Thy wisdom which both makes and mends,
    We ever much admire: 
  Creation all our wit transcends;
    Redemption rises higher. 
  Thy wisdom guides strayed sinners home,
    ’Twill make the dead world rise,
  And bring those prisoners to their doom: 
    Its paths are mysteries.

  Great is thy truth, and shall prevail
    To unbelievers’ shame: 
  Thy truth and years do never fail;
    Thou ever art the same. 
  Unbelief is a raging wave
    Dashing against a rock: 
  If God doth not his Israel save,
    Then let Egyptians mock.

  Most pure and holy are thine eyes,
    Most holy is thy name;
  Thy saints, and laws, and penalties,
    Thy holiness proclaim. 
  This is the devil’s scourge and sting,
    This is the angels’ song,
  Who holy, holy, holy sing,
    In heavenly Canaan’s tongue.

  Mercy, that shining attribute,
    The sinner’s hope and plea! 
  Huge hosts of sins in their pursuit,
    Are drowned in thy Red Sea. 
  Mercy is God’s memorial,
    And in all ages praised: 
  My God, thine only Son did fall,
    That Mercy might be raised.

  Thy bright back-parts, O God of grace,
    I humbly here adore: 
  Show me thy glory and thy face,
    That I may praise thee more. 
  Since none can see thy face and live,
    For me to die is best: 
  Through Jordan’s streams who would not dive,
    To land at Canaan’s rest?

To these Songs of Praise is appended another series called Penitential Cries, by the Rev. Thomas Shepherd, who, for a short time a clergyman in Buckinghamshire, became the minister of the Congregational church at Northampton, afterwards under the care of Doddridge.  Although he was an imitator of Mason, some of his hymns are admirable.  The following I think one of the best:—­

  FOR COMMUNION WITH GOD.

  Alas, my God, that we should be
    Such strangers to each other! 
  O that as friends we might agree,
    And walk and talk together!

  Thou know’st my soul does dearly love
    The place of thine abode;
  No music drops so sweet a sound
    As these two words, My God.

* * * * *

  May I taste that communion, Lord,
    Thy people have with thee? 
  Thy spirit daily talks with them,
    O let it talk with me! 
  Like Enoch, let me walk with God,
    And thus walk out my day,
  Attended with the heavenly guards,
    Upon the king’s highway.

  When wilt thou come unto me, Lord? 
    O come, my Lord most dear! 
  Come near, come nearer, nearer still: 
    I’m well when thou art near.

* * * * *

  When wilt thou come unto me, Lord? 
    For, till thou dost appear,
  I count each moment for a day,
    Each minute for a year.