All he waters from above; Offers all his joy and peace, Settled comfort, perfect love,
Everlasting righteousness. 5 All may from him receive A power to turn and live; Grace for every soul is free, All may hear the effectual call; All the light of life may see,
All may feel he died for all.
DESCRIBING
6 Drop down in showers of love, Ye heavens, from above!
Righteousness, ye skies, pour down! Open, earth, and take it in! Claim the Spirit for your own,
Sinners, and be saved from sin! 7 Father, behold, we claim The gift in Jesu's name! Him, the promised Comforter, Into all our spirits pour; Let him fix his mansion here, Come, and never leave us more.
87
1
Before Reading the Scriptures. C. M. COME NOME, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire, Let us thine influence prove, Source of the old prophetic fire, Fountain of light and love.
2 Come, Holy Ghost,( for moved by thee The prophets wrote and spoke) Unlock the truth, thyself the key, Unseal the sacred book.
3 Expand thy wings, celestial Dove, Brood o'er our nature's night; On our disordered spirits move, And let there now be light.
4 God, through himself, we then shall know, If thou within us shine,
And sound, with all thy saints below, The depths of love divine.
88 The same subject.
C. M.
ATHER
in
FWe live, and move, and breathe,
One bright celestial ray dart down, And cheer thy sons beneath.
2 While in thy word we search for thee, ( We search with trembling awe!) Open our eyes, and let us see The wonders of thy law.
3 Now let our darkness comprehend The light that shines so clear; Now the revealing Spirit send, And give us ears to hear.
FORMAL RELIGION.
4 Before us make thy goodness pass, Which here by faith we know; Let us in Jesus see thy face, And die to all below.
89
1
2 Timothy iii. 16, 17.
Who wrote from thee the sacred page,
The same through all succeeding years,
To us, in our degenerate age,
The spirit of thy word impart, And breathe the life into our heart.
22
6-8 s.
2 While now thine oracles we read,
With earnest prayer and strong desire, O let thy Spirit from thee proceed, Our souls to awaken and inspire, Our weakness help, our darkness chase, And guide us by the light of grace! 3 Whene'er in error's paths we rove,
The living God through sin forsake, Our conscience by thy word reprove, Convince and bring the wanderers back, Deep wounded by thy Spirit's sword, And then by Gilead's balm restored. 4 The sacred lessons of thy grace,
Transmitted through thy word, repeat, And train us up in all thy ways,
To make us in thy will complete; Fulfil thy love's redeeming plan, And bring us to a perfect man.
5 Furnished out of thy treasury, O may we always ready stand To help the souls redeemed by thee, In what their various states demand; To teach, convince, correct, reprove," And build them up in holiest love!
* 90
6-8 s.
1
Luke xxiv. 45.
COME,
YOME, O thou Prophet of the Lord, Thou great Interpreter divine, Explain thine own transmitted word, To teach and to inspire is thine; Thou only canst thyself reveal, Open the book, and loose the seal.
2 Whate'er the ancient prophets spoke Concerning thee, O Christ, make known; Chief subject of the sacred book,
Thou fillest all, and thou alone; Yet there our Lord we cannot see, Unless thy Spirit lend the key.
3 Now, Jesus, now the veil remove, The folly of our darkened heart; Unfold the wonders of thy love,
The knowledge of thyself impart; Our ear, our inmost soul, we bow, Speak, Lord, thy servants hearken now.
PART II. CONVINCING.
SECTION I.
DESCRIBING FORMAL RELIGION.
91
ONG have I seemed to serve thee, Lord, With unavailing pain;
C. M.
1
Fasted, and prayed, and read thy word, And heard it preached in vain.
2 Oft did I with the assembly join, And near thine altar drew;
A form of godliness was mine,
The power I never knew.
3 I rested in the outward law,
Nor knew its deep design;
The length and breadth I never saw, And height, of love divine.