1 For all Thy saints, O G.o.d, Who strove in Christ to live, Who followed him, obeyed, adored, Our grateful hymn receive.
2 For all Thy saints, O G.o.d, Accept our thankful cry, Who counted Christ their great reward, And yearned for him to die.
3 They all, in life and death, With him, their Lord, in view, Learned from Thy holy spirit"s breath To suffer and to do.
4 For this Thy name we bless, And humbly pray that we May follow them in holiness, And live and die in Thee.
168. S. M. Anonymous.
The Word of G.o.d.
1 G.o.d of the prophets" power!
G.o.d of the gospel"s sound!
Move glorious on,--send out Thy voice To all the nations round.
2 With hearts and lips unfeigned, We bless Thee for Thy word; We praise Thee for the joyful news Of our ascended Lord.
3 O, may we treasure well The counsels that we hear, Till righteousness and solemn joy In all our hearts appear.
4 Water the sacred seed, And give it large increase; May neither fowls, nor rocks, nor thorns, Prevent the fruits of peace.
5 And though we sow in tears, Our souls at last shall come, And gather in our sheaves with joy, At heaven"s great harvest-home.
169. H. M. Doddridge.
The Gospel.
1 Mark the soft falling snow And the diffusive rain!
To heaven, from whence it fell, It turns not back again; Till, watering earth Through every pore, It calls forth all Her secret store.
2 Arrayed in beauteous green, The hills and valleys shine, And man and beast are fed By providence divine: The harvest bows Its golden ears, The copious seed Of future years.
3 "So," saith the G.o.d of grace, "My gospel shall descend, Almighty to effect The purpose I intend; Millions of souls Shall feel its power, And bear it down To millions more."
170. S. M. Moore.
Christianity.
1 Behold the sun, how bright From yonder east he springs, As if the soul of life and light Were breathing from his wings.
2 So bright the gospel broke Upon the souls of men; So fresh the dreaming world awoke In truth"s full radiance then.
3 Before yon sun arose, Stars cl.u.s.tered through the sky; But, O, how dim, how pale, were those, To his one burning eye!
4 So truth lent many a ray, To bless the Pagan"s night; But, Lord, how faint, how cold, were they, To Thy one glorious light!
171. L. M. Emily Taylor.
Thy Kingdom Come!
1 "Thy kingdom come!" The heathen lands, In error sunk, Thy presence crave; And victims bound by tyrant hands Implore Thee, Father, come and save!
2 "Thy kingdom come!" Each troubled mind In doubt and darkness calls for Thee; For Thou hast eyes to give the blind, And strength to set the captive free.
3 Thy reign of peace and love begin!
Too oft the Christian"s sacred name Is stained by wrath and shamed by sin; O, come, a.s.sert the gospel"s claim!
4 O, never in that righteous cause Our hearts be slow, our voices dumb; Upon the glorious theme we pause, And fervent pray, "Thy kingdom come!"
172. C. M. Gaskell.
Thy Kingdom Come!
1 O G.o.d! the darkness roll away Which clouds the human soul, And let the bright, the perfect day, Speed onward to its goal.
2 Let every hateful pa.s.sion die, Which makes of brethren foes; And war no longer raise its cry, To mar the world"s repose.
3 Let faith, and hope, and charity, Go forth through all the earth; And man, in heavenly bearing, be True to his heavenly birth.
4 Yea, let Thy glorious kingdom come Of holiness and love, And make this world a portal meet For Thy bright courts above.
173. S. M. *H. Martineau.
The Coming of Christ in Power.