University of Virginia Library

III. The Sacrament a Pledge of Heaven.

HYMN XCIII.

[Come, let us join with one accord]

1

Come, let us join with one accord
Who share the supper of the Lord,
Our Lord and Master's praise to sing;
Nourish'd on earth with living bread,
We now are at His table fed,
But wait to see our heavenly King;

284

To see the great Invisible
Without a sacramental veil,
With all His robes of glory on,
In rapturous joy and love and praise
Him to behold with open face,
High on His everlasting throne!

2

The wine which doth His passion show,
We soon with Him shall drink it new
In yonder dazzling courts above;
Admitted to the heavenly feast,
We shall His choicest blessings taste,
And banquet on His richest love.
We soon the midnight cry shall hear,
Arise, and meet the Bridegroom near,
The marriage of the Lamb is come;
Attended by His heavenly friends,
The glorious King of saints descends
To take His bride in triumph home.

3

Then let us still in hope rejoice,
And listen for the' archangel's voice
Loud echoing to the trump of God,
Haste to the dreadful joyful day,
When heaven and earth shall flee away,
By all-devouring flames destroy'd:
While we from out the burnings fly,
With eagle's wings mount up on high,
Where Jesus is on Sion seen;
'Tis there He for our coming waits,
And lo, the everlasting gates
Lift up their heads to take us in!

285

4

By faith and hope already there,
Even now the marriage-feast we share,
Even now we by the Lamb are fed;
Our Lord's celestial joy we prove,
Led by the Spirit of His love,
To springs of living comfort led:
Suffering and curse and death are o'er,
And pain afflicts the soul no more
While harbour'd in the Saviour's breast;
He quiets all our plaints and cries,
And wipes the sorrow from our eyes,
And lulls us in His arms to rest!

HYMN XCIV.

[O what a soul-transporting feast]

O what a soul-transporting feast
Doth this communion yield!
Remembering here Thy passion past,
We with Thy love are fill'd.
Sure instrument of present grace
Thy sacrament we find,
Yet higher blessings it displays,
And raptures still behind.
It bears us now on eagle's wings,
If Thou the power impart,
And Thee our glorious earnest brings
Into our faithful heart.
O let us still the earnest feel,
The' unutterable peace,
This loving Spirit be the seal
Of our eternal bliss!

286

HYMN XCV.

[In Jesus we live, In Jesus we rest]

In Jesus we live, In Jesus we rest,
And thankful receive His dying bequest;
The cup of salvation His mercy bestows,
And all from His passion Our happiness flows.
With mystical wine He comforts us here,
And gladly we join, Till Jesus appear,
With hearty thanksgiving His death to record;
The living, the living Should sing of their Lord.
He hallow'd the cup Which now we receive,
The pledge of our hope With Jesus to live,
(Where sorrow and sadness Shall never be found,)
With glory and gladness Eternally crown'd.
The fruit of the vine (The joy it implies)
Again we shall join To drink in the skies,
Exult in His favour, Our triumph renew;
And I, saith the Saviour, Will drink it with you.

HYMN XCVI.

[Happy the souls to Jesus join'd]

Happy the souls to Jesus join'd,
And saved by grace alone;
Walking in all Thy ways we find
Our heaven on earth begun.
The church triumphant in Thy love,
Their mighty joys we know;
They sing the Lamb in hymns above,
And we in hymns below.
Thee in Thy glorious realm they praise,
And bow before Thy throne;
We in the kingdom of Thy grace,
The kingdoms are but one.

287

The holy to the holiest leads,
From hence our spirits rise,
And he that in Thy statutes treads
Shall meet Thee in the skies.

HYMN XCVII.

[Thee, King of saints, we praise]

1

Thee, King of saints, we praise
For this our living bread,
Nourish'd by Thy preserving grace,
And at Thy table fed;
Who in these lower parts
Of Thy great kingdom feast,
We feel the earnest in our hearts
Of our eternal rest.

2

Yet still an higher seat
We in Thy kingdom claim,
Who here begin by faith to eat
The supper of the Lamb:
That glorious heavenly prize
We surely shall attain,
And in the palace of the skies
With Thee for ever reign.

HYMN XCVIII.

[Where shall this memorial end?]

Where shall this memorial end?
Thither let our souls ascend,
Live on earth to heaven restored,
Wait the coming of our Lord.

288

Jesus terminates our hope,
Jesus is our wishes' scope;
End of this great mystery,
Him we fain would die to see.
He whom we remember here,
Christ shall in the clouds appear;
Manifest to every eye,
We shall soon behold Him nigh.
Faith ascends the mountain's height,
Now enjoys the pompous sight,
Antedates the final doom,
Sees the Judge in glory come.
Lo, He comes triumphant down,
Seated on His great white throne!
Cherubs bear it on their wings,
Shouting bear the King of kings.
Lo, His glorious banner spread
Stains the skies with deepest red,
Dyes the land, and fires the wood,
Turns the ocean into blood.
Gather'd to the well-known sign,
We our elder brethren join,
Swiftly to our Lord fly up,
Hail Him on the mountain-top;
Take our happy seats above,
Banquet on His heavenly love,
Lean on our Redeemer's breast,
In His arms for ever rest.

289

HYMN XCIX.

[Whither should our full souls aspire]

Whither should our full souls aspire,
At this transporting feast?
They never can on earth be higher,
Or more completely blest.
Our cup of blessing from above
Delightfully runs o'er,
Till from these bodies they remove
Our souls can hold no more.
To heaven the mystic banquet leads;
Let us to heaven ascend,
And bear this joy upon our heads
Till it in glory end.
Till all who truly join in this,
The marriage supper share,
Enter into their Master's bliss,
And feast for ever there.

HYMN C.

[Returning to His throne above]

Returning to His throne above,
The Friend of sinners cried,
Do this in memory of My love:
He spoke the word, and died.
He tasted death for every one:
The Saviour of mankind
Out of our sight to heaven is gone,
But left His pledge behind.

290

His sacramental pledge we take,
Nor will we let it go;
Till in the clouds our Lord comes back,
We thus His death will show.
Come quickly, Lord, for whom we mourn,
And comfort all that grieve;
Prepare the bride, and then return,
And to Thyself receive.
Now to Thy glorious kingdom come;
(Thou hast a token given;)
And while Thy arms receive us home,
Recall Thy pledge in heaven.

HYMN CI.

[How glorious is the life above]

How glorious is the life above,
Which in this ordinance we taste;
That fulness of celestial love,
That joy which shall for ever last!
That heavenly life in Christ conceal'd
These earthen vessels could not bear,
The part which now we find reveal'd
No tongue of angels can declare.
The light of life eternal darts
Into our souls a dazzling ray,
A drop of heaven o'erflows our hearts,
And deluges the house of clay.
Sure pledge of ecstasies unknown
Shall this Divine communion be;
The ray shall rise into a sun,
The drop shall swell into a sea.

291

HYMN CII.

[O the length, and breadth, and height]

O the length, and breadth, and height,
And depth of dying love!
Love that turns our faith to sight,
And wafts to heaven above!
Pledge of our possession this,
This which nature faints to bear;
Who shall then support the bliss,
The joy, the rapture there!
Flesh and blood shall not receive
The vast inheritance;
God we cannot see, and live
The life of feeble sense;
In our weakest nonage here,
Up into our Head we grow,
Saints before our Lord appear,
And ripe for heaven below.
We His image shall regain,
And to His stature rise,
Rise unto a perfect man,
And then ascend the skies,
Find our happy mansions there,
Strong to bear the joys above,
All the glorious weight to bear
Of everlasting love.

HYMN CIII.

[Take, and eat, the Saviour saith]

Take, and eat, the Saviour saith,
This My sacred body is!
Him we take and eat by faith,
Feed upon that flesh of His,

292

All the benefits receive
Which His passion did procure;
Pardon'd by His grace we live,
Grace which makes salvation sure.
Title to eternal bliss
Here His precious death we find,
This the pledge, the earnest this,
Of the purchased joys behind:
Here He gives our souls a taste,
Heaven into our heart He pours:
Still believe, and hold Him fast;
God and Christ and all is ours!

HYMN CIV.

[Returning to His Father's throne]

Returning to His Father's throne,
Hear all the interceding Son,
And join in that eternal prayer:
He prays that we with Him may reign,
And He that did the kingdom gain
For us, shall soon conduct us there.
“I will that those Thou giv'st to Me
May all My heavenly glory see,
But first be perfected in One.”
Amen, Amen! our heart replies,
Prepare, and take us to the skies;
Thy prayer be heard, Thy will be done!

293

HYMN CV.

[Lift your eyes of faith, and see]

Lift your eyes of faith, and see
Saints and angels join'd in one,
What a countless company
Stands before yon dazzling throne!
Each before his Saviour stands,
All in milk-white robes array'd;
Palms they carry in their hands,
Crowns of glory on their head.
Saints begin the endless song,
Cry aloud, in heavenly lays,
Glory doth to God belong,
God the glorious Saviour praise;
All from Him salvation came,
Him who reigns enthroned on high;
Glory to the bleeding Lamb
Let the morning stars reply.
Angel-powers the throne surround,
Next the saints in glory they;
Lull'd with the transporting sound,
They their silent homage pay;
Prostrate on their face before
God and His Messiah fall,
Then in hymns of praise adore,
Shout the Lamb that died for all.
Be it so! they all reply;
Him let all our orders praise,
Him that did for sinners die,
Saviour of the favour'd race:

294

Render we our God His right,
Glory, wisdom, thanks, and power,
Honour, majesty, and might;
Praise Him, praise Him evermore!

HYMN CVI.

[What are these array'd in white]

What are these array'd in white,
Brighter than the noon-day sun,
Foremost of the sons of light,
Nearest the' eternal throne?
These are they that bore the cross,
Nobly for their Master stood,
Sufferers in His righteous cause,
Followers of the dying God.
Out of great distress they came,
Wash'd their robes by faith below
In the blood of yonder Lamb,
Blood that washes white as snow.
Therefore are they next the throne,
Serve their Maker day and night;
God resides among His own,
God doth in His saints delight.
More than conquerors at last,
Here they find their trials o'er;
They have all their sufferings past,
Hunger now and thirst no more;
No excessive heat they feel
From the sun's directer ray,
In a milder clime they dwell,
Region of eternal day.

295

He that on the throne doth reign,
Them the Lamb shall always feed,
With the tree of life sustain,
To the living fountains lead;
He shall all their sorrows chase,
All their wants at once remove,
Wipe the tears from every face,
Fill up every soul with love.

HYMN CVII.

[All hail, Thou suffering Son of God]

All hail, Thou suffering Son of God,
Who didst these mysteries ordain,
Communion of Thy flesh and blood,
Sure instrument Thy grace to gain,
Type of the heavenly marriage feast,
Pledge of our everlasting rest.
Jesu, Thine own with pity see,
Our helpless unbelief remove,
Empower us to remember Thee,
Give us the faith that works by love,
The faith which Thou hast given increase,
And seal us up in glorious peace.

HYMN CVIII.

[Ah, give us, Saviour, to partake]

Ah, give us, Saviour, to partake
The sufferings which this emblem shows;
Thy flesh our food immortal make,
Thy blood which in this channel flows
In all its benefits impart,
And sanctify our sprinkled heart.

296

For all that joy which now we taste,
Our happy hallow'd souls prepare;
O let us hold the earnest fast,
This pledge that we Thy heaven shall share,
Shall drink it new with Thee above,
The wine of Thy eternal love.

HYMN CIX.

[Lord, Thou know'st my simpleness]

Lord, Thou know'st my simpleness,
All my groans are heard by Thee;
See me hungering after grace,
Gasping at Thy table, see
One who would in Thee believe,
Would with joy the crumbs receive.
Look as when Thy closing eye
Saw the thief beside Thy cross;
Thou art now gone up on high,
Undertake my desperate cause,
In Thy heavenly kingdom Thou
Be the Friend of sinners now.
Saviour, Prince, enthroned above,
Send a peaceful answer down,
Let the bowels of Thy love
Echo to a sinner's groan,
One who feebly thinks of Thee;
Thou for good remember me.

297

HYMN CX.

[Jesu, on Thee we feed]

Jesu, on Thee we feed
Along the desert way,
Thou art the living Bread
Which doth our spirits stay,
And all who in this banquet join
Lean on the staff of life Divine.
While to Thy upper courts
We take our joyful flight,
Thy blessed cross supports
Each feeble Israelite;
Like hoary dying Jacob, we
Lean on our staff and worship Thee.
O may we still abide
In Thee our pardoning God,
Thy Spirit be our guide,
Thy body be our food,
Till Thou who hast the token given
Shalt bear us on Thyself to heaven.

HYMN CXI.

[And can we call to mind]

And can we call to mind
The Lamb for sinners slain,
And not expect to find
What He for us did gain,
What God to us in Him hath given,
Pardon and holiness and heaven?
We now forgiveness have,
We feel His work begun,
And He shall fully save
And perfect us in one,

298

Shall soon in all His image drest
Receive us to the marriage feast.
This token of Thy love
We thankfully receive,
And hence with joy remove
With Thee in heaven to live;
There, Lord, we shall Thy pledge restore,
And live to praise Thee evermore.

HYMN CXII.

[Eternal Spirit, gone up on high]

Eternal Spirit, gone up on high
Blessings for mortals to receive,
Send down those blessings from the sky,
To us Thy gifts and graces give;
With holy things our mouths are fill'd,
O let our hearts with joy o'erflow;
Descend in pardoning love reveal'd,
And meet us in Thy courts below.
Thy sacrifice without the gate
Once offer'd up we call to mind,
And humbly at Thy altar wait
Our interest in Thy death to find;
We thirst to drink Thy precious blood,
We languish Thy wounds to rest,
And hunger for immortal food,
And long on all Thy love to feast.
O that we now Thy flesh may eat,
Its virtues really receive;
Empower'd by this immortal meat
The life of holiness to live:

299

Partakers of Thy sacrifice,
O may we all Thy nature share,
Till to the holiest place we rise
And keep the feast for ever there.

HYMN CXIII.

[Give us, O Lord, the children's bread]

Give us, O Lord, the children's bread,
By ministerial angels fed,
(The angels of Thy church below,)
Nourish us with preserving grace
Our forty years or forty days,
And lead us through the vale of woe.
Strengthen'd by this immortal food,
O let us reach the mount of God,
And face to face our Saviour see;
In songs of praise, and love, and joy,
With all thy first-born sons employ
A happy whole eternity.

HYMN CXIV.

[See there the quickening Cause of all]

See there the quickening Cause of all
Who live the life of grace beneath!
God caused on Him the sleep to fall,
And lo, His eyes are closed in death!
He sleeps; and from His open side
The mingled blood and water flow;
They both give being to His bride,
And wash His church as white as snow.

300

True principles of life Divine,
Issues from these the second Eve,
Mother of all the faithful line,
Of all that by His passion live.
O what a miracle of love
Hath He, our heavenly Adam, show'd!
Jesus forsook His throne above,
That we might all be born of God.
'Twas not a useless rib He lost,
His heart's last drop of blood He gave;
His life, His precious life it cost
Our dearly ransom'd souls to save.
And will He not His purchase take,
Who died to make us all His own,
One spirit with Himself to make,
Flesh of His flesh, bone of His bone?
He will, our hearts reply He will:
He hath even here a token given,
And bids us meet Him on the hill,
And keep the marriage feast in heaven.

HYMN CXV.

[O glorious instrument Divine]

O glorious instrument Divine,
Which blessings to our souls conveys,
Brings with the hallow'd bread and wine
His strengthening and refreshing grace,
Presents His bleeding sacrifice,
His all-reviving death applies!
Glory to God who reigns above,
But suffer'd once for man below!

301

With joy we celebrate His love,
And thus His precious passion show,
Till in the clouds our Lord we see,
And shout with all His saints—'Tis He!