1.*

HOLY Lord, ::

T. 119.

Holy and almighty Lord, Thou who, as the great Creator, Art by all thy works adored; Source of universal nature,

And to man, redeemed by Jesus' blood, Lord our God, :||:

2 Thanks and praise, :: Thanks and praise be ever thine, That thy word to us is given,

Teaching us, with power divine,
That the Lord of earth and heaven,
Everlasting life for us to gain,
Once was slain. :||:

3 Day nor night, ::
Never let us hold our peace;
In his blood-bought congregation
Never shall his praises cease;
God, as man, made an oblation,
Suffered, bled, and died, my soul, for
Joyful be. ::
[thee;

4 Lord our God, :||:
May thy precious, saving word,
Till our race is here completed,
Light unto our path afford;
And, when in thy presence seated,
We to thee will render for thy grace
Ceaseless praise. ::

BLESSED Jesus, at thy word,
We are gathered all to hear thee,
Let our hearts and souls be stirred

Now to seek and love and fear thee;
By thy teachings sweet and holy,
Drawn from earth to love thee solely.
2 All our knowledge, sense, and sight
Lie in deepest darkness shrouded,
Till thy Spirit breaks our night

With the beams of truth unclouded; Thou alone to God canst win us, Thou must work all good within us. 3 Glorious Lord, thyself impart; Light of light from God proceeding, Open thou our ears and heart,

Help us by thy Spirit's pleading. Hear the cry thy people raises; Hear and bless our prayers and praises. T. Clausnitzer (tr. C. Winkworth).

3 Come, thou divine Interpreter, Our sloth and ignorance thou know'st: Ah, teach us humbly to revere

The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, For all the mercy, truth, and grace, We in the holy scriptures trace.

5.

Ch. Wesley, 1708-88.
T. 14.

THE Spirit breathes upon the word,
And brings the truth to sight;
Precepts and promises afford
A sanctifying light.

A glory gilds the sacred page,
Majestic, like the sun;
It gives a light to every age-
It gives, but borrows none.

3 The hand that gave it still supplies
The gracious light and heat;
Its truths upon the nations rise-
They rise, but never set.

4 Let everlasting thanks be thine,
For such a bright display,

As makes a world of darkness shine
With beams of heavenly day.
5 My soul rejoices to pursue
The steps of him I love,
Till glory breaks upon my
In brighter world's above.

6.*

view

William Cowper, 1731-1800.
T. 22.

LORD Jesus, with thy children stay
Till dawn of thy eternal day;
And let thy glorious gospel-light
Meanwhile dispel the gloom of night.
2 In these degenerate, evil days,
We pray for constancy and grace,
That we keep pure, most gracious Lord,
Thy holy sacraments and word.

3 Thy sacred word our boast abides,
Boldly in this thy Church confides;
We build upon this word alone,
All other doctrines we disown.

4 Lord, from such teachers us preserve,
As from the holy scriptures swerve,
And by false doctrines would deceive
The souls who simply thee believe.
5 The cause and glory, Lord, are thine;
Thy word is pure and truth divine:
Assist us to rely on thee,
And keep us thine eternally.

Nicolas Selnecker, 1530-92.

FAIN would I, dear Redeemer, learn,
Fain what is excellent discern;
Thy will would search, my duty know;
O let thy word the secret show.

2 Sigh after sigh to thee I send,
That I thy word may comprehend,
That word which, learnt and under-
Affords the soul enduring food. [stood,
3 With pity view me at thy feet;
To be instructed, Lord, I wait;
Here will I lie, nor wish to rise,
Till by thy cross I am made wise.
J. Harries, c. 1750.
T. 97.

9.*

HERE in thy presence we appear,
Lord Jesus Christ, thy word to hear;
Our wandering thoughts and hearts
incline,

With thirst to imbibe thy word divine; That all our minds drawn from this earth to thee, [fully. May love thee more, and serve thee faith

2 Give us thy Spirit, Lord, that we, With gladness and humility, The holy scriptures may believe, And with a grateful heart receive As thy own word, to make us truly wise, And not as man's invention or device.

3 God Holy Spirit, now impart Thy unction to each longing heart; Us with thy heavenly light and fire To sing, to pray, and preach inspire; Thus blest in spirit and in truth, shall we Give praise unto the Father, Son, and Thee. T. Clausnitzer and D. Denicke.

10.

T. 151.

O WORD of God incarnate,
O Wisdom from on high,
O Truth unchanged, unchanging,
O Light of our dark sky;
We praise thee for the radiance
That from the hallowed page,
A lantern to our footsteps,

Shines on from age to age.

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 unfurled;
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 burnished 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 face.

11.

W. Walsham How, b. 1823.

T. 14.

JESUS, thy word is my delight;
There grace and truth are seen;
I fain would study day and night,
And meditate therein.

2 The gospel, as a polished glass,
Thy glory lets us see;
And, by beholding there thy face,
We're rendered like to thee.

3 O Lamb of God, the book unseal,
And to our hearts explain;

Let all its life and spirit feel,

And heavenly wisdom gain.

4 That thou for us didst live and die,
Make known to us, dear Lord;
To us the promises apply,
Recorded in thy word.

William Hammond, 1719-83. |

[bark,

Without thee how could earth be trod, Or heaven itself be won?

5 Lord, grant us all aright to learn
The wisdom it imparts;

And to its heavenly teaching turn,
With simple, childlike hearts.

13.

Bernard Barton, 1784-1849.
T. 14.

HOW precious is the book divine,
By inspiration given;

Bright as a lamp its doctrines shine,
To guide our souls to heaven.

2 It sweetly cheers our drooping hearts,
In this dark vale of tears;
Life, light, and joy it still imparts,
And quells our rising fears.

3 This lamp thro' all the tedious night Of life shall guide our way,

Till we behold the clearer light
Of everlasting day.

14.*

John Fawcett, 1739-1817.

T. 83.

PRECIOUS Bible; what a treasure
Does the word of God afford;

All I want for life or pleasure,
Food and medicine, shield and sword

Let the world account me poor,
Having this I need no more.

2 Food to which the world's a stranger
Here my hungry soul enjoys;
Of excess there is no danger,
Though it fills, it never cloys:
On a dying Christ I feed,
He is meat and drink indeed.

3 When my faith is faint and sickly,
Or when Satan wounds my mind;
Cordials to revive me quickly,
Healing medicines here I find;
To the promises I flee,
Each affords a remedy.

4 In the hour of dark temptation
Satan cannot make me yield:

For this word of consolation

:

Is to me both sword and shield: While the scripture truths are sure, From his malice I'm secure.

16.

John Newton, 1725-1807.

T. 14.

THY law is perfect, Lord of light,
Thy testimonies sure;

The statutes of thy realm are right,
And thy commandments pure.

2 Holy, inviolate thy fear,
Enduring as thy throne;

Thy judgments, chastening or severe,
Justice and truth alone.

3 More prized than gold-than gold Refining fire expels ;

[whose waste Sweeter than honey to my taste, Than honey from the cells.

4 Let these, O God, my soul convert,
And make thy servant wise;
Let these be gladness to my heart,
The day-spring to my eyes.

5 By these may I be warned betimes;
Who knows the guile within?

DEEPare the wounds which sin has made;
Where shall the sinner find a cure?
In vain, alas! is nature's aid;

The work exceeds all nature's power.
2 And can no sovereign balm be found,
And is no kind physician nigh
To ease the pain and heal the wound,
Ere life and hope for ever fly?
3 There is a great Physician near.
Look up, O fainting soul, and live;
See in his heavenly smiles appear

Such ease as nature cannot give! 4 See, in the Saviour's dying blood, Life, health, and bliss abundant flow; 'Tis only this dear, sacred flood

Can ease thy pain and heal thy woe. Anne Steele, 1716-1778.

LOVE, who in the first beginning
Man in thine own likeness made;
Love, who when we fell by sinning
Raised us up no more afraid;

Henceforth I myself resign,
Love, to be for ever thine.

2 Love, who once, thy grace bestowing,
Chose me ere life's breath I drew;
Love, who once, thy mercy flowing,
Took my form and nature too;
Henceforth I myself resign,
Love, to be for ever thine.

3 Love, who here on earth endured
Human sorrow, toil, and pain;
Love, who by thy death procurèd
Joy to me and endless gain;

Henceforth I myself resign,
Love, to be for ever thine.
4 Love, who by thy word and spirit
Life and light to me revealed;
Love, who 'gainst the wrath I merit
Art my soul's protecting shield;
Henceforth I myself resign,
Love, to be for ever thine.

5 Love, to whom my will submitted
When I took thine easy yoke;
Love, to whom my heart was knitted
When thy love its love awoke;
Henceforth I myself resign,

Love, to be for ever thine.
6 Love, whose wondrous love eternal
Thee my willing ransom made;
Love, who at the throne supernal
Pleadeth now that ransom paid;
Henceforth I myself resign,
Love, to be for ever thine.

7 Love, who wilt to heaven's bright story
Raise me from my sleep profound;
Love, who with the crown of glory
Wilt at length my head surround;
Henceforth I myself resign,
Love, to be for ever thine.

F. Angelus (tr. Frances E. Cox).
T. 14.

22.*

CHRIST, the good Shepherd, God's own From all eternity,

[Son

Urged by his love, exchanged his throne
For human misery;

His wandering sheep gone far astray
He sought with anxious pain,
And did for all a ransom pay

To bring them home again.

2 One of those sheep, in deserts lost,
Art thou, my sinful soul;
His life it hath the Shepherd cost

To save and make thee whole;
Now hear his voice with gratitude,
Call on his saving name;

For thee he shed his precious blood,
And now his own doth claim.

F. Scheffler (Angelus Silesius), 1624-77.
T. 14.

23.

How sad our state by nature is,
Our sin how deep it stains,
How Satan binds our captive souls
Fast in his slavish chains.

2 But there's a voice of sovereign grace,
Sounds from the sacred word:
"Ho, ye despairing sinners, come,
Believe in Christ the Lord."

3 My soul, obey the gracious call,
And haste to gain relief;

I would believe thy promise, Lord;
O help mine unbelief.