Classic Poem

CHAPTER III.

Who Jesus our Example know,
 And apostolic teachers trace,
We gladly to the temple go,
 Frequent the consecrated place
At every solemn hour of prayer,
And meet the God of mercy there.

Still at the stated hours we pray,
 And openly our God adore,
The Lamb presenting every day
 Our sins who on His body bore;
As incense sweet our prayers arise,
Mingled with His great sacrifice.

His offering pure we call to mind,
 There on the golden altar laid,
Whose Godhead with the manhood join'd,
 For every soul atonement made;
And have whate'er we ask of God,
Through faith in that all-saving blood.

 I IN this emblem see
  My own unhappy case,
 My nature's poverty
  And utter helplessness;
So impotent to good I am,
Who from the womb a cripple came.

 Here at the Temple's gate
  (The real Temple,) I
 A feeble beggar wait,
  And for His mercy cry,
Who only can my wants relieve,
And power and peace, and pardon give.

 Day after day distress'd
  On Jesus I attend,
 And urging my request
  Besiege the sinner's Friend;
In patient prayer expect a cure;
Till He pronounce my pardon sure.

 M ASTER , Thy pitying eye
  Is fasten'd now on me,
 Thou bidd'st my soul rely,
  And look for help to Thee:
To Thee I steadfastly give heed,
For all the good Thou know'st I need.

 I every moment hope
  To hear Thy pardoning word,
 Mine eyes are lifted up,
  Are ever to the Lord,
On Thee my fix'd regard I turn,
And for the consolation mourn.

 T HOU seest my helplessness,
  Thou hear'st my sad complaint;
 The riches of Thy grace
  And nothing else I want,
Those riches which the world despise,
Are all I wish, and all I prize.

 The blessing I implore
  Kindly vouchsafe to give,
 Or through Thy servants poor,
  Or by Thyself relieve,
Raise by Thine own immediate word,
And speak my soul to health restored.

 Thyself lay hold on me,
  And lifted up by grace
 And apprehending Thee
  I walk in all Thy ways,
More active as I further go,
And swifter than a bounding roe.

 A sinner poor and lame,
  At Thy command I rise;
 Thine efficacious Name
  With springing life supplies,
Thy Name, the moment I believe,
Doth strength and perfect soundness give.

 J ESUS through faith alone
  I answer to Thy call;
 I stand, and walk, and run,
  And leap o'er every wall,
Enter with joy the hallow'd place,
And loudly sing my Saviour's praise.

 Both strength and righteousness
  In Thee I surely have,
 Gladly I Thee confess
  Omnipotent to save,
My helpless unbelief to heal,
And pardon on my conscience seal.

 Who our weaknesses have known
  Should our conversion see,
 While with joyful lips we own
  The name that sets us free,
 By our walk the change sincere,
By holiness of life we prove,
 While we humbly persevere
  In gratitude and love.

 S IRANGER far the miracle
  Which doth a soul convert,
 When our Lord vouchsafes to heal
  Our impotence of heart:
 Outward miracles are done
That we the' Invisible may see,
 God who all His power makes known
  In man's infirmity.

 T HROUGH the ministry of man
  Whoe'er their cure receive,
 Fondly they at first detain,
  And to the preacher cleave:
 Farther taught by grace Divine,
The Author of all good they own,
 Every instrument resign,
  And cleave to Christ alone.

 Lord, in these Thy Spirit's days
  Thou dost Thy work renew,
 Daily miracles of grace
  On helpless sinners show:
 O might all the thoughtless crowd
With wonder struck my change to see,
 Flock into the courts of God,
  And run for faith to Thee!

 H IS name through faith alone
 The halt and lame hath heal'd,
Impotent souls with life unknown,
 With heavenly vigour fill'd:
 His name believed and loved
 Did miracles perform,
And sin's infirmity removed
 From many a helpless worm:

 The witnesses appear
 Even now before your face,
Restored to perfect soundness here
 Through reconciling grace:
 Jesus the faith bestow'd
 On men ye see and know,
Who daily praise their pardoning God,
 And walk with Christ below.

 S INNERS what have ye done
 In nature's ignorance!
Your crime, ye unbelievers own,
 Your unperceived offence:
 Ye have exposed to shame
 The' eternal Son of God,
Murder'd afresh the slaughter'd Lamb,
 And trampled on His blood.

 Your learned rulers too
 Who sit in Moses ' chair,
Have crucified their Lord anew;
 And still their Saviour tear:
 Alas, they know not yet,
 In sin and error bred,
Who spitefully the members treat,
 They persecute the Head.

 T HE sinful will of man
 Without his own design
Subserves, if so our God ordain,
 The holy will Divine:
 Our God's almighty grace
 O'errules the bounded ill,
To answer His great purposes,
 And all His thoughts fulfil.

 Of sinners He foretells
 The wickedness foreknown,
Permits their act but not compels,
 Their act is all their own.
 Who can the wisdom sound
 Of His eternal mind,
That makes my Saviour's mortal wound
 The life of all mankind!

O THAT we could to God present
Our hearts by true contrition rent
 Through His beloved Son;
To Christ our mighty Fortress turn,
Look upon Him we pierced and mourn,
 Till our Desire come down!

Jesus through Thy atoning blood
Blot out this thick, incumbent cloud,
 Which hides the face of Heaven;
Thou art that Presence of the Lord:
Descend, Divine Eternal Word,
 And speak our sins forgiven.

Whene'er Thou dost our crimes efface,
The times of sweet refreshing grace,
 The Comforter is come,
The Pledge, the Witness, and the Seal,
That God again on earth shall dwell
 And take His exiles home.

T HE body He did once assume,
 Did of the virgin's substance take,
The flesh which swell'd her sacred womb,
 And suffer'd torment for our sake,
Join'd with the Deity is gone,
And sits on His eternal throne.

The body pure of flesh and blood,
 Subject no more to death or pain,
Sublime at the right hand of God,
 Doth in perpetual rest remain:
Its virtues, fruits, effects we prove;
Yet still the body dwells above.

Enrobed with majesty and power,
 It fills and brightens all the sky,
Till coming all things to restore,
 And visible to mortal eye,
Earth He renews by sovereign grace,
And shows the world His glorious face.

Immortal Son of Man, appear,
 Our Maker, on Thine azure seat,
Begin the great sabbatic year,
 Thy people spotless and complete
In full millennial joy maintain,
And then in Thine eternal reign!

  MOSES the meek man of God,
  A type of Christ was seen,
 Head of faithful Israel stood,
  And guide of sinful men,
 Show'd as prophet of the Lord
The land to all believers given,
 Herald of Jehovah's word,
  Interpreter of Heaven.

  Israel he from Egypt led,
  But must to Jesus yield;
 Jesus like His brethren made,
  His brethren far excell'd;
  Moses form'd the church of old,
And one peculiar nation join'd;
 Christ received into His fold
  The souls of all mankind.

 Soon as Moses prophesied,
   Israel's deliverance came;
 Soon as Jesus spake, and died
  The sacrificial Lamb,
 Life, the grand effect, ensued;
That blood for every soul was spilt,
 Purged that all-redeeming blood
  The universal guilt.

 Those who quaked and could not bear
  Jehovah's thundering word,
 Ask'd that Moses might declare
  The dictates of his Lord:
 Wearied by the law of fire,
Much more the slaves of guilty fear
 Fly from Sinai , and desire
  The voice of Christ to hear.

  Moses truly minister'd,
  A servant, not a Son;
 Christ, who in our flesh appear'd,
  Came from His Father down;
 Equal to the Lord Most-High,
By all the heavenly hosts confess'd,
 Re-enthroned beyond the sky,
  Our God for ever bless'd.

 L ORD with open heart and ear
  We would Thy law receive,
 All Thy gracious sayings hear,
  And savingly believe,
 All Thy kind commands obey,
The pattern trace which Thou hast given,
 Walk in Thee, the Truth, the Way,
  The Life, and Heaven of heaven.

Y E adders deaf, who stop your ears
Against the' immortal Prophet's voice,
(That voice which dying sinners cheers,
 And bids our broken hearts rejoice,)
Who nature's perfect law maintain,
 Your own weak reason idolize,
And dare the' incarnate God disdain,
 The God who made both earth and skies.

Ye men who Christ profess to know,
 And vainly call Him God and Lord,
But will not in His footsteps go,
 Or hearken to His Spirit's word,
Deists and formalists, who slight
 His love, expect His wrath to feel,
Cut off and banish'd from His sight
 Ye both shall shortly meet in hell.

T HE seers and holy men of old
 Have spoken of these gospel-days,
The kingdom of their Lord foretold,
 The reigning power of Jesus' grace;
O might their prophecies on me,
 On every soul be soon fulfill'd,
Redeem'd from all iniquity,
 Rejoicing in our pardon seal'd.

F IRST to the Jews was Shiloh sent,
 Power effectual to repent
  On Israel He bestow'd,
With pardon and salvation bless'd,
His murderers from their sins released,
  And wash'd them in His blood.

He now is sent to every heart,
 Every soul He would convert
  In this accepted day;
And heathens now are justified,
And feel through faith the blood applied,
  Which takes our sins away.

  T HE God of all grace,
  To restore a lost race,
  Hath raised up His Son,
And sent Him again in the Comforter down.
  Ye sinners believe,
  And your Saviour receive,
  By His Father bestow'd,
That ye all may return to the bosom of God.

  God sent Him to bless
  With unspeakable peace
  The children of men,
That ye here may His favour and image regain:
  'Twas His only design,
  By the Spirit Divine
  To redeem you from woe,
And indulge with a taste of your heaven below

  He is ready to prove
  The truth of His love:
  And when Jesus reveals
Your pardon obtain'd, He His office fulfils;
  He bids you be clean
  From the nature of sin
  Through the power of His blood,
And He makes your hearts happy, by making them good.

  Repent and believe
  And the blessing receive,
  The felicity pure,
The salvation of God which shall always endure.
  Your Saviour embrace,
  With His fulness of grace,
  And hold fast the high Prize,
And live upon earth as they live in the skies.