Ditty

“ No sin shall clog our winged zeal,
Or cool our burning love.
4 There shall we sit, and sing, and tell
The wonders of his grace,
Till heavenly raptures fire our hearts,
And smile in every face.
5 For ever his dear sacred Name
Shall dwell upon our tongue,
And Jesus and salvation be
The close of every song.
Hymn 2:87.
The divine glories above our reason.
1 How wond'rous great, how glorious bright
Must our Creator be,
Who dwells amidst the dazzling light
Of vast infinity! ”

“ With every sweet, every charming word of sympathy, every holy whisper received into the soul through the portal of the ear, we adore Thee. Aye, with every other sense in us we strike up a universal chorus, a song celestial of praise and a Hymn heavenly of glory unto Thee! ”

“ Unless the Gods bestowed a proper Muse?
Verse cheers their leisure, verse assists their work,
Verse prays for peace, or sings down Pope and Turk,
The silenced preacher yields to potent strain,
And feels that grace his prayer besought in vain;
The blessing thrills through all the labouring throng,
And Heaven is won by violence of song. ”

“ Lift the song that heaven rejoices,
Song to Bethlehem glory bringing:
Where the swathing-clothes enfold him,
King of angels, there behold him:
Come, with thoughts to heaven upsoaring;
Come, with lowly knees adoring ”

“ Firm be the fellies of your wheels, steady your horses and your cars, And may your reins be fashioned well. 13. Invite thou hither with this song, for praise, Agni the Lord of Prayer, Him who is fair as Mitra is. 14. Form in thy mouth the hymn of praise expand thee like, a rainy cloud Sing forth the measured eulogy. ”

“ He reads, he weeps, his prayers arise
To Him who hears a sinner's cries.
Sounds soft as music seem to roll,
Strong light is kindled in his soul,
While deep repentance, earnest prayer,
And grateful love are rising there ”

“ You do not doubt that he is deserving of praise for the elegance of his song; whence it happens that there is a religious poem of his written on the Passion of Our Lord,—a poem of such brilliancy, such sweetness, such ornateness, that one could believe it to be the work of the divine, rather than of a human, mind. ”

“ Yet with the bounties of thy grace
Thou load'st the rolling year.
5 'Tis sovereign mercy finds us food,
And we are cloth d with love;
While grace stands pointing out the road
That leads our souls above.
6 His goodness runs an endless round;
All glory to the Lord:
His mercy never knows a bound,
And be his Name ador'd!
7 Thus we begin the lasting song,
And when we close our eyes,
Let the next age thy praise prolong
Till time and nature dies. ”

“ My heart and my lips' diction;
To pious battles Thou hast sent
My songs with benediction.
My forehead is from sadness freed,
Fears are a thing I scoff at,
My soul is filled with dawning light—
And I am love’s great prophet. ”

“ And smile upon this world of wrong,
Bear on each trembling chord of light
The notes of this sweet, sacred song;
“Thou, Lord, didst make all things that move;
All are the creatures of thy love.”
4 Then help my poor, unworthy heart
To join aloud in nature’s praise;
And may my song, in every part,
Proclaim the wonders of thy ways;
And when I reach the heavenly plains,
I’ll sing thy love in nobler strains.
W. T. Moore.
35 C. M.
Lord, thou hast searched me, etc.
Psalm 139:1.
Lord, all I am is known to thee;
In vain my soul would try
To shun thy presence, or to flee
The notice of thine eye. ”

“ An evening hymn I raise.
I take the attitude of prayer,
But not for gifts to plead;
Thy bounty, far beyond desert,
Has more than met my need;
So, well content, I worship Thee
In thought and word and deed.
Thou bidst me ask, if I'd receive,
And seek, if I would find;
But surely Thou wilt not condemn
A heart to trust inclined.
Give what is best; Thou knowest all.
How blest the quiet mind!
I praise thee that in all the hours
And moments, as they glide,
Thy providence enfoldeth close;
Thy blessings rich abide;
And Thou dost keep in perfect peace
Those who in thee confide. ”

“ In hastening to Thy Passion,
⁠They rais'd their hymns of praise:
In reigning 'midst Thy glory,
⁠Our melody we raise.
Thou didst accept their praises;
⁠Accept the prayers we bring,
Who in all good delightest,
⁠Thou good and gracious King! ”

“ Forever love and praise the Lord.
3As spring the winter, day the night,
Peace sorrow's gloom shall chase away,
And smiling joy, a seraph bright,
Shall tend thy steps and near thee stay;
Whilst glory weaves th' immortal crown,
And waits to claim thee for her own.
270. 7s. M. 8l. Bowring. Invitation.
1Pilgrim, burdened with thy sin,
Come the way to Zion's gate,
There, till mercy speaks within,
Knock, and weep, and watch and wait--
Knock--he knows the sinner's cry,
Weep--he loves the mourner's tears,
Watch--for saving grace is nigh,
Wait--till heavenly grace appears. ”

“ For the weak pinions of our mind
Can stretch a thought no more.]
5 Thy glories infinitely rise
Above our labouring tongue;
In vain the highest seraph tries
To form an equal song.
6 [In humble notes our faith adores
The great mysterious King,
While angels strain their nobler powers,
And sweep th' immortal string.]
Hymn 2:88.
Salvation.
1 Salvation! O, the joyful sound!
'Tis pleasure to our ears;
A sovereign balm for every wound,
A cordial for our fears.
2 Buried in sorrow and in sin,
At hell's dark door we lay,
But we arise by grace divine
To see a heavenly day.
3 Salvation! ”

“ And as the voice advanced pronouncing the great love-song, human and sensuous, here, in the sacred books of this religion, the spirit of the man idled, curious, before the actual physical mystery that inspired these vivid extravagancies. ”

“ They shall sing for joy in their deliverance. When the mirth of carnal worldlings ceases the joy of the saints is as lively as ever; when the merry-hearted do sigh because the vine languishes the upright-hearted do sing because the covenant of grace, the fountain of their comforts and the foundation of their hopes, never fails. Those that rejoice in the Lord can rejoice in tribulation, and by faith may be in triumphs when all about them are in tears. 2. They shall sing to the glory and praise of God, shall sing not only for the mercy but for the majesty of the Lord. ”

“ Tell all the beams of your divinity;
Which praise to you and joy should be to me,
You living by my verse, I by your sight;
I by your sight, and not you by my verse,
Need mortal skill immortal praise rehearse?
No, no, though eyes were blind, and verse were dumb,
Your beauty should be seen and your fame known;
For by the wind which from my sighs do come,
Your praises round about the world are blown. ”

“ The powers of darkness fear
When this sweet chant they hear,
⁠'May Jesus Christ be praised!'
To God, the Word, on high,
The host of angels cry,
⁠'May Jesus Christ be praised!'
Let mortals, too, upraise
Their voice in hymns of praise ”

“ But already the Lord, in His surpassing pity, has inspired the song of salvation, sounding like a battle march, “Sons of men, how long will ye be slow of heart? Why do you love vanity, and seek after a lie?” ”

“ As a tear corresponds to sorrow, as laughter is the effect of joy, of material forms and living beings is the embodiment of the Divine love and wisdom, corresponds to them, represents them, and expresses them in a natural and perfect language: In the sublime and scientific words of the Psalmist : "The heavens declare, the glory of God and the firmament showeth His handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard." ”

“ It would suffice my prayer
But just for one to stipulate,
And grace would grant the pair.
And so, upon this wise I prayed,—
Great Spirit, give to me
A heaven not so large as yours,
But large enough for me. ”

“ The holy hymn and the din of battle—the mad curse of the drunken revel—the silvery laugh of pleasure—the soothing words of woman—and the flattering homage of man have alike failed to silence the bitter, ringing reproach of conscience. ”

“ We lift our hearts and voices
With blest anticipation,
And cry aloud, and give to God
The praise of our salvation.
While in affliction’s furnace,
And passing through the fire,
Thy love we praise, which knows our days,
And ever brings us nigher.
We clap our hands exulting
In Thine almighty favor;
The love divine which made us Thine
Shall keep us Thine for ever. ”

“ My clayey best with sullen servile breath,
Made then your happy freedman by testating death.
My song I do but hold for you in trust,
I ask you but to blossom from my dust.
When you have compassed all weak I began,
Diviner poet, and ah! diviner man—
The man at feud with the perduring child
In you before song’s altar nobly reconciled—
From the wise heavens I half shall smile to see
How little a world, which owned you, needed me. ”

“ When you sing, O soul, remember that you are as truly communing with the holy and omnipresent God as when you are praying. Consider that you are standing in spirit before the throne of God with countless thousands of angels and spirits of the just and that you are blending your weak praises with the music of heaven. Serve the Lord with fear, and rejoice with trembling. ”

“ And fancy that we wear a sorrow's yoke,
Even at the moment of our consecration.
Pure daisy-child! Whatever be the form
Of dream or doctrine,—or of unbelieving,—
A hand may touch our heads, amid the storm
Of grief and doubt, to bless beyond bereaving;
A voice may sound, in measured, holy rite
Of speech we know not, tho' its earnest meaning
Be clear as dew, and sure as starry light
Gathered from some far-off celestial gleaning. ”

“ You cannot hear the melody of ethereal harps, attuned to unending praise. But they in whose hearts early piety was implanted by your prayers, who learned from your lips to warble the sacred hymn at eve, swell that exulting strain. ”

“ Think how all-seeing God thy ways,
And all thy secret Thoughts surveys.
Influenc'd by the Light Divine,
Let thy own Light in good Works shine:
Reflect all Heaven's propitious ways,
In ardent Love, and chearful Praise. ”

“ And passed, through ordeal flames, to thy eternity in fire.
There, all make up the concert of Thy praise,
To Thee they sing, and never cease,
Loud Hymns and Hallelujahs of applause;
An angel-laureat does the sense and strains compose,
Sense, far above the reach of mortal verse,
Strains, far above the reach of mortal ears,
And all, a Muse unglorified can fancy or rehearse. ”

“ Yields me a heavenly song.
4 When nature sinks, and spirits droop,
Thy promises of grace
Are pillars to support my hope,
And there I write thy praise.
Watts.
15 C. M.
Wherewithal shall a young man, etc.
Psalm 119:9.
How shall the young secure their hearts,
And guard their lives from sin?
Thy word the choicest rules imparts
To keep the conscience clean.
2 ’Tis like the sun, a heavenly light,
That guides us all the day,
And through the dangers of the night,
A lamp to lead our way.
[13]
3 Thy precepts make us truly wise;
We hate the sinner’s road ”

“ Of never-failing grace,
Behold a dying Saviour's veins
The sacred flood increase:
5 It rises high and drowns the hills,
'T has neither shore nor bound:
Nor if we search to find our sins,
Our sins can ne'er be found.
6 Awake, our hearts, adore the grace
That buries all our faults,
And pardoning blood that swells above
Our follies and our thoughts.
Hymn 2:86.
Freedom from sin and misery in heaven.
1 Our sins, alas, how strong they be! ”

“ Our Maker, Defender,
Redeemer, and Friend.
O measureless might!
Ineffable love!
While angels delight
To hymn Thee above,
The humbler creation,
Tho' feeble their lays,
With true adoration
Shall lisp to Thy praise. ”

“ The splendor of God's glory blinds her eyes, Up without wings she soareth to the skies, With silent aspiration seeks to rise, In dusky evening and in darksome night. To her the wonders of God's works appear, She longs with fervor Him to draw anear, The tidings of His glory reach her ear, From morn to even, and from night to night. ”

“ Sing unto the Lord, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness: For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life; weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning. ”

“ That songs of praise in sweetest tone
We may present before Thy throne.
To nought we've done, or e'er can do,
To Thee—to Thee alone is due
The praise, O fount of love!
We've earned destruction from Thy face,
Thou deal'st with us in love and grace.
Oh! may we meditate Thy grace,
Till heart shall burn and tongue shall praise,
And give angelic zeal,
That every throbbing pulse may be
A note of praise, O Lord! to Thee. ”

“ We thank Thee for not destroying us in our lawlessness. Instead, Thou hast shown Thy usual love for mankind, and raised us, as we lay in despair, to glorify Thy Reign. Therefore, we implore Thy boundless goodness: enlighten our thoughts and eyes, and awaken our minds from the heavy sleep of laziness. Open our lips and fill them with Thy praise, that we may unwaveringly hymn and confess Thee, the God glorified in all and by all, Father without beginning, with Thine only-begotten Son and Thine all-holy, [17] and life-giving Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. ”

“ Every thought of my reason was thine:
In my last humble prayer to the Spirit above,
Thy name shall be mingled with mine!
Oh! blest are the lovers and friends who shall live
The days of thy glory to see ”

“ Lest on virtue's steeps he tire, Joy the tedious path beguiles. High on faith's bright hill before us, See her banner proudly wave! Joy, too, swells the angels' chorus,— Bursts the bondage of the grave! ”