4 Ask what you will in Jesu's name,
He never will your suit deny;
To save you from distress he came;
"The strength of Israel will not lie."
5 Behold! I come, most gracious Lord,
And on thy promise now rely;
Io my distress how sweet this word,
"The strength of Israel will not lie !"
24. L. M. Needham.
Spirituality of God....John iv. 24. 1 O GOD! thou art a spirit pureInvisible to mortal eyes;
Th' immortal and th' eternal King➡
The great, the good, the only wise.
2 While nature changes, and her works
Decay, corrupt, dissolve, and die,
Thy essence pure no change shall see,
Secure of immortality.
3 Thou great Invisible ! what hand
Can draw thy image spotless fair?
To what in heaven, to what on earth,
Can men th' immortal King compare?
[4 Let stupid heathens frame their gods
Of gold and silver, wood and stone;
Ours is the God that made the heavens-
Jehovah he, and God alone.]
5 My soul, thy purest homage pay;
Ja spirit and io truth adore;
More shall this please than sacrifice ; Than outward forms delight him more. 25. L. M. Scott.
Unchangeableness of God....Mal. iii. 6. I SHALL e'er the shadow of a change Eclipse the Origin of Light?
Or can the hopes, which truth has rais'd,
Lie bury'd in eternal night?
2 Sooner may nature's laws reverse;
Revolving seasons cease their round;
Nor spring appear in blooming pride
Nor autumn be with pleaty crown'd.
3 Yon shining orbs forget their course;
The sun his destined path forsake,
And nature lose her rapid force,
Before our God a change can make.
4 Earth may, with all her works, dissolve,
(If such her great Creator's will;)
But he for ever is the same;
I AM! is his memorial still.
[5 What, tho' my heavenly Father frown, And check my follies with the rod; Unchangeable his cov'nant stands, Confirm'd by oath, and seal'd with blood. 26. L. M. Needham.
Wisdom and Knowledge of God....Job xii. 13.
1 AWAKE, my tongue, thy tribute bring
To him who gave thee pow'r to sing;
Praise him, who is all praise above,
The source of wisdom and of love.
2 How vast his knowledge! how profound!
A depth where all our thoughts are drown'd!
The stars he numbers, and their names
He gives to all those heavenly flames.
3 Tho' each bright world above, behold
Ten thousand thousand charms unfold:
Earth, air, and mighty seas combine,
To speak his wisdom all divine.
4 But in redemption, O what grace!
Its wonders, O what thought can trace!
Here wisdom shines for ever bright--
Praise him, my soul, with sweet delight."
HIS MISSION, BIRTH, LIFE, SUFFERINGS, DEATH, RESURRECTION, AND ASCENSION.
Mission of Christ....Psalm xl. 7-10. Heb. x. 7-10.
1 "WHOM shall I send " the Father cries!
"Lo! I am here," the Son replies;
"I'll veil my glories, all divine,
"And to mine own, man's nature join,
That bright in glory he may shine
2 "I'll satisfy the law's demands,
"For all who're given into my hands;
"The bitter cup for them I'll drink,
"Nor shall my chosen ever sink ;
"I'll raise them from th' infernal brink
"To endless day.
3 "Constrain'd by everlasting love,
"He left the shining realms above;
"In sorrows spent his life on earth,
"And then on Calv'ry vanquish'd death;
""Tis finish'd!" said his dying breath,
"To endless day."
14 "My ministers I'll send abroad,
"To call my ransom'd back to God;
"Them I'll conduct with tender care
"Aud bring where those bright mansions are,
"Which I for all my saints prepare,
28. L. M. Anon.
Birth of Christ....Luke ii. 10~14.
FIRST SHEPHERD.
AT this unwonted hour, behold
How strange the midnight skies appear;
How all yon east is streak'd with gold,
As if the op'ning morn was near.
2 I mark it now the streams unite,
One pillar now of moving light:
My soul, too, shakes....it sinks....it dies!
See, thro' the air the vision flies!
3 Heaven shield us: lo! 'tis just at hand;
Surely some strange event impends!
Above our heads it seems to stand-
Ah! now the dazzling blaze descends!
GABRIEL. (8.8. 6.)
4 Ye shepherds, all your fears resign;
I come not arm'd with wrath divine,
But fraught with heavenly love:
The news, the welcome news, I bring,
Sounds high from ev'ry sacred string,
Thro' all yon realms above.
5 I come, and 'tis a blest employ;
I come the messenger of joy;
Go publish what I sing:
Earth is no more a scene forlorn;
This night the promis'd seed is born,
Your Saviour and your king.
6 At Bethl'em, in a manger, lies
The swaddled babe; let raptures rise,
And hail the glorious morn;
Go spread the news the world around,
Till ev'ry heart shall catch the sound,
And sing a Saviour born.
CHORUS OF ANGELS. (10s.)
7 Glory to God in strains till now unknown,
From ev'ry glowing seraph round his throne;
Peace to this globe, all worlds admire the plan.
Of heaven's free, vast benevolence to man!
28. Second Part. L. M. H—.
Birth of Christ....Matt. ii. 9.
BEHOLD the day! th' appointed day!
The prophecies are all fulfill'd!
The day which Abrah'm long'd to see,
Which ushers in the holy child.
2 Angelic legions catch the flame,
And down to earth they wing their way:
They hail the shepherds and proclaim,
"Jesus, the God, is born to-day!"
3 Behold, the Sun of Righteousness
Rises to shed his healing rays;
Ye sons of men, rejoice, and bless
The sacred morn, the day of grace.
4 A wondrous star in heaven appears,
The herald of the new-born King!
Who comes to banish all our fears,
And a complete salvation bring.
5 This type of Jacob's brilliant star,
Whose matchless glories shine abroad;
Guided the sages from afar,
To worship the incarnate God.
6 The blazing met'or waved on high,
And led them thro' the unknown road;
To Judah's land it guides their way,
And hovers o'er his mean abode.
7 The infant Saviour, and their God,
Fill'd their whole souls with strange surprise;
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