The Christian — Meditation and Prayer

What various hindrances we meet

No. 515
Words William Cowper.
Singing key E♭ major
6 stanzas

Sung to UXBRIDGE (hymn 624)

Words

What various hindrances we meetIn coming to the mercy-seat!Yet who that knows the worth of prayerBut wishes to be often there?

Prayer makes the darkest cloud withdraw;Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,Gives exercise to faith and love,Brings every blessing from above.

Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;Prayer makes the Christian's armor bright;And Satan trembles when he seesThe weakest saint upon his knees.

When Moses stood with arms spread wide,Success was found on Israel's side;But when, through weariness, they failed,That moment Amalek prevailed.

Have you no words? Ah! think again;Words flow apace when you complain,And fill your fellow-creatures' earsWith the sad tale of all your cares.

Were half the breath thus vainly spent,To heaven in supplication sent,Your cheerful song would oftener be,"Hear what the Lord hath done for me!"

About this hymn

As printed Words only. As printed: hymn number «515» (large) in the left column of p. 170, under «Hugh Stowell.» of hymn 514 (RETREAT), with the italic reference line «624, 223, 875.» (= sing to the tunes of hymns 624, 223 or 875) beside the number; stanzas 1–3 stand at the foot of the left column, stanzas 4–6 at the top of the right column; «William Cowper.» in italics after stanza 6. The first word «WHAT» is set in capitals and small capitals. The lines of each stanza are not indented in the print. The print sets a thin space before «;», «?» and «!» («withdraw ;», «words ?», «Ah !», «me !»); it is closed up here; quotation marks and apostrophes are written straight. No meter is printed (the text is L. M., like the three tunes referred to). Spelling, punctuation and capitals are the print's.