Part 3

Blest be the wisdom and the power, The justice and the grace, That joined in council to restore And save our ruined race.

Blest be the Lord, who sent his Son To take our flesh and blood; He for our lives gave up his own, To make our peace with God.

He honoured all his Father’s laws, Which we have disobeyed; He bore our sins upon the cross, And our full ransom paid.

Behold Him rising from the grave, Behold Him raised on high! He pleads his merits there to save Transgressors doomed to die.

There on a glorious throne he reigns, And by His power divine, Redeems us from the slavish chains Of Satan and of sin.

Thence shall the Lord to judgment come, And, with a sovereign voice, Shall call and break up every tomb, While waking saints rejoice.

O may I then with joy appear Before the Judge’s face, And with the blest assembly there, Sing His redeeming grace!

65.

As Jacob on travel was weary by day, At night on a stone for a pillow he lay; A vision appeared—a ladder so high, Its foot on the earth, and its top in the sky.

All glory to Jesus who died on the tree, To raise up a ladder of mercy for me! Press forward! press forward! the prize is in view, A crown of bright glory is waiting for you.

The vision was glorious; a bright heavenly throng Was ascending with joy, and descending thereon; And God, rich in mercy, was standing above, Proclaiming to Jacob his goodness and love. All glory to Jesus, &c.

This ladder is Jesus, the Saviour of man, Whose blood, richly streaming, from Calvary ran; And through His atonement to heaven we may rise, And sing in the mansions prepared in the skies. All glory to Jesus, &c.

Then let us ascend, and be bold, never fear; It has stood every tempest, and always will bear; For millions have tried it, and reached Zion’s hill, And thousands, by faith, are ascending it still. All glory to Jesus, &c.

Our fathers upon it have mounted to God, Have finished their labours, and reach’d their abode; And we’re climbing after, and soon shall be there, To join in their rapture, their happiness share. All glory to Jesus, &c.

66.

Hosanna! Christ is here, Within these hallowed walls; Where the hymn of praise, the cry of prayer, On the great Jehovah calls, And lisping childhood’s willing tongue Lifts high to heaven the choral song, Hosanna! Christ is here!

67.

Jesus is our Shepherd, wiping every tear; Folded in His bosom, what have we to fear? Only let us follow whither He doth lead, To the thirsty desert, or the dewy mead.

Jesus is our Shepherd: well we know his voice, How its gentlest whisper makes our hearts rejoice; Even when it chideth, tender is its tone; None but He shall guide us! we are His alone.

Jesus is our Shepherd; for the sheep He bled; Every lamb is sprinkled with the blood He shed: Then on each he setteth His own secret sign; “They that have my Spirit, these,” saith he, “are mine.”

Jesus is our Shepherd; guarded by His arm, Though the wolves may raven, none can do us harm; When we tread death’s valley, dark with fearful gloom, We will fear no evil, victors o’er the tomb.

Jesus is our Shepherd, with His goodness now, And His tender mercy, He doth us endow: Let us sing his praises, with a gladsome heart, Till in heaven we meet Him, never more to part.

68.

Jesus Christ is risen to-day, Our triumphant holy day; Who did once, upon the cross, Suffer to redeem our loss. Hallelujah!

Hymns of praise then let us sing Unto Christ, our heavenly King; Who endur’d the cross and grave, Sinners to redeem and save. Hallelujah!

But the pains which he endured Our salvation have procured; Now above the sky he’s King, Where the angels ever sing. Hallelujah!

69.

Angels from on high proclaim, Now he comes—earth’s sovereign King! Cherubs, seraphs, sound His fame! Should not, then, all children sing Hosanna to the Son of David, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord!

See the Babe of Bethlehem! Wise men to Him presents bring; We are not so rich as they, Yet we can, though children, sing Hosanna, &c.

See the men who throng around, At his wisdom wondering; We adore Him—and are found Joined in chorus; children sing Hosanna, &c.

Pharisees and scribes all hate, And against Him slander bring; Do they curse him? we will bless! Louder, louder, children, sing Hosanna, &c.

When His glorious work was done, High he soared on angel’s wing; Great the victory He hath won, Joyful anthems let us sing! Hosanna, &c.

70.

From all that dwell below the skies, Let the Redeemer’s praise arise; Let the Creator’s name be sung Through every land, by every tongue.

Eternal are thy mercies, Lord, Eternal truth attends thy word; Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore, Till suns shall rise and set no more.

71.

Saviour and Lord of all, we lift our souls to Thee; Guide us and guard us, whate’er our lot may be. When we are full of grief, victims of anxious fear, Save us—oh, save us! Jesus, be near.

Brighten our darkest hour, till the last hour shall come: Then, in Thy power, oh take us home! Gracious Deliverer, how long wilt Thou delay? O gracious Saviour, bear us away!

72.

Jesus, who lived above the sky, Came down to be a man and die: And in the Bible we may see, How very good he used to be.

He went about, He was so kind, To cure poor people who were blind; And many who were sick and lame, He pitied them, and did the same.

And, more than that, He told them, too, The things that God would have them do; And was so gentle and so mild, He would have listened to a child.

But such a cruel death he died! He was hung up and crucified! And those kind hands that did such good, They nailed them to a cross of wood.

And so He died!—and this is why He came to be a man and die: The Bible says He came from Heaven, That we might have our sins forgiven.

He knew how wicked man had been, And knew that God must punish sin; So, out of pity, Jesus said, He’d bear the punishment instead.

73.

Mortals, awake! with angels join, And chant the solemn lay; Joy, love, and gratitude combine To hail th’ auspicious day.

In heaven the rapturous song began, And sweet seraphic fire Through all the shining legions ran, And strung and tuned the lyre.

Swift through the vast expanse it flew, And loud the echo rolled; The theme, the song, the joy was new— ’Twas more than heaven could hold!

Down through the portals of the sky The impetuous torrent ran; And angels flew with eager joy To bear the news to man.

Wrapt in the silence of the night Lay all the eastern world, When bursting glorious heavenly light The wondrous scene unfurled.

Hark! the cherubic armies shout, And glory leads the song! Good-will and peace are heard throughout The harmonious heavenly throng.

74.

Gentle Jesus, meek and mild, Look upon a little child: Pity my simplicity, Teach me, Lord, to come to Thee.

Fain I would to Thee be brought, Lamb of God, forbid it not! In the kingdom of Thy grace, Give a little child a place.

75.

Lord, how delightful ’tis to see A whole assembly worship Thee! At once they sing, at once they pray; They hear of heaven, and learn the way.

I have been there, and still would go; ’Tis like a little heaven below: Not all my pleasures, nor my play, Shall tempt me to forget this day.

O write upon my memory, Lord, The texts and doctrines of thy Word, That I may break thy laws no more, But love thee better than before.

With thoughts of Christ and things divine, Fill up this foolish heart of mine; That, hoping pardon through his blood, I may lie down and wake with God.

76.

There is a happy land, Far, far away! Where saints in glory stand, Bright, bright as day. O how they sweetly sing, Worthy is our Saviour King! Loud let his praises ring,— Praise, praise for aye!

Come to this happy land, Come, come away; Why will ye doubting stand, Why still delay? Oh! we shall happy be, When from sin and sorrow free; Lord, we shall live with thee, Blest, blest for aye!

77.

Lovelier far than Sharon’s Rose, Music no such sweetness knows; E’en the Lily’s modest white Ceases to afford delight; When my Lord and Saviour’s here, All but vanity appear!

Ophir’s gold, how poor and dim! What are pearls compared with him? Pleasure is a specious name, Diadems no glory claim! Give me but a sight of him, All beside’s a baseless dream.

Blessed Jesus! let my tongue Evermore thy love prolong; Can I cease to think of Thee, Life’s immortal, fragrant tree? Rather let the crimson tide Instant from its channels glide!

No! my heart to Thee is given, All my bliss is fixed in heaven: All my wish to feel thy grace, Taste thy love and see thy grace, Where each ardent spirit vies, Thee to praise in highest skies.

78.

Our souls shall magnify the Lord; In God the Saviour we rejoice: While we repeat the Virgin’s song, May the same spirit tune our voice.

To those who fear and trust the Lord, His mercy stands for ever sure: From age to age the promise lives, And the performance is secure.

But now no more shall Israel wait, No more the Gentiles lie forlorn: Lo! the Desire of Nations comes; Behold, the promised seed is born!

79.

Great God! what do I see and hear? The end of things created! The Judge of mankind doth appear, On clouds of glory seated. The trumpet sounds; the graves restore The dead which they contained before; Prepare, my soul, to meet him.

The dead in Christ shall first arise, At the last trumpet’s sounding, Caught up to meet Him in the skies, With joy their Lord surrounding! No gloomy fears their souls dismay; His presence sheds eternal day On those prepared to meet Him.

Great God! what do I see and hear? The end of things created! The Judge of mankind doth appear, On clouds of glory seated. Beneath His cross I view the day When heaven and earth shall melt away, And thus prepare to meet Him.

80.

O for a glance of heavenly love, Our hearts and songs to raise; Sweetly to bear our souls above, And mingle with their lays.

With joy the chorus we’ll repeat,— “Glory to God on high! Good-will and peace are now complete,— Jesus was born to die.”

Hail, Prince of Peace, for ever hail! Redeemer, Brother, Friend; Though earth and time, and life, should fail, Thy praise shall never end.

81.

How shall I meet my Saviour? How shall I welcome Thee? What manner of behaviour Is now required of me? Let thine illumination Guide heart and hand aright, That this my preparation Be pleasing in thy sight.

While with her sweetest flowers Thy Zion strews the way, I’ll raise with all my powers To Thee a grateful lay: To Thee, the King of Glory, I’ll raise a song divine; And make thy love’s bright story In graceful numbers shine.

I lay in fetters groaning, Thou cam’st to set me free; My shame I was bemoaning, With grace thou clothedst me; Thou raisedst me to glory, Endowed me with thy bliss, Which is not transitory, As worldly pleasure is.

This caused thy incarnation, This brought thee down to me: Thy thirst for my salvation Contrived my liberty! May I still enjoy this feeling, In all need to Jesus go! Prove his wounds each day more healing, And himself more fully know.

82.

Before Jehovah’s awful throne, Ye nations, bow with sacred joy; Know that the Lord is God alone: He can create and He destroy.

His sovereign power, without our aid, Made us of clay, and formed us men; And when like wand’ring sheep we strayed, He brought us to his fold again.

We’ll crowd thy gates with thankful songs, High as the heavens our voices raise; And earth, with her ten thousand tongues, Shall fill thy courts with sounding praise.

Wide as the world is thy command, Vast as eternity thy love; Firm as a rock thy truth must stand, When rolling years shall cease to move.

83.

If Jesus Christ was sent To save us from our sin, And kindly teach us to repent, We should at once begin.

’Tis not enough to say, We’re sorry, and repent, Yet still go on from day to day, Just as we always went.

Repentance is to leave The sins we loved before; And show that we in earnest grieve, By doing so no more.

Lord, make us thus sincere, To watch as well as pray; However small, however dear, Take all our sins away.

84.

O come, let us sing to the God of salvation! To Jesus our King who hath brought consolation, Who in His own body hath opened a fountain To cleanse our transgressions, tho’ high as a mountain!

Hallelujah to the Lamb who hath bought us a pardon; We’ll praise Him again when we’ve passed over Jordan!

Though we are deprav’d, though with sin we are burdened, Our souls may be saved, and our sins may be pardoned; For Jesus, our Saviour, hath promised to bless us, And free us for ever from those that oppress us. Hallelujah, &c.

The hour may be nigh when our bosoms, faint heaving, Shall breathe their last sigh in the peace of believing; And Thou from our pillow all darkness dispelling, Wilt calm the rude billow of Jordan’s proud swelling. Hallelujah, &c.

85.

How kind is the Saviour, how great is his love! To bless little children, he came from above; He left holy angels, and their bright abode, To dwell here with children, and teach them the road.

He wept in the garden, and died on the tree, To open a fountain for sinners like me: His blood is that fountain which pardon bestows, And cleanses the foulest wherever it flows.

He went back to glory; but left us His Word, Which oft from our teachers and pastors we’ve heard; He sends forth His Spirit our hearts to inflame, With joy to His service, and love to His name.

O help us, blest Jesus, more sweetly to praise, And walk in Thy footsteps the rest of our days; Then raise us, dear Saviour, to taste of Thy love, And praise Thee for ever with angels above!

86.

I sing the almighty power of God, That made the mountains rise; That spread the flowing seas abroad, And built the lofty skies.

I sing the wisdom that ordained The sun to rule the day; The moon shines full at his command, And all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord, That filled the earth with food; He formed the creatures with His Word, And then pronounced them good.

Lord! how thy wonders are displayed Where’er I turn mine eye! If I survey the ground I tread, Or gaze upon the sky.

There’s not a plant or flower below But makes thy glories known; And clouds arise, and tempests blow, By order from Thy throne.

Creatures, as numerous as they be, Are subject to Thy care; There’s not a place where we can flee But God is present there.

In heaven He shines with beams of love, With wrath in hell beneath; ’Tis on His earth I stand or move, And ’tis His air I breathe.

His hand is my perpetual guard; He keeps me with His eye: Why should I then forget the Lord, Who is for ever nigh?

87.

Hail, Bethlehem! favour’d city, hail! And hail thou star, with lustre mild, Whose light, unerring, points the way Of sages, to the holy Child!

Yes, ye were wise—and heaven-taught knew The language of that mystic ray, Which led you far from Persia’s plains, From twilight dim, to noontide day.

True to the light that star arose On you, though far from Salem’s towers; That star to Bethlehem leads you where The righteous Sun his radiance pours.

And thus may we our way pursue, Improve our rising dawn of grace, Which, followed, will to Jesus lead, Jesus, our “Sun of Righteousness.”

88.

Once thou didst on earth appear For all mankind to atone; Now be manifested here, And bid our sins begone.

Come, and by thy presence chase Its nature with its guilt and power; Jesus, shew thy open face, And sin shall be no more.

Thou, who didst so greatly stoop To a poor virgin’s womb, Here thy mean abode take up, To me, my Saviour, come.

Come, and Satan’s works destroy, And let me all thy Godhead prove; Fill’d with peace and heavenly joy, And pure, eternal love!

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Transcriber’s Notes

--Retained publication information from the printed edition: this eBook is public-domain in the country of publication.

--Silently corrected a few palpable typos.

--In the text versions only, text in italics is delimited by _underscores_.