Conceal’d amid the gathering throng,
She would have shunn’d thy view,
And if her faith was firm and strong—
Had strong misgivings too.
VI
Like her, with hopes and fears we come,
To touch thee if we may;
Oh! send us not despairing home,
Send none unheal’d away.
15
Manna
By Newton
Exodus 16:18.
I
Manna to Israel well supplied
The want of other bread;
While God is able to provide,
His people shall be fed.
II
(Thus though the corn and wine should fail,
And creature-streams be dry,
The prayer of faith will still prevail
For blessings from on high.)
III
Of his kind care how sweet a proof;
It suited every taste:
Who gather’d most had just enough—
Enough who gather’d least.
IV
’Tis thus our gracious Lord provides
Our comforts and our cares;
His own unerring hand divides,
And gives us each our shares.
V
He knows how much the weak can bear,
And helps them when they cry;
The strongest have no strength to spare,
For such he’ll strongly try.
VI
Daily they saw the manna come
And cover all the ground;
But what they tried to keep at home
Corrupted soon was found.
VII
Vain their attempt to store it up,
This was to tempt the Lord:
Israel must live by faith and hope,
And not upon a hoard.
16
Manna Hoarded
By Newton
Exodus 16:20.
I
The manna, favour’d Israel’s meat,
Was gather’d day by day;
When all the host was served, the heat
Melted the rest away.
II
In vain to hoard it up they tried
Against to-morrow came;
It then bred worms and putrified,
And proved their sin and shame.
III
’Twas daily bread, and would not keep,
But must be still renewed;
Faith should not want a hoard or heap,
But trust the Lord for food.
IV
The truths by which the soul is fed
Must thus be had afresh;
For notions resting in the head
Will only feed the flesh:
V
However true, they have no life
Or unction to impart;
They breed the worms of pride and strife,
But cannot cheer the heart.
VI
Nor can the best experience past
The life of faith maintain;
The brightest hope will faint at last
Unless supplied again.
VII
Dear Lord, while we in prayer are found,
Do thou the manna give;
Oh let it fall on all around,
That we may eat and live!
17
Jehovah-Nissi—The Lord My Banner
By Cowper
Exodus 17:15.
I
By whom was David taught
To aim the dreadful blow,
When he Goliath fought,
And laid the Gittite low?
No sword nor spear the stripling took,
But chose a peeble from the brook.
II
’Twas Israel’s God and King
Who sent him to the fight—
Who gave him strength to sling,
And skill to aim aright.
Ye feeble saints, your strength endures,
Because young David’s God is yours.
III
Who order’d Gideon forth
To storm th’ invader’s camp,
With arms of little worth—
A pitcher and a lamp?
The trumpets made his coming known,
And all the host was overthrown.
IV
Oh! I have seen the day
When, with a single word,
God helping me to say,
My trust is in the Lord,
My soul has quell’d a thousand foes,
Fearless of all that could oppose.
V
But unbelief, self-will,
Self-righteousness, and pride,
How often do they steal
My weapon from my side!
Yet David’s Lord and Gideon’s friend
Will help his servant to the end.
18
The Golden Calf
By Newton
Exodus 32:4, 31.
I
When Israel heard the fiery law
From Sinai’s top proclaim’d,
Their hearts seem’d full of holy awe,
Their stubborn spirits tamed:
II
Yet, as forgetting all they knew,
Ere forty days were past,
With blazing Sinai still in view,
A molten calf they cast.
III
Yea, Aaron, God’s anointed priest.
Who on the mount had been,
He durst prepare the idol-beast,
And lead them on to sin!
IV
Lord, what is man, and what are we,
To recompense thee thus?
In their offence our own we see—
Their story points at us.
V
From Mount Sinai we heard thee speak.
And from Mount Calv’ry too;
And yet to idols oft we seek,
While thou art in our view.
VI
Some golden calf, or golden dream,
Some fancied creature-good,
Presumes to share the heart with Him
Who bought the whole with blood.
VII
Lord, save us from our golden calves,
Our sin with grief we own;
We would no more be thine by halves,
But live to thee alone.
19
The True Aaron
By Newton
Leviticus 8:7–9.
I
See Aaron, God’s anointed priest,
Within the veil appear,
In robes of mystic meaning dress’d,
Presenting Isr’el’s pray’r.
II
The plate of gold which crowns his brows
His holiness describes;
His breast displays, in shining rows,
The names of all the tribes.
III
With the atoning blood he stands
Before the mercy-seat;
And clouds of incense from his hands
Arise with odour sweet.
IV
Urim and Thummim near his heart,
In rich engravings worn,
The sacred light of truth impart,
To teach and to adorn.
V
Through him the eye of faith descries
A greater Priest than he:—
Thus Jesus pleads above the skies
For you, my friends, and me.
VI
He bears the names of all his saints
Deep on his heart engraved,
Attentive to the state and wants
Of all his love has saved.
VII
In him a holiness complete—
Light and perfections shine,
And wisdom, grace, and glory meet;—
A Saviour all divine.
VIII
The blood which as a Priest he bears
For sinners is his own;
The incense of his prayers and tears
Perfumes the holy throne.
IX
In him my weary soul has rest,
Though I am weak and vile;
I read my name upon his breast,
And see the Father smile.
20
Balaam’s Wish.1
By Newton
Numbers 23:10.
I
How bless’d the
