2 The Church from her dear Master
Received the gift divine,
And still that light she lifteth
O'er all the earth to shine.
It is the golden casket
Where gems of truth are stored;
It is the heaven-drawn picture
Of Christ, the living Word.
3 It floateth like a banner
Before God's host unfurl'd;
It shineth like a beacon
Above the darkling world:
It is the chart and compass,
That o'er life's surging sea,
Mid mists, and rocks, and quicksands,
Still guide, O Christ, to thee.
4 O make thy Church, dear Saviour,
A lamp of burnish'd gold
To bear before the nations
Thy true light as of old:
O teach thy wandering pilgrims
By this their path to trace,
Till, clouds and darkness ended,
They see thee face to faces.
"Lord, thou hast been our dwelling-place in
all generations."—Ps. xc. 1.
1 O GOD, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come,
Our shelter from the stormy blast,
And our eternal home:
2 Under the shadow of thy throne
Thy saints have dwelt secure :
Sufficient is thine arm alone,
And our defence is sure.
3 Before the hills in order stood,
Or earth received her frame,
From everlasting thou art God,
To endless years the same.
4 A thousand ages in thy sight
Are like an evening gone;
Short as the watch that ends the night
Before the rising sun.
5 Time, like an ever-rolling stream,
Bears all its sons away;
They fly forgotten, as a dream
Dies at the opening day.
6 O God, our help in ages past,
Our hope for years to come;
Be thou our guard while life shall last,
And our eternal home".
"Our eyes wait upon the Lord our God."
Ps. cxxiii. 2.
1 My faith looks up to thee,
Thou Lamb of Calvary,
Saviour divine:
Now hear me while I
Take all my guilt away,
O let me from this day
Be wholly thine.
2 May thy rich grace impart
Strength to my fainting heart,
My zeal inspire:
As thou hast died for me,
O may my love to thee
Pure, warm, and changeless be,
A living fire.
3 While life's dark maze I tread,
And griefs around me spread,
Be thou my Guide;
Bid darkness turn to day,
Wipe sorrow's tears away,
Nor let me ever stray
From thee aside.
4 When ends life's transient dream,
When death's cold sullen stream
Shall o'er me roll;
Blest Saviour, then in love
Fear and distrust remove;
O bear me safe above,
A ransom'd soult.
"Incline your ear, and come unto me.”
ISA. lv. 3.
1 I HEARD the voice of Jesus say,
Come unto me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay down
Thy head upon my breast.
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary and worn and sad,
I found in him a resting-place,
And he has made me glad.
2 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
Behold I freely give
The living water; thirsty one,
Stoop down and drink, and live.
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream,
My thirst was quench'd, my soul revived,
And now I live in him.
3 I heard the voice of Jesus say,
I am this dark world's light,
Look unto me, thy morn shall rise,
And all thy day be bright.
I look'd to Jesus, and I found
In him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I'll walk,
'Till travelling days are donea.
"Blessed are they that have not seen, and yet
have believed."-JOHN XX. 29.
1 WE saw thee not when thou didst come
To this poor world of sin and death,
Nor e'er beheld thy cottage home
In that despised Nazareth;
But we believe thy footsteps trod
Its streets and plains, thou Son of God.
2 We did not see thee lifted high
Amid that wild and savage crew,
Nor heard thy meek imploring cry,
Forgive, they know not what they do ;" Yet we believe the deed was done,
Which shook the earth and veil'd the sun.
3 We stood not by the empty tomb
Where late thy sacred body lay,
Nor sat within that upper room,
Nor met thee in the open way;
But we believe that angels said,
"Why seek the living with the dead?"
4 We did not mark the chosen few,
When thou didst through the clouds ascend,
First lift to heaven their wondering view,
Then to the earth all prostrate bend;
Yet we believe that mortal eyes
Beheld that journey to the skies.
5 And now that thou dost reign on high,
And thence thy waiting people bless,
No ray of glory from the sky
Doth shine upon our wilderness;
But we believe thy faithful word,
And trust in our Redeeming Lords.
"Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, [SIX 88.
sure and steadfast."-HEB. vi. 19.
1 Now I have found the ground wherein
Sure my soul's anchor may remain :
The wounds of Jesus, for my sin,
Before the world's foundation slain;
Whose mercy shall unshaken stay,
When heaven and earth are fled away.
2 O Love, thou bottomless abyss!
My sins are swallow'd up in thee;
Cover'd is my unrighteousness,
Nor spot of guilt remains on me:
While Jesus' blood through earth and skies,
Mercy, free boundless mercy, cries.
3 Though waves and storms go o'er my head,
Though strength, and health, and friends
Though joys be wither'd all and dead,
Though every comfort be withdrawn ;
On this my steadfast soul relies,
Father, thy mercy never dies.
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