He Leadeth Me
By Joseph H. Gilmore
He leadeth me, O blessèd thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
Refrain: He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.
Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, over troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.
Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.
And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.
O God our Help in Ages Past
By: Isaac Watts
O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home.
Under the shadow of thy throne,
still may we dwell secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting, thou art God,
to endless years the same.
A thousand ages, in thy sight,
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night,
before the rising sun.
Time, like an ever rolling stream,
bears all who breathe away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.
O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come;
be thou our guide while life shall last,
and our eternal home.
Now to The Lord a noble song
By: Isaac Watts
Now to the Lord a noble song!
Awake, my soul; awake, my tongue;
Hosannah to th' Eternal Name,
And all his boundless love proclaim.
See where it shines in Jesus' face,
The brightest image of his grace;
God, in the person of his Son,
Has all his mightiest works outdone.
The spacious earth and spreading flood
Proclaim the wise and powerful God;
And thy rich glories from afar
Sparkle in every rolling star.
But in his looks a glory stands,
The noblest labor of thine hands;
The pleasing lustre of his eyes
Outshines the wonders of the skies.
Grace! 'tis a sweet, a charming theme;
My thoughts rejoice at Jesus' name:
Ye angels, dwell upon the sound!
Ye heav'ns, reflect it to the ground!
O may I live to reach the place
Where he unveils his lovely face!
Where all his beauties you behold,
And sing his name to harps of gold!
Dearest of All the Names Above
By: Isaac Watts
Dearest of all the names above,
My Jesus, and my God,
Who can resist Thy heav’nly love,
Or trifle with Thy blood?
’Tis by the merits of Thy death
The Father smiles again;
’Tis by Thine interceding breath
The Spirit dwells with men.
Till God in human flesh I see,
My thoughts no comfort find;
The holy, just, and sacred Three
Are terrors to my mind.
But if Immanuel’s face appear,
My hope, my joy begins;
His Name forbids my slavish fear,
His grace removes my sins.
While Jews on their own law rely,
And Greeks of wisdom boast,
I love th’incarnate mystery
And there I fix my trust.
Zion's Hill
By: Isaac Watts
How beauteous are their feet Who stand on Zion's hill!
Who bring salvation on their tongues, And words of peace reveal!
How charming is their voice! How sweet the tidings are!
"Zion, behold thy Savior King; He reigns and triumphs here."
How happy are our ears That hear this joyful sound,
Which kings and prophets waited for, And sought, but never found!
How blessed are our eyes That see this heav'nly light
Prophets and kings desired it long, But died without the sight.
The watchmen join their voice, And tuneful notes employ;
Jerusalem breaks forth in songs, And deserts learn the joy.
The Lord makes bare his arm Through all the earth abroad;
Let every nation now behold Their Savior and their God!
The Invitation of the Gospel
By: Isaac Watts
Let every mortal ear attend,
And every heart rejoice,
The trumpet of the gospel sounds
With an inviting voice.
Ho, all ye hungry starving souls,
That feed upon the wind,
And vainly strive with earthly toys
To fill an empty mind,
Eternal wisdom has prepar'd
A soul reviving feast,
And bids your longing appetites
The rich provision taste.
Ho, ye that pant for living streams,
And pine away and die,
Here you may quench your raging thirst
With springs that never dry.
Rivers of love and mercy here
In a rich ocean join;
Salvation in abundance flows,
Like floods of milk and wine.
Ye perishing and naked poor,
Who work with mighty pain
To weave a garment of your own
That will not hide your sin,
Come naked, and adorn your souls
In robes prepar'd by God,
Wrought by the labours of his Son,
And dy'd in his own blood.
Dear God, the treasures of thy love
Are everlasting mines,
Deep as our helpless miseries are,
And boundless as our sins.
The happy gates of gospel grace
Stand open night and day,
Lord, we are come to seek supplies,
And drive our wants away.
But One Loaf
By: John Newton
When the disciples crossed the lake
With but one loaf on board;
How strangely did their hearts mistake
The caution of their Lord.
The leaven of the Pharisees
Beware, the Saviour said;
They thought, it is because he sees
We have forgotten bread.
It seems they had forgotten too,
What their own eyes had viewed;
How with what scarce sufficed for few,
He fed a multitude.
If five small loaves, by his command,
Could many thousands serve;
Might they not trust his gracious hand,
That they should never starve?
They oft his pow'r and love had known,
And doubtless were to blame;
But we have reason good to own
That we are just the same.
How often has he brought relief,
And every want supplied!
Yet soon, again, our unbelief
Says, 'Can the Lord provide?'
Be thankful for one loaf today,
Though that be all your store;
Tomorrow, if you trust and pray,
Shall timely bring you more.
Ebenezer
By: John Newton
End-of-year reflections
The Lord, our salvation and light,
The guide of our strength and our days,
Has brought us together to-night,
A new Ebenezer to raise:
The year we have now passed through,
His goodness with blessings has crown'd,
Each morning his mercies were new;
Then let our thanksgivings abound.
Encompass'd with dangers and snares,
Temptations, and fears, and complaints,
His ear he inclin'd to our pray'rs,
His hand open'd wide to our wants.
We never besought him in vain;
When burden'd with sorrow or sin,
He help'd us again and again,
Or where before now had we been?
His Gospel, throughout the long year,
From Sabbath to Sabbath he gave;
How oft has he met with us here,
And shown himself mighty to save?
His candlestick has been remov'd
From churches once privileg'd thus;
But though we unworthy have prov'd,
It still is continu'd to us.
For so many mercies receiv'd,
Alas! what returns have we made?
His Spirit we often have griev'd,
And evil for good have repaid,
How well it becomes us to cry,
"Oh! who is a God like to thee?
Who passest iniquities by,
And plungest them deep in the sea!"
To Jesus, who sits on the throne,
Our best hallelujahs we bring;
To thee it is owing alone
That we are permitted to sing:
Assist us, we pray, to lament
The sins of the year that is past
And grant that the next may be spent
Far more to thy praise than the last.
Bartimaeus
By: John Newton
Mercy, O thou Son of David!
Thus blind Bartimaeus prayed;
Others by thy word are saved,
Now to me afford thine aid:
Many for his crying chid him,
But he called the louder still;
Till the gracious Saviour bid him
'Come, and ask me what you will.'
Money was not what he wanted,
Though by begging used to live;
But he asked, and Jesus granted
Alms, which none but he could give:
'Lord remove this grievous blindness,
Let my eyes behold the day';
Strait he saw, and won by kindness,
Followed Jesus in the way.
O! methinks I hear him praising,
Publishing to all around;
Friends, is not my case amazing?
What a Saviour I have found:
O! that all the blind but knew him,
And would be advised by me!
Surely, would they hasten to him,
He would cause them all to see.
I Sought The Lord
Anonymous
I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me.
It was not I that found, O Savior true;
no, I was found of thee.
Thou didst reach forth thy hand and mine enfold;
I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea.
'Twas not so much that I on thee took hold,
as thou, dear Lord, on me.
I find, I walk, I love, but oh, the whole
of love is but my answer, Lord, to thee!
For thou wert long beforehand with my soul;
always thou lovedst me.
Jehovah-Jesus
By: William Cowper
My song shall bless the LORD of all,
My praise shall climb to his abode;
Thee, Saviour, by that name I call,
The great Supreme, the mighty GOD.
Without beginning, or decline,
Object of faith, and not of sense;
Eternal ages saw him shine,
He shines eternal ages hence.
As much, when in the manger laid,
Almighty ruler of the sky;
As when the six days' works he made
Fill'd all the morning-stars with joy.
Of all the crowns JEHOVAH bears,
Salvation is his dearest claim;
That gracious sound well-pleas'd he hears,
And owns EMMANUEL for his name.
A cheerful confidence I feel,
My well-plac'd hopes with joy I see;
My bosom glows with heav'nly zeal,
To worship him who died for me.
As man, he pities my complaint,
His pow'r and truth are all divine;
He will not fail, he cannot faint,
Salvation's sure, and must be mine.
Grace and Providence
By: William Cowper
Almighty King! whose wondrous hand, Supports the weight of sea and land; Whose grace is such a boundless store, No heart shall break that sighs for more.
Thy Providence supplies my food, And 'tis thy blessing makes it good;
My soul is nourished by thy word, Let soul and body praise the Lord.
My streams of outward comfort came From him, who built this earthly frame; Whate'er I want his bounty gives, By whom my soul for ever lives.
Either his hand preserves from pain, Or, if I feel it, heals again;
From Satan's malice shields my breast, Or overrules it for the best.
Whate'er my God ordains is right
By: Samuel Rodigast
Translated from German into English by Catherine Winkworth.
Whate'er my God ordains is right:
His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate'er He doth;
And follow where He guideth;
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.
Whate'er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path:
I know He will not leave me.
I take, content, what He hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait His day.
Whate'er my God ordains is right:
His loving thought attends me;
No poison can be in the cup
That my Physician sends me.
My God is true; each morn anew
I'll trust His grace unending,
My life to Him commending.
Whate'er my God ordains is right:
He is my Friend and Father;
He suffers naught to do me harm,
Though many storms may gather,
Now I may know both joy and woe,
Some day I shall see clearly
That He hath loved me dearly.
Whate'er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.
Whate'er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken.
My Father's care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.
Until They Know
Anonymous
To the tune of 'How Great Thou Art'
Oh, when I think of all the many millions
Who do not know the sound of Thy sweet name,
Who do not know the miracle of Calvary
Who never can thy great salvation claim,
Then cries my heart, "O teach me Lord to care,
Until they know how great Thou art!"
Then cries my heart, "O teach me Lord to care,
Until they know how great Thou art!"
Oh, when I think of all the heathen idols,
These lifeless gods, just made of wood and stone.
And when I think of people calling to them--
Deaf ears that cannot hear the heart-sick groan.
Then cries my heart, "O make us go and tell
Of Jesus Who loves us so well."
Then cries my heart, "O make us go and tell
Of Jesus Who loves us so well."
But when they know that Jesus died to save them
And when they know the grace He can impart
When Jesus shines His love divine within them
When He transforms their sinful, darkened heart:
Then they shall sing, my Savior God to Thee,
"How great Thou art! How great Thou art!"
Then they shall sing, my Savior God to Thee,
"How great Thou art! How great Thou art!"
Psalm 23
By George Lauderdale
"The Lord's my shepherd, even mine,
And so my wants are nil;
He makes me in green grass recline,
Beside the waters still.
Revival to my soul He sends
On His high paths to lead,
That He get honor, for His ends,
From low roads by Him freed.
With Him I'll walk deaths valley through,
All fear of evil gone;
Your rod and staff their good work do,
And dark gives way to dawn.
By You my table has been spread
Though enemies lurk near;
Fresh oil You pour upon my head -
My cup o'erflows with cheer!
Goodness and mercy follow me,
Each day great things in store,
And in Gods house most certainly
I'll dwell forevermore.
Christ, spotless Lamb, gave His life blood
Redeeming us, sin's prey,
To guide us to the fold of God,
Alive in Him for aye.
Let lost sheep come and learn His care;
In love He leads His own;
He feeds His flock on finest fare;
Each one to Him is known.
The Lamb of God, Immanuel,
God-With-Us, will remain,
His Spirit here in us to dwell
That we in life may reign!"
Immanuel’s Land
By: Anne R Cousin. Based on the letters of Samuel Rutherford.
The sands of time are sinking, the dawn of Heaven breaks;
The summer morn I've sighed for--the fair, sweet morn awakes:
Dark, dark hath been the midnight, but dayspring is at hand,
And glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
O Christ, He is the fountain, the deep, sweet well of love!
The streams of earth I've tasted, more deep I'll drink above:
There to an ocean fullness His mercy doth expand,
And glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
Oh! Well it is forever, Oh! well forevermore,
My nest hung in no forest of all this death doomed shore:
Yea, let the vain world vanish, as from the ship the strand,
While glory---glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
There the Red Rose of Sharon unfolds its heartsome bloom
And fills the air of heaven with ravishing perfume:
Oh! To behold it blossom, while by its fragrance fanned
Where glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
The King there in His beauty, without a veil is seen:
It were a well spent journey, though seven deaths lay between:
The Lamb with His fair army, doth on Mount Zion stand,
And glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
Oft in yon sea beat prison My Lord and I held tryst,
For Anwoth was not heaven, and preaching was not Christ:
And aye, my murkiest storm cloud was by a rainbow spanned,
Caught from the glory dwelling in Immanuel's land.
But that He built a Heaven of His surpassing love,
A little new Jerusalem, like to the one above,
"Lord, take me over the water" hath been my loud demand,
Take me to my love's own country, unto Immanuel's land.
But flowers need night's cool darkness, the moonlight and the dew;
So Christ, from one who loved it, His shining oft withdrew:
And then, for cause of absence my troubled soul I scanned
But glory shadeless shineth in Immanuel's land.
The little birds of Anwoth, I used to count them blessed,
Now, beside happier altars I go to build my nest:
Over these there broods no silence, no graves around them stand,
For glory, deathless, dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
Fair Anwoth by the Solway, to me thou still art dear,
Even from the verge of heaven, I drop for thee a tear.
Oh! If one soul from Anwoth meet me at God's right hand,
My heaven will be two heavens, In Immanuel's land.
I've wrestled on towards Heaven, against storm and wind and tide,
Now, like a weary traveler that leaneth on his guide,
Amid the shades of evening, while sinks life's lingering sand,
I hail the glory dawning from Immanuel's land.
Deep waters crossed life's pathway, the hedge of thorns was sharp;
Now, these lie all behind me Oh! for a well tuned harp!
Oh! To join hallelujah with yon triumphant band,
Who sing where glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
With mercy and with judgment my web of time He wove,
And aye, the dews of sorrow were lustered with His love;
I'll bless the hand that guided, I'll bless the heart that planned
When throned where glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
Soon shall the cup of glory wash down earth's bitterest woes,
Soon shall the desert briar break into Eden's rose;
The curse shall change to blessing the name on earth that's banned
Be graven on the white stone in Immanuel's land.
O I am my Beloved's and my Beloved's mine!
He brings a poor vile sinner into His 'house of wine'.
I stand upon His merit; I know no other stand,
Not even where glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
I shall sleep sound in Jesus, filled with His likeness rise,
To love and to adore Him, to see Him with these eyes:
'Tween me and resurrection but Paradise doth stand;
Then--then for glory dwelling in Immanuel's land.
The Bride eyes not her garment, but her dear Bridegroom's face;
I will not gaze at glory but on my King of grace.
Not at the crown He giveth but on His pierced hand;
The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel's land.
I have borne scorn and hatred, I have borne wrong and shame,
Earth's proud ones have reproached me for Christ's thrice blessed Name:
Where God His seal set fairest they've stamped the foulest brand,
But judgment shines like noonday in Immanuel's land.
They've summoned me before them, but there I may not come,
My Lord says "Come up hither", My Lord says "Welcome home!"
My King, at His white throne, my presence doth command
Where glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
For all the saints
By:William W. How
For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
For the Apostles’ glorious company,
Who bearing forth the Cross o’er land and sea,
Shook all the mighty world, we sing to Thee:
Alleluia, Alleluia!
For the Evangelists, by whose blest word,
Like fourfold streams, the garden of the Lord,
Is fair and fruitful, be Thy Name adored.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
For Martyrs, who with rapture kindled eye,
Saw the bright crown descending from the sky,
And seeing, grasped it, Thee we glorify.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
All are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
And singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Thine Be the Glory
By: Edmond Budry
Thine be the glory,
Risen, conqu’ring Son;
Endless is the victory,
Thou o’er death hast won;
Angels in bright raiment
Rolled the stone away,
Kept the folded grave clothes
Where Thy body lay.
Thine be the glory,
Risen conquering Son,
Endless is the victory,
Thou o’er death hast won.
Lo! Jesus meets us,
Risen from the tomb;
Lovingly He greets us,
Scatters fear and gloom;
Let the church with gladness,
Hymns of triumph sing;
For her Lord now liveth,
Death hath lost its sting.
No more we doubt Thee,
Glorious Prince of life;
Life is naught without Thee;
Aid us in our strife;
Make us more than conquerors,
Through Thy deathless love:
Bring us safe through Jordan
To Thy home above.
By Joseph H. Gilmore
He leadeth me, O blessèd thought!
O words with heav’nly comfort fraught!
Whate’er I do, where’er I be
Still ’tis God’s hand that leadeth me.
Refrain: He leadeth me, He leadeth me,
By His own hand He leadeth me;
His faithful follower I would be,
For by His hand He leadeth me.
Sometimes mid scenes of deepest gloom,
Sometimes where Eden’s bowers bloom,
By waters still, over troubled sea,
Still ’tis His hand that leadeth me.
Lord, I would place my hand in Thine,
Nor ever murmur nor repine;
Content, whatever lot I see,
Since ’tis my God that leadeth me.
And when my task on earth is done,
When by Thy grace the vict’ry’s won,
E’en death’s cold wave I will not flee,
Since God through Jordan leadeth me.
O God our Help in Ages Past
By: Isaac Watts
O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come,
our shelter from the stormy blast,
and our eternal home.
Under the shadow of thy throne,
still may we dwell secure;
sufficient is thine arm alone,
and our defense is sure.
Before the hills in order stood,
or earth received her frame,
from everlasting, thou art God,
to endless years the same.
A thousand ages, in thy sight,
are like an evening gone;
short as the watch that ends the night,
before the rising sun.
Time, like an ever rolling stream,
bears all who breathe away;
they fly forgotten, as a dream
dies at the opening day.
O God, our help in ages past,
our hope for years to come;
be thou our guide while life shall last,
and our eternal home.
Now to The Lord a noble song
By: Isaac Watts
Now to the Lord a noble song!
Awake, my soul; awake, my tongue;
Hosannah to th' Eternal Name,
And all his boundless love proclaim.
See where it shines in Jesus' face,
The brightest image of his grace;
God, in the person of his Son,
Has all his mightiest works outdone.
The spacious earth and spreading flood
Proclaim the wise and powerful God;
And thy rich glories from afar
Sparkle in every rolling star.
But in his looks a glory stands,
The noblest labor of thine hands;
The pleasing lustre of his eyes
Outshines the wonders of the skies.
Grace! 'tis a sweet, a charming theme;
My thoughts rejoice at Jesus' name:
Ye angels, dwell upon the sound!
Ye heav'ns, reflect it to the ground!
O may I live to reach the place
Where he unveils his lovely face!
Where all his beauties you behold,
And sing his name to harps of gold!
Dearest of All the Names Above
By: Isaac Watts
Dearest of all the names above,
My Jesus, and my God,
Who can resist Thy heav’nly love,
Or trifle with Thy blood?
’Tis by the merits of Thy death
The Father smiles again;
’Tis by Thine interceding breath
The Spirit dwells with men.
Till God in human flesh I see,
My thoughts no comfort find;
The holy, just, and sacred Three
Are terrors to my mind.
But if Immanuel’s face appear,
My hope, my joy begins;
His Name forbids my slavish fear,
His grace removes my sins.
While Jews on their own law rely,
And Greeks of wisdom boast,
I love th’incarnate mystery
And there I fix my trust.
Zion's Hill
By: Isaac Watts
How beauteous are their feet Who stand on Zion's hill!
Who bring salvation on their tongues, And words of peace reveal!
How charming is their voice! How sweet the tidings are!
"Zion, behold thy Savior King; He reigns and triumphs here."
How happy are our ears That hear this joyful sound,
Which kings and prophets waited for, And sought, but never found!
How blessed are our eyes That see this heav'nly light
Prophets and kings desired it long, But died without the sight.
The watchmen join their voice, And tuneful notes employ;
Jerusalem breaks forth in songs, And deserts learn the joy.
The Lord makes bare his arm Through all the earth abroad;
Let every nation now behold Their Savior and their God!
The Invitation of the Gospel
By: Isaac Watts
Let every mortal ear attend,
And every heart rejoice,
The trumpet of the gospel sounds
With an inviting voice.
Ho, all ye hungry starving souls,
That feed upon the wind,
And vainly strive with earthly toys
To fill an empty mind,
Eternal wisdom has prepar'd
A soul reviving feast,
And bids your longing appetites
The rich provision taste.
Ho, ye that pant for living streams,
And pine away and die,
Here you may quench your raging thirst
With springs that never dry.
Rivers of love and mercy here
In a rich ocean join;
Salvation in abundance flows,
Like floods of milk and wine.
Ye perishing and naked poor,
Who work with mighty pain
To weave a garment of your own
That will not hide your sin,
Come naked, and adorn your souls
In robes prepar'd by God,
Wrought by the labours of his Son,
And dy'd in his own blood.
Dear God, the treasures of thy love
Are everlasting mines,
Deep as our helpless miseries are,
And boundless as our sins.
The happy gates of gospel grace
Stand open night and day,
Lord, we are come to seek supplies,
And drive our wants away.
But One Loaf
By: John Newton
When the disciples crossed the lake
With but one loaf on board;
How strangely did their hearts mistake
The caution of their Lord.
The leaven of the Pharisees
Beware, the Saviour said;
They thought, it is because he sees
We have forgotten bread.
It seems they had forgotten too,
What their own eyes had viewed;
How with what scarce sufficed for few,
He fed a multitude.
If five small loaves, by his command,
Could many thousands serve;
Might they not trust his gracious hand,
That they should never starve?
They oft his pow'r and love had known,
And doubtless were to blame;
But we have reason good to own
That we are just the same.
How often has he brought relief,
And every want supplied!
Yet soon, again, our unbelief
Says, 'Can the Lord provide?'
Be thankful for one loaf today,
Though that be all your store;
Tomorrow, if you trust and pray,
Shall timely bring you more.
Ebenezer
By: John Newton
End-of-year reflections
The Lord, our salvation and light,
The guide of our strength and our days,
Has brought us together to-night,
A new Ebenezer to raise:
The year we have now passed through,
His goodness with blessings has crown'd,
Each morning his mercies were new;
Then let our thanksgivings abound.
Encompass'd with dangers and snares,
Temptations, and fears, and complaints,
His ear he inclin'd to our pray'rs,
His hand open'd wide to our wants.
We never besought him in vain;
When burden'd with sorrow or sin,
He help'd us again and again,
Or where before now had we been?
His Gospel, throughout the long year,
From Sabbath to Sabbath he gave;
How oft has he met with us here,
And shown himself mighty to save?
His candlestick has been remov'd
From churches once privileg'd thus;
But though we unworthy have prov'd,
It still is continu'd to us.
For so many mercies receiv'd,
Alas! what returns have we made?
His Spirit we often have griev'd,
And evil for good have repaid,
How well it becomes us to cry,
"Oh! who is a God like to thee?
Who passest iniquities by,
And plungest them deep in the sea!"
To Jesus, who sits on the throne,
Our best hallelujahs we bring;
To thee it is owing alone
That we are permitted to sing:
Assist us, we pray, to lament
The sins of the year that is past
And grant that the next may be spent
Far more to thy praise than the last.
Bartimaeus
By: John Newton
Mercy, O thou Son of David!
Thus blind Bartimaeus prayed;
Others by thy word are saved,
Now to me afford thine aid:
Many for his crying chid him,
But he called the louder still;
Till the gracious Saviour bid him
'Come, and ask me what you will.'
Money was not what he wanted,
Though by begging used to live;
But he asked, and Jesus granted
Alms, which none but he could give:
'Lord remove this grievous blindness,
Let my eyes behold the day';
Strait he saw, and won by kindness,
Followed Jesus in the way.
O! methinks I hear him praising,
Publishing to all around;
Friends, is not my case amazing?
What a Saviour I have found:
O! that all the blind but knew him,
And would be advised by me!
Surely, would they hasten to him,
He would cause them all to see.
I Sought The Lord
Anonymous
I sought the Lord, and afterward I knew
he moved my soul to seek him, seeking me.
It was not I that found, O Savior true;
no, I was found of thee.
Thou didst reach forth thy hand and mine enfold;
I walked and sank not on the storm-vexed sea.
'Twas not so much that I on thee took hold,
as thou, dear Lord, on me.
I find, I walk, I love, but oh, the whole
of love is but my answer, Lord, to thee!
For thou wert long beforehand with my soul;
always thou lovedst me.
Jehovah-Jesus
By: William Cowper
My song shall bless the LORD of all,
My praise shall climb to his abode;
Thee, Saviour, by that name I call,
The great Supreme, the mighty GOD.
Without beginning, or decline,
Object of faith, and not of sense;
Eternal ages saw him shine,
He shines eternal ages hence.
As much, when in the manger laid,
Almighty ruler of the sky;
As when the six days' works he made
Fill'd all the morning-stars with joy.
Of all the crowns JEHOVAH bears,
Salvation is his dearest claim;
That gracious sound well-pleas'd he hears,
And owns EMMANUEL for his name.
A cheerful confidence I feel,
My well-plac'd hopes with joy I see;
My bosom glows with heav'nly zeal,
To worship him who died for me.
As man, he pities my complaint,
His pow'r and truth are all divine;
He will not fail, he cannot faint,
Salvation's sure, and must be mine.
Grace and Providence
By: William Cowper
Almighty King! whose wondrous hand, Supports the weight of sea and land; Whose grace is such a boundless store, No heart shall break that sighs for more.
Thy Providence supplies my food, And 'tis thy blessing makes it good;
My soul is nourished by thy word, Let soul and body praise the Lord.
My streams of outward comfort came From him, who built this earthly frame; Whate'er I want his bounty gives, By whom my soul for ever lives.
Either his hand preserves from pain, Or, if I feel it, heals again;
From Satan's malice shields my breast, Or overrules it for the best.
Whate'er my God ordains is right
By: Samuel Rodigast
Translated from German into English by Catherine Winkworth.
Whate'er my God ordains is right:
His holy will abideth;
I will be still whate'er He doth;
And follow where He guideth;
He is my God; though dark my road,
He holds me that I shall not fall:
Wherefore to Him I leave it all.
Whate'er my God ordains is right:
He never will deceive me;
He leads me by the proper path:
I know He will not leave me.
I take, content, what He hath sent;
His hand can turn my griefs away,
And patiently I wait His day.
Whate'er my God ordains is right:
His loving thought attends me;
No poison can be in the cup
That my Physician sends me.
My God is true; each morn anew
I'll trust His grace unending,
My life to Him commending.
Whate'er my God ordains is right:
He is my Friend and Father;
He suffers naught to do me harm,
Though many storms may gather,
Now I may know both joy and woe,
Some day I shall see clearly
That He hath loved me dearly.
Whate'er my God ordains is right:
Though now this cup, in drinking,
May bitter seem to my faint heart,
I take it, all unshrinking.
My God is true; each morn anew
Sweet comfort yet shall fill my heart,
And pain and sorrow shall depart.
Whate'er my God ordains is right:
Here shall my stand be taken;
Though sorrow, need, or death be mine,
Yet I am not forsaken.
My Father's care is round me there;
He holds me that I shall not fall:
And so to Him I leave it all.
Until They Know
Anonymous
To the tune of 'How Great Thou Art'
Oh, when I think of all the many millions
Who do not know the sound of Thy sweet name,
Who do not know the miracle of Calvary
Who never can thy great salvation claim,
Then cries my heart, "O teach me Lord to care,
Until they know how great Thou art!"
Then cries my heart, "O teach me Lord to care,
Until they know how great Thou art!"
Oh, when I think of all the heathen idols,
These lifeless gods, just made of wood and stone.
And when I think of people calling to them--
Deaf ears that cannot hear the heart-sick groan.
Then cries my heart, "O make us go and tell
Of Jesus Who loves us so well."
Then cries my heart, "O make us go and tell
Of Jesus Who loves us so well."
But when they know that Jesus died to save them
And when they know the grace He can impart
When Jesus shines His love divine within them
When He transforms their sinful, darkened heart:
Then they shall sing, my Savior God to Thee,
"How great Thou art! How great Thou art!"
Then they shall sing, my Savior God to Thee,
"How great Thou art! How great Thou art!"
Psalm 23
By George Lauderdale
"The Lord's my shepherd, even mine,
And so my wants are nil;
He makes me in green grass recline,
Beside the waters still.
Revival to my soul He sends
On His high paths to lead,
That He get honor, for His ends,
From low roads by Him freed.
With Him I'll walk deaths valley through,
All fear of evil gone;
Your rod and staff their good work do,
And dark gives way to dawn.
By You my table has been spread
Though enemies lurk near;
Fresh oil You pour upon my head -
My cup o'erflows with cheer!
Goodness and mercy follow me,
Each day great things in store,
And in Gods house most certainly
I'll dwell forevermore.
Christ, spotless Lamb, gave His life blood
Redeeming us, sin's prey,
To guide us to the fold of God,
Alive in Him for aye.
Let lost sheep come and learn His care;
In love He leads His own;
He feeds His flock on finest fare;
Each one to Him is known.
The Lamb of God, Immanuel,
God-With-Us, will remain,
His Spirit here in us to dwell
That we in life may reign!"
Immanuel’s Land
By: Anne R Cousin. Based on the letters of Samuel Rutherford.
The sands of time are sinking, the dawn of Heaven breaks;
The summer morn I've sighed for--the fair, sweet morn awakes:
Dark, dark hath been the midnight, but dayspring is at hand,
And glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
O Christ, He is the fountain, the deep, sweet well of love!
The streams of earth I've tasted, more deep I'll drink above:
There to an ocean fullness His mercy doth expand,
And glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
Oh! Well it is forever, Oh! well forevermore,
My nest hung in no forest of all this death doomed shore:
Yea, let the vain world vanish, as from the ship the strand,
While glory---glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
There the Red Rose of Sharon unfolds its heartsome bloom
And fills the air of heaven with ravishing perfume:
Oh! To behold it blossom, while by its fragrance fanned
Where glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
The King there in His beauty, without a veil is seen:
It were a well spent journey, though seven deaths lay between:
The Lamb with His fair army, doth on Mount Zion stand,
And glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
Oft in yon sea beat prison My Lord and I held tryst,
For Anwoth was not heaven, and preaching was not Christ:
And aye, my murkiest storm cloud was by a rainbow spanned,
Caught from the glory dwelling in Immanuel's land.
But that He built a Heaven of His surpassing love,
A little new Jerusalem, like to the one above,
"Lord, take me over the water" hath been my loud demand,
Take me to my love's own country, unto Immanuel's land.
But flowers need night's cool darkness, the moonlight and the dew;
So Christ, from one who loved it, His shining oft withdrew:
And then, for cause of absence my troubled soul I scanned
But glory shadeless shineth in Immanuel's land.
The little birds of Anwoth, I used to count them blessed,
Now, beside happier altars I go to build my nest:
Over these there broods no silence, no graves around them stand,
For glory, deathless, dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
Fair Anwoth by the Solway, to me thou still art dear,
Even from the verge of heaven, I drop for thee a tear.
Oh! If one soul from Anwoth meet me at God's right hand,
My heaven will be two heavens, In Immanuel's land.
I've wrestled on towards Heaven, against storm and wind and tide,
Now, like a weary traveler that leaneth on his guide,
Amid the shades of evening, while sinks life's lingering sand,
I hail the glory dawning from Immanuel's land.
Deep waters crossed life's pathway, the hedge of thorns was sharp;
Now, these lie all behind me Oh! for a well tuned harp!
Oh! To join hallelujah with yon triumphant band,
Who sing where glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
With mercy and with judgment my web of time He wove,
And aye, the dews of sorrow were lustered with His love;
I'll bless the hand that guided, I'll bless the heart that planned
When throned where glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
Soon shall the cup of glory wash down earth's bitterest woes,
Soon shall the desert briar break into Eden's rose;
The curse shall change to blessing the name on earth that's banned
Be graven on the white stone in Immanuel's land.
O I am my Beloved's and my Beloved's mine!
He brings a poor vile sinner into His 'house of wine'.
I stand upon His merit; I know no other stand,
Not even where glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
I shall sleep sound in Jesus, filled with His likeness rise,
To love and to adore Him, to see Him with these eyes:
'Tween me and resurrection but Paradise doth stand;
Then--then for glory dwelling in Immanuel's land.
The Bride eyes not her garment, but her dear Bridegroom's face;
I will not gaze at glory but on my King of grace.
Not at the crown He giveth but on His pierced hand;
The Lamb is all the glory of Immanuel's land.
I have borne scorn and hatred, I have borne wrong and shame,
Earth's proud ones have reproached me for Christ's thrice blessed Name:
Where God His seal set fairest they've stamped the foulest brand,
But judgment shines like noonday in Immanuel's land.
They've summoned me before them, but there I may not come,
My Lord says "Come up hither", My Lord says "Welcome home!"
My King, at His white throne, my presence doth command
Where glory, glory dwelleth in Immanuel's land.
For all the saints
By:William W. How
For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
For the Apostles’ glorious company,
Who bearing forth the Cross o’er land and sea,
Shook all the mighty world, we sing to Thee:
Alleluia, Alleluia!
For the Evangelists, by whose blest word,
Like fourfold streams, the garden of the Lord,
Is fair and fruitful, be Thy Name adored.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
For Martyrs, who with rapture kindled eye,
Saw the bright crown descending from the sky,
And seeing, grasped it, Thee we glorify.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
O blest communion, fellowship divine!
We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;
All are one in Thee, for all are Thine.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave, again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day;
The saints triumphant rise in bright array;
The King of glory passes on His way.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
And singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia!
Thine Be the Glory
By: Edmond Budry
Thine be the glory,
Risen, conqu’ring Son;
Endless is the victory,
Thou o’er death hast won;
Angels in bright raiment
Rolled the stone away,
Kept the folded grave clothes
Where Thy body lay.
Thine be the glory,
Risen conquering Son,
Endless is the victory,
Thou o’er death hast won.
Lo! Jesus meets us,
Risen from the tomb;
Lovingly He greets us,
Scatters fear and gloom;
Let the church with gladness,
Hymns of triumph sing;
For her Lord now liveth,
Death hath lost its sting.
No more we doubt Thee,
Glorious Prince of life;
Life is naught without Thee;
Aid us in our strife;
Make us more than conquerors,
Through Thy deathless love:
Bring us safe through Jordan
To Thy home above.
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