Chapter VI: Introduction (6)

4 To thee I come, a sinner vile;
Upon me, Lord, vouchsafe to smile!
Mercy alone I make my plea;
O God, be merciful to me!

5 To thee I come, a sinner great,
And well thou knowest all my state;
Yet full forgiveness is with thee;
O God, be merciful to me!

6 To thee I come, a sinner lost,
Nor have I aught wherein to trust,
But where thou art, Lord, I would be,
O God, be merciful to me!

345 L. M.
The love of Christ constraineth.
2 Cor. 5:14.

Lord, when my thoughts delighted rove
Amid the wonders of thy love,
Sweet hope revives my drooping heart,
And bids intruding fears depart.

2 For mortal crimes a sacrifice,
The Lord of life, the Saviour dies;
What love! what mercy! how divine!
Jesus, and can I call thee mine?

3 Repentant sorrows fill my heart,
But mingling joy allays the smart;
O, may my future life declare
This sorrow and the joy sincere.

4 Be all my heart and all my days
Devoted to my Saviour’s praise;
And let my glad obedience prove
How much I owe, how much I love.

346 L. M.
The contrite heart.

Show pity, Lord; O Lord forgive;
Let a repentant rebel live;
Are not thy mercies large and free?
May not a sinner trust in thee?

2 My crimes, though great, can not surpass
The power and glory of thy grace;
Great God, thy nature hath no bound;
So let thy pardoning love be found.

3 O, wash my soul from every sin,
And make my guilty conscience clean;
Here, on my heart, the burden lies,
And past offenses pain my eyes.

4 My lips, with shame, my sins confess,
Against thy law, against thy grace;
Lord, should thy judgment grow severe,
I am condemned, but thou art clear.

5 Should sudden vengeance seize my breath,
I must pronounce thee just in death;
And if my soul were sent to hell,
Thy righteous law approves it well.

6 Yet save a trembling sinner, Lord,
Whose hope, still hovering round thy word,
Would light on some sweet promise there,
Some sure support against despair.

347 L. M.
Restore unto to me the joy of thy salvation.
Psalm 51.

A broken heart, my God, my King,
Is all the sacrifice I bring;
The God of grace will ne’er despise
A broken heart for sacrifice.

2 My soul lies humbled in the dust,
And owns thy dreadful sentence just;
Look down, O Lord, with pitying eye,
And save the soul condemned to die.

3 Then will I teach the world thy ways;
Sinners shall learn thy sovereign grace;
I’ll lead them to my Saviour’s blood,
And they shall praise a pardoning God.

4 O, may thy love inspire my tongue!
Salvation shall be all my song;
And all my powers shall join to bless
The Lord, my Strength and Righteousness.

348 L. M. 6 lines.
Here is my heart.

Here is my heart—I give it thee!
My God, I heard thee call, and say,
“Not to the world, my child—to me!”
I heard thy voice and will obey;
Here is love’s offering to my King,
Which in glad sacrifice I bring.

2 Here is my heart! so hard before,
But now by thy rich grace made meet;
Yet bruised and sad, it can but pour
Its tears and anguish at thy feet:
It groans beneath the weight of sin,
It sighs salvation’s joy to win.

3 Here is my heart! its longings end
In Christ as near his cross it draws;
It says, “Thou art my rest, my Friend,
Thy precious blood my ransom was;”
In thee, the Saviour, it has found
That peace and blessedness abound.

349 L. M. 6 lines.
Bethesda.

Around Bethesda’s healing wave,
Waiting to hear the rustling wind
Which spoke the angel nigh, who gave
Its virtue to that holy spring,
With patience and with hope endued,
Were seen the gathered multitude.

2 Bethesda’s pool has lost its power!
No angel, by his glad descent
Dispenses that diviner dower
Which with its healing waters went;
But he, whose word surpassed its wave,
Is still omnipotent to save.

3 Saviour! thy love is still the same
As when that healing word was spoke;
Still in thine all-redeeming name
Dwells power to burst the strongest yoke!
O, be that power, that love, displayed,
Help those whom thou alone canst aid.

350 L. M. 6 lines.
Come unto me, all ye that labor.
Matt. 11:28.

Peace, troubled soul, whose plaintive moan
Hath taught each scene the notes of woe;
Cease thy complaint, suppress thy groan,
And let thy tears forget to flow:
Behold, the precious balm is found
To lull thy pain, to heal thy wound.

2 Come, freely come, by sin oppressed;
On Jesus cast thy weighty load;
In him thy refuge find, thy rest,
Safe in the mercy of thy God:
Thy God’s thy Saviour—glorious word!
O, hear, believe, and bless the Lord!

351 L. M.
The Star of Bethlehem.

When marshaled on the nightly plain,
The glittering host bestud the sky,
One star alone, of all the train,
Can fix the sinner’s wandering eye.

2 Hark! hark! to God the chorus breaks,
From every host, from every gem;
But one alone the Saviour speaks—
It is the Star of Bethlehem.

3 Once on the raging seas I rode;
The storm was loud, the night was dark,
The ocean yawned, and rudely blowed
The wind that tossed my foundering bark.

4 Deep horror then my vitals froze;
Death-struck, I ceased the tide to stem;
When suddenly a star arose—
It was the Star of Bethlehem.

5 It was my guide, my light, my all;
It bade my dark forebodings cease;
And through the storm and danger’s thrall,
It led me to the port of peace.

6 Now safely moored, my perils o’er,
I’ll sing, first in night’s diadem,
For ever, and for evermore,
The Star—the Star of Bethlehem.

352 C. M.
Power of faith.

Faith adds new charms to earthly bliss,
And saves us from its snares;
It yields support in all our toils,
And softens all our cares.

2 The wounded conscience knows its power
The healing balm to give;
That balm the saddest heart can cheer,
And make the dying live.

3 Unvailing wide the heavenly world,
Where endless pleasures reign,
It bids us seek our portion there,
Nor bids us seek in vain.

4 There, still unshaken, would we rest
Till this frail body dies;
And then, on faith’s triumphant wing,
To endless glory rise.

353 C. M.
Increase our faith.
Luke 17:5.

O for a faith that will not shrink,
Though pressed by every foe,
That will not tremble on the brink
Of any earthly woe!

2 That will not murmur nor complain
Beneath the chastening rod,
But, in the hour of grief or pain,
Will lean upon its God;

3 A faith that shines more bright and clear
When tempests rage without;
That, when in danger, knows no fear,
In darkness feels no doubt;

4 That bears, unmoved, the world’s dread frown,
Nor heeds its scornful smile;
That seas of trouble can not drown,
Nor Satan’s arts beguile.

5 A faith that keeps the narrow way
Till life’s last hour is fled,
And with a pure and heavenly ray,
Lights up a dying bed.

6 Lord, give us such a faith as this;
And then, whate’er may come,
We’ll taste, e’en here, the hallowed bliss
Of an eternal home.

354 C. M.
A living faith.

Mistaken souls, that dream of heaven,
And make their empty boast
Of inward joys, and sins forgiven,
While they are slaves to lust!

2 How vain are fancy’s airy flights,
If faith be cold and dead!
None but a living power unites
To Christ, the living Head.

3 ’Tis faith that purifies the heart;
’Tis faith that works by love;
That bids all sinful joys depart,
And lifts the thoughts above.

4 Faith must obey our Father’s will,
As well as trust his grace;
A pardoning God requires us still
To walk in all his ways.

5 This faith shall every fear control
By its celestial power,
With holy triumph fill the soul
In death’s approaching hour.

355 C. M.
Glorying in the cross.

Didst thou, Lord Jesus, suffer shame,
And bear the cross for me?
And shall I fear to own thy name,
Or thy disciple be?

2 Forbid it, Lord, that I should dread
To suffer shame or loss;
O, let me in thy footsteps tread,
And glory in thy cross.

356 C. M.
Call to repentance.

Repent! the voice celestial cries,
No longer dare delay:
The soul that scorns the mandate dies,
And meets a fiery day.

2 No more the sovereign eye of God
O’erlooks the crimes of men;
His heralds now are sent abroad
To warn the world of sin.

3 O sinners! in his presence bow,
And all your guilt confess;
Accept the offered Saviour now
Nor trifle with his grace.

4 Soon will the awful trumpet sound,
And call you to his bar;
His mercy knows the appointed bound,
And yields to justice there.

5 Amazing love—that yet will call,
And yet prolong our days!
Our hearts, subdued by goodness, fall,
And weep, and love, and praise.

357 C. M.
God giveth grace to the humble.

Come, let us to the Lord our God,
With contrite hearts return!
Our God is gracious, nor will leave
The desolate to mourn.

2 His voice commands the tempest forth,
And stills the stormy wave;
And though his arm be strong to smite,
’Tis also strong to save.

3 Our hearts, if God we seek to know,
Shall know him and rejoice;
His coming like the morn shall be;
Like morning songs his voice.

4 As dew upon the tender herb,
Diffusing fragrance round;
As showers that usher in the spring,
And cheer the thirsty ground:

5 So shall his presence bless our souls,
And shed a joyful light
That hallowed morn shall chase away
The sorrows of the night.

358 C. M.
There is joy over one sinner, etc.
Luke 15:7.

O how divine, how sweet the joy,
When but one sinner turns,
And, with a humble, broken heart,
His sins and errors mourns!

2 Pleased with the news, the saints below,
In songs their tongues employ;
Beyond the skies the tidings go,
And heaven is filled with joy.

3 Well pleased the Father sees, and hears
The conscious sinner’s moan;
Jesus receives him in his arms,
And claims him for his own.

4 Nor angels can their joy contain,
But kindle with new fire;
“The sinner lost is found,” they sing,
And strike the sounding lyre.

359 C. M.
The heart’s surrender.

Welcome, O Saviour! to my heart;
Possess thy humble throne;
Bid every rival hence depart,
And claim me for thine own.

2 The world and Satan I forsake—
To thee, I all resign;
My longing heart, O Jesus! take,
And fill with love divine.

3 O! may I never turn aside,
Nor from thy bosom flee;
Let nothing here my heart divide—
I give it all to thee.

360 C. M.
Whoso forsaketh not all that he hath.
Luke 14:33.

And must I part with all I have,
Jesus, my Lord! for thee?
This is my joy, since thou hast done
Much more than this for me.

2 Yes, let it go; one look from thee
Will more than make amends
For all the losses I sustain
Of credit, riches, friends.

3 Ten thousand worlds, ten thousand lives,
How worthless they appear,
Compared with thee, supremely good,
Divinely bright and fair.

4 Saviour of souls! while I from thee
A single smile obtain,
Though destitute of all things else,
I’ll glory in my gain.

361 C. M.
A plea for mercy.

Mercy alone can meet my case,
For mercy, Lord, I cry;
Jesus, Redeemer, show thy face
In mercy, or I die.

2 I perish, and my doom were just;
But wilt thou leave me? No!
I hold thee fast, my hope, my trust;
I will not let thee go.

3 To thee, thee only, will I cleave;
Thy word is all my plea;
That word is truth, and I believe—
Have mercy, Lord, on me.

362 C. M.
It is I: be not afraid.
Matt. 14:27.

When I sink down in gloom or fear,
Hope blighted or delayed,
Thy whisper, Lord, my heart shall cheer,
“’Tis I: be not afraid!”

2 Or, startled at some sudden blow,
If fretful thoughts I feel,
“Fear not, it is but I!” shall flow
As balm my wound to heal.

3 Nor will I quit thy way, though foes
Some onward pass defend;
From each rough voice the watchword goes,
“Be not afraid! ... a friend!”

4 And O! when judgment’s trumpet clear
Awakes me from the grave,
Still in its echo may I hear,
“’Tis Christ! he comes to save.”

363 C. P. M.
Christ our only hope.

Desponding soul, O cease thy woe;
Dry up thy tears; to Jesus go,
In faith’s appointed way;
Let not thy unbelieving fears
Still hold thee back—thy Saviour hears—
From him no longer stay.

2 No works of thine can e’er impart
A balm to heal thy wounded heart,
Or solid comfort give;
Turn, then, to him who freely gave
His precious blood thy soul to save:
E’en now he bids thee live.

3 Helpless and lost, to Jesus fly!
His power and love are ever nigh
To those who seek his face;
Thy deepest guilt on him was laid;
He bore thy sins, thy ransom paid;
O, haste to share his grace.

364 S. M.
You shall find rest for your souls.
Matt. 11:29.

Ah! what avails my strife,
My wandering to and fro?
Thou hast the words of endless life;
Ah! whither should I go?

2 Thy condescending grace
To me did freely move;
It calls me still to seek thy face,
And stoops to ask my love.

3 Lord! at thy feet I fall;
I long to be set free;
I fain would now obey the call,
And give up all for thee.

365 S. M.
Yielding.

And can I yet delay
My little all to give?
To tear my soul from earth away
For Jesus to receive?

2 Nay, but I yield, I yield;
I can hold out no more;
I sink, by dying love compelled,
And own thee conqueror.

3 Though late, I all forsake;
My friends, my all, resign;
Gracious Redeemer! take, O take,
And seal me ever thine.

4 Come, and possess me whole,
Nor hence again remove;
Settle and fix my wavering soul
With all thy weight of love.

5 My one desire be this,
Thy only love to know;
To seek and taste no other bliss,
No other good below.

366 S. M.
God’s mercy to the penitent.

Sweet is the friendly voice
Which speaks of life and peace;
Which bids the penitent rejoice,
And sin and sorrow cease.

2 No balm on earth like this
Can cheer the contrite heart;
No flattering dreams of earthly bliss
Such pure delight impart.

3 Still merciful and kind,
Thy mercy, Lord, reveal;
The broken heart thy love can bind,
The wounded spirit heal.

4 Thy presence shall restore
Peace to my anxious breast;
Lord, let my steps be drawn no more
From paths which thou hast blessed.

367 7s.
Father, I have sinned.
Luke 15:18.

Love for all! and can it be?
Can I hope it is for me?
I, who strayed so long ago,
Strayed so far, and fell so low!

2 I, the disobedient child,
Wayward, passionate and wild;
I, who left my Father’s home
In forbidden ways to roam!

3 I, who spurned his loving hold,
I, who would not be controlled;
I, who would not hear his call,
I, the willful prodigal!

4 I, who wasted and misspent
Every talent he had lent;
I, who sinned again, again,
Giving every passion rein!

5 To my Father can I go?
At his feet myself I’ll throw,
In his house there yet may be
Place, a servant’s place, for me.

6 See, my Father waiting stands;
See, he reaches out his hands;
God is love! I know, I see,
Love for me—yes, even me.

368 7s.
Sighing for home.

People of the living God!
I have sought the world around,
Paths of sin and sorrow trod,
Peace and comfort nowhere found.

2 Now to you my spirit turns,
Turns, a fugitive unblessed;
Brethren! where your altar burns,
O receive me into rest.

3 Lonely I no longer roam,
Like the cloud, the wind, the wave:
Where you dwell shall be my home,
Where you die shall be my grave.

4 Mine the God whom you adore,
Your Redeemer shall be mine;
Earth can fill my heart no more,
Every idol I resign.

5 Tell me not of gain or loss,
Ease, enjoyment, pomp, and power;
Welcome! poverty and cross,
Shame, reproach, affliction’s hour.

6 “Follow me!” I know thy voice,
Jesus, Lord! thy steps I see;
Now I take thy yoke by choice;
Light thy burden now to me.

369 7s, double.
Longing for rest.

Does the gospel word proclaim
Rest for those that weary be?
Then, my soul, put in thy claim—
Sure that promise speaks to thee:
Marks of grace I can not show,
All polluted is my best;
But I weary am, I know,
And the weary long for rest.

2 Burdened with a load of sin,
Harassed with tormenting doubt,
Hourly conflicts from within,
Hourly crosses from without;
All my little strength is gone,
Sink I must without supply;
Sure upon the earth is none
Can more weary be than I.

3 In the ark the weary dove
Found a welcome resting-place;
Thus my spirit longs to prove
Rest in Christ, the Ark of grace;
Tempest-tossed I long have been,
And the flood increases fast;
Open, Lord, and take me in,
Till the storm be overpast!

370 7s.
Forward.
Exodus 14:15.

When we can not see our way,
Let us trust, and still obey;
He who bids us forward go,
Can not fail the way to show.

2 Though the sea be deep and wide,
Though a passage seem denied;
Fearless let us still proceed,
Since the Lord vouchsafes to lead.

3 Though it seems the gloom of night,
Though we see no ray of light;
Since the Lord himself is there,
’Tis not meet that we should fear.

4 Night with him is never night;
Where he is, there all is light;
When he calls us, why delay?
They are happy who obey.

5 Be it ours, then, while we’re here,
Him to follow without fear;
Where he calls us, there to go,
What he bids us, that to do.

371 8s & 6s.
The unseen Friend.

O holy Saviour! Friend unseen,
Since on thine arm thou bidd’st me lean,
Help me, throughout life’s changing scene,
By faith to cling to thee!

2 Blest with this fellowship divine,
Take what thou wilt, I’ll not repine;
For, as the branches to the vine,
My soul would cling to thee.

3 Though far from home, fatigued, oppressed,
Here have I found a place of rest;
An exile still, yet not unblest,
Because I cling to thee.

4 What though the world deceitful prove,
And earthly friends and hopes remove;
With patient, uncomplaining love,
Still would I cling to thee.

5 Though oft I seem to tread alone
Life’s dreary waste, with thorns o’ergrown,
Thy voice of love in gentlest tone,
Still whispers, “Cling to me!”

6 Though faith and hope are often tried,
I ask not, need not aught beside;
So safe, so calm, so satisfied,
The soul that clings to thee!

372 6s.
Cling to the Crucified.

Cling to the Crucified!
His eye shall guard thee well—
For thee, fast from his side,
The crimson current fell.

2 Cling to the Crucified!
My weary feet in peace
His tender hand shall guide
Till all thy wanderings cease.

3 Cling to the Crucified!
His love the golden door
For thee shall open wide,
And bless thee evermore.

BAPTISM.

373 L. M.
Ashamed of Jesus.

Jesus, and shall it ever be,
A mortal man ashamed of thee:
Ashamed of thee, whom angels praise,
Whose glory shines through endless days.

2 Ashamed of Jesus! Sooner far
Let evening blush to own a star!
He sheds the beams of light divine
O’er this benighted soul of mine.

3 Ashamed of Jesus! Just as soon
Let morning be ashamed of noon;
’Tis midnight with my soul, till he,
Bright Morning Star, bid darkness flee.

4 Ashamed of Jesus! that dear friend,
On whom my hopes of heaven depend!
No! when I blush, be this my shame,
That I no more revere his name.

5 Ashamed of Jesus! Yes, I may,
When I’ve no guilt to wash away,
No tear to wipe, no good to crave,
No fears to quell, no soul to save.

6 Till then—nor is my boasting vain—
Till then I’ll boast a Saviour slain!
And O! may this my glory be,
That Christ is not ashamed of me!

7 His institutions would I prize,
Take up my cross, the shame despise—
Dare to defend his noble cause,
And yield obedience to his laws.

374 L. M.
The spirit of obedience.

We love thy name, we love thy laws,
And joyfully embrace thy cause;
We love thy cross, the shame, the pain,
O Lamb of God, for sinners slain.

2 We sink beneath the mystic flood;
O, bathe us in thy cleansing blood;
We die to sin, and seek a grave,
With thee, beneath the yielding wave.

3 And as we rise, with thee to live,
O, let the Holy Spirit give
The sealing unction from above,
The breath of life, the fire of love.

375 L. M.
Following.

Jesus my all to heaven has gone,
He whom I fix my hopes upon;
His path I see, and I’ll pursue
The narrow way, till him I view.

2 The way the holy prophets went,
The road that leads from banishment,
The King’s highway of holiness—
I’ll go, for all his paths are peace.

376 L. M.
Christ’s example.

Our Saviour bowed beneath the wave,
And meekly sought a watery grave;
Come see the sacred path he trod,
A path well-pleasing to our God.

2 His voice we hear, his footsteps trace,
And hither come to seek his face,
To do his will, to feel his love,
And join our songs with songs above.

3 Hosanna to the Lamb divine!
Let endless glories round him shine!
High o’er the heavens for ever reign,
O Lamb of God! for sinners slain!

377 L. M.
The baptism of Jesus.

Come, happy souls, adore the Lamb,
Who loved our race ere time began,
Who vailed his Godhead in our clay,
And in an humble manger lay.

2 To Jordan’s stream the Spirit led,
To mark the path his saints should tread;
With joy they trace the sacred way,
To see the place where Jesus lay.

3 Baptized by John in Jordan’s wave,
The Saviour left his watery grave;
Heaven owned the deed, approved the way,
And blessed the place where Jesus lay.

4 Come, all who love his precious name;
Come tread his steps, and learn of him;
Happy beyond expression they
Who find the place where Jesus lay.

378 L. M.
A baptismal hymn.

The great Redeemer we adore,
Who came the lost to seek and save—
Went humbly down from Jordan’s shore
To find a tomb beneath its wave!

2 With thee into thy watery tomb,
Lord, ’tis our glory to descend;
’Tis wondrous grace that gives us room
To share the grave of such a friend.

3 Yet, as the yielding waves give way
To let us see the light again,
So, on the resurrection day,
The bands of death proved weak and vain.

4 Thus, when thou shalt again appear,
The gates of death shall open wide:
Our dust thy mighty voice shall hear,
And rise and triumph at thy side.

379 L. M.
If any man serve me, etc.
John 12:26.

See how the willing converts trace
The path their great Redeemer trod:
And follow through his liquid grave
The meek, the lowly Son of God!

2 Here they renounce their former deeds,
And to a heavenly life aspire,
Their rags for glorious robes exchanged,
They shine in clean and bright attire.

3 O sacred rite, by thee the name
Of Jesus we to own begin;
This is our resurrection pledge,
Pledge of the pardon of our sin.

4 Glory to God on high be given,
Who shows his grace to sinful men;
Let saints on earth, and hosts in heaven,
In concert join their loud Amen.

380 C. M.
Hinder me not.
Gen. 24:56.

In all my Lord’s appointed ways,
My journey I’ll pursue;
Hinder me not, you much-loved saints,
For I must go with you.

2 Through floods and flames, if Jesus lead,
I’ll follow where he goes;
Hinder me not, shall be my cry,
Though earth and hell oppose.

3 Through trials and through sufferings too,
I’ll go at his command;
Hinder me not, for I am bound
To my Immanuel’s land.

4 And when my Saviour calls me home,
Still this my cry shall be—
Hinder me not—come, welcome death—
I’ll gladly go with thee.

381 C. M.
He that is ashamed of me, and of my word.
Mark 8:38.

Ashamed of Christ! our souls disdain
The mean, ungenerous thought;
Shall we disown that friend whose blood
To man salvation brought?

2 With the glad news of love and peace,
From heaven to earth he came;
For us endured the painful cross,
For us despised the shame.

3 To his command let us submit
Ourselves without delay;
Our lives—yea, thousand lives of ours,
His love can ne’er repay.

4 Each faithful follower Jesus views
With infinite delight;
Their lives to him are dear—their death
Is precious in his sight.

5 To bear his name—his cross to bear—
Our highest honor this!
Who nobly suffers for him now,
Shall reign with him in bliss.

382 C. M.
He left us an example.

Buried beneath the yielding wave,
The great Redeemer lies;
Faith views him in the watery grave,
And thence beholds him rise.

2 With joy we in his footsteps tread,
And would his cause maintain,
Like him be numbered with the dead,
And with him rise and reign.

3 Now, blest Redeemer, we to thee
Our grateful voices raise;
Washed in the fountain of thy blood,
Our lives shall be thy praise.

383 C. M.
Lord, if thou wilt, etc.
Matt. 8:2.

O Lord, and will thy pardoning love
Embrace a wretch so vile?
Wilt thou my load of guilt remove,
And bless me with thy smile?

2 Hast thou the cross for me endured,
And all its shame despised?
And shall I be ashamed, O Lord,
With thee to be baptized?

3 Didst thou the great example lead,
In Jordan’s swelling flood!
And shall my pride disdain the deed,
That’s worthy of my God!

4 O Lord, the ardor of thy love
Reproves my cold delays;
And now my willing footsteps move
In thy delightful ways.

384 C. M.
The Holy Spirit descended, etc.
Luke 3:22.

Meekly in Jordan’s flowing stream
The great Redeemer bowed;
Bright was the glory’s sacred beam
That hushed the wondering crowd.

2 Thus God descended to approve
The deed that Christ had done;
Thus came the emblematic Dove,
And hovered over the Son.

3 So may the Spirit come to-day
To our baptismal scene;
Let thoughts of earth be far away,
And every mind serene.

4 This day we give to holy joy;
This day to heaven belongs;
Raised to new life, we will employ
In melody our tongues.

385 C. M.
I come to do thy will.
Heb. 10:7.

“I come,” the great Redeemer cries,
“To do thy will, O Lord!”
At Jordan’s flood, behold! he seals
The sure prophetic word.

2 “Thus it becomes us to fulfill
All righteousness,” he said;
He spake obedient, and beneath
The yielding wave was laid.

3 Hark! a glad voice—the Father speaks,
From heaven’s exalted hight;
“This is my Son, my well beloved,
In whom I do delight.”

4 Jesus, the Saviour, well beloved!
His name we will profess,
Like him, desirous to fulfill
Each law of righteousness.

5 No more we’ll count ourselves our own,
But his in bonds of love;
O! may such bonds for ever draw
Our souls to things above.

386 S. M.
Math. 3:16.

Come and behold the place
Where once your Saviour lay;
Confess that he is Lord of all,
And humble homage pay.

2 Laid in the watery grave,
He quickly rose again;
Buried with him, we too shall rise,
And endless life obtain.

3 Now may the Spirit crown,
With tokens of his grace,
The solemn service of this day,
And bid us go in peace.

387 S. M.
The same.

Saviour, thy law we love,
Thy pure example bless,
And with a firm, unwavering zeal,
Would in thy footsteps press.

2 Not to the fiery pains
By which the martyrs bled;
Not to the scourge, the thorn, the cross,
Our favored feet are led—

3 But, at this peaceful tide,
Assembled in thy fear,
The homage of obedient hearts,
We humbly offer here.

388 S. M.
Follow thou me.
John 21:22.

Here, Saviour, we would come,
In thine appointed way;
Obedient to thy high commands,
Our solemn vows we pay.

2 O, bless this sacred rite,
To bring us near to thee;
And may we find that as our day,
Our strength shall also be.

389 S. M.
Thus it becometh us.
Matt. 3:15.

With willing hearts we tread
The path the Saviour trod;
We love th’ example of our Head,
The glorious Lamb of God.

2 On thee, on thee alone,
Our hope and faith rely;
O thou who didst for sin atone,
Who didst for sinners die.

3 We trust thy sacrifice,
To thy dear cross we flee;
O, may we die to sin, and rise
To life and bliss in thee.

390 7s, 6 lines.
Lord, save me.
Matt. 14:30.

Jesus, Lamb of God, for me
Thou, the Lord of life, didst die;
Whither—whither, but to thee,
Can a trembling sinner fly?
Death’s dark waters o’er me roll,
Save, O save, my sinking soul!

2 Never bowed a martyred head,
Weighed with equal sorrow down;
Never blood so rich was shed,
Never king wore such a crown!
To thy cross and sacrifice,
Faith now lifts her tearful eyes.

3 All my soul, by love subdued,
Melts in deep contrition there;
By thy mighty grace renewed,
New-born hope forbids despair;
Lord, thou canst my guilt forgive,
Thou hast bid me look and live.

4 While with broken heart I kneel,
Sinks the inward storm to rest;
Life—immortal life—I feel
Kindled in my throbbing breast;
Thine—for ever thine—I am,
Glory to the bleeding Lamb!

391 7s.
And hath washed us from our sins, etc.
Rev. 1:5.

Jesus, to thy wounds I fly;
Purge my sins of deepest dye;
Lamb of God, for sinners slain,
Wash away my crimson stain.

2 Purge me in that sacred flood,
In that fountain of thy blood;
Then thy Father’s eye shall see
Not a spot of guilt in me.

392 7s, 6 lines.
He is our peace.
Eph. 2:14.

Weary souls that wander wide
From the central point of bliss,
Turn to Jesus crucified;
Fly to those dear wounds of his;
Sink into the purple flood,
Rise into the life of God.

2 Find in Christ the way of peace
Peace unspeakable, unknown;
By his pain he gives you ease,
Life, by his expiring groan;
Rise, exalted by his fall;
Find in Christ your all in all.

3 O believe the record true,
God to you his Son hath given!
You may now be happy too;
Find on earth the life of heaven;
Live the life of heaven above,
All the life of glorious love.

393 8s & 7s.
Hear and obey.

Humble souls, who seek salvation
Through the Lamb’s redeeming blood,
Hear the voice of revelation;
Tread the path that Jesus trod.

2 Hear the blest Redeemer call you;
Listen to his heavenly voice;
Dread no ills that can befall you,
While you make his way your choice.

3 Plainly here his footsteps tracing,
Follow him without delay,
Gladly his command embracing;
Lo! your Captain leads the way.

394 8s, 7s & 4.
Calling on the name of the Lord.
Acts 22:16.

Gracious Saviour, we adore thee;
Purchased by thy precious blood
We present ourselves before thee,
Now to walk the narrow road:
Saviour guide us—
Guide us to our heavenly home.

2 Thou didst mark our path of duty;
Thou wast laid beneath the wave;
Thou didst rise in glorious beauty,
From the semblance of the grave;
May we follow
In the same delightful way.

REMISSION OF SINS.

395 L. M.
The joys of pardon.

Forgiveness! ’tis a joyful sound
To malefactors doomed to die;
Publish the bliss the world around;
You seraphs, shout it from the sky!

2 ’Tis the rich gift of love divine;
’Tis full, outmeasuring every crime;
Unclouded shall its glories shine,
And feel no change by changing time.

3 For this stupendous love of heaven,
What grateful honors shall we show!
Where much transgression is forgiven,
Let love in equal ardors glow.

4 By this inspired, let all our days
With gospel holiness be crowned;
Let truth and goodness, prayer and praise
In all abide, in all abound.

396 L. M.
Blessed is the man whose sin is covered.
Rom. 4:7.

Earth has a joy unknown in heaven—
The new-born joy of sins forgiven!
Tears of such pure and deep delight,
O angels! never dimmed your sight.

2 You saw of old on chaos rise
The beauteous pillars of the skies;
You know where morn exulting springs,
And evening folds her drooping wings.

3 Bright heralds of th’ Eternal Will,
Abroad his errands you fulfill;
Or, throned in floods of beamy day,
Symphonies in his presence play.

4 Loud is the song—the heavenly plain
Is shaken with the choral strain;
And dying echoes, floating far,
Draw music from each chiming star.

5 But I amid your choirs shall shine,
And all your knowledge shall be mine;
You on your harps must lean to hear
A secret chord that mine shall bear.

397 L. M.
Self-dedication.

Lord, I am thine, entirely thine,
Purchased alone by blood divine;
With full consent I yield to thee,
And own thy sovereign right to me.

2 Grant me, in mercy, now a place
Among the children of thy grace;
A wretched sinner, lost to God,
But ransomed by Immanuel’s blood.

3 Thee, my new Master, now I call,
And consecrate to thee my all:
Lord, let me live and die to thee;
Be thine through all eternity.

398 L. M.
Happy day.

O happy day, that fixed my choice
On thee, my Saviour and my God!
Well may this glowing heart rejoice,
And tell its raptures all abroad.
CHORUS.
Happy day, happy day,
When Jesus washed my sins away;
He taught me how to watch and pray,
And live rejoicing every day.

2 O happy bond, that seals my vows
To him who merits all my love!
Let cheerful anthems fill his house,
While to that sacred shrine I move.

3 ’Tis done; the great transaction’s done;
I am my Lord’s, and he is mine;
He drew me, and I followed on,
Charmed to confess the voice divine.

4 Now rest, my long divided heart!
Fixed on this blissful center rest;
Here have I found a nobler part,
Here heavenly pleasures fill my breast.

5 High heaven, that heard the solemn vow,
That vow renewed shall daily hear;
Till in life’s latest hour I bow,
And bless in death a bond so dear.

399 L. M.
Joy of consecration to Christ.

O sweetly breathe the lyres above,
When angels touch the quivering string,
And wake, to chant Immanuel’s love,
Such strains as angel-lips can sing!

2 And sweet, on earth, the choral swell,
From mortal tongues, of gladsome lays;
When pardoned souls their raptures tell,
And, grateful, hymn Immanuel’s praise.

3 Jesus, thy name our souls adore;
We own the bond that makes us thine;
And carnal joys, that charmed before,
For thy dear sake we now resign.

4 Our hearts, by dying love subdued,
Accept thine offered grace to-day;
Beneath the cross, with blood bedewed,
We bow, and give ourselves away.

5 In thee we trust—on thee rely;
Though we are feeble, thou art strong;
O, keep us till our spirits fly
To join the bright, immortal throng!

400 L. M. 6 lines.
The sure refuge.

Now I have found the ground wherein
Sure my soul’s anchor may remain;
The wounds of Jesus, for my sin,
Before the world’s foundation slain;
Whose mercy shall unshaken stay,
When heaven and earth are fled away.

2 O Love, thou bottomless abyss!
My sins are swallowed up in thee;
Covered is my unrighteousness;
From condemnation now I’m free;
While Jesus’ blood through earth and skies,
Mercy, free, boundless mercy! cries.

3 With faith I plunge me in this sea,
Here is my hope, my joy, my rest;
Hither, when hell assails, I flee,
I look into my Saviour’s breast.
Away, sad doubt, and anxious fear!
Mercy is all that’s written here.

4 Tho’ waves and storms go o’er my head,
Tho’ strength, and health, and friends, be gone:
Tho’ joys be withered all, and dead;
Tho’ every comfort be withdrawn—
Steadfast on this my soul relies:
Father, thy mercy never dies.

401 L. M.
What shall I render unto thee.
Psalm 116:12.

Redeemed from guilt, redeemed from fears,
My soul enlarged, and dried my tears,
What can I do, O Love Divine,
What to repay such gifts as thine?

2 What can I do, so poor, so weak,
But from thy hands new blessings seek,
A heart to feel thy mercies more,
A soul to know thee, and adore?

3 O teach me at thy feet to fall,
And yield thee up myself, my all!
Before thy saints my debts to own,
And live and die to thee alone!

4 Thy Spirit, Lord, at large impart,
Expand, and raise, and fill my heart!
So may I hope my life shall be
Some faint return, O Lord, to thee.

402 C. M.
Not as the world giveth.
John 14:27.

How happy is the Christian’s state!
His sins are all forgiven;
A cheering ray confirms the grace,
And lifts his hopes to heaven.

2 Though in the rugged path of life
He heaves the pensive sigh;
Yet, trusting in his God, he finds
Delivering grace is nigh.

3 If, to prevent his wandering steps,
He feels the chastening rod,
The gentle stroke shall bring him back
To his forgiving God.

4 And when the welcome message comes
To call his soul away,
His soul in raptures shall ascend
To everlasting day.

403 C. M.
I was blind, but now I see.
John 9:25.

Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound!)
That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found;
Was blind, but now I see.

3 Through many dangers, toils, and snares,
I have already come;
’Tis grace has brought me safe thus far,
And grace will lead me home.

3 The Lord has promised good to me,
His word my hope secures;
He will my shield and portion be
As long as life endures.

4 Yes, when this heart and flesh shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the vail
A life of joy and peace.

404 C. M.
Newness of life.
Rom. 6:4.

How happy every child of grace,
Who knows his sins forgiven!
This earth, he cries, is not my place—
I seek my home in heaven.

2 A country far from mortal sight,
Yet O, by faith I see
The land of rest, the saint’s delight,
The heaven prepared for me.

3 O what a blesséd hope is ours!
While here on earth we stay,
We more than taste the heavenly powers,
And antedate that day.

4 We feel the resurrection near,
Our life in Christ concealed,
And with his glorious presence here,
Our earthen vessels filled.

5 O, would he all of heaven bestow!
Then like our Lord we’ll rise;
Our bodies, fully ransomed, go
To take the glorious prize.

6 On him with rapture then I’ll gaze,
Who bought the bliss for me,
And shout and wonder at his grace,
Through all eternity.

405 S. M.
By grace are ye saved.
Eph. 2:8.

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.

3 Grace led our wandering feet
To tread the heavenly road;
And new supplies each hour we meet,
While pressing on to God.

4 Grace all the work shall crown
Through everlasting days;
It lays in heaven the topmost stone,
And well deserves our praise.

406 S. M.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me.
Psalm 139:6.

Blest Saviour! Friend divine!
Thou source of boundless love!
The hope of all thy saints on earth,
The joy of all above!

2 How can I tell thy worth!
How make thy glories known!
No language can thy goodness speak,
No tongue thy mercies own!

3 My words can not express
The sweetness of thy name!
Nor can my feeble lips declare
The wonders of thy fame!

4 Then take my trusting heart,
I can not give thee more;
Make rich my soul’s deep poverty,
From thine unwasting store!

407 8s & 7s, peculiar.
A new creature.
2 Cor. 5:17.

Since first thy word awaked my heart,
Like light new dawning o’er me,
Where’er I turn my eyes, thou art
All light and love before me.

2 Naught else I feel, or hear, or see,
All bonds of earth I sever;
Thee, O my Lord, and only thee,
I live for, now, and ever.

3 Like him whose fetters dropped away
When light shone o’er his prison,
My soul now touched by mercy’s ray,
Hath from its chains arisen.

4 And shall the soul thou bidd’st be free,
Return to bondage? Never;
Thee, O my God, and only thee,
I live for, now, and ever.

408 P. M.
Joy unspeakable and full of glory.
1 Peter 1:8.

How happy are they who their Saviour obey,
And have laid up their treasures above!
Tongue can not express the sweet comfort and peace
Of a soul in its earliest love!

2 This comfort is mine, since the favor divine
I have found in the blood of the Lamb:
Since the truth I believed what a joy I’ve received,
What a heaven in Jesus’ blest name!

3 ’Tis a heavén below my Redeemer to know,
And the angels can do nothing more
Than to fall at his feet, and the story repeat,
And the lover of sinners adore!

4 Jesus all the day long is my joy and my song;
O that all to this refuge may fly!
He has loved me, I cried, he has suffered and died
To redeem such a rebel as I!

5 On the wings of his love I am carried above
All my sin, and temptation, and pain;
O why should I grieve, while on him I believe!
O why should I sorrow again!

6 O the rapturous hight of that holy delight,
Which I find in the life-giving blood!
Of my Saviour possessed, I am perfectly blessed,
Being filled with the fullness of God!

7 Now my remnant of days will I spend to his praise
Who has died me from sin to redeem;
Whether many or few, all my years are his due;
They shall all be devoted to him.

8 What a mercy is this! what a heaven of bliss!
How unspeakably happy am I!
Gathered into the fold, with believers enrolled—
With believers to live and to die!

SPIRIT OF ADOPTION.

409 L. M.
You hath he quickened.
Col. 2:13.

Like morning—when her early breeze
Breaks up the surface of the seas,
That, in their furrows, dark with night,
Her hand may sow the seeds of light—

2 Thy grace can send its breathings o’er
The spirit dark and lost before;
And, freshening all its depths, prepare
For truth divine to enter there.

3 Till David touched his sacred lyre,
In silence lay the unbreathing wire;
But when he swept its chords along,
Then angels stooped to hear the song.

4 So sleeps the soul, till thou, O Lord,
Shall deign to touch its lifeless chord;
Till, waked by thee, its breath shall rise,
In music worthy of the skies.

410 L. M.
The gift of the Holy Spirit.
Acts 2:38.

O Lord! and shall thy Spirit rest
In such a wretched heart as mine!
Unworthy dwelling! glorious guest!
Favor astonishing, divine!

2 When sin prevails, and gloomy fear,
And hope almost expires in night,
Lord, can thy Spirit then be here,
Great Spring of comfort, life, and light?

3 Sure the blest Comforter is nigh!
’Tis he sustains my fainting heart;
Else would my hopes for ever die,
And every cheering ray depart.

4 When some kind promise glads my soul,
Do I not find his healing voice
The tempest of my fears control,
And bid my drooping powers rejoice!

5 Let thy kind Spirit in my heart
For ever dwell, O God of love!
And light and heavenly peace impart—
Sweet earnest of the joys above.

411 L. M.
The beatitudes.

Blessed are the humble souls that see
Their emptiness and poverty;
Treasures of grace to them are given,
And crowns of joy laid up in heaven.

2 Blessed are the men of broken heart,
Who mourn for sin with inward smart;
The blood of Christ divinely flows,
A healing balm for all their woes.

3 Blessed are the souls who thirst for grace,
Hunger and thirst for righteousness;
They shall be well supplied, and fed
With living streams and living bread.

4 Blessed are the men of peaceful life,
Who quench the glowing coals of strife;
They shall be called the heirs of bliss,
The sons of God, the God of peace.

5 Blessed are the sufferers who partake
Of pain and shame for Jesus’ sake;
Their souls shall triumph in the Lord:
Glory and joy are their reward.

412 L. M.
In Christ.

God of my life! thy boundless grace,
Chose, pardoned, and adopted me;
My rest, my home, my dwelling-place;
Father! I come, I come to thee.

2 Jesus, my Hope, my Rock, my Shield!
Whose precious blood was shed for me,
Into thy hands my soul I yield;
Saviour! I come, I come to thee.

413 L. M.
He is not ashamed to call them brethren.
Heb. 2:11.

Honor and happiness unite
To make the Christian’s name a praise;
How fair the scene, how clear the light,
That fills the remnant of his days!

2 A kingly character he bears,
No change his priestly office knows;
Unfading is the crown he wears,
His joys can never reach a close.

3 Adorned with glory from on high,
Salvation shines upon his face;
His robe is of the ethereal dye,
His steps are dignity and grace.

4 Inferior honors he disdains,
Nor stoops to take applause from earth,
The King of kings himself maintains
The expenses of his heavenly birth.

5 The noblest creature seen below,
Ordained to fill a throne above;
God gives him all he can bestow,
His kingdom of eternal love!

6 My soul is ravished at the thought!
Methinks from earth I see him rise!
Angels congratulate his lot,
And shout him welcome to the skies!

414 C. M.
Peace in the storm.

Lord, in whose might the Saviour trod
The dark and stormy wave,
And trusted in his Father’s arm,
Omnipotent to save;—

2 When thickly round our footsteps rise
The floods and storms of life,
Grant us thy Spirit, Lord, to still
The dark and fearful strife.

3 Strong in our trust, on thee reposed,
The ocean path we’ll dare,
Though waves around us rage and foam,
Since thou art present there.

415 C. M.
Crying, Abba, Father.
Gal. 4:6.

Father! I wait before thy throne;
Call me a child of thine;
And let the Spirit of thy Son,
Fill this poor heart of mine.

2 There shed thy promised love abroad,
And make my comfort strong;
Then shall I say, my Father, God!
With an unwavering tongue.

416 C. M.
We have left all, etc.
Matt. 19:27.

There is a name I love to hear,
I love to speak its worth;
It sounds like music in mine ear,
The sweetest name on earth.

2 It tells me of a Saviour’s love,
Who died to set me free;
It tells me of his precious blood,
The sinner’s perfect plea.

3 It tells me of a Father’s smile,
Beaming upon his child;
It cheers me through this “little while,”
Through desert, waste, and wild.

4 It bids my trembling heart rejoice;
It dries each rising tear;
It tells me in “a still small voice,”
To trust and never fear.

5 Jesus! the name I love so well,
The name I love to hear!
No saint on earth its worth can tell,
No heart conceive how dear.

6 This name shall shed its fragrance still
Along this thorny road,
Shall sweetly smooth the rugged hill
That leads me up to God.

417 C. M.
The Spirit of God dwelleth within you.
1 Cor. 3:16.

Lord, let thy Spirit penetrate
This heart and soul of mine;
And my whole being with thy grace
Pervade, O Life divine!

2 As this clear air surrounds the earth,
Thy grace around me roll;
As the fresh light pervades the air,
So pierce and fill my soul.

3 As from these clouds drops down in love
The precious summer rain,
So from thyself pour down the flood
That freshens all again.

4 As these fair flowers exhale their scent
In gladness at our feet,
So from thyself let fragrance breathe,
More heavenly and more sweet.

5 Thus life within our lifeless hearts,
Shall make its glad abode;
And we shall shine in beauteous light
Filled with the light of God.

418 S. M. D.
I will write my law in their hearts.
Heb. 8:10.

Great source of life and light!
Thy heavenly grace impart,
Thy Holy Spirit grant, and write
Thy law upon my heart;
My soul would cleave to thee;
Let naught my purpose move;
O, let my faith more steadfast be,
And more intense my love!

2 Long as my trials last,
Long as the cross I bear,
O, let my soul on thee be cast
In confidence and prayer!
Conduct me to the shore
Of everlasting peace,
Where storm and tempest rise no more,
Where sin and sorrow cease.

419 S. M.
That they may be one in us.
John 17:21.

Thy Spirit shall unite
Our souls to thee our Head;
Shall form us to thine image bright,
That we thy paths may tread.

2 Death may our souls divide
From these abodes of clay;
But love shall keep us near thy side
Through all the gloomy way.

3 Since Christ and we are one,
Why should we doubt or fear!
If he in heaven hath fixed his throne,
He’ll fix his members there.

420 7s, 6 lines.
In whom we have redemption.
Col. 1:14.

Blesséd are the sons of God;
They are bought with Jesus’ blood;
They are ransomed from the grave
Life eternal they shall have;
With them numbered may we be,
Here, and in eternity.

2 They are justified by grace,
They enjoy the Saviour’s peace;
All their sins are washed away;
They shall stand in God’s great day:
With them numbered may we be,
Here, and in eternity.

3 They are lights upon the earth—
Children of a heavenly birth—
One with God, with Jesus one;
Glory is in them begun;
With them numbered may we be,
Here, and in eternity.

421 8s & 7s.
God, our salvation.

Call Jehovah thy salvation,
Rest beneath th’ Almighty’s shade;
In his secret habitation
Dwell, and never be dismayed.
Guile nor violence can harm thee,
In eternal silence there;
There no tumult shall alarm thee;
Thou shalt dread no hidden snare.

2 Since with pure and firm affection
Thou on God hast set thy love,
With the wings of his protection
He will shield thee from above:
Thou shalt call on him in trouble;
He will hearken; he will save;
Here for grief reward thee double;
Crown with life beyond the grave.

422 8s, 6s & 4s.
The Holy Spirit the Comforter.

Our blest Redeemer, ere he breathed
His tender, last farewell,
A Guide, a Comforter, bequeathed
With us to dwell.

2 He came in tongues of living flame,
To teach, convince, subdue;
All powerful as the wind he came,
As viewless too.

3 He came, sweet influence to impart,
A gracious, willing guest,
While he can find one humble heart
Wherein to rest.

4 And his that gentle voice we hear,
Soft as the breeze of even,
That checks each fault, that calms each fear,
And speaks of heaven.

423 P. M.
The peace of God.
Phil. 4:7.