01.00 Hymns on Occasional Subjects
Hymns on Occasional Subjects by William Cowper The following hymns by William Cowper appear in The works of The Rev. John Newton (New Haven, CT: Nathan Whiting, 1826), vol. 2. In the preface to the Olney Hymns, Newton himself remarks that all the hymns marked with a "C" indicate that they were written by his friend and associate William Cowper. This file contains all of Cowper’s hymns that appear in Book II of the Olney hymns (a section titled: Hymns on Occasional Subjects). This electronic edition was made available by Shane Rosenthal for Reformation Ink. Original pagination has been retained for purposes of reference.
HYMNS BEFORE ANNUAL SERMONS TO YOUNG PEOPLE ON NEW YEAR’S EVENINGS Prayer for a Blessing (Book II, Hymn 8, page 528) Bestow, dear Lord, upon our youth,
The gift of saving grace;
And let the seed of sacred truth
Fall in a fruitful place.
Grace is a plant, where’er it grows,
Of pure and heavenly root;
But fairest in the youngest shows,
And yields the sweetest fruit.
Ye careless ones, O hear betimes
The voice of sovereign love!
Your youth is stain’d with many crimes,
But mercy reigns above.
True, you are young, but there’s a stone
Within the youngest breast;
Or half the crimes which you have done
Would rob you of your rest. For you the public prayer is made;
Oh! Join the public prayer!
For you the secret tear is shed:
Oh shed yourselves a tear!
We pray that you may early prove
The Spirit’s power to teach;
You cannot be too young to love
That Jesus whom we preach.
Pleading for and with Youth (Book II, Hymn 11, page 529) Sin has undone our wretched race;
But Jesus has restored,
And brought the sinner face to face
With his forgiving Lord. This we repeat from year to year
And press upon our youth;
Lord, give them an attentive ear,
Lord, save them by Thy truth!
Blessings upon the rising race!
Make this a happy hour,
According to Thy richest grace,
And thine Almighty power.
We feel for your unhappy state
(May you regard it too),
And would a while ourselves forget
To pour our prayer for you.
We see, though you perceive it not,
The approaching awful doom;
Oh tremble at the solemn thought,
And flee the wrath to come!
Dear Saviour, let this new-born year
Spread an alarm abroad;
And cry in every careless ear,
"Prepare to meet thy God!"
Prayer for Children (Book II, Hymn 12, page 529)
Gracious Lord, our children see,
By Thy mercy we are free;
But shall these, alas! remain
Subjects still of Satan’s reign?
Israel’s young ones, when of old
Pharaoh threaten’d to withhold,
Then Thy messenger said, "No;
Let the children also go!" When the angel of the Lord,
Drawing forth his dreadful sword,
Slew with an avenging hand,
All the first-born of the land;
Then Thy people’s door he pass’d,
Where the bloody sign was placed:
Hear us, now, upon our knees,
Plead the blood of Christ for these!
Lord, we tremble, for we know
How the fierce malicious foe,
Wheeling round his watchful flight,
Keeps them ever in his sight:
Spread Thy pinions, King of kings!
Hide them safe beneath Thy wings;
Lest the ravenous bird of prey
Stoop and bear the brood away. A CHRISTMAS HYMN Jehovah-Jesus (Book II, Hymn 38, page 540) My song shall bless the Lord of all,
My praise shall climb to His abode;
Thee, Saviour, by that name I call,
The great Supreme, the mighty God.
Without beginning or decline,
Object of faith and not of sense;
Eternal ages saw Him shine,
He shines eternal ages hence. As much when in the manger laid,
Almighty Ruler of the sky,
As when the six days’ work He made,
Fill’d all the morning stars with joy. Of all the crowns Jehovah bears,
Salvation is His dearest claim;
That gracious sound well pleased He hears
And owns Emmanuel for His name. A cheerful confidence I feel,
My well placed hopes with joy I see;
My bosom glows with heavenly zeal,
To worship Him who died for me. As man He pities my complaint,
His power and truth are all divine;
He will not fail, He cannot faint;
Salvation’s sure, and must be mine. On opening a Place for Social Prayer (Book II, Hymn 44, page 542)
Jesus! where’er Thy people meet,
There they behold Thy mercy seat;
Where’er they seek Thee, Thou art found,
And every place is hallow’d ground. For Thou, within no walls confined,
Inhabitest the humble mind;
Such ever bring Thee where they come
And going, take Thee to their home.
Dear Shepherd of Thy chosen few!
Thy former mercies here renew;
Her to our waiting hearts proclaim
The sweetness of Thy saving name.
Here may we prove the power of prayer,
To strengthen faith, and sweeten care;
To teach our faint desires to rise,
And bring all Heaven before our eyes.
Behold, at Thy commanding word
We stretch the curtain and the cord;
Come Thou, and fill this wider space,
And bless us with a large increase.
Lord, we are few, but Thou art near:
Nor short Thine arm, nor deaf Thine ear;
Oh rend the heavens, come quickly down,
And make a thousand hearts Thine own.
Welcome to the Table (Book II, Hymn 53, page 547) This is the feast of heavenly wine,
And God invites to sup;
The juices of the living Vine
Were press’d to fill the cup.
Oh! bless the Saviour, ye that eat,
With royal dainties fed;
Not heaven affords a costlier treat,
For Jesus is the bread. The vile, the lost, He calls to them;
Ye trembling souls, appear!
The righteous in their own esteem
Have no acceptance here.
Approach, ye poor, nor dare refuse
The banquet spread for you;
Dear Saviour, this is welcome news,
Then I may venture too.
If guilt and sin afford a plea,
And may obtain a place,
Surely the Lord will welcome me,
And I shall see his face.
Jesus hasting to suffer (Book II, Hymn 55, page 547) The Saviour, what a noble flame
Was kindled in his breast,
When hasting to Jerusalem,
He march’d before the rest.
Good will to men, and zeal for God,
His every thought engross;
He longs to be baptized with blood,
He pants to reach the cross! With all His suffering full in view,
And woes to us unknown,
Forth to the task His spirit flew,
’Twas love that urged Him on.
Lord, we return Thee what we can:
Our hearts shall sound abroad,
Salvation to the dying Man,
And to the rising God! And while Thy bleeding glories here
Engage our wondering eyes,
We learn our lighter cross to bear,
And hasten to the skies.
Exhortation to Prayer (Book II, Hymn 60, page 549)
What various hindrances we meet
In coming to a mercy seat!
Yet who that knows the worth of prayer,
But wishes to be often there?
Prayer makes the darken’d cloud withdraw,
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,
Gives exercise to faith and love,
Brings every blessing from above.
Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;
Prayer 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 through 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 heaven in supplication sent,
Your cheerful song would oftener be,
"Hear what the Lord has done for me." The Light and Glory of the Word (Book II, Hymn 62, page 550) The Spirit breathes upon the word,
And brings the truth to sight;
Precepts and promises afford
A sanctifying light. A glory gilds the sacred page,
Majestic like the sun;
It gives a light to every age,
It gives, but borrows none. The hand that gave it still supplies
The gracious light and heat;
His truths upon the nations rise,
They rise, but never set.
Let everlasting thanks be thine,
For such a bright display,
As makes a world of darkness shine
With beams of heavenly day. My soul rejoices to pursue
The steps of Him I love,
Till glory break upon my view
In brighter worlds above. On The Death of a Minister (Book II, Hymn 73, page 554) His master taken from his head,
Elisha saw him go;
And in desponding accents said,
"Ah, what must Israel do?" But he forgot the Lord who lifts
The beggar to the throne;
Nor knew that all Elijah’s gifts
Would soon be made his own.
What! when a Paul has run his course,
Or when Apollos dies,
Is Israel left without resource,
And have we no supplies?
Yes, while the dear Redeemer lives,
We have a boundless store,
And shall be fed with what He gives,
Who lives for evermore.