Can I forget the fatal deed,
How Eve brought death on all her seed?
She tasted the forbidden tree,
Anger'd her God and ruin'd me.
Was life design'd alone to eat?
What is the mouth, or what the meat?
Both from the ground derive their birth,
And both shall mix with common earth.
Great God! new-mould my sensual mind,
And let my joys be more refin'd;
Raise me to dwell among the blest,
And fit me for thy heav'nly feast.
THE Lord, how great his majesty!
How pure are all his ways!
Sinners unclean offend his eye,
Nor stand before his face.
Thou hast ordain'd immortal woes,
And everlasting fire,
To be the just reward of those
Who follow loose desire.
I hear, I read the dreadful doom
Of Sodom in thy word:
And dares a feeble worm presume
Thus to provoke the Lord?
Dear Saviour, guard me by thy grace,
From thoughts and words unclean?
Nor let temptation gain success,
To draw my soul to sin.
For SERMON XXVIII.
A lovely Carriage.
Common Metre.
"TIS a lovely thing to see
A man of prudent heart,
Whose thoughts, and lips, and life
To act an useful part.
When envy, strife and wars begin
In little angry souls,
Mark how the sons of peace come in,
And quench the kindling coals.
Their minds are humble, mild and meek,
Nor let their fury rise:
Nor passion moves their lips to speak,
Nor pride exalts their eyes.
Their frame is prudence, mix'd with love;
Good works fulfil their day;
They join the serpent with the dove,
But cast the sting away.
Such was the Saviour of mankind;
Such pleasures he pursu❜d;
His flesh and blood were all refin'd,
His soul divinely good.
Lord, can these plants of virtue
In such a soul as mine?
Thy grace can form my nature so,
And make my heart like thine.
For SERMON XXIX.
Things of good Report.
Long Metre.
S it a thing of good report,
To squander life and time away?
To cut the hours of duty short,
While toys and follies waste the day?
To ask and prattle all affairs,
And mind all business but our own;
To live at random, void of cares,
While all things to confusion run?
Doth this become the Christian name,
To venture near the tempter's door?
To sort with men of evil fame,
And yet presume to stand secure?
Am I my own sufficient guard,
While I expose my soul to shame?
Can the short joys of sin reward
The lasting blemish of my name?
O may it be my constant choice
To walk with men of grace below,
Till I arrive where heav'nly joys,
And never-fading honours, grow!
For SERMON XXX.
Courage and Honour.
Common Metre.
OI believe what Jesus saith,
And think his gospel true?
Lord, make me bold to own my faith,
And practise virtue too.
Suppress my shame, subdue my fear,
Arm me with heav'nly zeal,
That I may make thy pow'r appear,
And works of praise fulfil.
If men shall see my virtue shine,
And spread my name abroad,
Thine is the power, the praise is thine,
My Saviour and my God.
Thus when the saints in glory meet,
Their lips proclaim thy grace;
They cast their honours at thy feet,
And own their borrow'd rays.
For SERMON XXXI.
Holy Fortitude,
Common Metre.
MI a soldier of the cross,
A follower of the Lamb?
And shall I fear to own his cause,
Or blush to speak his name?
Must I be carry'd to the skies
On flow'ry beds of ease,
While others fought to win the prize,
And sail'd through bloody seas?
Are there no foes for me to face?
Must I not stem the flood?
Is this vile world a friend to grace,
To help me on to God?
Sure I must fight if I would reign:
Increase my courage, Lord:
I'll bear the toil, endure the pain,
Supported by thy word.
Thy saints, in all this glorious war,
Shall conquer, though they die;
They see the triumph from afar,
And seize it with their eye.
When that illustrious day shall rise,
And all thy armies shine
In robes of vict'ry through the skies,
The glory shall be thine.
For SERMON XXXII.
Remedies against Fear.
Long Metre.
THEN tumults of unruly fear
Rise in my heart and riot there,
What shall I do to calm my breast,
And get the vexing foe supprest!
What pow'r can these wide thoughts controul, This ruffling temper of the soul?
Where shall 1 fly in this distress,
But to the throne of glorious grace?
My faith would seize some promise, Lord,
There's pow'r and safety in thy word:
Not all that earth or hell can say,
Shall tempt or drive my soul away.
I call the days of old to mind,
When I have found my God was kind:
My heav'nly friend is still the same;
Salvation to his holy name.
Great God, preserve my conscience clean;
Wash me from guilt, forgive my sin:
Thy love shall guard me from surprise,
Though threatening dangers round me rise.
When fear, like the wide ocean, raves,
Let Jesus walk upon the waves,
And say, 'Tis I; that heav'nly voice
Shall sink the storm, and raise my joys.
For SERMON XXXIII.
The universal law of Equity.
LESSED Redeemer, how divine, How righteous is this rule of thine, Never to deal with others worse
Than we would have them deal with us!
This golden lesson, short and plain,
Gives not the mind nor mem'ry pain:
And ev'ry conscience must approve
This universal law of love.
'Tis written in each mortal breast,
Where all our tenderest wishes rest:
We draw it from our inmost veins,
Where love to sense resides and reigns.
Is reason ever at a loss?
Call in self-love to judge the cause:
Let our own fondest passion shew
How we would treat our neighbours too.
How blest would every nation prové,
Thus rul'd by equity and love?
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