To Him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end.

5 O'er every foe victorious,

He on His throne shall rest;
From age to age more glorious,
All-blessing and all-blessed;
The tide of time shall never
His covenant remove;
His name shall stand for ever,
That name to us is Love.

8.7.

James Montgomery, 1771-1854.

426

'L

ORD! a Saviour's love displaying,
Show the pagan lands Thy way;
Millions still like sheep are straying
In the dark and cloudy day.

2 Bring them home from every nation,
From the islands of the sea;
By the word of Thy salvation
Call the wanderers back to Thee.

3 Thou their pasture hast provided,
Grant the blessing long foretold;
Let Thy sheep, divinely guided,
Find at last the common fold.

Ernest Hawkins, 1802-1868.

427

"L

L.M.

ET there be light!" thus spake the
Word!

The Word was GOD, "and there was light;" Still the creative voice is heard,

A day is born from every night; And every night shall turn to day, While months, and years, and ages roll: But we have seen a brighter ray Dawn on the chaos of the soul.

2 Nor we alone: its wakening smiles

Have broke the gloom of nature's sleep; The word hath reached the utmost isles, The SPIRIT moves on yonder deep: Already from the dust of death

Man in his Maker's image stands,

Already draws immortal breath,

And stretches forth to heaven his hands.

3 From day to day, before our eyes,
Glows and extends the work begun;
When shall the new creation rise
O'er every land beneath the sun?
When, in the Sabbath of His love,
Shall GOD from all His labours rest,
And bending from the throne above
Again pronounce His creatures blessed?

4 As sang the morning stars of old,
Shouted the sons of GOD for joy,
His widening reign while we behold

Let praise and prayer our tongues employ;

Till the redeemed, in every clime,

Yea, all that breathe and move and live, To CHRIST, through every age of time, The kingdom power and glory give.

*James Montgomery, 1771-1854.

L.M.

428

I ESUS shall reign where'er the sun
Doth his successive journeys run;
His kingdom stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.
2 For Him shall endless prayer be made,
And praises throng to crown His head,

His name like sweet perfume shall rise
With every morning sacrifice.

3 People and realms of every tongue
Dwell on His love with sweetest song,
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His name.

4 Blessings abound where'er He reigns;
The prisoner leaps to lose his chains,
The weary find eternal rest,

And all the sons of want are blessed.

5 Let every creature rise and bring
Peculiar honours to our King;

Angels, descend with songs again!
And earth, repeat the loud Amen!

*Isaac Watts,

1674-1748.

HYMNS FOR SPECIAL OCCASIONS.

429

I

LOVE divine and golden!
Mysterious depth and height!
To Thee the world, beholden,
Looks up for life and light;
O Love divine and gentle!

The Blesser and the blessed!
Beneath Whose care parental,

The world lies down in rest;

2 The fields of earth adore Thee,
The forests sing Thy praise,
All living things before Thee
Their holiest anthems raise;
Thou art the joy of gladness!
The life of life Thou art!
The dew of gentle sadness
That droppeth on the heart!

3 O Love divine and tender!

That through our homes doth move,
Veiled in the softened splendour

Of holy household love;

Good is GOD's holy pleasure

When, through His bounty, comes,

In overflowing measure,

Its gladness to our homes.

7.6

4 GOD bless the hands united,
GOD bless the hearts made one;
Unsevered and unblighted

May they through life go on :
Here, in earth's home, preparing
For the bright home above;
And there, for ever sharing
Its joy, where "God is love!"

*John Samuel Bewley Monsell,

1811-1875.

C.M.

I

O

430

CHRIST, the King of human life!
In royal bounty pour

On these Thy servants, man and wife,
Thy blessing evermore.

2 On ties of home, in life, in death,
Thy seal divine was set;
Those thirty years at Nazareth
Thou, LORD, rememberest yet!

3 And by those holy years, we pray,
To these Thine own be nigh;
Their common life from day to day
Direct and sanctify.

4 At Cana's marriage first didst Thou
Thy glory manifest;

O come to be among us now
A wonder-working Guest!