3 Thy saints on earth, and those above
Here join in sweet accord;
One body all in mutual love,
And thou, our common Lord.
4 O may my faith each hour derive
Thy spirit with delight;
While death and hell in vain shall strive
This bond to disunite.
5 Thou the whole body wilt present
Before thy Father's face;
Nor shall a wrinkle or a spot
Its beauteous form disgrace.
CCXCI. Love to others urged from Christ's Love, in giving himself a Sacrifice. Ephesians v. 2.
1 NOW be that sacrifice survey'd,
That ransom which the Saviour paid;
That sight familiar to my view,
Yet always wondrous, always new.
2 The Lamb of God, that groan'd and bled,
And gently bow'd his dying head;
While love to sinners fir'd his heart,
And conquered all the killing smart.
3 Blest Jesus, while thy grace I sing,
What grateful tribute shall I bring,
That earth and heaven and thou may'st see
My love to him, who died for me?
4 That offering, Lord, thy word hath taught,
Nor be thy new command forgot,
That, if their Master's death can move,
Thy servants should each other love.
5 When to thy sacred cross we fly,
There let each savage passion die;
While the warm streams of blood divine
Melt our cold hearts to love like thine.
CCXCII. The Wisdom of redeeming Time. Ephesians v. 15, 16.
1 GOD of eternity, from thee
Did infant-time his being draw;
Moments and days, and months and years,
Revolve by thine unvaried law.
2 Silent and slow they glide away;
Steady and strong the current flows,
Lost in eternity's wild sea,
The boundless gulf, from whence it rose.
5 Fir'd with the view, our souls shall rise
In such a scene as this,
And view the happy moment near,
That shall complete our bliss.
CCLXXXIX. The Institution of a Gospel-Ministry from Christ. Ephesians iv. 11, 12.
FOR THE ORDINATION OR SETTLEMENT OF A MINISTER.
1 FATHER of mercies, in thy house
Smile on our homage, and our vows;
While with a grateful heart we share
These pledges of our Saviour's care.
2 The Saviour, when to heaven he rose
In splendid triumph o'er his foes,
Scatter'd his gifts on men below,
And wide his royal bounties flow.
3 Hence sprung the apostles honoured name,
Sacred beyond heroic fame;
Hence dictates the prophetic sage;
And hence the evangelic page.
4 In lowlier forms, to bless our eyes,
Pastors from hence, and teachers rise;
Who, though with feebler rays they shine,
Still gild a long-extended line.
5 From Christ their varied gifts derive,
And fed by Christ their graces live:
While, guarded by his potent hand,
'Midst all the rage of hell they stand.
6 So shall the bright succession run
Through the last courses of the sun;
While unborn churches by their care
Shall rise and flourish large and fair.
7 Jesus our Lord their hearts shall know,
The spring, whence all these blessings flow:
Pastors and people shout his praise
Through the long round of endless days.
CCXC. Christ the Head of the Church. Ephesians iv. 15, 16. 1 JESUS, I sing thy matchless grace,
That calls a worm thy own;
Gives me among thy saints a place
To make thy glories known.
2 Allied to thee our vital head,
We act, and grow, and thrive:
From thee divided, each is dead,
When most he seems alive.
3 Thy saints on earth, and those above
Here join in sweet accord;
One body all in mutual love,
And thou, our common Lord.
4 O may my faith each hour derive
Thy spirit with delight;
While death and hell in vain shall strive
This bond to disunite.
5 Thou the whole body wilt present
Before thy Father's face;
Nor shall a wrinkle or a spot
Its beauteous form disgrace.
CCXCI. Love to others urged from Christ's Love, in giving himself a Sacrifice. Ephesians v. 2.
1 NOW be that sacrifice survey'd,
That ransom which the Saviour paid;
That sight familiar to my view,
Yet always wondrous, always new.
2 The Lamb of God, that groan'd and bled,
And gently bow'd his dying head;
While love to sinners fir'd his heart,
And conquered all the killing smart.
3 Blest Jesus, while thy grace I sing,
What grateful tribute shall I bring,
That earth and heaven and thou may'st see
My love to him, who died for me?
4 That offering, Lord, thy word hath taught,
Nor be thy new command forgot,
That, if their Master's death can move,
Thy servants should each other love.
5 When to thy sacred cross we fly,
There let each savage passion die;
While the warm streams of blood divine
Melt our cold hearts to love like thine.
CCXCII. The Wisdom of redeeming Time. Ephesians v. 15, 16.
1 GOD of eternity, from thee
Did infant-time his being draw;
Moments and days, and months and years,
Revolve by thine unvaried law.
2 Silent and slow they glide away;
Steady and strong the current flows,
Lost in eternity's wild sea,
The boundless gulf, from whence it rose.
s With it the thoughtless sons of men
Before the rapid streams are borne
On to that everlasting home,
Where not one soul can e'er return.
4 Yet while the shore on either side
Presents a gaudy flattering shew,
We gaze, in fond amusement lost,
Nor think to what a world we go.
5 Great source of wisdom, teach my heart
To know the price of every hour;
That time may bear me on to joys
Beyond its measure, and its power.
CCXCIII. Christ's Love to the Church in giving himself for it, &c.
Ephesians v. 25-27.
1 BRIDEGROOM of souls, how rich thy love!
How generous, how divine!
Our inmost hearts it well may move,
While thus our voices join.
2 Deform'd and wretched once we lay,
Worthy thy hate and scorn;
Yet love like thine could find a way
To rescue and adorn.
3 Thou art our ransom; from thy veins
A wondrous fountain flows,
To wash thy bride from all her stains,
And heal our deepest woes.
4 Transform'd by thee, e'en here below
Thy church is bright and fair:
But O! how glorious shall she shew,
When Jesus shall appear!
5 Thine eye shall all her form survey
With infinite delight,
Confess'd, in that illustrious day,
Unblemish'd in thy sight.
CCXCIV. Christ's Service, the Fruit of our Labours on Earth.
Philippians i. 22.
1 MY gracious Lord, I own thy right
To every service I can pay;
And call it my supreme delight
To hear thy dictates and obey.
2 What is my being, but for thee,
Its sure support, its noblest end?
Thy ever-smiling face to see,
And serve the cause of such a friend?
3 I would not breathe for worldly joy,
Or to increase my worldly good;
Nor future days, or powers employ
To spread a sounding name abroad.
4 'Tis to my Saviour I would live;
To him, who for my ransom died,
Nor could untainted Eden give
Such bliss, as blossoms at his side.
5 His work my hoary age shall bless,
When youthful vigour is no more:
And my last hour of life confess
His love hath animating power.
CCXCV. The Happiness of departing, and being with Christ, Philippians i. 23.
1 WHILE on the verge of life I stand,
And view the scene on either hand,
My spirit struggles with its clay,
And longs to wing its flight away.
2 Where Jesus dwells my soul would be;
It faints my much-lov'd Lord to see:
Earth, twine no more about my heart,
For 'tis far better to depart.
3 Come, ye angelic envoys*, come,
And lead the willing pilgrim home:
Ye know the way to Jesus' throne,
Source of my joys, and of your own.
4 That blessed interview, how sweet!
To fall transported at his feet!
Rais'd in his arms to view his face,
Through the full beamings of his grace!
5 To see heaven's shining courtiers round,
Each with immortal glories crown'd!
And, while his form in each I trace,
Belov'd, and loving, all to embrace!
6 As with a Seraph's voice to sing!
To fly as on a cherub's wing!
Performing with unwearied hands
A present Saviour's high commands !
7 Yet, with these prospects full in sight,
I'll wait thy signal for my flight;
For, while thy service I pursue,
I find my heaven begun below.
*Messengers, ambassadors,
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