Page:Olney Hymns - 1840.djvu/191

BOOK I. 7 &quot; Thou canst not entertain a king, Unworthy thou of such a guest! But I my own provisions bring, To make thy soul a heavenly feast. &quot;

1 WHEN the beloved disciple took The angel s little open book, Which by the Lord s command he eat, It tasted bitter after sweet.

2 Thus when the gospel is embraced, At first tis sweeter to the taste Than honey or the honey-comb, But there s a bitterness to come.

3 What sweetness does the promise yield, When by the Spirit s power seal d! The longing soul is fill d with good, Nor feels a wish for other food.

4 By these inviting tastes allured, We pass to what must be endured ; For soon we find it is decreed, That bitter must to sweet succeed.

5 When sin revives and shows its power, When Satan threatens to devour, When God afflicts, and men revile, We draw our steps with pain and toil.

6 When thus deserted, tempest-toss d, The sense of former sweetness lost, We tremble lest we were deceived In thinking that we once believed.

7 The Lord first makes the sweetness known, To win and fix us for his own ; And though we now some bitter meet, We hope for everlasting sweet.