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*"Let us love, and sing, and wonder,
Let us praise the Saviour's name;
He has hushed the law's loud thunder,
He has quenched mount Sinai's flame;
He has washed us in his blood,
He has brought us nigh to God.
*Olney Hymns, 82, book 3.
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HEAVEN.
To be where thou my Saviour art,
To see, and be conformed to thee,
Perfect in holiness this heart;
This; this is heaven itself to me.
To see thee in thy glory, Lord,
Thy Father's glory and thy own;
The eternal, the incarnate Word,
Adored upon his Father's throne.
To see as seen, to know as known,
My Saviour in my flesh and blood;
To be made like him, with him one,
I in him, and he in God.
The holy, holy, holy One,
Who was, and is, and is to come,
The earth his footstool, heaven his throne,
The church his bride, he her Bridegroom.
Angels and elders, earth and heaven,
Are summoned to unseal the book;
But silent all, no answer given,
None worthy found therein to look.
But Judah's Lion, David's Son,
And David's Root, the great I AM,
Appears upon his Father's throne,
As slain for sacrifice, the Lamb.
He takes the book he can unseal;
He worthy is, and he has power
God's secret counsels to reveal,
And to fulfil each in its hour.
The heavenly host united fall
In humble worship at his feet;
One glorious theme inspires them all,
The joy is full, the concert sweet.
New odors to the throne ascend,
In accents new their praises soar;
Each finds in each a glowing friend,
And all the God of all adore.
And shall I join that prostrate throng,
In love's ecstatic heaven-taught lays,
With powers expanded, that new song
Hymn to the Lamb's exalted praise?
"Worthy art thou to take the book,
And loose the seals, and read therein,
God's holy mysteries to unlock;
Worthy art thou, for thou wast slain.
"Thou hast redeemed us with thy blood,
From every nation of the earth;
And made us kings and priests to God,
And sharers of a heavenly birth."
Myriads of angels stand around,
Uniting in the loud acclaim;
And fill the temple with the sound
Of our Redeemer's gentle name.
"Worthy the Lamb that once was slain,
A sacrifice for every sin,
All power and glory to obtain,
And universal empire win."
Heaven, earth, and sea shall swell the tone
Of fervent universal praise;
And grateful joy around the throne,
Its voice from age to age shall raise.
In all these myriads, is there one
Who had on earth so much forgiven?
And shall I reach their highest tone
Of love to Jesus? THIS IS HEAVEN.
And when this breast to heave shall cease,
And heart and lungs are hushed to peace,
Some friendly hand the eyelids close,
And leave the clay to short repose.
Still on your knees be thanks expressed,
According as the Lord has blessed;
This tongue, then mute, can now foretell
Jesus shall have done all things well.
Should the great Sovereign will it so,
That I in secret with him go,
'T will be enough that He stands by,
He all my wants will well supply.
Upon his dear, his faithful breast,
My heart and head shall safely rest;
The fluttering pulse and bursting sigh,
He'll soothe with, "Fear not; it is I."
Into his hands my spirit I'll breathe,
Inhaling life from him in death;
Though none should see, faith can foretell
My Jesus shall do all things well.
Though he deny my half-formed prayer,
Well may I cast on Him my care;
All things are mine, or life or death;
In praise of Him I'll spend my breath.
Be this my only wish beside,
That God's great name be glorified,
What me concerns faith can foretell,
My Jesus shall do all things well.
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WIDOWHOOD.
WRITTEN IN THE ISLAND OF ANTIGUA
SHORTLY AFTER DR. GRAHAM'S DEATH.
PART I.
Hail; thou state of widowhood,
State of those that mourn to God;
Who, from earthly comforts torn,
Only live to pray and mourn.
Meanest of the number, I
For my dear companion sigh;
Patiently my loss deplore,
Mourn for one that mourns no more.
Me my consort hath outrun,
Out of sight he quite has gone;
He his course has finished here,
First come to the sepulchre.
Following on with earnest haste,
Till my mourning days are past,
I my partner's steps pursue,
I shall soon be happy too;
Find the ease for which I pant,
Gain the only good I want;
Quietly lay down my head,
Sink into my earthy bed.
There my flesh shall rest in hope,
Till the quickened dust mount up,
When to glorious life I'll rise,
To meet my husband in the skies.
PART II.
Happy they who trust in Jesus,
Jesus turns our loss to gain;
Still his balmy mercies ease us,
Sweeten all our grief and pain.
When he calls our friends t' inherit
All the glories of the blest,
He assures the widowed spirit,
"Thou shalt quickly be at rest."
Though my flesh and spirit languish,
Let me not too much complain;
Sure at last t' outlive my anguish,
Sure to find my friend again.
Ransomed from a world of sorrow,
He to-day is taken home;
I shall be released to-morrow —
Come, my dear Redeemer, come.
From my sanctified distresses,
Now, or when thou wilt, receive;
Grant with him in thine embraces,
After all my deaths, to live.
PART III.
Hail, holy, holy, holy Lord,
Mysterious Three in One!
For ever be thy name adored,
Thy will for ever done.
For this alone on earth I wait,
To glorify my God;
And suffer, since thou will'st, the state
Of sacred widowhood.
And may I, in thy strength, fulfil
My awful character;
And prove thine acceptable will,
And do thy pleasure here;
The children to thyself restore,
Whom thou to me hast given;
And rule my house with all my power,
And train them up for heaven.
Be this my hospitable care:
The stranger to receive,
The burden of thy church to bear,
And all their wants relieve;
My labor of unwearied love
With pleasure to repeat,
My faith unto thy saints to prove,
And gladly wash their feet.
The servant of thy servants bless
With active earnest zeal;
And every work of righteousness
I shall with joy fulfil.