My Saviour, whom absent I love,
Whom, not having seen, I adore;
Whose name is exalted above
All glory, dominion, and power;
2 Dissolve Thou these bonds, that detain
My soul from her portion in Thee;
Oh! strike off this adamant chain,
And make me eternally free.
When that happy era begins,
When arrayed in Thy glories I shine,
Nor grieve any more by my sins,
The bosom on which I recline;
3 Oh! then shall the veil be removed,
And round me Thy brightness be poured;
I shall meet Him whom absent I loved
I shall see, whom unseen I adored.
And then, never more shall the fears,
The trials, temptations, and woes,
Which darken this valley of tears,
Intrude on my blissful repose.
4 Or, if yet remembered above, Remembrance no sadness shall raise; They will be but new signs of Thy love, New themes for my wonder and praise. Thus the strokes which from sin and from -pain,
Shall set me eternally free
Will but strengthen and rivet the chain Which binds me, my Saviour, to Thee.
EJOICE, rejoice, believers,
And let your lights appear,
The evening is advancing,
And darker night is near;
The Bridegroom is arising,
And soon He draweth nigh;
Up! pray and watch and wrestle,
At midnight comes the cry.
2 See that your lamps are burning,
Replenish them with oil;
And wait for your salvation,
The end of earthly toil.
The watchers on the mountains,
Proclaim the Bridegroom near;
Go meet Him as He cometh,
With hallelujahs clear.
3 Ye saints who here in patience,
Your cross and sufferings bore;
Shall live and reign forever,
Where sorrow is no more.
Around the throne of glory,
The Lamb ye shall behold;
In triumph cast before Him
Your diadems of gold.
4 Our hope and expectation,
O Jesus! now appear;
Arise! thou sun so longed for,
O'er this benighted sphere.
With hearts and hands uplifted,
We plead O Lord! to see
The day of earth's redemption,
That brings us unto Thee.
Tra cime of cloudless beauty, flies;
HE ransomed spirit to her home,
No more on stormy seas to roam,
She hails her haven in the skies.
But cheerless are those heavenly fields,
That cloudless clime no pleasure yields,
There is no bliss in bowers above,
If Thou art absent, holy Love!
2 The cherub near the viewless throne,
Hath smote the harp with trembling hand;
And one with incense-fire hath flown,
To touch with flame the angel band.
But tuneless is the quivering string,
No melody can Gabriel bring;
Mute are its arches, when above,
The harps of heaven wake not to love.
8 Earth, sea, and sky one language speak,
In harmony that soothes the soul;
'Tis heard when scarce the zephyrs wake,
And when on thunders, thunders roll.
That voice is heard, and tumults cease,
It whispers to the bosom, peace:
Speak, Thou Inspirer from above,
And cheer our hearts, celestial Love.
Amen! so let it be:
Life from the dead is in the word:
2 Here in the body pent,
Absent from Him I roam!
Yet nightly pitch my moving tent,
A day's march nearer home.
3 My Father's house on high!
Home of my soul-how near,
At times, to faith's aspiring eye,
Thy golden gates appear!
4 Ah! then my spirit faints,
To reach the land I love;
The bright inheritance of saints,
Jerusalem above!
5 Oh! when my latest breath
Shall rend the veil in twain;
By death I shall escape from death,
And life eternal gain.
6 "Knowing as I am known!"
How shall I love that word-
And oft repeat before the throne
"Forever with the Lord."
[PWARD I lift mine eyes,
From God is all my aid;
The God that built the skies,
And earth and nature made.
God is the tower
To which I fly;
His grace is nigh
In every hour.
2 My feet shall never slide,
And fall in fatal snares;
Since God, my guard and guide,
Defends me from my fears.
Those wakeful eyes
That never sleep,
Shall Israel keep
When dangers raise.
3 No burning heats by day,
Nor blasts of evening air,
Shall take my health away,
If God be with me there.
Thou art my sun,
And Thou my shade,
To guard my head
By night or noon.
4 Hast Thou not given Thy word,
To save my soul from death?
And I can trust my Lord
To keep my soul from death.
I'll go and come,
Nor fear to die,
Till from on high
Thou call'st me home.
AROUND the throne of God in heaven
Thousands of children stand;
Children who feel their sins forgiven,
A holy, happy band—
Singing glory! glory! glory be to God on high!
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