Chapter IX: Miscellaneous (2)

Struggling Upward.

1 Father divine, our wants relieve
In this our evil day;
To all Thy tempted children give
The power to watch and pray.

2 Long as our fiery trials last,
Long as the cross we bear,
O, let our souls on Thee be cast,
In never-ceasing prayer!

3 Thy spirit of untroubled peace
Give us in faith to claim,
To wrestle till we see Thy face,
And know Thy hidden name.

4 Till Thou Thy perfect love impart,
Till Thou Thyself bestow,
Be this the cry of every heart,--
I will not let Thee go;

5 I will not let Thee go, unless
Thou tell Thy name to me;
With all Thy great salvation bless,
And make me all like Thee.

6 Then let us, on the mountain top,
Behold Thine unveiled face,
Where faith in sight is swallowed up,
And prayer in endless praise.

524. 7 & 6s. M. Wesleyan.

Longing for Rest in God.

1 O almighty God of love!
Thy holy arm display;
Send us succor from above,
Against the evil day;
Arm our weakness with Thy power;
Put Thy strength our hearts within;
Be our stronghold and our tower
Against the assaults of sin.

2 Could we of Thy strength take hold,
And always feel Thee near,
Confident, divinely bold,
Our souls would know no fear.
Nothing could their firmness shock;
Though the gates of hell assail,
Were we built upon the rock
They never could prevail.

3 Thou would'st, in the trying hour,
A sure protection be,
Guard us from temptation's power,
And fix our souls on Thee.
Lord, on Thee our trust is placed;
Never thence may we remove;
In the arms of love embraced,
Thine everlasting love.

525. S. M. *

Why Art Thou Cast Down, My Soul?

1 We pray for truth and peace;
With weary hearts we ask
Some rest in which our souls may cease
From life's perplexing task.
We weep--yet none is found;
We weep--yet hope grows faint;--
And deeper in its mournful sound
Goes up our wild complaint.

2 Only to living faith
The promises are shown;
And by the love that passes death
The rest is won alone.
Be ours the earnest heart,
Be ours the steady will,
To work in silent trust our part;
For God is working still.

3 Then newer lights shall rise
Above these clouds of sin,
And heaven's unfolding mysteries
To glad our souls begin.
Our hearts from fear and wrong
Shall win their full release,
With God's own might forever strong,
And calm with God's own peace.

526. C. M. Anonymous.

Prayer for Faith.

1 That might of faith, O Lord! bestow,
Which cannot ask in vain;
Which will not let the angel go
Until the prayer it gain.

2 On me the faith divine bestow
Which doth the mountain move;
And all my spotless life shall show
The omnipotence of love.

3 And, Father, when I doubt that I
Can live, and sin no more;
Then if on Thee I dare rely,
The faith shall bring the power.

527. L. M. Anonymous.

For Self-Renunciation.

1 Father of might, my bonds I feel,
And long for perfect liberty;
I would deny my selfish will,
And, Father, give up all to Thee!

2 O, with Thy strength my weakness fill!
That strength shall every foe subdue;
The doubts that tempt, the sins that kill,
The wishes to the cross untrue.

3 A sinless mind in me reveal,
Thy spirit's fulness, Lord, impart!
Till all my spotless life shall tell
The abundance of a loving heart.

4 So shall I own Thy perfect sway,
And, sitting humbly at Thy feet,
Thy law with all my heart obey,
And all my soul to Thee submit.

528. 8 & 7s. M. Anonymous.

Dedication to God.

1 Holy Father, Thou hast taught me
I should live to Thee alone;
Year by year, Thy hand hath brought me
On through dangers oft unknown.
When I wandered, Thou hast found me;
When I doubted, sent me light;
Still Thine arm has been around me,
All my paths were in Thy sight.

2 In the world will foes assail me,
Craftier, stronger far than I;
And the strife may never fail me,
Well I know, before I die.
Therefore, Lord, I come, believing
Thou canst give the power I need;
Through the prayer of faith receiving
Strength,--the spirit's strength indeed.

3 I would trust in Thy protecting,
Wholly rest upon Thine arm,
Follow wholly Thy directing,
Thou mine only guard from harm!
Keep me from mine own undoing,
Help me turn to Thee when tried,
Still my footsteps, Father, viewing,
Keep me ever at Thy side!

529. L. M. Doddridge.

The Patient Waiting upon God.

1 Wait on the Lord, ye heirs of hope,
And let His word support your souls;
Well can He bear your courage up,
And all your foes and fears control.

2 He waits His own well-chosen hour
The intended mercy to display;
And His paternal pities move,
While wisdom dictates the delay.

3 Blest are the humble souls that wait
With sweet submission to His will;
Harmonious all their passions move,
And in the midst of storms are still;--

4 Still, till their Father's well-known voice
Wakens their silence into songs;
Then earth grows vocal with His praise,
And heaven the grateful shout prolongs.

530. L. M. C. Wesley.

God Our Deliverer.

1 God of my life, whose gracious power
Through varied deaths my soul hath led,
Or turned aside the fatal hour,
Or lifted up my sinking head!

2 In all my ways Thy hand I own,
Thy ruling providence I see:
Assist me still my course to run,
And still direct my paths to Thee.

3 Whither, oh whither should I fly,
But to my loving Father's breast;
Secure within Thine arms to lie,
And safe beneath Thy wings to rest!

4 I have no skill the snare to shun,
But Thou, O God, my wisdom art;
I ever into ruin run:
But Thou art greater than my heart.

5 Foolish, and ignorant, and blind,
Lead me a way I have not known;
Bring me where I my heaven may find,
The heaven of loving Thee alone.

531. C. M. *

The Power of Trust.

1 My God! in life's most doubtful hour,
In sharpest pains of death,
Who waits on Thee hath peace and power;
Thou present help of faith!

2 Thy crown of joy upon his head,
Thy light upon his face,
Through storms and strife Thy Christ could tread,
On to the happy place.

3 And though the cross were sharp and high,
The lifted Lord could see
The souls he loved drawn nearer by
His love's last energy.

4 Help me, O God! to seek--to win,
Through struggles and through prayer,
The faith which frees my soul from sin,
And brings Thy blessing there.

5 So shall my cross of conquered shame
My fainting brothers raise,
So Thy triumphant mercy flame
Around my path of praise.

6 And earth, with all its pain and toil,
By love's pure presence blest,
Shall wear the calm celestial smile
Of heaven's eternal rest.

532. C. M. Anonymous.

Through Cross to Light.

1 Bear on, my soul! the bitter cross
Of every trial here
Shall lift thee to thy heaven above,
But shall not enter there.

2 Bear on, my soul! on God rely;
Deliverance will come;
A thousand ways the Father hath
To bring His children home.

3 And Thou, my heavenly Friend and Guide,
Hast kindly led me on;
Taught me to rest my fainting head
Upon Thy heart alone.

4 So comforted and so sustained,
With dark events I strove,
And found, when rightly understood,
All, messengers of love.

533. 11 & 10s. M. *

THE MIGHT OF FAITH.

1 We will not weep; for God is standing by us,
And tears will blind us to the blessed sight;
We will not doubt,--if darkness still doth try us,
Our souls have promise of serenest light.

2 We will not faint,--if heavy burdens bind us,
They press no harder than our souls can bear,
The thorniest way is lying still behind us,
We shall be braver for the past despair.

3 O, not in doubt shall be our journey's ending,
Sin with its fears shall leave us at the last,
All its best hopes in glad fulfilment blending,
Life shall be with us when the Death is past.

4 Help us, oh Father!--when the world is pressing
On our frail hearts, that faint without their friend,
Help us, oh Father! let Thy constant blessing
Strengthen our weakness,--till the joyful end.

534. 8 & 7s. M. Montgomery.

Faith.

1 Call the Lord thy sure salvation,
Rest beneath the Almighty's shade;
In His secret habitation
Dwell, nor ever be dismayed!

2 There no tumult can alarm thee,
Thou shalt dread no hidden snare,
Guile nor violence shall harm thee,
In eternal safeguard there.

3 There, though winds and waves are swelling,
God, thy hope, shall bear through all;
Plague shall not come nigh thy dwelling,
Thee no evil shall befall.

4 He shall charge His angel legions
Watch and ward o'er thee to keep,
Though thou walk through hostile regions,
Though in desert wilds thou sleep.

5 Since, with pure and firm affection,
Thou on God hast set thy love,
With the wings of His protection
He shall shield thee from above.

535. 8 & 7s. M. Moravian.

Bearing the Reproach of Christ.

1 Cross, reproach, and tribulation,
Ye to me are welcome guests,
When I have this consolation,
That my soul in Jesus rests.

2 The reproach of Christ is glorious;
Those who here his burden bear
In the end shall prove victorious,
And eternal gladness share.

3 Bear then the reproach of Jesus,
Ye who live a life of faith!
Lift triumphant songs and praises,
Even in martyrdom and death.

4 Bonds and stripes, and evil story,
Are our honorable crowns;
Pain is peace, and shame is glory,
Gloomy dungeons are as thrones.

536. 8 & 7s. M. Anonymous.

Faith.

1 Let the world despise and leave me,--
Once they left my Saviour too;
Let all human hopes deceive me,
Thou wilt never be untrue;
And whilst Thou shalt smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love and might!
Foes may hate and friends disown me,
Yet the darkness shall be light.

2 Go, then, earthly fame and treasure;
Come, disaster, scorn and pain!
In Thy service pain is pleasure,
With Thy favor loss is gain.
I have learned to call Thee Father,
I have fixed my heart on Thee;
Storms may howl and clouds may gather,
All must work for good to me.

3 Man may trouble and distress me,
'Twill but drive me to Thy breast;
Life with trials hard may press me,
Thou canst give me sweetest rest.
O, 'tis not in grief to harm me,
While Thy love is left to me;
O, 'twere not in joy to charm me,
Were that joy unmixed with Thee!

537. L. M. Doddridge.

Seeing the Invisible.

1 Eternal and immortal King!
Thy peerless splendors none can bear;
But darkness veils seraphic eyes,
When God with all his glory's there.

2 Yet faith can pierce the awful gloom,
The great Invisible can see;
And with its tremblings mingle joy,
In fixed regard, great GOD! to Thee.

3 Then every tempting form of sin,
Shamed in Thy presence, disappears;
And all the glowing raptured soul
The likeness it contemplates, wears.

4 O ever conscious to my heart!
Witness to its supreme desire:
Behold it presseth on to Thee,
For it hath caught the heavenly fire.

5 This one petition would it urge--
To bear Thee ever in its sight;
In life, in death, in worlds unknown,
Its only portion and delight!

538. C. M. Breviary.

Faith, Hope, and Love.

1 Supreme disposer of the heart!
Thou, since the world was made,
Hast the blest fruits of holiness
To holy hearts displayed.

2 Here, hope and faith their links unite
With love in one sweet chain;
But when all fleeting things are past,
Love shall alone remain.

3 O love! O true and fadeless light!
And shall it ever be,
That after all our toils and tears
Thy sabbath we shall see?

4 'Mid thousand fears and dangers now
We sow our seed, with prayer,
But know that joyful hands shall reap
The shining harvests there.

5 O God of justice, God of power!
Our faith and hope increase,
And crown them, in the future years,
With endless love and peace.

539. 7s. M. Wesleyan.

Christian Love.

1 Father! we look up to Thee;
Let us in Thy love agree;
Thou, who art the God of peace,
Bid contention ever cease.

2 Make us of one heart and mind,
Self-forgetful, true and kind;
Strong, yet meek in thought and word,
Like Thy Son, our blessed Lord.

3 Let us for each other care,
Each the other's burden bear;
Ready, when reviled, to bless;
Studious of the law of peace.

4 Father! all our souls inspire,
Fill us with love's sacred fire;
Guided by that blessed light,
Order all our steps aright.

5 Free from anger, free from pride,
Let us thus in Thee abide;
All the depths of love express,--
All the heights of holiness.

540. S. M. Montgomery.

The Sower.

1 Sow in the morn thy seed,
At eve hold not thy hand;
To doubt and fear give thou no heed,
Broadcast it o'er the land!
Beside all waters sow,
The highway furrows stock,
Drop it where thorns and thistles grow,
Drop it upon the rock!

2 The good, the fruitful ground
Expect not here nor there;
O'er hill and dale and plain 'tis found,
Go forth, then, everywhere!
And duly shall appear,
In verdure, beauty, strength,
The tender blade, the stalk, the ear,
And the full corn at length.

3 Thou canst not toil in vain;
Cold, heat, and moist and dry,
Shall foster and mature the grain
For garners in the sky;
Then when the glorious end,
The day of God, shall come,
The angel-reapers shall descend,
At heaven's great harvest-home.

541. L. M. Watts.

Press Onward to the Mark.

1 Awake, our souls, away, our fears;
Let every trembling thought be gone.
Awake and run the heavenly race,
And put a cheerful courage on.

2 True 'tis a strait and thorny road,
And mortal spirits tire and faint;
But they forget the mighty God,
That feeds the strength of every saint.

3 From Thee, the overflowing spring,
Our souls shall drink a fresh supply,
While such as trust in human strength
Shall melt away, and droop, and die.

4 Swift as an eagle cuts the air,
We'll mount aloft to Thine abode;
On wings of love our souls shall fly,
Nor tire amidst the heavenly road.

542. S. M. Anonymous.

The Whole Armor of God.

1 Followers of Christ! arise,
And put your armor on,
Strong in the strength which God supplies
To each obedient son.

2 Stand forth in His great might,
With all His strength endued;
But take, to arm you for the fight,
The panoply of God.

3 And, above all, lay hold
Of faith's victorious shield;
Armed with that adamant and gold,
Ye cannot lose the field.

4 Leave no unguarded place,
No weakness of the soul;
Take every virtue, every grace,
And consecrate the whole.

5 That having all things done,
And conquered in the strife,
To nobler service ye pass on,
And an undying life!

543. S. M. Heath.

Conflict.

1 My soul, be on thy guard;
Ten thousand foes arise;
The hosts of sin are pressing hard
To draw thee from the skies.

2 O, watch, and strive, and pray;
The battle ne'er give o'er;
Renew it boldly every day,
And help divine implore.

3 Ne'er think the victory won,
Nor lay thine armor down:
Thy arduous work will not be done
Till thou obtain thy crown.

4 Fight on, my soul, till death
Shall bring thee to thy God;
He'll take thee, at thy parting breath,
To His divine abode.

544. 7s. M. Neale.

Bearing the Cross.

1 Every bird that upward springs
Bears the Cross upon his wings;
We without it cannot rise
Upward to our native skies.

2 Every ship that meets the waves
By the Cross their fury braves;
We, on life's wide ocean tossed,
If we have it not are lost.

3 Hope it gives us when distrest,
When we faint it gives us rest;
Satan's craft, and Satan's might,
By the Cross are put to flight.

4 That from sin earth might be free,
Jesus bore it; so must we;
Ne'er through faintness lay it down:
First the Cross, and then the crown!

545. C. M. Heber.

In the Day of Distress.

1 Oh God, that mad'st the earth and sky,
The darkness and the day,
Oh listen to Thy children's cry,
And help us when we pray!

2 For wide the waves of bitterness
Around our vessel roar,
And heavy grows the burdened heart,
To view the rocky shore.

3 The cross our Master bore for us,
For him we fain would bear;
But mortal strength to weakness turns,
And courage to despair!

4 Have mercy on our failings, Lord!
Our sinking faith renew!
And when his sorrows visit us,
O send his patience too.

546. C. M. Doddridge.

God Tempers the Wind to the Shorn Lamb.

1 Great ruler of all nature's frame,
We own Thy power divine;
We hear Thy breath in every storm,
For all the winds are Thine.

2 Wide as they sweep their sounding way,
They work Thy sovereign will;
And awed by Thy majestic voice,
Confusion shall be still.

3 Thy mercy tempers every blast
To those who seek Thy face;
And mingles with the tempest's roar
The whispers of Thy grace.

4 Those gentle whispers let me hear,
Till all the tumult cease;
And gales of Paradise shall lull
My weary soul to peace.

547. S. M. Montgomery.

The Bow in the Cloud.

1 Out of the depths of woe,
To Thee, O Lord, I cry;
Darkness surrounds Thee, but I know
That Thou art ever nigh.

2 Like them whose longing eyes
Watch till the morning star,
Though late and seen through tempests, rise,
Heaven's portals to unbar,--

3 Like them I watch and pray;
And though it tarry long,
Catch the first gleam of welcome day
Then burst into a song.

4 Glory to God above!
The waters soon will cease;
For lo, the swift returning dove
Brings home the sign of peace.

5 Though storms Thy face obscure,
And dangers threaten loud,
Thy holy covenant is sure;
Thy bow is in the cloud!

548. 7 & 6s. M. Montgomery.

In Time of Tribulation.

1 In time of tribulation,
Hear, Lord, our earnest cries;
With humble supplication
To Thee the spirit flies.

2 Remembered songs of gladness,
Through night's lone silence brought,
Strike notes of deepest sadness,
And stir desponding thought.

3 Hath God cast off forever?
Can time His truth impair?
His tender mercy never
Shall we presume to share?

4 Hath He His loving-kindness
Shut up in bitter wrath?
No! it is human blindness,
That cannot see His path.

5 We'll call to recollection
The years of Thy right hand,
And, strong in Thy protection,
Again through Faith we stand.

6 Thy way is in great waters,
Thy footsteps are not known;
But let earth's sons and daughters
Confide in Thee alone!

7 Through the wild sea Thou leddest
Thy chosen flock of yore;
Still on the wave thou treadest,
And Thy redeemed pass o'er.

549. 6 & 5s. M. Montgomery.

I Will Extol Thee, O Lord!

1 Yea, I will extol Thee,
Lord of Life and light!
For Thine arm upheld me,
Turned my foes to flight.

2 I implored Thy succor,
Thou wast swift to save,
To heal my wounded spirit,
And bring me from the grave.

3 Grief may, like the pilgrim,
Through the night sojourn,
Yet shall joy, to-morrow,
With the sun return.

4 Thou hast turned my mourning
Into minstrelsy;
Girded me with gladness,
Set from thraldom free.

5 Thee my ransomed powers
Henceforth shall adore;
Thee, my great Deliverer,
Bless forevermore!

550. S. M. Breviary.

Morning Hymn.

1 Behold, night's shadows fade,
And morn is in the skies!
To Him by whom all things were made
Our aspirations rise.

2 To break this deathly trance
Help us, our God, our stay!
Give the freed spirit utterance,
Its languors charm away!

3 So sin shall cease to reign,
So safety shall be nigh;
Rend, spirit blest, the heavy chains
Of death, in victory!

551. C. M. Anonymous.

Morning Hymn.

1 Be Thou, O God, by night, by day,
My guard, my guide from sin,
My life, my trust, my light divine,
To keep me pure within.

2 Pure as the air, when day's first light
A cloudless sky illumes,
And active as the lark that soars
Till heaven shines round its plumes.

3 So may my soul, upon the wings
Of faith, unwearied rise,
Till at the gate of heaven it sings,
'Midst light from Paradise.

552. 12 & 11s. M. Anonymous.

Vesper Hymn.

1 The daylight is fading o'er earth and o'er ocean,
The sun has gone down o'er the slumbering sea;
And now, in the hush of life's fitful commotion,
We lift our tired spirits, blest Saviour, to thee.

2 For oft would'st thou wander alone on the mountain,
As eventide spread her dark wing o'er the wave;
Now, filling our souls from thy light's ceaseless fountain;
Be near in the darkness, to bless and to save.

3 And oft as the tumult of life's heaving billow
Shall toss our frail bark driving wild o'er night's deep,
Let thy guarding wing be stretched over our pillow,
And shield us from evil, though death watch our sleep.

553. 10 & 4s. M. Anonymous.

Vespers.

1 Father supreme! Thou high and holy One,
To Thee we bow;
Now, when the labor of the day is done,
Devoutly, now.

2 From age to age unchanging, still the same
All-good Thou art;
Hallowed forever be Thy reverend name
In every heart!

3 When the glad morn upon the hills was spread,
Thy smile was there;
Now, as the darkness gathers overhead,
We feel Thy care.

4 Night spreads her shade upon another day
Forever past;
So o'er our faults, Thy love, we humbly pray
A veil may cast.

5 Silence and sleep, o'er hearts by earth distrest,
Now sweetly steal;
So every fear that struggles in the breast
Shall faith conceal.

6 Thou through the dark will watch above our sleep
With eye of love;
And Thou wilt wake us, when the sunbeams leap
The hills above.

7 O, may each heart its gratitude express
As life expands,
And find the triumph of its happiness
In Thy commands!

554. 8 & 7s. M. Martineau's Coll.

Evening Hymn.

1 On the dewy breath of even
Thousand odors mingling rise,
Borne like incense up to heaven,--
Nature's evening sacrifice.

2 With her fragrant offerings blending,
Let our glad thanksgivings be
To Thy throne, O Lord, ascending,--
Incense of our hearts to Thee.

3 Thou, whose favors without number
All our days with gladness bless,
Let Thine eye, that knows no slumber,
Guard our hours of helplessness.

4 Then, though conscious we are sleeping
In the outer courts of death,
Safe beneath a Father's keeping,
Calm we rest in perfect faith.

555. 7s. M. Doddridge.

Night.

1 While the stars unnumbered roll
Round the ever-constant pole,
Far above these spangled skies
All my thoughts to God shall rise.

2 From on high He shall impart
Secret comfort to my heart;
He in these serenest hours
Guide my spiritual powers.

3 He His spirit doth diffuse,
Sweeter far than midnight dews;
Lifting all my thoughts above,
On the wings of faith and love.

4 What if death my sleep invade;--
Should I be of death afraid?
Whilst encircled by Thine arm,
Death may strike, but cannot harm.

5 Visions brighter than the morn
Greet the deathless spirit born;
See, the guardian angel nigh
Waits to waft my soul on high!

6 With Thy heavenly presence blest,
Death is life, and labor, rest;
Welcome sleep or death to me,
Still secure, for still with Thee!

556. 11s. M. Breviary.

Even-Song.

1 Be near us, O Father! through night's silent hour;
Impart to our slumbers Thy calmness divine;
Drop rest on our lids like the dew on the flower,
That even our still sleep may have something of Thine.

2 O watch o'er our couch; drive the tempter away;
From the sins that corrupt and betray keep us free;
That nor fancy shall wander, nor passion shall stray,
And we dream not a thought that's displeasing to Thee.

3 And grant, when deep sleep o'er our senses shall close,
That the heart may still watch, all unclouded and clear;
Guard, guard still Thy children; and bless the repose
That, stainless of sin, is untouched by a fear.

4 Then still to Thee, Father, our praises we pay;
Still to Thee we will offer love's infinite store;
Send down Thy pure spirit, even now while we pray;
Be with us, and keep us, and bless, evermore!

557. C. M. Breviary.

Our Guard By Night.

1 Lord of the world, who hast preserved
Us safely through this day,
Now guard us in the silent night,
And in all time, we pray!

2 Be present, in Thy peace, to those
Who as Thy suppliants wait;
Blot out the record of our sin;
Our gloom illuminate!

3 Let not, amid our hours of sleep,
Life's enemy steal in;
Let not a vision of the night
Have power to whisper sin.

4 Guard every avenue from guile,
When slumber seals our eyes;
And guiltless as we laid us down,
So guiltless let us rise.

558. 11s. M. Breviary.

Hymn of Night.

1 Creator of all! through whose all-seeing might
This ponderous globe to its hour is true,
Thou glad'st us each morn with the vision of light,
And at eve on our lids pourest slumber like dew.

2 The toils of the day are now brought to their end,
And night is preparing her balm for our eyes;
Our strength, Lord, encourage, our weakness defend;
Hear our prayers as they spring, and our hymns as they rise!

3 We beseech of Thee now, when dim night over all
Is enfolding her shroud and resuming her sway,
That Thy grace still may shine, 'mid the glooms that appal,
As a star to our eyes, and a lamp to our way.

4 Though our bodies may sleep, let our souls be awake,
Keep them free from the deadness that guilt only knows;
Be the dream of the night pure as day, for Thy sake,
And the calm of Thy paradise on our repose!

5 From all stain of crime let our bosoms be free,
And still rest on our God, unpolluted and clear;
So the tempter shall flee; nor our slumbers endure
One pang of remorse or one shudder of fear.

559. L. M. Breviary.

Night-Watches.

1 Throughout the hours of darkness dim,
Still let us watch and raise the hymn;
And in deep midnight's awful calm,
Pour forth the soul in deepest psalm.

2 Amid the silence, else so drear,
Think the Almighty leans to hear;
Well pleased to list, at such a time,
The wakeful heart, in praise sublime.

3 Still watch and pray and raise the hymn,
Throughout the hours of darkness dim!
God will not spurn the humblest guest,
But give us of His holy rest.

4 Glory to God, who is in heaven!
Praise to His blessed Son be given!
Thee, holy spirit, we implore,
Be with us now and evermore!

560. 7s. M. Wesleyan.

Communion Hymn.

1 Jesus, we thy promise claim;
We are met in thy dear name;
In the midst do thou appear,
Manifest thy presence here!
Sanctify us, Lord, and bless;
Breathe thy spirit, give thy peace;
Thou thyself within us move;
Make our feast a feast of love!

2 Give to us thy humble mind,
Patient, fearless, just and kind;
Meek and lowly let us be,
Full of goodness, full of thee.
Still, O Lord, our faith increase,
Give to us the fruits of peace,
Utterly abolish sin,
Write thy law of love within.

3 Hence may all our actions flow,
Love, the proof that Christ we know;
Mutual love the token be,
Lord, that we have walked with thee!
Love, thine image, love impart,
Stamp its impress on each heart,
Only love to us be given,
Lord, we ask no other heaven.

561. 7s. M. Wesleyan.

Communion Hymn.

1 Partners of a glorious hope,
Lift your hearts and voices up!
Nobly let us bear the strife,
Keep the holiness, of life;

2 Still forget the things behind,
Follow Christ in heart and mind,
To the mark unwearied press,
Seize the crown of righteousness.

3 Jesus, fill us with thy love,
Never from our souls remove,
Heart to heart unite and bless,
Keep us in thy perfect peace!

4 In our lives our faith be known,
Faith by holy actions shown;
Faith that mountains can remove,
Faith that always works by love.

562. 7 & 6s. M. German.

O Sacred Head!

1 O sacred head, now wounded,
With grief and shame weighed down,
So scornfully surrounded,
With thorns thine only crown;
How art thou pale with anguish,
With sore abuse and scorn!
How do those features languish
Which once were fair as morn!

2 What language shall I borrow
To thank thee, dearest friend,
For this thy dying sorrow,
This love that knew no end!
O, make me thine forever!
And should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never,
Outlive my love to thee!

563. L. M. Anonymous.

Christ a Quickening Spirit.

1 We follow, Lord, where thou dost lead,
And, quickened, would ascend to thee,
Redeemed from sin, set free indeed
Into thy glorious liberty.

2 We cast behind fear, sin and death;
With thee we seek the things above;
Our inmost souls thy spirit breathe,
Of power, of calmness, and of love.

3 The power, 'mid worldliness and sin,
To do, in all, our Father's will;
Like thee, the victory to win,
And bid each tempting voice be still.

4 The calmness perfect faith inspires,
Which waiteth patiently and long;
The love which faileth not, nor tires,
Triumphant over every wrong.

5 Thus through thy quickening spirit, Lord,
Thy perfect life in us reveal,
And help us, as we live to God,
Still more and more with man to feel.

564. C. M. *

The New Commandment.

1 Beneath the shadow of the cross,
As earthly hopes remove,
His new commandment Jesus gives,
His blessed word of love.

2 O bond of union, strong and deep!
O bond of perfect peace!
Not even the lifted cross can harm,
If we but hold to this.

3 Then, Jesus, be thy spirit ours!
And swift our feet shall move
To deeds of pure self-sacrifice,
"And the sweet tasks of love."

565. L. M. Doddridge.

Close of the Year.

1 God of eternity! from Thee
Did infant time his being draw;
Moments and days, and months and years,
Revolve by Thine unvaried law.

2 Silent and swift they glide away:
Steady and strong the current flows,
Lost in eternity's wide sea,
The boundless gulf from which it rose.

3 Great Source of wisdom! teach our hearts
To know the price of every hour,
That time may bear us on to joys
Beyond its measure and its power.

566. 7s. M. Newton.

New Year.

1 Bless, O Lord, each opening year
To the souls assembling here:
Clothe Thy word with power divine,
Make us willing to be Thine.

2 Where Thou hast Thy work begun,
Give new strength the race to run;
Scatter darkness, doubts, and fears,
Wipe away the mourner's tears.

3 Bless us all, both old and young;
Call forth praise from every tongue:
Let our whole assembly prove
All Thy power and all Thy love!

567. L. M. Anonymous.

Thanksgiving Hymn.

1 Father of mercies! God of peace!
Being whose bounties never cease!
While to the heavens, in grateful tones,
Ascend our mingled orisons,
Listen to these, the notes of praise,
Which we, a happy people, raise!

2 Our hamlets, sheltered by Thy care,
Abodes of peace and plenty are;
Our tillage by Thy blessing yields
An hundred fold from ripened fields:
And flowing grain, and burthened vine,
Are tokens of Thy Love divine.

3 The cradled head of infancy
Doth owe its tranquil rest to Thee;
Youth's doubting step, man's firmer tread,
In years mature, by Thee are led;
Secure may trembling age, oh Lord!
Lean on its staff, Thy holy Word.

4 Teach us these blessings to improve,
Teach us to serve Thee, teach to love;
Exalt our hearts, that we may see
The Giver of all good in Thee;
And be Thy word our daily food,
Thy service, Lord, our greatest good.

568. 7s. M. Mary W. Hale.

Christmas.

1 When in silence, o'er the deep,
Darkness kept its deathlike sleep,
Soon as God His mandate spoke,
Light in wondrous beauty broke.

2 But a beam of holier light
Gilded Bethlehem's lonely night,
When the glory of the Lord,
Mercy's sunlight, shone abroad.

3 "Peace on earth, good-will to men."
Burst the glorious anthem then;
Angels, bending from above,
Joined that strain of holy love.

4 Floating o'er the waves of time,
Comes to us that song sublime,
Bearing to the pilgrim's ear
Words to soothe, sustain, and cheer.

5 For creation's blessed light,
Praise to Thee, Thou God of might!
Seraph-strains Thy name should bless
For the Sun of Righteousness!

569. P. M. Longfellow.

Ordination.

1 Christ to the young man said: "Yet one thing more,
If thou wouldst perfect be;
Sell all thou hast and give it to the poor,
And come and follow me!"

2 Within this temple, Christ again, unseen,
Those sacred words has said;
And his invisible hands to-day have been
Laid on a young man's head.

3 And evermore beside him on his way,
The unseen Christ shall move,
That he may lean upon his arm and say,
"Dost thou, dear Lord, approve?"

4 Beside him at the marriage feast shall be,
To make the scene more fair;
Beside him in the dark Gethsemane
Of pain and midnight prayer.

5 O holy trust! O endless sense of rest!
Like the beloved John,
To lay his head upon the Saviour's breast,
And thus to journey on!

570. 7s. M. C. Wesley.

At Sea.

1 Lord! whom winds and seas obey,
Guide us through the watery way;
In the hollow of Thy hand,
Hide and bring us safe to land.

2 Father, let our faithful mind
Rest, on Thee alone reclined:
Every anxious thought repress,
Keep our souls in perfect peace.

3 Keep the friends whom now we leave;
Bid them to each other cleave;
Bid them walk on life's rough sea,
Bid them come, by faith, to Thee.

4 Save, till all these tempests end,
All who on Thy love depend;
Waft our happy spirits o'er;
Land us on the heavenly shore.

571. 7s. M. Mrs. Sigourney.

Prayer for the Sailor.

1 When the parting bosom bleeds,
When their native shore recedes,
When the wild and faithless main
Takes them to her trust again,
Father! view the sailor's woe--
Guide them wheresoe'er they go.

2 When the lonely watch they keep,
Silent on the mighty deep,
While the boisterous surges hoarse
Bear them daily on their course,
Eye that never slumbers! shed
Holy influence on their head.

3 When the Sabbath's peaceful ray
O'er the ocean's breast doth play,
Though no throngs assemble there,
No sweet church-bell warns to prayer,
Spirit! let thy presence be
Sabbath to the unresting sea.

4 When the raging billows dark
Thunder round the storm-tossed bark,
Thou who on the whelming wave
Didst the loved disciples save,
Thou canst hear them when they pray,--
Jesus, Saviour, be their stay!

572. L. M. C. Wesley.

The Sailor's Hymn.

1 Lord of the wide-extended main!
Whose power the winds and seas controls,
Whose hand doth earth and heaven sustain,
Whose Spirit leads believing souls;

2 Throughout the deep Thy footsteps shine;
We own Thy way is in the sea,
O'erawed by majesty divine,
And lost in Thine immensity!

3 Thy wisdom here we learn to adore,
Thine everlasting truth we prove,
The wondrous heights of boundless power,
The unfathomable depths of love.

4 Infinite God, Thy greatness spanned
These heavens, and meted out the skies;
Lo! in the hollow of Thy hand
The measured waters sink and rise.

5 And here Thine unknown paths we trace,
Which dark to human eyes appear:
While through the mighty waves we pass
Faith only sees that God is here.

573. C. M. H. K. White.

In a Storm.

1 The Lord our God is full of might,
The winds obey His will;
He speaks, and in His heavenly height
The rolling sun stands still.

2 Rebel, ye waves! and o'er the land
With threatening aspect roar;
The Lord uplifts His awful hand,
And chains you to the shore.

3 Howl, winds of night! your force combine;
Without His high behest,
Ye shall not in the mountain pine
Disturb the sparrow's nest.

4 Ye nations bend, in reverence bend;
Ye monarchs, wait His nod,
And bid the choral song ascend
To celebrate our God!

574. L. M. E. H. Chapin.

For a Charitable Occasion.

1 When long the soul had slept in chains
And man to man was stern and cold;
When love and worship were but strains
That swept the gifted chords of old--
By shady mount and peaceful lake,
A meek and lowly stranger came,
The weary drank the words he spake,
The poor and suffering blessed his name.

2 He went where frenzy held its rule,
Where sickness breathed its spell of pain;
By famed Bethesda's mystic pool,
And by the darkened gate of Nain.
He soothed the mourner's troubled breast,
He raised the contrite sinner's head,
And on the loved ones' lowly rest
The light of better life he shed.

3 Father, the spirit Jesus knew
We humbly ask of Thee to-night,
That we may be disciples too
Of him whose way was love and light.
Bright be the places where we tread
Amid earth's suffering and its poor,
Until that day when tears are shed,
And broken sighs are heard, no more.

575. C. M. W. Croswell.

He Went About Doing Good.

1 Lord, lead the way the Saviour went,
By lane and cell obscure,
And let our treasures still be spent,
Like his, upon the poor.

2 Like him, through scenes of deep distress,
Who bore the world's sad weight,
We, in their gloomy loneliness,
Would seek the desolate.

3 For Thou hast placed us side by side
In this wide world of ill;
And that Thy followers may be tried,
The poor are with us still.

576. 7 & 6s. M. E. H. Chapin.

Triumph of Temperance.

1 Now, host with host assembling,
The victory we win;
Lo! on his throne sits trembling
That old and giant Sin;
Like chaff by strong winds scattered,
His banded strength has gone,
His charmed cup lies shattered,
And still the cry is--"On."

2 Our fathers' God, our keeper!
Be Thou our strength divine!
Thou sendest forth the reaper,
The harvest all is Thine.
Roll on, roll on this gladness,
Till, driven from every shore,
The drunkard's sin and madness
Shall smite the earth no more!

577. L. M. Sargent.

Temperance Hymn.

1 Slavery and death the cup contains;
Dash to the earth the poisoned bowl!
Softer than silk are iron chains
Compared with those that chafe the soul.

2 Hosannas, Lord, to Thee we sing,
Whose power the giant fiend obeys;
What countless thousands tribute bring,
For happier homes and brighter days!

3 Thou wilt not break the bruised reed,
Nor leave the broken heart unbound;
The wife regains a husband freed!
The orphan clasps a father found!

4 Spare, Lord, the thoughtless; guide the blind;
Till man no more shall deem it just
To live by forging chains to bind
His weaker brother in the dust.

578. 11 & 10s. M. Whittier.

True Worship and Undefiled.

1 O, he whom Jesus loved has truly spoken!
The holier worship, which God deigns to bless,
Restores the lost, and heals the spirit-broken,
And feeds the widow and the fatherless.

2 Then, brother man, fold to thy heart thy brother!
For where love dwells, the peace of God is there;
To worship rightly is to love each other;
Each smile a hymn, each kindly deed a prayer.

3 Follow, with reverent steps, the great example
Of him whose holy work was doing good:
So shall the wide earth seem our Father's temple,
Each loving life a psalm of gratitude.

4 Thus shall all shackles fall; the stormy clangor
Of wild war-music o'er the earth shall cease;
Love shall tread out the baleful fire of anger,
And in its ashes plant the tree of peace.

579. 11s. M. J. G. Adams.

The Angel in the Prison.

1 God's angels! not only on high do they sing,
And soar through our skies with invisible wing;
But here, on the earth, where in wretchedness lie
Its sin-stricken children to struggle and die.

2 They come, in their mercy and power, to dispel
The spectres of gloom from the prisoner's cell;
In love's name to say to the stricken one there,
That God still hath ear, and an answer to prayer.

3 And strong grows the heart of the outcast--and soon
In that dim prison come the pure light-gleams of noon;
The resolve and the faith of the sinner forgiven,
Send him back to the world with a heart seeking heaven.

4 God's angels! Love speed them o'er earth's wide domain!
New aids to impart, and new triumphs to gain;
Till the wrathful and wrong from our world shall retire,
And humanity's groans in her praises expire.

5 For the promise of truth--though the doubting deny--
Is, that love shall prevail in the earth as on high;
Its life-waters healing, wherever they flow,
With the angels above, or the angels below.

580. L. M. Aikin.

In Time of War.

1 While sounds of war are heard around,
And death and ruin strew the ground,
To Thee we look, on Thee we call,
The Parent and the Lord of all.

2 Thou, who hast stamped on human kind
The image of a heaven-born mind,
And in a Father's wide embrace
Hast cherished all the kindred race;

3 Great God! whose powerful hand can bind
The raging waves, the furious wind,
O bid the human tempest cease,
And hush the maddening world to peace.

4 With reverence may each hostile land
Hear and obey that high command,
Thy Son's blest errand from above--
"My children, live in mutual love!"

581. 7s. M. Mrs. Follen.

Prayer for the Slave.

1 Lord! deliver; Thou canst save;
Save from evil, Mighty God!
Hear--oh! hear the kneeling slave;
Break--oh! break th' oppressor's rod.

2 May the captive's pleading fill
All the earth, and all the sky;
Every other voice be still,
While he pleads with God on high.

3 He, whose ear is everywhere,
Who doth silent sorrow see,
Will regard the captive's prayer,
Will from bondage set him free.

4 From the tyranny within,
Save Thy children, Lord! we pray;
Chains of iron, chains of sin,
Cast, forever cast away.

5 Love to man, and love to God,
Are the weapons of our war;
These can break th' oppressor's rod--
Burst the bonds that we abhor.

582. 12s. M. Whittier.

Freedom.

1 May freedom speed onward, wherever the blood
Of the wronged and the guiltless is crying to God;
Wherever from kindred, torn rudely apart,
Comes the sorrowful wail of the broken of heart.

2 Wherever the shackles of tyranny bind
In silence and darkness the God-given mind,
There, Lord, speed it onward! the truth shall be felt,
The bonds shall be loosened, the iron will melt.

3 Help us turn from the cavil of creeds, to unite
Once again for the poor, in defence of the Right,
Unappalled by the danger, the shame, or the pain,
And counting each trial for Truth as our gain.

583. P.M. Anonymous.

Daughter of Zion.

1 Daughter of Zion, awake from thy sadness!
Awake! for thy foes shall oppress thee no more;
Bright o'er thy hills dawns the day-star of gladness,
Arise! for the night of thy sorrow is o'er.

2 Strong were thy foes, but the arm that subdued them
And scattered their legions, was mightier far;
They fled like the chaff from the scourge that pursued them;
Vain were their steeds and their chariots of war.

3 Daughter of Zion, the power that hath saved thee
Extolled with the harp and the timbrel should be;
Shout! for the foe is destroyed that enslaved thee;
Th' oppressor is vanquished, and Zion is free.

584. S. M. Johns.

The Kingdom of Love.

1 Come, kingdom of our God,
Sweet reign of light and love!
Shed peace, and hope, and joy abroad,
And wisdom from above.

2 Over our spirits first
Extend thy healing reign;
There raise and quench the sacred thirst,
That never pains again.

3 Come, kingdom of our God!
And make the broad earth thine;
Stretch o'er her lands and isles the rod
That flowers with grace divine.

4 Soon may all tribes be blest
With fruit from life's glad tree;
And in its shade like brothers rest,
Sons of one family.

585. C. M. Montgomery.

Unity.

1 The glorious universe around,
The heavens with all their train,
Sun, moon and stars, are firmly bound
In one mysterious chain.

2 The earth, the ocean, and the sky,
To form one world agree;
Where all that walk, or swim, or fly,
Compose one family.

3 God in creation thus displays
His wisdom and His might;
While all His works with all His ways
Harmoniously unite.

4 In one fraternal bond of love,
One fellowship of mind,
The saints below and saints above
Their bliss and glory find.

5 Here, in their house of pilgrimage,
Thy statutes are their song;
There, through one bright, eternal age,
Thy praises they prolong.

6 Lord, may our union form a part
Of that thrice happy whole;
Derive its pulse from Thee the heart,
Its life from Thee the soul.

586. P. M. Anonymous.

Peace Everywhere.

1 Nature hath seasons of repose;
Her slumbering clouds and quiet sky;
And many a bright-faced stream that flows
Forever noiselessly.

2 The stormy winds are hushed to rest,
And hang self-poised upon their wings;
And nursed on mother nature's breast,
Flowers lie like sleeping things.

3 The ocean, that in mountains ran,
Spreads boundlessly without a wave;
And is it only said of man,
His peace is in the grave?

4 Oh! for the coming of the end,
The last long Sabbath-day of time,
When peace from heaven shall descend,
Like light, on every clime.

5 For men in ships far off at sea
Shall hear the happy nations raise
The song of peace and liberty,
And overflowing praise.

6 Mankind shall be one brotherhood;
One human soul shall fill the earth,
And God shall say, "The world is good
As when I gave it birth."

587. L. M. Montgomery.

The Kingdom of God.

1 O Spirit of the living God,
In all Thy plenitude of grace,
Where'er the foot of man hath trod,
Descend on our benighted race!

2 Be darkness, at Thy coming, light;
Confusion, order, in Thy path;
Souls without strength inspire with might;
Bid mercy triumph over wrath.

3 O spirit of the Lord! prepare
All the round earth her God to meet;
Breathe Thou abroad like morning air,
Till hearts of stone begin to beat.

4 Baptize the nations; far and nigh
The triumphs of the cross record;
Thy name, O Father, glorify,
Till every people call Thee Lord.

588. C. M. A. C. Coxe.

The Church Everlasting.

1 O where are kings and empires now
Of old that went and came?
But Holy Church is praying yet,
A thousand years the same.
Mark ye her holy battlements,
And her foundations strong;
And hear within, her solemn voice,
And her unending song.

2 For not like kingdoms of the world
The Holy Church of God!
Though earthquake shocks are rocking her,
And tempests are abroad;
Unshaken as eternal hills,
Unmovable she stands,--
A mountain that shall fill the earth,
A fane unbuilt by hands.

589. C. M. Sp. of Psalms.

The Day-Spring From on High.

1 Thy servants in the temple watched
The dawning of the day,
Impatient with its earliest beams
Their holy vows to pay;
And chosen saints far off beheld
That great and glorious morn,
When the glad day-spring from on high
Auspiciously should dawn.

2 On us the Sun of Righteousness
Its brightest beams hath poured;
With grateful hearts and holy zeal,
Lord, be Thy love adored;
And let us look with joyful hope
To that more glorious day,
Before whose brightness sin and death,
And grief, shall flee away.

590. S. M. Doddridge.

The Pilgrim's Hymn.

1 Now let our voices join,
To form one pleasant song:
Ye pilgrims in God's holy way,
With music pass along!

2 How straight the path appears,
How open and how fair!
No lurking snares to entrap our feet,
No fierce destroyer there!

3 But flowers of paradise
In rich profusion spring;
The sun of hope shines on our path,
And dear companions sing.

4 All glory to His name,
Who drew the shining trace;
To Him who leads the wanderers on,
And cheers them with His grace.

5 Subdue the nations, Lord!
Teach all their kings Thy ways;
That earth's full choir the notes may swell,
And heaven resound the praise.

591. 7 & 5s. M. Anonymous.

The Angel of the Lord.

1 Onward speed thy conquering flight,
Angel, onward speed!
Cast abroad thy radiant light,
Bid the shades recede;
Tread the idols in the dust,
Heathen fanes destroy,
Spread the gospel's love and trust,
Spread the gospel's joy.

2 Onward speed thy conquering flight,
Angel, onward fly!
Long has been the reign of night,
Bring the morning nigh.
Unto thee earth's sufferers lift
Their imploring wail;
Bear them heaven's holy gift
Ere their courage fail.

3 Onward speed thy conquering flight,
Angel, onward speed!
Morning bursts upon our sight,
Lo, the time decreed!
Now the Lord His kingdom takes,
Thrones and empires fall,
And the joyous song awakes,
God is all in all.

592. S. M. *

The Reformer's Vow.

1 God of the earnest heart,
The trust assured and still,
Thou who our strength forever art,--
We come to do Thy will!

2 Upon that painful road
By saints serenely trod,
Whereon their hallowing influence flowed,
Would we go forth, O God!

3 'Gainst doubt and shame and fear
In human hearts to strive,
That all may learn to love and bear,
To conquer self, and live;

4 To draw Thy blessing down,
And bring the wronged redress,
And give this glorious world its crown,
The spirit's Godlikeness.

5 No dreams from toil to charm,
No trembling on the tongue;--
Lord, in Thy rest may we be calm,
Through Thy completeness, strong!

6 Thou hearest while we pray;
O deep within us write,
With kindling power, our God, to-day,
Thy word,--"On earth be light!"

593. L. M. Anonymous.

Be Strong, Fear Not.

1 Prisoners of hope! be strong, be bold;
Cast off your doubts, disdain to fear!
The day which prophets have foretold,
And saints have longed for, draweth near:
Our God shall in His kingdom come;
Prepare your hearts to make Him room!

2 O ye of fearful hearts, be strong!
Your downcast eyes and hands lift up;
Doubt not, nor cry "O God, how long?"
Hope to the end, in patience hope!
O never from your faith remove;
Ye cannot fail, for God is love!

3 Lord, we have faith; we wait the hour
Which to the earth Thy kingdom brings;
When Thou, in love, and joy, and power,
Shalt come and make us priests and kings:
When man shall be indeed Thy son,
And Thy pure will on earth be done.

594. C. M. Anonymous.

He Maketh All Things New.

1 Almighty Spirit, now behold
A world by sin destroyed!
Creative spirit, as of old
Move on the formless void!

2 Give Thou the word--the healing sound
Shall quell the deadly strife,
And earth again, like Eden crowned,
Bring forth the tree of life.

3 If sang the morning stars for joy
When nature rose to view,
What strains shall angel harps employ,
When Thou shalt all renew!

595. C. M. Anonymous.

The Morning.

1 We wait in faith, in prayer we wait,
Until the happy hour
When God shall ope the morning gate,
By His almighty power.

2 We wait in faith, and turn our face
To where the day-light springs;
Till He shall come earth's gloom to chase,
With healing on His wings.

3 And even now, amid the gray,
The East is brightening fast,
And kindling to that perfect day
Which never shall be past.

4 We wait in faith, we wait in prayer,
Till that blest day shall shine,
When earth shall fruits of Eden bear,
And all, O God, be Thine!

5 O, guide us till our night is done!
Until, from shore to shore,
Thou, Lord, our everlasting sun,
Art shining evermore!

596. 7 & 6s. M. Montgomery.

Lo! He Cometh.