4 While I draw this fleeting breath;
When my eyelids close in death;

When I soar through tracts unknown,
See Thee on Thy judgment throne;
Rock of ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in Thee!

*Augustus Montague Toplady, 1740-1778.

3

OT all the blood of beasts
On Jewish altars slain

249

Could give the guilty conscience peace,
Or wash away the stain;

2 But CHRIST the heavenly LAMB
Takes all our sins away,

A Sacrifice of nobler name
And richer blood than they.
My faith would lay her hand
On that dear head of Thine,
While like a penitent I stand,

And there confess my sin.

4 My soul looks back to see

5

The burdens Thou didst bear When hanging on the cursèd tree, And hopes her guilt was there.

Believing, we rejoice

To see the curse remove;

We bless the LAMB with cheerful voice,

And sing His bleeding love.

*Isaac Watts,

1674-1748.

250

I

J

ESUS! Thy robe of righteousness

My beauty is, my glorious dress;
'Midst flaming worlds in this arrayed
With joy shall I lift up my head.

L.M.

From the German of Paul Eber, 1511-1569.

2 When from the dust of death I rise
To take my mansion in the skies,

E'en then shall this be all my plea,—
JESUS hath lived and died for me.

3 Bold shall I stand in that great day,
For who aught to my charge shall lay,
Since through Thy death absolved I am,
From sin's tremendous curse and shame?

4 This spotless robe the same appears
When ruined nature sinks in years,
No age can change its glorious hue,
The robe of CHRIST is ever new.

5 O let the dead now hear Thy voice!
Bid, LORD! Thy banished ones rejoice;
Their beauty this, their glorious dress,
JESUS, the LORD our Righteousness.

From the German of Nicholas Louis Zinzendorf, 1700-1760.

Rendered by John Wesley,
[1740].

L.M.

251

I ESUS, Thou Joy of loving hearts!

of

Thou Fount of life, Thou Light of men!
From the best bliss that earth imparts
We turn unfilled to Thee again.

2 Thy truth unchanged hath ever stood;
Thou savest those that on Thee call;
To them that seek Thee Thou art good;
To them that find Thee all in all!

3 We taste Thee, O Thou living Bread,
And long to feast upon Thee still;
We drink of Thee, the Fountain-head,
And thirst our souls from Thee to fill.
4 Our restless spirits yearn for Thee,

Where'er our changeful lot is cast; Glad when Thy gracious smile we see, Blessed when our faith can hold Thee fast.

5 O JESUS, ever with us stay;

Make all our moments calm and bright; Chase the dark night of sin away; Shed o'er the world Thy holy light!

Rendered from the Latin of
Bernard of Clairvaux,

1091-1153,

by Ray Palmer,
[1865].

C.M.

I

252

HOW

OW sweet the name of JESUS sounds
In a believer's ear!

It soothes his sorrows, heals his wounds,
And drives away his fear.

2 It makes the wounded spirit whole,
And calms the troubled breast,
'Tis manna to the hungry soul,
And to the weary rest.

3 Dear name! the rock on which I build,
My shield and hiding place,
My never-failing treasury filled
With boundless stores of grace!

4 JESUS! my Shepherd, Brother, Friend,
My Prophet, Priest, and King,
My Lord, my Life, my Way, my End,
Accept the praise I bring!

5 Weak is the effort of my heart
And cold my warmest thought,
But when I see Thee as Thou art
I'll praise Thee as I ought:

6 Till then I would Thy love proclaim
With every fleeting breath;

And may the music of Thy name
Refresh my soul in death!

*John Newton,

1725-1807.

253

I

L°

ORD! I was blind, I could not see
In Thy marred visage any grace;
But now the beauty of Thy face
In radiant vision dawns on me!

L.M.

2 LORD! I was deaf, I could not hear
The thrilling music of Thy voice;
But now I hear Thee and rejoice,
And sweet are all Thy words, and dear!

3 LORD! I was dumb, I could not speak
The grace and glory of Thy name;
But now, as touched with living flame,
My lips Thine eager praises wake!

4 LORD! I was dead, I could not stir
My lifeless soul to come to Thee;
But now since Thou hast quickened me
I rise from sin's dark sepulchre !

5 For Thou hast made the blind to see,
The deaf to hear, the dumb to speak,
The dead to live; and lo, I break
The chains of my captivity!

C.M.

William Tidd Matson, [1866].

254

I

JE

ESUS! the very thought of Thee
With sweetness fills my breast,

But sweeter far Thy face to see,
And in Thy presence rest.

2 Nor voice can sing, nor heart can frame,
Nor can the memory find,

A sweeter sound than Thy blessed name,
O Saviour of mankind!