With them who fear’d not God!
II
A pris’ner he was quickly made,
Bereaved of all his store;
And but for Abra’m’s timely aid
He had return’d no more.
III
Yet still he seem’d resolved to stay,
As if it were his rest,
Although their sins from day to day
His righteous soul distress’d.
IV
Awhile he stay’d, with anxious mind,
Exposed to scorn and strife;
At last he left his all behind,
And fled to save his life.
V
In vain his sons-in-law he warn’d;
They thought he told his dreams;
His daughters too of them had learn’d,
And perish’d in the flames.
VI
His wife escaped a little way,
But died for looking back:
Does not her case to pilgrims say,
“Beware of growing slack”?
VII
Yea, Lot himself could ling’ring stand
Though vengeance was in view;
’Twas Mercy pluck’d him by the hand
Or he had perish’d too.
VIII
The doom of Sodom will be ours
If to the earth we cleave:
Lord, quicken all our drowsy powers
To flee to thee and live.
6
Jehovah-Jireh—The Lord Will Provide
By Cowper
Genesis 22:14.
I
The saints should never be dismay’d,
Nor sink in hopeless fear;
For, when they least expect his aid,
The Saviour will appear.
II
This Abra’m found: he raised the knife,
God saw, and said, “Forbear!
Yon ram shall yield his meaner life—
Behold the victim there.”
III
Once David seem’d Saul’s certain prey;
But hark! the foe’s at hand;
Saul turns his arms another way,
To save th’ invaded land.
IV
When Jonah sunk beneath the wave
He thought to rise no more;
But God prepared a fish to save
And bear him to the shore.
V
Bless’d proofs of power and grace divine
That meet us in his word!
May every deep-felt care of mine
Be trusted with the Lord!
VI
Wait for his seasonable aid,
And though it tarry, wait:
The promise may be long delay’d,
But cannot come too late.
7
The Lord Will Provide
By Newton
I
Though troubles assail,
And dangers affright,
Though friends should all fail,
And foes all unite;
Yet one thing secures us,
Whatever betide,
The Scripture assures us
The Lord will provide.
II
The birds without barn
Or storehouse are fed;
From them let us learn
To trust for our bread:
His saints what is fitting
Shall ne’er be denied,
So long as ’tis written,
The Lord Will provide.
III
We may, like the ships,
By tempests be tost
On perilous deeps,
But cannot be lost:
Though Satan enrages
The wind and the tide,
The promise engages
The Lord will provide.
IV
His call we obey,
Like Abr’am of old,
Not knowing our way,
But faith makes us bold:
For though we are strangers,
We have a good guide,
And trust, in all dangers,
The Lord will provide.
V
When Satan appears,
To stop up our path
And fill us with fears,
We triumph by faith;
He cannot take from us,
Though oft he has tried,
This heart-cheering promise,
The Lord will provide.
VI
He tells us we’re weak,
Our hope is in vain,
The good that we seek
We ne’er shall obtain;
But when such suggestions
Our spirits have plied,
This answers all questions,
The Lord will provide.
VII
No strength of our own
Or goodness we claim;
Yet since we have known
The Saviour’s great name,
In this our strong tower
For safety we hide,
The Lord is our power,
The Lord will provide.
VIII
When life sinks apace,
And death is in view,
This word of his grace
Shall comfort us through:
No fearing or doubting
With Christ on our side—
We hope to die shouting,
The Lord will provide.
8
Esau
By Newton
Genesis 25; Hebrews 12:16.
I
Poor Esau repented too late
That once he his birthright despised,
And sold, for a morsel of meat,
What could not too highly be prized:
How great was his anguish when told,
The blessing he sought to obtain
Was gone with the birthright he sold,
And none could recall it again!
II
He stands as a warning to all
Wherever the gospel shall come;
O hasten and yield to the call
While yet for repentance there’s room!
Your season will quickly be past;
Then hear and obey it to-day,
Lest, when you seek mercy at last,
The Saviour should frown you away.
III
What is it the world can propose?
A morsel of meat at the best!
For this are you willing to lose
A share in the joys of the bless’d?
Its pleasures will speedily end,
Its favour and praise are but breath;
And what can its profits befriend
Your soul in the moments of death?
IV
If Jesus for these you despise,
And sin to the Saviour prefer,
In vain your entreaties and cries
When summon’d to stand at his bar:
How will you his presence abide?
What anguish will torture your heart!
The saints all enthroned by his side,
And you be compell’d to depart.
V
Too often, dear Saviour, have I
Preferr’d some poor trifle to thee;
How is it thou dost not deny
The blessing and birthright to me?
No better than Esau I am,
Though pardon and heaven be mine;
To me belongs nothing but shame—
The praise and the glory be thine.
9
Jacob’s Ladder
By Newton
Genesis 28:12.
I
If the Lord our leader be,
We may follow without fear;
East or west, by land or sea,
Home with him is every where.
When from Esau Jacob fled,
Though his pillow was a stone,
And the ground his humble bed,
Yet he was not left alone.
II
Kings are often waking kept,
Rack’d with cares on beds of state:
Never king like Jacob slept,
For he lay at heaven’s gate.
Lo! he saw a ladder rear’d,
Reaching to the heavenly throne;
At the top the Lord appeared,
Spake, and claim’d him for his own:—
III
“Fear not, Jacob, thou art mine,
And my presence with thee goes;
On thy heart my love shall shine,
And my arm subdue thy foes:
From my promise comfort take,
For my help in trouble call;
Never will I thee forsake
Till I have accomplish’d all.”
IV
Well does Jacob’s ladder suit
To the gospel throne of grace;
We are at the ladder’s foot,
Every hour, in every place.
By assuming flesh and blood,
Jesus heaven and earth unites;
We by faith ascend to God,
God to dwell with us delights.
V
They who know the Saviour’s name
Are for
