Shadows with his wings thy head;
Guards from all impending harms;
Round thee and beneath are spread
The everlasting arms.
5 Christ shall bless thy going out,
Shall bless thy coming in;
Kindly compass thee about,
Till thou art sav'd from sin;
Like thy spotless Master, thou,
Fill'd with wisdom, love, and power;
Holy, pure, and perfect now,
Henceforth and evermore.
Josiah-p. 177.] HYMN 173.
H. The awful midnight cry!
Waiting souls, rejoice, rejoice,
And see the Bridegroom nigh!
Lo, he comes to keep his word,
Light and joy his looks impart;
Go ye forth to meet your Lord,
And meet him in your heart.
2 Ye who faint beneath the load
Of sin, your heads lift up:
See your great redeeming God;
He comes, and bids you hope!
In the midnight of your grief,
Jesus doth his mourners cheer:
Lo, he brings you sure relief;
Believe, and feel him here!
EARKEN to the solemn voice,
3 Ye whose loins are girt, stand forth,
Whose lamps are burning bright;
Worthy in your Saviour's worth,
To walk with him in white;
Jesus bids your hearts be clean;
Bids you all his promise prove;
Jesus comes to cast out sin,
And perfect you in love.
4 Wait we all in patient hope,
Till Christ, the Judge, shall come;
We shall soon be all caught up,
To meet the general doom:
In an hour to us unknown,
As a thief in deepest night,
Christ shall suddenly come down,
With all his saints in light.
5 Happy he whom Christ shall find
Watching to see him come;
Him the Judge of all mankind,
Shall bear triumphant home:
Who can answer to his word?
Which of you dares meet his day?
"Rise, and come to judgment!"—Lord,
We rise and come away.
Nazareth-p. 82.] HYMN 174. L M.
RAYER is appointed to convey
P designs give:
Long as they live should Christians pray, They learn to pray when first they live. 2 If pain afflict, cr wrongs oppress,
If cares distract, or fears uismay;
If guilt deject; if sin distress;
In every case, still watch and pray.
3 'Tis prayer supports the soul that 's weak:
Though thought be broken, language lame,
Pray, if thou canst, or canst not speak:
But pray with faitn in Jesus' name.
4 Depend on Him; thou canst not fail;
Make all thy wants and wishes known;
Fear not; his merits must prevail:
Ask but in faith, it shall be done.
Liverpool-p. 12.] HYMN 175. C. M. HOU, Lord, hast blest my going out, bless my coming in!
Compass my weakness round about,
And keep me safe from sin.
2 Still hide me in thy secret place,
Thy tabernacle spread;
Shelter me with preserving grace,
And screen my naked head.
3 To THEE for refuge may I run,
From sin's alluring snare:
Ready its first approach to shun,
And watching unto prayer.
4 O that I never, never more
Might from thy ways depart!
Here let me give my wand'rings o'er,
By giving thee my heart.
5 Fix my new heart on things above,
And then from earth release;
Lask not life, but let me love,
And lay me down in peace.
Portugal-p. 53.] HYMN 170. L. M.
UTHOR of faith, eternal Word,
A Whose Spirit breathes the active flame,
Faith, like its finisher and Lord,
To-day as yesterday the same.
2 To thee our humble hearts aspire,
And ask the gift unspeakable;
Increase in us the kindled fire,
In us the work of faith fulfil.
3 By faith we know thee strong to save, (Save us, a present Saviour thou!) Whate'er we hope, by faith we have; Future and past subsisting now.
4 To him that in thy name believes, Eternal life with thee is given, Into himself he all receives,
Pardon, and holiness, and heaven. 5 The things unknown to feeble sense, Unseen by reason's glimm'ring ray, With strong commanding evidence, Their heavenly origin display.
6 Faith lends its realizing light, The clouds disperse, the shadows fly, The Invisible appears in sight,
And God is seen by mortal eye.
Thacher-p. 90.] HYMN 177. S. M.
How can a sinner know
His sins on earth forgiven?
How can my gracious Saviour show
My name inscribed in heaven?
2 What we have felt and seen
With confidence we tell;
And publish to the sons of men,
The signs infallible.
3 We who in Christ believe
That he for us hath died,
We all his unknown peace receive,
And feel his blood apply'd.
4 Exults our rising soul,
Disburthen'd of her load,
And swells unutterably full
Of glory and of God.
5 His love surpassing far
The love of all beneath,
We find within our hearts, and dare
The pointless darts of death.
6 Stronger than death or hell
The sacred power we prove;
And conqu'rors of the world, we dwell
In heaven, who dwell in love.
WE by his Spirit prove,
And know the things of God,
The things which freely of his love
He hath on us bestow'd.
2 His Spirit to us he gave,
And dwells in us we know;
The witness in ourselves we have,
And all its fruits we show.
3 The meek and lowly heart
That in our Saviour was,
To us his Spirit does impart,
And signs us with his cross.
4 Our nature's turn'd, our mind
Transform'd in all its powers;
And both the witnesses are join'd,
The Spirit of God with ours.
5 Whate'er our pard'ning Lord
Commands, we gladly do;
And guided by his sacred word,
We all his steps pursue.
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