302    8.8.6.     John Berridge
Pressing to Jesus through the Crowd. Phil. 3. 12-14

1 If unto Jesus thou art bound,
  A crowd about him will be found,
  Attending day and night;
  A worldly crowd to din thy ears,
  And crowds of unbelieving fears,
  To hide him from thy sight.

2 Yet all the vain and noisy crowd
  Is but a thin and lowering cloud,
  A mist before thy eyes;
  If thou press on, the crowds will fly,
  Or if thou faint, to Jesus cry,
  And he will send supplies.

3 This only way can pilgrims go,
  And all complain, as thou wilt do,
  Of crowds that daily come;
  Yet though beset by crafty foes,
  And passing through a thousand woes,
  They get securely home.

4 [But such as seem to run the race,
  And meet no crowd to check their pace,
  Are only rambling still;
  Not fairly entered on the list,
  The gate and narrow way they missed,
  Which lead to Zion’s hill.]

5 O Lord, a cheering look bestow,
  Or lend a hand to help me through,
  And draw me up to thee;
  And when, through fear, I only creep,
  Or dare not move a single step,
  Yet thou canst come to me.