THE CHRISTIAN LIFE: LOVE.
I HARK, my soul, it is the Lord;
"Tis the Saviour; hear His word:
Jesus speaks, and speaks to thee:
"Say, poor sinner, lov'st thou Me?
2 "I delivered thee when bound,
And, when wounded, healed thy wound;
Sought thee wandering, set thee right,
Turned thy darkness into light.
3 "Mine is an unchanging love,
Higher than the heights above,
Deeper than the depths beneath,
Free and faithful, strong as death."
4 Lord, it is my chief complaint
That my love is weak and faint;
Yet I love Thee, and adore;
O for grace to love Thee more!
I 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 Yes, Thou art precious to my soul,
My transport and my trust;
Jewels to Thee are gaudy toys,
And gold is sordid dust.
3 All my capacious powers can wish
In Thee doth richly meet;
Nor to my eyes is light so dear,
Nor friendship half so sweet.
4 Thy grace shall dwell upon my heart,
And shed its fragrance there,—
The noblest balm of all its wounds,
The cordial of its care.
5 I'll speak the honours of Thy name
With my last, labouring breath,
And, dying, clasp Thee in my arms,
The antidote of death.
I JESUS, these eyes have never seen
That radiant form of Thine;
The veil of sense hangs dark between
Thy blessed face and mine.
2 I see Thee not, I hear Thee not,
Yet art Thou oft with me;
And earth has ne'er so dear a spot,
As where I meet with Thee.
Like some bright dream, that comes unsought,
When slumbers o'er me roll,
Thine image ever fills my thought,
And charms my ravished soul.
4 Yet, though I have not seen, and still
Must rest in faith alone,
I love Thee, dearest Lord, and will,
Unseen but not unknown.
5 When death these mortal eyes shall seal,
And still this throbbing heart;
The rending veil shall Thee reveal,
All-glorious as Thou art.
I JESUS, Thy boundless love to me
No thought can reach, no tongue declare;
Unite my thankful heart to Thee,
And reign without a rival there.
2 Thy love, how cheering is its ray!
All pain before its presence flies;
Care, anguish, sorrow, melt away
Where'er its healing beams arise.
3 O let Thy love my soul inflame,
And to Thy service sweetly bind ;
Transfuse it through my inmost frame,
And mould me wholly to Thy mind.
4 Thy love, in sufferings, be my peace;
Thy love, in weakness, make me strong;
And, when the storms of life shall cease,
Thy love shall be in heaven my song.
P. GERHARDT, tr. by WESLEY.
I JESUS, Thy name I love,
All other names above,
Jesus, my Lord!
O Thou art all to me!
Nothing to please I see,
Nothing apart from Thee,
Jesus, my Lord!
2 Thou, blessed Son of God,
Hast bought me with Thy blood,
Jesus, my Lord!
O how great is Thy love,
All other loves above,
Love that I daily prove,
Jesus, my Lord!
3 When unto Thee I flee,
Thou wilt my refuge be,
Jesus, my Lord!
What need I now to fear?
What earthly grief or care,
Since Thou art ever near,
Jesus, my Lord?
4 Soon Thou wilt come again!
I shall be happy then,
Jesus, my Lord!
Then Thine own face I'll see,
Then I shall like Thee be,
Then evermore with Thee,
Jesus, my Lord!
I O LOVE divine, how sweet Thou art!
When shall I find my willing heart
All taken up by Thee?
My thirsting spirit faints to prove
The greatness of redeeming love,
The love of Christ to me.
2 Stronger His love than death and hell;
Its riches are unsearchable :
The first-born sons of light
Desire in vain its depths to see:
They cannot reach the mystery,
The length and breadth and height.
3 God only knows the love of God:
O that it now were shed abroad
In this poor stony heart!
For love I sigh, for love I pine;
This only portion, Lord, be mine;
Be mine this better part!
4 O that I could for ever sit,
With Mary, at the Master's feet!
Be this my happy choice!
My only care, delight, and bliss,
My joy, my heaven on earth, be this,
To hear the Bridegroom's voice!
I THINE for ever! God of love,
Hear us from Thy throne above,
Thine for ever may we be,
Here and in eternity.
2 Thine for ever! O how blest
They who find in Thee their rest;
Saviour, Guardian, heavenly Friend,
O defend us to the end.
3 Thine for ever! Shepherd, keep,
These Thy frail and trembling sheep;
Safe alone beneath Thy care,
Let us all Thy goodness share.
4 Thine for ever! Thou our Guide,
All our wants by Thee supplied,
All our sins by Thee forgiven,
Lead us, Lord, from earth to heaven.
I BRIGHTLY gleams our banner,
Pointing to the sky,
Waving wanderers onward
To their home on high.
Journeying o'er the desert,
Gladly thus we pray,
And with hearts united,
Take our heavenward way.
REF.-Brightly gleams our banner,
Pointing to the sky,
Waving wanderers onward
To their home on high.
2 Jesus, Lord and Master,
At Thy sacred feet,
Here with hearts rejoicing
See Thy children meet;
Often have we left Thee,
Often gone astray;
Keep us, mighty Saviour,
In the narrow way.-REF.
3 All our days direct us
In the way we go;
Lead us on victorious
Over every foe :
Bid Thine angels shield us
When the storm-clouds lower;
Pardon Thou and save us
In the last dread hour.-REF.
I COME, we that love the Lord,
And let our joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne.
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