Color Shapes and Jesus, these eyes have never seen

Jesus, these eyes have never seen
That radiant form of Thine;
The veil of sense hangs dark between
Thy blessed face and mine.

I see Thee not, I hear Thee not,
Yet art Thou oft with me;
And earth hath ne’er so dear a spot,
As where I meet with Thee.

Like some bright dream that comes unsought,
When slumbers o’er me roll,
Thine image ever fills my thought,
And charms my ravished soul.

Yet though I have not seen, and still
Must rest in faith alone;
I love Thee, dearest Lord, and will,
Unseen, but not unknown,

When death these mortal eyes shall seal,
And still this throbbing heart,
The rending veil shall Thee reveal,
All glorious as Thou art.

Rev. Ray Palmer

Peonies and Dear Saviour, we are Thine

Dear Saviour, we are Thine,
By everlasting bands;
Our names, our hearts, we would resign,
And souls, into Thy hands.

To Thee we still would cleave,
With ever growing zeal;
If millions tempt us Christ to leave,
O let then ne’er prevail.

Thy Spirit shall unite
Our souls to Thee our Head;
Shall form us to Thy image bright,
That we Thy paths may tread.

Death may our souls divide
From these abodes of clay;
But love shall keep us near Thy side,
Through all the gloomy way.

Since Christ and we are one,
Why should we doubt or fear?
Since He in heaven has fixed His throne,
He’ll fix His members there.

Rev. Philip Doddridge

White Summer Flowers and Let me but hear my Saviour say

Let me but hear my Saviour say,
“Strength shall be equal to thy day!”
Then I rejoice in deep distress,
Leaning on all-sufficient grace.

I glory in infirmity,
That Christ’s own power may rest on me;
When I am weak, then am I strong;
Grace is my shield, and Christ my song.

I can do all things-or can bear
All sufferings, if my Lord be there;
Sweet pleasures mingle with the pains,
While His own hand my head sustains.

Rev. Isaac Watts

Bibles, Yellow Roses and Upward where the stars are burning

Upward where the stars are burning,
Silent, silent in their turning,
Round the never-changing pole;
Upward where the sky is brightest,
Upward where the blue is lightest,
Lift I now my longing soul.

Far above that arch of gladness,
Far beyond these clouds of sadness,
Are the many mansions fair.
Far from pain and sin and folly,
In that palace of the holy
I would find my mansion there.

Where the Lamb on high is seated,
By ten thousand voices greeted:
Lord of lords, and King of kings.
Son of man, they crown, they crown him;
Son of God, they own, they own him;
With his name the palace rings.

Blessing, honor, without measure,
Heavenly riches, earthly treasure,
Lay we at his blessed feet.
Poor the praise that now we render,
Loud shall be our voices yonder,
When before his throne we meet.

Horatius Bonar

Daylilies, Pot and Lo! the storms of life are breaking

Lord, it belongs not to my care
Whether I die or live;
To love and serve thee is my share,
And this my thy grace must give.

If life be long, I will be glad
That I may long obey;
If short, yet why should I be sad
To soar to endless day?

Christ leads me through no darker rooms
Than he went through before;
No one into his kingdom comes
But through his opened door.

Come, Lord, when grace has made me meet
Thy blessed face to see;
For if thy work on earth be sweet,
What will thy glory be?

My knowledge of that life is small,
The eye of faith is dim;
But ‘tis enough that Christ knows all,
And I shall be with him.

Richard Baxter

Grace! ‘tis a charming sound,
Harmonious to the ear;
Heaven with the echo shall resound,
And all the earth shall hear.

Grace first contrived the way
To save rebellious man;
And all the steps that grace display
Which drew the wondrous plan.

Grace led my roving feet
To tread the heavenly road;
And new supplies each hour I meet,
While pressing on to God.

Grace all the work shall crown,
Through everlasting days;
It lays in heaven the topmost stone,
And well deserves the praise.

Philip Doddridge

Oh, what, if we are Christ’s,
Is earthly shame or loss?
Bright shall the crown of glory be,
When we have borne the cross.

Keen was the trial once,
Bitter the cup of woe,
When martyred saints, baptized in blood,
Christ’s sufferings shared below.

Bright is their glory now,
Boundless their joy above,
Where, on the bosom of their God,
They rest in perfect love.

Lord, may that grace be ours,
Like them in faith to bear
All that of sorrow, grief, or pain
May be our portion here.

Enough, if thou at last
The word of blessing give,
And let us rest beneath thy feet,
Where saints and angels live.

Sir H. W. Baker


God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform;
He plants his footsteps in the sea,
And rides upon the storm.

Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take;
The clouds ye so much dread
Are big with mercy, and shall break
With blessing on your head.

Judge not the Lord by feeble sense,
But trust him for his grace;
Behind a frowning providence
He hides a smiling face.

His purposes will ripen fast,
Unfolding every hour;
The bud may have a bitter taste,
But sweet will be the flower.

Blind unbelief is sure to err,
And scan his work in vain;
God is his own interpreter,
And he will make it plain.

William Cowper


God of my life, to thee I call;
Afflicted, at thy feet I fall:
When the great waterfloods prevail,
Leave not my trembling heart to fail

Friend of the friendless and the faint,
Where should I lodge my deep complaint?
Where but with thee, whose open door
Invites the helpless and the poor?

Did ever mourner plead with thee,
And thou refuse that mourner’s plea?
Does not the word still fixed remain,
That none shall seek thy face in vain?

That were a grief I could not bear,
Didst thou not hear and answer prayer;
But a prayer-hearing, answering God
Supports me under every load.

Poor though I am, despised, forgot,
Yet God, my God, forgets me not;
And he is safe, and must succeed,
For whom the Lord vouchsafes to plead.

William Cowper

 

Lo! the storms of life are breaking,
Faithless fears our hearts are shaking;
For our succour undertaking,
     Lord and Saviour, help us.

Lo! the world from thee rebelling,
Round thy church, in pride is swelling;
With thy word their madness quelling,
     Lord and Saviour, help us.

On thine own command relying,
We our onward task are plying,
Unto thee for safety sighing,
     Lord and Saviour, help us.

By thy birth, thy cross, thy passion,
By thy tears of deep compassion,
By thy mighty intercession,
     Lord and Saviour, help us.

Henry Alford

Spring Blossoms and Father, I know that all my life

Father, I know that all my life
Is portion’d out for me;
The changes that will surely come,
I do not fear to see;
I ask thee for a present mind,
Intent on pleasing thee.

I ask thee for a watchful love,
Through constant watching wise,
To meet the glad with joyful smiles,
And wipe the weeping eyes;
A heart at leisure from itself,
To soothe and sympathize.

I would not have the restless will
That hurries to and fro,
Seeking for some great thing to do,
Or secret thing to know:
I would be treated as a child,
And guided where I go.

I ask thee for the daily strength
To none that ask denied,
A mind to blend with outward life,
While keeping at thy side;
Content to fill a little space,
If thou be glorified.

In service which thy will appoints,
There are no bonds for me;
My inmost heart is taught “the truth”
That makes thy children “free:”
A life of self-renouncing love
Is one of liberty.

Miss A. L. Waring, alt., 1850

Fall Items and Thro’ good report and evil, Lord

Thro’ good report and evil, Lord,
Still guided by thy faithful word,
Our staff, our buckler, and our sword,
We follow thee.

In silence of the lonely night,
In the full glow of day’s clear light,
Through life’s strange windings, dark or bright,
We follow thee.

Strengthened by thee we forward go,
‘Mid smile or scoff of friend or foe,
Thro’ pain or ease, thro’ joy or woe,
We follow thee.

O Master, point thou out the way,
Nor suffer thou our steps to stray;
Then in the path that leads to day
We follow thee.

Thou hast passed on before our face;
Thy footsteps on the way we trace;
O keep us, aid us by thy grace;
We follow thee.

Horatius Bonar