"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth." -GEN. i. I. "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him."-1 COR. ii. 9. ... "God is love. In this was manifested the love of God towards us, that He sent His only begotten Son that we might live through Him to be the propitiation for our sins. If God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. Hereby know we that we dwell in Him and He in us, because He hath given us of His Spirit. And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world."1 JOHN iv. 8. "There is one Body, and one Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling; one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all."—EPHES. iv. 4, 5, 6. "Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people zealous of good works." -TITUS ii. 13, 14. HYMNS FOR THE CHURCH CATHOLIC. "O Lord, open Thou our lips." 66 "We praise Thee, O God, we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord. The Father of an infinite Majesty. Almighty God, Father of all mercies... we bless Thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life... for the redemption of the world... for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. Give us that due sense of all Thy mercies that we show forth Thy praise by giving up ourselves to Thy service, and by walking before Thee in holiness and righteousness all our days." "I believe. in the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting." I GLADLY acknowledge the very kind way in which my request for permission to use copyright hymns has been met. I must especially mention-Miss M. V. Havergal, Mrs. Alexander, Miss E. S. Elliott, Miss Hankey, Mrs. Cousin, The Bishop of Lincoln, the Bishop of Bedford, Dr. Bonar, the Rev. Godfrey Thring, Dean Bagot, and the Rev. E. H. Bickersteth. My thanks are also due to Messrs. Morgan and Scott, Shaw and Son, Bell and Sons, Bemrose and Sons, Masters and Co., Hayes and Co., Nisbet, the Religious Tract Society, and Messrs. Longman for hymns from "Lyra Germanica." The proprietors of "Hymns Ancient and Modern" declined to give me permission to include two or three hymns, such as, "Eternal Father, strong to save." have been very anxious to avoid any infringement of copyright. If I have erred in this respect reparation shall be made in the next edition if the authors will kindly communicate with me. The sacred truths which I have endeavoured to keep before me in making this selection are best expressed by the verses of God's Word prefixed to this book. Especially I have endeavoured to bear in mind that the Christian ever lives in the faith of God's redeeming love. The experience of every watcher by the bedside of the dying child of God knows how the heart finds calmness in that hour only in the sense of forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Lyte, one of our most Evangelical writers, well knew this. Himself called to the knowledge of the Truth whilst attending a dying friend, he wrote in 1847, thirty years afterwards, just as his own life was closing, "Abide with me," in the last verse of which he pleads, "Hold Thou "-for none but Christ can do it "Thy cross before my closing eyes." Atonement in that great hour is the believer's refuge. ST. LUKE'S VICARAGE, J. B. WHITING. RAMSGATE. 1882. |