V
She was not fill’d with wine,
As Eli rashly thought,
But with a faith divine,
And found the help she sought.
Though men despise and call us base,
Still let us ply the throne of grace.
VI
Men have not power or skill
With troubled souls to bear;
Though they express good-will.
Poor comforters they are:
But swelling sorrows sink apace
When we approach the throne of grace.
VII
Numbers before have tried,
And found the promise true;
Nor yet one been denied,
Then why should I or you?
Let us by faith their footsteps trace,
And hasten to the throne of grace.
VIII
As fogs obscure the light,
And taint the morning air,
But soon are put to flight
If the bright sun appear,
Thus Jesus will our troubles chase,
By shining from the throne of grace.2
26
Dagon Before the Ark
By Newton
1 Samuel 5:4–5.
I
When first, to make my heart his own,
The Lord reveal’d his mighty grace,
Self reign’d, like Dagon, on the throne,
But could not long maintain its place.
II
It fell, and own’d the power divine,
(Grace can with ease the victory gain,)
But soon this wretched heart of mine
Contrived to set it up again.
III
Again the Lord his name proclaim’d,
And brought the hateful idol low;
Then self, like Dagon, broken, maim’d,
Seem’d to receive a mortal blow:
IV
Yet self is not of life bereft,
Nor ceases to oppose his will;
Though but a maimed stump be left,
’Tis Dagon—’tis an idol still.
V
Lord! must I always guilty prove,
And idols in my heart have room?
Oh! let the fire of heavenly love
The very stump of self consume.
27
The Milch Kine Drawing the Ark: Faith’s Surrender of All
By Newton
1 Samuel 6:12.
I
The kine unguided went
By the directest road,
When the Philistines homeward sent
The ark of Israel’s God.
II
Lowing they pass’d along
And left their calves shut up;
They felt an instinct for their young,
But would not turn or stop.
III
Shall brutes, devoid of thought,
Their Maker’s will obey;
And we, who by his grace are taught.
More stubborn prove than they?
IV
He shed his precious blood,
To make us his alone;
If wash’d in that atoning flood,
We are no more our own.
V
If he his will reveal,
Let us obey his call;
And think, whate’er the flesh may feel,
His love deserves our all.
VI
We should maintain in view
His glory as our end;
Too much we cannot bear or do
For such a matchless Friend.
VII
His saints should stand prepared
In duty’s path to run;
Nor count their greatest trials hard
So that his will be done.
VIII
With Jesus for our guide,
The path is safe, though rough,
The promise says, “I will provide;”
And faith replies, “Enough!”
28
Saul’s Armour
By Newton
1 Samuel 17:38–40.
I
When first my soul enlisted
My Saviour’s foes to fight,
Mistaken friends insisted
I was not arm’d aright:
So Saul advised David
He certainly would fail,
Nor could his life be saved
Without a coat of mail.
II
But David, though he yielded
To put the armour on,
Soon found he could not wield it,
And ventured forth with none.
With only sling and pebble
He fought the fight of faith:
The weapons seem’d but feeble,
Yet proved Goliath’s death.
III
Had I by him been guided,
And quickly thrown away
The armour men provided,
I might have gain’d the day:
But arm’d as they advised me,
My expectations fail’d;
My enemy surprised me,
And had almost prevail’d.
IV
Furnish’d with books and notions,
And arguments and pride,
I practised all my motions,
And Satan’s power defied:
But soon perceived with trouble
That these would do no good;
Iron to him is stubble,
And brass like rotton wood.
V
I triumph’d at a distance,
While he was out of sight;
But faint was my resistance
When forced to join in fight:
He broke my sword in shivers,
And pierced my boasted shield;
Laugh’d at my vain endeavours,
And drove me from the field.
VI
Satan will not be braved
By such a worm as I;
Then let me learn with David
To trust in the Most High—
To plead the name of Jesus,
And use the sling of prayer:
Thus arm’d, when Satan sees us
He’ll tremble and despair.
29
David’s Fall
By Newton
2 Samuel 11:27.
I
How David, when by sin deceived,
From bad to worse went on!
For when the Holy Spirit’s grieved,
Our strength and guard are gone.
II
His eyes, on Bathsheba once fix’d,
With poison fill’d his soul;
He ventured on adult’ry next,
And murder crown’d the whole.
III
So from a spark of fire at first,
That has not been descried,
A dreadful flame has often burst,
And ravaged far and wide.
IV
When sin deceives it hardens too;
For though he vainly sought
To hide his crimes from public view,
Of God he little thought.
V
He neither would nor could repent,
No true compunction felt,
Till God in mercy Nathan sent,
His stubborn heart to melt.
VI
The parable held forth a fact,
Design’d his case to show;
But though the picture was exact,
Himself he did not know.
VII
“Thou art the man,” the prophet said:
That word his slumber broke;
And when he own’d his sin and pray’d,
The Lord forgiveness spoke.
VIII
Let those who think they stand, beware,
For David stood before:
Nor let the fallen soul despair,
For Mercy can restore.
30
Is This Thy Kindness to Thy Friend?
By Newton
2 Samuel 16:17.
I
Poor, weak, and worthless, though I am,
I have a rich, almighty Friend;
Jesus, the Saviour, is his name,
He freely loves, and without end.
II
He ransom’d me from hell with blood,
And by his power my foes control’d;
He found me wand’ring far from God,
And brought me to his chosen
