Let ev'ry heart prepare a throne,
And ev'ry voice a song.
2 On him the Spirit, largely pour'd,
Descends as sacred fire;
Wisdom and might, and zeal and love,
His holy breast inspire.
3 He comes the pris'ners to release,
In Satan's bondage held;
The gates of brass before him burst,
The iron fetters yield.
4 He comes, from thickest films of vice,
To clear the inward sight;
And on the eye-balls of the blind
pour celestial light.
5 He comes the broken heart to bind,
The wounded soul to cure;
And, with the treasures of his grace,
T'enrich the humble poor.
6 Our glad hosannas, Prince of peace,
Thy welcome shall proclaim;
And heav'n's eternal arches ring,
With thy beloved name.
C. M. The love of God in the Saviour's mission. John iii. 16.
1 COME, happy souls, approach your God,
With new melodious songs;
Come, render to almighty grace
The tribute of your tongues.
2 So strange, so boundless was the love
That pitied dying men,
The Father sent his only Son
To give them life again.
3 Thy hands, Redeemer! were not arm'd
With a revenging rod,
No hard commission to perform
The vengeance of our God;
4 But all was mercy, all was mild,
And wrath forsook the throne,
When Christ on the kind errand came,
And brought salvation down.
5 Here, sinners, you may heal your wounds,
And wipe your sorrows dry;
Trust in the mighty Saviour's name,
And you shall never die.
C. M. Christ's mission for man's salvation. 1 Tim. i. 15.
1 PLUNG'D in a gulph of dark despair
We wretched sinners lay,
Without one cheerful beam of hope,
Or spark of glimmʼring day.
2 With pitying eyes, the Prince of grace
Beheld our helpless grief,
He saw, and (O amazing love!)
He came to our relief.
3 Down from the shining seats above
On wings of love he fled,
Enter'd the grave in mortal flesh,
And dwelt among the dead,
4 O for this love, let rocks and hills
Their lasting silence break,
And all harmonious human tongues
The Saviour's praises speak.
5 Angels, assist our mighty joys,
Strike all your harps of gold;
But when you raise your highest notes
His love can ne'er be told.
SECTION SECOND-HIS SUFFERINGS AND DEATH.
L. M. The Saviour's agony.
1 COME all ye chosen saints of God,
The purchase of redeeming blood,
With pensive pleasure now survey,
The scenes of sad Gethsemane.
2 'Twas here the Lord of life appear'd,
And sigh'd, and groan'd, and pray'd, and fear'd;
Was e'er such suff'ring seen before?
What anguish could be added more!
3 Despatch'd from heav'n an angel stood,
Amaz'd to find him bath'd in blood;
Ador'd by angels and obey'd,
Now lower than the angels made !
4 Three favour'd servants, left afar,
Were bid to wait, and watch the war:
But, Christ withdrawn, what watch they keep!
They shun the sight-they sink in sleep.
5 He look'd for help, and there was none;
Our Captain kept the field alone:
Soon as the Chief to battle led,
That moment ev'ry soldier fled.
6 Mysterious conflict! dark disguise!
Conceal'd from unbelieving eyes!
Angels astonish'd view'd the scene,
Gaz'd and admir'd what this might mean.
7 Eden provided man with food,
While innocent, and all was good;
But banish'd thence we fly to thee,
O garden of Gethsemane.
8.8.7. The sufferings and death of Christ. Isaiah liii.
1 WHO hath our report believed?
Shiloh come is not received,
Not received by his own:
Promis'd Branch from root of Jesse,
David's offspring sent to bless you,
Comes too lowly to be known.
2 Tell us, O thou favour'd nation,
What is thy fond expectation?
Some fair spreading lofty tree?
Let not worldly pride confound thee;
'Mong the lowly plants around thee,
Mark the lowest,-that is He.
3 Like a tender plant that's growing
Where no waters kindly flowing,
No kind rains refresh the ground:
Drooping, dying, ye shall view him,
See no charms that draw you to him;
There no beauty will be found.
4 Lo! Messiah unrespected,
Man of griefs, despis'd, rejected,
Wounds his form disfiguring :
Marr'd his visage more than any,
For he bears the sins of many,
All our sorrows carrying.
5 No deceit his mouth hath spoken,
Blameless, he no law hath broken,
Yet was number'd with the worst:
Why?-because the Lord would grieve him,
Ye who saw it did believe him
For his own offences curs'd!
6 But while him our thoughts accused,
He for us alone was bruised,
Yea, for us the victim bled!
With his stripes our wounds are cured,
By his pains our peace secured,
Purchas'd with the blood he shed.
7 Love amazing, so to mind us;
Jesus came from heav'n to find us,
Wand'ring sheep all gone astray;
Lost, undone by our transgressions,
Worse than stripp'd of all possessions,
Debtors without hope to pay.
8 Death our portion; slaves in spirit ;
He redeem'd us by his merit,
To a glorious liberty.
Dearly first his goodness bought us,
Truth and love then sweetly taught us,
Truth and love have made us free.
9 Glory be to Him who gave us,
Freely gave his Son to save us;
Glory to the Son who came !
Honour, blessing, adoration,
Ever from the whole creation,
Be to God, and to the Lamb.
L. M. Behold the man!" John xix, 5.
1 BEHOLD the man!"-how glorious he!
Before his foes he stands unaw'd,
And without wrong or blasphemy,
He claims equality with God.
2 "Behold the man !"-by all condemn'd,
Assaulted by a host of foes;
His person and his claims contemn'd,
A man of suff'ring and of woes.
3 'Behold the man!"-though scorn'd below,
He bears the greatest name above;
Archangels at his foot-stool bow,
And all his royal claims approve.
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