VI. THE CHRISTIAN CHARACTER.
193.
P. M.
Sp. of Psalms.
The Holy Spirit.
1 Our blest Redeemer, ere he breathed
His tender, last farewell,
A Guide, a Comforter, bequeathed,
With us to dwell.
2 He came, in tongues of living flame,
To teach, convince, subdue;
All powerful as the wind he came,
As viewless too.
3 He came sweet influence to impart,
A gracious, willing guest,
While he can find one humble heart
Wherein to rest.
4 And his that gentle voice we hear,
Soft as the breath of even,
That checks each fault, that calms each fear
And speaks of heaven.
5 And every virtue we possess,
And every victory won,
And every thought of holiness,
Are his alone.
6 Spirit of purity and grace,
Our weakness pitying see;
O, make our hearts Thy dwelling-place,
And worthier Thee!
194.
S. M.
Anonymous.
The Spirit Saith “Come!”
1 The Spirit in our hearts
Is whispering, “Wanderer, come!”
The Bride, the church of Christ, proclaims
To all his children, “Come!”
2 Let him that heareth say
To all about him, “Come!”
Let him that thirsts for righteousness,
To Christ, the fountain, come!
3 Yes, whosoever will,
O, let him freely come,
And freely drink the stream of life;
’Tis Jesus bids you come.
4 Lo! Jesus, who invites,
Declares, “I quickly come!”
Lord, even so! I wait thine hour;
Jesus, my Saviour, come!
195.
7s. M.
Anonymous.
The Prodigal.
1 Brother, hast thou wandered far
From thy Father’s happy home,
With thyself and God at war?
Turn thee, brother, homeward come!
2 Hast thou wasted all the powers
God for noble uses gave?
Squandered life’s most golden hours?
Turn thee, brother, God can save!
3 Is a mighty famine now
In thy heart and in thy soul?
Discontent upon thy brow?
Turn thee, God will make thee whole!
4 He can heal thy bitterest wound,
He thy gentlest prayer can hear;
Seek Him, for He may be found;
Call upon Him; He is near.
196.
L. M.
Beard’s Coll.
Turn, Child of Doubt.
1 Turn, child of doubt, estranged from God!
To error’s joyless waste betrayed;
No light will there illume thy road,
No friendly voice will give thee aid.
2 O, turn, and leave that cheerless waste!
The shade of death,—the maze of woe!
There is a path that leads to rest,
A fount of life is given below.
3 Thy friend, thy Lord, from heaven revealed,
The lost, the erring, to recall,
That sacred fountain hath unsealed;
With voice of love he speaks to all.
4 He bids the dying wanderer turn,
To walk in duty’s way, and live;
He speaks to wounded souls that mourn,
He speaks,—to heal and to forgive.
197.
7s. M.
Briggs’ Coll.
Come Home!
1 Soul! celestial in thy birth,
Dwelling yet in lowest earth,
Panting, shrinking to be free,
Hear God’s spirit whisper thee.
2 Thus it saith; in accents mild,—
“Weary wanderer, wayward child,
From thy Father’s earnest love
Still forever wilt thou rove?
3 “Turn to hope, and peace, and light,
Freed from sin, and earth, and night;
I have called, entreated thee,
In my mercies gentle, free.
4 “Human soul, in love divine
I have sought to make thee mine;
Still for thee good angels yearn;
Human soul, return, return!”
198.
C. M.
Whittier.
The Call.
1 O, not alone with outward sign
Of fear, or voice from heaven,
The message of a truth divine,
The call of God, is given;
Awakening in the human heart
Love for the True and Right,
Zeal for the Christian’s better part,
Strength for the Christian’s fight.
2 Though heralded by naught of fear,
Or outward sign, or show;
Though only to the inward ear
It whisper soft and low;
Though dropping as the manna fell,
Unseen, yet from above,
Holy and gentle, heed it well,—
The call to Truth and Love.
199.
11s. M.
Anonymous.
Acquaint Thee with God.
1 Acquaint thee, O spirit, acquaint thee with God,
And joy, like the sunshine, shall beam on thy road;
And peace, like the dew, shall descend round thy head,
And sleep, like an angel, shall visit thy bed.
2 Acquaint thee, O spirit, acquaint thee with God,
And he shall be with thee when fears are abroad;
Thy safeguard in danger that threatens thy path,
Thy joy in the valley and shadow of death.
200.
S. M.
Johns.
Thou Must Be Born Again.
1 Thou must be born again!
Such was the solemn word
To him who came, not all in vain,
By night to seek his Lord.
2 Thou must be born again!
But not the birth of clay;
The immortal seed must thence obtain
Deliverance into day.
3 Thou, in thy inmost mind,
Must own the same control;
The same regenerating wind
Must move and guide thy soul.
4 Thou canst not choose but trace
The steps the Master trod,
If once thou feel his truth and grace,
A conscious child of God.
5 The mortal’s birth is past;
The immortal’s birth must be;
Seek well and thou shalt find at last
That blest nativity.
201.
7s. M.
*John Taylor.
A Penitential Hymn.
1 God of mercy! God of love!
Hear our sad, repentant songs;
Listen to Thy suppliant ones,
Thou, to whom all grace belongs!
2 Deep regret for follies past,
Talents wasted, time misspent;
Hearts debased by worldly cares,
Thankless for the blessings lent;—
3 Foolish fears and fond desires,
Vain regrets for things as vain;
Lips too seldom taught to praise,
Oft to murmur and complain;—
4 These, and every secret fault,
Filled with grief and shame, we own;
Humbled at Thy feet we bow,
Seeking strength from Thee alone.
5 God of mercy! God of love!
Hear our sad, repentant songs;
O, restore Thy suppliant ones,
Thou to whom all grace belongs!
202.
10s. M.
Anonymous.
The Broken Shield.
1 O, send me not away! for I would drink,
Even I, the weakest, at the fount of life;
Chide not my steps, that venture near the brink,
Weary and fainting from the deadly strife.
2 Went I not forth undaunted and alone,
Strong in the majesty of human might?
Lo! I return, all wounded and forlorn,
My dream of glory lost in shades of night.
3 Was I not girded for the battle-field?
Bore I not helm of pride and glittering sword?
Behold the fragments of my broken shield,
And lend to me Thy heavenly armor, Lord!
203.
C. M.
Furness.
The Penitent Son.
1 O, richly, Father, have I been
Blest evermore by Thee!
And morning, noon, and night Thou hast
Preserved me tenderly.
2 And yet the love which Thou shouldst claim
To idols I have given;
Too oft have bound to earth the hopes
That know no home but heaven.
3 Unworthy to be called Thy son,
I come with shame to Thee,
Father!—O, more than Father, Thou
Hast always been to me!
4 Help me to break the heavy chains
The world has round me thrown,
And know the glorious liberty
Of an obedient son.
5 That I may henceforth heed whate’er
Thy voice within me saith,
Fix deeply in my heart of hearts
A principle of faith,—
6 Faith that, like armor to my soul,
Shall keep all evil out,
More mighty than an angel host,
Encamping round about.
204.
7s. M.
Milman.
Lord, Have Mercy.
1 Lord, have mercy when we pray
Strength to seek a better way;
When our wakening thoughts begin
First to loathe their cherished sin;
When our weary spirits fail,
And our aching brows are pale;
Then Thy strengthening grace afford;
Then, O, then, have mercy, Lord!
2 Lord, have mercy when we know
First how vain this world below;
When its darker thoughts oppress,
Doubts perplex, and fears distress;
When the earliest gleam is given
Of the bright but distant heaven;
Then Thy strengthening grace afford;
Then, O, then, have mercy, Lord!
205.
L. M.
*
I Will Arise and Go unto My Father.
1 To Thine eternal arms, O God,
Take us, Thine erring children, in;
From dangerous paths too boldly trod,
From wandering thoughts and dreams of sin.
2 Those arms were round our childish ways,
A guard through helpless years to be;
O leave not our maturer days,
We still are helpless without Thee!
3 We trusted hope and pride and strength:
Our strength proved false, our pride was vain,
Our dreams have faded all at length,—
We come to Thee, O Lord, again!
4 A guide to trembling steps yet be!
Give us of Thine eternal powers!
So shall our paths all lead to Thee,
And life smile on like childhood’s hours.
206.
L. M.
Flint’s Coll.
The Strength of the Erring.
1 Yes! prayer is strong, and God is good;
Man is not made for endless ill;
The offending soul, in darkest mood,
Hath yet a hope, a refuge still.
2 Thou, God, wilt hear; these pangs are meant
To heal the spirit, not destroy;
And even remorse, for chastening sent,
When Thou commandest, works for joy.
207.
C. M.
*Wreford.
Prayer for Increase of Faith.
1 Lord! I believe; Thy power I own
Thy word I would obey;
I wander comfortless and lone,
When from Thy truth I stray.
2 Lord! I believe; but gloomy fears
Sometimes bedim my sight;
I look to Thee with prayers and tears,
And cry for strength and light.
3 Lord! I believe; but oft, I know,
My faith is cold and weak;
Make strong my weakness, and bestow
The confidence I seek!
4 Yes, I believe; and only Thou
Canst give my soul relief;
Lord! to Thy truth my spirit bow,
Help Thou my unbelief!
208.
C. M.
Bartrum.
My God, Remember Me.
1 O, from these visions dark and drear,
Kind Father, set me free;
I struggle yet with darkness here,—
My God, remember me!
2 Refresh my drooping soul with grace
And quickening energy;
Still running, toiling in the race,—
My God, remember me!
3 Some cheering ray of hope impart,
Sweet influence from Thee;
And raise this feeble, drooping heart,—
My God, remember me!
4 For the inheritance in light,
On trembling wings I flee;
With sins, and doubts, and fears, I fight,—
My God, remember me!
209.
C. M.
Milman.
Prayer for Help.
1 O, help us, Lord! each hour of need
Thy heavenly succor give;
Help us in thought, in word, in deed,
Each hour on earth we live.
2 O, help us, when our spirits bleed,
With doubt and anguish sore;
And when our hearts are cold and dead,
O, help us, Lord, the more.
3 O, help us, through the prayer of faith,
More firmly to believe;
For still the more the servant hath,
The more shall he receive.
4 O, help us, Father! from on high;
We know no help but Thee;
O, help us so to live and die,
As Thine in heaven to be!
210.
7s. M.
Russian.
In Doubt.
1 Why, thou never-setting Light,
Is thy brightness veiled from me?
Why does this unwonted night
Cloud thy blest benignity?
2 I am lost without thy ray;
Guide my wandering footsteps, Lord!
Light my dark and erring way
To the noontide of Thy word.
211.
C. M.
Humphries.
Good Lord, Remember Me.
1 O Thou, from whom all goodness flows,
I lift my soul to Thee;
In all my sorrows, conflicts, woes,
Good Lord, remember me!
2 When on my aching, burdened heart
My sins lie heavily,
Thy pardon grant, new peace impart;
Good Lord, remember me!
3 When trials sore obstruct my way,
And ills I cannot flee,
O, let my strength be as my day;
Good Lord, remember me!
4 When worn with pain, disease, and grief,
This feeble body see;
Grant patience, rest, and kind relief;
Good Lord, remember me!
5 When in the solemn hour of death
I wait Thy just decree,
Be this the prayer of my last breath,—
Good Lord, remember me!
6 And when before Thy throne I stand,
And lift my soul to Thee,
Then, with the saints at Thy right hand,
Good Lord, remember me!
212.
P. M.
Mrs. Follen.
Lord, to Whom Shall We Go?
1 When, with error bewildered, our path becomes dreary,
And tears of despondency flow,
When the whole head is sick, and the whole heart is weary,
Despairing,—to whom shall we go?
2 When the thirsting soul turneth away from the springs
Of the pleasures this world can bestow,
And sighs for another, and flutters its wings,
Impatient,—to whom shall it go?
3 O, blest be that light which has parted the clouds,
And a path to the wanderer can show;
That pierces the veil which the future enshrouds,
And tells us to whom we should go!
213.
C. M.
Bulfinch.
Help Thou Our Unbelief.
1 Father, when o’er our trembling hearts
Doubt’s shadows gathering brood,
When faith in Thee almost departs,
And gloomiest fears intrude;
Forsake us not, O God of grace,
But send those fears relief;
Grant us again to see Thy face;
Lord, help our unbelief!
2 When sorrow comes, and joys are flown,
And fondest hopes lie dead,
And blessings, long esteemed our own,
Are now forever fled;
When the bright promise of our spring
Is but a withered leaf,
Lord, to Thy truths still let us cling;
Help Thou our unbelief!
3 And when the powers of nature fail
Upon the couch of pain,
Nor love nor friendship can avail
The spirit to detain;
Then, Father, be our closing eyes
Undimmed by tears of grief;
And, if a trembling doubt arise,
Help Thou our unbelief!
214.
7s. M.
Furness.
Christ Who Strengtheneth Me.
1 Feeble, helpless, how shall I
Learn to live and learn to die?
Who, O God, my guide shall be?
Who shall lead thy child to Thee?
2 Blessed Father, gracious One,
Thou hast sent thy holy Son;
He will give the light I need,
He my trembling steps will lead.
3 Through this world, uncertain, dim,
Let me ever learn of him;
From his precepts wisdom draw,
Make his life my solemn law.
4 Thus in deed, and thought, and word,
Led by Jesus Christ the Lord,
In my weakness, thus shall I
Learn to live and learn to die;
5 Learn to live in peace and love,
Like the perfect ones above;—
Learn to die without a fear,
Feeling Thee, my Father, near.
215.
L. M.
Anonymous.
Angels from Heaven Strengthening Him.
1 When in thine hour of conflict, Lord,
The tempter to thy soul was nigh,
Or when that bitter cup was poured
In thy deep garden-agony,—
2 Not then, when uttermost thy need,
Seemed light across thy soul to break;
No seraph form was seen to speed,
Nor yet the voice of comfort spake;
3 Till, by thine own triumphant word,
The victory over ill was won;
Until the voice of faith was heard,
“Thy will, O God, not mine, be done!”
4 Lord, bring those precious moments back,
When fainting against sin we strain;
Or in thy counsels fail to track
Aught but the present grief and pain.
5 In weakness, help us to contend;
In darkness, yield to God our will;
And true hearts, faithful to the end,
Cheer by thine holy angels still!
216.
7s. M.
Montgomery.
In Temptation.
1 Hasten, Lord, to my release;
Haste to help me, O my God!
Foes like armed bands increase;—
Turn them back the way they trod.
2 Dark temptations round me press,
Evil thoughts my soul assail;
Doubts and fears, in my distress,
Rise, till flesh and spirit fail.
3 Thou mine only helper art,
My redeemer from the grave;
Strength of my desiring heart,
Father! Helper! haste to save!
217.
11 & 10s. M.
Anonymous.
Spiritual Blessings.
1 Almighty Father! Thou hast many a blessing
In store for every erring child of Thine;
For this I pray,—Let me, Thy grace possessing,
Seek to be guided by Thy will divine.
2 Not for earth’s treasures, for her joys the dearest,
Would I my supplications raise to Thee;
Not for the hopes that to my heart are nearest,
But only that I give that heart to Thee.
3 I pray that Thou wouldst guide and guard me ever;
Cleanse, by Thy power, from every stain of sin;
I will Thy blessing ask on each endeavor,
And thus Thy promised peace my soul shall win.
218.
L. M.
Montgomery.
The Soul’s Rest.
1 Return, my soul, unto thy rest,
From vain pursuits and maddening cares;
From lonely woes that wring thy breast,
The world’s allurements, toils, and snares.
2 Return unto thy rest, my soul,
From all the wanderings of thy thought;
From sickness unto death made whole;
Safe through a thousand perils brought.
3 Then to thy rest, my soul, return,
From passions every hour at strife;
Sin’s works, and ways, and wages, spurn,
Lay hold upon eternal life.
4 God is thy rest; with heart inclined
To keep His word, that word believe;
Christ is thy rest; with lowly mind,
His light and easy yoke receive.
219.
L. M.
Moravian.
Seeking God.
1 Thou hidden love of God, whose height,
Whose depth unfathomed, no man knows;
I see from far Thy beauteous light,
Inly I sigh for Thy repose.
My heart is pained; nor can it be
At rest, till it find rest in Thee.
2 Thy secret voice invites me still
The sweetness of Thy yoke to prove;
And fain I would; but though my will
Seem fixed, yet wide my passions rove;
Yet hindrances strew all the way;
I aim at Thee, yet from Thee stray.
3 ’Tis mercy all, that Thou hast brought
My mind to seek her peace in Thee;
Yet, while I seek, but find Thee not,
No peace my wandering soul shall see.
O, when shall all my wanderings end,
And all my steps to Thee-ward tend!
4 Is there a thing beneath the sun,
That strives with Thee my heart to share?
Ah! tear it thence, and reign alone,
The Lord of every motion there!
Then shall my heart from earth be free,
When it hath found repose in Thee.
220.
P. M.
Anonymous.
Lead Thou Me On!
1 Send kindly light amid the encircling gloom,
And lead me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home;
Lead Thou me on!
Keep Thou my feet: I do not ask to see
The distant scene; one step enough for me.
2 I was not ever thus, nor prayed that Thou
Shouldst lead me on;
I loved to choose and see my path; but now
Lead Thou me on!
I loved day’s dazzling light, and, spite of fears,
Pride ruled my will: remember not past years!
3 So long Thy power hath blessed me, surely still
’Twill lead me on
Through dreary doubt, through pain and sorrow, till
The night is gone,
And with the morn those angel faces smile
Which I have loved long since, and lost awhile.
221.
L. M.
Watts.
Devout Retirement and Meditation.
1 My God! permit me not to be
A stranger to myself and Thee;
Amidst a thousand thoughts I rove,
Forgetful of my highest love.
2 Why should my passions mix with earth,
And thus debase my heavenly birth?
Why should I cleave to things below,
And let my God, my Saviour, go?
3 Call me away from flesh and sense;
One sovereign word can draw me thence;
I would obey Thy voice divine,
And all inferior joys resign.
4 Be earth, with all her strife, withdrawn;
Let noise and vanity be gone;
In secret silence of the mind,
My heaven, and there my God, I find.
222.
L. M.
Moravian.
Aspiration.
1 O, Draw me, Father, after Thee!
So shall I run and never tire;
With gracious words still comfort me;
Be Thou my hope, my sole desire;
Free me from every weight; nor fear
Nor sin can come, if Thou art near.
2 From all eternity, with love
Unchangeable Thou hast me viewed;
Ere knew this beating heart to move,
Thy tender mercies me pursued;
Ever with me may they abide,
And close me in on every side.
3 In suffering be Thy love my peace;
In weakness be Thy love my power;
And when the storms of life shall cease,
O Father! in my latest hour,
In death as life, be Thou my guide,
And draw me closer to Thy side.
223.
L. M.
C. Wesley.
Spiritual Needs.
1 I Want the spirit of power within,
Of love, and of a healthful mind:
Of power to conquer every sin;
Of love to God and all mankind;
Of health that pain and death defies,
Most vigorous when the body dies.
2 O, that the Comforter would come,
Nor visit as a transient guest,
But fix in me his constant home,
And keep possession of my breast;
And make my soul his loved abode,
The temple of indwelling God!
224.
C. M.
C. Wesley.
Watchfulness.
1 I want a principle within
Of jealous, godly fear;
A sensibility to sin,
A pain to find it near.
2 I want the first approach to feel
Of pride, or fond desire;
To catch the wandering of my will,
And quench the kindling fire.
3 From Thee that I no more may part,
No more Thy goodness grieve,
The filial awe, the fleshly heart,
The tender conscience give.
4 Quick as the apple of an eye,
O God, my conscience make!
Awake my soul, when sin is nigh,
And keep it still awake.
225.
S. M.
C. Wesley.
Spiritual Wants.
1 My God, my strength, my hope,
On Thee I cast my care,
With humble confidence look up,
And know Thou hear’st my prayer.
Give me on Thee to wait,
Till I can all things do;
On Thee, almighty to create,
Almighty to renew.
2 I want a sober mind,
A self-renouncing will,
That tramples down and casts behind
The baits of pleasing ill;
A soul inured to pain,
To hardship, grief, and loss,
Bold to take up, firm to sustain,
The consecrated cross.
3 I want a godly fear,
A quick-discerning eye,
That looks to Thee when sin is near,
And bids the tempter fly;
A spirit still prepared,
And armed with jealous care,
Forever standing on its guard,
And watching unto prayer.
4 I want a true regard,
A single, steady aim,
Unmoved by threatening or reward,
To Thee and Thy great name;
This blessing above all,
Always to pray, I want:
Out of the deep on Thee to call,
And never, never faint.
5 I rest upon Thy word;
The promise is for me;
My succor and salvation, Lord,
Shall surely come from Thee;
But let me still abide,
Nor from my hope remove,
Till Thou my patient spirit guide
Into Thy perfect love.
226.
7s. M.
Montgomery.
The Soul Thirsting for God.
1 As the hart, with eager looks,
Panteth for the water-brooks,
So my soul, athirst for Thee,
Pants the living God to see;
When, O, when, without a fear,
Lord, shall I to Thee draw near?
2 Why art thou cast down, my soul?
God, thy God, shall make thee whole;
Why art thou disquieted?
God shall lift thy fallen head,
And His countenance benign
Be the saving health of thine.
227.
S. M.
Montgomery.
Seeking Rest.
1 O, where shall rest be found,
Rest for the weary soul?
’Twere vain the ocean depths to sound,
Or pierce to either pole:
2 The world can never give
The rest for which we sigh;
’Tis not the whole of life to live,
Nor all of death to die.
3 In Thee we end our quest;
Alone are found in Thee
The life of perfect love,—the rest
Of immortality.
228.
C. M.
C. Wesley.
There Remaineth a Rest for the People of God.
1 Lord, I believe a rest remains,
To all Thy people known;
A rest where pure enjoyment reigns,
And Thou art loved alone.
2 A rest, where all our soul’s desire
Is fixed on things above;
Where fear, and sin, and grief expire,
Cast out by perfect love.
3 O, that I now that rest might know,
Believe, and enter in;
Now, Father, now the power bestow,
And let me cease from sin.
4 Remove all hardness from my heart,
All unbelief remove;
To me the rest of faith impart,
The sabbath of Thy love.
229.
S. M.
C. Wesley.
Desire for Holiness.
1 That blessed law of Thine,
Father, to me impart;—
The Spirit’s law of life divine,
O, write it in my heart!
2 Implant it deep within,
Whence it may ne’er remove,—
The law of liberty from sin,
The perfect law of love.
3 Thy nature be my law,
Thy spotless sanctity,
And sweetly every moment draw
My happy soul to Thee.
230.
C. P. M.
Anonymous.
Self-Renunciation.
1 O Lord! how happy should we be,
If we could leave our cares to Thee,
If we from self could rest,
And feel at heart that One above,
In perfect wisdom, perfect love,
Is working for the best.
2 For when we kneel and cast our care
Upon our God in humble prayer,
With strengthened souls we rise;
Sure that our Father, who is nigh
To hear the ravens when they cry,
Will hear His children’s cries.
3 O, may these trustless hearts of ours
The lesson learn from birds and flowers,
And learn from self to cease,—
Leave all things to our Father’s will,
And, on His mercy, leaning still,
Find, in each trial, peace!
231.
S. M.
Montgomery.
Forever with the Lord.
1 Forever with the Lord!
So, Father, let it be;
Life from the dead is in that word,
’Tis immortality.
2 Here in the body pent,
Absent from Thee I roam;
Yet nightly pitch my moving tent
A day’s march nearer home.
3 My Father’s house on high!
Home of my soul, how near
At times to faith’s foreseeing eye
Thy golden gates appear!
4 I hear at morn and even,
At noon and midnight hour,
The choral harmonies of heaven
Earth’s Babel-tongues o’erpower.
5 And then I feel, that He,
Remembered or forgot,
The Lord, is never far from me,
Though I perceive Him not.
6 Forever with the Lord!
Father, if ’tis Thy will,
The promise of that blessed word
Even here to me fulfil.
7 Be Thou at my right hand,
Then can I never fail;
Uphold Thou me, and I shall stand;
Help, and I must prevail.
232.
L. M.
Montgomery.
Heaven.
1 Heaven is a state of rest from sin;
But all who hope to enter there
Must here that holy course begin,
Which shall their souls for rest prepare.
2 Clean hearts, O God, in us create!
Right spirits, Lord, in us renew!
Commence we now that higher state,
Now do Thy will as angels do.
3 In Jesus’ footsteps may we tread,
Learn every lesson of his love;
And be from grace to glory led,
From heaven below to heaven above.
233.
L. M.
Wesleyan.
Desire for Union with God.
1 O Love, how cheering is Thy ray!
All pain before Thy presence flies;
Care, anguish, sorrow, melt away,
Where’er Thy healing beams arise:
O Father! nothing may I see,
And nought desire or seek, but Thee.
2 Unwearied may I this pursue,
Dauntless to this high prize aspire;
Each hour within my soul renew
This holy flame, this heavenly fire;
And day and night be all my care
To guard the sacred treasure there.
3 O, that I as a little child
May follow Thee, and never rest,
Till sweetly Thou hast breathed a mild
And lowly mind into my breast!
Nor ever may we parted be,
Till I become as one with Thee.
4 Still let Thy love point out my way;
How wondrous things that love hath wrought!
Still lead me, lest I go astray;
Direct my word, inspire my thought;
And if I fall, soon may I hear
Thy voice, and know Thy love is near.
234.
7s. M.
*Newton.
For a Childlike Spirit.
1 Quiet, Lord, my froward heart;
Make me loving, meek, and mild,
Upright, simple, free from art;
Make me as a little child;
From distrust and envy free;
Pleased with all that pleaseth Thee.
2 What Thou shalt to-day provide
Let me as a child receive;
What to-morrow may betide
Calmly to Thy wisdom leave;
’Tis enough that Thou wilt care;
Why should I the burden bear?
3 As a little child relies
On a care beyond his own,
Knows beneath his father’s eyes
He is never left alone;
So would I with Thee abide,
Thou my Father, Guard, and Guide!
235.
S. M.
Briggs’ Coll.
Walking with God.
1 Father, I will not pray
Freedom from earthly ill;
But may Thy peace be o’er my way
With its dove-pinion still!
2 O, let a sense of Thee,
Of Thy sustaining love,
My bosom-guest forever be,
Where’er I rest or move!
3 A heavenly light serene,
With its unfading beams,
Within my trusting heart be seen,
More bright than childhood’s dreams!
4 So let me walk with Thee,
Thy presence round my way;
Made by Thine aiding spirit free;
Thy love, my joy and stay.
236.
L. M.
Miss Bremer.
Thirst for Living Waters.
1 I thirst!—O, grant the waters pure
Which they who drink shall thirst no more;
O give me of that living stream,
Which ever flows, with heavenly gleam,
Forth from the presence of our God,
Through fields by holy angels trod!
2 I thirst!—O bounteous Source of Truth,
Give coolness to my fevered youth;
Make the sick heart more strong and wise;
Take spectral visions from mine eyes;
O, let me quench my thirst in Thee,
And pure, and strong, and holy be!
3 I thirst!—O God, great Source of Love!
Infinite Life streams from above.
O, give one drop, and let me live!
The barren world has naught to give;
No solace have its streams for me;
I thirst alone for heaven and Thee.
237.
P. M.
Jones Very.
Desires for God’s Presence.
1 Wilt Thou not visit me?
The plant beside me feels Thy gentle dew;
Each blade of grass I see,
From Thy deep earth its quickening moisture drew.
2 Wilt Thou not visit me?
Thy morning calls on me with cheering tone;
And every hill and tree
Lend but one voice, the voice of Thee alone.
3 Come! for I need Thy love,
More than the flower the dew, or grass the rain;
Come, like Thy holy dove,
And let me in Thy sight rejoice to live again.
4 Yes! Thou wilt visit me;
Nor plant nor tree Thine eye delights so well,
As when, from sin set free,
Man’s spirit comes with Thine in peace to dwell.
238.
7 & 6s. M.
Anonymous.
Aspiration.
1 Rise, my soul, and stretch thy wings,
Thy better portion trace!
Rise, from transitory things,
Towards heaven, thy native place!
Sun, and moon, and stars decay;
Time shall soon this earth remove;
Rise, my soul, and haste away
To seats prepared above!
2 Rivers to the ocean run,
Nor stay in all their course;
Fire, ascending, seeks the sun;
Both speed them to their source;
So the spirit, born of God,
Pants to view His glorious face;
Upward tends to His abode,
To rest in His embrace.
239.
P. M.
Sarah F. Adams.
Nearer to Thee.
1 Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
E’en though it be a cross
That raiseth me;
Still all my song shall be,—
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
2 Though, like the wanderer,
The sun gone down,
Darkness be over me,
My rest a stone;
Yet in my dreams I’d be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,—
Nearer to Thee!
3 There let the way appear,
Steps unto heaven;
All that Thou sendest me,
In mercy given;
Angels to beckon me
Nearer, my God, to Thee,—
Nearer to Thee!
4 Then with my waking thoughts,
Bright with Thy praise,
Out of my stony griefs,
Bethel I’ll raise;
So by my woes to be
Nearer, my God, to Thee,—
Nearer to Thee!
5 Or if on joyful wing,
Cleaving the sky,
Sun, moon, and stars forgot,
Upward I fly;
Still all my song shall be,—
Nearer, my God, to Thee,
Nearer to Thee!
240.
S. M.
Mme. Guion.
Living Waters.
1 The fountain in its source
No drought of summer fears;
The further it pursues its course,
The nobler it appears.
2 But shallow cisterns yield
A scanty, short supply;
The morning sees them amply filled,
At evening they are dry.
3 The cisterns I forsake,
O Fount of life, for Thee!
My thirst with living waters slake,
And drink eternity.
241.
L. M.
*Mrs. Steele.
Self-Consecration.
1 My soul no more shall strive in vain,
Slave to the world, and slave to sin!
A nobler toil I will sustain,
A nobler satisfaction win.
2 I will resolve, with all my heart,
With all my powers, to serve the Lord;
Nor from His precepts e’er depart,
Whose service is a rich reward.
3 O, be His service all my joy!
Around let my example shine,
Till others love the blest employ,
And join in labors so divine.
4 O, may I never faint nor tire,
Nor, wandering, leave His sacred ways;
Great God! accept my soul’s desire,
And give me strength to live Thy praise.
242.
L. M.
Oberlin.
Self-Dedication.
1 O Lord, Thy heavenly grace impart,
And fix my frail, inconstant heart;
Henceforth my chief desire shall be
To dedicate myself to Thee.
2 Whate’er pursuits my time employ,
One thought shall fill my soul with joy;
That silent, secret thought shall be,
That all my hopes are fixed on Thee.
3 Thy glorious eye pervadeth space;
Thy presence, Lord, fills every place;
And, wheresoe’er my lot may be,
Still shall my spirit cleave to Thee.
4 Renouncing every worldly thing,
And safe beneath Thy sheltering wing,
My sweetest thought henceforth shall be,
That all I want I find in Thee.
243.
C. P. M.
Jane Roscoe.
Self-Consecration.
1 O God, to Thee, who first hast given
To mortal frame the spark of heaven,
I consecrate my powers;
Thine is its hoped eternity,
And Thine its earthly life shall be,
Through years, and days, and hours.
2 Here at Thy shrine I bow, resigned
Each struggling passion of my mind,
With all its hopes and fears;
To bend each thought to Thy control
Is the one wish that fills my soul,
Through all my future years.
244.
12s. M.
*Gaskell.
The New Birth.
1 I am free! I am free! I have broken away,
From the chambers of night, to the splendors of day;
All the phantoms that darkened around me are gone,
And a spirit of light is now leading me on.
Earth appeareth in garments of beauty new drest;
Brighter thoughts, brighter feelings, spring forth in my breast;
Happy voices are floating in music above;
All creation is full of the glory of love.
God of truth! it is Thou who hast shed down each ray
Of the sunshine that blesses and gladdens my way;
From the depths of my spirit, to Thee will I give
Ever-thankful affection, as long as I live.
245.
8 & 7s. M.
Episcopal Coll.
Song of the Redeemed.
1 Father, source of every blessing,
Tune my heart to grateful lays!
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for ceaseless songs of praise.
2 Teach me some melodious measure,
Sung by raptured saints above;
Fill my soul with sacred pleasure,
While I sing redeeming love.
3 Thou didst seek me when a stranger,
Wandering from the fold above;
Thou, to save my soul from danger,
Didst redeem me with Thy love.
4 By Thy hand restored, defended,
Safe through life thus far I’ve come;
Safe, O Lord, when life is ended,
Bring me to my heavenly home.
246.
S. M.
Bulfinch.
Born Again.
1 O Lord! through Thee we own
A new and heavenly birth,
Kindred to spirits round Thy throne,
Though sojourners of earth.
2 How glorious is the hour,
When first our souls awake,
Through Thy mysterious spirit’s power,
And of new life partake.
3 With richer beauty glows
The world, before so fair;
Her holy light religion throws,
Reflected everywhere.
4 The life which Thou hast given,
O Lord! shall never end;
The grave is but the path to heaven,
And death is now our friend.
247.
11s. M.
Montgomery.
God Our Shepherd.
1 The Lord is my Shepherd, no want shall I know;
I feed in green pastures, safe folded I rest;
He leadeth my soul where the still waters flow,
Restores me when wandering, redeems when opprest.
Through the valley and shadow of death though I stray,
Since Thou art my guardian, no evil I fear;
Thy rod shall defend me, Thy staff be my stay;
No harm can befall with my Comforter near.
3 In the midst of affliction my table is spread;
With blessings unmeasured my cup runneth o’er;
With perfume and oil Thou anointest my head;
O, what shall I ask of Thy providence more?
4 Let goodness and mercy, my bountiful God,
Still follow my steps till I meet Thee above;
I seek, by the path which my forefathers trod
Through the land of their sojourn, Thy kingdom of love.
248.
7s. M.
Sp. of the Psalms.
He Shall Give His Angels Charge over Thee.
1 They, who on the Lord rely,
Safely dwell, though danger’s nigh;
Lo, His sheltering wings are spread
O’er each faithful servant’s head.
2 Vain temptation’s wily snare;
They shall be the Father’s care;
Harmless flies the shaft by day,
Or in darkness wings its way.
3 When they wake, or when they sleep,
Angel guards their vigils keep;
Death and danger may be near
Faith and love can never fear.
249.
L. M.
German.
The Child of God.
1 None loves me, Father, with Thy love,
None else can meet such needs as mine;
O, grant me, as Thou shall approve,
All that befits a child of Thine!
From every doubt and fear release,
And give me confidence and peace.
2 Give me a faith shall never fail,
One that shall always work by love;
And then, whatever foes assail,
They shall but higher courage move
More boldly for the truth to strive,
And more by faith in Thee to live:
3 A heart, that, when my days are glad,
May never from Thy way decline,
And when the sky of life grows sad,
May still submit its will to Thine,—
A heart that loves to trust in Thee,
A patient heart, create in me!
250.
L. M.
Gaskell.
Faith in God’s Love.
1 O Father! humbly we repose
Our souls on Thee, who dwell’st above,
And bless Thee for the peace which flows
From faith in Thine encircling love.
2 Though every earthly trust may break,
Infinite might belongs to Thee;
Though every earthly friend forsake,
Unchangeable Thou still wilt be.
3 Though griefs may gather darkly round,
They cannot veil us from Thy sight;
Though vain all human aid be found,
Thou every grief canst turn to light.
4 All things Thy wise designs fulfil,
In earth beneath, and heaven above,
And good breaks out from every ill,
Through faith in Thine encircling love.
251.
L. M.
*Dyer.
All Things Work for Good.
1 We all, O Father, all are Thine;
All feel Thy providential care;
And, through each varying scene of life,
Alike Thy constant love we share.
2 And whether grief oppress the heart;
Or whether joy elate the breast;
Or life still keep its little course;
Or death invite the heart to rest;—
4 All are Thy messengers, and all
Thy sacred pleasure, Lord, obey;
And all are training man to dwell
Nearer to heaven, and nearer Thee.
252.
L. M.
*Bowring.
Resignation.
1 O let my trembling soul be still,
While darkness veils this mortal eye,
And wait Thy wise and holy will,
Though wrapped in fears and mystery:
I cannot, Lord, Thy purpose see;
Yet all is well since ruled by Thee!
2 When, mounted on Thy clouded car,
Thou send’st Thy darker spirits down,
I can discern Thy light afar,
Thy light sweet beaming through their frown;
And, should I faint a moment, then
I think of Thee, and smile again.
3 So, trusting in Thy love, I tread
The narrow path of duty on;
What though some cherished joys are fled?
What though some flattering dreams are gone?
Yet purer, nobler joys remain,
And peace is won through conquered pain.
253.
7 & 6s. M.
*C. Wesley.
Trust.
1 See the Lord, thy keeper, stand,
Omnipotently near;
Lo! He holds thee by the hand,
And banishes thy fear;
Shadows with His wings thy head;
Guards from all impending harms;
Round thee and beneath are spread
The everlasting arms.
2 God shall bless thy going out,
Shall bless thy coming in;
Kindly compass thee about,
And guard from every sin.
Lean upon thy Father’s breast;
He thy quiet spirit keeps;
Rest in Him, securely rest;
Thy Guardian never sleeps.
3 O, my soul, unceasing pray,
And in thy God confide!
He our faltering steps shall stay,
Nor suffer us to slide:
He is still our sure defence,
We his ceaseless care shall prove,
Kept by watchful Providence
And ever-waking love.
254.
S. M.
Moravian.
Reliance.
1 Commit thou all thy griefs
And ways into His hands,
To His sure trust and tender care,
Who earth and heaven commands;
2 Who points the clouds their course,
Whom winds and seas obey;
He shall direct thy wandering feet,
He shall prepare thy way.
3 No profit canst thou gain
By self-consuming care;
To Him commend thy cause,—His ear
Attends the softest prayer.
4 Then on the Lord rely,
So safe shall thou go on;
Fix on His work thy steadfast eye,
So shall thy work be done.
255.
C. M.
Alford.
God Our Refuge.
Psalm xlvi.
1 God is our refuge and our strength,
When trouble’s hour is near;
A very present help is He;
Therefore we will not fear.
2 Although the pillars of the earth
Shall clean removed be,
The very mountains carried forth,
And cast into the sea;
3 Although the waters rage and swell,
So that the earth shall shake;
Yea, and the solid mountain roots
Shall with the tempest quake;
4 There is a river that makes glad
The city of our God;
The tabernacle’s holy place
Of the Most High’s abode.
5 The Lord is in the midst of her,
Removed she shall not be;
Because the Lord our God himself
Shall help her speedily.
6 The Lord our strength and refuge is,
When trouble’s hour is near;
A very present help is He;
Therefore we will not fear.
256.
S. M.
Moravian.
Be of Good Courage.
1 Give to the winds thy fears!
Hope and be undismayed!
God hears thy sighs, and counts thy tears;
God shall lift up thy head.
2 Through waves, through clouds and storms,
He gently clears thy way;
Wait thou His time, so shall the night
Soon end in joyous day.
3 He everywhere hath rule,
And all things serve His might;
His every act pure blessing is,
His path, unsullied light.
4 Thou comprehend’st Him not;
Yet earth and heaven tell,
God sits as sovereign on the throne;
He ruleth all things well.
5 Thou seest our weakness, Lord,
Our hearts are known to Thee;
O, lift Thou up the sinking hand,
Confirm the feeble knee!
6 Let us, in life or death,
Boldly Thy truth declare;
And publish, with our latest breath,
Thy love and guardian care.
257.
S. M.
Anonymous.
Rejoice in the Lord Alway.
1 Rejoice in God alway;
When earth looks heavenly bright,
When joy makes glad the livelong day,
And peace shuts in the night.
2 Rejoice when care and woe
The fainting soul oppress;
When tears at wakeful midnight flow,
And morn brings heaviness.
3 Rejoice in hope and fear;
Rejoice in life and death;
Rejoice when threatening storms are near,
And comfort languisheth.
4 When should not they rejoice,
Whom Christ his brethren calls;
Who hear and know his guiding voice,
When on their hearts it falls?
5 So, though our path is steep,
And many a tempest lowers,
Shall his own peace our spirits keep,
And Christ’s dear love be ours.
258.
S. M.
*Doddridge.
God Will Provide.
1 How gentle God’s commands!
How kind His precepts are!
Come, leave your burdens to the Lord,
And trust His constant care.
2 His bounty will provide;
Ye shall securely dwell;
The hand that bears creation up
Shall guard His children well.
3 O, why should anxious thought
Press down your weary mind?
Come, seek your Heavenly Father’s face,
And peace and gladness find.
4 His goodness stands for all
Unchanged from day to day;
We’ll drop our burden at His feet,
And bear a song away.
259.
C. M.
Cowper.
The Mysteries of God’s Providence.
1 God moves in a mysterious way,
His wonders to perform;
He plants His footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
2 Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up His vast designs,
And works His sovereign will.
3 Ye fearful saints! fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and will break
In blessings on your head.
4 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust Him for His grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
5 His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
6 Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is His own interpreter,
And He will make it plain.
260.
C. M.
Merrick.
“He Knoweth What Ye Have Need Of.”
1 Author of good, we rest on Thee;
Thine ever watchful eye
Alone our real wants can see,
Thy hand alone supply.
2 In Thine all-gracious providence
Our cheerful hopes confide;
O, let Thy power be our defence,
Thy love our footsteps guide!
3 And since, by passion’s force subdued,
Too oft, with stubborn will,
We blindly shun the latent good,
And grasp the specious ill,—
4 Not what we wish, but what we want,
Thy mercy still supply!
The good unasked, O Father, grant;
The ill, though asked, deny!
261.
L. M.
Collett.
Reliance.
1 Through all the various shifting scene
Of life’s mistaken ill or good,
Thy hand, O God! conducts, unseen,
The beautiful vicissitude.
2 Thou givest with paternal care,
Howe’er unjustly we complain,
To all their necessary share
Of joy and sorrow, health and pain.
3 All things on earth, and all in heaven,
On Thine eternal will depend;
And all for greater good were given,
Would man pursue the appointed end.
4 Be this my care!—to all beside
Indifferent let my wishes be;
Passion be calm, and dumb be pride,
And fixed my soul, great God! on Thee.
262.
C. M.
Anonymous.
Trust in the Lord.
1 When grief and anguish press me down,
And hope and comfort flee,
I cling, O Father, to Thy throne,
And stay my heart on Thee.
2 When death invades my peaceful home,
The sundered ties shall be
A closer bond, in time to come,
To bind my heart to Thee.
3 Lord, not my will, but Thine, be done!
My soul, from fear set free,
Her faith shall anchor at Thy throne,
And trust alone in Thee.
263.
P. M.
Anonymous.
Thy Will Be Done.
1 My God, my Father, while I stray
Far from my home on life’s rough way,
O, teach me from my heart to say,
Thy will, my God, be done!
2 Though dark my path, and sad my lot,
Let me be still, and murmur not,
But breathe the prayer divinely taught,
Thy will, my God, be done!
3 What though in lonely grief I sigh
For friends beloved, no longer nigh?
Submissive still would I reply,
Thy will, my God, be done!
4 If Thou shouldst call me to resign
What most I prize,—it ne’er was mine,—
I only yield Thee what is Thine;
Thy will, my God, be done!
5 Should pining sickness waste away
My life in premature decay,
In life or death teach me to say,
Thy will, my God, be done!
6 Renew my will from day to day,
Blend it with Thine, and take away
Whate’er now makes it hard to say,
Thy will, my God, be done!
264.
L. M.
Sarah F. Adams.
Thy Will Be Done!
1 He sendeth sun, He sendeth shower;
Alike they’re needful for the flower;
And joys and tears alike are sent
To give the soul fit nourishment:
As comes to me or cloud or sun,
Father, Thy will, not mine, be done!
2 Can loving children e’er reprove
With murmurs whom they trust and love?
Creator! I would ever be
A trusting, loving child to Thee
As comes to me or cloud or sun,
Father, Thy will, not mine, be done!
3 O, ne’er will I at life repine!
Enough that Thou hast made it mine.
When falls the shadow cold of death,
I yet will sing, with parting breath,—
As comes to me or shade or sun,
Father, Thy will, not mine, be done!
265.
P. M.
Bowring.
Thy Will Be Done!
1 Thy will be done! In devious way
The hurrying stream of life may run;
Yet still our grateful hearts shall say
Thy will be done!
2 Thy will be done! If o’er us shine
A gladdening and a prosperous sun,
This prayer shall make it more divine:—
Thy will be done!
3 Thy will be done! Though shrouded o’er
Our path with gloom, one comfort, one,
Is ours,—to breathe, while we adore,
Thy will be done!
266.
L. M.
Mrs. Gilman.
A Father’s Care.
1 Is there a lone and dreary hour,
When worldly pleasures lose their power;—
My Father! let me turn to Thee,
And set each thought of darkness free.
2 Is there a time of racking grief,
Which scorns the prospect of relief;
My Father! break the cheerless gloom,
And bid my heart its calm resume.
3 Is there an hour of peace and joy,
When hope is all my soul’s employ;—
My Father! still my hopes will roam,
Until they rest with Thee, their home.
4 The noontide blaze, the midnight scene,
The dawn, or twilight’s sweet serene,
The glow of health, the dying hour,
Shall own my Father’s grace and power.
267.
7s. M.
Heber.
Consider the Lilies.
1 Lo, the lilies of the field!
How their leaves instruction yield!
Hark to nature’s lesson given
By the blessed birds of heaven!
Every bush and tufted tree
Warbles trust and piety:—
Mortals, banish doubt and sorrow,
God provideth for the morrow.
2 One there lives, whose guardian eye
Guides our earthly destiny;
One there lives, who, Lord of all,
Keeps His children lest they fall:
Pass we, then, in love and praise,
Trusting Him through all our days,
Free from doubt and faithless sorrow,—
God provideth for the morrow.
268.
10s. M.
Jones Very.
The Son.
1 Father! I wait Thy word. The sun doth stand
Beneath the mingling line of night and day,
A listening servant, waiting Thy command,
To roll rejoicing on its silent way.
2 The tongue of time abides the appointed hour,
Till on our ear its solemn warnings fall;
The heavy cloud withholds the pelting shower,—
Then, every drop speeds onward at Thy call.
3 The bird reposes on the yielding bough,
With breast unswollen by the tide of song;—
So does my spirit wait Thy presence now,
To pour Thy praise in quickening life along.
269.
7s. M.
Bowring.
“Father! Glorify Thy Name!”
1 Father! glorify Thy name!
Whatsoe’er our portion be,
Wheresoever led by Thee,
If to glory,—if to shame,—
Father! glorify Thy name!
2 Let Thy name be glorified!
If in doubt and darkness lost,
Hope deceived and purpose crost,
Naught amiss can e’er betide,—
Let Thy name be glorified!
3 Father! glorify Thy name!
Vain and blind our wishes are;
This can be no idle prayer,
This can be no worthless claim,—
Father! glorify Thy name!
270.
L. M.
C. Wesley.
God Leads Us Right.
1 Leader of Israel’s host, and Guide
Of all who seek the land above,
Beneath Thy shadow we abide,
The cloud of Thy protecting love;
Our strength Thy grace, our rule Thy word,
Our end the glory of the Lord.
2 By Thine unerring Spirit led,
We shall not in the desert stray,
We shall not full direction need,
Nor miss our providential way;
As far from danger as from fear,
While love, almighty love, is near.
271.
7s. M.
*Cowper.
The Cross.
1 ’Tis my happiness below
Not to live without the cross,
But the Saviour’s power to know,
Sanctifying every loss:
Trials must and will befall;
But with humble faith to see
Love inscribed upon them all,—
This is happiness to me.
2 God in Israel sows the seeds
Of affliction, pain, and toil;
These spring up, and choke the weeds
Which would else o’erspread the soil;
Trials make our faith sublime,
Trials give new life to prayer,
Lift us to a holier clime,
Make us strong to do and bear.
272.
8 & 7s. M.
Anonymous.
Taking up the Cross.
1 Saviour! I my cross have taken,
All to leave, and follow thee;
Though by all things else forsaken,
Thou shall my Redeemer be.
2 Perish every fond ambition,
All I’ve sought, or hoped, or known,
Yet, how rich is my condition!
God and heaven are still mine own.
3 Know, my soul, thy full salvation;
Rise o’er sin, and fear, and care;
Joy to find, in every station,
Something still to do and bear.
4 Think what Spirit dwells within thee;
Think what Father’s smiles are thine;
Think that Jesus died to win thee;
Child of heaven, canst thou repine?
5 Haste thee on from cross to glory,
Armed by faith and winged by prayer;
Heaven’s eternal day's before thee,
God’s own hand shall lead thee there.
273.
C. M.
Moore.
Faith.
1 The dove, let loose in Eastern skies,
Returning fondly home,
Ne’er stoops to earth her wing, nor flies
Where idle warblers roam;
2 But high she shoots through air and light,
Above all low delay,
Where nothing earthly bounds her flight,
Nor shadow dims her way.
3 So grant me, Lord, from every snare
And stain of passion free,
Aloft, through faith’s serener air,
To urge my course to Thee:
4 No sin to cloud, no lure to stay,
My soul, as home she springs;
Thy sunshine on her joyful way,
Thy freedom on her wings!
274.
C. M.
Sarah F. Adams.
The Strength of Hope.
1 The world may change from old to new,
From new to old again;
Yet hope and heaven, forever true,
Within man’s heart remain.
The dreams that bless the weary soul,
The struggles of the strong,
Are steps towards some happy goal,
The story of hope’s song.
2 Hope leads the child to plant the flower,
The man to sow the seed;
Nor leaves fulfilment to her hour,—
But prompts again to deed.
And ere upon the old man’s dust
The grass is seen to wave,
We look through falling tears, to trust
Hope’s sunshine on the grave.
3 O, no! it is no flattering lure,
No fancy weak or fond,
When hope would bid us rest secure
In better life beyond.
Nor love, nor shame, nor grief, nor sin,
Her promise may gainsay;
The voice divine hath spoke within,
And God did ne’er betray.
275.
C. M.
Chr. Register.
Faith Triumphant Over Sorrow.
1 Not that Thy boundless love, my God,
Sheds blessing on my way,
And gilds as with a heavenly beam
The darkness of earth’s day,—
Not now for breath of summer flowers,
For smiles of sunny skies,
The still, small voice of gratitude
Shall to Thine ear arise.
2 I bless Thee for the ministry
Of sorrow’s lonely hour,
When darkly o’er my stricken head
I see the storm-clouds lower;
Thy love can still the billows’ roar,
And whisper, “Peace; be still!”
While faith doth on Thy promise rest,
And bless the Father’s will.
3 The shadow and the storm must come;
O, grant that faith divine
Which triumphs o’er the might of grief,
And moulds man’s will to Thine!
In hours of deepest gloom, mine eye
One blessed ray can see;
A sunlit side that cloud must have,
Which hides Thy face from me.
276.
L. M.
Jane Roscoe.
The Bitter Cup.
1 Thy will be done! I will not fear
The fate provided by Thy love;
Though clouds and darkness shroud me here,
I know that all is bright above.
2 The stars of heaven are shining on,
Though these frail eyes are dimmed with tears;
And though the hopes of earth be gone,
Yet are not ours the immortal years?
3 Father! forgive the heart that clings,
Thus trembling, to the things of time;
And bid the soul, on angel wings,
Ascend into a purer clime.
4 There shall no doubts disturb its trust,
No sorrows dim celestial love;
But these afflictions of the dust,
Like shadows of the night, remove.
5 That glorious life will well repay
This life of toil and care and woe;
O Father! joyful on my way,
To drink Thy bitter cup, I go.
277.
S. M.
Doddridge.
I Say unto You, Watch!
1 Ye servants of the Lord!
Each in your office wait,
Observant of His heavenly word,
And watchful at His gate.
2 Let all your lamps be bright,
And trim the golden flame:
Gird up your loins, as in His sight;
For holy is His name.
3 Watch! ’tis your Lord’s command;
And while we speak, He’s near:
Mark the first signal of His hand,
And ready all appear.
4 O happy servant he
In such a posture found!
He shall his Lord with rapture see,
And be with honor crowned.
278.
P. M.
Whittier.
Patience.
1 Shall we grow weary in our watch,
And murmur at the long delay,
Impatient of our Father’s time
And his appointed way?
2 O, oft a deeper test of faith
Than prison-cell, or martyr’s stake,
The self-renouncing watchfulness
Of silent prayer may make.
3 We gird us bravely to rebuke
Our erring brother in the wrong;
And in the ear of pride and power
Our warning voice is strong.
4 Easier to smite with Peter’s sword
Than watch one hour in humbling prayer;
Life’s great things, like the Syrian lord,
Our hearts can do and dare:
5 But, O, we shrink from Jordan’s side,
From waters which alone can save;
And murmur for Abana’s banks
And Pharpar’s brighter wave.
6 O Thou, who in the garden’s shade
Didst wake thy weary ones again,
Who slumbered at that fearful hour,
Forgetful of thy pain,—
7 Bend o’er us now, as over them,
And set our sleep-bound spirits free,
Nor leave us slumbering in the watch
Our souls should keep with thee!
279.
L. M.
Wotton.
Independence.
1 How happy is he born or taught
Who serveth not another’s will;
Whose armor is his honest thought,
And simple truth his highest skill;
2 Whose passions not his masters are;
Whose soul is still prepared for death;
Not tied unto the world with care
Of public fame or private breath;
3 Who God doth late and early pray
More of His grace than goods to lend,
And walks with man, from day to day,
As with a brother and a friend!
4 This man is freed from servile bands
Of hope to rise, or fear to fall;
Lord of himself, though not of lands,
And having nothing, yet hath all.
280.
S.M.
Johns.
Purity.
1 O! know ye not that ye
The temple are of God?
Revere the earth-built shrine, where He
Should find a meet abode!
2 Immortal man, keep pure
Thyself, that mystic shrine;
Let hate of all that's dark endure,
And love of all divine.
3 Let saintly thoughts be shown
In act by saintly things;
Like glories through the temple thrown,
From cherub’s curtained wings.
4 Let life, a holy stream,
Its fountain holy show;
Reflecting, with a softened gleam,
Heaven’s purity below.
281.
S. M.
Keble.
The Pure in Heart.
1 Blest are the pure in heart,
For they shall see our God;
The secret of the Lord is theirs;
Their soul is His abode.
2 Still to the lowly soul
God doth Himself impart,
And for His temple and His throne
Doth choose the pure in heart.
282.
10s. M.
Anonymous.
“If He Giveth Quiet, Who Can Make Trouble?”
1 Quiet from God! how beautiful to keep
This treasure, the All-merciful hath given;
To feel, when we awake and when we sleep,
Its incense round us, like a breath from heaven!
2 To sojourn in the world, and yet apart;
To dwell with God, and still with man to feel;
To bear about forever in the heart
The gladness which His spirit doth reveal!
3 Who shall make trouble, then? Not evil minds
Which like a shadow o’er creation lower;
The soul which peace hath thus attunéd finds
How strong within doth reign the Calmer’s power.
4 What shall make trouble? Not the holy thought
Of the departed; that will be a part
Of those undying things His peace hath wrought
Into a world of beauty in the heart.
5 What shall make trouble? Not slow-wasting pain,
Nor even the threatening, certain stroke of death;
These do but wear away, then break, the chain
Which bound the spirit down to things beneath.
283.
L. M.
Jane Roscoe.
Judge Not.
1 O, who shall say he knows the folds
Which veil another’s inmost heart,—
The hopes, thoughts, wishes, which it holds,
In which he never bore a part?
That hidden world no eye can see,—
O, who shall pierce its mystery?
2 There may be hope as pure, as bright,
As ever sought eternity,—
There may be light,—clear, heavenly light,
Where all seems cold and dark to thee;
And when thy spirit mourns the dust,
There may be trust,—delightful trust.
3 Go, bend to God, and leave to Him
The mystery of thy brother’s heart,
Nor vainly think his faith is dim,
Because in thine it hath no part;
He, too, is mortal,—and, like thee,
Would soar to immortality.
4 And if in duty’s hallowed sphere,
Like Christ, he meekly, humbly bends,—
With hands unstained, and conscience clear,
With life’s temptations still contends,—
O, leave him that unbroken rest,
The peace that shrines a virtuous breast!
5 But if his thoughts and hopes should err,
Still view him with a gentle eye,—
Remembering doubt, and change, and fear,
Are woven in man’s destiny;
And when the clouds are passed away,
That truth shall dawn with brightening day.
284.
C. M.
Miss Fletcher.
Kindly Judgment.
1 Think gently of the erring one!
O, let us not forget,
However darkly stained by sin,
He is our brother yet!
Heir of the same inheritance,
Child of the self-same God,
He hath but stumbled in the path
We have in weakness trod.
2 Speak gently to the erring ones!
We yet may lead them back,
With holy words, and tones of love,
From misery’s thorny track.
Forget not, brother, thou hast sinned,
And sinful yet may’st be;
Deal gently with the erring heart,
As God hath dealt with thee.
285.
C. M.
Anonymous.
Speak Gently.
1 Speak gently,—it is better far
To rule by love than fear;
Speak gently,—let no harsh word mar
The good we may do here.
2 Speak gently to the young,—for they
Will have enough to bear;
Pass through this life as best they may,
’Tis full of anxious care.
3 Speak gently to the aged one,
Grieve not the careworn heart;
The sands of life are nearly run,
Let them in peace depart.
4 Speak gently to the erring ones;
They must have toiled in vain;
Perchance unkindness made them so;
O, win them back again!
5 Speak gently,—’tis a little thing,
Dropped in the heart’s deep well;
The good, the joy, that it may bring,
Eternity shall tell.
286.
C. M.
Jones Very.
Kind Words.
1 Turn not from him who asks of thee
A portion of thy store;
Thou poor in worldly goods may’st be,
Yet canst give what is more.
2 The balm of comfort thou canst pour
Into his grieving mind,
Who oft is turned from wealth’s proud door,
With many a word unkind.
3 Does any from the false world find
Naught but reproach and scorn?
Does any, stung by words unkind,
Wish that he ne’er was born?
4 Do thou raise up his drooping heart,
Restore his wounded mind;
Though naught of wealth thou canst impart
Yet still thou may’st be kind.
5 And oft again thy words shall wing
Backward their course to thee,
And in thy breast will prove a spring
Of pure felicity.
287.
C. M.
Anonymous.
“Neither Do I Condemn Thee.”
1 O, if thy brow, serene and calm,
From earthly stain is free,
View not with scorn the erring one,—
He once was pure like thee.
2 O, if the smiles of love are thine,
Its joyous ecstasy,
Shun not the poor forsaken one,—
He once was loved like thee!
3 And still, ’mid shame, and guilt, and woe,
One Being loves him still,
Who, blessing thee, hath poured on him
The world’s extremest ill.
4 He knows the secret lure which led
Those youthful steps astray;
He knows that they who holiest are
Might fall from Him away.
5 Then, with the love of him who said
“Go thou, and sin no more,”
Save, save, the sinner from despair,
And peace and hope restore.
288.
L. M.
Scott.
Charitable Judgment.
1 All-seeing God! ’tis Thine to know
The springs whence wrong opinions flow,—
To judge, from principles within,
When frailty errs, and when we sin.
2 Who, among men, great Lord of all,
Thy servant to his bar shall call?
Judge him, for modes of faith, Thy foe,
Or doom him to the realms of woe?
3 Who with another’s eye can read,
Or worship by another’s creed?
Trusting Thy grace, we form our own,
And bow to Thy commands alone.
4 If wrong, correct; accept, if right;
While, faithful, we improve our light,
Condemning none, but zealous still
To learn and follow all Thy will.
289.
9 & 4s. M.
Bowring.
The Spirit Giveth Life.
1 ’Tis not the gift, but ’tis the spirit
With which ’tis given,
That on the gift confers a merit,
As seen by Heaven.
2 ’Tis not the prayer, however boldly
It strikes the ear;
It mounts in vain, it falls but coldly
If not sincere.
3 ’Tis not the deeds the loudest lauded
That brightest shine;
There’s many a virtue unapplauded,
And yet divine.
4 ’Tis not the word that sounds the sweetest
That’s soonest heard;
A sigh, when humbled thou retreatest,
May be preferred.
5 The outward show may be delusive,—
A cheating name;
The inner spirit is conclusive
Of worth or shame.