Church Harmonies: A Collection of Hymns and Tunes for the Use of Congregations

PETERBOROUGH.

C. M.

268

Comfort from the Bible.

WATTS. 4

1 LORD, I have made thy word my choice,
My lasting heritage;
There shall my noblest powers rejoice, 5
My warmest thoughts engage.

2 I'll read the histories of thy love,
And keep thy laws in sight,
While through the promises I rove,
With ever-fresh delight.

3 "T is a broad land of wealth unknown,
Where springs of life arise,
Seeds of immortal bliss are sown,
And hidden glory lies.

4 The best relief that mourners have,
It makes our sorrows blest;

Our fairest hope beyond the grave,
And our eternal rest.

The starry heavens thy rule obey;
The earth maintains her place;
And these, thy servants, night and day,
Thy skill and power express.

But still thy law and gospel, Lord,
Have lessons more divine;

Not earth stands firmer than thy word,.
Nor stars so nobly shine.

270

The Bible.

BARTON:

1 LAMP of our feet! whereby we trace
Our path when wont to stray;
Stream from the fount of heavenly grace!!
Brook by the traveller's way!

2 Bread of our souls! whereon we feed;
True manna from on high!
Our guide and chart! wherein we read
Of realms beyond the sky.

BOYLSTON.

S. M.

L. MASON.

271

The revealed Word.

1 O LORD, thy perfect word

Direct our steps aright; "Nor can all other books afford Such profit or delight.

2 Celestial light it sheds,

To cheer this vale below;

BEDDOME. 273

To distant lands its glory spreads,
And streams of mercy flow.

3 True wisdom it imparts;

Commands our hope and fear; Oh, may we hide it in our hearts, And feel its influence there.

272

"Good Tidings of great Joy."
1 SAVIOUR! What gracious words
Are ever, ever thine!

Thy voice is music to the soul,
And life and peace divine.

2 Good, everlasting good-
Glad tidings, full of joy,

ANON.

E. TAYLOR.

The Bible.

1 IT is the one true light,

When other lamps grow dim,

"T will never burn less purely bright, Nor lead astray from Him.

2 It is Love's blessed band,

That reaches from the throne

To him-whoe'er he be- whose hand
Will seize it for his own!

3 It is the golden key

Unto celestial wealth,
Joy to the sons of poverty,
And to the sick man, health!
4 The gently proffered aid

Of one who knows and best
Supplies the beings he has made
With what will make them blessed.

5 It is the sweetest sound

That infant years can hear,

Travelling across that holy ground,
With God and angels near.

Flow from thy lips, the lips of truth, 6 There rests the weary head,

And flow without alloy.

3 The broken heart, the poor,

The bruised, the deaf, the blind,

The dumb, the dead, the captive wretch,
In thee compassion find.

4 Lord Jesus! speed the day

The promised day of grace

To all the poor, the dumb, the deaf,
The dead of Adam's race.

There age and sorrow go;

And how it smooths the dying bed,
Oh! let the Christian show!

1 COME, holy Spirit, heavenly Dove, With all thy quickening powers, Kindle a flame of sacred love

In these cold hearts of ours.

2 Look! how we grovel here below,
Fond of these trifling toys!
Our souls can neither fly nor go
To reach eternal joys.

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

4 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!

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

13 Thy light that on our souls hath shone, Leads us in hope to thee;

Let us not feel its rays alone-
Alone thy people be.

4 Spirit of holiness, 't is thine

To hear our feeble prayer;

Come, for we wait thy power divine,-
Let us thy mercy share.

1 FAR from the world, O Lord! I flee,-
From strife and tumult far;
From scenes where sin is waging still
Its most successful war.

2 The calm retreat, the silent shade,
With prayer and praise agree,
And seem by thy sweet bounty made
For those who follow thee.

3 There, if thy spirit touch the soul,
And grace her mean abode,
Oh, with what peace, and joy, and love,
She communes with her God!

4 Author and guardian of my life,
Sweet source of light divine,
And all harmonious names in one, -
My Father, thou art mine!

1 CALM on the listening ear of night,
Come heaven's melodious strains,
Where wild Judea stretches far
Her silver-mantled plains.

2 The answering hills of Palestine
Send back the glad reply;
And greet, from all their holy heights,
The dayspring from on high.

3 O'er the blue depths of Galilee

There comes a holier calm,
And Sharon waves, in solemn praise,
Her silent groves of palm.

4 "Glory to God!" the sounding skies
Loud with their anthems ring, -
"Peace to the earth,-good-will to men,
From heaven's eternal King!"

5 Light on thy hills, Jerusalem!
The Saviour now is born!
And bright on Bethlehem's joyous plains
Breaks the first Christmas morn.

Christ walking on the Sea.

BULFINCH.

1 LORD, in whose might the Saviour trod
The dark and stormy wave;
And trusted in his Father's arm,
Omnipotent to save;

2 When darkly round our footsteps rise
The floods and storms of life;
Send thou thy Spirit down to still
The dark and fearful strife.

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