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Could I believe what God has fpoke,
Rely on his unchanging love,
And ceafe to grafp at fleeting fmoke,.
No changes would my mountain move.
But when, how foon the frame's away,
And comfortable feelings fail;
So foon my faith falls in decay,

And unbelieving doubts prevail:
This proves the charge of latent vice,
And plain my faith's defects may fhow;
I built the house on thawing ice,

That tumbles with the melting fnow. When divine fmiles in fight appear, And I enjoy the heav'nly gale; When wind and tide and all is fair,

I dream my faith fhall never fail: My heart with falfe conclufions draw, That ftrong my mountain fhall remain; That in my faith there is no flaw, I'll never never doubt again. I think the only rest I take,

Is God's unfading word and name;
And fancy not my faith fo weak,
As e'er to truft a fading frame.
But, ah! by fudden turns I fee
My lying heart's fallacious guilt,
And that my faith, not firm in me,
On finking fand was partly built:
For, lo! when warming beams are gone,
And fhadows fall; alas, 'tis odd,
I cannot wait the rifing Sun,

I cannot trust a hiding God.
So much my faith's affiance feems
Its life from fading joys to bring,

That when I lose the dying streams,
I cannot truft the living fpring.
When drops of comfort quickly dry'd,
And fenfible enjoyments fail :
When cheering apples are deny'd,
Then doubts inftead of faith prevail.
But why, tho' fruit be fnatch'd from me,
Should I diftruft the glorious Root;
And ftill affront the ftanding Tree,
By trufting more to falling fruit?
The fmalleft trials may evince

My faith unfit to ftand the fhock,
That more depends on fleeting fenfe,
Than on the fix'd eternal rock.
The fafeft ark when floods arife,
Is ftable truth that changes not:
How weak's my faith that more relies
On feeble fenfe's floating boat?
For when the fleeting frame is gone,
I ftraight my ftate in queftion call
I droop and fink in deeps anon,
As if my frame were all in all.
But though I miss the pleafing gale,

And Heav'n withdraw the charming glance; Unleis JEHOVAH's oath can fail,

My faith may keep it countenance.
The frame of nature fhall decay,
Time-changes break her rufty chains;
Yea, heav'n and earth fhall pafs away;
But faith's foundation firm remains.
Heav'n's promifes fo fix'dly ftand,
Ingrav'd with an immortal pen,
In great Immanuel's mighty hand,
All hell's attempts to raze are vain.

Did faith with none but truth advise,
My fteady foul would move no more,
Than ftable hills when tempefts rife,

Or folid rocks when billows roar.
But when my faith the counfel hears
Of prefent fenfe and reafon blind,
My wav'ring fpirit then appears

A feather tofs'd with ev'ry wind.
Lame legs of faith unequal crook :
Thus mine, alas! unev'nly ftand,
Elfe I would trust my ftable Rock,
Not fading frames and feeble fand.
I would when dying comforts fly,
As much as when they prefent were,
Upon my living joy rely.

Help, Lord, for here I daily err.

CHAP. V.

The BELIEVER'S PRINCIPLES Concerning
Heaven and Earth.

SECT. I.

The Work and Contention of Heaven.

N heav'nly choirs a queftion rose,

IN

That firr'd up ftrife will never close, What rank of all the ranfom'd race Owes highest praife to fov'reign grace? Babes thither caught from womb and breaft Claim'd right to fing above the reft; Because they found the happy fhore They never faw nor fought before. Those that arrive at riper age Before they left the dusky stage,

Thought grace deferv'd yet higher praise,
That wash'd the blots of num'rous days.
Anon the war more close began,

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What praifing harp fhould lead the van?
And which of grace's heav'nly peers
Was deepest run in her arrears?
""Tis 1, (faid one,) 'bove all my race,
"Am debtor chief to glorious grace."/
"Nay, (faid another,) hark, I trow,
"I'm more oblig'd to grace than you.'
"Stay, (faid a third,)I deepest fhare
"In owing praife beyond compare :
"The chief of finners, you'll allow,
"Muft be the chief of fingers now."
"Hold, (faid a fourth,) I here protest
My praises muft outvie the beft;
"For I'm of all the human race
"The highest miracle of grace."

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Stop, (said a fifth,) these notes forbear, "Lo! I'm the greatest wonder here ; "For I of all the race that fell, "Deferv'd the lowest place in hell." A foul that higher yet afpir'd, With equal love to Jefus fir'd, "'Tis mine to fing the highest notes "To love, that wash'd the fouleft blots." "Ho! (cry'd a mate,) 'tis mine I'll prove, "Who finn'd in fpite of light and love, "To found his praife with loudest bell, "That fav'd me from the loweft hell." "Come, come, (faid one,) I'll hold the plea, "That highest praise is due by me; "For mine, of all the fav'd by grace, "Was the most dreadful, defp'rate cafe."

Another rifing at his fide,

As fond of praife, and free of pride, Cry'd, "Pray give place, for I defy, "That you fhould owe more praife than I: "I'll yield to none in this debate; "I'm run fo deep in grace's debt, "That fure I am, I boldly can

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Compare with all the heav'nly clan," Quick o'er their heads a trump awoke, Your fongs my very heart have spoke ; "But ev'ry note you here propale, Belongs to me beyond you all." The lift'ning millions round about With fweet refentment loudly fhout; "What voice is this, comparing notes, "That to their fong chief place allots? "We can't allow of fuch a found, "That you alone have highest ground "To fing the royalties of grace; "We claim the fame adoring place. What! will no rival-finger yield He has a match upon the field? "Come, then, and let us all agree "To praise upon the highest key." Then jointly all the harpers round In mind unite with folemn found, And ftrokes upon the higheft fring, Made all the heav'nly arches ring: Ring loud with hallelujah's high, To him that fent his Son to die; And to the worthy Lamb of God, That lov'd and wafb'dhem in his blood. Free grace was fov'reign emprefs crown'd In pomp, with joyful fhouts around:

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