5 He'll never quench the smoking flax,
But raise it to a flame;

The bruised reed will never break,
Nor scorn the meanest name.

6 Then let our humble faith address
His mercy and His power;
We shall obtain delivering grace
In the distressing hour.

140

1

HE

8s.

E wept! whence flowed that mortal tear?
He is the Lord of joy and light,
The Soother of each grief and fear,

The Day-star of the Christian's night;
And yet He weeps! O wherefore flow
Those tears of mortal grief and woe?
2 The mourner knows why Jesus wept;
He knows that tear-drop's holy well;
Knows why the chords of grief were swept,
And why such sighs His bosom swell:
Joy, stead of sorrow! light for gloom!
Since Jesus wept by Lazarus' tomb.
3 Behold how Jesus loves! His heart
Hath shared our sorrow and our strife;
His sympathy hath taken part

In all the burden of our life:
We thank Thee, Saviour, for the sigh
And tender tear of sympathy.

4 The sinner knows why Jesus wept;
When, one by one, in dark array,
From hiding places where they slept,
Remembered not till washed away,
His sins, in all their hateful light,
Are brought before his spirit's sight.

5 He loves each bitter tear to count
Which fell from Christ the Man of Grief,
O'er Zion, His beloved mount,
For mortal sin and unbelief!
He loves such tear-drops, for they prove
The shoreless depths of Jesus' love.
6 Because He wept,-the oil of joy,
Instead of tears, shall overflow;
And praise shall be our sweet employ,
And robes of light, instead of woe,
Shall be our dress! and chords be swept
In thankful strains, since Jesus wept.

THE LORD JESUS CHRIST:

141

1

HIS CHARACTER AND TITLES.

COM

YOME, worship at Immanuel's feet, See in His face what wonders meet! Earth is too narrow to express His worth, His glory, or His grace. 2 The whole creation can afford

But some faint shadows of my Lord; Nature, to make His beauties known, Must mingle colours not her own. 3 Is He compared to wine or bread? Dear Lord, our souls would thus be fed; That flesh, that dying blood of Thine, Is bread of life, is heavenly wine.

4 Is He a tree ? The world receives
Salvation from His healing leaves;

That righteous branch, that fruitful bough,
Is David's root and offspring too.

5 Is He a rose? Not Sharon yields Such fragrancy in all her fields; Or if the lily He assume,

The valleys bless the rich perfume.

6 Is He a vine? His heavenly root Supplies the boughs with life and fruit; O let a lasting union join

My soul to Christ, the living vine!
7 Is He the Head? Each member lives,
And owns the vital power He gives,
The saints below and saints above
Joined by His Spirit and His love.
8 Is He a fountain? There I bathe,
And heal the plague of sin and death;
These waters all my soul renew,
And cleanse my spotted garments too.
9 Is He a fire? He'll purge my dross;
But the true gold sustains no loss:
Like a refiner shall He sit,

And tread the refuse with His feet.

10 Is He a rock? How firm He proves!
The Rock of ages never moves;
Yet the sweet streams that from Him flow
Attend us all the desert through.

11 Is He a way? He leads to God;

The path is drawn in lines of blood;
There would I walk with hope and zeal,
Till I arrive at Zion's hill.

12 Is He a door? I'll enter in :

Behold the pastures large and green;
A paradise divinely fair;

None but the sheep have freedom there.

13 Is He designed the corner-stone
For men to build their heaven upon?
I'll make Him my foundation too,
Nor fear the plots of hell below.
14 Is He a temple? I adore

The indwelling majesty and power;
And still to this most holy place,
Whene'er I pray, I'll turn my face.
15 Is He a star? He breaks the night
Piercing the shades with dawning light;
I know His glories from afar,

I know the bright, the morning star. 16 Is He a Sun? His beams are grace, His course is joy and righteousness; Nations rejoice when He appears

To chase their clouds and dry their tears. 17 O let me climb those higher skies

Where storms and darkness never rise! There He displays His power abroad, And shines and reigns the incarnate God. 18 Not earth, nor seas, nor sun, nor stars, Nor heaven His full resemblance bears; His beauties we can never trace Till we behold Him face to face.

142

1

JOIN

6s. & 8s.

OIN all the glorious names
Of wisdom, love, and power,

That ever mortals knew,

That angels ever bore;

All are too mean to speak His worth,
Too mean to set my Saviour forth.

WATTS.

2

3

4

5

6

But O what gentle terms,
What condescending ways,
Doth our Redeemer use

To teach His heavenly grace!
Mine eyes with joy and wonder see
What forms of love He bears for me.

In flesh before our eyes
The great Messiah stands,
With precious promises,

And pardons in His hands;

Commissioned from His Father's throne To make His grace to mortals known.

Great Prophet of our God,

We bless Thy holy name;

By Thee the joyful news

Of our salvation came;

The joyful news of sins forgiven,

Of hell subdued, and peace with heaven.

Be Thou my counsellor,

My pattern, and my guide;
And through this desert land
Still keep me near Thy side;
O let my footsteps never stray,
But still pursue the heavenly way.

I love my Shepherd's voice,
His watchful eyes shall keep
My ransomed soul among
The thousands of His sheep;

He feeds His flock, He calls their names,
His bosom bears the tender lambs.