HEBREWS IV. 9.
“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”
Lord, I believe a rest remains,
To all Thy people known;
A rest where pure enjoyment reigns,
And Thou art loved alone:
A rest where all our soul's desire
Is fix'd on things above;
Where doubt, and pain, and fear expire,
Cast out by perfect love:
A rest of lasting joy and peace,
Where all is calm within:
'Tis then from our own works we cease,
From pride, self-will, and sin.
Our life is hid with Christ in God;
The agony is o'er,
We wrestle not with flesh and blood,
We strive with sin no more.
Our spirit is right, our heart is clean,
Our nature is renew'd;
We cannot now, we cannot sin,
For we are born of God.
From every evil motion freed,
(The Son hath made us free,)
On all the powers of hell we tread,
In glorious liberty.
Redeem'd, we walk on holy ground,
On God we cast our care;
No lion in that way is found,
No ravenous beast is there!
Safe in the way of life, above
Death, earth, and hell we rise;
We find, when perfected in love,
Our long-sought paradise.
Within that Eden we retire,
We rest in Jesu's name:
It guards us, as a wall of fire,
And as a sword of flame.
O that I now the rest might know,
Believe, and enter in!
Now, Saviour, now the power bestow,
And let me cease from sin.
Remove this hardness from my heart,
This unbelief remove;
To me the rest of faith impart,
The sabbath of Thy love.
I groan from pride to be set free,
From wrath to be released:
Take me, O, take me into Thee,
My everlasting Rest.
I would be Thine, Thou know'st I would,
And have Thee all my own;
Thee, O my all-sufficient Good,
I want, and Thee alone.
Thy Name to me, Thy Nature grant;
This, only this be given:
Nothing besides my God I want,
Nothing in earth or heaven.
Come, O my Saviour, come away,
Into my soul descend;
No longer from Thy creature stay,
My Author and my End.
The bliss Thou hast for me prepared
No longer be delay'd;
Come, my exceeding Great Reward,
For whom I first was made.
Come, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
And seal me Thine abode;
Let all I am in Thee be lost,
Let all I am be God!
