The Covenant and Confidence of Faith

To the common Tunes.

My whole, though broken heart, O Lord!

From henceforth shall be thine!
And here I do my vow record:

This hand, these words are mine.
All that I have, without reserve,

I offer here to thee: Thy will and honour all shall serve,

That thou bestow’dst on me.

All that exceptions save I lose:

All that I lose I save:
The treasure of thy love I choose;

And thou art all I crave. My God, thou hast my heart and hand:

I all to thee resign.
1 ’11 ever to this covenant stand,

Though flesh hereat repine.

I know that thou wast willing first;

And then mad’st me consent:
Having thus loved me at the worst,

Thou wilt not now repent.

* This covenant my dear wife in her former sickness subscribed with a cueerful will. — Job xii. 2G.

Now I have quit all self-pretence,
Take charge of what’s thine own,

My life, my health, and my defence,
Now lie on thee alone.

Now it belongs not to my care,

Whether I die or live: To love and serve thee is my share:

And this thy grace must give.
If life be long, I will be glad,

That I may long obey: If short; yet why should I be sad,

That shall have the same pay.

If death shall bruise this springing seed;

Before it come to fruit; The will with thee goes for the deed;

Thy life was in the root. Long life is a long grief and toil,

And inultiplieth faults:
In long wars he may have the foil,

That ‘scapes in short assaults

Would I long bear my heavy load?

And keep my sorrows long?
Would I long sin against my God?

And his dear mercy wrong?
How much is sinful flesh my foe,

That doth my soul pervert;
To linger here in sin and woe,

And steals from God my heart Christ leads me through no darker rooms

Than he went through before:
He that into God’s kingdom comes,

Must enter by this door. Come, Lord, when grace hath made me meet,

Thy blessed face to see:
For if thy work on earth be sweet,

What will thy glory be?

Then I shall end my sad complaints,

And weary, sinful days:
And join with the triumphant saints,

That sing Jehovah’s praise. My knowledge of that life is small;

The eye of faith is dim: But it ’s enough that Christ knows all;

And I shall be with him.