Hymns for Christian Devotion

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477. L. M. Merrick.

Prayer for Divine Guidance.

1 Teach me, O teach me, Lord! thy way;
So, to my life's remotest day,
By thy unerring precepts led,
My willing feet its paths shall tread.

2 Informed by thee, with sacred awe,
My heart shall meditate thy law;
And with celestial wisdom filled,
To thee its full obedience yield.

3 Give me to know thy will aright,--
Thy will, my glory and delight.--
That, raised above the world, my mind
In thee its highest good may find.

4 O turn from vanity mine eye;
To me thy quickening strength supply;
And with thy promised mercy cheer
A heart devoted to thy fear.

478. 7s. M. C. Wesley.

The Repose of Faith.

1 Happy soul, that safe from harm
Rests within his Shepherd's arm!
Who his quiet shall molest?
Who shall violate his rest?

2 Seek, O Lord, thy wandering sheep;
Bring me back, and lead, and keep;
Take on thee my every care;
Bear me, on thy bosom bear.

3 Let me know thy gracious voice;
More and more in thee rejoice;
More and more of thee receive;
Ever in thy spirit live:--

4 Live, till all thy love I know,
Perfect in my Lord below;
Gladly then from earth remove,
Gathered to the fold above.

479. C. M. C. Wesley.

A Rest Remaineth.

1 Lord! we believe a rest remains
To all thy people known;
A rest where pure enjoyment reigns;--
For thou art served alone:--

2 A rest where all our souls desire
Is fixed on things above;
Where fear, and sin, and grief expire,
Cast out by perfect love.

3 O that we now that rest might know,
Believe and enter in!
Thou Holiest! now the power bestow,
And let us cease from sin.

4 Remove this hardness from our heart,
This unbelief remove:
The rest of perfect faith impart,
The sabbath of thy love.

480. L. M. Anonymous.

Angels from Heaven Strengthening Him.

1 Lord! in thy garden agony,
No light seemed on thy soul to break,
No form of seraph lingered nigh,
Nor yet the voice of comfort spake;

2 Till, by thine own triumphant word,
The victory over, ill was won;
Till the sweet, mournful cry was heard,
"Thy will, O God, not mine, be done!"

3 Lord, bring these precious moments back,
When, fainting, against sin we strain;
Or in thy counsels fail to track
Aught but the present grief and pain.

4 In weakness, help us to contend;
In darkness, yield to God our will;
And true hearts, faithful to the end,
Cheer by thine holy angels still!

481. C. M. Steele.

Filial Submission.

1 And can my heart aspire so high,
To say, "My Father," God?
Lord, at thy feet, I fain would lie,
And learn to kiss the rod.

2 I would submit to all thy will,
For thou art good and wise;
Let each rebellious thought be still,
Nor one faint murmur rise.

3 Thy love can cheer the darkest gloom,
And bid me wait serene,
Till hopes and joys immortal bloom,
And brighten all the scene.

4 "My Father, God," permit my heart
To plead her humble claim,
And ask the bliss those words impart,
In my Redeemer's name.

482. C. M. Pope.

Universal Prayer.

1 Father of all! in every age,
In every clime, adored,
By saint, by savage, and by sage,
Jehovah, Jove, or Lord!--

2 Save me alike from foolish pride,
Or impious discontent
At aught thy wisdom has denied,
Or aught thy goodness lent.

3 This day be bread and peace my lot:
All else beneath the sun
Thou knowest if best bestowed or not
And let thy will be done.

4 Yet not to earth's contracted span
Thy goodness let me bound,
Or think thee Lord alone of man,
When thousand worlds are round.

5 To thee whose temple is all space,
Whose altar, earth, sea, skies,
One chorus let all beings raise,
All nature's incense rise.

483. C. M. Pope.

The Same.

1 Father of all, whose cares extend
To earth's remotest shore,
Through every age let praise ascend,
And every clime adore.

2 Mean though I am, not wholly so,
Since quickened by thy breath;
Lord, lead me wheresoe'er I go,
Through this day's life or death.

3 Teach me to feel another's woe,
To hide the fault I see;
That mercy I to others show,
That mercy show to me.

4 If I am right, thy grace impart
Still in the right to stay;
If I am wrong, O teach my heart
To find that better way.

5 What conscience dictates to be done,
Or warns me not to do,
This teach me more than hell to shun,
That more than heaven pursue.

484. 7s. M. Methodist Coll.

Seeking God.

1 Light of Life, Seraphic Fire,
Love Divine, thyself impart;
Every fainting soul inspire;
Shine in every drooping heart!
Every mournful sinner cheer;
Scatter all our guilty gloom;
Love of God, appear, appear!
To thy human temples come.

2 Come, in this accepted hour;
Bring thy heavenly kingdom in!
Fill us with thy glorious power,
Rooting out the seeds of sin:
Nothing more can we require,
We will covet nothing less;
Be thou all our heart's desire,
Be our heaven--in holiness.

485. C. M. Percy Chapel Coll.

"Thy Will be done."

1 Father, I know thy ways are just,
Although to me unknown;
O, grant me grace thy love to trust,
And cry, "Thy will be done."

2 If thou shouldst hedge with thorns my path;
Should wealth and friends be gone;
Still with a firm and lively faith,
I'll cry, "Thy will be done."

3 Although thy steps I cannot trace,
Thy sovereign right I'll own;
And, as instructed by thy grace;
I'll cry, "Thy will be done."

4 'Tis sweet thus passively to lie
Before thy gracious throne,
Concerning everything to cry,
"My Father's will be done."

486. C. M. Doddridge.

Confidence in God.

1 My God! the covenant of thy love
Abides forever sure;
And in thy matchless grace I feel
My happiness secure.

2 What though my house be not with thee
As nature could desire?
To nobler joys than nature gives
Thy servants all aspire.

3 Since thou, the everlasting God,
My Father art become;
Jesus my Guardian and my Friend,
And heaven my final home:

4 I welcome all thy sovereign will,
For all that will is love;
And when I know not what thou dost,
I wait the light above.

5 Thy covenant the last accent claims
Of this poor faltering tongue;
And that shall the first notes employ
Of my celestial song.

487. L. M. Henry Moore.

Prayer for Religious Principle.

1 Amidst a world of hopes and fears,
A wild of cares, and toils, and tears,
Where foes alarm and dangers threat,
And pleasures kill, and glories cheat:

2 Shed down, O Lord! a heavenly ray,
To guide me in the doubtful way;
And o'er me hold thy shield of power,
To guard me in the dangerous hour.

3 Teach me the flattering paths to shun,
In which the thoughtless many run,
Who for a shade the substance miss,
And grasp their ruin in their bliss.

4 May never pleasure, wealth or pride,
Allure my wandering soul aside;
But through this maze of mortal ill,
Safe lead me to thy heavenly hill.

488. L. M. Christian Psalmist.

Prayer for Divine Help.

1 Be with me, Lord, where'er I go;
Teach me what thou wouldst have me do;
Show me my weakness,--let me see
I have my power, my all from thee.

2 Enrich me always with thy love;
My kind protection ever prove;
Thy signet put upon my breast,
And let thy spirit on me rest.

3 Assist and teach me how to pray;
Incline my nature to obey;
What thou abhorr'st that let me flee,
And only love what pleases thee.

4 O may I never do my will,
But thine, and only thine, fulfil;
Let all my time and all my ways
Be spent and ended to thy praise.

489. C. M. Anonymous.

Prayer for the Christian Temper.

1 Almighty Maker! Lord of all!
Of life the only spring!
Creator of unnumbered worlds!
Supreme, Eternal King!

2 Drive from the confines of my heart
Impenitence and pride;
Nor let me, in forbidden paths,
With thoughtless sinners glide.

3 Let not despair nor fell revenge
Be to my bosom known:
Oh! give me tears for others' woes,
And patience for my own.

4 Feed me with necessary food;
I ask not wealth or fame;
Give me an eye to see thy will,
A heart to bless thy name.

5 May still my days serenely pass,
Without remorse or care;
And growing holiness my soul
For life's last hour prepare.

490. S. M. Methodist Coll.

For Holiness.

1 The thing my God doth hate
That I no more may do,
Thy creature, Lord, again create,
And all my soul renew;
Abhor the thing unclean,
And, sanctified by love divine,
Forever cease from sin.

2 That blessed law of thine,
Father, to me impart;
The Spirit's law of life divine,
O write it in my heart!
Implant it deep within,
Whence it may ne'er remove,
The law of liberty from sin,
The perfect law of love.

3 Thy nature be my law,
Thy spotless sanctity,
And sweetly every moment draw
My happy soul to thee.
Soul of my soul remain!
Who didst for all fulfil,
In me, O Lord, fulfil again
My heavenly Father's will.

491. C. M. Wesley's Coll.

"Thy Kingdom Come."

1 Father of me and all mankind,
And all the hosts above,
Let every understanding mind
Unite to praise thy love.

2 Thy kingdom come, with power and grace
To every heart of man;
Thy peace, and joy, and righteousness,
In all our bosoms reign.

3 The righteousness that never ends,
But makes an end of sin;
The joy that human thought transcends,
Into our souls bring in.

4 The kingdom of established peace,
Which can no more remove;
The perfect powers of godliness,
Th' omnipotence of love.

492. S. M. Watts.

Seeking God.

1 My God, permit my tongue
This joy, to call thee mine;
And let my early cries prevail
To taste thy love divine.

2 My thirsty, fainting soul
Thy mercy does implore;
Not travellers in desert lands
Can pant for water more.

3 For life, without thy love,
No relish can afford;
No joy can be compared to this,
To serve and please the Lord.

4 Since thou hast been my help,
To thee my spirit flies,
And on thy watchful providence
My cheerful hope relies.

493. L. M. Montgomery.

"O God, my soul thirsteth for thee."

1 O God! thou art my God alone;
Early to thee my soul shall cry,
A pilgrim in a land unknown,
A thirsty land, whose springs are dry.

2 Yet through this rough and thorny maze,
I follow hard on thee, my God;
Thine hand unseen upholds my ways;
I lean upon thy staff and rod.

3 Thee, in the watches of the night,
When I remember on my bed,
Thy presence makes the darkness light;
Thy guardian wings are round my head.

4 Better than life itself thy love,
Dearer than all beside to me;
For whom have I in heaven above,
Or what on earth, compared with thee?

494. C. M. Doddridge.

The Knowledge of God.

1 Shine forth, Eternal Source of light!
And make thy glories known;
Fill our enlarged, adoring sight
With lustre all thine own.

2 Vain are the charms, and faint the rays
The brightest creatures boast;
And all their grandeur and their praise
Is in thy presence lost.

3 To know the Author of our frame
Is our sublimest skill;
True science is to read thy name,
True life to obey thy will.

4 For this I long, for this I pray,
And following on pursue,
Till visions of eternal day
Fix and complete the view.

495. L. M. 6l. Addison.

God our Shepherd.

1 The Lord my pasture shall prepare,
And feed me with a shepherd's care;
His presence shall my wants supply,
And guard me with a watchful eye;
My noonday walks he shall attend,
And all my midnight hours defend.

2 When in the sultry glebe I faint,
Or on the thirsty mountains pant,
To fertile vales and dewy meads
My weary, wandering steps he leads,
Where peaceful rivers, soft and slow,
Amid the verdant landscape flow.

3 Though in the paths of death I tread,
With gloomy horrors overspread,
My steadfast heart shall fear no ill,
For thou, O Lord, art with me still.
Thy friendly staff shall give me aid,
And guide me through the dreadful shade.

4 Though, in a bare and rugged way,
Through devious, lonely wilds I stray,
Thy bounty shall my pains beguile,--
The barren wilderness shall smile,
With sudden greens and herbage crowned
And streams shall murmur all around.

496. S. M. Patrick

The Fatherly Love of God.

1 God, who is just and kind,
Will those who err instruct,
And to the paths of righteousness
Their wandering steps conduct.

2 The humble soul he guides,
Teaches the meek his way,
Kindness and truth he shows to all
Who his just laws obey.

3 Give me the tender heart
That mixes fear with love,
And lead me through whatever path
Thy wisdom shall approve.

4 Oh! ever keep my soul
From error, shame and guilt;
Nor suffer the fair hope to fail,
Which on thy truth is built.

497. L. M. J. F. Oberlin.

Clinging to God.

1 O Lord, thy heavenly grace impart,
And fix my frail, inconstant heart:
Henceforth my chief desire shall be
To dedicate myself to thee.

2 Whate'er pursuits my time employ,
One thought shall fill my soul with joy:
That silent, secret thought shall be,
That all my hopes are fixed on thee.

3 Thy glorious eye pervadeth space;
Thy presence, Lord, fills every place;
And wheresoe'er my lot may be,
Still shall my spirit cleave to thee.

4 Renouncing every earthly thing,
And safe beneath thy spreading wing,
My sweetest thought henceforth shall be,
That all I want I find in thee.

498. C. M. Watts.

God our Refuge and Hope.

1 God, my supporter and my hope,
My help forever near;
Thine arm of mercy held me up,
When sinking in despair.

2 Thy counsels, Lord, shall guide my feet
Through this dark wilderness;
Thine hand conduct me near thy seat,
To dwell before thy face.

3 What if the springs of life were broke,
And flesh and heart should faint?
God is my soul's eternal rock,
The strength of every saint.

4 Behold the sinners, that remove
Far from thy presence, die;
Not all the idol gods they love
Can save them when they cry.

5 But to draw near to thee, my God,
Shall be my sweet employ;
My tongue shall sound thy works abroad,
And tell the world my joy.

499. C. M. Montgomery.

For Grateful Submission.

1 One prayer I have,--all prayers in one,--
When I am wholly thine;
"Thy will, my God, thy will be done,
And let that will be mine."

2 All-wise, almighty, and all-good,
In thee I firmly trust;
Thy ways, unknown or understood,
Are merciful and just.

3 May I remember that to thee
Whate'er I have I owe;
And back in gratitude from me
May all thy bounties flow.

4 Thy gifts are only then enjoyed,
When used as talents lent;
Those talents only well employed,
When in thy service spent.

5 And though thy wisdom takes away,
Shall I arraign thy will?
No, let me bless thy name, and say,
"The Lord is gracious still."

500. L. M. Montgomery.

The Soul Returning to God.

1 Return, my soul, unto thy rest,
From vain pursuits and maddening cares,
From lonely woes that wring thy breast,
The world's allurements, toils and snares.

2 Return unto thy rest, my soul,
From all the wanderings of thy thought;
From sickness unto death made whole;
Safe through a thousand perils brought.

3 Then to thy rest, my soul return,
From passions every hour at strife;
Sin's works, and ways, and wages spurn,
Lay hold upon eternal life.

4 God is thy rest;--with heart inclined
To keep his word, that word believe;
Christ is thy rest;--with lowly mind,
His light and easy yoke receive.

501. C. M. Watts.

Invocation of the Divine Spirit.

1 Come, holy Spirit, heavenly Dove,
With all thy quickening powers,
Kindle a flame of sacred love
In these cold hearts of ours.

2 In vain we tune our formal songs,
In vain we strive to rise;
Hosannas languish on our tongues,
And our devotion dies.

3 Dear Lord! and shall we ever live
At this poor dying rate?
Our love so faint, so cold to thee,
And thine to us so great?

4 Come, holy Spirit, heavenly Dove,
With all thy quickening powers,
Come, shed abroad a Saviour's love,
And that shall kindle ours.

502. C. M. Beddome.

For Inward Truth.

1 Am I an Israelite indeed.
Without a false disguise?
Have I renounced my sins, and left
My refuges of lies?

2 Say, does my heart unchanged remain,
Or is it formed anew?
What is the rule by which I walk,
The object I pursue?

3 Cause me, O God of truth and grace,
My real state to know;
If I am wrong, O set me right!
If right, preserve me so!

503. C. M. Methodist Coll.

Seeking God.

1 Talk with us, Lord, thyself reveal,
While here o'er earth we rove;
Speak to our hearts, and let us feel
The kindling of thy love.

2 With thee conversing, we forget
All time, and toil, and care;
Labor is rest, and pain is sweet,
If thou, my God, art here.

3 Here, then, my God, vouchsafe to stay,
And bid my heart rejoice;
My bounding heart shall own thy sway,
And echo to thy voice.

504. L. M. Grigg.

Not Ashamed of Christ.

1 Jesus! and shall it ever be!
A mortal man ashamed of thee;
Ashamed of thee, whom angels praise,
Whose glories shine through endless days!

2 Ashamed of Jesus! just as soon
Let midnight be ashamed of noon;
'Tis midnight with my soul, till he,
Bright morning star, bid darkness flee.

3 Ashamed of Jesus! yes I may,
When I've no guilt to wash away,
No tear to wipe--no good to crave,
No fears to quell--no soul to save.

4 Till then--nor is my boasting vain--
Till then, I boast a Saviour slain;
And oh! may this my glory be,
That Christ is not ashamed of me.

505. 7s. M. C. Wesley.

The Simplicity of Christ.

1 Lord! that I may learn of thee,
Give me true simplicity;
Wean my soul, and keep it low,
Willing thee alone to know.

2 Of my boasted wisdom spoiled,
Docile, helpless as a child;
Only seeing in thy light,
Only walking in thy might.

3 Then infuse the living grace,
Truthful soul of righteousness;
Knowledge, love divine, impart,--
Life eternal to my heart.

506. 7s. M. Newton.

Docility and Trust.

1 Quiet, Lord, my froward heart,
Make me teachable and mild;
Upright, simple, free from art,
Make me as a weaned child;
From distrust and envy free,
Pleased with all that pleaseth thee.

2 What thou shalt to-day provide,
Let me as a child receive;
What to-morrow may betide,
Calmly to thy wisdom leave:
'Tis enough that thou wilt care;
Why should I the burden bear?

3 As a little child relies
On a care beyond his own;
Knows he's neither strong nor wise
Fears to stir a step alone;
Let me thus with thee abide,
As my Father, Guard, and Guide.

507. L. M. Beard's Coll.

God's Care our Comfort.

1 Oh! sweet it is to know, to feel,
In all our gloom, our wanderings here,
No night of sorrow can conceal
Man from thy notice, from thy care.

2 When disciplined by long distress,
And led through paths of fear and woe,
Say, dost thou love thy children less?
No! ever-gracious Father, no!

3 No distance can outreach thine eye,
No night obscure thy endless day:
Be this my comfort when I sigh,
Be this my safeguard when I stray.

508. S. M. Mme. Guion.

The Water of Life.

1 The fountain in its source
No drought of summer fears;
The farther it pursues its course,
The nobler it appears.

2 But shallow cisterns yield
A scanty, short supply;
The morning sees them amply filled,
At evening they are dry.

3 The cisterns I forsake,
O fount of bliss, for thee!
My thirst with living waters slake,
And drink eternity.

509. C. M. Rippon's Coll.

Peace with God.

1 Father! whate'er of earthly bliss
Thy sovereign will denies,
Accepted at thy throne of grace,
Let this petition rise:--

2 "Give me a calm, a thankful heart,
From every murmur free;
The blessings of thy grace impart,
And make me live to thee.

3 "Let the sweet hope that thou art mine
My life and death attend;
Thy presence through my journey shine,
And crown my journey's end."

510. S. M. Christian Psalmist.

The Way of God with the Spirit.

1 'Tis God the spirit leads
In paths before unknown:
The work to be performed is ours;
The strength is all his own.

2 Assisted by his grace,
We still pursue our way;
And hope at last to reach the prize,
Secure in endless day.

3 'Tis he that works to will;
'Tis he that works to do;
His is the power by which we act,
His be the glory too.

511. L. M. 6l. Christian Psalmist.

Foretaste of Heaven.

1 What must it be to dwell above,
At God's right hand, where Jesus reigns,
Since the sweet earnest of his love
O'erwhelms us on these earthly plains!
No heart can think, no tongue explain,
What bliss it is with Christ to reign.

2 When sin no more obstructs our sight,
When sorrow pains our hearts no more,
How shall we view the Prince of Light
And all his works of grace explore!
What heights and depths of love divine
Will there through endless ages shine!

3 This is the heaven I long to know;
For this, with patience, I would wait,
Till, weaned from earth, and all below,
I mount to my celestial seat,
And wave my palm, and wear my crown,
And, with the elders, cast them down.

512. C. M. Doddridge.

Jesus precious to them that believe.

1 Jesus, I love thy charming name;
'Tis music to my ear;
Fain would I sound it out so loud
That earth and heaven might hear.

2 Whate'er my noblest powers can wish
In thee doth richly meet;
No light unto my eyes so dear,
No friendship half so sweet.

3 Thy grace shall dwell upon my heart,
And shed its fragrance there,--
The noblest balm of all its wounds,
The cordial of its care.

4 I'll speak the honors of thy name
With my expiring breath,
And, dying, clasp thee in my arms,
The antidote of death.

513. C. M. Watts.

The Hope of Heaven.

1 When I can read my title clear
To mansions in the skies,
I bid farewell to every fear,
And wipe my weeping eyes.

2 Let cares like a wild deluge come,
And storms of sorrow fall,
May I but safely reach my home,
My God, my heaven, my all!

3 There shall I bathe my weary soul
In seas of heavenly rest,
And not a wave of trouble roll
Across my peaceful breast.

LIFE, DEATH AND FUTURITY.

514. C. M. Watts.

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