2" Great is the work," our brethren cry'd,
And own'd the pow'r divine;
"Great is the work," our souls reply'd,
"And be the glory thine."
The Lord can clear the darkest skies,
Can give us day for night;
Make drops of sacred sorrow rise
To rivers of delight.
4 Let those that sow in sadness, wait
Till the fair harvest come;
They shall confess their sheaves are great,
And shout the blessings home.
5 The seed, though buried long in dust,
Will not deceive their hope;
The precious grain cannot be lost,
498. L. M. 8 lines.
The Star of Bethlehem.
1 WHEN marshall'd on the nightly plain,
The glitt'ring host bestud the sky;
One star alone of all the train,
Can fix the sinner's wand'ring eye.
Hark! hark! to God the chorus breaks,
From ev'ry host, from ev'ry gem;
But one alone the Saviour speaks,
It is the star of Bethlehem.
2 Once on the stormy seas we rode,
The storm was loud, the night was dark,
The ocean yawn'd and rudely blow'd
The wind that toss'd our found'ring bark.
Deep horror then our vitals froze,
Death-struck, we ceas'd the tide to stem;
When suddenly a star arose,
It was the star of Bethlehem.
3 It was our guide, our light, our all ;
It made our dark forebodings cease;
And, through the storm and danger's thrall,
It led us to the port of peace.
Now safely moor'd our peril's o'er;
We'll sing first in night's diadem,
Forever and forevermore,
It is the star of Bethlehem.
499. L. M.
The Reign of God.
1 WHEN God descends, with men to dwell,
And all creation makes anew;
What tongue can half the glories tell,
Or eye the matchless wonders view?
2 Zion, the desolate, shall sing,
The wilderness with roses bloom;
Carmel and Sharon both shall bring
Their spices, and their rich perfume.
3 The weak are strong, the fearful bold,
The dumb shall sing in anthems sweet;
The lame shall walk, the blind behold
Their God, and worship at his feet.
4 Celestial streams shall gently flow,
The wilderness shall joyful be:
Lilies on parched ground shall grow,
And gladness spring from ev'ry tree.
5 The wolves, with lambs, in meadows go,
The tiger's harmless as the kid;
The lion shall no anger show
But with the calf shall tamely feed.
6 Thus kings and slaves shall meet in love, Old pride shall die, and meekness reign; When God descends from worlds above, To dwell with men on earth again.
500. L. M.
"God is Love."
1 WHEN our astonish'd eyes behold
Our Maker's works, below, above;
And read his name in lines of gold,
We surely know that " God is Love."
2 When we observe his written word,
His promises of grace we prove;
With heart and voice we'll praise the Lord,
For scripture saith that "God is Love."
3 What gentle streams of pleasure roll!
What quick'ning from the mystic Dove!
For peace divine fills all the soul,
And we can shout, our " God is love."
4 Now heav'nly courage we'll put on,
Since far away our fear is drove;
We'll bow before the living Son,
And loud proclaim, our "God is love."
The Works of God invite our Praise.
1 WHEN We survey this world,
With all its beauteous frame,
Its great Creator we adore,
And celebrate his name.
2 The boundless whole displays
The wonders of the Lord :
All nature echoes with his praise,
And be his name ador'd.
3 The sun in ev'ry beam
Proclaims the God above:
Its ardent rays exhibit him,
Who rules the worlds in love.
4 The lofty stars by night,
The moon with paler glow
In ev'ry twinkling ray of light,
Their Maker's honour show.
5 The universal whole
Proclaims Jehovah's praise; And O, that ev'ry living soul Would songs of honour raise.
6 The worlds were made in love,
By wisdom all divine;
And while in praise our tongues can move,
That praise, O Lord, be thine!
502. C. M.
The new Creation.
1 WHEN Will the eyelids of that morn
Open upon our sight,
When all creation shall be born,
And beauty chase our night?
2 When will the sun of righteousness,
With healing in his wings,
The num'rous sons of Adam bless
With love's eternal springs ?
3 The promis'd day will surely come;
Its beauties shall unfold
What Jesus hath for mortals done,
While we with joy behold.
4 A new creation then shall rise,
By the Almighty's hand;
And though the old creation dies,
The new shall always stand.
503. c. M.
Repentance and Pardon. Isa. lv.
1 WHEN sinners quit their wicked ways,
Their evil thoughts forego,
The God to whom their steps return,
Returning grace will show.
2 He pardons with o'erflowing love;
For hear the voice divine;
My nature is not like to yours,
Nor like your ways are mine.
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