Hymn 1:52

'Twas the commission of our Lord, "Go, teach the nations, and baptize;" The nations have receiv'd the word Since he ascended to the skies.

He sits upon th' eternal hills, With grace and pardon in his hands, And sends his covenant with the seals, To bless the distant British lands.

"Repent, and be baptiz'd, (he saith) For the remission of your sins;" And thus our sense assists our faith, And shews us what his gospel means.

Our souls he washes in his blood, As water makes the body clean; And the good Spirit from our God Descends like purifying rain.

Thus we engage ourselves to thee, And seal our covenant with the Lord: O may the great eternal Three In heaven our solemn vows record!

Hymn 1:53. The Holy Scriptures, Heb. 1. 1 2. 2 Tim. 3. 15 16. Psalm 147. 19 20.

God who in various methods told His mind and will to saints of old, Sent down his Son, with truth and grace, To teach us in these latter days.

Our nation reads the written word, That book of life, that sure record: The bright inheritance of heaven Is by the sweet conveyance given.

God's kindest thoughts are here express'd, Able to make us wise and bless'd; The doctrines are divinely true, Fit for reproof, and comfort too.

Ye British isles, who read his love In long epistles from above, (He hath not sent his sacred word To every land) Praise ye the Lord.

Hymn 1:54. Electing grace; or, Saints beloved in Christ, Eph. 1. 3 &c.

Jesus, we bless thy Father's Name; Thy God and ours are both the same: What heavenly blessings from his throne Flow down to sinners thro' his Son!

"Christ be my first elect," he said, Then chose our souls in Christ our head, Before he gave the mountains birth, Or laid foundations for the earth.

Thus did eternal love begin To raise us up from death and sin; Our characters were then decreed, "Blameless in love, a holy seed."

Predestinated to be sons, Born by degrees, but chose at once; A new regenerated race To praise the glory of his grace.

With Christ our Lord we share our part In the affections of his heart, Nor shall our souls be thence remov'd Till he forgets his first belov'd.

Hymn 1:55. Hesekiah's song; or, Sickness and recovery, Isa. 38.9 &c.

When we are rais'd from deep distress Our God deserves a song; We take the pattern of our praise From Hezekiah's tongue.

The gates of the devouring grave Are open'd wide in vain, If he that holds the keys of death Commands them fast again.

Pains of the flesh are wont t' abuse Our minds with slavish fears, "Our days are past, and we shall lose "The remnant of our years."

We chatter with a swallow's voice, Or like a dove we mourn, With bitterness instead of joys, Afflicted and forlorn.

Jehovah speaks the healing word, And no disease withstands; Fevers and plagues obey the Lord, And fly at his commands.

If half the strings of life should break, He can our frame restore; He casts our sins behind his back, And they are found no more.

Hymn 1:56. The song of Moses and the Lamb; or, Babylon falling, Rev. 15. 3. and chap. 16. 19. and 17. 6.

We sing the glories of thy love, We sound thy dreadful Name; The Christian church unites the songs Of Moses and the Lamb.

Great God, how wondrous are thy works Of vengeance and of grace! Thou King of saints, Almighty Lord, How just and true thy ways!

Who dares refuse to fear thy Name, Or worship at thy throne? Thy judgments speak thine holiness Thro' all the nations known.

Great Babylon, that rules the earth, Drunk with the martyrs' blood, Her crimes shall speedily awake The fury of our God.

The cup of wrath is ready mix'd, And she must drink the dregs; Strong is the Lord her sovereign Judge, And shall fulfil the plagues.

Hymn 1:57. Original sin; or, The first and second Adam, Rom. 5. 12. Psalm 51. 5. Job 11. 4.

Backward with humble shame we look On our original; How is our nature dash'd and broke In our first father's fall!

To all that's good averse and blind, But prone to all that's ill What dreadful darkness veils our mind! How obstinate our will!

[Conceiv'd in sin (O wretched state!) Before we draw our breath, The first young pulse begins to beat Iniquity and death.

How strong in our degenerate blood The old corruption reigns, And, mingling with the crooked flood, Wanders thro' all our veins!]

Wild and unwholesome as the root Will all the branches be; How can we hope for living fruit From such a deadly tree?

What mortal power from things unclean Can pure productions bring? Who can command a vital stream From an infected spring?]

Yet, mighty God, thy wondrous love Can make our nature clean, While Christ and grace prevail above The tempter, death, and sin.

The second Adam shall restore The ruins of the first, Hosanna to that sovereign power That new creates our dust.

Hymn 1:58. The devil vanquished; or, Michael's war with the dragon, Rev. 12. 7.

Let mortal tongues attempt to sing The wars of heaven, when Michael stood Chief general of th' Eternal King, And fought the battles of our God.

Against the dragon and his host The armies of the Lord prevail: In vain they rage, in vain they boast, Their courage sinks, their weapons fail.

Down to the earth was Satan thrown, Down to the earth his legions fell; Then was the trump of triumph blown, And shook the dreadful deeps of hell.

Now is the hour of darkness past, Christ hath assum'd his reigning power; Behold the great accuser cast Down from the skies, to rise no more.

'Twas by thy blood immortal Lamb, Thine armies trod the tempter down; 'Twas by thy word and powerful Name, They gain'd the battle and renown.

Rejoice, ye heavens; let every star Shine with new glories round the sky; Saints, while ye sing the heavenly war, Raise your Deliverer's name on high.

Hymn 1:59. Babylon fallen, Rev. 18. 20 21.

In Gabriel's hand a mighty stone Lies, a fair type of Babylon ''Prophets, rejoice, and, all ye saints, "God shall avenge your long complaints."

He said, and dreadful as he stood, He sunk the milstone in the flood: "Thus terribly shall Babel fall; "Thus, and no more be found at all."

Hymn 1:60. The virgin Mary's song; or, The promised Messiah born, Luke 1. 46 &c.

Our souls shall magnify the Lord, In God the Saviour we rejoice; While we repeat the Virgin's song, May the same spirit tune our voice.

[The Highest saw her low estate, And mighty things his hand hath done: His overshadowing power and grace Makes her the mother of his Son.

Let every nation call her bless'd, And endless years prolong her fame; But God alone must be ador'd; Holy and reverend is his Name.]

To those that fear and trust the Lord His mercy stands for ever sure: From age to age his promise lives, And the performance is secure.

He spake to Abr'am and his seed, "In thee shall all the earth be bless'd;" The memory of that ancient word Lay long in his eternal breast.

But now no more shall Israel wait, No more the Gentiles lie forlorn: Lo the desire of nations comes, Behold the promis'd seed is born.

Hymn 1:61. Christ our high Priest and King, and Christ coming to judgment, Rev. 1. 5 6 7.

Now to the Lord that makes us know The wonders of his dying love, Be humble honours paid below, And strains of nobler praise above.

'Twas he that cleans'd our foulest sins, And wash'd us in his richest blood; 'Tis he that makes us priests and kings, And brings us rebels near to God.

To Jesus our atoning priest, To Jesus our superior king, Be everlasting power confess'd, And every tongue his glory sing.

Behold, on flying clouds he comes, And every eye shall see him move; Tho' with our sins we pierc'd him once, Then he displays his pardoning love.

The unbelieving world shall wail While we rejoice to see the day: Come, Lord; nor let thy promise fail, Nor let thy chariots long delay.

Hymn 1:62. Christ Jesus, the Lamb of God, worshipped by all the creation, Rev. 5. 11 12 13.

Come let us join our cheerful songs With angels round the throne; Ten thousand thousand are their tongues, But all their joys are one.

"Worthy the Lamb that dy'd," they cry, "To be exalted thus:" "Worthy the Lamb," our lips reply, "For he was slain for us."

Jesus is worthy to receive Honour and power divine; And blessings more than we can give, Be, Lord, for ever thine.

Let all that dwell above the sky, And air, and earth, and seas, Conspire to lift thy glories high, And speak thine endless praise.

The whole creation join in one To bless the sacred Name Of him that sits upon the throne, And to adore the Lamb.

Hymn 1:63. Christ's humiliation and exaltation, Rev. 5. 12.

What equal honours shall we bring To thee, O Lord our God, the Lamb, When all the notes that angels sing Are far inferior to thy Name?

Worthy is he that once was slain, The Prince of Peace that groan'd and dy'd, Worthy to rise, and live, and reign At his Almighty Father's side.

Power and dominion are his due, Who stood condemn'd at Pilate's bar: Wisdom belongs to Jesus too, Tho' he was charg'd with madness here.

All riches are his native right, Yet he sustain'd amazing loss: To him ascribe eternal might, Who left his weakness on the cross.

Honour immortal must be paid, Instead of scandal and of scorn: While glory shines around his head, And a bright crown without a thorn.

Blessings for ever on the Lamb, Who bore the curse for wretched men: Let angels sound his sacred Name, And every creature say, Amen.

Hymn 1:64. Adoption, 1 John 3. 1 &c. Gal. 4. 6.

Behold what wondrous grace The Father hath bestow'd On sinners of a mortal race, To call them sons of God!

'Tis no surprising thing That we should be unknown; The Jewish world knew not their King, God's everlasting Son.

Nor doth it yet appear How great we must be made; But when we see our Saviour here, We shall be like our head.

A hope so much divine May trials well endure, May purge our souls from sense and sin, As Christ the Lord is pure.

If in my Father's love I share a filial part, Send down thy Spirit like a dove To rest upon my heart.

We would no longer lie Like slaves beneath the throne; My faith shall Abba, Father, cry, And thou the kindred own.

Hymn 1:65. The kingdoms of the world become the kingdoms of our Lord; or, The day of judgment, Rev. 11. 15-18.

Let the seventh angel sound on high, Let shouts be heard thro' all the sky; Kings of the earth, with glad accord Give up your kingdoms to the Lord.

Almighty God, thy power assume, Who wast, and art, and art to come: Jesus, the Lamb, who once was slain, For ever live, for ever reign.

The angry nations fret and roar, That they can slay the saints no more; On wings of vengeance flies our God To pay the long arrears of blood.

Now must the rising dead appear, Now the decisive sentence hear; Now the dear martyrs of the Lord Receive an infinite reward.