691

COMMUNION OF SAINTS.

The universal bond of love.

THE glorious universe around,

C. M.

The heavens with all their train,
Sun, moon, and stars, are firmly bound
In one mysterious chain.

2 The earth, the ocean, and the sky,
To form one world agree;
Where all that walk, or swim, or fly,
Compose one family.

3 God in creation thus displays
His wisdom and his might,

While all his works with all his ways
Harmoniously unite.

4 In one fraternal bond of love,
One fellowship of mind,

The saints below and saints above
Their bliss and glory find.

5 Here, in their house of pilgrimage,
Thy statutes are their song;
There, through one bright, eternal age,
Thy praises they prolong.

6 Lord, may our union form a part
Of that thrice happy whole;

Derive its pulse from thee, the heart,
Its life from thee, the soul.

692

One in Christ Jesus.

names no more

LET Party intime world o'erspread ;

Gentile and Jew, and bond and free,
Are one in Christ their Head.

S. M.

2 Among the saints on earth
Let mutual love be found;
Heirs of the same inheritance,
With mutual blessings crown'd.
3 Thus will the church below
Resemble that above;

Where streams of bliss forever flow,
And every heart is love.

693

Love the test of discipleship.

C. M.

OUR God is love; and all his saints

His image bear below:

The heart with love to God inspired,
With love to man will glow.

2 None who are truly born of God
Can live in enmity;

Then may we love each other, Lord,
As we are loved by thee.

3 Heirs of the same immortal bliss,
Our hopes and fears the same,
With bonds of love our hearts unite,
With mutual love inflame.

4 So may the unbelieving world
See how true Christians love;
And glorify our Saviour's grace,
And seek that grace to prove.

694

B

Sweet communion.

LEST are the sons of peace,

S. M.

Whose hearts and hopes are one;

Whose kind designs to serve and please Through all their actions run.

2 Blest is the pious house

Where zeal and friendship meet;

Their songs of praise, their mingled vows, Make their communion sweet.

695

3 Thus on the heavenly hills

The saints are blest above,
Where joy like morning dew distils,
And all the air is love.

The bond of perfectness.

THE sacred bond of perfectness
Is spotless charity;

O let us, Lord, we pray, possess
The mind that was in thee.

2 Grant this, and then from all below
Insensibly remove :

C. M.

Our souls the change shall scarcely know,
Made perfect first in love.

3 With ease our souls through death shall glide Into their paradise;

And thence on wings of angels ride
⚫ Triumphant through the skies.
4 Yet when the fullest joy is given,
The same delight we prove;

In earth, in paradise, in heaven,
Our all in all is love.

696

7th P. M. 8 lines 7s.

Sweet counsel.

GLORY be to God above,

God, from whom all blessings flow;
Make we mention of his love;
Publish we his praise below:
Call'd together by his grace,
We are met in Jesus' name;
See with joy each other's face,

Foll'wers of the bleeding Lamb.
2 Let us then sweet counsel take,
How to make our calling sure;
Our election how to make,

Past the reach of hell, secure :

Build we each the other up;
Pray we for our faith's increase;
Solid comfort, settled hope,

Constant joy, and lasting peace.
3 More and more let love abound:
Let us never, never rest,
Till we are in Jesus found,
Of our paradise possess'd:-
He removes the flaming sword,
Calls us back, from Eden driven;
To his image here restored,
Soon he takes us up to heaven.

697

All-uniting faith.

Len al in whom, word hath place,

ET all in whom the Spirit glows,

The all-uniting faith disclose,-
The all-endearing grace.

C. M.

2 Then shall the world, admiring, view The gather'd flock at rest;

And own the Son divinely true,

The saints divinely blest.

698

One fold and one shepherd.

YIVER of peace and unity,

We all shall then in one agree,

L. M.

Dove;

And breathe the spirit of thy love.

2 We all shall think and speak the same
Delightful lesson of thy grace:
One undivided Christ proclaim,
And jointly glory in thy praise.
30 let us take a softer mould,
Blended and gather'd into thee;
Under one Shepherd make one fold,
Where all is love and harmony.

4 Regard thine own eternal prayer,
And send a peaceful answer down:
To us thy Father's Name declare;
Unite and perfect us in one.

5 So shall the world believe and know
That God hath sent thee from above,
When thou art seen in us below,
And every soul displays thy love.

699

3d P. M. 4 6s & 2 8s.

Bear ye one another's burdens.

THOU God of truth and love,
We seek thy perfect way,
Ready thy choice to' approve,
Thy providence to' obey;

Enter into thy wise design,
And sweetly lose our will in thine.

2 Why hast thou cast our lot
In the same age and place?
And why together brought

To see each other's face;

To join with softest sympathy,
And mix our friendly souls in thee?

3 Didst thou not make us one,
That we might one remain ;-
Together travel on,

And bear each other's pain;-
Till all thy utmost goodness prove,
And rise renew'd in perfect love 2

4 Surely thou didst unite
Our kindred spirits here,
That all hereafter might

Before thy throne appear;

Meet at the marriage of the Lamb,
And all thy gracious love proclaim.