3 See! from his head, his hands, his feet, Sorrow and love flow mingled down! Did e'er such love and sorrow meet,
Or thorns compose so bright a crown? 4 Were the whole realm of nature mine, That were a present far too small : Love so amazing, so divine,
Demands my soul, my life, my all.
The preaching of the cross is unto them which are save! the power of God.-1 Cor. i. 18.
1 WE sing the praise of Him who died,
Of Him who died upon the cross :
The sinner's hope let men deride;
For this we count the world but loss.
2 Inscrib'd upon the cross, we see,
In shining letters, "God is love!"
He bears our sins upon the tree,
He brings us mercy from above.
3 The cross!—it takes our guilt away;
It holds the fainting spirit up;
It cheers with hope the gloomy day,
And sweetens every bitter cup.
4 It makes the coward spirit brave,
And nerves the feeble arm for fight;
It takes its terror from the grave,
And gilds the bed of death with light.
5 The balm of life, the cure of woe,
The measure and the pledge of love,
The sinner's refuge here below,
The angel's theme in heaven above.
CONTEMPLATION OF THE CROSS.
Look unto Me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth!-Isaiah xlv. 22.
1 SWEET the moments, rich in blessing,
Which before the cross I spend;
Life, and health, and peace possessing,
From the sinner's dying Friend:
Here I'll sit, for ever viewing
Mercy's streams in streams of blood:
Precious drops, my soul bedewing,
Plead and claim my peace with God.
2 Truly blessed is this station,
Low before his cross to lie,
While I see divine compassion
Beaming from his pitying eye:
Here it is I find my heaven,
While upon the Lamb I gaze:
Love I much? I've much forgiven,
All I have is from his grace!
3 Love and grief my heart dividing,
Gazing here I'd spend my breath;
Constant still in faith abiding,
Life deriving from his death.
Lord, in ceaseless contemplation
Fix my heart and eyes on thine,
'Till I taste thy whole salvation,
Where unveil'd thy glories shine!
Not by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood, he entered once into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us.—) -Heb. ix. 12.
NOT all the blood of beasts,
On Jewish altars slain,
Could give the guilty concience
Or wash away the stain.
2 But Christ, the heavenly Lamb,
Takes all our sins away;
A sacrifice of nobler name,
And richer blood than they.
My faith would lay her hand
On that dear head of thine,
While like a penitent I stand,
And there confess my sin.
4 My soul looks back to see
The burden thou didst bear,
When hanging on th' accursed tree,
And hopes her guilt was there.
Believing, we rejoice
To see the curse remove;
We bless the Lamb with cheerful voice,
And sing his bleeding love.
He was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification.-Rom. iv. 25.
1 HE dies! the Friend of sinners dies!
Lo! Salem's daughters weep around,
A solemn darkness veils the skies,
A sudden trembling shakes the ground.
Come, saints, and drop a tear or two,
For Him who groan'd beneath your load!
He shed a thousand drops for you,
A thousand drops of richer blood.
2 Here's love and grief beyond degree,
The Lord of glory dies for men!
But, lo! what sudden joys we see,—
Jesus, the dead, revives again!
The rising God forsakes the tomb;
(The tomb in vain forbids his rise ;)
Angelic hosts attend him home,
And shout him welcome to the skies!
3 Break off your tears, ye saints, and tell
How high our great Deliv'rer reigns;
Sing how he spoil'd the host of hell,
And led the tyrant Death in chains.
Say, "Live for ever, wond'rous King,
Born to redeem, and strong to save!"
Then ask, "O Death, where is thy sting?
And where thy victory, O Grave?"
When he ascended up on high, he led captivity captive.
THE happy morn is come:
Triumphant o'er the grave,
The Saviour leaves the tomb,
Omnipotent to save;
Captivity is captive led,
For Jesus liveth, that was dead.
For whom their Surety died?
Who now shall those condemn
Whom God hath justified?
Captivity is captive led,
For Jesus liveth, that was dead.
Christ hath the ransom paid,
The glorious work is done;
On him our help is laid,
By him our vict'ry won.
Captivity is captive led,
For Jesus liveth, that was dead.
The Lord is risen indeed !-Luke xxiv. 34.
"CHRIST the Lord is risen to-day,"
Sons of men and angels say;
Raise your joys and triumphs high;
Sing ye heavens, and earth reply!
2 Vain the stone, the watch, the seal,
Christ hath burst the gates of hell;
Death in vain forbids his rise,
Christ hath open'd Paradise.
3 Lives again our glorious King—
Where, O Death, is now thy sting?
Once he died our souls to save-
Where's thy victory, O grave!?
4 Soar we now where Christ hath led,
Following our exalted Head;
Made like him, like him we rise,
Ours the cross, the grave, the skies.
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