saving power from heaven.

H OW happy the men Who born from above
Were first to maintain The freedom of love;
Who left an example Ourselves to forego,
And taught us to trample On all things below.

Believers of old Who Jesus confess'd,
Lands, houses they sold With all they possess'd;
The miserly pleasure They dared to despise,
And laid up their treasure And hearts in the skies.

W HAT a beautiful sight
When the children of light
In their primitive purity shone!
The disciples of old
Never stray'd from the fold,
But they all were united in one.

To the temple of God
Where His honour abode,
They daily rejoiced to repair;
And the Lord of the place
Daily show'd them His face
In the house of thanksgiving and prayer.

When the Spirit was come,
He attended them home;
And performing to Jesus their vows,
In the breaking of bread
They remember'd their Head,
And a church was in every house.

The affections of grace
Were with prayer and with praise
Carried on in their every employ;
Each meal was a feast,
And their hearts they express'd
In songs of angelical joy.

That gladness of heart
Which their Lord did impart
With simplicity pure from above,
To posterity show'd
The whole counsel of God,
The original triumph of love.

Their impotent foes
Could no longer oppose,
Or withhold their extorted esteem,
But were forced to give place
To a torrent of grace,
And were all carried down with the stream.

The church in ancient days
Was sinners saved from sin,
And souls through Jesus' grace
Were daily taken in;
Pardon and faith together given
Threw open wide the gates of heaven.

Saviour, we known, Thou art
In every age the same:
Now Lord in ours exert
The virtue of Thy name;
And daily through Thy word increase
The blood-besprinkled witnesses.

The people saved below
From every sinful stain,
Shall multiply and grow,
If Thy command ordain;
And one into a thousand rise,
And spread Thy praise through earth and skies.

In many a soul, and mine,
Thou hast display'd Thy power;
But to Thy people join
Ten thousand, thousand more;
Saved from the guilt and strength of sin,
In life and heart entirely clean.

Saved by Thy blood applied
The moment we believe,
Let us in Thee abide
And grace for grace receive,
Till sunk into a perfect man,
And meet in all Thy joy to reign.