Gadsby's Hymnal
#301 7s John Berridge
Inconstancy. Ps. 39. 5-7, 11; Job 25. 6
1 Well, at length I plainly see,
Every man is vanity;
In his best and brightest form,
But a shadow or a worm.
2 Such a shade I am in view,
Empty, dark, and fleeting too;
Such a worm of nothing worth,
Crawling out and in the earth.
3 [Very foolish, very base,
Notwithstanding Jesus’ grace.
Murmuring oft for gospel-bread,
Growing wanton when full fed.]
4 [Brisk and dull in half an hour,
Hot and cold, and sweet and sour;
Sometimes grave at Jesus’ school,
Sometimes light, and play the fool.]
5 What a motley wretch am I!
Full of inconsistency!
Sure the plague is in my heart,
Else I could not act this part.
6 Let me come unto my Lord,
Self-condemnèd and abhorred;
Take the sinner’s safe retreat,
Lie and blush at Jesus’ feet.
7 [If my heart is broken well,
God will surely with me dwell;
Yet amazèd I would be,
How the Lord should dwell with me.]
302 8.8.6. John Berridge
Pressing to Jesus through the Crowd. Phil. 3. 12-14
1 If unto Jesus thou art bound,
A crowd about him will be found,
Attending day and night;
A worldly crowd to din thy ears,
And crowds of unbelieving fears,
To hide him from thy sight.
2 Yet all the vain and noisy crowd
Is but a thin and lowering cloud,
A mist before thy eyes;
If thou press on, the crowds will fly,
Or if thou faint, to Jesus cry,
And he will send supplies.
3 This only way can pilgrims go,
And all complain, as thou wilt do,
Of crowds that daily come;
Yet though beset by crafty foes,
And passing through a thousand woes,
They get securely home.
4 [But such as seem to run the race,
And meet no crowd to check their pace,
Are only rambling still;
Not fairly entered on the list,
The gate and narrow way they missed,
Which lead to Zion’s hill.]
5 O Lord, a cheering look bestow,
Or lend a hand to help me through,
And draw me up to thee;
And when, through fear, I only creep,
Or dare not move a single step,
Yet thou canst come to me.
303 7s C. Wesley
Tempted; but Flying to Christ the Refuge. Ps. 57. 1
1 Jesus, Lover of my soul,
Let me to thy bosom fly,
While the raging billows roll,
While the tempest still is high.
Hide me, O my Saviour, hide,
Till the storm of life is past;
Safe into the haven guide;
O receive my soul at last!
2 [Other refuge have I none,
Hangs my helpless soul on thee;
Leave, ah! leave me not alone;
Still support and comfort me.
All my trust on thee is stayed;
All my help from thee I bring;
Cover my defenceless head
With the shadow of thy wing.]
3 Thou, O Christ, art all I want;
All in all in thee I find;
Raise the fallen, cheer the faint,
Heal the sick, and lead the blind.
Just and holy is thy name;
I am all unrighteousness;
Vile and full of sin I am;
Thou art full of truth and grace;
4 Plenteous grace with thee is found;
Grace to pardon all my sin;
Let the healing streams abound;
Make and keep me pure within.
Thou of life the Fountain art;
Freely let me take of thee;
Spring thou up within my heart,
Rise to all eternity.
304 L.M. J. Hart
Unsettledness. Job 7. 3; Ps. 55. 1
1 Lord, what a riddle is my soul!
Alive when wounded, dead when whole!
Fondly I flee from pain, yet ease
Cannot content, nor pleasure please.
2 Thou hid’st thy face, my sins abound;
World, flesh, and Satan all surround;
Fain would I find my God, but fear
The means, perhaps, may prove severe.
3 [If thou the least displeasure show,
And bring my vileness to my view,
Timorous and weak, I shrink and say,
“Lord, keep thy chastening hand away.”
4 If reconciled I see thy face,
Thy matchless mercy, boundless grace,
O’ercome with bliss, I cry, “Remove
That killing sight, I die with love.”]
5 My dear Redeemer, purge this dross;
Teach me to hug and love the cross;
Teach me thy chastening to sustain,
Discern the love, and bear the pain.
6 Nor spare to make me clearly see
The sorrows thou hast felt for me;
If death must follow, I comply;
Let me be sick with love, and die.
305 C.M. J. Hart
Tribulation. 2 Tim. 3. 12
1 The souls that would to Jesus press,
Must fix this firm and sure,
That tribulation, more or less,
They must and shall endure.
2 From this there can be none exempt;
’Tis God’s own wise decree;
Satan the weakest saint will tempt,
Nor is the strongest free.
3 [The world opposes from without,
And unbelief within;
We fear, we faint, we grieve, we doubt,
And feel the load of sin.]
4 [Glad frames too often lift us up,
And then how proud we grow!
Till sad desertion makes us droop,
And down we sink as low.]
5 [Ten thousand baits the foe prepares
To catch the wandering heart;
And seldom do we see the snares
Before we feel the smart.]
6 But let not all this terrify;
Pursue the narrow path;
Look to the Lord with steadfast eye,
And fight with hell by faith.
7 Though we are feeble, Christ is strong;
His promises are true;
We shall be conquerors all ere long,
And more than conquerors too.
306 7.6. J. Hart
“Lord ... thou canst make me clean.” Matt. 8. 2
1 O the pangs by Christians felt,
When their eyes are open;
When they see the gulfs of guilt
They must wade and grope in;
When the hell appears within,
Causing bitter anguish,
And the loathsome stench of sin
Makes the spirit languish.
2 Now the heart disclosed, betrays
All its hid disorders,
Enmity to God’s right ways,
Blasphemies and murders;
Malice, envy, lust, and pride,
Thoughts obscene and filthy;
Sores corrupt and putrefied,
No part sound or healthy.
3 [All things to promote our fall
Show a mighty fitness;
Satan will accuse withal,
And the conscience witness;
Foes within, and foes without,
Wrath, and law, and terrors,
Rash presumption, timid doubt,
Coldness, deadness, errors.]
4 Brethren, in a state so sad,
When temptations seize us,
When our hearts we feel thus bad,
Let us look to Jesus.
He that hung upon the cross,
For his people bleeding,
Now in heaven sits, for us
Always interceding.
5 Vengeance, when the Saviour died,
Quitted the believer;
Justice cried, “I’m satisfied,
Now, henceforth, for ever.”
“It is finished,” said the Lord,
In his dying minute;
Holy Ghost, repeat the word,
Full salvation’s in it.
6 [Leprous soul, press through the crowd
In thy foul condition;
Struggle hard, and call aloud
On the great Physician.
Wait till thy disease he cleanse,
Begging, trusting, cleaving;
When, and where, and by what means,
To his wisdom leaving.]
307 148th J. Hart
“Blessed is the man that endureth temptation.” James 1.12
1 And must it, Lord, be so?
And must thy children bear
Such various kinds of woe,
Such soul-perplexing fear?
Are these the blessings we expect?
Is this the lot of God’s elect?
2 [Boast not, ye sons of earth,
Nor look with scornful eyes;
Above your highest mirth,
Our saddest hours we prize;
For though our cup seems filled with gall,
There’s something secret sweetens all.]
3 How harsh soe’er the way,
Dear Saviour, still lead on,
Nor leave us till we say
“Father, thy will be done.”
At most we do but taste the cup,
For thou alone hast drunk it up.
4 Shall guilty man complain?
Shall sinful dust repine?
And what is all our pain?
How light compared with thine!
Finish, dear Lord, what is begun;
Choose thou the way, but still lead on.
308 S.M. J. Hart
The Narrow Way. Matt. 7. 13, 14; Luke 13. 24
1 Wide is the gate of death;
The way is large and broad;
And many enter in thereat,
And walk that beaten road.
2 Because the gate of life
Is narrow, low, and small;
The path so pressed, so close, so strait,
There seems no path at all.
3 [This way, that’s found by few,
Ten thousand snares beset,
To turn the seeker’s steps aside,
And trap the traveller’s feet.]
4 [Before we’ve journeyed far,
Two dangerous gulfs are fixed,
Dead sloth and pharisaic pride,
Scarce a hair’s breadth betwixt.]
5 [False lights delude the eyes,
And lead the steps astray;
That traveller treads the surest here
That seldom sees his way.]
6 [Guides cry, “Lo here!” “Lo there!”
“On this, on that side keep;”
Some overdrive, some frighten back,
And others lull to sleep.]
7 [On the left hand and right,
Close, cragged rocks are seen,
Distrust and self-wrought confidence;
’Tis hard to squeeze between.]
8 [Sometimes we seem to gain
Great lengths of ground by day;
But find, alas! when night comes on,
We quite mistook the way.]
9 [Sometimes we have no strength;
Sometimes we want the will;
And sometimes, lest we might go wrong,
We choose to stand quite still.]
10 [Again, through heedless haste,
We catch some dangerous fall;
Then, fearing we may move too fast,
We hardly move at all.]
11 [Deep quagmires choke the way;
Corruptions foul and thick;
Whose stench infects the air, and makes
The strongest traveller sick.]
12 [Through these we long must wade,
And oft stick fast in mire;
Now heat consumes, now frost benumbs,
As dangerous as the fire.]
13 [Spectres, of various forms,
Allure, enchant, affright;
Presumption tempts us every day;
Despair assaults by night.]
14 [Companions if we find,
Alas! how soon they’re gone!
For ’tis decreed that most must pass
The darkest paths alone.]
15 Distressed on every side
With evils, felt or feared;
We pray, we cry, but cannot find
That prayers or cries are heard.
16 Thickets of briers and thorns
Our feeble feet enclose;
And every step we take betrays
New dangers and new foes.
17 When all these foes are quelled,
And every danger past,
That ghastly phantom, Death, remains
To combat with at last.
308A S.M. J. Hart
The Narrow Way. Matt. 7. 13, 14; Luke 13. 24
1 If this be, Lord, thy way,
Then who can hope to gain
That prize such numbers never seek,
Such numbers seek in vain?
2 ’Tis thy almighty grace
That can suffice alone;
Thou giv’st us strength to run the race,
And then bestow’st a crown.
3 Cheer up, ye travelling souls;
On Jesus’ aid rely;
He sees us when we see not him,
And always hears our cry.
4 [Without cessation pray;
Your prayers will not prove vain;
Our Joseph turns aside to weep,
But cannot long refrain.]
5 [Sudden he stands confessed;
We look, and all is light;
The foe, confounded, swift as thought,
Sneaks off, and skulks from sight.]
6 [His presence cheers the soul,
And smooths the rugged way;
He often makes the crooked straight,
And turns the night to day.]
7 [We then move cheerful on;
The ground feels firm and good;
And, lest we should mistake the way,
He lines it out with blood.]
8 [Again, we cannot see
His helping hand, but feel;
And though we neither feel nor see,
His hand sustains us still.]
9 He gently leads us on;
Protects from fatal harms;
And when we faint and cannot walk,
He bears us in his arms.
10 [He guides, and moves our steps,
For though we seem to move,
His Spirit all the motion gives,
By springs of fear and love.]
11 The meek with love he draws;
Restrains the rash by fear;
Searches and finds the wandering out,
And brings the distant near.
12 When for a time we stop,
Perplexed and at a loss,
He, like a beacon on a hill,
Erects his bloody cross.
13 Forward again we press,
And, while that mark’s in view,
Though hosts of foes beset the way,
We boldly venture through.
14 When all these foes are quelled,
And every danger past,
Though Death remains, he but remains
To be subdued at last.
309 11.9. J. Hart
The Christian’s Life a Paradox. 2 Cor. 4. 8-11
How strange is the course that a Christian must steer!
How perplexed is the path he must tread!
The hope of his happiness rises from fear,
And his life he receives from the dead.
2
His fairest pretensions must wholly be waived,
And his best resolutions be crossed;
Nor can he expect to be perfectly saved,
Till he finds himself utterly lost.
3
When all this is done, and his heart is assured
Of the total remission of sins,
When his pardon is signed and his peace is procured,
From that moment his conflict begins.
310 C.M. J. Hart
“Create in me a clean heart.” Ps. 51. 10; Mark 7. 21
1 Lord, when thy Spirit descends to show
The badness of our hearts,
Astonished at the amazing view,
The soul with horror starts.
2 [The dungeon, opening foul as hell,
Its loathsome stench emits;
And, brooding in each secret cell,
Some hideous monster sits.]
3 [Swarms of ill thoughts their bane diffuse,
Proud, envious, false, unclean;
And every ransacked corner shows
Some unsuspected sin.]
4 Our staggering faith gives way to doubt;
Our courage yields to fear;
Shocked at the sight, we straight cry out,
“Can ever God dwell here?”
5 None less than God’s Almighty Son
Can move such loads of sin;
The water from his side must run,
To wash this dungeon clean.
6 O come, thou much-expected Guest!
Lord Jesus, quickly come!
Enter the chamber of my breast;
Thyself prepare the room.
7 For should’st thou stay till thou canst meet
Reception worthy thee,
With sinners thou would’st never sit –
At least I’m sure with me.
8 When, when will that blest time arrive,
When thou wilt kindly deign
With me to sit, to lodge, to live;
And never part again?
311 S.M. J. Hart
Faith is the Victory. Acts 13. 38, 39; 1 John 5. 4, 5
1 Whoe’er believes aright
In Christ’s atoning blood,
Of all his guilt’s acquitted quite,
And may draw near to God.
2 But sin will still remain;
Corruptions rise up thick;
And Satan says the medicine’s vain
Because we yet are sick.
3 But all this will not do;
Our hope’s on Jesus cast;
Let all be liars and him be true,
We shall be well at last.
312 S.M. J. Hart
Temptation. Matt. 4. 3-10; 1 Cor. 10. 13; Heb. 4. 15
1 Ye tempted souls, reflect
Whose name ‘tis you profess;
Your Master’s lot you must expect –
Temptations more or less.
2 Dream not of faith so clear
As shuts all doubtings out;
Remember how the devil dared
To tempt e’en Christ to doubt.
3 [“If thou’rt the Son of God,”
(O what an IF was there!)
“These stones here, speak them into food,
And make that Sonship clear.”]
4 [View that amazing scene!
Say, could the tempter try
To shake a tree so sound, so green?
Good God, defend the dry!]
5 Think not he now will fail
To make us shrink and droop;
Our faith he daily will assail,
And dash our every hope.
6 [That impious IF he thus
At God incarnate threw,
No wonder if he cast at us,
And make us feel it too.]
7 To cause despair’s the scope
Of Satan and his powers;
Against hope to believe in hope,
My brethren, must be ours.
8 Buts, ifs, and hows are hurled
To sink us with the gloom
Of all that’s dismal in this world,
Or in the world to come.
9 But here’s our point of rest:
Though hard the battle seem,
Our Captain stood the fiery test,
And we shall stand through him.
313 148th J. Hart
“The spirit ... lusteth to envy.” James 4. 5
1 What tongue can fully tell
That Christian’s grievous load,
Who would do all things well,
And walk the ways of God,
But feels within foul envy lurk,
And lust, and work, engendering sin?
2 [Poor, wretched, worthless worm!
In what sad plight I stand!
When good I would perform,
Then evil is at hand.
My leprous soul is all unclean,
My heart obscene, my nature foul.]
3 To trust to Christ alone,
By thousand dangers scared,
And righteousness have none,
Is something very hard.
Whate’er men say, the needy know
It must be so, it is the way.
4 Thou all-sufficient Lamb,
God blest for evermore,
We glory in thy name,
For thine is all the power.
Stretch forth thy hand, and hold us fast,
Our First and Last, in thee we stand.
314 S.M. J. Hart
“O wretched man that I am.” Rom. 7. 13-24
1 How sore a plague is sin,
To those by whom ’tis felt!
The Christian cries, “Unclean, unclean!”
E’en though released from guilt.
2 O wretched, wretched man!
What horrid scenes I view!
I find, alas! do all I can,
That I can nothing do.
3 When good I would perform,
Through fear or shame I stop,
Corruption rises like a storm,
And blasts the promised crop.
4 [Of peace if I’m in quest,
Or love my thoughts engage,
Envy and anger in my breast
That moment rise and rage.]
5 [When for a humble mind
To God I pour my prayer,
I look into my heart, and find
That pride will still be there.]
6 How long, dear Lord, how long
Deliverance must I seek;
And fight with foes so very strong,
Myself so very weak?
7 I’ll bear the unequal strife,
And wage the war within;
Since death, that puts an end to life,
Shall put an end to sin.
315 7.6. J. Hart
“But thou shalt know hereafter.” John 13. 7
1 Righteous are the works of God;
All his ways are holy;
Just his judgments, fit his rod
To correct our folly.
2 All his dealings wise and good,
Uniform, though various;
Though they seem, by reason viewed,
Cross, or quite contrarious.
3 These are truths, and happy he
Who can well receive them;
Brethren, though we cannot see,
Still we should believe them.
4 Why through darksome paths we go,
We may know no reason;
Yet we shall hereafter know,
Each in his due season.
5 Could we see how all is right,
Where were room for credence?
But by faith, and not by sight,
Christians yield obedience.
6 Let all fruitless searches go,
Which perplex and tease us;
We determine nought to know,
But a bleeding Jesus.
316 L.M. J. Hart
Stony Heart. Isa. 64. 1; Ezek. 11. 19; 36. 26
1 O for a glance of heavenly day,
To take this stubborn stone away:
And thaw, with beams of love divine,
This heart, this frozen heart of mine!
2 [The rocks can rend, the earth can quake,
The seas can roar, the mountains shake;
Of feeling all things show some sign,
But this unfeeling heart of mine.]
3 To hear the sorrows thou hast felt,
Dear Lord, an adamant would melt;
But I can read each moving line,
And nothing move this heart of mine.
4 Thy judgments, too, unmoved I hear,
(Amazing thought!) which devils fear;
Goodness and wrath in vain combine
To stir this stupid heart of mine.
5 But something yet can do the deed,
And that dear something much I need;
Thy Spirit can from dross refine,
And move and melt this heart of mine.
317 L.M. Isaac Watts
Distinguishing Love. Rom. 9. 15; 2 Pet. 2. 4-9
1 From heaven the sinning angels fell,
And wrath and darkness chained them down;
But man, vile man, forsook his bliss,
And mercy lifts him to a crown.
2 Amazing work of sovereign grace,
That could distinguish rebels so!
Our guilty treasons called aloud
For everlasting fetters too.
3 To thee, to thee, Almighty Love,
Our souls, ourselves, our all we pay;
Millions of tongues shall sound thy praise
On the bright hills of heavenly day.
318 S.M. Isaac Watts
God’s Unchangeable Love. Ps. 106. 7-48; Lev. 26. 40, 42
1 God of eternal love,
How fickle are our ways!
And yet how oft did Israel prove
Thy constancy and grace!
2 [They saw thy wonders wrought,
And then thy praise they sung;
But soon thy works of power forgot,
And murmured with their tongue.]
3 Now they believe his word,
While rocks with rivers flow;
Now with their lusts provoke the Lord,
And he reduced them low.
4 Yet, when they mourned their faults,
He hearkened to their groans,
Brought his own covenant to his thoughts,
And called them still his sons.
5 [Their names were in his book;
He saved them from their foes;
Oft he chastised, but ne’er forsook
The people that he chose.]
6 Let Israel bless the Lord,
Who loved their ancient race;
And Christians join the solemn word,
Amen, to all the praise.
319 8s J. Swain
Comfort under Affliction. Zech. 3. 2; 2 Cor. 1. 4
1 How light, while supported by grace,
Are all the afflictions I see,
To those the dear Lord of my peace,
My Jesus, has suffered for me!
To him every comfort I owe,
Above what the fiends have in hell;
And shall I not sing as I go,
That Jesus does everything well?
2 [That Jesus who stooped from his throne,
To pluck such a brand from the fire.
A wretch that had nought of his own,
Not even a holy desire.
My only inheritance sin,
A slave to rebellion and lust;
Polluted without and within,
A child of corruption and dust.
3 Such was I when Jesus looked down,
When none but himself could relieve;
What could I expect but a frown?
Yet kindly he smiled, and said, “Live!”
And shall I impatiently fret
And murmur beneath his kind rod?
His love and his mercy forget,
And fly in the face of my God?]
4 Dear Jesus, preserve me in love,
And teach me on thee to rely;
Give wisdom and strength from above,
Nor let me against thee reply;
Then I thy great name will adore,
And cheerfully bear up the cross,
Nor wish thee to lessen the power
Which purges my conscience from dross.
320 C.M. WIlliam Cowper
Light Shining out of Darkness. Ps. 77. 19
1 God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.
2 Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never-failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs,
And works his sovereign will.
3 Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
In blessings on your head.
4 Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.
5 His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.
6 Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.
321 104th Samuel Medley
“The Lord will appear.” Lev. 9. 4; Is. 66. 5
My soul, Lord, inflame with zeal from above,
Thy praise to proclaim and sing of thy love;
To lift up my voice in thanksgiving sincere,
This truth to rejoice in, The Lord will appear.
2
How joyful this sound, while daily I find
Afflictions abound in body and mind!
It oft has afforded relief from my fear,
To find it recorded, The Lord will appear.
3
[I have, as I seem, when left in the dark,
Of light not a beam, of love not a spark;
And though thus in pain for an evidence clear,
I can’t wait in vain, for The Lord will appear.]
4
[A warfare I find without and within,
With legions combined, world, Satan, and sin.
Though sore they annoy me, I’ll be of good cheer,
They cannot destroy me, The Lord will appear.]
5
My fears sometimes say I never shall find,
In death’s awful day true peace in my mind;
But though thus surrounded, yet, when I come there,
I can’t be confounded, The Lord will appear.
6
My dust he will raise, and glory he’ll give;
And I to his praise in heaven shall live;
There he will deliver my soul from all fear,
And to me, for ever, The Lord will appear.
322 104th Samuel Medley
’Tis all for the best. Rom. 8. 28
My soul, now arise, my passions, take wing;
Look up to the skies, and cheerfully sing;
Let God be the Object in praises addressed,
And this be my subject, ’Tis all for the best.
2
Search all the world through, examine and see,
And what canst thou view more suited to thee
Than this declaration, in Scripture expressed,
That God, thy Salvation, does all for the best?
3
Though here, day by day, his love shall see good
Upon thee to lay his fatherly rod;
Yet be not dejected, however oppressed,
Though sorely afflicted, ’tis all for the best.
4
The beams of his grace are passing all worth,
The smiles of his face are heaven on earth;
When to me he shows them, what joy fills my breast!
And when he withdraws them, ’tis all for the best.
5
But O, the blest day, and soon ‘twill arise,
When, freed from my clay, I mount to the skies;
Then gladly I’ll enter my heavenly rest,
And there sing for ever, ’Tis all for the best.
323 L.M. WIlliam Cowper
Return of Joy. Isa. 54. 7-10; Job 34. 29
1 When darkness long has veiled my mind,
And smiling day once more appears,
Then, my Redeemer, then I find
The folly of my doubts and fears.
2 I chide my unbelieving heart,
And blush that I should ever be
Thus prone to act so base a part,
Or harbour one hard thought of thee.
3 O let me then at length be taught
(What I am still so slow to learn)
That God is love, and changes not,
Nor knows the shadow of a turn.
4 Sweet truth, and easy to repeat!
But when my faith is sharply tried,
I find myself a learner yet,
Unskilful, weak, and apt to slide.
5 But, O my Lord, one look from thee
Subdues the disobedient will;
Drives doubt and discontent away,
And thy rebellious worm is still.
6 Thou art as ready to forgive
As I am ready to repine;
Thou, therefore, all the praise receive;
Be shame and self-abhorrence mine.
324 104th John Newton
The Lord will provide. Gen. 22. 14; Matt. 6. 26
Though troubles assail and dangers affright;
Though friends should all fail, and foes all unite,
Yet one thing secures us, whatever betide,
The Scripture assures us, The Lord will provide.
2
When Satan appears to stop up our path,
And fills us with fears, we triumph by faith;
He cannot take from us, though oft he has tried,
This heart-cheering promise, The Lord will provide.
3
He tells us we’re weak, our hope is in vain,
The good that we seek we ne’er shall obtain;
But when such suggestions our spirits have plied,
This answers all questions, The Lord will provide.
4
No strength of our own, or goodness we claim;
Yet since we have known the Saviour’s great name,
In this our strong tower for safety we hide,
The Lord is our power, The Lord will provide.
5
When life sinks apace, and death is in view,
This word of his grace shall comfort us through;
No fearing or doubting with Christ on our side;
We hope to die shouting, The Lord will provide.
325 C.M. Isaac Watts
Assistance and Victory in Spiritual Warfare. Ps. 55. 18
1 For ever blessèd be the Lord,
My Saviour and my shield;
He sends his Spirit with his word,
To arm me for the field.
2 When sin and hell their force unite,
He makes my soul his care;
Instructs me to the heavenly fight,
And guards me through the war.
3 A Friend and Helper so divine,
Does my weak courage raise;
He makes the glorious victory mine,
And his shall be the praise.
326 L.M. Isaac Watts
Our Weakness, and Christ our Strength. 2 Cor. 12. 9
1 Let me but hear my Saviour say,
“Strength shall be equal to thy day;”
Then I rejoice in deep distress,
Leaning on all-sufficient grace.
2 I glory in infirmity,
That Christ’s own power may rest on me;
When I am weak, then am I strong;
Grace is my shield, and Christ my song.
3 I can do all things, or can bear
All sufferings, if my Lord be there;
Sweet pleasures mingle with the pains
While his left hand my head sustains.
4 But if the Lord be once withdrawn,
And we attempt the work alone,
When new temptations spring and rise,
We find how great our weakness is.
327 C.M. Isaac Watts
Jehovah the Strength of his People. Isa. 40. 29
1 Whence do our mournful thoughts arise?
And where’s our courage fled?
Has restless sin and raging hell
Struck all our comforts dead?
2 Have we forgot the almighty Name
That formed the earth and sea?
And can an all-creating arm
Grow weary, or decay?
3 Treasures of everlasting might
In our Jehovah dwell;
He gives the conquest to the weak,
And treads their foes to hell.
4 Mere mortal power shall fade and die,
And youthful vigour cease;
But we that wait upon the Lord
Shall feel our strength increase.
5 The saints shall mount on eagles’ wings,
And taste the promised bliss,
Till their unwearied feet arrive
Where perfect pleasure is.
328 L.M. J. Fawcett
“As thy days, so shall thy strength be.” Deut. 33. 25
1 Afflicted saint, to Christ draw near,
Thy Saviour’s gracious promise hear;
His faithful word declares to thee,
That as thy days, thy strength shall be.
2 Let not thy heart despond, and say,
“How shall I stand the trying day?”
He has engaged, by firm decree,
That as thy days, thy strength shall be.
3 Thy faith is weak, thy foes are strong;
And if the conflict should be long,
Thy Lord will make the tempter flee;
For as thy days, thy strength shall be.
4 Should persecution rage and flame,
Still trust in thy Redeemer’s name;
In fiery trials thou shalt see,
That as thy days, thy strength shall be.
5 When called to bear the weighty cross,
Or sore affliction, pain, or loss,
Or deep distress, or poverty,
Still, as thy days, thy strength shall be.
6 When ghastly death appears in view,
Christ’s presence shall thy fears subdue;
He comes to set thy spirit free,
And as thy days, thy strength shall be.
329 11s K., 1787
“Exceeding great and precious promises.” 2 Pet. 1. 4
How firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord,
Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!
What more can he say than to you he has said,
You who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?
2
In every condition – in sickness, in health,
In poverty’s vale, or abounding in wealth;
At home, or abroad, on the land, on the sea,
“As thy days may demand, shall thy strength ever be.
3
“Fear not, I am with thee; O be not dismayed;
I, I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;
I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,
Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand.
4
“When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
5
“When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie,
My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
6
“E’en down to old age, all my people shall prove
My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love;
And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn,
Like lambs they shall still in my bosom be borne.
7
“The soul that on Jesus has leaned for repose,
I will not, I will not desert to his foes;
That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake,
I’ll never, no never, no never forsake.”
330 S.M. Augustus Toplady
Weak Believers Encouraged. Ps. 27. 14; Isa. 49. 23
1 Your harps, ye trembling saints,
Down from the willows take;
Loud to the praise of Christ our Lord,
Bid every string awake.
2 Though in a foreign land,
We are not far from home;
And nearer to our house above,
We every moment come.
3 His grace shall to the end,
Stronger and brighter shine;
Nor present things, nor things to come,
Shall quench the spark divine.
4 The time of love will come,
When we shall clearly see,
Not only that he shed his blood,
But each shall say, “For me.”
5 Tarry his leisure, then;
Wait the appointed hour;
Wait till the Bridegroom of your souls
Reveal his love with power.
6 [Blest is the man, O God,
Whose mind is stayed on thee;
Who waits for thy salvation, Lord,
Shall thy salvation see.]
331 L.M. P. Doddridge
Choosing the Better Part. Luke 10. 42; Ps. 46. 1-3
1 Beset with snares on every hand,
In life’s uncertain path I stand;
Saviour divine, diffuse thy light,
To guide my doubtful footsteps right.
2 Engage this roving, treacherous heart
To fix on Christ, my better part;
To scorn the trifles of a day,
For joys that none can take away.
3 Then let the wildest storms arise;
Let tempests mingle earth and skies;
No fatal shipwreck shall I fear,
But all my treasures with me bear.
4 If thou, my Jesus, still be nigh,
Cheerful I live, and joyful die;
Secure, when mortal comforts flee,
To find ten thousand worlds in thee.
332 L.M. P. Doddridge
“God is faithful.” 1 Cor. 10. 13
1 Now let the feeble all be strong,
And make Jehovah’s arm their song;
His shield is spread o’er every saint,
And thus supported, who shall faint?
2 What though the hosts of hell engage
With mingled cruelty and rage?
A faithful God restrains their hands,
And chains them down in iron bands.
3 Bound by his word, he will display
A strength proportioned to our day;
And when united trials meet,
Will show a path of safe retreat.
4 Thus far we prove that promise good,
Which Jesus ratified with blood;
Still is he gracious, wise, and just,
And still in him let Israel trust.
333 8.7.4. J. Fawcett
Cast Down, yet Hoping in God. Ps. 42. 5-11; 43. 5
1 O my soul, what means this sadness?
Wherefore art thou thus cast down?
Let thy griefs be turned to gladness;
Bid thy restless fears be gone;
Look to Jesus,
And rejoice in his dear name.
2 What though Satan’s strong temptations
Vex and tease thee day by day,
And thy sinful inclinations
Often fill thee with dismay?
Thou shalt conquer,
Through the Lamb’s redeeming blood.
3 Though ten thousand ills beset thee,
From without and from within,
Jesus says he’ll ne’er forget thee,
But will save from hell and sin;
He is faithful,
To perform his gracious word.
4 Though distresses now attend thee,
And thou tread’st the thorny road,
His right hand shall still defend thee;
Soon he’ll bring thee home to God;
Therefore praise him;
Praise the great Redeemer’s name.
5 O that I could now adore him
Like the heavenly host above,
Who for ever bow before him,
And unceasing sing his love!
Happy songsters!
When shall I your chorus join?
334 8s J. Kent
The Church Coming from the Wilderness. Song 8. 5
1 Behold, from the desert of sin,
The world, and the curse of the law,
A fair one, whose garments are clean,
Does with her Beloved withdraw;
Retiring from thence, she appears
Dejected, and often complains,
Surrounded with sorrows and fears,
Yet on her Beloved she leans.
2 Thus up from the desert she goes,
Sustained both in fire and in flood;
Victorious, to vanquish her foes,
And all through the Lamb and his blood.
By faith she’s enabled to view
Fair Canaan’s delectable plains,
And faint, yet her course shall pursue,
When on her Beloved she leans.
3 [When darkness envelops her mind,
By faith she shall hold on her way;
And, in the sweet promise, shall find
Her strength shall suffice for the day;
No fiery afflictions shall burn
Beyond what his wisdom ordains,
But times of refreshing return,
When on her Beloved she leans.]
4 Her woes are permitted of God,
Her faith and her patience to prove;
The kiss, or a stroke of his rod,
Is all from immutable love.
By crosses and losses, at last
From self her affections he weans,
That on him her hopes may stand fast,
While on her Beloved she leans.
5 When foiled by the tempter, she goes
And makes the atonement her plea,
There pardon eternally flows,
And love wipes her sorrows away;
And when with her pardon she’s blessed,
Communion with Jesus she gains,
No longer a sinner distressed,
For on her Beloved she leans.
335 S.M. John Berridge
Crosses at the Control of Christ. Heb. 12. 5; Job 5. 17
1 Poor angry bosom, hush,
Nor discontented grow;
But at thy own sad folly blush,
Which breedeth all the woe.
2 If sick, or lame, or poor,
Or by the world abhorred,
Whatever cross lies at thy door,
It cometh from the Lord.
3 The lions will not tear,
The billows cannot heave,
The furnace shall not singe thy hair,
Till Jesus give them leave.
4 The Lord is just and true,
And upright in his way;
He loves, but will correct us too,
Whene’er we run astray.
5 [With caution we should tread,
For as we sow we reap,
And oft bring mischief on our head,
By some unwary step.]
6 Lord, plant a godly fear
Before my roving eyes,
Lest some hid snake or wily snare
My heedless feet surprise.
7 Or should I start aside,
And meet a scourging God,
Let not my heart grow stiff with pride,
But weep and kiss the rod.
336 C.M. John Berridge
God’s Presence makes Glad. Ps. 30. 5-12; Jer. 31. 4
1 When I can sit at Jesus’ feet,
And he anoints my head,
Such peace ensues, so calm and sweet,
I think my foes all dead.
2 My simple heart then fondly dreams,
It will see war no more;
Too firm to shrink my mountain seems,
And every storm blows o’er.
3 [While thus a queen in state I sit,
Self hunts about for praise;
Talks much of frames and victories great,
That you may hear and gaze.]
4 Then Jesus sends a trying hour,
This lurking pride to quell;
My dead foes rise with dreadful power,
And drag me down to hell.
5 Now faints my heart within me quite,
My mountain disappears;
All grace is vanished from my sight,
And faith seems lost in fears.
6 At length my Lord, with sweet surprise,
Returns to loose my bands,
Brings kind compassion in his eyes,
And pardon in his hands.
7 I drop my vile head in the dust,
And at my Lord’s feet fall;
His grace is now my song and boast,
And Christ my All in All.
337 S.M. John Newton
The Pilgrim’s Song. Heb. 11. 13, 27
1 From Egypt lately freed,
By the Redeemer’s grace,
A rough and thorny path we tread,
In hopes to see his face.
2 The flesh dislikes the way,
But faith approves it well;
This only leads to endless day
All others lead to hell.
3 The promised land of peace,
Faith keeps in constant view;
How different from the wilderness
We now are passing through!
4 Here often from our eyes
Clouds hide the light divine;
There we shall have unclouded skies,
Our Sun will always shine.
5 Here griefs, and cares, and pains,
And fears distress us sore;
But there eternal pleasure reigns,
And we shall weep no more.
6 Lord, pardon our complaints;
We follow at thy call;
The joy prepared for suffering saints,
Will make amends for all.
338 148th WIlliam Cowper
The Lord my Banner. Exod. 17. 15
1 [By whom was David taught
To aim the dreadful blow,
When he Goliath fought,
And laid the Gittite low?
No sword nor spear the stripling took,
But chose a pebble from the brook.
2 ’Twas Israel’s God and King,
Who sent him to the fight,
Who gave him strength to sling
And skill to aim aright;
Ye feeble saints, your strength endures,
Because young David’s God is yours.]
3 [Who ordered Gideon forth,
To storm the invader’s camp,
With arms of little worth –
A pitcher and a lamp?
The trumpets made his coming known,
And all the host was overthrown.]
4 O! I have seen the day,
When, with a single word,
God helping me to say,
“My trust is in the Lord,”
My soul has quelled a thousand foes,
Fearless of all that could oppose.
5 But unbelief, self-will,
Self-righteousness, and pride,
How often do they steal
My weapon from my side!
Yet David’s Lord and Gideon’s Friend,
Will help his servant to the end.
339 148th W. Hammond
Immutability of God’s Will. Phil. 1. 6; Heb. 10. 35
1 O my distrustful heart,
How small thy faith appears!
But greater, Lord, thou art,
Than all my doubts and fears.
Did Jesus once upon me shine?
Then Jesus is for ever mine.
2 Unchangeable his will;
Whatever be my frame,
His loving heart is still
Eternally the same.
My soul through many changes goes;
His love no variation knows.
3 Thou, Lord, wilt carry on,
And perfectly perform,
The work thou hast begun
In me, a sinful worm;
’Midst all my fear, and sin, and woe,
Thy Spirit will not let me go.
4 The bowels of thy grace
At first did freely move;
I still shall see thy face,
And feel that God is love.
My soul into thy arms I cast;
I trust I shall be saved at last.
340 8s Augustus Toplady
Saints’ Final Perseverance. Rom. 8. 33-39; Isa. 49. 15
1 A debtor to mercy alone,
Of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear, with thy righteousness on,
My person and offerings to bring.
The terrors of law and of God
With me can have nothing to do;
My Saviour’s obedience and blood
Hide all my transgressions from view.
2 The work which his goodness began,
The arm of his strength will complete;
His promise is Yea and Amen,
And never was forfeited yet.
Things future, nor things that are now,
Not all things below nor above,
Can make him his purpose forego,
Or sever my soul from his love.
3 My name from the palms of his hands
Eternity will not erase,
Impressed on his heart it remains,
In marks of indelible grace;
Yes, I to the end shall endure,
As sure as the earnest is given;
More happy, but not more secure,
The glorified spirits in heaven.
341 C.M. J. Fawcett
Perseverance Desired. Ps. 119. 117; 73. 24
1 Lord, hast thou made me know thy ways?
Conduct me in thy fear;
And grant me such supplies of grace,
That I may persevere.
2 Let but thy own almighty arm
Sustain a feeble worm,
I shall escape, secure from harm
Amid the dreadful storm.
3 Be thou my all-sufficient Friend,
Till all my toils shall cease;
Guard me through life, and let my end
Be everlasting peace.
342 7s W. Hammond
“My beloved is mine, and I am his.” Song 2. 16
1 Christ is mine, and I am his;
Centre, source, and sum of bliss;
Earth and hell in vain combine
Me and Jesus to disjoin.
2 Thou my fortress art and tower;
Having thee, I want no more.
Strong in thy full strength I stand;
None can pluck me from thy hand.
3 Nothing in myself I am;
All I have is in the Lamb.
While his face on me does shine,
All in heaven and earth is mine.
4 In my Jesus’ arms secure,
To the end I shall endure;
Join with me, ye angels, join!
Praise his name in hymns divine.
343 104th W. Hammond
“The mountains shall depart.” Isa. 54. 10
If Jesus is ours, we have a true Friend,
Whose goodness endures the same to the end;
Our comforts may vary, our frames may decline,
We cannot miscarry; our aid is divine.
2
Though God may delay to show us his light,
And heaviness may endure for a night,
Yet joy in the morning shall surely abound;
No shadow of turning in Jesus is found.
3
The hills may depart, and mountains remove,
But faithful thou art, O Fountain of Love.
The Father has graven our names on thy hands,
Our building in heaven eternally stands.
4
A moment he hid the light of his face,
Yet firmly decreed to save us by grace;
And though he reproved us, and still may reprove,
For ever he loved us, and ever will love.
344 C.M. W. Hammond
Perseverance. Ps. 89. 28-34; Isa. 49. 16
1 For us the dear Redeemer died;
Why are we then ashamed?
We stand for ever justified,
And cannot be condemned.
2 Though we believe not, he is true;
The work is in his hand;
His gracious purpose he will do.
And all his word shall stand.
3 If once the love of Christ we feel
Upon our hearts impressed,
The mark of that celestial seal
Can never be erased.
4 The Lord will scourge us if we stray,
And wound us with distress;
But he will never take away
His covenant of peace.
5 The peace which Jesus’ blood secures,
And fixes in our hearts,
To all eternity endures,
Nor finally departs.
345 S.M. P. Doddridge
Christ Knows and Keeps his Sheep. John 10. 27-30
1 My soul, with joy attend,
While Jesus silence breaks;
No angel’s harp such music yields
As what my Shepherd speaks.
2 “I know my sheep,” he cries;
“My soul approves them well;
Vain is the treacherous world’s disguise,
And vain the rage of hell.
3 “I freely feed them now
With tokens of my love.
But richer pastures I prepare,
And sweeter streams above.
4 “Unnumbered years of bliss
I to my sheep will give;
And while my throne unshaken stands,
Shall all my chosen live.
5 “This tried almighty hand
Is raised for their defence;
Where is the power can reach them there,
Or what can force them thence?”
6 Enough, my gracious Lord,
Let faith triumphant cry;
My heart can on this promise live;
Can on this promise die.
346 8s Augustus Toplady
Divine Protection. Ps. 3. 3-6; 121. 4; 1 Sam. 7. 12
1 A sovereign Protector I have,
Unseen, yet for ever at hand;
Unchangeably faithful to save,
Almighty to rule and command;
He smiles, and my comforts abound;
His grace as the dew shall descend;
And walls of salvation surround
The souls he delights to defend.
2 Kind Author and ground of my hope,
Thee, thee for my God I avow;
My glad Ebenezer set up,
And own thou hast helped me till now.
I muse on the years that are past,
Wherein my defence thou hast proved;
Nor wilt thou relinquish at last
A sinner so signally loved.
347 7s J. Adams
Safety in Christ. Ps. 3. 1-3; Prov. 21. 31
1 Lord, how many are my foes!
Many they that me oppose;
Thou my strong Protector be;
All my safety is in thee.
2 Satan and my wicked heart
Often use their treacherous art;
Fain would make my soul to flee;
But my safety is in thee.
3 Thou hast said and thou art true,
“As I live, ye shall live too;”
Thou my Rock wilt ever be;
All my safety is in thee.
4 I’m a pilgrim here below;
Guide me all the desert through;
Let me, as I journey, see
All my safety is in thee.
5 Then, when landed on that shore,
Where my mind was fixed before,
In sweet raptures I shall see
All my safety was in thee.
348 C.M. Augustus Toplady
Safety in Christ. John 14. 19
1 Thy purchased people, gracious Lamb,
Thou never canst forget;
The piercing nails have wrote their name
Upon thy hands and feet.
2 Satan, in vain, with rage assails
Thy dear peculiar ones;
For them thy righteousness avails;
For them thy blood atones.
3 Vainly against the sheep he strives,
And wars with the Most High;
Their glorious Head for ever lives,
Nor can his members die.
4 Jesus shall his elect avenge,
Nor from his own remove;
Nor cancel his decree, nor change
His everlasting love.
349 8.7.4. J. Adams
Seeking Christ. John 10. 11, 28; 5. 24; Isa. 40. 11
1 Jesus, Shepherd of thy people,
Lead us through this desert land;
We are weak, and poor, and feeble,
Yet we trust thy mighty hand;
Great Protector!
By thy power alone we stand.
2 All thy sheep shall come to Zion;
With them thou wilt never part;
Beasts of prey, nor roaring lion,
None shall pluck them from thy heart;
All thy chosen
Cost thee wounds, and blood, and smart.
3 In thy bosom safely lodgèd,
Thine shall rest from danger free;
They shall never more be judgèd,
Nor shall condemnation see;
Blessed Jesus,
Let us thus rejoice in thee.
350 11.8. Henry Fowler
“The righteous ... shall hold on his way.” Job 17. 9
1 Ye pilgrims of Zion, and chosen of God,
Whose spirits are filled with dismay,
Since ye have eternal redemption through blood,
Ye cannot but hold on your way.
2 As Jesus, in covenant love, did engage
A fulness of grace to display,
The powers of darkness in malice may rage,
The righteous shall hold on his way.
3 This truth, like its Author, eternal shall stand,
Though all things in nature decay,
Upheld by Jehovah’s omnipotent hand,
The righteous shall hold on his way.
4 They may on the main of temptation be tossed;
Their sorrows may swell as the sea;
But none of the ransomed shall ever be lost;
The righteous shall hold on his way.
5 Surrounded with sorrows, temptations, and cares,
This truth with delight we survey,
And sing, as we pass through this valley of tears,
The righteous shall hold on his way.
351 C.M. J. Hart
“Having loved ... he loved them to the end.” John 13. 1
1 The sinner that, by precious faith,
Has felt his sins forgiven,
Is manifestly passed from death,
And sealed an heir of heaven.
2 [Though thousand snares enclose his feet,
Not one shall hold him fast;
Whatever dangers he may meet,
He shall get safe at last.]
3 Not as the world the Saviour gives;
He is no fickle friend;
Whom once he loves he never leaves,
But loves him to the end.
4 [The spirit that would this truth withstand,
Would pull God’s temple down,
Wrest Jesus’ sceptre from his hands,
And spoil him of his crown.
5 Satan might then full victory boast;
The church might wholly fall;
If one believer may be lost,
It follows, so may all.
6 But Christ in every age has proved
His purchase firm and true;
If this foundation be removed,
What shall the righteous do?]
7 Brethren, by this, your claim, abide –
This title to your bliss;
Whatever loss you bear beside,
O never give up this.
352 L.M. J. Hart
“Heaven and earth shall pass away.” Matt. 24. 35
1 The moon and stars shall lose their light,
The sun shall sink in endless night;
Both heaven and earth shall pass away;
The works of nature all decay.
2 But they that in the Lord confide,
And shelter in his wounded side,
Shall see the danger overpast,
Stand every storm, and live at last.
3 What Christ has said must be fulfilled;
On this firm rock, believers build;
His word shall stand, his truth prevail,
And not one jot or tittle fail.
4 His word is this (poor sinners, hear);
“Believe on me, and banish fear;
Cease from your own works, bad or good,
And wash your garments in my blood.”
353 148th J. Hart
“Thou hast guided them in thy strength.” Exod. 15. 13
1 Mistaken men may brawl
Against the grace of God,
And threat with final fall
The purchase of his blood;
But, though they own the Saviour’s name,
From him such gospel never came.
2 Shall babes in Christ, bereft
Of God’s rich gift of faith,
Be to their own will left,
And sin the sin to death?
Shall any child of God be lost,
And Satan cheat the Holy Ghost?
3 Dark unbelief and pride,
With Pharisaic zeal,
We lay you all aside,
And trust a surer seal;
We rest our souls on Jesus’ word,
And give the glory to the Lord.
4 Led forth by God’s free grace,
And guided by his power,
We reach his holy place,
And live for evermore;
’Twas this place Moses had in view;
Of this he sang, and we sing too.
354 C.M. Isaac Watts
Saints in the Hand of Christ. John 6. 39; 10. 27-29
1 Firm as the earth thy gospel stands,
My Lord, my Hope, my Trust;
If I am found in Jesus’ hands,
My soul can ne’er be lost.
2 His honour is engaged to save
The meanest of his sheep;
All that his heavenly Father gave
His hands securely keep.
3 Nor death, nor hell, shall e’er remove
His favourites from his breast;
In the dear bosom of his love
They must for ever rest.
355 C.M. J. Hart
“Let God be true, but every man a liar.” Rom. 3. 4
1 The God I trust is true and just;
His mercy has no end;
Himself has said my ransom’s paid,
And I on him depend.
2 Then why so sad, my soul? though bad,
Thou hast a Friend that’s good;
He bought thee dear (abandon fear);
He bought thee with his blood.
3 So rich a cost can ne’er be lost,
Though faith be tried by fire;
Keep Christ in view; let God be true;
And every man a liar.
356 7s John Newton
Rest for Weary Souls. Matt. 11. 28; Gen. 8. 9
1 Does the gospel-word proclaim
Rest for those who weary be?
Then, my soul, put in thy claim;
Sure that promise speaks to thee.
Marks of grace I cannot show;
All polluted is my breast;
Yet 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 there’s 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.
357 S.M. Isaac Watts
The Lord’s Day. Ps. 84. 1-10; Matt. 18. 20
1 Welcome, sweet day of rest,
That saw the Lord arise;
Welcome to this reviving breast,
And these rejoicing eyes.
2 The King himself comes near,
And feasts his saints today;
Here we may sit and see him here,
And love, and praise, and pray.
3 One day amidst the place
Where my dear God has been,
Is sweeter than ten thousand days
Of pleasurable sin.
4 My willing soul would stay
In such a frame as this,
And sit and sing herself away
To everlasting bliss.
358 8.8.6. J. Hart
The Sabbath. Deut. 5. 14, 15; Exod. 20. 8-11
1 God thus commanded Jacob’s seed,
When, from Egyptian-bondage freed,
He led them by the way:
“Remember, with a mighty hand
I brought thee forth from Pharaoh’s land;
Then keep my Sabbath Day.”
2 [In six days God made heaven and earth
Gave all the various creatures birth,
And from his working ceased;
These days to labour he applied;
The seventh he blessed and sanctified.
And called the day of rest.]
3 To all God’s people now remains
A Sabbatism, a rest from pains,
And works of slavish kind;
When tired with toil, and faint through fear,
The child of God can enter here,
And sweet refreshment find.
4 To this, by faith, he oft retreats;
Bondage and labour quite forgets,
And bids his cares adieu;
Slides softly into promised rest,
Reclines his head on Jesus’ breast,
And proves the Sabbath true.
5 [This, and this only, is the way
To rightly keep the Sabbath Day,
Which God has holy made.
All keepers that come short of this,
The substance of the Sabbath miss,
And grasp an empty shade.]
359 S.M. S. Stennett
Worship. Ps. 84. 1, 2
1 How charming is the place,
Where my Redeemer, God,
Unveils the beauties of his face,
And sheds his love abroad!
2 Not the fair palaces
To which the great resort,
Are once to be compared to this,
Where Jesus holds his court.
3 Here, on the mercy-seat,
With radiant glory crowned,
Our joyful eyes behold him sit,
And smile on all around.
4 [To him their prayers and cries
Each humble soul presents;
He listens to their broken sighs,
And grants them all their wants.
5 To them his sovereign will
He graciously imparts;
And in return accepts with smiles,
The tribute of their hearts.]
6 Give me, O Lord, a place
Within thy blest abode,
Among the children of thy grace,
The servants of my God.
360 L.M. Isaac Watts
The Church the Birth-place of the Saints. Ps. 87
1 God in his earthly temples lays
Foundations for his heavenly praise;
He likes the tents of Jacob well,
But still in Zion loves to dwell.
2 His mercy visits every house,
That pay their night and morning vows;
But makes a more delightful stay
Where churches meet to praise and pray.
3 What glories were described of old!
What wonders are of Zion told!
Thou city of our God below,
Thy fame shall Tyre and Egypt know.
4 Egypt and Tyre, and Greek and Jew,
Shall there begin their lives anew;
Angels and men shall join to sing
The hill where living waters spring.
5 When God makes up his last account
Of natives in his holy mount,
’Twill be an honour to appear
As one new-born or nourished there.
361 C.M. Isaac Watts
The Church. Ps. 100. 4; 122
1 How did my heart rejoice to hear
My friends devoutly say,
“In Zion let us all appear,
And keep the solemn day”!
2 I love her gates; I love the road;
The church, adorned with grace,
Stands like a palace built for God
To show his milder face.
3 Up to her courts, with joys unknown,
The holy tribes repair;
The Son of David holds his throne,
And sits in judgment there.
4 He hears our praises and complaints,
And, while his awful voice
Divides the sinners from the saints,
We tremble and rejoice.
5 Peace be within this sacred place,
And joy a constant guest;
With holy gifts and heavenly grace,
Be her attendants blest.
6 My soul shall pray for Zion still,
While life or breath remains;
There my best friends, my kindred dwell;
There God my Saviour reigns.
362 122nd Isaac Watts
The Church. Ps. 122. 1-7; Zech. 8. 21
1 How pleased and blest was I,
To hear the people cry,
“Come, let us seek our God today!”
Yes, with a cheerful zeal,
We haste to Zion’s hill,
And there our vows and honours pay.
2 Zion, thrice happy place!
Adorned with wondrous grace,
And walls of strength embrace thee round;
In thee our tribes appear,
To pray, and praise, and hear
The sacred gospel’s joyful sound.
3 There David’s greater Son
Has fixed his royal throne;
He sits for grace and judgment there.
He bids the saints be glad;
He makes the sinner sad,
And humble souls rejoice with fear.
4 May peace attend thy gate,
And joy within thee wait,
To bless the soul of every guest;
The man that seeks thy peace,
And wishes thy increase,
A thousand blessings on him rest.
5 My tongue repeats her vows,
“Peace to this sacred house,”
For there my friends and kindred dwell;
And since my glorious God
Makes thee his blest abode,
My soul shall ever love thee well.
363 L.M. Isaac Watts
The Church the Garden of Christ. Song 4. 12-15; 5. 1
1 We are a garden walled around,
Chosen and made peculiar ground;
A little spot enclosed by grace,
Out of the world’s wide wilderness.
2 Like trees of myrrh and spice we stand,
Planted by God the Father’s hand;
And all his springs in Zion flow
To make the young plantation grow.
3 Awake, O heavenly wind, and come,
Blow on this garden of perfume;
Spirit divine, descend and breathe
A gracious gale on plants beneath.
4 Make our best spices flow abroad,
To entertain our Saviour, God;
And faith, and love, and joy appear,
And every grace be active here.
5 [Let my Beloved come and taste
His pleasant fruits at his own feast.
“I come, my spouse, I come,” he cries,
With love and pleasure in his eyes.]
6 [Our Lord into his garden comes,
Well pleased to smell our poor perfumes;
And calls us to a feast divine,
Sweeter than honey, milk, or wine:
7 “Eat of the tree of life, my friends;
The blessings that my Father sends;
Your taste shall all my dainties prove,
And drink abundance of my love.”]
8 [Jesus, we will frequent thy board,
And sing the bounties of our Lord;
But the rich food on which we live
Demands more praise than tongue can give.]
364 L.M. Isaac Watts
God the Glory and Defence of Zion. Isa. 60. 18-21
1 Happy the church, thou sacred place;
The seat of thy Creator’s grace;
Thy holy courts are his abode,
Thou earthly palace of our God.
2 Thy walls are strength, and at thy gates
A guard of heavenly warriors waits;
Nor shall thy deep foundations move,
Fixed on his counsels and his love.
3 Thy foes in vain designs engage;
Against his throne in vain they rage;
Like rising waves with angry roar,
That dash and die upon the shore.
4 Then let our souls in Zion dwell,
Nor fear the wrath of men or hell;
His arms embrace this happy ground,
Like brazen bulwarks built around.
5 God is our Shield, and God our Sun;
Swift as the fleeting moments run;
On us he sheds new beams of grace,
And we reflect his brightest praise.
365 L.M. Isaac Watts
At the Settlement of a Church. Ps. 132. 5, 13-18
1 Where shall we go to seek and find
A habitation for our God;
A dwelling for the Eternal Mind,
Amongst the sons of flesh and blood?
2 The God of Jacob chose the hill
Of Zion, for his ancient rest;
And Zion is his dwelling still;
His church is with his presence blessed.
3 “Here will I fix my gracious throne,
And reign for ever,” says the Lord;
“Here shall my power and love be known,
And blessings shall attend my word.
4 “Here I will meet the hungry poor,
And fill their souls with living bread;
Sinners that wait before my door,
With sweet provisions shall be fed.
5 “Girded with truth, and full of grace,
My priests, my ministers shall shine;
Not Aaron, in his costly dress,
Made an appearance so divine.
6 “The saints, unable to contain
Their inward joys, shall shout and sing,
The Son of David here shall reign,
And Zion triumph in her King.”
366 C.M. Isaac Watts
The Church the Dwelling of God. Ps. 132. 5-15
1 [The Lord in Zion placed his name;
His ark was settled there;
To Zion the whole nation came
To worship thrice a year.
2 But we have no such lengths to go,
Nor wander far abroad;
Where’er thy saints assemble now,
There is a house for God.]
3 Arise, O King of grace, arise,
And enter to thy rest;
Lo! thy church waits with longing eyes,
Thus to be owned and blessed.
4 Enter with all thy glorious train,
Thy Spirit and thy Word;
All that the ark did once contain,
Could no such grace afford.
5 Here, mighty God! accept our songs;
Here let thy praise be spread;
Bless the provisions of thy house,
And fill thy poor with bread.
6 Here let the Son of David reign;
Let God’s anointed shine;
Justice and truth his court maintain,
With love and power divine.
7 Here let him hold a lasting throne,
And as his kingdom grows,
Fresh honours shall adorn his crown,
And shame confound his foes.
367 C.M. Samuel Medley
On Opening a new Place of Worship. Zech. 8. 7-9
1 Great God! thy glory and thy love
Our humble songs employ;
Propitious from thy throne above,
Look down, and aid our joy.
2 Thy presence and thy glories, Lord,
Fill all the realms of space;
O let thy presence, by thy word,
Divinely fill this place.
3 Sacred to thy eternal name,
Behold, these walls we raise;
Long may they stand to show thy fame,
And echo to thy praise.
4 This day begins the solemn sound
Of sacred worship here;
May every saint with joy abound,
And reverential fear.
5 Dear Jesus! Zion’s holy King,
Enter with all thy train,
And here thy choicest blessings bring,
And long may they remain.
6 Eternal Spirit! heavenly Dove!
Enter and fill this place;
Reveal Immanuel’s matchless love
And open all his grace.
368 L.M. P. Doddridge
On Opening a new Place of Worship. Ps. 36. 8
1 O Lord, descend and fill this place
With choicest tokens of thy grace!
These walls we to thy honour raise;
Long may they echo with thy praise.
2 Here let the great Redeemer reign,
With all the graces of his train;
While power divine his word attends,
To conquer foes and cheer his friends.
369 L.M. Isaac Watts
The Pleasure of Public Worship. Ps. 84. 1-10
1 How pleasant, how divinely fair,
O Lord of Hosts, thy dwellings are!
With long desire my spirit faints,
To meet the assemblies of thy saints.
2 Blest are the saints who sit on high,
Around the throne of majesty;
Thy brightest glories shine above,
And all their work is praise and love.
3 Blest are the souls that find a place
Within the temple of thy grace;
There they behold thy gentler rays,
And seek thy face, and learn thy praise.
4 Blest are the men whose hearts are set
To find the way to Zion’s gate;
God is their strength, and through the road
They lean upon their helper, God.
370 L.M. Isaac Watts
Grace and Glory. Ps. 84. 1, 8-12; Jer. 17. 7
1 Great God! attend, while Zion sings
The joy that from thy presence springs;
To spend one day with thee on earth,
Exceeds a thousand days of mirth.
2 God is our Sun, he makes our day;
God is our Shield, he guards our way
From all the assaults of hell and sin,
From foes without, and foes within.
3 All needful grace will God bestow,
And crown that grace with glory too;
He gives us all things, and withholds
No real good from upright souls.
4 O God, our King, whose sovereign sway
The glorious hosts in heaven obey;
And devils at thy presence flee;
Blest is the man who trusts in thee.
371 122nd J. Swain
Social Worship. Ps. 9. 11; 66. 16
1 How pleasant is the gate
Where willing converts wait
For fellowship with Zion here;
Where they with wonder tell
How they escaped from hell,
And hope in glory to appear.
2 With wonder we attend,
While they the sinner’s Friend,
With tears of holy joy, extol;
Each heart, once hard as steel,
Now made for sin to feel,
Bears tokens of a ransomed soul.
3 No more of self they boast,
But humbly own the cost
Of their salvation freely paid;
The sins which make them groan,
And must have sunk them down,
They now behold on Jesus laid.
372 8.7. John Newton
Zion. Ps. 87. 3; Isa. 26. 1; 33. 20, 21
1 Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God!
He whose word can not be broken,
Formed thee for his own abode;
On the Rock of Ages founded,
What can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation’s walls surrounded,
Thou may’st smile at all thy foes.
2 See! the streams of living waters,
Springing from eternal love,
Well supply thy sons and daughters,
And all fear of want remove.
Who can faint while such a river
Ever flows their thirst to assuage?
Grace, which, like the Lord, the giver,
Never fails from age to age.
3 Round each habitation hovering,
See the cloud and fire appear,
For a glory and a covering,
Showing that the Lord is near.
Thus deriving from their banner,
Light by night and shade by day,
Safe they feed upon the manna
Which he gives them when they pray.
4 Blest inhabitants of Zion,
Washed in the Redeemer’s blood!
Jesus, whom their souls rely on,
Makes them kings and priests to God
’Tis his love his people raises
Over self to reign as kings;
And as priests, his solemn praises
Each for a thank-offering brings.
373 L.M. R. Hill
Prayer for a Minister. 2 Thess. 3. 1, 2; Heb. 13. 8
1 With heavenly power, O Lord, defend
Him whom we now to thee commend;
His person bless, his soul secure;
And make him to the end endure.
2 Gird him with all-sufficient grace;
Direct his feet in paths of peace;
Thy truth and faithfulness fulfil,
And help him to obey thy will.
3 Before him thy protection send;
O love him, save him to the end!
Nor let him as thy pilgrim rove
Without the convoy of thy love.
4 Enlarge, inflame, and fill his heart;
In him thy mighty power exert;
That thousands, yet unborn, may praise
The wonders of redeeming grace.
374 148th John Berridge
Prayer for Increase of Faithful Ministers. Matt. 9. 38
1 Send help, O Lord, we pray,
And thy own gospel bless;
For godly men decay,
And faithful pastors cease;
The righteous are removèd home,
And scorners rise up in their room.
2 While Satan’s troops are bold,
And thrive in number too,
The flocks in Jesus’ fold,
Are growing lank and few;
Old sheep are moving off each year,
And few lambs in the fold appear.
3 Old shepherds, too, retire,
Who gathered flocks below,
And young ones catch no fire,
Or worldly-prudent grow;
Few run with trumpets in their hand,
To sound alarms by sea and land.
4 O Lord, stir up thy power,
To make the gospel spread;
And thrust out preachers more,
With voice to raise the dead;
With feet to run where thou dost call;
With faith to fight and conquer all.
5 [The flocks that long have dwelt
Around fair Zion’s hill,
And thy sweet grace have felt,
Uphold and feed them still;
But fresh folds build up everywhere,
And plenteously thy truth declare.]
6 As one Elijah dies,
True prophet of the Lord,
Let some Elisha rise
To blaze the gospel-word;
And fast as sheep to Jesus go,
May lambs recruit his fold below.
375 C.M. John Berridge
On a Christian Marriage. John 2. 1, 2; Heb. 13. 4
1 Our Jesus freely did appear
To grace a marriage feast;
And, Lord, we ask thy presence here
To make a wedding-guest.
2 Upon the bridal pair look down;
Who now have plighted hands;
Their union with thy favour crown,
And bless the nuptial bands.
3 With gifts of grace their hearts endow;
(Of all rich dowries best!)
Their substance bless, and peace bestow,
To sweeten all the rest.
4 In purest love their souls unite,
And linked in kindly care,
To render family burdens light,
By taking mutual share.
5 True helpers may they prove indeed,
In prayer, and faith, and hope;
And see with joy a godly seed,
To build thy household up.
6 As Isaac and Rebecca give
A pattern chaste and kind;
So may this new-met couple live,
In faithful friendship joined.
376 7s John Newton
“I will not let thee go, except thou bless me.” Gen. 32. 26
1 Lord, I cannot let thee go,
Till a blessing thou bestow;
Do not turn away thy face;
Mine’s an urgent, pressing case.
2 [Dost thou ask me who I am?
Ah, my Lord, thou know’st my name;
Yet the question gives a plea,
To support my suit with thee.]
3 Thou didst once a wretch behold,
In rebellion blindly bold;
Scorn thy grace; thy power defy;
That poor rebel, Lord, was I.
4 Once a sinner near despair
Sought thy mercy-seat by prayer;
Mercy heard and set him free;
Lord, that mercy came to me.
5 Many days have passed since then;
Many changes I have seen;
Yet have been upheld till now;
Who could hold me up but thou?
6 Thou hast helped in every need;
This emboldens me to plead;
After so much mercy past,
Canst thou let me sink at last?
7 No; I must maintain my hold;
’Tis thy goodness makes me bold;
I can no denial take,
When I plead for Jesus’ sake.
377 L.M. Samuel Medley
Encouragement to Pray. Isa. 45. 19-25; Ps. 9. 10
1 My soul, take courage from the Lord;
Believe and plead his holy word;
To him alone do thou complain,
Nor shalt thou seek his face in vain.
2 Upon him call in humble prayer,
Thou still art his peculiar care;
He’ll surely turn and smile again,
Nor shalt thou seek his face in vain.
3 However sinful, weak, and poor,
Still wait and pray at mercy’s door;
Faithful Jehovah must remain,
Nor shalt thou seek his face in vain.
4 [Though the vile tempter’s hellish rage
Will, with his darts, thy soul engage,
God through the fight shall thee sustain,
Nor shalt thou seek his face in vain.]
5 [Though the corruptions of thy heart
Daily new cause of grief impart,
Pray that thy lusts may all be slain,
Nor shalt thou seek his face in vain.]
6 [Though sharp afflictions still abound,
And clouds and darkness thee surround,
Still pray, for God will all explain,
Nor shalt thou seek his face in vain.]
7 In him, and him alone, confide;
Still at the throne of grace abide;
Eternal victory thou shalt gain,
Nor shalt thou seek his face in vain.
378 C.M. Samuel Medley
The Beggar’s Prayer. Matt. 8. 2; Mark 1. 40
1 A beggar poor, at mercy’s door,
Lies such a wretch as I;
Thou know’st my need is great indeed,
Lord, hear me when I cry.
2 With guilt beset, and deep in debt,
For pardon, Lord I pray;
O let thy love sufficient prove
To take my sins away.
3 A wicked heart is no small part
Of my distress and shame;
Let sovereign grace its crimes efface,
Through Jesus’ blessed name.
4 [My darkened mind, I daily find,
Is prone to go astray;
Lord, on it shine, with light divine,
And guide it in thy way.]
5 [My stubborn will opposes still
Thy wise and holy hand;
Thy Spirit send to make it bend
To thy supreme command.]
6 Affections wild, by sin defiled,
Oft hurry me away;
Lord, bring them home, nor let them roam
From Christ, the Living Way.
7 [A conscience hard does oft retard
My walk in holy peace;
Let it by thee made tender be,
And all its hardness cease.]
8 [My memory bad, but what is sad,
Can folly still retain;
O fill it, Lord, with thy sweet word,
And let it there remain.]
9 Before thy face I’ve told my case;
Lord, help, and mercy send;
Pity my soul, and make me whole,
And love me to the end.
379 7s John Newton
“Ask what I shall give thee.” 1 Kings 3. 5
1 Come, my soul, thy suit prepare,
Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He himself has bid thee pray,
Therefore will not say thee, Nay.
2 [Thou art coming to a King;
Large petitions with thee bring;
For his grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much.
3 With my burden I begin;
Lord, remove this load of sin;
Let thy blood, for sinners spilt,
Set my conscience free from guilt.]
4 Lord, I come to thee for rest;
Take possession of my breast;
There thy blood-bought right maintain,
And without a rival reign.
5 As the image in the glass
Answers the beholder’s face,
Thus unto my heart appear;
Print thy own resemblance there.
6 While I am a pilgrim here,
Let thy love my spirit cheer;
As my Guide, my Guard, my Friend,
Lead me to my journey’s end.
7 Show me what I have to do;
Every hour my strength renew;
Let me live a life of faith;
Let me die thy people’s death.
380 8s R. Burnham
Praying for Confidence. Mark 9. 23, 24
1 O Jesus, thou fountain of grace,
Enlighten, enliven my heart,
And show the sweet smiles of thy face
And from me bid evil depart;
Pronounce, O pronounce I am thine;
A sinner once purchased by blood;
And may I for ever recline
On the bosom of Jesus, my Lord.
2 Thou great and compassionate King,
Drive all my sad doubtings away;
And let me with confidence sing,
“The Saviour expired for me.”
The witness that I am thy child,
O Jesus, to me now impart;
The pleasing sensation will yield
Unspeakable joy to my heart.
3 Bestow this rich blessing on me,
And heaven below I shall prove;
I’ll then go exulting in thee,
And tell of thy wonderful love.
Lord, teach me thy cause to maintain;
For constant support to thee fly;
And fight till the conquest I gain.
Resolved for thy glory to die.
381 L.M. WIlliam Cowper
The House of Prayer. Mark 11. 17; 1 Cor. 3. 16, 17
1 Thy mansion is the Christian’s heart,
O Lord, thy dwelling-place secure!
Bid the unruly throng depart,
And leave the consecrated door.
2 Devoted as it is to thee,
A thievish swarm frequents the place;
They steal away my joys from me,
And rob my Saviour of his praise.
3 There, too, a sharp designing trade,
Sin, Satan, and the world maintain;
Nor cease to press me, and persuade
To part with ease and purchase pain.
4 I know them, and I hate their din;
Am weary of the bustling crowd;
But while their voice is heard within,
I cannot serve thee as I would.
5 O for the joy thy presence gives;
What peace shall reign when thou art here;
Thy presence makes this den of thieves
A calm, delightful house of prayer.
6 And if thou make thy temple shine,
Yet, self-abased, will I adore;
The gold and silver are not mine;
I give thee what was thine before.
382 C.M. Samuel Medley
The Throne of Grace. Heb. 4. 16; 10. 19-22
1 Dear Lord! to us assembled here
Reveal thy smiling face,
While we, by faith, with love and fear,
Approach the throne of grace.
2 Thy house is called the house of prayer,
A solemn sacred place;
O let us now thy presence share,
While at the throne of grace.
3 With holy boldness may we come,
Though of a sinful race,
Thankful to find there yet is room
Before the throne of grace.
4 Our earnest, fervent cry attend,
And all our faith increase,
While we address our heavenly Friend
Upon the throne of grace.
5 [His tender pity and his love
Our every fear will chase;
And all our help, we then shall prove,
Comes from the throne of grace.]
6 Dear Lord, our many wants supply;
Attend to every case;
While humbled in the dust we lie,
Low at the throne of grace.
7 We bless thee for thy word and laws;
We bless thee for thy peace;
And we do bless thee, Lord, because
There is a throne of grace.
383 C.M. Samuel Medley
The Ground and Foundation of Prayer. Heb. 7. 25
1 Wherewith shall we approach the Lord,
And bow before his throne?
By trusting in his faithful word,
And pleading Christ alone.
2 The blood, the righteousness, and love
Of Jesus, will we plead;
He lives within the vail above,
For us to intercede.
3 Sure ground, and sure foundation too,
We find in Jesus’ name;
Herein we every blessing view,
And every favour claim.
4 Then let his name for ever be
To us supremely dear;
Our only, all-prevailing plea,
For all our hope is there.
5 This is the name the Father loves
To hear his children plead;
And all such pleading he approves,
And blesses them indeed.
384 L.M. Samuel Medley
“Oh save me for thy mercies’ sake.” Ps. 6. 2-4
1 Regard, great God! my mournful prayer;
Make my poor trembling soul thy care;
For me in pity undertake,
And save me for thy mercies’ sake.
2 [My soul’s cast down within me, Lord,
And only thou canst help afford;
Let not my heart with sorrow break,
But save me for thy mercies’ sake.]
3 Such dismal storms are raised within,
By Satan and indwelling sin,
Which all my soul with horror shake;
O save me for thy mercies’ sake.
4 [I’ve foes and fears of every shape,
Nor from them can my soul escape;
Upon me, Lord, some pity take,
And save me for thy mercies’ sake.]
5 [I’ve scarce a glimmering ray of light;
With me ‘tis little else but night;
O for my help do thou awake,
And save me for thy mercies’ sake.]
6 To me, dear Saviour, turn once more;
To my poor soul thy joys restore;
Let me again thy smiles partake.
Lord, save me for thy mercies’ sake.
385 L.M. Samuel Medley
“God be merciful to me a sinner.” Luke 18. 13
1 Hear, gracious God, a sinner’s cry,
For I have nowhere else to fly;
My hope, my only hope’s in thee;
O God, be merciful to me!
2 [To thee I come, a sinner poor,
And wait for mercy at thy door;
Indeed, I’ve nowhere else to flee;
O God, be merciful to me!]
3 [To thee I come, a sinner weak,
And scarce know how to pray or speak;
From fear and weakness set me free;
O God, be merciful to me!]
4 [To thee I come, a sinner vile;
Upon me, Lord, vouchsafe to smile;
Mercy, through blood, 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!
7 To glory bring me, Lord, at last,
And there, when all my fears are past,
With all thy saints I’ll then agree,
God has been merciful to me!
386 C.M. Samuel Medley
Desiring Rest and Peace. Job 3. 17
1 Weary of earth, myself, and sin,
Dear Jesus, set me free,
And to thy glory take me in,
For there I long to be.
2 Burdened, dejected, and oppressed,
Ah! whither shall I flee
But to thy arms, for peace and rest?
For there I long to be.
3 Empty, polluted, dark, and vain,
Is all this world to me;
May I the better world obtain;
For there I long to be.
4 Lord, let a tempest-tossèd soul
That peaceful harbour see,
Where waves and billows never roll;
For there I long to be.
5 Let a poor labourer here below,
When from his toil set free,
To rest and peace eternal go;
For there I long to be.
387 L.M. J. Swain
Sweetness of Waiting at Throne of Grace. Ps. 119. 103
1 How sweet to wait upon the Lord,
While he fulfils his gracious word;
To seek his face, and not in vain,
To be beloved, and love again!
2 To see, while prostrate at his feet,
Jehovah on the mercy-seat;
And Jesus, at the Lord’s right hand,
With his divine atonement stand!
3 “Father,” he cries, “I will that these
Before thee on their bended knees,
For whom my life I once laid down,
Be with me soon on this my throne.”
4 Amen! our hearts with rapture cry,
May we with reverence look so high;
Ascended Saviour, fix our eyes,
By faith upon this glorious prize!
5 With this delightful prospect fired,
We’ll run, nor in thy ways be tired;
And all the trials here we see,
Will make us long to reign with thee.
388 C.M. John Newton
An Approach to the Mercy-Seat. Ps. 32. 5-7
1 Approach, my soul, the mercy-seat,
Where Jesus answers prayer;
There humbly fall before his feet,
For none can perish there.
2 Thy promise is my only plea;
With this I venture nigh;
Thou callest burdened souls to thee,
And such, O Lord, am I.
3 Bowed down beneath a load of sin;
By Satan sorely pressed;
By wars without, and fears within,
I come to thee for rest.
4 Be thou my shield and hiding-place,
That, sheltered near thy side,
I may my fierce accuser face,
And tell him thou hast died.
5 [O wondrous love! to bleed and die;
To bear the cross and shame;
That guilty sinners such as I,
Might plead thy gracious name.]
6 [“Poor tempest-tossèd soul, be still;
My promised grace receive;
I’ll work in thee both power and will;
Thou shalt in me believe.”]
389 7s J. Adams
Drawn by Divine Love. Song 1. 4; John 6. 44
1 Draw my soul to thee, my Lord;
Make me love thy precious word!
Bid me seek thy smiling face;
Willing to be saved by grace.
2 Dearest Jesus, bid me come;
Let me find thyself my home;
Thou the Refuge of my soul,
Where I may my troubles roll.
3 Lord, thy powerful work begun,
Thou wilt never leave undone;
Teach me to confide in thee;
Thy salvation’s wholly free.
390 7.6.8. C. Wesley
Praying for Restoration. Luke 22. 61, 62; Isa. 53. 6
1 Jesus, let thy pitying eye
Call back a wandering sheep;
False to thee, like Peter, I
Would fain like Peter, weep;
Let me be by grace restored;
On me be all its freeness shown;
Turn, and look upon me, Lord,
And break my heart of stone.
2 Saviour, Prince, enthroned above,
Repentance to impart,
Give me, through thy dying love,
The humble, contrite heart.
Give, what I have long implored,
A portion of thy love unknown,
Turn, and look upon me, Lord,
And break my heart of stone.
3 Look as when thy pitying eye
Was closed, that we might live;
“Father,” (at the point to die,
My Saviour gasped), “forgive!”
Surely, with that dying word,
He turns, and looks, and cries, “’Tis done.”
O my loving, bleeding Lord,
This breaks the heart of stone.
391 7.6.8. C. Wesley
Praying for Restoration. Hos. 14. 4; Jer. 14. 7
1 Jesus, Friend of sinners, hear
A feeble creature pray;
From my debt of sin set clear,
For I have nought to pay.
Speak, O speak my kind release,
A poor backsliding soul restore;
Love me freely, seal my peace,
And let me rove no more.
2 [Though my sins as mountains rise,
And swell, and reach to heaven,
Mercy is above the skies,
And I shall stand forgiven.
Mighty is my guilt’s increase,
But greater is thy mercy’s store!
Love me freely, seal my peace,
And let me rove no more.
3 From the oppressive weight of sin,
My struggling spirit free;
Blood and righteousness divine
Can rescue even me.
Holy Spirit, shed thy grace,
And let me feel the softening shower;
Love me freely, seal my peace,
And let me rove no more.
392 C.M. A. Steele
Confession. Jer. 3. 12; Ps. 119. 176; Hos. 6. 1
1 How oft, alas, this wretched heart
Has wandered from the Lord,
How oft my roving thoughts depart,
Forgetful of his word!
2 Yet sovereign mercy calls, “Return!”
Dear Lord, and may I come?
My vile ingratitude I mourn;
O take the wanderer home.
3 And canst thou, wilt thou yet forgive,
And bid my crimes remove?
And shall a pardoned rebel live,
To speak thy wondrous love?
4 Almighty grace, thy healing power
How glorious, how divine!
That can to life and bliss restore
So vile a heart as mine!
5 Thy pardoning love, so free, so sweet,
Dear Saviour, I adore;
O keep me at thy sacred feet,
And let me rove no more.
393 C.M. J. Fawcett
Craving a Crumb of Mercy. Matt. 15. 27; Luke 18. 39
1 A crumb of mercy, Lord, I crave,
Unworthy to be fed
With dainties such as angels have,
Or with the children’s bread.
2 Have pity on my needy soul;
Thy peace and pardon give;
Thy love can make the wounded whole,
And bid the dying live.
3 Behold me prostrate at thy gate;
Do not my suit deny;
With longing eyes for thee I wait;
O help me, or I die.
4 When thou dost give a heart to pray,
Thou wilt incline thy ear;
From me turn not thy face away,
But my petition hear.
5 So shall my joyful soul adore
The riches of thy grace;
No sinner needed mercy more,
That ever sought thy face.
394 L.M. WIlliam Cowper
Exhortation to Prayer. I Thess. 5. 17
1 What various hindrances we meet,
In coming to the mercy-seat!
Yet who that knows the worth of prayer,
But wishes to be often there?
2 Prayer makes the darkened cloud withdraw,
Prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw;
Gives exercise to faith and love;
Brings every blessing from above.
3 Restraining prayer, we cease to fight;
Prayer makes the Christian’s armour bright;
And Satan trembles when he sees
The weakest saint upon his knees.
4 [While Moses stood with arms spread wide,
Success was found on Israel’s side;
But when, through weariness, they failed,
That moment Amalek prevailed.]
5 [Have you no words? ah! think again;
Words flow apace when you complain,
And fill your fellow-creatures’ ear
With the sad tale of all your care.
6 Were half the breath thus vainly spent,
To heaven in supplication sent,
Your cheerful song would oftener be,
“Hear what the Lord has done for me.”]
395 S.M. John Newton
The Throne of Grace. Heb. 4. 16; John 14. 13, 14
1 Behold the throne of grace!
The promise calls me near;
There Jesus shows his smiling face;
And waits to answer prayer.
2 That rich atoning blood
Which, sprinkled round, I see,
Provides for those who come to God
An all-prevailing plea.
3 My soul, ask what thou wilt,
Thou canst not be too bold;
Since his own blood for thee he spilt,
What else can he withhold?
4 Beyond thy utmost wants
His love and power can bless.
To praying souls he always grants
More than they can express.
396 8.7. John Newton
The Prayer of Necessity. Ps. 91. 15, 16; Heb. 4. 16
1 Could the creatures help or ease us,
Seldom should we think of prayer;
Few, if any, come to Jesus,
Till reduced to self-despair,
Long we either slight or doubt him,
But, when all the means we try
Prove we cannot do without him,
Then at last to him we cry.
2 Fear thou not, distressed believer;
Venture on his mighty name;
He is able to deliver,
And his love is still the same.
Can his pity or his power
Suffer thee to pray in vain?
Wait but his appointed hour,
And thy suit thou shalt obtain.
397 7s John Newton
The Power of Prayer. Ps. 50. 15; James 5. 16-18
1 In themselves as weak as worms,
How can poor believers stand,
When temptations, foes, and storms,
Press them close on every hand?
2 Weak, indeed, they feel they are,
But they know the Throne of Grace;
And the God who answers prayer,
Helps them when they seek his face.
3 Though the Lord awhile delay,
Succour they at length obtain;
He who taught their hearts to pray,
Will not let them cry in vain.
4 Wrestling prayer can wonders do;
Bring relief in deepest straits!
Prayer can force a passage through
Iron bars and brazen gates.
5 For the wonders he has wrought,
Let us now our praises give;
And, by sweet experience taught,
Call upon him while we live.
398 C.M. John Newton
Worship. Ps. 80. 1, 2
1 Dear Shepherd of thy people, here
Thy presence now display;
As thou hast given a place for prayer,
So give us hearts to pray.
2 Show us some token of thy love,
Our fainting hope to raise;
And pour thy blessings from above,
That we may render praise.
3 Within these walls let holy peace,
And love, and concord dwell;
Here give the troubled conscience ease;
The wounded spirit heal.
4 May we in faith receive thy word,
In faith present our prayers,
And, in the presence of our Lord,
Unbosom all our cares.
5 And may the gospel’s joyful sound,
Enforced by mighty grace,
Awaken many sinners round,
To come and fill the place.
399 L.M. W. Tucker
Praying for Christ to be Revealed. 2 Cor. 4. 6
1 Amidst ten thousand anxious cares,
The world and Satan’s deep-laid snares,
This my incessant cry shall be,
Jesus, reveal thyself to me.
2 When Sinai’s awful thunder rolled,
And struck with terror all my soul,
No gleam of comfort could I see,
Till Jesus was revealed to me.
3 When by temptations sore oppressed,
Distressful anguish fills my breast!
All, all is grief and misery,
Till Jesus is revealed to me.
4 When various lusts imperious rise,
And my unguarded soul surprise;
I’m captive led, nor can get free,
Till Christ reveals himself to me.
5 When darkness, thick as beamless night,
Hides the loved Saviour from my sight,
Nothing but this my ardent plea,
Jesus, reveal thyself to me.
6 ’Tis he dispels the dismal gloom;
Gives light and gladness in its room;
Then have I joy and liberty
As Christ reveals himself to me.
400 7s John Newton
Prayer for Spring. Song 2. 10-13; 4. 16
1 Lord, afford a spring to me;
Let me feel like what I see;
Ah! my winter has been long!
Chilled my hopes and stopped my song.
Winter threatens to destroy
Faith, and love, and every joy;
If thy life was in the root,
Still I could not yield thee fruit.
2 Speak, and by thy gracious voice
Make my drooping soul rejoice;
O, beloved Saviour, haste,
Tell me all the storms are past!
On thy garden deign to smile;
Raise the plants, enrich the soil;
Soon thy presence will restore
Life to what seemed dead before.