Thou, rather than thy justice should be stained, O, what a groan was there! a groan not His. What needs my blood, since thine will do, O, tender mercy's art divine! Thy sorrow proves the cure of mine! Thy death, in death's extreme of pain, The Son of God Parnell. Only begotton, and well-beloved, between Just for unjust, and innocence for guilt. Thus Truth with Mercy met, and Righteousness, Stooping from highest heaven, embraced fair Peace, That walked the earth in fellowship with Love. Pollok. God's own son, unblemished victim, gave And shall the sinful heart, alone, And death resigns his iron power? Whittier. Jesus, thy name beyond all nature loud, Through all the chambers of responsive faith, R. Montgomery. Advance, O hopeless mortal, steeled in guilt, And raise thee from a rebel to a son. Lamb of God! Our Priest and Pastor, Ever dear and holy Master, Make our feeble love increase! So that when we seek Thee, owning All iniquity departs, Boyse. Mayest speak forth from Thine enthronement, To our rent and wearied hearts, "Sinner, go in peace!" C. D. Mc Leod. Tune your harps anew, ye seraphs, Glory to the bleeding Lamb! J. Evans. AVARICE. SOME remove the landmarks; they violently take away flocks, and feed thereof. They drive away the ass of the fatherless, they take the widow's ox for a pledge. They turn the needy out of the way; the poor of the earth hide themselves together.--Job, xxiv. 2, 3, 4. Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth!--Isaiah, v. 8. Your gold and silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.--James, v. 3, 4. FOR of his wicked pelf his god he made, And unto hell himself for money sold: Accursed usury was all his trade, And right and wrong alike in equal balance weighed. Spenser. For, like an ass, whose back with ingots bows, Thou bearest thy heavy riches but a journey, And death unloads thee. If thou art rich, thou art poor; Shakspere. Woe to the worldly man, whose covetous Bishop King. Young. O cursed lust of gold! when for thy sake Blair. Starve beside the chests, whose every corn Avarice o'ershoots Its destined mark; and with abundance cursed, The thirst for gold George Bally. Hath made men demons, till the heart that feels But should my destiny be quest of wealth, Oh! life misspent-Oh! foulest waste of time! Thomas Ward. The miser comes, his heart to mammon soldHis life, his hope, his god, his all is gold. "To-morrow, and to-morrow," he will say, "Soul, take thine ease, for thou hast many a day Whose smiling dawns will make thee to rejoice." Hush! Hark the echoes of that awful voice! "Thou fool! This night yield up thy earthly trust!" Gaze once again, his treasures are but dust. B. D. Winslow. Gold! gold! in all ages the curse of mankind, Park Benjamin. AWAKE-ARISE. AWAKE up, my glory; awake psaltery and harp; I myself will awake early.--Psalm lvii. 8. Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.--Isaiah, lx. 1, 3. Arise ye, and depart, for this is not your rest; because it is polluted.--Micah, ii. 10. AWAKE, my soul, and with the sun Wake, and lift up thyself, my heart, Glory to God, who safe hath kept, And hath refreshed me while I slept, Grant Lord, when I from death shall wake, I may of endless life partake. Awake our souls, and bless his name, Whose mercies never fail; Who opens wide a door of hope, Behold the portal wide displayed, Enter my soul with cheerful haste, Nor fear the serpent's wily arts, O may thy grace the nations lead, Kenn. Doddridge. |