Peonies, Books and Depression Glass with The starry firmament on high and O love divine, that stooped to share

The starry firmament on high,
And all the glories of the sky,
Yet shine not to thy praise, O Lord,
So brightly as thy written word.

The hopes that holy word supplies,
Its truths divine and precepts wise,
In each a heavenly beam I see,
And every beam conducts to thee.

Almighty Lord, the sun shall fail,
The moon forget her nightly tale,
And deepest silence hush on high
The radiant chorus of the sky;

But, fixed for everlasting years,
Unmoved amid the wreck of spheres,
Thy word shall shine in cloudless day,
When heaven and earth have passed away.

Sir Robert Grant
O love divine, that stooped to share
  Our sharpest pang, our bitterest tear,
On thee we cast each earth-born care,
  We smile at pain, while thou art near.

Though long the weary way we tread,
  And sorrow crown each lingering year,
No path we shun, no darkness dread,
  Our hearts still whispering, thou art near.

When drooping pleasure turns to grief,
  And trembling faith is changed to fear,
The murmuring wind, the quivering leaf,
  Shall softly tell us thou art near.

On thee we fling our burdening woe,
  O love divine, forever dear;
Content to suffer while we know,
  Living or dying, thou art near!

O. W. Holmes

Sunflowers and Zinnias with The counsels of redeeming grace and How precious is the book divine

  The counsels of redeeming grace
  The sacred leaves unfold;
And here the Saviour’s lovely face
  Our raptured eyes behold.

  Here light descending from above
  Directs our doubtful feet;
Here promises of heavenly love
  Our ardent wishes meet.

  Our numerous griefs are here redressed,
  And all our wants supplied:
Naught we can ask to make us blest
  Is in this book denied.

  For these inestimable gains,
  That so enrich the mind,
O may we search with eager pains,
  Assured that we shall find.

Samuel Stennett
How precious is the book divine,
  By inspiration given!
Bright as a lamp its doctrines shine,
  To guide our souls to heaven.

O’er all the strait and narrow way
  Its radiant beams are cast;
A light whose never-weary ray
  Grows brightest at the last.

It sweetly cheers our drooping hearts,
  In this dark vale of tears;
Life, light, and joy it still imparts,
  And quells our rising fears.

This lamp, through all the tedious night
  Of life, shall guide our way,
Till we behold the clearer light
  Of an eternal day.

John Fawcett

Blanketflower with What glory gilds the sacred page and The golden gates are lifted up

  What glory gilds the sacred page!
  Majestic, like the sun,
It gives a light to every age;
  It gives, but borrows none.

  The power that gave it still supplies
  The gracious light and heat;
Its truths upon the nations rise:
  They rise, but never set.

  Lord, everlasting thanks be thine
  For such a bright display,
As makes a world of darkness shine
  With beams of heavenly day.

  My soul rejoices to pursue
  The steps of him I love,
Till glory breaks upon my view
  In brighter worlds above.

William Cowper
The golden gates are lifted up,
  The doors are opened wide,
The King of glory is gone in
  Unto his Father’s side.

Thou art gone up before us, Lord,
  To make for us a place,
That we may be where now thou art,
  And look upon God’s face.

And ever on thine earthly path
  A gleam of glory lies;
A light still breaks behind the cloud
  That vailed thee from our eyes.

Lift up our hearts, lift up our minds,
  Let thy dear grace be given,
That while we tarry here below,
  Our treasure be in heaven!

That where thou art, at God’s right hand,
  Our hope, our love may be;
Dwell thou in us, that we may dwell
  For evermore in thee!

Mrs. C. F. Alexander

Hollyhocks and Tea with And can it be that should gain with If, on a quiet sea

  And can it be that I should gain
  An interest in the Saviour’s blood?
Died he for me, who caused his pain?
  For me, who him to death pursued?
Amazing love!  how can it be
That thou, my Lord, shouldst die for me?

  ‘Tis mystery all!  the Immortal dies?
  Who can explore his strange design?
In vain the first-born seraph tries
  To sound the depths of love divine;
‘Tis mercy all!  let earth adore:
Let angel minds inquire no more.

  He left his Father’s throne above,-
  So free, so infinite his grace!-
Emptied himself of all but love,
  And bled for Adam’s helpless race:
‘Tis mercy all, immense and free,
For, O my God, it found out me!

  Long my imprisoned spirit lay,
  Fast bound in sin and nature’s night;
Thine eye diffused a quickening ray,
  I woke, the dungeon flamed with light:
My chains fell off, my heart was free,
I rose, went forth, and followed thee.

  No condemnation now I dread,
  Jesus, with all in him, is mine;
Alive in him, my living Head.
  And clothed in righteousness divine,
Bold I approach the eternal throne,
And claim the crown, through Christ my own.

Charles Wesley   If, on a quiet sea,
  Toward heaven we calmly sail,
With grateful hearts, O God, to thee,
  We’ll own the favoring gale.

  But should the surges rise,
  And rest delay to come,
Blest be the tempest, kind the storm,
  Which drives us nearer home.

  Soon shall our doubts and fears
  All yield to thy control;
Thy tender mercies shall illume
  The midnight of the soul.

  Teach us, in every state,
  To make thy will our own;
And when the joys of sense depart,
  To live by faith alone.

Augustus M. Toplady

Sunset and Jesus, my strength, my hope with My bark is watfted to the strand

  Jesus, my strength, my hope,
  On thee I cast my care;
With humble confidence look up,
  And know thou hear’st my prayer.
Give me on thee to wait,
  Till I can all things do;
On thee, almighty to create,
  Almighty to renew.

  I want a sober mind,
  A self-renouncing will,
That tramples down, and casts behind,
  The baits of pleasing ill:
A soul inured to pain,
  To hardship, grief, and loss;
Bold to take up, firm to sustain,
  The consecrated cross.

  I want a godly fear,
  A quick discerning eye,
That looks to thee when sin is near,
  And sees the tempter fly:
A spirit still prepared,
  And armed with jealous care;
Forever standing on its guard,
  And watching unto prayer.

Charles Wesley
  My bark is wafted to the strand
 By breath divine,
And on its helm there rests a hand
  Other than mine.

  One who was known in storms to sail
  I have on board;
Above the roaring of the gale
  I hear my Lord.

  Safe to the land! safe to the land!
  The end is this,
And then with him go hand in hand,
  Far into bliss.

Henry Alford

Single Rose with Forward! by our watchword and I cannot always trace the way

  Forward!  be our watchword,
  Steps and voices joined;
Seek the things before us,
  Not a look behind:
Burns the fiery pillar
  At our army’s head;
Who shall dream of shrinking,
  By our Captain led?
Forward through the desert,
  Through the toil and fight:
Jordan flows before us,
  Zion beams with light!

  Forward!  flock of Jesus,
  Salt of all the earth,
Till each yearning purpose
  Spring to glorious birth:
Sick, they ask for healing;
  Blind, they grope for day;
Pour upon the nations
  Wisdom’s loving ray.
Forward, out of error,
  Leave behind the night;
Forward through the darkness,
  Forward into light!

  Glories upon glories
  Hath our God prepared,
By the souls that love him
  One day to be shared:
Eye hath not beheld them,
  Ear hath never heard;
Nor of these hath uttered
  Thought or speech a word:
Forward, marching eastward
  Where the heaven is bright,
Till the veil be lifted,
  Till our faith be sight!

  Far o’er yon horizon
  Rise the city towers,
Where our God abideth;
  That fair home is ours:
Flash the streets with jasper,
  Shine the gates with gold;
Flows the gladdening river
  Shedding joys untold;
Thither, onward thither,
  In the Spirit’s might:
Pilgrims to your country,
  Forward into light!

Henry Alfordymnal
I cannot always trace the way
  Where thou, Almighty One, dost move;
But I can always, always say
  That God is love.

When fear her chilling mantle throws
  O’er earth, my soul to heaven above,
As to her native home upsprings,
  For God is love.

When mystery clouds my darkened path,
  I’ll check my dread, my doubts reprove;
In this my soul sweet comfort hath,
  That God is love.

Yes, God is love: a thought like this
  Can every gloomy thought remove,
And turn all tears, all woes, to bliss,
  For God is love.

Sir John Bowring

Fresh Eggs with I and my house will serve the Lord and My Jesus, as Thou wilt

  I and my house will serve the Lord;
But first, obedient to his word
  I must myself appear;
By actions, works, and tempers, show
That I my heavenly Master know,
  And serve with heart sincere.

  I must the fair example set;
From those that on my pleasure wait
  The stumbling block remove;
Their duty by my life explain,
And still in all my works maintain
  The dignity of love.

  Easy to be entreated, mild,
Quickly appeased and reconciled,
  A follower of my God,
A saint indeed, I long to be,
And lead my faithful family
  In the celestial road.

  Lord, if thou didst the wish infuse,
A vessel fitted for thy use
  Into thy hands receive:
Work in me both to will and do;
And show them how believers true,
  And real Christians, live.

Charles Wesley
My Jesus, as Thou wilt!
  O may Thy will be mine;
Into Thy hand of love
  I would my all resign.
Through sorrow, or through joy,
  Conduct me as Thine own;
And help me still to say,
  My Lord, Thy will be done.

My Jesus, as Thou wilt!
  Though seen through many a tear,
Let not my star of hope
  Grow dim or disappear.
Since Thou on earth hast wept
  And sorrowed oft alone,
If I must weep with Thee,
  My Lord, Thy will be done.

My Jesus, as Thou wilt!
  All shall be well for me;
Each changing future scene
  I gladly trust with Thee.
Straight to my home above
  I travel calmly on,
And sing, in life or death,
  My Lord, Thy will be done.

Rev. Benjamin Schmolck  tr. Jane Borthwick