SONG III.

PRAISE TO GOD FOR OUR REDEMPTION.

BLEST be the wildom and the power,

The justice and the grace,

That join'd in counsel to restore,

And fave our ruin'd race.

Our father ate forbidden fruit,

And from his glory fell;

And we his children thus were brought
To death, and near to hell.

Bleft be the Lord that fent his Son
To take our Acfh and blood;
He for our lives gave up his own,
To make our peace with God.
He honour'd all his Father's laws,
Which we have disobey'd;
He bore our fins upon the cross,
And our full raniom paid.

bold him rifing from the grave;
Behold him rais'd on high:
He pleads his merit, there to fave
Tranfgreffors doom'd to die.

There on a glorious throne he reigns,
And by his power divine

Redeems us from the flavish chains
Of Satan and of Sin.

Thence fhall the Lord to judgment come,
And with a fovereign voice

Shall call, and break up every tomb,
While waking faints rejoice.

may I then with joy appear
Before the Judge's face,

And with the bleis'd affembly there
Sing his redeeming grace!

SONG IV.

PRAISE FOR MERCIES SPIRITUAL AND TEM

PORAL.

WIENE'ER I take my walks abroad,

How many poor I fee!

What shall I render to my God

For all his gifts to me?

Not more than others I deferve,

Yet God has given me more;
For I have food, while others farve,
Or beg from door to door.

How many children in the street
Half naked I behold!

While I am cloth'd from head to feet,
And cover'd from the cold.

While fome poor wretches fcarce can tell
Where they may lay their head;
I have a home wherein to dwell,
And reft upon my bed.

While others early learn to swear,
And curfe, and lie, and steal;
Lord, I am taught thy name to fear,
And do thy holy will.

Are these thy favours day by day

To me above the rest?

Then let me love thee more than they, And try to serve thee best.

SONG V.

PRAISE FOR BIRTH AND EDUCATION IN A CHRISTIAN LAND.

GREAT God, to thee my voice I raise,
To thee my youngest hours belong;
I would begin my life with praife,
Till growing years improve the fong.
'Tis to thy fovereign grace I owe
That I was born on British ground;
Where ftreams of heavenly mercy flow,
And words of fweet falvation found.

I would not change my native land
For rich Peru with all her gold:
A nobler prize lies in my hand,
Than Eaft or Weftern Indies hold.
How do I pity thofe that dwell
Where ignorance and darknefs reigns!
They know no heaven, they fear no hell,
Thofe endless joys, thofe endless pains.

Thy glorious promises, O Lord,
Kindle my hopes and my defire;
While all the preachers of thy word
Warn me to 'fcape eternal fire.

Thy praise fhall ftill employ my breath,
Since thou haft mark'd my way to heaven;
Nor will I run the road to death,

And waste the bleffings thou haft given.

The ftars, that in their courfes roll,
Have much inftruction given;
But thy good word informs my foul
How I may climb to heaven.

The fields provide me food, and show
The goodness of the Lord;
But fruits of life and glory grow
In thy moft holy word.

Here are my choiceft treasures hid,
Here my best comfort lies;
Here my defires are fatisfy'd,
And hence my hopes arife.

Lord, make me understand thy law;

Show what my thoughts have been: And from thy gospel let me draw Pardon for all my fin.

Here would I learn how Chrift had dy'd
To fave my foul from hell:
Not all the books on earth befide
Such heavenly wonders tell,

Then let me love my Bible more,
And take a fresh delight

By day to read thefe wonders o'er,
And meditate by night.

SONG VIII.

PRAISE TO GOD FOR LEARNING TO READ.

THE praises of my tongue

I offer to the Lord,

That I was taught, and learnt fo young

To read his holy word.

That I am brought to know
The danger I was in,
By nature and by practice too,
A wretched flave to fin.
That I am led to fee

I can do nothing well;
And whither fhall a finner flee
To fave himself from hell?
Dear Lord, this book of thine

Informs me where to go,
For grace to pardon all my fin,
And make me holy too.

Here I can read, and learn

How Chrift, the Son of God, Has undertook our great concern; Our ranfom coft his blood.

And now he reigns above,

He fends his Spirit down
To fhow the wonders of his love,
And make his gospel known.

O may that Spirit teach,

And make my heart receive

Those truths which all thy fervants preach, And all thy faints believe.

Then fhall I praise the Lord

In a more cheerful strain,

That I was taught to read his word,
And have not learnt in vain.

SONG IX.

THE ALL-SEEING GOD.

ALMIGHTY God, thy piercing eye
Strikes through the fhades of night,
And our moft fecret actions lie
All open to thy fight.

There's not a fin that we commit,

Nor wicked word we fay,
But in thy dreadful book 'tis writ,
Against the judgement-day.

And muft the crimes that I have done
Be read and publish'd there?
Be all expos'd before the fun,
While men and angels hear?
Lord, at thy foot asham'd I lie;
Upward I dare not look;
Pardon my fins before I die,

And blot them from thy book.

Remember all the dying pains
That my Redeemer felt,

And let his blood wash out my stains,
And answer for my guilt.

O may I now for ever fear

T' indulge a finful thought, Since the great God can fee and hear, And writes down every fault.

SONG X.

SOLEMN THOUGHTS OF GOD AND DEATE

THERE is a God that reigns above,
Lord of the heavens, and earth, and feas:
I fear his wrath, I afk his love,
And with my lips I fing his praife.

There is a law which he has writ,
To teach us all that we must do:
My foul, to his commands fubmit,
For they are holy, juft, and true.
There is a gofpel of rich grace,
Whence finners all their comforts draw:
Lord, I repent, and feek thy face;
For I have often broke thy law.

There is an hour when I muft die,
Nor do I know how foon 'twill come :
A thoufand children young as I,
Are call'd by death to hear their doom.
Let me improve the hours I have,
Before the day of grace is fled;
There's no repentance in the grave,
Nor pardons offer'd to the dead.

Juft as a tree cut down, that fell
To north or fouthward, there it lies;
So man departs to heaven or hell,
Fix'd in the ftate wherein he dies.

SONG XI.

HEAVEN AND HELL.

THERE is beyond the sky
A heaven of joy and love;

And holy children when they die
Go to that world above.

There is a dreadful hell,

And everlasting pains;

There finners must with devils dwell
In darkness, fire, and chains.

Can fuch a wretch as I
Escape this curfed end?
And may I hope whene'er I die
I fhall to heaven afcend?

Then will I read and pray,

While I have life and breath; Left I should be cut off to-day, And fent t'eternal death.

SONG XII.

THE ADVANTAGES OF EARLY RELIGION.

HAPPY's the child whose youngest years
Receive inftructions well:

Who hates the finner's path, and fears
The road that leads to hell.

When we devote our youth to God,
'Tis pleafing in his eyes;

A flower, when offer'd in the bud,
Is no vain facrifice.

'Tis eafier work if we begin

To fear the Lord betimes;
While finners that grow old in fin
Are harden'd in their crimes.

Twill fave us from a thousand fnares,
To mind religion young;
Grace will preferve our following years,
And make our virtue strong.

To thee, Almighty God, to thee,
Our childhood we refign;

Twill pleafe us to look back and fee
That our whole lives were thine.

Let the fweet work of prayer and praise
Employ my youngest breath;
Thus I'm prepar'd for longer days,
Or fit for early death.

SONG XIII.

THE DANGER OF DELAY.

WHY fhould I fay," "Tis yet too foon
"To feek for heaven or think of death?"
A flower may fade before 'tis noon,
And I this day may loofe my breath.

If this rebellious heart of mine
Defpife the gracious calls of heaven,
I may be harden'd in my fin,
And never have repentance given.

What if the Lord grow wroth and fwear,
While I refuse to read and pray,

That he'll refufe to lend an ear

To all my groans another day?

VOL. IX.

What if his dreadful anger burn,
While I refufe his, offer'd grace,
And all his love to fury turn,
And ftrike me dead upon the place?

'Tis dangerous to provoke a God!
His power and vengeance none can tell;
One ftroke of his Almighty rod

Shall fend young finners quick to hell.

Then 'twill for ever be in vain.
To cry for pardon and for grace:
To wish I had my time again,
Or hope to fee my Maker's face.

SONG XIV.

EXAMPLES OF EARLY PIETY.

WHAT blefs'd examples do I find
Writ in the word of truth,
Of children that began to mind
Religion in their youth!

Jefus, who reigns above the sky,
And keeps the world in awe,
Was once a child as young as I,
And kept his Father's law.

At twelve years old he talk'd with men,
(The Jews all wondering ftand)
Yet he obey'd his mother then,

And came at her command.
Children a fweet hofanna fung,

And bleft their Saviour's name; They gave him honour with their tongue, While feribes and priests blafpheme.

Samuel the child was wean'd, and brought
To wait upon the Lord;

Young Timothy by times was taught
To know his holy word.

Then why should I fo long delay

What others learnt fo foon? I would not país another day Without this work begun.

SONG XV.

AGAINST LYING.

O 'Tis a lovely thing for youth
To walk betimes in wifdom's way;
To fear a lie, to speak the truth,
That we may trust to all they fay.

But liars we can never truft,

Though they fhould speak the thing that's true; And he that does one fault at first,

And lies to hide it, makes it two.

Have we not known, nor heard, nor read,
How God abhors deceit and wrong?

How Ananias was ftruck dead,

Catch'd with a lie upon his tongue?

So did his wife Saphira die,

When the came in, and grew fo bold
As to confirm that wicked lie
That juft before her husband told.

A a

The Lord delights in them that speak
The words of truth; but every liar
Muft have his portion in the lake

That burns with brimstone and with fire.

Then let me always watch my lips,
Left I be ftruck to death and hell,
Since God a book of reckoning keeps
For every lie that children tell.

SONG XVI.

AGAINST QUARRELLING AND FIGHTING..

LET dogs delight to bark and bite,

For God hath made them fo;
Let bears and lions growl and fight,
For 'tis their nature too.

But, children, you should never let
Such angry paffions rife ;
Your little hands were never made

To tear each other's eyes.

Let love through all our actions run,
And all your words be mild;
Live like the bleffed virgin's fon,
That fweet and lovely child.

His foul was gentle as a lamb ;-
And as his ftature grew,
He grew in favour both with man,
And God his Father too.

Now Lord of all he reigns above,

And from his heavenly throne He fees what children dwell in love, And marks them for his own.

SONG XVII.

LOVE BETWEEN BROTHERS AND SISTERS.

WATEVER brawls difturb the street,
There should be peace at home;
Where fifters dwell and brothers meet,
Quarrels fhould never come.

Birds in their little nefts agree;

And 'tis a fhameful fight,

When children of one family

Fall out and chide and fight.

Hard names at first, and threatening words,
That are but noisy breath,

May grow to clubs and naked fwords,
To murder and to death.

The devil tempts one mother's fon
To rage against another;
So wicked Cain was hurry'd on

Till ho had kill'd his brother.
The wife will make their anger cool,
At least before 'tis night;
But in the bofom of a fool

It burns till morning-light.
Pardon, O Lord, our childish rage,
Our little brawls remove;

That, as we grow to riper age, Our hearts may all be love.

SONG XVIII.

AGAINST SCOFFING AND CALLING NAMES.

OUR tongues were made to blefs the Lord,
And not speak ill of men;
When others give a railing word,
We must not rail again.

Crof's words and angry names require
To be chaftis'd at school;
And he's in danger of hell fire,

That calls his brother fool.

But lips that dare be fo profane,
To mock and jeer and fcoff
At holy things or holy men,

The Lord fhall cut them off.

When children in their wanton play
Serv'd old Elisha fo;
And bid the prophet go his way,
"Go up, thou bald-head,

go."

God quickly ftopp'd their wicked breath, And fent two raging bears,

That tore them limb from limb to death. With blood and groans and tears.

Great God, how terrible art thou

To finners e'er so young!

Grant me thy grace, and teach me how To tame and rule my tongue.

SONG XIX.

AGAINST SWEARING AND CURSING, AND TAKING GOD'S NAME IN VAIN.

ANGELS, that high in glory dwell,
Adore thy name, Almighty God!
And devils tremble down in hell,
Beneath the terrors of thy rod.
And yet how wicked children dare
Abuse thy dreadful glorious name!
And when they're angry, how they fwear.
And curfe their fellows and blafpheme!

How will they ftand before thy face,

Who treated thee with fuch difdain,
While thou shalt doom them to the place
Of everlasting fire and pain?
Then never shall one cooling drop

To quench their burning tongues be given;
But I will praife thee here, and hope
Thus to employ my tongue in heaven.
My heart shall be in pain to hear

Wretches affront the Lord above;
'Tis that great God whose power I fear;
That heavenly Father whom I love.
If my companions grow profane,

I'll leave their friendship, when I hear
Young finners take thy name in vain,
And learn to curse, and learn to fwear.

SONG XX.

AGAINST IDLENESS AND MISCHIEF.

How doth the little busy bee
Improve each fhining hour,
And gather honey all the day
From every opening flower?
How fkilfully the builds her cell!.
How neat the fpreads the wax!
And labours hard to ftore it well
With the fweet food she makes.

In works of labour or of skill,
I would be bufy too;

For Satan finds fome mifchief still
For idle hands to do.

In books, or work, or healthful play,
Let my first years be past,
That I may give for every day
Some good account at last.

SONG XXI.

AGAINST EVIL COMPANY.

WIY fhould I join with those in play,
In whom I've no delight;
Who curfe and fwear but never pray;
Who call ill names and fight?

I hate to hear a wanton fong:
Their words offend mine ears;
fhould not dare defile my tongue
With language fuch as theirs.
Away from fools I'll turn mine eyes;
Nor with the fcoffers go;
I would be walking with the wife,
That wifer I may grow.

From one rude boy that us'd to mock,
They learn the wicked jest:
One fickly theep infects the flock,
And poifons all the reft.

My God, I hate to walk, or dwell
With finful children here;

Then let me not be fent to hell,
Where none but finners are.

SONG XXII.

AGAINST PRIDE IN CLOTHES.

Way fhould our garments, made to hide
Our parents shame, provoke our pride?
The art of dress did ne'er begin,
Till Eve our mother learnt to fin.

When first she put her covering on,
Her robe of innocence was gone;
And yet her children vainly boast
In the fad marks of glory loft.

How proud we are! how fond to fhow
Our clothes, and call them rich and new!
When the poor theep and filk-worm wore
That very clothing long before.

The tulip and the butterfly
Appear in gayer coats than 1;
Let me be dreft fine as I will,
Flies, worms, and flowers, exceed me ftill.
Then will I fet my heart to find
Inward adornings of the mind;
Knowledge and virtue, truth and grace
These are the robes of richest drefs.

No more fhall worms with me compare;
This is the raiment angels wear;
The Son of God, when here below,
Put on this bleft apparel too.

It never fades, it ne'er grows old,
Nor fears the rain, nor moth, nor mould:
It takes no fpot, but still refines;
The more 'tis worn, the more it fhines.
In this on earth fhould I appear;
Then go to heaven and wear it there;
God will approve it in his fight;
'Tis his own work, and his delight.

LET children that would fear the Lord
Hear what their teachers fay;
With reverence meet their parents word,
And with delight obey.

Have you not heard what dreadful plagues
Are threaten'd by the Lord,
To him that breaks his father's law,

Or mocks his mother's word;

What heavy guilt upon him lies!
How curfed is his name!
The ravens fhall pick out his eyes,
And eagles eat the fame.

But those who worship God, and give
Their parents honour due,

Here on this earth they long fhall live,
And live hereafter too.

SONG XXIV.

THE CHILD'S COMPLAINT.

WHY fhould I love my sport fo well,
So conftant at my play,

And lofe the thoughts of heaven and hell
And then forget to
pray?

What do I read my Bible for,

But, Lord, to learn thy will;
And fhall I daily know thee more,
And lefs obey thee still?

How fenfelefs is my heart and wild!
How vain are all my thoughts!
Pity the weakness of a child,

And pardon all my faults!

Make me thy heavenly voice to hear,
And let me love to pray;
Since God will lend a gracious ear
To what a child can fay.

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