Our vows, our prayers we now present
Before Thy throne of grace;
God of our Fathers, be the God
Of each succeeding race.
Through this perplexing path of life
Our wand'ring footsteps guide;
"Give us each day our daily bread,"
And raiment fit provide.
O spread thy cov'ring wings around,
Till all our wand'rings cease,
And at our Father's lov'd abode
Our souls arrive in peace.
All that we know of saints above,
And all of saints below,
And all we know of God, is love
And all we need to know.
Love is of life the only sign,
Love is our vital breath,
Love only shows the child divine,
Love only conquers death.
And if thou to the altar come,
Nor love thine heart doth move,
Go back again unto thine home,
And come again with love.
Fear only lest thou has not love,
And fear exceedingly ;
For else thou hast no part above,
For without love we die.
Yes, love is of the Lord,
From Him all love proceeds;
The kindly smile, the gracious word,
All loving holy deeds.
He hears us when we call
He gives our daily food;
He made and loves and cares for all,
For He alone is good.
But most His love is shown
In sending from on high
His only well-beloved Son,
For guilty man to die.
O gift, all gifts above,
Whose price we cannot tell, But humbly own herein is love, Yea, love unspeakable.
Eternal God! we look to Thee,
To Thee for help we fly;
Thine eye alone our wants can see,
Thy hand alone supply.
Lord! let Thy fear within us dwell,
Thy love our footsteps guide;
That love will all vain love expel;
That fear, all fear beside.
Not what we wish but what we want,
Oh let Thy grace supply;
The good, unask'd, in mercy grant;
The ill, though ask'd, deny.
The saints on earth, and those above,
But one communion make;
Join'd to the Lord in bonds of love,
All of His grace partake.
One family we dwell in Him,
One church above, beneath,
Though now divided by the stream,
The narrow stream of death.
One army of the living God,
To His command we bow;
Part of the host have cross'd the flood,
And part are crossing now.
Lord Jesu, be our constant guide!
Then, when the word is giv'n,
Bid death's cold flood its waves divide,
And land us safe in Heaven.
We sing of the realms of the blest,
That country so bright and so fair;
And oft are its glories confess'd,
But what must it be to be there?
We speak of its freedom from sin,
From sorrow, temptation, and care,
From trials without and within,
But what must it be to be there?
We speak of its service of love,
The robes which the glorified wear,
The church of the first-born above,
But what must it be to be there?
Do Thou, Lord, 'midst pleasure and woe,
For Heaven our spirits prepare;
Then soon shall we joyfully know,
And feel what it is to be there.
Around the throne of God in heaven,
Ten thousand children stand;
Whose sins are all through Christ forgiv❜n,
A holy, happy band;
What brought them to that world above,
That heaven so bright and fair,
Where all is peace, and joy, and love,
How came those children there?
Because the Saviour shed His blood
To wash away their sin;
Bath'd in that pure, and precious flood,
Behold them white and clean;
On earth they sought the Saviour's
On earth they loved His name;
And now they see His blessed face,
And stand before the Lamb;
Gentle Jesus, meek and mild,
Look upon a little child;
Pity my simplicity,
Suffer me to come to Thee.
Fain I would to Thee be brought;
Gracious God, forbid it not;
Give me, O my God, a place
In the Kingdom of Thy Grace.
Fain I would be as Thou art;
Give me Thy obedient heart;
Thou art pitiful and kind,
Let me have Thy loving mind.
Let me above all fulfil
God my heav'nly Father's will;
Never His good spirit grieve,
Only to His glory live.
From Calv'ry's cross a fountain flows,
Of water and of blood,
More healing than Bethesda's pool,
Or fam'd Siloam's flood.
Dear Dying Lamb, Thy precious blood
Shall never lose its power,
|