YE singers of Zion, His goodness retrace,
And hide not His trophies of mercy and grace;
His " plenteous redemption " with fullness proclaim,
Forget not His " patience," deny not His " name."
Now join in the lays of the weak ones of old,
Whose hearts were too big for the law-loving fold;
Whose lips must confess, with rejoicing at length,
That they who have "stumbled are girded with strength.'
Say, who is this wanderer, homeless and lone,
Preparing a bed with its pillows of stone?
He dreams not of judgment, but heaven reveals
A pathway of favor—the Blesser that heals.
Where—where did he find out the oil that he poured,
Recording the grace he had learned in the Lord?
A bright Ebenezer he 'stablished at length,
Proclaiming, to us, who was girded with strength.
Then, tell of that wonder of power divine,
Who proved His compassions could sovereignly shine,
The one who beheld how He wrought at the Sea,
And set His redeemed in the wilderness free:
Yes, hide not the truth, how he shamelessly strayed,
And gathered the sheep round the idol he made;
Yet oh! as he bound on the ephod, at length
His lips could declare who was girded with strength.
And surely, we see, in this wonderful plan,
The priest could announce-" Never glory in man; "
The people had sinned: 'twas in vain they could boast,
So all must be debtors to Mercy at last.
Then pass on to Beer, when he at the rock
Had failed to show grace to the wandering flock:
" In them He is sanctified " richly, at length,
"The pole" is their banner, they're girded with strength.
And who is this marvel in Hannah's bright day,
Whose mouth can be filled with a similar lay—
The offspring of Korah—a debtor to grace,
Who surely would join you in gladness and praise?
Sing, sing, as ye see him uplifting the oil,
To pour it on him who gave Grace's full spoil;
Tis Rahab's great son he is blessing at length,
And David could tell who was girded with strength.
Of captives in Babylon, too, ye may sing,
And ope the resources that Mercy must bring;
The sword in their house, governmentally laid,
And yet what a witness their pathway displayed.
Ah! little the boaster to Babylon knew,
The wonderful blessing their God had in view;
That proved, in the end (to His glory and praise),
When deepest the ruin, the power of His grace.
But, pass on from singing in Zion of old,
And louder proclaim what your hearts must unfold;
Say, who are those gathered in weakness and fear—
Their souls little dreaming what blessing was near.
The last time they all were surrounding the Head,
They left Him alone: they " forsook Him and fled."
Then sing as He breathes on those outcasts at length,
That they who had "stumbled are girded with strength."
Are they a-preparing for Galilee's road,
To seek the rejected—to find His abode?
He comes to give energy ere they move on,
To meet where the weak ones had told He was gone.
A Peter—like Aaron—shall echo your strain,
To learn richer grace in that wonderful train;
Oh, could not that company glory at length,
And prove—that the stumbler is girded with strength.
The name of their Purchaser, who shall remove
From sheep that are branded from glory above?
Despite all their failure, before all the world,
]Their calling, their standard, may still be unfurled.
Yes, singers of Zion, now fully proclaim,
The weakest is heavenly—bearing that Name;
The height of that calling, the grace He can pour,
Unite—as ye laud loving kindness's store.
The proud may refuse, but "the humble shall hear,"
The wise shall " observe" why the needy have cheer:
If Hanun reject what a David doth send,
Let heads, which He blesses, adoringly bend.
" While kings with their armies are fleeing apace,"
We'll sing all the louder of glory and grace;
Just come to the end of the desert at length,
Why should we not tell of the girdle of strength.