DOLWAR FECHAN***


Transcribed from the 1900 Geo. H. Durham edition by David Price, email
ccx074@pglaf.org





                               _THE HYMNS_
                                    OF
                             _ANN GRIFFITHS_,
                                    OF
                             _DOLWAR FECHAN_,


                      Translated into English Verse
                                    by

                       GEORGE RICHARD GOULD PUGHE,

                     VICAR OF MELLOR, NEAR BLACKBURN.

                                * * * * *

                                BLACKBURN:
                PRINTED BY GEO. H. DURHAM, EXCHANGE WORKS.
                                  1900.

                                * * * * *

                   “DULCES MORIENS REMINISCITUR ARGOS.”

Forty years lived in Lancashire have not lessened my love for
Llanfihangel yng Nghwnfa, where my father, the Rev. Richard Pughe, of
Mathafarn descent, B.A., and a Magistrate for Co. Montgomery [ob. Jan.
30th, 1858, in his sixty-sixth year], was for twenty-nine years the
Rector,—where also my brother-in-law, the Rev. Edward Evans, B.A. [ob.
Nov. 3rd, 1899, aged eighty-six], was Rector thirty-nine years.

Dolwar Fechan, a little, lonely farm house in their old Parish, was the
birthplace and abode of one who composed such pathetic hymns as will last
while the British language endures: her obelisk in Llanfihangel
Churchyard bears an Epitaph recording its erection, in 1864,

                                  “IN MEMORY
                                      OF
                                ANN GRIFFITHS,
                              OF DOLWAR FECHAN,
                                  Born 1776,
                                 Died 1805.”

while a verse from the PROVERBS, xxxi, 30:—“Favour is deceitful and
beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth The Lord, she shall be praised,”
fitly prefaces her Biography by the late Mr. Morris Davies, of Bangor.

   Old Dolwar Fechan cannot now be found,—
   Its fabric has been levelled with the ground.
   Nevertheless, imperishable fame
   Perpetuates that humble homestead’s name;
   For there was born,—there dwelt, declined and died,
   Ripe for the reapers at God’s Harvest Tide,
   A mother,—but ten months before, a bride,—
   Ann Griffiths,—whose effusions will be sung
   So long as our old language lives among
   The wooded wilds, the waterfalls and vales
   Of “Home, Sweet Home!”  Incomparable Wales!

                             G. R. G. PUGHE,

                                                          MELLOR VICARAGE,
                                                                BLACKBURN.

_Christmas_, _1900_.

                      NID MEDDYG, OND MEDDYG ENAID.

   Only The Kind Physician of the Soul
   Can calm the mind, and make the sinner whole.




HYMN I.


    “_He who was manifested in the flesh_.”  1 TIM. III. 16.

                        “Dyma babell y cyfarfod,”

   THY Pavilion’s One Foundation,
      Fortress for the fugitive,
   In Thy Blood we see salvation,
      Jesu, through Thy Death we live.
   At Thy footstool humbly bending
      Only can we be forgiven,
   On Thy Righteousness depending
      Only have we hope of Heaven.

   Prior to this earth’s creation
      Man’s redemption was ordained,—
   By Thy predetermination
      Long lost Eden was regained.
   Undeserved regeneration,
      Blissful immortality,
   Pardon, peace, purification,—
      All are offered, Lord, by Thee.

   Victim of the foul deceiver,
      Faint at heart and travel stained,
   Recognise in Thy Redeemer
      More than Paradise regained.
   Faithfulness is what the golden
      Girdle of Thy God displays,
   This memento should embolden
      Every penitent who prays.

   O the fulness of Salvation!
      Merciful, mysterious plan!
   When the God of all creation
      Dignified the dust of man,
   To redeem us yearning, sighing,
      Pleading, bleeding on the tree,
   And in dying verifying
      Promise, type and prophecy.

   Lowly born to be The Brother
      Of the powerless and poor,
   To unite us to each other
      And invite us to be pure,
   With one touch The Famed Physician
      Healed the blotch of leprosy,
   For His voluntary mission
      Was to free humanity.

   Ark of Refuge, Rock Eternal,
      Balm beside the dying bed,
   Tree of Life for ever vernal,
      Fountain to revive the dead,
   One with us, our pardon pleading,
      One with God, He grants the plea,
   While His Spirit interceding
      Certifies His victory.




HYMN II.


    “_Salvation unto our God which sitteth on the throne_, _and unto the
    Lamb_.”  REV. VII. 10.

                      “Bydd melus cofio y cyfammod,”

   PASSING sweet to the reflections
      Of the souls redeemed above
   Are the many recollections
      Of God’s covenant of Love.
   Praise for perfected salvation
      Through Immanuel alone
   Animates their adoration
      And their song before the throne.

   See the Law by sinners broken
      To the utmost satisfied,
   When, in token, Christ had spoken,
      “It is finished!” and died!
   To restore man’s lost perfection,
      And to disannul his doom,
   He Who is The Resurrection
      Condescended to the tomb.

   He, to Whom His base detractors
      And tormentors owed their breath,
   Hung between two malefactors,
      Breathed out His Soul in death.
   Thus was man’s emancipation,
      Pardon and salvation won
   Through the deep humiliation
      Of God’s Own Incarnate Son.

   Ponder, O my soul, with wonder
      On the gloomy cavity
   And that weighty stone whereunder
      Lay The Lord of Life for thee.
   Join with joy the jubilation
      Of the ransomed in that Hymn
   Which ascribes the world’s salvation
      And redemption “unto Him.”




HYMN III.


       “_And so shall we ever be with the Lord_.” 1 THESS. iv. 17.

                 “O! ddedwydd ddydd! tragwyddol orphwys.”

   I await a peaceful Sabbath
      In the regions of the blest
   Where the wicked cease from troubling
      And the wearied are at rest.
   In God’s House are many mansions
      Open wide for every one
   Who confides in the compassions
      Of His Own Eternal Son.

   Neither heat nor cold can ever
      Injure that unnumbered throng
   Whose employment and enjoyment
      Centre in a ceaseless song,
   As they celebrate the conquest
      Of the Cross on Calvary,
   And the Grace and Love and Comfort
      Of The Blessed Trinity.




HYMN IV.


                 “_The haven of their desire_” Ps. cviii. 30.

                 “Mae’r dydd yn d’od ’i ’r hâd brenhinol”

   Dawning is that happy morning
      When, beyond the bonds of pain,
   The redeemed shall rise rejoicing
      And with Christ together reign.
   Faith shall vanish into vision
      Verified, and hope shall be
   Satisfied in the fruition
      Of unfailing charity.

   Forward! Homeward! way-worn pilgrim!
      That predicted morn is near,
   When The once afflicted Saviour
      Crowned with glory shall appear.
   Round Him, as a golden girdle
      Shining, is His Faithfulness
   Offering the vilest sinner
      Pardon, Peace and Holiness.




HYMN V.


     “_The Blood of Jesus His Son cleanseth from all sin_.”  1 S. JOHN i.
                                      7.

                       “Pechadur aflan yw fy enw,”

   WHAT a marvel that Almighty
      God should have so lovingly
   Recognised the chief of sinners
      And devised relief for me!
   Though so very sadly broken,
      All the law was satisfied
   When in pain and shame and sorrow
      Jesus bowed His Head and died.

   In His Hand the golden sceptre
      Is extended to imply
   That the vilest wretch may venture
      Confidently to draw nigh.
   Therefore, crying “I have sinned!”
      I approach the mercy-seat
   Of My pardoning Redeemer
      And adore before His Feet.

   Not the waters of the ocean,
      Could they be collected in
   One vast reservoir, could ever
      Blot, or wash away one sin:
   But the precious Blood of Jesus
      Shed for us on Calvary
   And His Righteousness release us
      From its guilt and penalty.

   Forth from underneath the threshold
      Of the temple of My God
   Flows a Fountain of Forgiveness
      Opened by Immanuel’s Blood:
   Pure and bright and clear as crystal,
      Coming down like dew below,
   It can make the Ethiopian
      White, like freshly fallen snow.




HYMN VI.


                    “_But God is faithful_”  1 COR. x, 18.

                     “Cofia, Arglwydd, dy ddyweddi,”

   LORD, remember, we implore Thee,
      And defend from every foe
   Thy poor spouse that bends before Thee
      Palpitating as a doe:
   Be Thou unto her a Pillar
      To direct her in the night,—
   To illuminate and fill her
      With the lustre of Thy Light.

   Life is far more strange than fiction,—
      But its immortality
   In defiance of affliction
      Magnifies its mystery.
   When the winnowing commences,
      Lord, enable us to stand
   Purified from past offences
      At the last on Thy Right Hand.

   O that, as a cloud ascending
      Upwards to the skies above,
   We may rise, and with unending
      Rapture realise Thy Love!
   Three in One, The Same as ever,
      God proclaims His Name to be
   Alpha and Omega, never
      Failing in fidelity.




HYMN VII.


            “_This do in remembrance of me_.”  S. LUKE xxii., 19.

                    “Nid oes gwrthddrych ar y ddaear”

   EARTHLY treasure, heaped together
      Into one enormous whole,
   Were it all my own, could never
      Satisfy my lonely soul.
   Only Jesus Christ can fill me
      With the vivifying light
   Of His countenance and thrill me
      With ineffable delight.

   Feasting at His holy table
      On the tokens of His love,
   Though unworthy, I am able
      To be One with Him above.
   With the loss of one offending
      Member I should be content
   When I think of an unending
      Period of punishment.

   What a daily delectation
      To my feeble fainting soul
   Is The Fountain of Salvation
      Which alone can make me whole!
   Thus in calm anticipation
      Of the coming of The Lord,
   While I live my meditation
      Is His Everlasting Word.

   Soon my soul shall cease to wander
      After earth’s frivolities.
   And be overwhelmed with wonder
      At Divine realities.
   Perish doubt and hesitation!
      Things unseen do not deceive,—
   In Thy Plenary Salvation,
      Blessed Jesus, I believe.




HYMN VIII.


               “_Fountains of waters of life_”  REV. vii., 17.

                       “Llwybr cwbl groes i natur”

   CONSTANTLY beset with crosses
      Though my present progress be,
   Disappointment, pain and losses
      Point my pilgrimage to Thee.
   Through the trough of tribulation
      Roughly runs the narrow road,
   But its happy termination
      Is the city of My God.

   Lord! upon my faded visage
      Reimprint Thy stamp, I pray,
   So shall Satan from Thine image
      Flee discomfited away.
   Like the fragrant ointment flowing
      Down the dress of Aaron
   Is the blessedness of knowing
      Thee through Thy Beloved Son.

   Dissipate the clouds of darkness
      Now enveloping Thy Face;
   And irradiate with gladness
      My cold heart, O God of grace!
   Thy redemption, as a river,
      One fell Friday flowed for me
   Once for all, and once for ever,
      From the crest of Calvary.

   Silently, yet surely giving
      Solace to humanity.
   That same river, rich in living
      Water, still distils for me.
   It is able to completely
      Wash the Ethiopian
   Whiter than the snow and sweetly
      Purify the publican.

   Would that we, defaulting paupers,
      Oftener took heed to see
   That we need these healing waters
      Offered thus abundantly!
   O that we would live rejecting
      Earth’s inanities and try
   To be patiently expecting
      Till redemption draweth nigh!




HYMN IX.


    “_That I may know Him_, _and the power of His resurrection_.”  PHILIP
                                  iii., 10.

                    “O! am dreiddio i’r adnabyddiaeth”

   O! for deeper meditation
      On my Living, Loving Lord,
   As I read the revelation
      Of His Everlasting Word!
   Endless death had been the sinner’s
      Recompense and righteous doom,
   But for My Divine Redeemer’s
      Resurrection from the tomb.

   God is terrible in power,
      Though He be a God of love,
   And no wonder sinners cower
      At the thought of Him above.
   Yet when with humiliation
      We bow down before His Face,
   He reveals His great Salvation
      And the riches of His Grace.

   To be under His protection
      Is my soul’s security,
   While to share in His Refection
      Is both meat and drink to me.
   By His Own Right Hand directed
      I am safe where ere I go,—
   By His panoply protected
      I need never fear a foe.

   God, My Father, is My Tower,
      And what more can I desire
   In temptation’s trying hour,—
      In the flood, and in the fire?
   By His Providence protected
      I am safe in time of need:
   But, if by My God rejected,
      I am destitute indeed.




HYMN X.


                      “_God with us_.”  S. MATT. i, 23.

                     “Rhyfedd, rhyfedd gan angylion”

   HOW the angels must have marvelled
      At The Maker of them all
   Clad in coarsest garb and cradled
      In a common cattle stall.
   Him, in Whom they had their being
      Ere the universe began,
   They adored as Their Creator,
      Perfect God and Perfect Man.

   Fasting, faint, and sorely tempted
      In the lonely wilderness,
   He confuted and confounded
      Satan with His Holiness.
   Full of thankfulness a sinner,
      Such as I should ever be,
   That My Maker and Redeemer
      Deigned to suffer death for me.

   At the last loud trumpet’s sounding,
      Midst a more terrific blaze
   Than was seen on Sinai’s summit
      Once to Israel’s amaze,
   Grant, O Merciful Creator,
      That I may with joy arise
   Through the merits of My Saviour’s
      All availing Sacrifice.




HYMN XI.


    “_When thou passest through the waters_, _I will be with thee_;” ISA.
                                  xliii, 2.

                     “Os rhaid wynebu’r afon donog,”

   Though I have to cross the river,
      There is One, Who, there before,
   Strong as ever to deliver,
      Guarantees a golden shore.
   Gazing heavenward at the haven
      Entered by Immanuel,
   I expect to triumph even
      Over death, the grave and hell.

   Though my flesh must see corruption,
      And be buried in the grave,
   He Who is The Resurrection
      Is Omnipotent to save.
   Now, as through a glass and darkly,
      Faith enables me to see
   My Deliverer, but shortly
      I shall see with certainty.

   When the veil is rent asunder,
      And the records are unsealed,
   To mankind and angels’ wonder,
      Jesus Christ shall be revealed.
   I shall meet Him as a Person
      Crowned and seated on His throne,
   And behold a Blessed Ransom
      Found in Him and Him alone.

   Present pleasures prove vexation,—
      Earthly treasures vanity,—
   But the waters of salvation
      Satisfy and sanctify.
   Oh to live and die esteeming
      Temporalities as dross,
   And arise through the Redeeming
      Blood of Him Who bore my cross!




HYMN XII.


            “_Jesus Christ_, _and Him crucified_.”  1 COR. ii, 2.

                    “Nis dichon byd â’i holl deganau”

   ALL the world, its pomp and pleasure,
      Fail to mesmerise my mind;
   But I realise a treasure
      In The Saviour of mankind.
   He alone, and not another,
      Could atone for me, and He
   Cleaveth closer than a brother
      In the last extremity.

   O to live in Him abiding
      Every time I draw my breath,
   And to sleep in Him confiding
      When my soul departs in death!
   Why should I disdain to carry
      Patiently my cross, when He
   Died upon a sanguinary
      Tree on Calvary for me?




HYMN XIII.


          “_A cloud received Him out of their sight_.”  ACTS i., 9.

                    “Pan esgynodd yr hwn ddisgynodd,”

   When Immanuel had ended
      His atoning work of love,
   And had in a cloud ascended
      Into His abode above,

   Heaven’s expanding portals owned Him,
      And His Father, midst a grand
   Symphony of praise, enthroned Him
      Royally at His Right Hand.




HYMN XIV.


             “_The fellowship of His sufferings_”  PHIL. iii, 10.

                    “Digon mewn llifeiriant dyfroedd,”

   IN the depth of tribulation,
      Midst temptation’s hottest fire,
   My Redeemer’s consolation
      Answers all my heart’s desire.
   In the desert dreading danger
      And my covert enemy,
   Faith reminds me of the manger
      And the tree of Calvary.

   When by Satan sorely tempted
      To make earthly gain my goal,
   Then, unless by grace prevented,
      I am periling my soul.
   O for help to keep attending
      To the covenant of God,
   And to fall asleep depending
      On My Saviour’s precious Blood!

   Lord, I come to Thee regretting
      Not my mortal malady
   Half so much as my besetting
      Sin of self-sufficiency.
   When I bow before Thy table,
      Brighten Thou my sight to see
   In Thy Rite The Veritable
      Lamb of God Who died for me.




HYMN XV.


           “_He is altogether lovely_.”  THE SONG OF SONGS, v. 16.

                     “Wele’n sefyll rhwng y myrtwydd”

   MANIFEST among the myrtles
      Stands The Saviour of mankind,
   Though as yet a mist encircles
      Us, and we be weak and blind.
   Speed the dawning of the morning
      When the mist shall melt away!

   Chief among ten thousand thousand,
      My Beloved, white and ruddy,
   Rose of Sharon, fair and fragrant,
      Lovely Lily of the valley,
   Friend unfailing of the ailing,
      Author of unending day.

   Wherefore care to credit dreamers’
      Mazy Mariolatry,
   When aware of One Redeemer’s
      Infinite ability,
   And His graciousness and quenchless
      Love for lost humanity?




HYMN XVI.


            “_Being confident of this very thing_,”  PHILIP i. 6.

                    “O!  Arglwydd Dduw rhagluniaeth,”

   O God of Providence
      And consolation,
   Thou, Whose omnipotence
      Controls creation,
   Enable me to stand
      In tribulation
   Awaiting at Thine Hand
      Emancipation.

   Assist my soul to see
      What angels try to trace,—
   The Gospel Harmony,—
      Love, Fellowship and Grace,—
   Godhead and Manhood met,
      Mysteriously One,
   In Him who paid my debt,—
      Thy Well-beloved Son.

   My sinful soul arise,
      Shake off thy lethargy,
   Awake and realise
      The Ransom wrought for thee.
   Trust His Divinity
      That could so sympathise,
   And His Humanity
      Which was The Sacrifice.

   Though hurricanes may blow
      And billows overwhelm
   My battered bark, I know
      That Thou art at the helm,
   My Saviour and My God!
      I therefore need not fear
   The swelling of the flood
      Of sin with Thee so near.




HYMN XVII.


        “_Preach the Gospel to the whole creation_.”  S. MARK xvi. 15.

                     “Iehofah yw, yn un â’i enw pur,”

   JEHOVAH, the Creator’s Holy Name,
      Continues everlastingly the same.
   Ye nations, own and throne Him as The Lord,
      And read with reverence His Living Word.
   Ye pioneers of peace, proclaim the love
      Of Him Who came to save us from above:
   Ye Hottentots and Indians, hear His voice,
      Come fearing, and hearing, rejoice.




HYMN XVIII.


     “_And he shall be like a tree planted by streams of water_.”  PS. i.
                                      3.

                 “Gwna fi fel pren planedig, O! fy Nuw,”

   MAKE me, My God, like some transplanted tree
   By living waters thriving healthily,
   Deep-rooted, evergreen, and gratefully
   Producing fruit acceptable to Thee.

   Make me, beneath the shadow of Thy wings,
   Superior to sublunary things,—
   Yea, like a dew-besprinkled olive tree
   Of Thine own choosing yielding well to Thee.

   In one high noon of one eternal day,
   Within Thine home, before Thy throne I pray.
   That I may bear a palm and wear a crown
   Prepared for me by Him of great renown.




HYMN XIX.


     “_There remaineth therefore a Sabbath rest for the people of God_.”
                                 HEB. iv. 9.

             “Gwlad dda heb wae, gwlad wedi ei rhoi dan sêl,”

   A land of Holiness, a Sabbath rest,
   A land with more than milk and honey blest,
   A land of everlasting Bread and Wine,—
   A land where Jesus bids us “come and dine,”—
   O! may that happy land be thine and mine!




HYMN XX.


                    “_A new and living way_”  HEB. x, 20.

                     “Ffordd â’i henw yn “Rhyfeddol””

   YESTERDAY, to-day, and ever,—
      Liable to no decay,—
   Wonderful above all other
      Is the new and living way:
   Stained, regained and consecrated
      By My Blessed Saviour’s Blood,
   It conducts the lone, belated
      Pilgrim to the throne of God.

   Though it mean regeneration,
      Rest, imputed righteousness,
   Liberty, justification,
      And eternal happiness,
   Multitudes, preferring midnight,
      Wander witlessly astray,
   Even though the shining sunlight
      Shew this new and living way.

   Preordained before creation
      Rose—in Eve, the woman’s seed,—
   It was man’s one consolation
      In his night of utmost need—
   Primitively preconcerted
      By The Blessed Trinity.—
   Never may I be perverted,
      O My God, from it and Thee!




HYMN XXI.


      “_Behold_, _I have set before thee a door opened_, _which none can
                             shut_”  REV. iii, 8.

                    “O’m blaen mi welaf ddrws agored,”

   STRAIT, yet open wide before me,
      Stands a door by which the blest,
   Through The Blood of My Redeemer,
      Enter into endless rest.
   From the devil and his angels
      Jesus died to rescue me,
   Crucified in shame and anguish
      On the tree of Calvary.

   O for grace to be submissive
      And attentive to His Word,—
   Grace to cast the galling burden
      Of the past upon The Lord,—
   Grace to pay my vows whenever
      I have vowed unto The Lord,—
   Grace to sway the sword of safety,
      Ever His Eternal Word!

   Human life, in all its stages,
      Meets with many enemies,
   Satan’s evil emissaries
      Compassing about like bees,
   Some within my mind are tempting
      My dull soul to doubt My God;
   Help me, Gracious Lord, to rout them,
      Trusting to Thy Precious Blood.

   To a sorrow stricken sinner
      It is comforting to read
   That My God is My Redeemer
      Ever nigh in time of need.
   When the veil is rent asunder,
      Oh! how blessed will it be
   To behold The Same Redeemer
      Still My Own eternally.




HYMN XXII.


        “_Oh that mine head were waters_, _and mine eyes a fountain of
                             tears_”  JER. lx. 1.

                     “O! na bai fy mhen yn ddyfroedd”

   WOULD that my poor head were waters
      That I might not cease to weep
   Over Sion’s sons and daughters,
      Wrapt in waywardness and sleep!
   Foxes, the vineyard thieving,
      Are destroying all the bloom,
   And the bright Sheckinah, leaving
      Sion, leaves her to her doom.

   Lord, remember how Thou swearedst
      In Thy covenant of old
   To redeem, and how Thou carest
      For the frailest in Thy fold.
   Shed within us some reflection
      Of Thyself, The Living Word,
   Thou That art The Resurrection
      And The Everlasting Lord!




HYMN XXIII.


      “_That ye be renewed in the Spirit of your mind_”  EPHES. iv. 23.

                  “A raid i’m sêl, oedd farwor tanllyd”

   IS the zeal, which, as a burning
      Coal within me, made me bold
   In old days departed, turning
      Into doubt, and growing cold?
   Pardon, Lord, my base defection,
      Fill my bosom with Thy love,
   And revive my lost affection
      For the things of heaven above.




HYMN XXIV.


    “_With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of Salvation_.”  ISA.
                                   xii. 3.

                     “Y mae dyfroedd iachawdwriaeth,”

   STILL salubrious as ever,
      Still to thirsting sinners free,
   Flow the waters of salvation
      Opened first on Calvary.
   Come, ye sons of fallen Adam,
      Wounded by the serpent’s sting,
   Come, and in these wondrous waters
      Find relief from suffering.

   If, when ankle deep, such waters
      Prove of present potency,
   What will be the bliss of bathing
      In them everlastingly?
   Children of the Resurrection,
      What will be your ecstasy
   When arriving sat The Fountain
      Head That bled on Calvary?




HYMN XXV.


       “_That through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have
                             hope_.”  ROM. xv. 4.

                        “Cofia ddilyn y medelwyr,”

   WHEN the sultry sun is beaming
      Down upon the harvest field,
   Dip thy morsel in the streaming
      Fountain at the Cross unsealed.
   Glean among the revelations
      Of God’s Oracles, and find
   In thy gleaning consolations
      Competent to calm the mind.

   When to mark the publication
      Of the Law, Mount Sinai blazed,
   And, amazed, the Jewish nation
      Gazed, and shuddered as they gazed,
   Under Sinai stunned with thunder
      Rose an altar solemnly
   Shadowing another Wonder
      Greater still on Calvary.




HYMN XXVI.


      “_Look not upon me because I am swarthy_.”  SOLOMON’S SONG, i. 6.

                       “Nac edryched neb i gloffi,”

   Daughters fair of David’s city,
      Stare not with disdain upon
   Me because my face is swarthy,
      For, if sunburnt, it is comely
   As the curtains of the costly
      Corridors of Solomon.




HYMN XXVII.


           “_A golden bell and a pomegranate_,”  EXOD. xxviii. 34.

                      “Mae swn y clychau ’n chwareu”

   THE blossoms of the pomegranates
      Emit enchanting smells,
   As, pealing through the pearly gates
      The melody of bells
   Proclaims to every sinner
      That pardon has been won
   And favour with the Father
      By His eternal Son.

   Oh! may my meditation
      Perpetually be
   The marvellous salvation
      Which He has wrought for me:
   And may my whole demeanour
      Be in conformity
   With all that My Redeemer
      Would have my life to be.




HYMN XXVIII.


       “_What is Thy Beloved more than another beloved_?”  THE SONG OF
                                 SONGS, v. 9.

                     “Rhyfedda byth, briodas ferch,”

   WHAT is Thy Beloved more
   Than another, O thou fairest
   Of thy sisters, that thou carest
   Thus His Features to adore?
   Of ten thousand, verily,
   Marked out by a banner, He
   Is The Chiefest unto me.




HYMN XXIX.


      “_Who His own self bare our sins in His Body upon the tree_”  1 S.
                                Peter ii. 24.

                   “Mi gerdda ’n araf ddyddiau f’ oes,”

   BENEATH the shadow of the tree
   Where Jesus bled and died for me
   I seek and see security.
   O may my spirit never be
   Far from the tree of Calvary
   Whereon My Daysman died for me!




HYMN XXX.


      “_The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you_.”  ROM. xvi. 20.

                         “Ma myrdd o ryfeddodau”

   WHEN suffering reverses,
      My soul has learnt to know
   The multitude of mercies
      That from My Saviour flow.
   Sing, then, my soul, the fulness
      Of that redeeming grace
   Which offers perfect soundness
      To all of Adam’s race.




HYMN XXXI.


                   “_The word of the Cross_”  1 COR. i, 18.

                        “Efengyl Crist sy’n galw”

   WHILE to the disobedient
      The day is drawing near
   When they shall pray to Christ too late,
      And He refuse to hear,
   Unmerited forgiveness
      Is offered unto all
   That with unfeigned repentance
      Obey the Gospel Call.




HYMN XXXII.


     “_Knowing that the putting off of my tabernacle cometh swiftly_.”  2
                               S. PETER i. 14.

                       “Rwy’n cael arwyddion amlwg”

   HOW many intimations
      Have I that I must go
   Away from my relations
      And neighbours here below!
   Promoted from the army
      On earth, I trust to rise
   To where no foe can harm me,—
      The rest of Paradise.

   Though temporal affliction
      Has laid my body low,
   Contrition and conviction
      Of sin have made me know
   That My Redeemer liveth,
      And that He soon shall stand
   To bless, when He receiveth
      His own at His Right Hand.

   I thus with resignation
      Anticipate the grave,
   Confiding my salvation
      To Him Who died to save.
   I hope to rise with gladness
      At the dread trumpet’s sound,
   And see Him Whom in sadness
      I have always found.

   More wondrous revelations
      Shall at that sound be made
   Than when the first foundations
      Of heaven and earth were laid—
   Before the malediction
      Is uttered from the throne
   Shall come the benediction
      When Christ shall own His own.

   Yet, midst the jubilation
      That shall abound among
   The saved of every nation
      In one resounding song,
   By far the most amazing
      Surprise to me will be
   Myself in rapture gazing
      On Him Who died for me.




HYMN XXXIII.


    “_Thou shalt guide me with Thy counsel_, _and afterward receive me to
                          glory_.”  PS. lxxiii, 24.

                      “Yma’r wyf mewn anial maith,”

   THROUGH my pilgrimage below
      Guide Thou me,
   Jesu, free me from every foe,
      Graciously!
   All my care I cast on Thee
      Till life’s end,
   Well aware that Thou shalt be
      Still My Friend.




HYMN XXXIV.


            “_Be still_, _and know that I am God_.”  PS. xlvi, 10.

                     “Dyfais fawr tragwyddol gariad,”

   FULL and undeserved salvation
      Founded on Eternal Love
   Has been won for every nation,—
      Peace on earth and bliss above.
   On God’s covenant depending,
      Howsoever storms may rage,
   I am safe, for He attending
      Will protect my pilgrimage.

   What if health be frail and fleeting,—
      Heart and flesh together quail,—
   And the pulse of life cease beating?
      God’s compassions never fail.
   Oh! how fraught with consolation
      Is this thought to every one
   Who commits his soul’s salvation
      To the merits of His Son!

   The commandments I have pondered
      Over; Christ in agony
      have seen by faith and wondered
      At the tree of Calvary;
   And if my peregrination
      Through this earth be frequently
   But a path of perturbation
      It betokens victory.

   Things that seem to teem with sadness,
      Darkness, bitterness and fear,
   Shall be swallowed up in gladness
      When the glory shall appear.
   Looking upwards at the haven
      Where my soul aspires to be
   I behold prepared in heaven
      An inheritance for me.

   Indistinct, and distant glimpses
      Only come within my sight:
   But these glimpses thrill my senses
      With ineffable delight:
   While the promise of Salvation
      Purchased by Immanuel’s Blood
   Gives my spirit Consolation,
      Courage, and The Peace of God.

   Fondly feeling that, surviving
      Every tempest’s angry swell,
   I was happily arriving
      At the goal where I would dwell,
   My glad soul exclaimed, O Father,
      Have I come to be with Thee,
   Safe eternally from further
      Anguish and anxiety?

   “Hush, my child, be calm and quiet;
      Recollect that I am God:
   Nothing can withstand the fiat
      Of My All-commanding Nod:
   Though thy ghostly foe be railing,
      Know that I am on thy side,
   And, although thy strength be failing,
      I, Thy Guide, will still provide.”

   This contents my soul: The Giver
      Of all good, My Loving Lord,
   Is Almighty to deliver,
      And, depending on His Word,
   Underneath the safe protection
      Of the shadow of His Wings,
   I have less and less affection
      For earth’s evanescent things.

   Suffering with resignation
      All the trials of to-day,
   In composed anticipation,
      Come, or go, whatever may,
   I await the promised vision
      Of God’s Face in Righteousness
   And the perfected fruition
      Of His Grace and Holiness.

   Nature, at the contemplation
      Of The Godhead, faints with fear,
   And, distraught with consternation,
      Dreads the thought that God is near.
   O for grace to bear the vision
      Of Jehovah’s Majesty,
   And to share in the fruition
      Of an endless Jubilee!




HYMN XXXV.


        “_Far be it for me to glory save in the Cross_”  GAL. vi., 14.

                     “Nid oes gwrthrych ar y ddaear”

   EARTH’S emoluments and pleasure
      Fail to fascinate my mind
   When I contemplate the treasure
      Gained by Christ for all mankind.
   He, though greater than a creature
      Such as I can comprehend,
   Can compose my craving nature
      With the Comfort of a Friend.

   O for Grace to live depending
      On His Merits and to meet,
   After death, in life unending,
      Him before the judgment seat!—
   Grace to bear whatever crosses
      Come, because He bore His Own,
   And to learn that earthly losses
      Lead to where no care is known!




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