105

THE RESTORED TRIBES.

"I will strengthen the house of Judah, and I will save the house of Joseph, and I will bring them again to place them; for I have mercy upon them: and they shall be as though I had not cast them off: for I am the Lord their God, and will hear them." ZECHARIAH X. 6.

AST thou not said, Almighty Lord,

HA

"The chosen tribes shall be restor❜d?" That promise when wilt thou perform, And bring thine ancient people home?

In devious paths their feet have trod ;
Far have they wandered from their God!
O, when wilt thou their souls restore,
And keep them that they stray no more.

Do we not see a glimm'ring ray?
This dawn portends meridian day :
Propitious sign! we hail thy glance,
And see, by faith, the day advance.

Then Judah's harp shall wake again,
And echo back the joyous strain,
"Us that were lost Jehovah sought,
And to his holy temple brought."

Then, joining with the Gentile throng,
Israel shall raise a grateful song,
To Him, whose sacred blood was spilt
To cleanse their souls from sin and guilt.

106

THE CITIES OF JUDAH.

"For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah that they may dwell there, and have it in possession."-PSALM lxix. 35.

THINE Israel, Lord, distress'd and poor, Let thy salvation now restore;

Thy pow'r with songs they'll then proclaim, And celebrate with thanks thy name,

When God regards their deep complaint, And sets them free from their restraint, Heav'n, earth, and sea, their voice shall raise And all the world resound his praise.

For God will Zion's walls erect,
And Judah's cities will protect;
When all her scatter'd sons repair,
To undisturb'd possession there.

107

CONVERSION OF THE JEWS.

"God is able to graff them in again."-ROMANS XI. 23.

REAT God of Abrah'm! hear our pray'r,

GE

Let Abrah'm's seed thy mercy share ;

Oh! may they now at length return,
And look on Him they pierc'd, and mourn.

Remember Jacob's flock of old,
Bring home the wand'rers to thy fold;
Remember too thy promis'd word,
"Israel at last shall seek the Lord."

Though outcasts still, estrang'd from thee,
Cut off from their own olive-tree,
Why should they longer such remain?
For thou canst graft them in again.

Lord, put thy law within their hearts,
And write it in their inward parts;

The veil of darkness rend in two,
Which hides Messiah from their view.

Oh! haste the day foretold so long,
When Jew and Greek, (a glorious throng!)
One house shall seek, one prayer shall
And one Redeemer shall adore.

pour,

108 JERUSALEM TRODDEN DOWN.

"O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance; thy holy temple have they defiled; they have laid Jerusalem on heaps." -PSALM Lxxix. 1.

LORD, how long shall heathens hold

The heritage that once was thine?

How long shall they invade thy fold,
How long pollute thy holy shrine ?

Behold the violence, the scorn,

And all the wrongs thy people bear!
Oppress'd, insulted, and forlorn,

Shall they no more thy favour share?

O let their sins be washed away,
For thy compassion, Lord, is great;
For thy name's sake, forbear to slay,
And lift them from their low estate.

Let Israel's captive sons be free;
Restore them, and remove thy rod;
That all the earth thy hand may see,
And wond'ring own Thee for their God.

109

BAPTISM OF ADULTS.

"He shall cause them that come of Jacob to take root: Israel shall blossom and bud, and fill the face of the world with fruit."-ISAIAH XXVii. 6.

ESUS! the triumphs of thy cross,

JES

With holy wonder we proclaim;
And join with the celestial host,
In loud Hosannas to thy name.

We see the seed of Abrah'm come,
Trophies of thy victorious grace;
To worship at thy sacred feet,

With sinners of the Gentile race.

Our faith takes wing, and hails the day,
When they shall all be gather'd in;
When thou wilt turn thy wrath away,
And freely pardon all their sin :

When Zion shall be built again,
And all the earth thy glory see;
And ev'ry nation thou hast made,
Pay their glad homage, Lord, to Thee.

"We are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life."-ROMANS vi. 4.

THAT holy rite, that solemn vow,

May we its heav'nly influence know; Born from above, and kept, and blest: So pass'd thy people through the flood; So guided by the shadowing cloud,

They gain'd the promis'd Canaan's rest.

Baptiz'd into the Saviour's death,
Oh may we die to all beneath,

And live henceforth to him alone :
Serve him with zeal and patience here,
And wait till he, our life, appear,

And raise us to a heav'nly throne.