I FATHER of Love, our Guide and Friend,
Oh, lead us gently on,
Until life's trial-time shall end,
And heavenly peace be won!
We know not what the path may be
As yet by us untrod;
But we can trust our all to Thee,
Our Father and our God!
2 If call'd, like Abraham's child, to climb
The hill of sacrifice,
Some angel may be there in time;
Deliverance shall arise;
Or, if some darker lot be good,
Oh, teach us to endure
The sorrow, pain, or solitude
That make the spirit pure!
3 Christ, by no flowery pathway came;
And we, His followers here,
Must do Thy will and praise Thy Name,
In hope, and love, and fear.
And, till in heaven, we sinless bow,
And faultless anthems raise,
O Father, Son, and Spirit now
Accept our feeble praise !
I HAVE a heritage of joy,
That yet I must not see,
The hand that bled to make it mine
Is keeping it for me.
2 I have a certainty of love
That sets my heart at rest,
A calm assurance for to-day,
That to be thus is best.
3 A prayer reposing on His truth,
Who hath made all things mine,
That draws my captive will to Him,
And makes it one with Thine.
4 My heart is resting, O my God,
My heart is in thy care;
I hear the voice of joy and health
Resounding everywhere.
"Thou art my portion," saith my soul
66 Amen," sweet voices say;
The music of that glad Amen
Will never die away.
I FOR Thy mercy and Thy grace,
Faithful through another year,
Hear our song of thankfulness;
Father, our Redeemer, hear.
2 In our weakness and distress,
Rock of Strength, be Thou our stay;
In the pathless wilderness
Be our true and living way.
3 Who of us death's awful road
In the coming year shall tread?
With Thy rod and staff, O God,
Comfort Thou his dying bed.
4 Keep us faithful, keep us pure,
Keep us evermore Thine own,
Help, O help us to endure,
Fit us for the promised crown.
5 So within Thy palace gate
We shall praise on golden strings,
Thee, the only Potentate,
Lord of lords, and King of kings.
1 BRIGHTEST and best of the sons of the morning, Dawn on our darkness, and lend us Thine aid!
Star of the East, the horizon adorning,
Guide where our infant Redeemer is laid!
2 Cold on His cradle the dew-drops are shining; Low lies His head with the beasts of the stall; Angels adore Him, in slumber reclining,
Maker and Monarch and Saviour of all.
3 Say, shall we yield Him, in costly devotion,
Odours of Edom and offerings divine?
Gems of the mountain, and pearls of the ocean,
Myrrh from the forest, or gold from the mine?
4 Vainly we offer each ample oblation;
Vainly with gifts would His favour secure ;
Richer by far is the heart's adoration;
Dearer to God are the prayers of the poor.
I DO what you can to help us
In this fight against the wrong,
Let us feel your hand's warm pressure
Amid a careless throng!
Let us know your heart is right,
That your banner is unfurl'd,
That you'd rather die than yield
To the flatteries of the world!
Won't you do what you can?
Show yourself a man,
Prove there's courage living yet,
And do what you can!
2 Do what you can to help us,
For help or hinder you must.
Which is the nobler part to choose-
Sunlight, or dull, dead, dust?
Come! send a brightening ray
Right along the path we tread,
Pointing out this better way
With your hand, and heart, and head.
3 Do what you can to help us!
For the days go quickly by ;
There are many souls to rescue,
There are many tears to dry.
There are many chains to break
By the holy strength of prayer;
We want your help--Christ asks it--
You are wanted everywhere.
4 Do what you can to help us!
Think!-When at last you stand
Where the seal'd books are open'd
Upon the King's Right Hand,
If, in those mystic pages,
Against your name you see
Written that brief, sad sentence,
"Ye did it not to me!"
I WILL you meet me at the fountain?
When I reach the glory-land?
Will you meet me at the fountain?
Shall I clasp your friendly hand?
Other friends will give me welcome,
Other loving voices cheer:
There'll be music at the fountain :
Will you, will you meet me there?
Yes, I'll meet you at the fountain,
At the fountain bright and fair,
Oh, I'll meet you at the fountain,
Yes, I'll meet you, meet you there.
2 Will you meet me at the fountain?
For I'm sure that I shall know
Kindred souls and sweet communion,
More than I have known below;
And the chorus will be sweeter,
When it bursts upon my ear,
And my heaven seem completer,
If your happy voice I hear.
3 Will you meet me at the fountain?
I shall long to have you near,
When I meet my loving Saviour,
When His welcome words I hear.
He will meet me at the fountain,
His embraces I shall share :
There'll be glory at the fountain;
Will you, will you meet me there?
I SOLEMNLY, mournfully, dealing its dole,
The curfew bell is beginning to toll.
Cover the embers, and put out the light;
Toil comes with the morning and rest with the night.
2 Dark grow the windows, and quench'd is the fire
Sound fades into silence, all footsteps retire.
No voice in the chambers, no sound in the hall !
Sleep and oblivion reign over all.
3 The book is completed and closed like the day,
And the hand that has written it lays it away;
Dim grow its fancies-forgotten they lie-
Like coals in the ashes they darken and die.
4 Song sinks into silence, the story is told,
The windows are darken'd, the hearthstone is cold:
Darker and darker the black shadows fall;
Sleep and oblivion reign over all.
I 'TIS the promise of God full salvation to give
Unto him who on Jesus, His Son, will believe
Hallelujah! 'tis done! I believe on the Son ;
I am saved by the blood of the Crucified One.
2 Though the pathway be lonely and dangerous too,
Surely Jesus is able to carry me through.
3 Many loved ones have I in yon heavenly throng,
They are safe now in glory, and this is their song :
4 Little children I see standing close by their King,
And He smiles, as their song of salvation they sing ;
5 There are prophets and kings in that throng I behold,
And they sing as they march through the streets of
pure gold:
6 There's a part in that chorus for you and for me, And the theme of our praises for ever will be:
I THERE'S a beautiful land on high,
To its glories I fain would fly:
When by sorrow press'd down, I long for my crown, In that beautiful land on high.
In that beautiful land I'll be
From earth and its cares set free;
My Jesus is there, He's gone to prepare
A place in that land for me.
2 There's a beautiful land on high,
And my kindred its bliss enjoy :
Methinks I now see how they're waiting for me,
In that beautiful land on high.
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