Olney Hymns (1840)/Book 1/Hymn 66
66.
The Trust of the Wicked and the Righteous compared. Jer. xvii, 5—8.
1 As parched in the barren sands,
Beneath a burning sky,
The worthless bramble with'ring stands,
And only grows to die;
Beneath a burning sky,
The worthless bramble with'ring stands,
And only grows to die;
2 Such is the sinner's awful case,
Who makes the world his trust,
And dares his confidence to place
In vanity and dust.
Who makes the world his trust,
And dares his confidence to place
In vanity and dust.
3 A secret curse destroys his root,
And dries his moisture up;
He lives awhile, but bears no fruit,
Then dies without a hope.
And dries his moisture up;
He lives awhile, but bears no fruit,
Then dies without a hope.
4 But happy he whose hopes depend
Upon the Lord alone;
The soul that trusts in such a Friend
Can ne'er be overthrown.
Upon the Lord alone;
The soul that trusts in such a Friend
Can ne'er be overthrown.
5 Though gourds should wither, cisterns break.
And creature-comforts die,
No change his solid hope can shake,
Or stop his sure supply.
And creature-comforts die,
No change his solid hope can shake,
Or stop his sure supply.
6 So thrives and blooms the tree whose roots
By constant streams are fed;
Array'd in green, and rich in fruits,
It rears its branching head.
By constant streams are fed;
Array'd in green, and rich in fruits,
It rears its branching head.
7 It thrives though rain should be denied,
And drought around prevail;
'Tis planted by a river side
Whose waters cannot fail.
And drought around prevail;
'Tis planted by a river side
Whose waters cannot fail.