 | Songs in the House of Pilgrimage |  |
“Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.”
Psal. CXIX. 54.
1.
[Come ye yourselves apart and rest awhile]
“He ordained twelve, that they should be with Him, and that He might send them forth to preach.
“When they were alone, He expounded all things to His disciples.
“And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told Him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.”
Mark iii. 14; iv. 34; vi. 30, 31.1
Come ye yourselves apart and rest awhile,Weary, I know it, of the press and throng,
Wipe from your brow the sweat and dust of toil,
And in My quiet strength again be strong.
2
Come ye aside from all the world holds dearFor converse which the world has never known,
Alone with Me and with My Father here,
With Me and with My Father not alone.
3
Come, tell me all that ye have said and done,Your victories and failures, hopes and fears.
I know how hardly souls are wooed and won:
My choicest wreaths are always wet with tears.
4
Come ye and rest: the journey is too great,And ye will faint beside the way and sink:
The bread of life is here for you to eat,
And here for you the wine of love to drink.
5
Then, fresh from converse with your Lord, returnAnd work till daylight softens into even:
The brief hours are not lost in which ye learn
More of your Master and His rest in heaven.
2. Litany to the Eternal Father.
“Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again
to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption,
whereby we cry, Abba, Father.”
—Rom. viii. 15.
1
Uncreated Fount of light,Glory without shade of night,
Everlasting, infinite,
Holy Father, hear us.
2
Well of life that ever flows,Life more pure than stainless snows,
Life in calm serene repose,
Holy Father, hear us.
3
Blessed One, whose name is love,Pleads with Thee Thy Son above;
Broods o'er us Thy hovering Dove;
Holy Father, hear us.
4
Round about Thy sapphire throne,Shines the rainbow's emerald zone,
Breathing heavenly peace alone:
Holy Father, hear us.
5
There before Thy mercy seatSaints in light and angels meet;
Yet behold us at Thy feet:
Holy Father, hear us.
6
Thou, whose deep compassions yearnFor the prodigal's return,
And his far-off steps discern,
Holy Father, hear us.
7
Aching hearts that long for rest,Wilder'd souls by doubt oppress'd,
Babes that crave a parent's breast,—
Holy Father, hear us.
8
All have some great gift to seek,Hungred, thirsty, weary, weak;
All have wants no words can speak,
Holy Father, hear us.
9
Is not Thy paternal boardWith all royal bounties stored,
Priceless, countless, unexplored?
Holy Father, hear us.
10
Thou who sparedst not Thy Son,Him Thine own, Thine only One,
Till Thy work by Him was done,
Holy Father, hear us.
11
Thou in all His sorrows nigh,Thou, who heardest His last cry,
Thou, who sufferedst Him to die,
Holy Father, hear us.
12
Thou, omnipotent to saveFrom destruction's whelming wave,
Death and hell and vanquish'd grave,
Holy Father, hear us.
13
Thou, at whose right hand once more,He is now, His conflict o'er,
Throned where He was throned before,
Holy Father, hear us.
14
Thou, who crownest Him with grace,Foldest Him to Thine embrace,
Him the brightness of Thy face,
Holy Father, hear us.
15
All the richest gifts of heaven,Sevenfold from the Spirits Seven,
Measureless to Him are given:
Holy Father, hear us.
16
At His word Thy Spirit cameCrowns of light and tongues of flame:
Oh for our Redeemer's name,
Holy Father, hear us.
17
Grant us in this holy hourFrom His Bride's exhaustless dower
Light and life and peace and power:
Holy Father, hear us.
18
Hear our cry, our voiceless needs:Hear, in us Thy Spirit pleads:
Hear, for Jesus intercedes:
Holy Father, hear us.
Amen.
3.
[Come, weary souls, with toil and guilt oppress'd]
“The four comfortable words in the Communion Service.”
Matt. xi. 28; John iii. 16; 1 Tim. i. 15; 1 John ii. 1.
Come, weary souls, with toil and guilt oppress'd,
Come unto me and I will give you rest.
Come unto me and I will give you rest.
Come; God so loved the world He freely gave
His own, His only Son the world to save.
His own, His only Son the world to save.
Come; for I came from heaven at priceless cost
To seek the wanderer and redeem the lost.
To seek the wanderer and redeem the lost.
Come then with all your sorrows sins and needs
To Me, whose lifeblood with your Father pleads.
To Me, whose lifeblood with your Father pleads.
4.
[From the courier star that led]
“Lovest thou me?” “Lord, Thou knowest all things: Thou knowest that I love Thee?”
—John xxi. 15–17.
1
From the courier star that ledSages to the manger bed;
From the God incarnate press'd
To the mother-maiden's breast;
Day by day at Joseph's side;
From the sacred lessons learn'd
When the lamp of evening burn'd,—
Steals the voice persuasively
“Lovest thou, yea lovest Me?”
2
From the Holy Dove who cameThrough the azure heavens like flame;
From the fast, the foughten strife;
From the victory of life;
From the happy homes that smiled,
Parent heal'd and rescued child;
From the health that play'd again
On the cheek long worn with pain,—
Still there sounds unweariedly
“Lovest thou, yea lovest Me?”
3
From the mingled glow and gloomOf the Paschal upper room;
From the deepening shades that fell
Over Kedron's awful dell;
From the blood-stain'd pathway trod
By the fainting Son of God;
From the woes to us unknown,
Bitter cross, and sealèd stone,—
Ever comes persistently
“Lovest thou, yea lovest Me?”
4
From the dawn of Easter lightBreaking on the world's long night;
From the glories lingering yet
On the brow of Olivet;
From the rapturous angel-songs;
From the Pentecostal tongues;
From the voice divinely sweet
At the golden mercy-seat,—
Pleads, and pleads victoriously,
“Lovest thou, yea lovest Me?”
5
“Lord, Thou knowest through and throughAll I am and say and do,
All the daily wants that press,
All my hourly waywardness,
All my conflicts, crosses, cares,
Feeble praises, struggling prayers;—
Yet Thou knowest, Lord, that I
Fain for Thee would live, would die;
Surely Thou, who knowest me,
Knowest, Master, I love Thee.”
5.
[Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?—]
“Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is
stayed on Thee, because he trusteth in Thee.”
Isai. xxvi. 3.
Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?—
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.
Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties press'd?—
To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.
To do the will of Jesus, this is rest.
Peace, perfect peace, with sorrows surging round?—
On Jesus' bosom nought but calm is found.
On Jesus' bosom nought but calm is found.
Peace, perfect peace, with loved ones far away?—
In Jesus' keeping we are safe and they.
In Jesus' keeping we are safe and they.
Peace, perfect peace, our future all unknown?—
Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.
Jesus we know, and He is on the throne.
Peace, perfect peace, death shadowing us and ours?—
Jesus has vanquish'd death and all its powers.
Jesus has vanquish'd death and all its powers.
It is enough: earth's struggles soon shall cease,
And Jesus call us to heaven's perfect peace.
And Jesus call us to heaven's perfect peace.
| Songs in the House of Pilgrimage | |