1145 The light stoned in darkness. John i. 1. Gre moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He pants His footsteps in the sea, He treasures up His bright designs, 2 Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take, 3 His purposes will ripen fast, But sweet will be the flowa. And scan His work in vain: 1146 God is love. 1 John ir. I WE cannot always trace the way Where Thou, Almighty One, dost n But we can always, always say That God is love. 2 When chilling fear the bosom wrings, The restless soul to heaven above As to her sanctuary springs, For God is love. 1147 God loved the world. John r. 1 EARTH, with her ten thousand flowers, Air, with all its beams and showers, Ocean's infinite expanse, Heaven's refulgent countenance, All around, and all above, Bear the record-God is love. 2 Sounds among the vales and hills, In the woods, and by the rills, Of the breeze and of the bird By the gentle summer stirred; All these sounds beneath, above, Have one burden-God is love. 3 All the hopes and fears that dart From the fountain of the heart; All the quiet bliss that lies In our human sympathies: These are voices from above Sweetly saying-God is love. How the truest, tenderest love Ever fills Thy heart, my God, Helping, cheering, on their roa All who in Thy service move. All things else have but their God's love only lasts for aye. 2 As the eagle o'er her nest Spreads her sheltering wings a So from all that would molest Doth Thine arm defend me, L From my youth up, e'en till now Of the being Thou didst give, And the earthly life I live, Faithful Guardian still wert Tho All things else have but their God's love only lasts for aye. 3 When His strokes upon me light Bitterly I feel their smart, Yet are they, if seen aright, Tokens that my Father's hear Yearns to bring me back again Through these crosses to His From the world that fain wou Soul and body in its chain. All things else have but their God's love only lasts for aye. 4 Since then neither change nor en In Thy love can e'er have pla Fathe beseech Thee send |