Though Jericho Pleasantly Stood

Though Je­ri­cho plea­sant­ly stood

And looked like a pro­mis­ing soil;

The har­vest pro­duced lit­tle food

To an­swer the hus­band­man’s toil.

The wa­ter some pro­per­ty had

Which poi­son­ous proved to the ground;

The springs were cor­rupt­ed and bad

The streams spread a bar­ren­ness round.

But soon by the cruse and the salt

Prepared by Eli­sha’s com­mand

The wa­ter was cured of its fault

And plen­ty en­rich­èd the land:

An em­blem sure this of the grace

On fruit­less dead sin­ners be­stowed;

For man is in Je­ri­cho’s case

Till cured by the mer­cy of God.

How no­ble a crea­ture he seems!

What know­ledge

in­vent­ion and skill!

How large and ex­ten­sive his schemes!

How much can he do if he will!

His zeal to be learn­èd and wise

Will yield to no lim­its or bars;

He mea­sures the earth and the skies

And num­bers and mar­shals the stars.

Yet still he is bar­ren of good;

In vain are his tal­ents and art;

For sin has in­fect­ed his blood

And poi­soned the streams of his heart:

Though coc­ka­trice eggs he can hatch

Or

spi­der-like

cob­webs can weave;

’Tis mad­ness to la­bor and watch

For what will de­stroy or de­ceive.

But grace

like the salt in the cruse

When cast in the spring of the soul;

A won­der­ful change will pro­duce

Diffusing new life through the whole:

The wild­er­ness blooms like a rose

The heart which was vile and ab­horred;

Now fruit­ful and beau­ti­ful grows

The gar­den and joy of the Lord.