Before Reading the Scriptures.
YOME, Holy Ghost, our hearts inspire,
Let us thine influence prove,
Source of the old prophetic fire,
Fountain of light and love.
2 Come, Holy Ghost, (for moved by thee
The prophets wrote and spoke)
Unlock the truth, thyself the key,
Unseal the sacred book.
3 Expand thy wings, celestial Dove,
Brood o'er our nature's night;
On our disordered spirits move,
And let there now be light.
4 God, through himself, we then shall know, If thou within us shine,
And sound, with all thy saints below,
The depths of love divine.
FATHER of all, in whom alone
We live, and move, and breathe,
One bright celestial ray dart down,
And cheer thy sons beneath.
2 While in thy word we search for thee,
(We search with trembling awe!)
Open our eyes, and let us see
The wonders of thy law.
3 Now let our darkness comprehend
The light that shines so clear;
Now the revealing Spirit send,
And give us ears to hear.
4 Before us make thy goodness pass,
Which here by faith we know;
Let us in Jesus see thy face,
And die to all below.
INSPIRER of the ancient seers,
Who wrote from thee the sacred page,
The same through all succeeding years,
To us, in our degenerate age,
The spirit of thy word impart,
And breathe the life into our heart.
2 While now thine oracles we read,
With earnest prayer and strong desire,
O let thy Spirit from thee proceed,
Our souls to awaken and inspire,
Our weakness help, our darkness chase,
And guide us by the light of grace!
3 Whene'er in error's paths we rove,
The living God through sin forsake,
Our conscience by thy word reprove,
Convince and bring the wanderers back,
Deep wounded by thy Spirit's sword,
And then by Gilead's balm restored.
4 The sacred lessons of thy grace
Transmitted through thy word, repeat,
And train us up in all thy ways,
To make us in thy will complete;
Fulfil thy love's redeeming plan,
And bring us to a perfect man.
5 Furnished out of thy treasury,
O may we always ready stand
To help the souls redeemed by thee,
In what their various states demand;
To teach, convince, correct, reprove,
And build them up in holiest love!
YOME, O thou Prophet of the Lord,
Thou great Interpreter divine,
Explain thine own transmitted word,
To teach and to inspire is thine;
Thou only canst thyself reveal,
Open the book, and loose the seal.
2 Whate'er the ancient prophets spoke
Concerning thee, O Christ, make known;
Chief subject of the sacred book,
Thou fillest all, and thou alone;
Yet there our Lord we cannot see,
Unless thy Spirit lend the key.
3 Now, Jesus, now the veil remove,
The folly of our darkened heart;
Unfold the wonders of thy love,
The knowledge of thyself impart;
Our ear, our inmost soul, we bow,
Speak, Lord, thy servants hearken now.
DESCRIBING FORMAL RELIGION.
ONG have I seemed to serve thee, Lord,
With unavailing pain;
Fasted, and prayed, and read thy word,
And heard it preached in vain.
2 Oft did I with the assembly join,
And near thine altar drew;
A form of godliness was mine,
The power
I never knew.
3 I rested in the outward law,
Nor knew its deep design;
The length and breadth I never saw,
And height, of love divine.
4 To please thee thus, at length I see,
Vainly I hoped and strove;
For what are outward things to thee,
Unless they spring from love?
5 I see the perfect law requires
Truth in the inward parts,
Our full consent, our whole desires,
Our undivided hearts.
6 But I of means have made my boast,
Of means an idol made;
The spirit in the letter lost,
The substance in the shade.
7 Where am I now, or what my hope? What can my weakness do? Jesus, to thee my soul looks up, "Tis thou must make it new.
TILL for thy loving-kindness, Lord,
I in thy temple wait;
I look to find thee in thy word,
Or at thy table meet.
2 Here, in thine own appointed ways,
I wait to learn thy will;
Silent I stand before thy face,
And hear thee say, "Be still!"
3"Be still! and know that I am God!". "Tis all I live to know;
To feel the virtue of thy blood,
And spread its praise below.
4 I wait my vigour to renew,
Thine image to retrieve,
The veil of outward things pass through,
And gasp in thee to live.
5 I work, and own the labour vain,
And thus from works I cease;
I strive, and see my fruitless pain,
Till God create my peace.
6 Fruitless, till thou thyself impart,
Must all my efforts prove;
They cannot change a sinful heart;
They cannot purchase love.
7 I do the thing thy laws enjoin,
And then the strife give o'er;
To thee I then the whole resign,
I trust in means no more.
8 I trust in him who stands between
The Father's wrath and me;
Jesu, thou great eternal Mean,
I look for all from thee.
1 MY gracious, loving Lord,
To thee what shall I say?
Well may I tremble at thy word,
And scarce presume to pray!
Ten thousand wants have I;
Alas! I all things want;
And thou hast bid me always cry,
And never, never faint.
2 Yet, Lord, well might I fear,
Fear even to ask thy grace;
So oft have I, alas! drawn near,
And mocked thee to thy face:
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