Spiritual Melody, Part 6
PART VI. Containing divers SACRED HYMNS, Setting forth The Nature, Work, Office, and Excellences of the holy Angels, and the Spirit or Soul of Man.
HYMN 109. Angels called Watchers.
Dan. 4.17.
This matter is by the decree of the Watchers.
1
THe holy Angels have a charge
To watch continually;
They do not ſleep, but evermore
Have us in their ſweet eye.
2
They have a charge to keep us here,
And compaſs us about,
And warning give oft-times alſo
When trouble's breaking out.
3
Watch men are uſeful in the night,
They dangers do prevent;
So Angels uſeful are to thoſe
Unto whom they are ſent.
4
Was not Eliſha ſafe whilſt he
Was compaſſed quite round
With theſe bleſt Chariots and Horſemen
Who did his Foes confound?
5
O what are we, moſt holy God,
That thou ſhouldſt take ſuch care
Of us who ſo unworthy be,
And ſinful Creatures are!
The Second Part.
1
Behold the Angels of the Lord
Do encompaſs round about
All them that fear him, for their Guard,
To keep all dangers out;
2
For he hath giv'n his Angels, charge
To keep thee day by day,
That thou mayſt walk abroad at large
With ſafety in thy way;
3
For they this charge muſt execute,
And bear thee in their Arms,
Leſt ever thou ſhouldſt daſh thy feet
Againſt a ſtone for harm;
4
For are they not all Miniſters
Sent forth for miniſtration
In their behalf, that ſhall be Heirs
Of God's aſſue'd Salvation?
5
Ye Saints, behold the Love of God,
And ſing his Praiſes forth;
No wicked Prince has ſuch a Guard
As th' meaneſt Saint on Earth.
HYMN 110. Angels called Morning-ſtars.
Job 38.7.
When the Morning-ſtars ſang together, &c.
1
HOw glorious are the Morning Stars!
How doth their glory ſhine!
Angels moſt glorious Creatures are,
Yea, holy and divine:
2
They ſang together at the firſt
Jehovah's glorious praiſe,
And we of them alſo learn muſt
To ſing to God always.;
3
Nay, with united voices ſing
In Conſort with much joy,
Since Chriſt has overcome our Foes,
Who would our Souls deſtroy:
4
And did they not a ſecond time
Sing unto God on high,
When Jeſus Chriſt our Lord was born?
And yet ſhall Saints deny
5
This is our work? No, no, it doth
Sharply indeed reprove
Such who would rob the holy God
Of that which he doth love.
6
It is his due, and it belongs
To him as his juſt Right;
His Praiſe to celebrate in Songs
Is lovely in his ſight.
Pſalm 89.
7 Thy Mercies, Lord, then we will ſing,
Thy Truth to all proclaim;
The heav'nly Angels ſacred Choir
Shall celebrate the ſame.
8
Theſe never with the Lord diſpute,
Nor his Commands conteſt,
But give attendance at his Throne,
With awful fear poſſeſs'd.
HYMN 111. Angels Sons of God.
Job 38.8.
And all the Sons of God ſhouted for joy.
1
SOns in their Father do rejoyce,
Whoſe Off-ſpring all they be,
And hence the Angels lift their voice
In Songs, Lord, unto thee,
2
By whom they all created were,
And on whom they attend,
And from whom all their dignity
Doth unto them deſcend:
3
They cloathed are like unto Sons
With might and glorious power,
And ſerve the Lord moſt willingly,
With greateſt zeal each hour:
4
One part of their ſweet work's to ſing
To God melodiouſly,
And we by them alſo are taught
To ſing continually.
5
Then as God's will is done by them,
Let us do it on Earth;
Like flames of fire let us be,
And ſing God's Praiſes forth.
HYMN 112. Angels God's Hoſts.
Gen. 32.1.
This is God's Hoſt, &c.
1
THe glorious God, the Lord above,
Hath a moſt mighty Hoſt,
Who have a Prince their General,
Of whom they daily boaſt:
2
Chriſt is their Head, he's Head of all
Princ'palities and Powrs,
And theſe do keep and ſave the Saints
From him that Souls devours.
3
This mighty Hoſt and Army's rais'd
Under their Prince to fight,
And one of them hath thouſands ſlain
Of Rebels in a night.
4
This Hoſt ſometimes does ſuddenly
Vile Sinners ſo invade
By Plague and Famine, and by War,
That all are ſoon diſmaid.
5
They ſlaughtering Weapons have each one,
And Execution do;
And as Commiſſion they receive,
They ſave or do o'rethrow.
HYMN 113. Angels the Face of Man, &c.
Ezek 1.6, 10.
And every one had four Faces, the Face of a Man, of a Lion, of an Oxe, and of an Eagle.
1
THe Face of a Man has majeſty,
And ſhews a Soul doth dwell
In him that hath rare faculties,
In knowledge doth excell:
2
So Angels look with awful frowns
When they in wrath appear,
And are endu'd with wiſdom great
Beyond what Mortals are.
3
Th' Face of a Man alſo denotes
What beauty is in them,
Who are moſt glorious in themſelves,
And ſo in our eſteem.
4
Face of a Lion ſhews their ſtrength,
A Lion is ſo ſtrong
That he will turn away from none,
Nor fears he any wrong.
5
Face of an Oxe may ſignifie
How painful they all be,
And any ſervice patiently
Perform, O Lord, for thee.
6
An Eagle hath a piercing Eye,
And ſwift ſhe is in flight;
The Angels do God's Face behold,
And fly with greateſt might.
HYMN 114. Angels like a flaming Fire.
Pſal. 104.4.
He maketh his Angels Spirits, and his Miniſters a flaming Fire.
1
ANgels as ſwift as Air, as bright
As Flames, with quick obedience move,
To publiſh and effect below
That charge given to them above.
2
As Fire burns and doth conſume,
So th' Seraphims ſignifie
A burning to ſhew what zeal's in them
Who do attend on God moſt high:
3
And alſo how with flaming zeal,
When they from God Commiſſion have,
They do break forth at his dread Word
To kill his Foes, his Saints to ſave.
4
Let wicked ones amazed ſtand,
Who can eſcape a flaming Fire;
Let Saints alſo do God's Command
With zeal, like to the heavenly Quire:
5
And let them learn likewiſe from hence
What comfort this to them may bring;
Theſe Angels come for your defence
Swift, like to Flames, or Eagles Wings.
HYMN 115. Angels lik Horſes, red, &c.
Zach. 1.8.
Behold a Man upon a red Horſe, and behind him were red Horſes, ſpeckled, and white.
1
A Horſe is ſtrong, and nothing fears,
And ſwift they are to run,
Angels are cloath'd with mighty ſtrength,
And fly like to the Sun.
2
Horſes and Chariots of Fire do
Shew how fierce and agil
The glorious Angels are always
In doing of God's Will.
3
By Horſes red thou doſt, Lord ſhew
Thoſe dreadful ſlaughters they
Do make of Men, when thou bids them
Ezek. 9.2, 4.Go forth with Swords and ſlay.
4
By ſpeckled Horſes thou mak'ſt known
A mix'd Diſpenſation,
When Mercy mingled is with Wrath
In any ſinful Nation.
5
The white Horſes notes that ſweet peace
Which thou at laſt will ſend;
For Wars on Earth thou wilt make ceaſe
Before the Worlds end:
6
And that in Chriſt's dread Government
He Angels oft doth uſe;
And they are often alſo ſent
To ſhew what next enſues.
HYMN 116. Spirit of Man Cand. of the Lord.
Prov. 20.27.
The Spirit of a Man is the Candle of the Lord, &c.
1
ONce was our Candle lighted, Lord,
And did moſt clearly burn;
But ſoon did Satan blow it out,
And we were all undone:
2
Left in the darkneſs of the night,
And were bewilder'd ſo,
That we for want of thy ſweet light
Knew not which way to go.
3
O let our Candle lighted be!
O light it once again,
And by it ſearch to find out ſin
Which may in us remain.
4
'Tis thou muſt light our Candle, Lord,
With th' Fire of thy Grace;
O let it burn and ne're go out
Till we have run our race;
5
That in thy ſight we may ſee light,
And thereby may rejoyce,
And ſing thy Praiſes day and night
With heart and chearful voice.
HYMN 117. Conſience a Witneſs.
Rom. 9.1.
My Conſcience bearing witneſs in the Holy Ghoſt, &c.
1
COnſcience a Witneſs is, O Lord,
Of all we do and ſay,
And ſuch who ſin againſt their Light,
He will the matter lay
2
Before the Soul, becauſe he knows
The Thoughts of each Man's Heart,
And never will be brib'd by them,
Nor from his Charge depart.
3
How careful ſhould each Perſon be
They do not him offend;
For if God's Word doth ſide with him,
It will appear i'th' end;
4
The Soul as Guilty will be found,
And Caſt too ſhall ſuch be,
And by the Judge Condemn'd alſo
To all eternity;
5
Then wo to ſuch who treach'rouſly
Their Conſcience do abuſe,
Or ſtifle him whom God thinks good
In this great Caſe to uſe
6
Ev'n as a Witneſs for himſelf
In ev'ry Man's own Heart,
To Evidence to Matter of Fact,
And Judgment to impart,
7
As God's true Witneſs, for to clear
Him who would judge aright,
And make it alſo to appear
So in each Man's own ſight
The Second Part.
1
Then look to it, ye Sinners, who
Your Conſcience ſtifle now;
For he againſt you will be call'd
One day, and make you bow;
2
And though you think to ſilence him,
So that he cannot ſpeak,
Yet in the Judgment-day he'll rouſe,
And make your hearts to ake.
3
If you live not up to your Light,
Then fear what will enſue;
For when he doth receive more ſight,
He quickly will renew
4
His dread Commiſſion from the Lord,
And you condemn'd ſhall be;
If he accuſes by God's Word,
No help there is for thee,
5
Unleſs thou doſt leave off thy ſin,
To end the bitter ſtrife,
He'll make thee quickly to cry out,
As weary of thy life.
6
But O how happy is the Man
That Conſcience by God's Word
Doth quite diſcharge from guilt of ſin
In ſight of the bleſs'd Lord!
7
From this great Witneſs none can fly,
He will alſo appear
At last day, and will accuse,
Or otherwiſe will clear.
HYMN 118. Conſcience a Witneſs.
The Third Part.
Sing this as the Hundredth Pſalm.
1
IF Conſcience is become my Friend,
And chearfully doth ſpeak to me,
And I do to his motions bend,
No matter though I hated be:
2
No matter 'tis who doth revile,
If Conſcience doth his witneſs bear
For us, and doth upon us ſmile,
Moſt eaſie will all things appear.
3
If Conſcience now doth give us reſt,
And from all burthens ſets us free,
Again we would not be oppreſt
In the old bonds of miſery,
4
For Kingdoms, nor for Crowns of Gold,
Such inward joy doth he afford,
That nothing can the ſame unfold,
It ſo aboundeth in the Lord.
5
'Tis Conſcience which with peecious Food
Doth feed God's Saints continually;
Its Dainties alſo are ſo good,
All other Sweets they do defie.
6
This Banquet laſting is alſo,
'Tis here they feaſt both night and day,
With all ſupplies they meet with do,
And none their joys can take away.
7
'Tis Conſcience which doth chearful make
When Saints poſſeſſed are with grief;
And when they ſuffer for his ſake,
He brings them joy and ſweet relief.
The Fourth Part.
1
When Troubles riſe and do encreaſe,
And Sinners to the Mountains fly,
Conſcience to Saints doth ſpeak much peace,
And makes them ſing when they do die.
2
When others do amazed ſtand,
A place of ſhelter, Lord, have we,
And Conſcience will lend us a hand,
That we may hide our ſelves in thee;
3
And in ſafe Chambers lock us up
Whilſt all the Troubles here ſhall laſt,
And free us from the bitter cup
'Till all the indignation's paſt.
4
At Death, and in the Judgment-day,
What would Men give for such a Friend?
All thoſe which do him diſobey,
They'll find themſelves undone it'th'end.
5
How will ſuch Souls repent too late,
And wofully will howl and cry!
But whilſt ſuch do condole their fate,
Our Souls ſhall ſing continually
6
In joyful Hymns unto our God,
Who has preſerved us from harms,
And ever will protect us ſtill
From Satan's baſe alluring Charms.
The End of the Sixth Part.