id="id00082">5 Thy glorious promises, O Lord,
Kindle my hope and my desire;
While all the preachers of thy word
Warn me t' escape eternal fire.

6 Thy praise shall still employ my breath,
Since thou hast mark'd my way to heaven;
Nor will I run the road to death,
And wast the blessings thou hast given.

Song 6. Praise for the Gospel.

1 Lord, I ascribe it to thy grace,
And not to chance as others do,
That I was born of Christian race,
And not a Heathen, or a Jew.

2 What would the ancient Jewish kings,
And Jewish prophets once have given,
Could they have heard these glorious things,
Which Christ reveal'd, and brought from heav'n!

3 How glad the Heathens would have been,
That worship idols, wood, and stone,
If they the book of God had seen,
Or Jesus and his gospel known!

4 Then if the Gospel I refuse,
How shall I e'er lift up mine eyes?
For all the Gentiles and the Jews
Against me will in judgment rise.

Song 7. The Excellency of the Bible.

1 Great God, with wonder and with praise,
On all thy works I look;
But still thy wisdom, power and grace
Shine brighter in thy Book.

2 The stars that in their courses roll,
Have much instruction given;
But thy good Word informs my soul
How I may climb to heaven.

3 The fields provide me food, and show
The goodness of the Lord;
But fruits of life and glory grow
In thy most holy Word.

4 Here are my choicest treasures hid,
Here my best comfort lies;
Here my desires are satisfy'd;
And hence my hopes arise.

5 Lord, make me understand thy law,
Show what my faults have been;
And from thy Gospel let me draw
Pardon for all my sin.

6 Here would I learn how Christ has dy'd
To save my soul from hell:
Not all the books on earth beside
Such heav'nly wonders tell.

7 Then let me love my Bible more,
And take a fresh delight
By day to read these wonders o'er,
And meditate by night.

Song 8. Praise to God for learning to read.

1 The praises of my tongue
I offer to the Lord,
That I was taught, and learnt so young
To read his holy Word.

2 That I am taught to know
The danger I was in,
By nature and by practice too
A wretched slave to sin.

3 That I am led to see
I can do nothing well;
And whither shall a sinner flee,
To save himself from hell?

4 Dear Lord, this book of thine
Informs me where to go
For grace to pardon all my sin,
And make me holy too.

5 Here I can read and learn
How Christ the Son of God
Did undertake our great concern,
Our ransom cost his blood.

6 And now he reigns above,
He sends his Spirit down,
To show the wonders of his love,
And make his Gospel known.

7 O may that Spirit teach,
And make my heart receive
Those truths which all thy servants preach,
And all thy saints believe!

8 Then shall I praise the Lord
In a more chearful strain,
That I was taught to read his Word,
And have not learnt in vain.

Song 9.
The All-Seeing God.

1 Almighty God, thy piercing eye
Strikes through the shades of night,
And our most secret actions lie
All open to thy sight.

2 There's not a sin that we commit,
Nor wicked word we say,
But in thy dreadful book `tis writ
Against the judgment-day.

3 And must the crimes that I have done
Be read and publish'd there,
Be all exposed before the sun,
While men and angels hear?

4 Lord, at thy feet ashamed I lie,
Upward I dare not look;
Pardon my sins before I die,
And blot them from thy book.

5 Remember all the dying pains
That my Redeemer felt,
And let his blood wash out my stains,
And answer for my guilt.

6 O may I now for ever fear
T' indulge a sinful thought,
Since the great God can see, and hear,
And writes down every fault!

Song 10. Solemn Thoughts of God and Death.

1 There is a God that reigns above,
Lord of the heavens, and earth, and seas:
I fear his wrath, I ask his love,
And with my lips I sing his praise.

2 There is a law which he has writ,
To teach us all what we must do;
My soul, to his commands submit,
For they are holy, just and true.

3 There is a Gospel of rich grace,
Whence sinners all their comfort draw;
Lord, I repent, and seek thy face;
For I have often broke thy law.

4 There is an hour when I must die,
Nor do I know how soon `twill come;
A thousand children young as I
Are call'd by death to hear their doom.

5 Let me improve the hours I have
Before the day of grace is fled;
There's no repentance in the grave,
No pardons offer'd to the dead.

6 Just as a tree cut down, that fell
To north, or southward, there it lies:
So man departs to heaven or hell,
Fix'd in the state wherein he dies.

Song 11. Heaven and Hell.

1 There is beyond the sky
A heaven of joy and love,
And holy children, when they die,
Go to that world above.

2 There is a dreadful hell,
And everlasting pains,
There sinners must with devils dwell
In darkness, fire, and chains.

3 Can such a wretch as I
Escape this cursed end?
And may I hope, whene'er I die,
I shall to heaven ascend?

4 Then will I read and pray
While I have life and breath;
Lest I should be cut off to day,
And sent t' eternal death.

Song 12. The Advantages of early Religion.

1 Happy's the child whose youngest years
Receive instruction well;
Who hates the sinner's path, and fears
The road that leads to hell.

2 When we devote our youth to God,
'Tis pleasing in his eyes;
A flower, when offer'd in the bud,
Is no vain sacrifice.

3 'Tis easier work if we begin
To fear the Lord betimes;
While sinners that grow old in sin
Are hard'ned in their crimes.

4 'Twill save us from a thousand snares
To mind religion young;
Grace will preserve our following years
And make our vertue strong.

5 To thee, Almighty God, to thee
Our childhood we resign;
'Twill please us to look back and see
That our whole lives were thine.

6 Let the sweet work of prayer and praise,
Employ my youngest breath;
Thus I'm prepar'd for longer days,
Or fit for early death.

Song 13. The Danger of Delay.

1 Why should I say, "`Tis yet too soon
"To seek for heaven or think of death?"
A