Part 27
4. Lord, at Thy word Amen I say; Increase my feeble faith, I pray. Thou lead’st me with a father’s care; Oh, let me be Thy child and heir!
J. Mathesius, † 1565; A. Crull, tr.
518
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Beloved, “It is well!” God’s ways are always right; And perfect love is o’er them all Though far above our sight.
2. Beloved, “It is well!” Though deep and sore the smart, The hand that wounds knows how to bind And heal the broken heart.
3. Beloved, “It is well!” Though sorrow clouds our way, ’Twill only make the joy more dear That ushers in the day.
4. Beloved, “It is well!” The path that Jesus trod, Though rough and strait and dark it be, Leads home to heaven and God.
G. W. Doane, 1833.
519
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My Father! cheering name! O may I call Thee mine! Give me with humble hope to claim A portion so divine.
2. Whate’er Thy will denies I calmly would resign; For Thou art just and good and wise,— Oh, bend my will to Thine!
3. Whate’er Thy will ordains, Oh, give me strength to bear! Still let me know a Father reigns And trust a Father’s care.
4. Thy ways are little known To my weak, erring sight; Yet shall my soul, believing, own That all Thy ways are right.
Anne Steele, 1760, a.
520
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Nearer, my God, to Thee, Nearer to Thee! E’en though it be a cross That raiseth me, Still all my song shall be, Nearer, my God, to Thee, Nearer, my God, to Thee, Nearer to Thee!
2. Nearer, my Lord, to Thee, Nearer to Thee! Who to Thy cross didst come Dying for me. Strengthen my willing feet, Hold me in service sweet Nearer, O Christ, to Thee, Nearer to Thee!
3. Nearer, O Comforter, Nearer to Thee! Who with my loving Lord Dwellest with me. Grant me Thy fellowship, Help me each day to keep Nearer, my Guide, to Thee, Nearer to Thee!
4. But to be nearer still, Bring me, O God, Not by the visioned steeps Angels have trod. Here where Thy cross I see, Jesus, I wait for Thee, Then evermore to be Nearer to Thee!
Sarah F. Adams, 1841; a. by H. D. Ganse, † 1891.
521
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And let this feeble body fail And let it faint or die; My soul shall quit the mournful vale And soar to worlds on high; Shall join the disembodied saints And find its long-sought rest, That only bliss for which it pants, In my Redeemer’s breast.
2. In hope of that immortal crown I now the cross sustain And gladly wander up and down And smile at toil and pain. I suffer on my threescore years Till my Deliverer come And wipe away His servant’s tears And take His exile home.
3. Oh, what hath Jesus bought for me! Before my ravished eyes Rivers of life divine I see And trees of paradise! I see a world of spirits bright Who reap the pleasures there; They all are robed in spotless white, And conquering palms they bear.
4. Oh, what are all my sufferings here If, Lord, Thou count me meet With that enraptured host t’appear And worship at Thy feet! Give joy or grief, give ease or pain, Take life or friends away, But let me find them all again In that eternal day.
Charles Wesley, 1759, a.
522
L. M.
God of my life, to Thee I call; Afflicted, at Thy feet I fall: When the great water-floods prevail, Leave not my trembling heart to fail.
2. 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?
3. 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?
4. 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.
5. Fair is the lot that’s cast for me; I have an Advocate with Thee; They whom the world caresses most Have no such privilege to boast.
6. Poor though I be, despised, forgot, Yet God, my God, forgets me not; And he is safe and must succeed For whom the Lord Himself does plead.
W. Cowper, 1779, a.
523
L. M.
Help me, O Lord, in fear and need, Have mercy, to my prayer give heed! I know Thou lov’st me still as Thine, Though world and hell ’gainst me combine.
2. My God and Lord, I trust in Thee; What need I if Thou art with me? And Thou, Lord Jesus Christ, art mine; My God and Savior, I am Thine.
3. Therefore my happiness is great; I am content, for Thee I wait, Trust wholly in Thy name, and then I know Thy help is sure. Amen.
Martin Moller, 1598.
524
C. M.
God moves in a mysterious way His wonders to perform; He plants His footsteps in the sea And rides upon the storm.
2. Deep in unfathomable mines Of never-failing skill He treasures up His bright designs And works His sovereign will.
3. Ye fearful saints, fresh courage take; The clouds ye so much dread Are big with mercy and shall break In blessings on your head.
4. Judge not the Lord by feeble sense, But trust Him for His grace; Behind a frowning providence He hides a smiling face.
5. His purposes will ripen fast, Unfolding every hour; The bud may have a bitter taste, But sweet will be the flower.
6. Blind unbelief is sure to err And scan His work in vain; God is His own interpreter, And He will make it plain.
W. Cowper, 1772.
525
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Commit whatever grieves thee At heart, and all thy ways, To Him who never leaves thee, On whom creation stays, Who freest courses maketh For clouds and air and wind, Who care and counsel taketh A path for thee to find.
2. On God repose forever If thou wouldst prosper sure; On his work gaze thou ever, If thine is to endure. By anxious care and grieving, By self-consuming pain, God is not moved to giving; By prayer must thou obtain.
3. Thy grace, that ever floweth, O Father, what is good Or evil, ever knoweth, To mortal flesh and blood. What to Thine eye all-seeing, And to Thy counsel wise Seems good must into being, O mighty Prince, arise.
4. For means it fails Thee never, Thou always find’st a way, Thy deeds are blessing ever, Thy path like brightest day. Thy work no one can hinder, Thy labor cannot rest, If Thou design’st Thy tender Children should all be blessed.
5. Though all the power of evil Should rise up to resist, Without a doubt or cavil God never will desist; His undertakings ever At length He carries through; What He designs He never Can fail at all to do.
6. Hope on, thou heart, grief-riven, In hope courageous be; Where anguish thee had driven Thou shalt deliverance see. God from thy pit of sadness Shall raise thee graciously; Wait, and the sun of gladness Thine eyes shall early see.
7. Arise, to pain and anguish A long good night now say; Drive all that makes thee languish In grief and woe away. Not thine ’tis to endeavor The ruler’s part to play; God sits as Ruler ever, Guides all things well each day.
8. Let Him alone and tarry, He is a Prince all-wise, He shall Himself so carry ’Twill strange seem in thine eyes, When He, as Him beseemeth, In wonderful decree, Shall as Himself good deemeth, O’errule what grieveth thee.
9. He may, a while still staying, His comforts keep from thee And, on His part delaying, Seem to have utterly Forgotten and forsaken And put thee out of mind, Though grief hath thee o’ertaken, No time for thee to find.
10. But if thou never shrinkest And true dost still remain, He’ll come when least thou thinkest And set thee free again, Thee from the load deliver, That burdeneth thy heart, That thou hast carried never For any evil part.
11. Hail! child of faith, who gainest The victory alway, Who honor’s crown obtainest, That never fades away. God in thy hand will give thee One day the glorious palm; Who ne’er in grief did leave thee, To Him thou’lt sing thy psalm.
12. O Lord, no longer lengthen Our time of misery; Our hands and feet do strengthen; And until death may we By Thee be watched and cared for, In faithfulness and love. So come we where prepared for Us is our blessed abode.
Paul Gerhardt, 1656; J. Kelly, tr., a.
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If God Himself be for me, I may a host defy, For when I pray, before me My foes confounded fly. If Christ, my Head and Master, Befriend me from above, What foe or what disaster Can drive me from His love?
2. This I believe—yea, rather, Of this I make my boast, That God is my dear Father, The Friend who loves me most; And that, whate’er betide me, My Savior is at hand Through stormy seas to guide me And bring me safe to land.
3. I build on this foundation, That Jesus and His blood Alone are my salvation, The true, eternal good; Without Him all that pleases Is valueless on earth; The gifts I owe to Jesus Alone my love are worth.
4. My Jesus is my Splendor, My soul’s bright-beaming Sun; Were He not my Defender Before God’s awful throne, I never should find favor And mercy in His sight, But be destroyed forever, As darkness by the light.
5. He canceled my offenses And saved my soul from death; ’Tis He who ever cleanses Me from my sins through faith. In Him I can be cheerful, Bold, and undaunted aye; In Him I am not fearful Of God’s great Judgment Day.
6. Naught, naught can e’er condemn me Nor set my hope aside; Now hell no more can claim me, Its fury I deride. No sentence e’er reproves me, No ill destroys my peace, For Christ, my Savior, loves me And screens me with His grace.
7. His Spirit in me dwelleth, And o’er my mind He reigns. All sorrow He dispelleth And soothes away all pains. He crowns His work with blessing And helpeth me to cry, “My Father!” without ceasing, To Him who dwells on high.
8. To mine His Spirit speaketh Sweet words of holy cheer, How God, to Him that seeketh For rest, is always near, And how He hath erected A city fair and new, Where what our faith expected We evermore shall view.
9. In yonder home doth flourish My heritage, my lot; Though here I die and perish, My heaven shall fail me not. Though care my life oft saddens And causeth tears to flow, The light of Jesus gladdens And sweetens every woe.
10. Who clings with resolution To Him whom Satan hates Must look for persecution; For him the burden waits Of mockery, shame, and losses, Heaped on his guiltless head; A thousand plagues and crosses Shall be his daily bread.
11. All this I am prepared for, Yet am I not afraid; By Thee shall all be cared for, To whom my vows were paid. Though life and limb it cost me And everything I have, Unshaken shall I trust Thee, Thee never shall I leave.
12. Though earth be rent asunder, Thou’rt mine eternally; Not fire nor sword nor thunder Shall sever me from Thee; Not hunger, thirst, nor danger, Not pain nor poverty, Nor mighty princes’ anger, Shall ever hinder me.
13. No angel and no gladness, No throne, no pomp, no show, No love, no hate, no sadness, No pain, no depth of woe, No scheme of man’s contrivance, However small or great, Shall draw me from Thy guidance Nor from Thee separate.
14. My heart for joy is springing And can no more be sad, ’Tis full of mirth and singing, Sees naught but sunshine glad. The Sun that cheers my spirit Is Jesus Christ, my King; That which I shall inherit Hereafter, makes me sing.
Rom. 8, 31-39. Paul Gerhardt, 1664; R. Massie, tr., a.
DEATH AND BURIAL.
527
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Lord Jesus Christ, true man and God, Who borest anguish, scorn, the rod, And diedst at last upon the tree To gain Thy Father’s grace for me:
2. I pray Thee, through that bitter woe, Let me, a sinner, mercy know When comes the hour of failing breath And I must wrestle, Lord, with death;
3. When from my sight all fades away, And when my tongue no more can say, And when mine ears no more can hear, And when my heart is racked with fear;
4. When all my mind is darkened o’er, And human help can do no more;— Then come, Lord Jesus, come with speed, And help me in the hour of need.
5. Lead me from this dark vale beneath And shorten then the pangs of death; All evil spirits drive away, But let Thy Spirit with me stay,
6. Until my soul the body leave; Then in Thy hands my soul receive And let the earth the body keep Till the Last Day shall break its sleep.
7. Joyful my resurrection be, Thou in the Judgment plead for me And hide my sins, Lord, from Thy face And give me life, of Thy dear grace!
8. Implicitly I trust Thee, Lord, For Thou hast promised in Thy Word: “In truth I tell you, who receives My Word, and keeps it, and believes,
9. “Shall never fall God’s wrath beneath, Shall never taste eternal death; Though here he must return to dust, He still is noways therefore lost;
10. “For I will with a mighty hand Deliver him from death’s strong band And lift him hence that he shall be Forever in My realm with Me,
11. “Forever living there in bliss.” Oh, let us not that glory miss! Dear Lord, forgive us all our guilt, Help us to wait until Thou wilt
12. That we depart; and let our faith Be brave and conquer e’en in death, Firm resting in Thy sacred Word Until we sleep in Thee, our Lord.
Paul Eber, 1565; C. Winkworth, tr., 1855.
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When my last hour is close at hand And I must hence betake me, Lord Jesus Christ, beside me stand, Nor let Thy help forsake me; To Thy blest hands I now commend My soul, at this my earthly end, And Thou wilt safely keep it.
2. My sins, dear Lord, disturb me sore, My conscience cannot slumber; But though as sands upon the shore My sins may be in number, I will not quail, but think of Thee; Thy death, Thy sorrow, borne for me, Thy sufferings, shall uphold me.
3. I have been grafted in the Vine And hence my comfort borrow, For Thou wilt surely keep me Thine Through fear and pain and sorrow; Yea, though I die, I die to Thee, Who through Thy death hast won for me The right to life eternal.
4. Since Thou from death didst rise again, In death Thou wilt not leave me; Lord, Thy ascension soothes my pain, No fear of death shall grieve me; For Thou wilt have me where Thou art, And so with joy I can depart To be with Thee forever.
5. And so I stretch mine arms to Thee And gladly hence betake me; Peaceful and calm my sleep shall be, No human voice can wake me. But Christ is with me through the strife, And He will bear me into life And open heaven before me.
Nikolaus Herman, 1560; C. Winkworth, tr., a.
529
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For me to live is Jesus, To die is gain for me, To Him I gladly yield me And die right cheerfully.
2. From hence I go with gladness To Christ my Brother’s side That I may soon be with Him And e’er with Him abide.
3. I have o’ercome life’s crosses; Grief, pain, and sorrow cease; Through His five wounds most holy With God I am at peace.
4. When all my powers are breaking, My breath comes heavily, Nor word more I can utter, Lord, hear my sighs to Thee!
5. When reason, sense, and thinking Fail like a flickering light, That to and fro doth waver Ere ’tis extinguished quite,
6. Then let me softly, gently, Lord, fall asleep in Thee, When by Thy will and counsel My last hour comes to me.
7. As to the oak the ivy, So let me cleave to Thee And live in heavenly glory With Thee eternally.
8. Amen! This wilt Thou, Jesus, Grant graciously to me; Endow me with Thy Spirit That I die happily.
Anon., 1609; E. Cronenwett, tr., 1880.
530
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Hark! a voice saith, “All are mortal.” Yea, all flesh must fade as grass, Only through death’s gloomy portal To a better land we pass; This frail body here must perish Ere the heavenly joys it cherish, Ere it gain the free reward For the ransomed of the Lord.
2. Therefore, when my God doth choose it, Willingly I’ll yield my life, Nor will grieve that I should lose it, For with sorrows it was rife; In my dear Redeemer’s merit Peace hath found my troubled spirit, And in death my comfort is Jesus’ death—sweet comfort this!
3. For my sake He went before me, And His death is now my gain; Peace and hope He conquered for me; So without regret or pain, Yea, with joy I’ll quit earth’s sadness For the beauteous heaven of gladness, Where I shall eternally See the holy Trinity.
4. There is joy beyond our telling, Where so many saints have gone; Thousands, thousands, there are dwelling, Worshiping before the throne; There the seraphim are shining, Evermore in chorus joining: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord! Triune God, for aye adored!”
5. There great men, of sacred story, Prophets, patriarchs, are met; There apostles, too, in glory Fill twelve thrones by Jesus set; All the saints that have ascended Age on age, through time extended, There in blissful concert sing Hallelujahs to their King.
6. O Jerusalem, how glorious Dost thou shine, thou city fair! Lo! I hear the tones victorious Ever sweetly sounding there! O the bliss that there surprises! Lo! the sun of morn now rises, And the breaking day I see That shall never end for me!
7. Yea, I see what here was told me, See that wondrous glory shine; Feel the spotless robes enfold me, Know a golden crown is mine. Thus before the throne so glorious Now I stand, a soul victorious, Gazing on that joy for aye That shall never pass away.
J. G. Albinus, 1652; C. Winkworth, 1863, a.
531
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One sweetly solemn thought Comes to me o’er and o’er,— Nearer my home to-day am I Than e’er I’ve been before;
2. Nearer my Father’s house, Where many mansions be; Nearer to-day the great white throne; Nearer the crystal sea;
3. Nearer the bound of life Where burdens are laid down; Nearer to leave the heavy cross; Nearer to gain the crown.
4. But, lying dark between, Winding down through the night, There rolls the silent, unknown stream That leads at last to light.
5. E’en now, perchance, my feet Are slipping on the brink, And I to-day am nearer home, Nearer than now I think.
6. Father, perfect my trust; Strengthen my spirit’s faith; Nor let me stand at last alone Upon the shore of death.
Phoebe Cary, 1852.
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Farewell! I say with gladness, False, evil world, farewell! Thy life is sin and sadness, With thee I would not dwell; In heaven are better pleasures, I long for that bright sphere Where God grants endless treasures To those that served Him here.
2. Do with me as it pleases Thy heart, O Son of God! When anguish on me seizes, Help me to bear my load; Nor then my sorrows lengthen, But take me hence on high; My fearful spirit strengthen And let me calmly die.
3. When all around is darkling, Thy name and cross, still bright, Deep in my heart are sparkling Like stars in blackest night. Appear Thou in Thy sorrow, For Thine was woe indeed, And from Thy cross I borrow All comfort heart can need.
4. Thou diedst for me,—O hide me When tempests round me roll; Through all my foes, O guide me, Receive my trembling soul. If I but grasp Thee firmer, What matters pain when past? Hath he a cause to murmur Who reaches heaven at last?
5. O write my name, I pray Thee, Now in the book of life; So let me here obey Thee And there, where joys are rife, Forever bloom before Thee, Thy perfect freedom prove, And tell, as I adore Thee, How faithful was Thy love.
V. Herberger, 1613; C. Winkworth, tr., a.
533
S. M.
It is not death to die, To leave this weary road, And midst the brotherhood on high To be at home with God.
2. It is not death to close The eye long dimmed by tears And wake in glorious repose To spend eternal years.
3. It is not death to bear The wrench that sets us free From dungeon chain, to breathe the air Of boundless liberty.
4. It is not death to fling Aside this sinful dust And rise, on strong, exulting wing, To live among the just.
5. Jesus, Thou Prince of Life, Thy chosen cannot die; Like Thee, they conquer in the strife To reign with Thee on high.
M. A. C. Malan, 1832; G. W. Bethune, tr., 1847.
534
S. M.
And must this body die, This mortal frame decay? And must these active limbs of mine Lie moldering in the clay?
2. God, my Redeemer, lives And ever from the skies Looks down and watches all my dust Till He shall bid it rise.
3. Arrayed in glorious grace Shall these vile bodies shine And every shape and every face Look heavenly and divine.
4. These lively hopes we owe To Jesus’ dying love; We would adore His grace below And sing His power above.
5. Dear Lord, accept the praise Of these our humble songs Till tunes of nobler sound we raise With our immortal tongues.
Isaac Watts, 1709.
535
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I would not live alway; I ask not to stay Where storm after storm rises dark o’er the way; The few lurid mornings that dawn on us here Are enough for life’s woes, full enough for its cheer.
2. I would not live alway; thus fettered by sin, Temptation without and corruption within; E’en the rapture of pardon is mingled with fears And the cup of thanksgiving with penitent tears.
3. I would not live alway; no, welcome the tomb; Since Jesus hath lain there, I dread not its gloom. There sweet be my rest till He bid me arise To hail Him in triumph descending the skies.
4. Who, who would live alway, away from his God? Away from yon heaven, that blissful abode, Where the rivers of pleasure flow o’er the bright plains, And the noontide of glory eternally reigns;