Imatges de pàgina
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Anticipate heaven: it will sweeten those hours

When sorrows all round you appear;

Will strew all the road to Mount Zion with flowers, And smooth the rough pathway of care.

SWAINE.

FOR EVER WITH THE LORD.

OH! how the thought that I shall know
The Man who suffered here below,
To manifest His favour

For me, and those whom most I love,
Or here, or with Himself above,
Does my delighted spirit move,

At that sweet word- ." for ever!"

For ever to behold Him shine,'
For evermore to call Him mine,
And see Him still before me!
For ever on His face to gaze,
While all the Father He displays,
In all His full assembled rays,
To all the saints in glory!

Not all things else are half so dear
As His delightful presence here;
What must it be in heaven?
'Tis heaven on earth to hear Him say,
Poor sinner, cast thy fears away,

Thy sins are all forgiven!

But how will His delightful voice
Make my enraptured heart rejoice,
When I in glory hear Him!
While I before the heavenly gate
For everlasting entrance wait,
And Jesus, on His throne of state,
Invites me to come near Him!

"Come in, thou blessed, sit by me,
With my own life I ransomed thee,
Come, taste my perfect favour;
Come in, thou happy spirit, come,
Thou now shalt dwell with me at home,
Ye blissful mansions make him room,
For he must stay for ever!"

When Jesus thus invites me in,
How will the heavenly host begin

To own their new relation?

"Come in! come in!" the blissful sound From every voice will echo round,

Till all the crystal wall resound

With joy for my salvation.

SWAINE.

CHRISTIAN LOVE.

How sweet, how heavenly is the sight,
When those that love the Lord

In one another's peace unite,

And thus fulfil His Word!

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SELECTIONS OF POETRY

And with him bear a

part;

When each can feel his brother's sigh,
When sorrow flows from eye to eye,
And joy from heart to heart.

When, free from envy, scorn, and pride,
Our wishes all above,

Each can his brother's failing hide,
And show a brother's love.

When love, in one delightful stream,
Through every bosom flows;
And union sweet, with dear esteem,
In every action glows.

Love is the golden chain that binds

The happy souls above;

And he's an heir of heaven, that finds

His bosom glow with love.

THE GARDEN OF GRACE.

A GARDEN fenced from common earth,
By special sovereign grace,

Enriched with plants of heavenly birtn,
The church of Jesus is.

His gospel is the open sky,
His love the shining sun;

SWAINE.

Rivers of

peace, which never dry, Through all this garden run.

His Spirit is the heavenly wind
That o'er this garden blows;
And opening each immortal mind,
The Saviour's image shows.

Faith like an ivy, to the Rock,
That stands for ever cleaves;
And through the tempest's loudest shock
Eternal calm perceives.

Assurance, like a cedar, rears

Its stately branches high,

Beyond the reach of doubts and fears,
And blossoms in the sky.

Here love appears a fruitful vine,

(From Christ, the bleeding root,)

Receiving life and sap divine,

And bears immortal fruit.

Humility, a lily fair,

Transplanted from on high, Grows here, perfuming all the air With sweets that never die.

Firm patience, like an aloe strong,
By storms unshaken grows,

And (changing scenes enduring long)
At length in glory blows.

When each can feel his brother's sigh,
And with him bear a part;

When sorrow flows from eye to eye,
And joy from heart to heart.

When, free from envy, scorn, and pride,
Our wishes all above,

Each can his brother's failing hide,

And show a brother's love.

When love, in one delightful stream,
Through every bosom flows;
And union sweet, with dear esteem,
In every action glows.

Love is the golden chain that binds
The happy souls above;

And he's an heir of heaven, that finds

His bosom glow with love.

THE GARDEN OF GRACE.

A GARDEN fenced from common earth,
By special sovereign grace,

Enriched with plants of heavenly birta,
The church of Jesus is.

His gospel is the open sky,
His love the shining sun;

SWAINE.

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