Page images
PDF
EPUB

The King of kings is drawing near,
The Saviour of the world is here:
Life, health, salvation, He doth bring;
Lift up your voice, exult and sing:
Praise, O my God, all praise to Thee;
My Maker, wise is Thy decree.
2 The Lord is just, a helper tried,
On wings of mercy fain to ride;
His kingly crown is holiness,
His sceptre pity, swift to bless;
The end of all our woes He brings,
And ransomed earth with triumph sings:
Praise, my God, all praise to Thee;
My Saviour, great Thy victory.
3 O blest the city, blest the land,

That yield them to this King's command!
O blest the hearts, set free from sin,
To whom this Monarch enters in!
The Sun of Joy is He, who brings
The light of healing on His wings.
Praise, O my God, all praise to Thee,
My Comforter eternally!

4 Unbar the gates, make plain His way;
In godliness your souls array;
A temple in your hearts prepare,
Adorned with love, and joy, and prayer;
That, entering in, your holy King
The blessings of His grace may bring.
Praise, O my God, all praise to Thee,
Great undivided Trinity!

[blocks in formation]

10 How shall I receive Thee,

How meet Thee on Thy way,
Blest hope of every nation,
My soul's delight and stay?
O Jesu, Jesu, give me

Now by Thy own pure light
To know whate'er is pleasing
And welcome in Thy sight.
2 Thy Zion palms is strewing,

And branches fresh and fair;
My soul, to praise awaking,

Her anthem shall prepare.
Perpetual thanks and praises

Forth from my heart shall spring;
And to Thy Name the service

Of all my powers I bring. 30 ye who sorrow, sinking

Beneath your grief and pain,
Rejoice in His appearing

Who shall your souls sustain;

He comes, He comes with gladness:
How great is His good-will!
He comes; all grief and anguish

Shall at His word be still. 4 Ye who with guilty terror

Are trembling, fear no more:
With love and grace the Saviour
Shall you to hope restore.
He comes, who contrite sinners
Will with the children place,
The children of His Father,
The heirs of life and grace.

5 He comes, the Lord to judgment:
Woe, woe to them who hate!
To those who love and seek Him
He opes the heavenly gate.
Come quickly, gracious Saviour,
And gather us to Thee,

That in the light eternal

29

Our joyous home may be.

When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear with Him in glory. Col. iii.

1 LOVE divine, all love excelling,

Joy of heaven, to earth come down,
Jesu, fix in us Thy dwelling,

And Thy faithful mercies crown.
Come, almighty to deliver,

Let us all Thy grace receive;
Shine into our hearts, and never,
Never more Thy temple leave.
2 Work in us Thy new creation,
Pure and spotless let us be;
Let us know Thy great salvation,
Perfectly renewed in Thee:
Changed from glory into glory,
Till we rest in heaven above,
Till we cast our crowns before Thee,
Lost in wonder, joy, and love.

[blocks in formation]

Yet will I not distrustful
Refuse the royal Guest:
The publican and sinner
Received Him, and were blest.
3 O Lord, in faith and meekness

My heart would Thee retain,
And yield Thee love unfeigned,
Whom none have loved in vain,
For all who bid Thee welcome
While passing on Thy way,
A home Thou hast prepared
In everlasting day.

31

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: Isa. xl.

1 GIRD on Thy conquering sword,
Ascend Thy shining car,

And march, almighty Lord,
To wage Thy holy war:
Before Thy wheels
In glad surprise
The valleys rise,
And sink the hills.

2 Beneath Thine arrowy shower
Thy startled foes shall fall;
And captive to Thy power,
That power which conquers all,
The world shall know,
Great King of kings,
What wondrous things
Thine arm can show.

3 Lord, to the waiting soul

Bend Thy triumphant way,
There every foe control,

32

There all Thy might display:
Erect Thy throne
In every breast,
That we may rest

In Thee alone.

The night is far spent, the day is at hand.
Rom. xii.

1 THE night of darkness fast declineth: Hear the glad truth, ye nations round; On earth the light of mercy shineth;

With light the ocean waves are crowned; Bright dawn of that celestial day When all shall own their Saviour's sway.

2 Again the Spirit's might descending Makes glad the barren wilderness: The voice of God the mountains rending, The prostrate hills their Lord confess.

Ye utmost realms, your tribute bring,
Prepare a pathway for your King.

3 All tongues shall join their high thanksgiving

To Him who hath redeemed us all:
Lo, at His voice the dead are living,
The idol hosts before Him fall:
Raised from his long and deathlike sleep,
Before the cross see Israel weep.
4 Now hear, O Lord, our supplication;
Arise, the fallen world to bless:
O speed Thy promised visitation,

Thy reign of truth and righteousness,
When all the earth shall worship Thee,
All eyes, O Lord, Thy glory see.

33

And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting Gospel. Rev. xiv.

1 Lo, in mid heaven the angel flies, Who bids the world from sleep arise;

Afar his trump is sounding:
The Gospel in his hand he brings,
Glad message from the King of kings,
With grace to all abounding.
O come, the offered gift receive:
In Jesús, all ye lands, believe.
2 No more for help to idols fly;
No more to creatures vainly cry;
To Jesus come adoring;
On Him your only Saviour call,
And Jew and Greek together fall
Before His throne imploring:
One Advocate, one Lord confess,
The Lord of truth and righteousness.
3 Speed forth Thy glory, Prince of peace,
Till all the world from idols cease,

And heed Thine invitation:
O take the kingdoms for Thine own;
Thou that art King of kings alone,

Be Thine the adoration.
From vanity the creature free,

Till every heart be blest in Thee.

34 Psalm exix. 105. Thy Word is a lantern

to my paths, &c.

1 THY Word is to my feet a lamp,
The way of truth to show;
A cheering light to mark the path
Wherein I ought to go.

2 When I with griefs am so opprest
That I can bear no more,
According to Thy Word, do Thou
My fainting soul restore.

[blocks in formation]

1 HOLY Bible, book divine,

Precious treasure, thou art mine:
Mine, to tell me whence I came;
Mine, to teach me what I am;

2 Mine to chide me when I rove;

Mine, to show a Saviour's love;
Mine art thou to guide my feet:
Mine to judge, condemn, acquit;
3 Mine, to comfort in distress,
If the Holy Spirit bless;
Mine, to show by living faith
Man can triumph over death;
4 Mine, to tell of joys to come,
Light and life beyond the tomb;
O thou precious book divine,
Holy treasure, thou art mine.

36 Thy Law is within my heart. Ps. xl.

1 LORD, Thy Word abideth,
And our footsteps guideth;
Who its truth believeth
Light and joy receiveth.
When our foes are near us,
Then Thy Word doth cheer us,
Voice of consolation,
Message of salvation.

2 When the storms are o'er us,
And dark clouds before us,
Then its light directeth
And our way protecteth.
Who can tell the pleasure
Who recount the treasure,
By Thy Word imparted
To the simple-hearted?
3 Word of mercy, giving
Succour to the living;
Word of life, supplying
Comfort to the dying!

[blocks in formation]

38 Thou shalt keep them, O Lord. Ps. xii.

1 How blest are they to whom the Lord
His gracious Name makes known,
And by His Spirit and His Word
Adopts them for His own.
He calls them to His mercy-seat,

And hears their humble prayer;
And when within His house they meet,
They find His presence there.

2 Though men despise them or reprove,
They count the trial small;
Whoever hate, if Jesus love,

It makes amends for all.

Though meanly clad, and coarsely fed,
And, like their Saviour, poor,

They would not change their Father's
bread

For all the worldling's store.

3 When cheered by faith's sublimer joys
They mount on eagles' wings,
They can disdain, as children's toys,
The pride and pomp of kings.

[blocks in formation]

39

Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly
in all wisdom. Col. iii.

1 EVER Would I fain be reading,
In the ancient holy Book,
Of my Saviour's gentle pleading,
Truth in every word and look:

2 How when children came He blessed them, Suffered no man to reprove,

Took them in His arms. and pressed them
To His heart with words of love :

3 How to all the sick and tearful
Help was ever gladly shown;
How he sought the poor and fearful,

Called them brothers and His own:
4 How no contrite soul e'er sought Him
And was bidden to depart,
How with gentle words He taught him,
Took the death from out his heart.
Still I read the ancient story,

And my joy is ever new,
How for us He left His glory,
How He still is kind and true:
6 How the flock He gently leadeth,
Which His Father gave Him here;
How His arms He widely spreadeth,
To His heart to draw us near.

7 Let me kneel, O Lord, before Thee,
Let my heart in tears o'erflow,
Melted by Thy love adore Thee,

40

Blest in Thee through joy and woe.

Receive with meekness the engrafted Word,
which is able to save your souls. Jam. i.

1 POUR down Thy Spirit, gracious Lord,
On all assembled here;
Let us receive the engrafted Word
With meekness and with fear.

2 By faith in Thee the soul acquires
New life, though dead before;
And he, who to Thy light aspires,
Shall live to die no more.

3 Preserve the power of faith alive
In those that love Thy Name:
For sin and Satan daily strive
To quench the sacred flame.

4 Thy grace and mercy first prevailed
From death to set us free;
And often since our life had failed,
Unless renewed by Thee.

5 To Thee we look, to Thee we bow, To Thee for help we call;

Our life and resurrection Thou,
Our hope, our joy, our all.

41

Abide with us, for it is towards evening.
Luke xxiv.

1 АH Jesu Christ, with us abide,

For now, behold, 'tis eventide: And bring, to cheer us through the night, Thy Word, our true and only light. In times of trial and distress Preserve our truth and stedfastness, And pure unto the end, O Lord, Vouchsafe Thy Sacraments and Word. 2 O Jesu Christ, Thy Church sustain; Our hearts are wavering, cold, and vain : Then let Thy Word be strong and clear To silence doubt and banish fear. O guard us all from Satan's wiles, From worldly threats and worldly smiles, And let Thy saints in unity

Know Thee in God and God in Thee.

3 The days are evil: all around
Strife, errors, blasphemies abound,
And secret slander's withering eye,
And soft-tongued, sleek hypocrisy.
From these and all of God abhorred,
O Christ, protect us by Thy Word;
Increase our faith and hope and love,
And bring us to Thy fold above.

42 He worketh signs in heaven and in earth.

Dan

1 SLOWLY, slowly from the caves of night Steps the sun upon his path of light, Paling stars, and red clouds upward flying,

The great day-king's advent prophesying.
2 Slowly, slowly to the waiting field
Comes the spring in wavy mist concealed,
Merry lark and merle and plover's crying
The sweet season's advent prophesying.

3 Slowly, slowly nature's care again
Robes the naked forest, hill and plain,
Bursting buds and odorous breezes sighing
The rich summer's advent prophesying.

4 Slowly, slowly from unconscious rest Love and joy wake in the suckling's breast,

Laughing eyes to mother-eyes replying The glad child-love's advent prophesying. 5 Slowly, slowly nears its promised birth Heaven's mercy to the groaning earth, Whispers in the wide world born and dying

The Redeemer's Advent prophesying.

43

The Lord cometh. Jude.

1 IN patient faith, till Christ shall come
To call His duteous servants home,

Our hearts and minds we keep,
Still looking for that glorious day
When heaven and earth shall melt away,
And saints awake from sleep.

2 And signs there be, in this late time,
Once more of hope's reviving prime,

As in redemption's morn;
The feverous earth doth shake again,
Groaning and travailing in pain,

Till some new change be born.
3 With no unheedful hearts we hear
The mutterings of convulsion near,
And terror soon to be;

Hosts gathering for the final strife
Of light and darkness, death and life,
With breathless awe we see.

4 We know that fearful darkness soon
Shall veil the face of sun and moon,

The stars forsake their spheres,
The powers of heaven, with fear aghast,
Tremble and quake, until at last

Christ's sign in heaven appears.

5 Then earth's rebellious tribes shall wail, And sinful hearts with terror fail,

While saints, despised so long,
From east and west, and south and north,
By angel trumpets summoned forth,
Peal one great triumph-song.

[blocks in formation]

2 Evil thoughts shall shake the proud,
Racking doubt and restless fear;
Then amid the thunder-cloud
Shall the Judge of men appear.
But though from that awful face
Heaven must fade and earth shall fly,
Fear ye not, His chosen race;
Your redemption draweth nigh.

45

Waiting for the coming of our Lord
Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. xi.

10 SAVIOUR, is Thy promise fled,
Nor longer might Thy grace endure
To heal the sick and raise the dead,
And preach Thy Gospel to the poor?
Come, Jesu, come, return again;

With brighter beam Thy servants bless,
Who long to see Thy perfect reign,

And share Thy kingdom's happiness. 2 A feeble race, by passion driven,

In darkness and in doubt we roam,
And lift our anxious eyes to heaven,

Our hope, our harbour, and our home.
Yet, mid the wild and wintry gale,

When death rides darkly o'er the sea, And strength and earthly daring fail, Our hopes, Redeemer, rest on Thee. 3 Come, Jesu, come, and as of yore

The prophet went to clear Thy way,
A harbinger Thy feet before,

A dawning to Thy brighter day,
So now may grace with heavenly shower
Our stony hearts for truth prepare,
Sow in our souls the seed of power;-
Then come and reap Thy harvest there.

John did baptize in the wilderness.
Mark i.

46
1 ON Jordan's bank the Baptist's cry
Tells that the Lamb of God is nigh:
Come near and hearken, for he brings
Glad tidings from the King of kings.
2 Be cleansed every Christian breast,
And furnished for so great a Guest:
Yea, let us each our heart prepare
That Christ may come and enter there.
3 For Thou art our salvation, Lord,
Our refuge, and our great reward;
Without Thy grace our souls must fade,
And perish like a flower decayed.

4 Stretch forth Thine hand to heal our sore, And bid us rise to fall no more;

« PreviousContinue »