Chapter XV: Introduction: And Close of Worship (8)

2 We mourn for those who sin?
Bound in the tempter's snare,
Whom syren pleasure beckons in
To prisons of despair;
Whose hearts, by passions torn,
Are wrecked on folly's shore;--
But why in sorrow should we mourn
For those who sin no more?

3 We mourn for those who weep;
Whom stern afflictions bend
With anguish o'er the lowly sleep
Of lover or of friend:
But they to whom the sway
Of pain and grief is o'er,
Whose tears our God hath wiped away,
O mourn for them no more!

571. L. M. W. J. Loring.

"Weep not for me!"

1 Why weep for those, frail child of woe,
Who've fled and left thee mourning here?
Triumphant o'er their latest foe,
They glory in a brighter sphere.

2 Weep not for them;--beside thee now
Perhaps they watch with guardian care,
And witness tears that idly flow
O'er those who bliss of angels share.

3 Or round their Father's throne, above,
With raptured voice his praise they sing;
Or on his messages of love,
They journey with unwearied wing.

4 Weep, weep no more; their voices raise
The song of triumph high to God;
And wouldst thou join their song of praise,
Walk humbly in the path they trod.

572. S. H. M. Montgomery.

Friends die, but to live again.

1 Friend after friend departs;
Who hath not lost a friend?
There is no union here of hearts,
That finds not here an end.
Were this frail world our only rest,
Living or dying, none were blest.

2 There is a world above,
Where parting is unknown,--
A whole eternity of love
And blessedness alone;
And faith beholds the dying here,
Translated to that happier sphere.

3 Thus, star by star declines
Till all are passed away,
As morning high and higher shines
To pure and perfect day.
Nor sink those stars in empty night--
They hide themselves in heaven's own light.

573. C. M. Anonymous.

Hope of Reunion above.

1 When floating on life's troubled sea,
By storms and tempests driven,
Hope, with her radiant finger, points
To brighter scenes in heaven.

2 She bids the storms of life to cease,
The troubled breast be calm;
And in the wounded heart she pours
Religion's healing balm.

3 Her hallowed influence cheers life's hours
Of sadness and of gloom;
She guides us through this vale of tears,
To joys beyond the tomb.

4 She bids the anguished heart rejoice:
Though earthly ties are riven,
We still may hope to meet again
In yonder peaceful heaven.

574. C. M. Watts.

Comfort under Bereavements.

1 Why do we mourn departed friends,
Or shake at death's alarms?
'Tis but the voice that Jesus sends
To call them to his arms.

2 Why should we tremble to convey
Their bodies to the tomb?
There the dear flesh of Jesus lay,
And left a long perfume.

3 The graves of all his saints he blest,
And softened every bed:
Where should the dying members rest,
But with their dying Head?

575. 11s. & 10s. M. Spiritual Songs.

Invitation to the Mercy-seat.

1 Come, ye disconsolate, where'er ye languish;
Come, at the mercy-seat fervently kneel:
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot heal.

2 Joy of the desolate, light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure,
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
Earth has no sorrow that heaven cannot cure.

576. 7s. M. J. H. Bancroft.

The Christian's Burial.

1 Brother, though from yonder sky
Cometh neither voice nor cry,
Yet we know for thee to-day
Every pain hath passed away.

2 Not for thee shall tears be given,
Child of God and heir of heaven;
For he gave thee sweet release;
Thine the Christian's death of peace.

3 Well we know thy living faith
Had the power to conquer death;
As a living rose may bloom
By the border of the tomb.

4 While we weep as Jesus wept,
Thou shall sleep as Jesus slept:
With thy Saviour thou shalt rest,
Crowned, and glorified and blest.

577. C. M. Anonymous.

Peaceful Death of the Righteous.

1 I looked upon the righteous man,
And saw his parting breath,
Without a struggle or a sigh,
Serenely yield to death:
There was no anguish on his brow,
Nor terror in his eye;
The spoiler aimed a fatal dart,
But lost the victory.

2 I looked upon the righteous man,
And heard the holy prayer
Which rose above that breathless form,
To soothe the mourners' care,
And felt how precious was the gift
He to his loved ones gave,--
The stainless memory of the just,
The wealth beyond the grave.

3 I looked upon the righteous man;
And all our earthly trust
Of pleasure, vanity, or pride,
Seemed lighter than the dust,
Compared with his celestial gain,--
A home above the sky:
O, grant us, Lord, his life to live,
That we like him may die.

578. L. M. Fergus.

At a Funeral.

1 Farewell! what power of words can tell
The sorrows of a last farewell,
When, standing by the mournful bier,
We mingle with our prayers a tear!

2 When memory tells of days gone by,
Of blighted hope and vanished joy:
Bright hopes that withered like a flower,
Cut down and faded in an hour.

3 Give forth thy chime, thou solemn bell,
Thou grave, unfold thy marble cell;
Oh earth! receive upon thy breast
The weary trav'ller to his rest.

4 Oh God, extend thy arms of love,
A spirit seeketh thee above!
Ye heav'nly palaces unclose,
Receive the weary to repose!

579. C. M. L. H. Sigourney.

Burial of a Friend.

1 As, bowed by sudden storms, the rose
Sinks on the garden's breast,
Down to the grave our brother goes,
In silence there to rest.

2 No more with us his tuneful voice
The hymn of praise shall swell;
No more his cheerful heart rejoice
When peals the Sabbath bell.

3 Yet, if, in yonder cloudless sphere
Amid a sinless throng,
He utters in his Saviour's ear
The everlasting song,--

4 No more we'll mourn the absent friend,
But lift our earnest prayer,
And daily every effort bend
To rise and join him there.

580. C. M. Houghton.

The Re-union of Friends after Death.

1 Blest be the hour when friends shall meet,
Shall meet to part no more,
And with celestial welcome greet,
On an immortal shore.

2 Sweet hope, deep cherished, not in vain,
Now art thou richly crowned!
All that was dead revives again;
All that was lost is found!

3 The parent eyes his long-lost child;
Brothers on brothers gaze:
The tear of resignation mild
Is changed to joy and praise.

4 And while remembrance, lingering still,
Draws joy from sorrowing hours;
New prospects rise, new pleasures fill
The soul's capacious powers.

5 Their Father fans their generous flame,
And looks complacent down;
The smile that owns their filial claim
Is their immortal crown.

581. L. M. Anonymous.

"Not lost, but gone before."

1 Say, why should friendship grieve for those
Who safe arrive on Canaan's shore?
Released from all their hurtful foes,
They are not lost--but gone before.

2 How many painful days on earth
Their fainting spirits numbered o'er!
Now they enjoy a heavenly birth;
They are not lost--but gone before.

3 Dear is the spot where Christians sleep,
And sweet the strain which angels pour;
O why should we in anguish weep?
They are not lost--but gone before.

582. L. M. Epis. Coll.

Death of an Infant.

1 As the sweet flower that scents the morn,
But withers in the rising day,
Thus lovely was this infant's dawn,
Thus swiftly fled its life away.

2 It died ere its expanding soul
Had ever burnt with wrong desires,
Had ever spurned at Heaven's control,
Or ever quenched its sacred fires.

3 Yet the sad hour that took the boy
Perhaps has spared a heavier doom,--
Snatched him from scenes of guilty joy,
Or from the pangs of ills to come.

4 He died to sin; he died to care;
But for a moment felt the rod;
Then, rising on the viewless air,
Spread his light wings, and soared to God.

583. L. M. Steele.

The Same.

1 So fades the lovely, blooming flower,
Frail, smiling solace of an hour;
So soon our transient comforts fly,
And pleasure only blooms to die.

2 Is there no kind, no healing art,
To soothe the anguish of the heart?
Spirit of grace, be ever nigh:
Thy comforts are not made to die.

3 Let gentle patience smile on pain,
Till dying hope revives again;
Hope wipes the tear from sorrow's eye,
And faith points upward to the sky.

584. C. M. Steele.

Death of a Child.

1 Life is a span,--a fleeting hour:
How soon the vapor flies!
Man is a tender, transient flower,
That e'en in blooming dies.

2 The once-loved form, now cold and dead,
Each mournful thought employs;
And nature weeps, her comforts fled,
And withered all her joys.

3 Hope looks beyond the bounds of time,
When what we now deplore
Shall rise in full, immortal prime,
And bloom to fade no more.

4 Cease, then, fond nature, cease thy tears;
Thy Saviour dwells on high;
There everlasting spring appears;
There joy shall never die.

585. 7s. & 6s. M. Anonymous.

Children in Heaven.

1 In the broad fields of heaven,--
In the immortal bowers,
By life's clear river dwelling,
Amid undying flowers,--
There hosts of beauteous spirits,
Fair children of the earth,
Linked in bright bands celestial,
Sing of their human birth.

2 They sing of earth and heaven,--
Divinest voices rise
To God, their gracious Father,
Who called them to the skies:
They all are there,--in heaven,--
Safe, safe, and sweetly blest;
No cloud of sin can shadow
Their bright and holy rest.

586. S. M. Wilson.

Death of a Young Girl.

1 What though the stream be dead,
Its banks all still and dry!
It murmurs o'er a lovelier bed,
In air-groves of the sky.

2 What though our bird of light
Lie mute with plumage dim;
In heaven I see her glancing bright,
I hear her angel hymn.

3 True that our beauteous doe
Hath left her still retreat,
But purer now in heavenly snow,
She lies at Jesus' feet.

4 O star! untimely set!
Why should we weep for thee!
Thy bright and dewy coronet
Is rising o'er the sea.

587. 7s. M. Anonymous.

Dirge for an Infant.

1 Lay her gently in the dust;
Grievous task, but oh! ye must!
Hear the sentence, "earth to earth,
Spirit to immortal birth;"
Youthful, gentle, undefiled,
Angels nurture now the child!

2 Upward soaring, like the dove,
Bearing with her chains of love;
Not to draw her spirit back,
But to smooth her upward track:
Her, the youngest of thy fold,
Angels watch with love untold!

3 With the Rock of Ages trust,
That which was enshrined in dust;
Robed in ever-spotless white,
In an atmosphere of light,
By the never-failing springs
Rests she now her weary wings.

588. C. M. H. Bacon.

Death of a Child.

1 Thou gavest, and we yield to thee,
God of the human heart!
For bitter though grief's cup may be,
Thou givest but our part.

2 O, thou canst bid our grief be stilled,
Yet not rebuke our tears;
How large a place his presence filled!
How vacant it appears!

3 We mourn the sunshine of his smile,
The tendrils of his love;
Oh, was he loved too well the while
Ere he was called above?

4 Our chastened spirits bow in prayer,
And blend all prayers in one,--
Give us the hope to meet him there,
When life's full task is done.

589. C. M. Mrs. Hemans.

Death of the Young.

1 Calm on the bosom of thy God,
Young spirit, rest thee now!
E'en while with us thy footsteps trod
His seal was on thy brow.

2 Dust, to its narrow house beneath!
Soul, to its place on high!
They that have seen thy look in death,
No more may fear to die.

3 Lone are the paths, and sad the bowers,
Whence thy meek smile is gone;
But O, a brighter home than ours,
In heaven is now thine own.

590. 8s. & 7s. M. S. F. Smith.

Death of a Young Girl.

1 Sister, thou wast mild and lovely,
Gentle as the summer breeze,
Pleasant as the air of evening,
When it floats among the trees.

2 Peaceful be thy silent slumber--
Peaceful in the grave so low:
Thou no more wilt join our number;
Thou no more our songs shalt know.

3 Dearest sister, thou hast left us;
Here thy loss we deeply feel;
But 'tis God that hath bereft us:
He can all our sorrows heal.

4 Yet again we hope to meet thee,
When the day of life is fled,
Then in heaven with joy to greet thee,
Where no farewell tear is shed.

591. 8s. & 7s. M. Bap. Memorial.

Burial of a Christian Brother.

1 Brother, rest from sin and sorrow;
Death is o'er and life is won;
On thy slumber dawns no morrow:
Rest; thine earthly race is run.

2 Brother, wake; the night is waning;
Endless day is round thee poured;
Enter thou the rest remaining
For the people of the Lord.

3 Brother, wake; for he who loved thee,--
He who died that thou mightst live,--
He who graciously approved thee,--
Waits thy crown of joy to give.

4 Fare thee well; though woe is blending
With the tones of earthly love,
Triumph high and joy unending
Wait thee in the realms above.

592. 10s. M. Montgomery.

Death of a Christian in his prime.

1 Go to the grave in all thy glorious prime,
In full activity of zeal and power;
A Christian cannot die before his time,
The Lord's appointment is the servant's hour.

2 Go to the grave; at noon from labor cease;
Rest on thy sheaves, thy harvest task is done;
Come from the heat of battle and in peace,
Soldier, go home; with thee the fight is won.

3 Go to the grave, for there thy Saviour lay
In death's embraces, ere he rose on high;
And all the ransomed, by that narrow way,
Pass to eternal life beyond the sky.

4 Go to the grave:--no, take thy seat above;
Be thy pure spirit present with the Lord,
Where thou for faith and hope hast perfect love,
And open vision for the written word.

593. S. M. Montgomery.

On the Death of an aged Christian.

"I have fought a good fight; I have finished my course."

1 Servant of God, well done!
Rest from thy loved employ:
The battle fought, the victory won,
Enter thy Master's joy.
The voice at midnight came,
He started up to hear;
A mortal arrow pierced his frame--
He fell, but felt no fear.

2 Tranquil amidst alarms,
It found him on the field,
A veteran slumbering on his arms,
Beneath his red-cross shield
His spirit, with a bound,
Burst its encumbering clay;
His tent, at sunrise, on the ground,
A darkened ruin lay.

3 The pains of death are past,
Labor and sorrow cease,
And, life's long warfare closed at last,
His soul is found in peace.
Soldier of Christ! well done!
Praise be thy new employ;
And while eternal ages run,
Rest in thy Saviour's joy.

594. C. M. Dale.

Death of a Christian.

1 Dear as thou wert, and justly dear,
We will not weep for thee:
One thought shall check the starting tear
It is, that thou art free.

2 And thus shall faith's consoling power
The tears of love restrain:
O, who that saw thy parting hour
Could wish thee here again!

3 Triumphant in thy closing eye
The hope of glory shone;
Joy breathed in thy expiring sigh,
To think the race was run.

4 The passing spirit gently fled,
Sustained by grace divine;
O, may such grace on us be shed,
And make our end like thine.

595. L. M. Fawcett.

Death of Parents.

1 The God of mercy will indulge
The flowing tear, the heaving sigh,
When honored parents fall around,
When friends beloved and kindred die.

2 Yet not one anxious, murmuring thought
Should with our mourning passions blend;
Nor should our bleeding hearts forget
Their mighty, ever-living Friend.

3 Parent, Protector, Guardian, Guide,
Thou art each tender name in one;
On thee we cast our every care,
And comfort seek from thee alone.

4 To thee, our Father, would we look,
Our Rock, our Portion, and our Friend,
And on thy gracious love and truth
With humble, steadfast hope depend.

596. 7s. M. H. S. Washburn.

The Pastor's Funeral.

1 Father, gathered round the bier,
Aid thy weeping children here;
All our stricken hearts deplore
Loss of him we meet no more.

2 Tender are the rites we pay,
Pastor, o'er thy sleeping clay;
We, who late the welcome gave,
Must we bear thee to thy grave?

3 Earth, unto thy faithful trust,
We commit this precious dust,
There, by pain no more oppressed,
Brother, thou wilt sweetly rest.

4 Glorious will that morning break,
When the dead in Christ shall wake;
Joy and grief our bosoms swell,
Brother, pastor, guide, farewell.

597. P. M. Anonymous.

Death of a Minister.

1 On Zion's holy walls
Is quenched a beacon-light,
In vain the watchman calls--
"Sentry! what of the night?"
No answering voice is here,
Say--does the soldier sleep?
O yes--upon the bier,
His watch no more to keep.

2 Still is that heaven-touched tongue,
Pulseless the throbbing breast;
That voice with music strung,
Forever put to rest.
To rest? A living thought,
Undimmed, unquenched, he soars
An essence, spirit-wrought,
Of yon immortal shores.

3 Peace to thee, man of God!
Thine earthly toils are o'er,
The thorny path is trod,
The Shepherd trod before,--
Full well he kept his word--
"I'm with thee to the end;
Fear not! I am the Lord,
Thy never-failing friend!"

4 We weave no dirge for thee,
It should not call a tear
To know that thou art free;
Thy home--it was not here!
Joy to thee, man of God!
Thy heaven-course is begun,
Unshrinking, thou has trod
Death's vale,--thy race is run.

598. 8s. & 7s. M. L. H. Sigourney.

The Same.

1 Pastor, thou art from us taken
In the glory of thy years,
As the oak, by tempests shaken,
Falls ere time its verdure sears.

2 Pale and cold we see thee lying
In God's temple, once so dear,
And the mourner's bitter sighing
Falls unheeded on thine ear.

3 All thy love and zeal, to lead us
Where immortal fountains flow,
And on living bread to feed us,
In our fond remembrance glow.

4 May the conquering faith, that cheered thee
When thy foot on Jordan pressed,
Guide our spirits while we leave thee
In the tomb that Jesus blessed.

599. C. M. Doddridge.

The Same.

1 What though the arm of conquering death
Does God's own house invade;
What though our teacher and our friend
Is numbered with the dead;--

2 Though earthly shepherds dwell in dust,
The aged and the young;
The watchful eye in darkness closed,
And dumb th' instructive tongue?

3 Th' eternal Shepherd still survives,
His teaching to impart:
Lord, be our Leader and our Guide,
And rule and keep our heart.

4 Yes, while the dear Redeemer lives,
We have a boundless store,
And shall be fed with what he gives,
Who lives for evermore.

600. 7s. & 6s. M. C. Wesley.

Adieu to a Departed Christian Friend.

1 Farewell, thou once a mortal,
Our poor, afflicted friend;
Go, pass the heavenly portal,
To God, thy glorious end.

2 The Author of thy being
Hath summoned thee away;
And faith is lost in seeing,
And night in endless day.

3 With those that went before thee,
The saints of ancient days,
Who shine in sacred story,
Thy soul hath found its place.

4 No loss of friends shall grieve thee;
That--we alone must bear;
They cannot, cannot leave thee,
Thy kind companions there.

5 From all thy care and sorrow
Thou art escaped to-day;
And we shall mount to-morrow,
And soar to thee away.

601. 7s. M. C. Wesley.

The Christian's Death.

1 Lo! the prisoner is released,
Lightened of his fleshly load;
Where the weary are at rest,
He is gathered unto God:
Lo! the pain of life is past,
And his warfare now is o'er;
Death and hell behind are cast,
Grief and suffering are no more,

2 Yes! the Christian's course is run,
Ended is the glorious strife;
Fought the fight, the crown is won,
Death is swallowed up of life;
Borne by angels on their wings,
Far from earth his spirit flies
To the Lord he loved, and sings
Triumphing in paradise.

3 Join we then with one accord
In the new and joyful song;
Absent from our glorious Lord
We shall not continue long:
We shall quit the house of clay,
Better joys with him to share;
We shall see the realms of day,
We shall meet our brethren there.

602. C. M. Knowles.

The Mourner Comforted.

1 O, weep not for the joys that fade
Like evening lights away,
For hopes that, like the stars decayed,
Have left thy mortal day;
The clouds of sorrow will depart,
And brilliant skies be given;
For bliss awaits the holy heart,
Amid the bowers of heaven.

2 O weep not for the friends that pass
Into the lonely grave,
As breezes sweep the withered grass
Along the restless wave;
For though thy pleasures may depart,
And mournful days be given;
Yet bliss awaits the holy heart,
When friends rejoin in heaven.

603. C. M. Wilson.

Consolations in Bereavement.

1 The air of death breathes through our souls,
The dead all round us lie;
By day and night the death-bell tolls,
And says, "Prepare to die!"

2 The loving ones we loved the best,
Like music all are gone;
And the wan moonlight bathes in rest,
Their monumental stone.

3 But not when the death-prayer is said,
The life of life departs:
The body in the grave is laid,
Its beauty in our hearts.

4 This frame, O God, this feeble breath,
Thy hand may soon destroy;
We think of thee, and feel in death
A deep and awful joy.

5 Dim is the light of vanished years
In glory yet to come;
O idle grief! O foolish tears!
When Jesus calls us home.

604. S. M. Ch. Psalmody.

The Peaceful Death of the Righteous.

1 O, for the death of those
Who slumber in the Lord!
O, be like theirs my last repose,
Like theirs my last reward!

2 Their ransomed spirits soar,
On wings of faith and love,
To meet the Saviour they adore,
And reign with him above.

3 With us their names shall live
Through long-succeeding years,
Embalmed with all our hearts can give,--
Our praises and our tears.

605. L. M. 6l. Sarah F. Adams.

"And they found the stone rolled away from the sepulchre."

1 The mourners came at break of day
Unto the garden-sepulchre;
With darkened hearts to weep and pray,
For him, the loved one buried there.
What radiant light dispels the gloom?
An angel sits beside the tomb.

2 Then mourn we not beloved dead,
E'en while we come to weep and pray;
The happy spirit far hath fled.
To brighter realms of endless day;
Immortal hope dispels the gloom!
An angel sits beside the tomb.

SUBMISSION AND RELIANCE.

606. C. M. Anonymous.

"Trust ye 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 clouds of dark temptation rise,
And pour their wrath on me,
To thee for aid I turn my eyes,
And fix my trust on thee.

3 When death invades my peaceful home,
The sundered ties shall be
A closer bond in time to come,
To bind my heart to thee.

4 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.

607. L. M. Doddridge.

Weeping Seed-Time and Joyful Harvest. Ps. 126.

1 The darkened sky, how thick it lowers!
Troubled with storms, and big with showers,
No cheerful gleam of light appears,
And nature pours forth all her tears.

2 But seeds of ecstasy unknown
Are in these watered furrows sown:
See the green blades, how thick they rise,
And with fresh verdure bless our eyes!

3 In secret foldings they contain
Unnumbered ears of golden grain:
And heaven shall pour its beams around,
Till the ripe harvest load the ground.

4 Then shall the trembling mourner come
And bind his sheaves and bear them home;
The voice long broke with sighs shall sing,
Till heaven with hallelujahs ring.

608. L. M. 6l. Grant.

"He is able to save unto the uttermost."

1 When vexing thoughts within me rise,
And, sore dismayed, my spirit dies;
Yet he who once vouchsafed to bear
The sick'ning anguish of despair,
Shall sweetly soothe, shall gently dry,
The throbbing heart, the streaming eye.

2 When, mourning, o'er some stone I bend,
Which covers all that was a friend,
And from his voice, his hand, his smile,
Divides me for a little while;
Thou, Saviour, mark'st the tears I shed,
For thou didst weep o'er Lazarus dead.

3 And oh, when I have safely past
Through every conflict but the last,
Still, still unchanging, watch beside
My painful bed--for thou hast died;
Then point to realms of cloudless day,
And wipe the latest tear away.

609. C. M. Cotton.

God, the Refuge of the Afflicted.

1 Affliction is a stormy deep,
Where wave resounds to wave;
Though o'er our heads the billows roll,
We know the Lord can save.

2 When darkness and when sorrows rose,
And pressed on every side,
The Lord hath still sustained our steps,
And still hath been our Guide.

3 Perhaps, before the morning dawn,
He will restore our peace;
For he who bade the tempest roar,
Can bid the tempest cease.

4 Here will we rest, here build our hopes,
Nor murmur at his rod;
He's more to us than all the world,
Our Health, our Life, our God.

610. L. M. Miss Dodd.

"Thy will be done."

1 My Father, grant thy presence nigh
To bear aloft my sinking soul,
When sorrow o'er my pathway here
In widely whelming waves doth roll.
O, teach mine else unguarded heart,
The clouds of gloomy doubt to shun,
To bow unto thy chastening hand,
And meekly say "Thy will be done."

2 Though dark to us thy ways may seem,
Thy needful chastisements severe;
Thou dost not willingly afflict,
Nor grieve thy erring children here.
O, teach my heart to lean on thee,
To faith and resignation won,
To see thy love in all its ways,
And humbly say, "Thy will be done."

611. 7s. M. Anonymous.

Holy Contentment.

1 Lord, my times are in thy hand:
All my fondest hopes have planned
To thy wisdom I resign,
And would make thy purpose mine.

2 Thou my daily task shalt give;
Day by day to thee I live:
So shall added years fulfil
Not my own, my Father's will.

3 Fond ambition, whisper not;
Happy is my humble lot:
Anxious, busy cares, away;
I'm provided for to-day.

4 O, to live exempt from care,
By the energy of prayer,
Strong in faith, with mind subdued,
Yet elate with gratitude!

612. L. M. 6l. Anonymous.

Invocation of our Father's Presence.

1 O Father,--draw us after thee!
So shall we run and never tire;
Thy presence still our comfort be,
Our hope, our joy, our sole desire;
Thy Spirit grant;--for neither fear
Nor sin can come, while that is here.

2 From all eternity, with love
Unchangeable, thou hast us viewed;
Before these beating hearts did move,
Thy tender mercies us pursued:
Ever with us may they abide,
And close us in on every side.

3 In suffering be thy love our peace;
In weakness be thy love our power;
And when the storms of life shall cease,
O God! in that important hour,
In death as life be thou our guide,
And bear us through death's whelming tide.

613. C. M. Heginbotham.

Praising God in all Changes.

1 Father of mercies, God of love,
My Father and my God!
I'll sing the honors of thy name;
And spread thy praise abroad.

2 In every period of my life,
Thy thoughts of love appear;
Thy mercies gild each transient scene,
And crown each lengthening year.

3 In all these mercies may my soul
A father's bounty see:
Nor let the gifts thy grace bestows
Estrange my heart from thee.

4 Then will I close my eyes in death,
Free from distressing fear;
For death itself is life, my God,
If thou art with me there.

614. 7s. M. Cowper.

Welcome, 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 the promise sweet;
Trials give new life to prayer;
Trials bring me to his feet,
Lay me low, and keep me there.

615. L. M. Anonymous.

"Thy will be done."

1 When called, O Lord, to mourn the doom
Of one affection held most dear,--
While o'er the closing, silent tomb,
The bleeding heart distils the tear,--
Though love its tribute sure will pay,
And early streams of solace shun,
Still, still the humble soul would say,
In lowly dust, "Thy will be done."

2 Whate'er, O Lord, thou hast designed
To bring my soul to thee in trust,
If miseries or afflictions kind,--
For all thy dealings, Lord, are just,--
Take all, but grant, in goodness free,
That love which ne'er thy stroke should shun;
Support this heart and strengthen me
To say in faith, "Thy will be done."

616. C. M. Doddridge.

"My times are in thy hand."

1 To Thee, my God, my days are known;
My soul enjoys the thought;
My actions all before thy face,
Nor are my faults forgot.

2 Each secret breath devotion vents
Is vocal to thine ear;
And all my walks of daily life
Before thine eye appear.

3 Each golden hour of beaming light
Is gilded by thy rays;
And dark affliction's midnight gloom
A present God surveys.

4 Full in thy view through life I pass,
And in thy view I die;
And when each mortal bond is broke,
Shall find my God is nigh.

617. C. M. Tate & Brady.

Praising God through all Changes.

1 Through all the changing scenes of life,
In trouble and in joy,
The praises of my God shall still
My heart and tongue employ.

2 Of his deliverance I will boast,
Till all who are distressed
From my example comfort take,
And charm their griefs to rest.

3 The hosts of God encamp around
The dwellings of the just;
Deliverance he affords to all
Who in his succor trust.

4 O make but trial of his love!
Experience will decide
How blest they are, and only they,
Who in his truth confide.

618. S. M. Watts.

Trusting in God.

1 From early dawning light
Till evening shades arise,
For thy salvation, Lord, I wait,
With ever-longing eyes.

2 Remember all thy grace,
And lead me in thy truth;
Forgive the sins of riper days,
And follies of my youth.

3 The Lord is just and kind;
The meek shall learn his ways,
And every humble sinner find
The blessings of his grace.

619. C. M. Cowper.

Resignation and Trust.

1 O Lord, my best desire fulfil,
And help me to resign
Life, health and comfort to thy will,
And make thy pleasure mine.

2 Why should I shrink at thy command,
Whose love forbids my fears?
Or tremble at thy gracious hand
That wipes away my tears?

3 No! let me rather freely yield
What most I prize, to thee;
Who never hast a good withheld,
Or wilt withhold from me.

4 But ah! my inmost spirit cries,
Still bind me to thy sway;
Else the next cloud that veils the skies,
Drives all these thoughts away.

620. L. M. Bowring.

The Same.

1 On light-beams breaking from above,
The eternal course of mercy runs;
And by ten thousand cords of love
Our heavenly Father guides his sons.

2 Amidst affliction's thickest host,
And sorrow's darkest, mightiest band,
The heavenly cord is drawn the most,
And most is felt the heavenly hand.

3 Oh, be it mine to feel, to see
Through earth's perplexed and varying road,
The cords that link us, God, to thee,
And draw us to thine own abode.

621. L. M. Norton.

Trust and Submission.

1 My God, I thank thee! may no thought
E'er deem thy chastisements severe;
But may this heart, by sorrow taught,
Calm each wild wish, each idle fear.

2 Thy mercy bids all nature bloom;
The sun shines bright, and man is gay;
Thine equal mercy spreads the gloom,
That darkens o'er his little day.

3 Full many a throb of grief and pain
Thy frail and erring child must know:
But not one prayer is breathed in vain,
Nor does one tear unheeded flow.

4 Thy various messengers employ;
Thy purposes of love fulfil;
And 'mid the wreck of human joy,
Let kneeling faith adore thy will.

622. C. M. Watts.

Confidence in God.

1 Soon as I heard my Father say,
"Ye children, seek my grace,"
My heart replied without delay,
"I'll seek my Father's face."

2 Let not thy face be hid from me,
Nor frown my soul away;
God of my life, I fly to thee
In each distressing day.

3 Should friends and kindred, near and dear,
Leave me to want, or die,
My God will make my life his care,
And all my need supply.

4 Wait on the Lord, ye trembling saints
And keep your courage up;
He'll raise your spirit when it faints,
And far exceed your hope.

623. C. M.

Comforts of Religion.

1 When gloomy thoughts and boding fears
The trembling heart invade,
And all the face of nature wears
A universal shade,--

2 Religion's dictates can assuage
The tempest of the soul;
And every fear shall cease to rage,
At her divine control.

3 When feeble reason, tired and blind,
Sinks helpless and afraid,
This blest supporter of the mind
Affords a powerful aid.

4 O may our hearts confess her power,
And find a sweet relief,
To brighten every gloomy hour,
And soften every grief!

624. L. M. Tate & Brady.

Confidence in the Divine Care.

1 No change of times shall ever shock
My firm affection, Lord, to thee;
For thou hast always been a rock,
A fortress and defence to me.

2 Thou my Deliverer art, my God;
My trust is in thy mighty power;
Thou art my shield from foes abroad,
At home my safeguard and my tower.

3 To heaven I made my mournful prayer,
To God addressed my humble moan,
Who graciously inclined his ear,
And heard me from his lofty throne.

4 Who, then, deserves to be adored,
But God, on whom my hopes depend?
Or who, except the mighty Lord,
Can with resistless power defend?

625. C. P. M. Cotton.

Contentment and Resignation.

1 If solid happiness we prize,
Within our breasts the jewel lies;
Nor need we roam abroad:
The world has little to bestow;
From pious hearts our joys must flow,
Hearts that delight in God.

2 To be resigned, when ills betide,
Patient, when favors are denied,
And pleased with favors given;
This is the wise, the virtuous part;
This is that incense of the heart,
Whose fragrance reaches heaven.

3 Thus through life's changing scenes we'll go,
Its checkered paths of joy and woe,
With holy care we'll tread:
Quit its vain scenes without a tear,
Without a trouble or a fear,
And mingle with the dead.

626. C. M. Aveling.

Fear not.

1 Whene'er the clouds of sorrow roll,
And trials whelm the mind,--
When, faint with grief, thy wearied soul
No joys on earth can find,--
Then lift thy voice to God on high,
Dry up the trembling tear,
And hush the low complaining sigh:
Fear not; thy God is near.

2 When dark temptations spread their snares
And earth with charms allures,
And when thy soul, oppressed with fears,
The world's assault endures,
Then let thy Father's friendly voice
Thy fainting spirit cheer,
And bid thy trembling heart rejoice:
Fear not; thy God is near.

3 And when the final hour shall come,
That calls thee to thy rest,
To dwell within thy heavenly home,
A welcome, joyful guest,
Be calm; though Jordan's waves may roll,
No ills shall meet thee there;
Angels shall whisper to thy soul,
Fear not; thy God is near.

627. C. M. Doddridge.

Trust in the Presence and Help of God.

1 And art thou with us, gracious Lord,
To dissipate our fear?
Dost thou proclaim thyself our God,
Our God forever near?

2 Doth thy right hand, which formed the earth,
And bears up all the skies,
Stretch from on high its friendly aid,
When dangers round us rise?

3 On this support our souls shall lean,
And banish every care;
The gloomy vale of death will smile,
If God be with us there.

4 While we his gracious succor prove,
'Midst all our various ways,
The darkest shades, through which we pass,
Shall echo with his praise.

628. L. M. Beddome.

Submission.

1 Wait, O my soul, thy Maker's will!
Tumultuous passions, all be still!
Nor let one murmuring thought arise;
His ways are just, his counsels wise.

2 He in the thickest darkness dwells,
Performs his work,--the cause conceals;
But though his methods are unknown,
Judgment and truth support his throne.

3 In heaven, and earth, and air, and seas,
He executes his firm decrees;
And by his saints it stands confessed
That what he does is ever best.

629. C. M. Burder's Coll.

Rejoicing in Adversity.

1 What though no flowers the fig-tree clothe
Though vines their fruit deny,
The labor of the olive fail,
And fields no meat supply;--

2 Though from the fold, with sad surprise,
My flock cut off I see;
Though famine reign in empty stalls,
Where herds were wont to be;--

3 Yet in the Lord will I be glad,
And glory in his love;
In him I'll joy, who will the God
Of my salvation prove.

4 God is the treasure of my soul,
The source of lasting joy--
A joy which want shall not impair,
Nor death itself destroy.

630. C. M. Anonymous.

"Blessed are they that mourn."

1 In trouble and in grief, O God,
Thy smile hath cheered my way;
And joy hath budded from each thorn
That round my footsteps lay.

2 The hours of pain have yielded good,
Which prosperous days refused;
As herbs, though scentless when entire,
Spread fragrance when they're bruised.

3 The oak strikes deeper as its boughs
By furious blasts are driven;
So life's vicissitudes the more
Have fixed my heart in heaven.

4 All-gracious Lord! whate'er my lot
In other times may be,
I'll welcome still the heaviest grief,
That brings me near to thee.

631. L. M. Bowring.

God Merciful in Affliction.

1 Mysterious are the ways of God,
And fear and blindness oft repine;
We murmur 'neath his chastening rod,
Because we read not his design.

2 Impending clouds his love has spread
O'er this low vale where mortals dwell;
And oft we mourn his spirit fled,
When adverse tempests round us swell.

3 But in those storms that sometimes roll,
Our mortal dwellings dark above,
Whose threatening shades dismay the soul,
Dwells the bright presence of his love.

4 We cannot see him--not a ray
Of all his glory there appears,
And oft we thread our darkened way,
Trembling with anxious doubts and fears.

5 Yet faith still looks beyond the gloom,
While hope's bright star illumes our night;
Pilgrims of earth! though dark the tomb,
It leads to scenes of bliss and light.

632. C. M. Moore.

"He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds."

1 O Thou who driest the mourner's tear,
How dark this world would be,
If, when deceived and wounded here,
We could not fly to thee!

2 But thou wilt heal that broken heart,
Which like the plants that throw
Their fragrance from the wounded part,
Breathes sweetness out of woe.

3 When joy no longer soothes or cheers,
And e'en the hope that threw
A moment's sparkle o'er our tears
Is dimmed and vanished too;

4 O, who would bear life's stormy doom,
Did not thy wing of love
Come, brightly wafting through the gloom
Our peace-branch from above?

5 Then sorrow touched by thee grows bright,
With more than rapture's ray;
The darkness shows us worlds of light
We never saw by day.

633. C. M. Drummond.

"God is our refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble."

1 Bereft of all, when hopeless care
Would sink us to the tomb,
O what can save us from despair?
What dissipate the gloom?

2 No balm that earthly plants distil
Can soothe the mourner's smart;
No mortal hand with lenient skill
Bind up the broken heart.

3 But One alone, who reigns above,
Our woe to peace can turn,
And light the lamp of joy and love
That long has ceased to burn.

4 Then, O my soul, to that One flee,
To God thy woes reveal;
His eye alone thy wounds can see,
His hand alone can heal.

634. L. M. Montgomery.

The Same.

1 God is our refuge and defence,
In trouble our unfailing aid;
Secure in his omnipotence,
What foe can make our soul afraid?

2 Yea, though the earth's foundations rock,
And mountains down the gulf be hurled,
His people smile amid the shock,
They look beyond this transient world.

3 There is a river pure and bright,
Whose streams make glad the heavenly plains,
Where, in eternity of light,
The city of our God remains.

4 Built by the word of his command,
With his unclouded presence blessed,
Firm as his throne the bulwarks stand;
There is our home, our hope, our rest.

635. C. M. Anonymous.

Trust amid the Severities of God.

1 Thou Power supreme, whose mighty scheme
These woes of mine fulfil,
Here, firm, I rest; they must be best,
Because they are thy will.

2 Then all I want,--O do thou grant
This one request of mine,--
Since to enjoy thou dost deny,
Assist me to resign.

RELIGIOUS EXULTATION.

636. 7s. & 6s. M. Montgomery.

Confidence in God. Ps. 27.

1 God is my strong salvation;
What foe have I to fear?
In darkness and temptation
My Light, my Help, is near.
Though hosts encamp around me,
Firm to the fight I stand;
What terror can confound me
With God at my right hand?

2 Place on the Lord reliance;
My soul, with courage wait;
His truth be thine affiance,
When faint and desolate;
His might thine heart shall strengthen;
His love thy joy increase;
Mercy thy days shall lengthen;
The Lord will give thee peace.

637. S. M. Moravian.

Reliance on God.

1 Give to the winds thy fears;
Hope and be undismayed;
God hears thy sighs, God 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 seest our weakness, Lord,
Our hearts are known to thee:
O, lift thou up the sinking hand,
Confirm the feeble knee!

5 Let us, in life or death,
Boldly thy truth declare;
And publish, with our latest breath,
Thy love and guardian care.

638. L. M. Doddridge.

Praising God in Life and in Death.

1 God of my life! through all its days
My grateful powers shall sound thy praise;
The song shall wake with opening light,
And warble to the silent night.

2 When anxious cares would break my rest,
And griefs would tear my throbbing breast,
Thy tuneful praises, raised on high,
Shall check the murmur and the sigh.

3 But, O, when that last conflict's o'er,
And I am chained to flesh no more;
With what glad accents shall I rise
To join the music of the skies!

4 Soon shall I learn the exalted strains
Which echo o'er the heavenly plains;
And emulate, with joy unknown,
The glowing seraphs round thy throne.

639. H. M. Doddridge.

Faithfulness of God's Promise.

1 The promises I sing,
Which sovereign love hath spoke;
Nor will the eternal King
His words of grace revoke;
They stand secure,
And steadfast still;
Not Zion's hill
Abides so sure.

2 The mountains melt away,
When once the Judge appears,
And sun and moon decay,
That measure mortal years;
But still the same,
In radiant lines,
The promise shines,
Through all the flame.

640. C. M. Watts.

Salvation.

1 Salvation! O, the joyful sound!
'Tis pleasure to our ears,
A sovereign balm for every wound,
A cordial for our fears.

2 Buried in sorrow and in sin,
At death's dark door we lay;
But we arise, by grace divine,
To see a heavenly day.

3 Salvation! let the echo fly
The spacious earth around,
While all the armies of the sky
Conspire to raise the sound.

641. 8s. & 7s. M. Dublin Coll.

Praise from Earth and Heaven.

1 Praise the Lord! ye heavens adore him;
Praise him, angels in the height;
Sun and moon rejoice before him;
Praise him, all ye stars of light!
Praise the Lord, for he hath spoken;
Worlds his mighty voice obeyed;
Laws which never can be broken,
For their guidance he hath made.

2 Praise the Lord! for he is glorious,
Never shall his promise fail;
God hath made his saints victorious,
Sin and death shall not prevail:
Praise the God of our salvation,
Hosts on high his power proclaim;
Heaven and earth, and all creation,
Praise and magnify his name!

642. C. M. Watts.

Experience of God's Grace.

1 When God revealed his gracious name,
And changed my mournful state,
My rapture seemed a pleasing dream,
The grace appeared so great.

2 The world beheld the glorious change,
And did thy hand confess;
My tongue broke out in unknown strains,
And sung surprising grace.

3 The Lord can clear the darkest skies,
Can give us day for night;
Make drops of sacred sorrow rise
To rivers of delight.

4 Let those, who sow in sadness, wait
Till the fair harvest come;
They shall confess their sheaves are great,
And shout the blessings home.

643. C. M. Beddome.

Fear not.

1 Ye trembling souls, dismiss your fears;
Be mercy all your theme;
For mercy like a river flows,
In one perpetual stream.

2 Fear not the powers of earth and hell;
God will those powers restrain;
His arm will all their rage repel,
And make their efforts vain.

3 Fear not the want of outward good;
For his he will provide,
Grant them supplies of daily food,
And give them heaven beside.

4 Fear not that he will e'er forsake,
Or leave his work undone;
He's faithful to his promises,
And faithful to his Son.

644. C. M. Heginbotham.

Rejoicing in God, our Father.

1 Come, shout aloud the Father's grace,
And sing the Saviour's love;
Soon shall you join the glorious theme,
In loftier strains above.

2 God, the eternal, mighty God,
To dearer names descends;
Calls us his treasure and his joy,
His children and his friends.

3 My Father, God! and may these lips
Pronounce a name so dear?
Not thus could heaven's sweet harmony
Delight my listening ear.

4 Thanks to my God for every gift
His bounteous hands bestow;
And thanks eternal for that love
Whence all these comforts flow.

645. C. M. Watts.

The Same.

1 The Lord of Glory is my Light,
And my Salvation too:
God is my strength, nor will I fear
What all my foes can do.

2 One privilege my heart desires--
Oh grant me an abode
Among the churches of thy saints,
The temples of my God!

3 There shall I offer my requests,
And see thy beauty still;
Shall hear thy messages of love,
And there inquire thy will.

4 When troubles rise and storms appear,
There may his children hide:
God has a strong pavilion, where
He makes my soul abide.

5 Now shall my head be lifted high
Above my foes around,
And songs of joy and victory
Within thy temple sound.

646. 7s. & 6s. M. Anonymous.

The Same.

1 To Thee, my God and Saviour,
My soul exulting sings;
Rejoicing in thy favor,
Almighty King of kings!
I'll celebrate thy glory
With all thy saints above.
And tell the joyful story
Of thy redeeming love.

2 Soon as the morn with roses
Bedecks the dewy east,
And when the sun reposes
Upon the ocean's breast;
My voice in supplication,
My Saviour, thou shalt hear:
O grant me thy salvation,
And to my soul draw near.

3 Thy gracious love possessing
In all my pilgrim road,
My soul shall feel thy blessing
In thy divine abode.
There bowing down before thee,
My every conflict o'er,
My spirit shall adore thee,
Forever, evermore.

647. P. M. Warren St. Coll.

Triumph.

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.

648. C. M. J. Q. Adams.

Psalm 23.

1 My Shepherd is the Lord on high;
His hand supplies me still;
In pastures green he makes me lie,
Beside the rippling rill:
He cheers my soul, relieves my woes,
His glory to display;
The paths of righteousness he shows,
And leads me in his way.

2 Though walking through death's dismal shade,
No evil will I fear;
Thy rod, thy staff shall lend me aid,
For thou art ever near:
For me a table thou dost spread
In presence of my foes;
With oil thou dost anoint my head;
By thee my cup o'erflows.

3 Thy goodness and thy mercy sure
Shall bless me all my days;
And I, with lips sincere and pure,
Will celebrate thy praise:
Yes, in the temple of the Lord
Forever I will dwell;
To after time thy name record,
And of thy glory tell.

649. 8s. & 7s. M. Bowring.

The Cross of Christ.

1 In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o'er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

2 When the woes of life o'ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me;
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.

3 When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds more lustre to the day.

4 Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure,
By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide.

650. L. M. Wesley's Coll.

Glorying in Christ.

1 Let not the wise their wisdom boast;
The mighty glory in his might;
The rich in flattering riches trust,
Which take their everlasting flight.

2 The rush of numerous years bears down
The most gigantic strength of man;
And where is all his wisdom gone,
When dust he turns to dust again?

3 The Lord, my righteousness, I praise,
I triumph in the love divine,
The wisdom, wealth, and strength of grace
In Christ through endless ages mine.

651. C. M. Doddridge.

The Way to the Heavenly City.

1 Sing, ye redeemed of the Lord,
Your great Deliverer sing;
Pilgrims, for Zion's city bound,
Be joyful in your King.

2 A hand divine shall lead you on
Through all the blissful road,
Till to the sacred mount you rise,
And see your Father, God.

3 There garlands of immortal joy
Shall bloom on every head,
While sorrow, sighing, and distress,
Like shadows all are fled.

4 March on in your Redeemer's strength,
Pursue his footsteps still,
And let the prospect cheer your eye
While laboring up the hill.

652. S. M. Doddridge.

Grace first and last in Salvation.

1 Grace! 'tis a charming sound!
Harmonious to the ear!
Heaven with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear.

2 Grace first contrived the way
To save rebellious man;
And all the steps that grace display
Which drew the wondrous plan.