630 Thou knowest, Lord, the weariness and

sorrow.

635 Lord Jesus, by Thy Passion.

651 Come, my soul, thy suit prepare.
652 Approach, my soul, the mercy-seat.
658 Thou hidden love of God, whose height.
673 I heard the voice of Jesus say.

624

For the Sick and Afflicted.

MY

Y God, I thank Thee, Who hast made
The earth so bright;

So full of splendor and of joy,

Beauty and light;

So many glorious things are here,
Noble and right.

2 I thank Thee too that Thou hast made
Joy to abound;

So many gentle thoughts and deeds
Circling us round.

That in the darkest spot of earth
Some love is found.

3 I thank Thee more that all our joy
Is touched with pain;

That shadows fall on brightest hours;

That thorns remain

n;

So that earth's bliss may be our guide,
And not our chain.

4 For Thou Who knowest, Lord, how soon
Our weak heart clings,

Hast given us joys, tender and true,
Yet all with wings;

So that we see, gleaming on high,
Diviner things.

8.4.

5 I thank Thee, Lord, that Thou hast kept
The best in store;

We have enough, yet not too much
To long for more:

A yearning for a deeper peace,
Not known before.

6 I thank Thee, Lord, that here our souls,
Though amply blest,

Can never find, although they seek,
A perfect rest;

Nor ever shall, until they lean
On Jesus' breast.

625

ESUS, Thy boundless love to me

JES

8s.

No thought can reach, no tongue declare;

Oh, knit my thankful heart to Thee,
And reign without a rival there!
Thine wholly, Thine alone, I am ;
Be Thou alone my constant flame.

2 Oh, grant that nothing in my soul

May dwell, but Thy pure love alone!
Oh, may Thy love possess me whole,

My joy, my treasure, and my crown!
Strange flames far from my heart remove;
May every act, word, thought, be love!

3 O love, how cheering is thy ray!

All pain before thy presence flies
Care, anguish, sorrow, melt away,
Where'er thy healing beams arise.
O Jesus, nothing may I see,
Nothing desire or seek, but Thee!

:

4 Still let Thy love point out my way!

What wondrous things Thy love hath wrought! Still lead me, lest I go astray;

Direct my word, inspire my thought; And if I fall, soon may I hear

Thy voice, and know that love is near.

5 In suffering, be Thy love my peace;

In weakness, be Thy love my power;
And when the storms of life shall cease,
Jesus, in that dark, final hour

Of death, be Thou my guide and friend,
That I may love Thee without end.

626

66

"MY

Y times are in Thy hand:"
My God, I wish them there;
My life, my friends, my soul, I leave
Entirely to Thy care.

2 "My times are in Thy hand,"
Whatever they may be ;

3

Pleasing or painful, dark or bright,
As best may seem to Thee.

My times are in Thy hand:"
Why should I doubt or fear ?
My Father's hand will never cause
His child a needless tear.

4 "My times are in Thy hand,"
Jesus, the crucified!

The hand my cruel sins had pierced
Is now my guard and guide.

S. M.

627

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.

L.M.

2 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.

3 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.

4 On Thee we rest our burdening woe,
O Love divine, forever dear!
Content to suffer, while we know,
Living and dying, Thou art near.

628

11s.

THOUGH faint, yet pursuing, we go on our

way;

The Lord is our leader, His Word is our stay; Though suffering, and sorrow, and trial be near, The Lord is our refuge, and whom can we fear?

2 He raiseth the fallen, He cheereth the faint;
The weak and oppressed, He will hear their com-
plaint;

The way may be weary, and thorny the road,
But how can we falter? Our help is in God!

3 And to His green pastures our footsteps He leads; His flock in the desert, how kindly He feeds! The lambs in His bosom He tenderly bears,

And brings back the wanderers safe from the

snares.

4 Though clouds may surround us, our God is our light;

Though storms rage around us, our God is our might;

So faint, yet pursuing, still onward we come; The Lord is our leader, and heaven is our home!

629

11.10.

WE would see Jesus; for the shadows lengthen

Across this little landscape of our life;

We would see Jesus, our weak faith to strengthen For the last weariness, the final strife.

2 We would see Jesus, the great rock foundation Whereon our feet were set by sovereign grace : Nor life nor death, with all their agitation,

Can thence remove us, if we see His face. 3 We would see Jesus other lights are paling, Which for long years we have rejoiced to see; The blessings of our pilgrimage are failing:

We would not mourn them, for we go to Thee. 4 We would see Jesus; yet the spirit lingers

Round the dear objects it has loved so long, And earth from earth can scarce unclasp its fingers;

Our love to Thee makes not this love less strong. 5 We would see Jesus: sense is all too binding,

And heaven appears too dim, too far away; We would see Thee, Thyself our hearts reminding What Thou hast suffered, our great debt to pay.