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228

Let Love suffice.

C.M.

'OR man's frail heart 'tis hard to feel

Delight in things below;

Yet suffer none its love to steal
From nobler good we know.
But Thou, who hearest all who turn
To Thee, and humbly pray,
If ever heavenly joys I spurn,
Take earthly joys away.

Rather with terror let me quail
Beneath Thy dreaded wrath,
Than taste Thy goodness here, and fail
To tread the narrow path.

But O! let love, let love suffice!
Still bind my heart to Thee

With that soft chain of countless price
My Saviour bought for me!

229

MOURNE

Love born of Love.

L.M.

OURNEST thou that thy love is cold?
Too rarely, or too hardly moved?

O Christian, weigh what grace hath told;
That thou for Jesu's sake art loved:
That, through His radiant, countless host,
The Lord of all on thee looks down,
As on a child; oft blessing most

At seasons when He seems to frown.
Forget not, Love is born of Love;

And ever, when ashamed and grieved That thine so fails to soar above,

Bethink thee-'tis of Love believed.

All else to thee is as might be
The cloudless, starlit, glorious sky
To one who ne'er looks
up to see,
Or towards it turns a sightless eye.
Then breathe thou oft a fervent prayer,

Nor doubt 'tis heard, to God above,
That, come what may till death to bear,
Thy heart may ever trust His love.

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FOR the conscious love of Thee,

Lord, no price too vast I know:
When that pure delight I see,
O how fades all else below!
Can it be that ever more

231

This frail heart, by sin beguiled,
Should not heed the priceless lore
By Thy Spirit taught Thy child?
Can the soul, once girt with light,
Bright well nigh as Eden knew,
Plunge to depths of utter night,
And the phantoms there pursue?
Lord, it can, if left by Thee,
Even to death, itself deceive:

O stretch forth Thine hand to me!
Hold me, guide me, never leave!

+ Christians one Family.

LORD, we all look up to Thee,
As one flock, one family:

May all strife between us cease,
As we love Thee, Prince of Peace.

78.

7s.

232

Make us of one heart and mind,
Gentle, meek, forgiving, kind,
Lowly both in thought and word,
Like Thyself, beloved Lord.
Let us for each other care;
Each the other's burden bear;
Each to each by love endear;
One in faith, and hope, and fear.
Free from all that hearts divide,
Let us thus in Thee abide;
All the depths of love express,
All the heights of holiness.

ONE

Communion with God.

NE on whom the soul may pour
Fervent, filial, reverent love;

And, while yet below, adore,
Like the spirits blest above;
One with whom in every place,
Every hour of day or night,
Though she see not yet His face,
She may commune with delight;
O for whatsoe'er beside

These too eager bosoms pant,
This, and only this, when tried,
Find we answer nature's want.

Father, what Thy grace hath taught
Deeply grave upon my heart;
And from Thee, in deed or thought,
Never let my soul depart!

See also Hymn 439.

7s.

233

Humility and Confession.

Humility.

C.M.

WERT Thou, to quench all mortal pride,

In state so mean on earth;

And mocked and scourged and crucified,
As one of basest worth?

Didst Thou, alike by deed and word,
So teach that all might see,
Who would be most in heaven preferred
Must here most lowly be?

Then grant, kind Saviour, who dost know
How vain our utmost strife

To achieve, unless Thou grace bestow,
Our hardest task in life;

O grant the strength divine we need,
To live as taught by Thee;

And so to win the exalted meed
Of deep humility.

234

W

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WHEN at Thy footstool, Lord, I bend,
And plead with Thee for mercy there,

Think of the sinner's dying friend,
And for His sake receive my prayer.
O think not of my shame and guilt,
My thousand stains of deepest dye;
Think of the blood for sinners spilt,
And let that blood my pardon buy.

Think, Lord, how I am still Thine own,
The trembling creature of Thy hand;
Think how my heart to sin is prone,
And what temptations round me stand.
O think not of my doubts and fears,
My strivings with Thy grace Divine:
Think upon Jesu's woes and tears,

And let His merits stand for mine.

Thine eye, Thine ear, they are not dull;
Thine arm can never shortened be;
Behold me now; my heart is full;
Behold, and spare, and succour me!

235

All are Sinners.

ALMIGHTY Father! God of grace!

like sheep astray,

In folly from Thy paths have turned,
Each to his sinful way.

Sins of omission and of act

Through all our lives abound:
Alas! in thought, and word, and deed,
No health in us is found!

O spare us, Lord, in mercy spare :
Our contrite souls restore,
Through Him who suffered on the cross,
And man's transgressions bore.

And grant, O Father, for His sake,

That we, through all our days,

A just and godly life may lead,
To Thine eternal praise.

C.M.

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