As with joyful steps they sped
To that lowly manger-bed,
There to bend the knee before
Him whom heaven and earth adore,
So may we, with willing feet,
Ever seek thy mercy-seat.
489 HOW beautiful his childhood was !
Harmless and undefiled;
C.M. Oh dear to his young mother's heart
Was this pure, sinless child.
Kindly in all his deeds and words,
And gentle as the dove;
Obedient, affectionate :
His very soul was love.
Oh! is it not a blessed thought,
Ye men of human birth,
That once the Saviour was a child,
And lived upon the earth?
490 DIDST thou the great example lead, In Jordan's swelling flood?
And shall my pride disdain the deed
That's worthy of my God?
Hast thou for me the cross endured,
And all the shame despised?
And shall I be ashamed, O Lord,
With thee to be baptised?
JESUS, more than conqueror
O'er the thrice-embattled foe,
Fill'd with thine own Spirit's power,
Thou wilt power on us bestow.
By thy conquering Spirit led,
We shall put the fiend to flight,
Bruise again the serpent's head,
Triumph in Messiah's might.
492 BEHOLD the sin-atoning Lamb,
With wonder, gratitude, and love :
To take away our guilt and shame,
See him descending from above.
Our sins and griefs on him were laid ;
He meekly bore the mighty load;
Our ransom-price he fully paid
In groans and tears, in sweat and blood.
To save a guilty world he dies ;
Sinners, behold the bleeding Lamb !
To him lift up your longing eyes,
And hope for mercy in his name.
493 OF old at Cana's marriage feast
As guest behold the Lord!
Joy from his gentle presence flowed,
And plenty from his word.
He check'd no gladness, such as might
The Christian's heart become;
From him no shadow ever fell
Upon a Christian home.
And so let all our festal joy
Be in his presence found,
And so let every spot on earth
Be counted "holy ground."
494 SAVIOUR, who dost with anger see
The lusts which steal my heart from thee
The thieves out of thy temple chase,
And cleanse my soul by sovereign grace.
Thy blood hath made me wholly thine,
My body is thy Spirit's shrine ;
And now my God is dwelling there
My soul shall be a house of prayer.
495 NOT all the outward forms on earth,
Nor rites that God has given,
Nor will of man, nor blood, nor birth,
Can raise a soul to heaven.
The sovereign will of God alone
Creates us heirs of grace;
Born in the image of his Son,
A new peculiar race.
The Spirit, like some heavenly wind,
Blows on the sons of flesh;
Creates a new--a heavenly mind,
And forms the man afresh.
Our quicken'd souls awake and rise
From the long sleep of death ;
On heavenly things we fix our eyes,
And praise employs our breath.
496 THAT Jesus saves from sin and hell,
Is truth divinely sure;
And on this rock our faith may rest
Immoveably secure.
Oh, let these tidings be received
With universal joy,
And let the high angelic praise
Our tuneful powers employ !
Glory to God who gave his Son
To bear our shame and pain;
Hence peace on earth, and grace to men,
In endless blessings reign."
497I HEARD the voice of Jesus say,
Behold, I freely give
The living water-thirsty one,
Stoop down, and drink, and live.
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quench'd, my soul revived,
And now I live in him.
498 HELP me, O Lord, thy love to show,
Thy saving truth proclaim;
'Tis all my business here below
"Behold the Lamb!"
To cry,
Happy, if with my latest breath
I may but gasp thy name;
Preach thee in life, and cry in death,
66 Behold, behold the Lamb!"
499 THE world his abject poverty
And low estate disdain,
And nothing great in Jesus see,
The humble Son of Man.
But we who Christ aright have known,
And seen with inward eyes,
Adore him as the Almighty One
Who made both earth and skies.
501 O LORD our God, thy servants bless,
And crown their labours with success;
L.M. For they will cast the net in vain
If thou the Spirit dost restrain.
But if thou guide their willing hand,
Obedient to thy wise command,
Then will they bring the sons of men
Back to their Lord and God again.
502 FAIN would I be often reading
In the ancient holy Book,
Of my Saviour's gentle pleading,
Truth in every word and look.
How to all the sick and tearful
Help was ever gladly shown;
How he sought the poor and fearful,
Called them brothers and his own.
Still I read the ancient story,
And my joy is ever new,
How for us he left his glory,
How he still is kind and true.
How the flock he gently leadeth,
Whom his Father gave him here;
How his arms he widely spreadeth
To his heart to draw us near.
503 BLESS'D are the humble souls that see Their emptiness and poverty;
Treasures of grace to them are giv'n,
And crowns of joy laid up in heaven.
Bless'd are the men of broken heart,
Who mourn for sin with inward smart:
The blood of Christ divinely flows,
A healing balm for all their woes.
Bless'd are the men of peaceful life,
Who quench the coals of growing strife;
They shall be called the heirs of bliss,
The sons of God, the God of peace.
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