Grace And Providence

Grace And Providence

Almighty King! whose wond’rous hand
Supports the weight of sea and land;
Whose grace is such a boundless store,
No heart shall break that sighs for more;

Thy Providence supplies my food,
And ’tis thy blessing makes it good;
My soul is nourish’d by thy word,
Let soul and body praise the LORD.

My streams of outward comfort came
From him, who built this earthly frame;
Whate’er I want his bounty gives,
By whom my soul for ever lives.

Either his hand preserves from pain,
Or, if I feel it, heals again;
From Satan’s malice shields my breast,
Or overrules it for the best.

Forgive the song that falls so low
Beneath the gratitude I owe!
It means thy praise, however poor,
An angel’s song can do no more.

By William Cowper

Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Afraid To Trust His Grace

The Heart Healed And Changed By Mercy

Sin enslav’d me many years,
And led me bound and blind;
Till at length a thousand fears
Came swarming o’er my mind.
Where, I said in deep distress,
Will these sinful pleasures end?
How shall I secure my peace,
And make the LORD my friend?

Friends and ministers said much
The gospel to enforce;
But my blindness still was such,
I chose a legal course:
Much I fasted, watch’d and strove,
Scarce would show my face abroad,
Fear’d, almost, to speak or move,
A stranger still to GOD.

Thus afraid to trust his grace,
Long time did I rebel;
Till, despairing of my case,
Down at his feet I fell:
Then my stubborn heart he broke,
And subdu’d me to his sway;
By a simple word he spoke,

“Thy sins are done away.”

William Cowper

Copyright © 2012 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

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• Self-Acquaintance (manoahswife.wordpress.com)

Self-Acquaintance

Self-Acquaintance

Dear Lord! accept a sinful heart,
Which of itself complains,
And mourns, with much and frequent smart,
The evil it contains.

There fiery seeds of anger lurk,
Which often hurt my frame;
And wait but for the tempter’s work,
To fan them to a flame.

Legality holds out a bribe
To purchase life from thee;
And discontent would fain prescribe
How thou shalt deal with me.

While unbelief withstands thy grace,
And puts the mercy by;
Presumption, with a brow of brass,
Says, “Give me, or I die.”

How eager are my thoughts to roam
In quest of what they love!
But, ah! when duty calls them home,
How heavily they move!

Oh, cleanse me in a Saviour’s blood,
Transform me by thy pow’r,
And make me thy belov’d abode,
And let me rove no more.

By William Cowper

Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Exhortation To Prayer

Exhortation To Prayer

What various hindrances we meet
In coming to a mercy-seat!
Yet who that knows the worth of pray’r,
But wishes to be often there?

Pray’r makes the dark’ned cloud withdraw,
Pray’r climbs the ladder Jacob saw;
Gives exercise to faith and love,
Brings ev’ry blessing from above.

Restraining pray’r, we cease to fight;
Pray’r makes the Christian’s armour bright;
And Satan trembles, when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.

While Moses stood with arms spread wide,
Success was found on Israel’s side;
But when thro’ weariness they fail’d,
That moment Amalek prevail’d.

Have you no words! Ah, think again,
Words flow apace when you complain;
And fill your fellow-creature’s ear
With the sad tale of all your care.

Were half the breath thus vainly spent,
To heav’n in supplication sent;
Your cheerful song would oft’ner be,
“Hear what the LORD has done for me!”

By William Cowper

Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

Peace After A Storm

Peace After A Storm

When darkness long has veil’d my mind,
And smiling day once more appears;
Then, my Redeemer, then I find
The folly of my doubts and fears.

Straight I upbraid my wand’ring heart,
And blush that I should ever be
Thus prone to act so base a part,
Or harbour one hard thought of thee!

Oh! let me then at length be taught
What I am still so slow to learn;
That God is love, and changes not,
Nor knows the shadow of a turn.

Sweet truth, and easy to repeat!
But when my faith is sharply try’d,
I find myself a learner yet,
Unskilful, weak, and apt to slide.

But, O my Lord, one look from thee
Subdues the disobedient will;
Drives doubt and discontent away,
And thy rebellious worm is still.

Thou art as ready to forgive,
As I am ready to repine;
Thou, therefore, all the praise receive;
Be shame and self-abhorrence mine.

By William Cowper

Copyright © 2011 by Susan E. Johnson
All rights reserved

He Changes Not

 “God is not a man, that He should lie,
      Nor a son of man, that He should repent.
      Has He said, and will He not do?
      Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?” Numbers 23:19 (NKJV)

The Heart Healed And Changed By Mercy

Sin enslav’d me many years,
     And led me bound and blind;
Till at length a thousand fears
     Came swarming o’er my mind.
Where, I said in deep distress,
Will these sinful pleasures end?
How shall I secure my peace,
And make the LORD my friend?

Friends and ministers said much
     The gospel to enforce;
But my blindness still was such,
     I chose a legal course:
Much I fasted, watch’d and strove,
Scarce would show my face abroad,
Fear’d, almost, to speak or move,
A stranger still to GOD.

Thus afraid to trust his grace,
     Long time did I rebel;
Till, despairing of my case,
     Down at his feet I fell:
Then my stubborn heart he broke,
And subdu’d me to his sway;
By a simple word he spoke,
“Thy sins are done away.”

By William Cowper