Chapter L: M. 6 l

I’ll praise my Maker whilst I’ve breath;
And when my voice is lost in death,
Praise shall employ my nobler powers.
My days of praise shall ne’er be past
While life and thought and being last
Or immortality endures.

2. Happy the man whose hopes rely
On Israel’s God, who made the sky
And earth and seas with all their train;
His truth forever stands secure;
He saves th’ oppressed, He feeds the poor,
And none shall find His promise vain.

3. The Lord gives eyesight to the blind;
The Lord supports the sinking mind;
He sends the laboring conscience peace;
He helps the stranger in distress,
The widow and the fatherless,
And grants the prisoner sweet release.

4. I’ll praise Him while He lends me breath;
And when my voice is lost in death,
Praise shall employ my nobler powers:
My days of praise shall ne’er be past,
While life and thought and being last
Or immortality endures.

Isaac Watts, 1719, a.

74

C. M.

To God be glory, peace on earth,
To all mankind good will!
We bless, we praise, we worship Thee,
And glorify Thee still.

2. And thanks for Thy great glory give,
That fills our soul with light,
O Lord, our heavenly King, the God
And Father of all might!

3. And Thou, begotten Son of God,
Before all time begun;
O Jesus Christ, Thou Lamb of God,
The Father’s only Son:

4. Have mercy, Thou, that tak’st the sins
Of all the world away!
Have mercy, Savior of mankind,
And hear us when we pray!

5. O Thou, who sitt’st at God’s right hand,
Upon the Father’s throne,
Have mercy on us, Thou, O Christ,
Who art the Holy One!

6. Thou only, with the Holy Ghost,
Whom earth and heaven adore,
In glory of the Father art
Most high forevermore.

Supplement to Tate and Brady, 1700, a.

75

C. M.

Through all the changing scenes of life,
In trouble and in joy,
The praises of my God shall still
My heart and tongue employ.

2. Of His deliverance I will boast
Till all that are distrest
From my example comfort take
And charm their griefs to rest.

3. O magnify the Lord with me,
With me exalt His name!
When in distress on Him I called,
He to my rescue came.

4. The hosts of God encamp around
The dwellings of the just;
Deliverance He affords to all
Who on His succor trust.

5. O make but trial of His love!
Experience will decide
How blest are they, and only they,
Who in His truth confide.

6. Fear Him, ye Christians, you will then
Have nothing else to fear;
Make you His service your delight,
Your wants shall be His care.

Ps. 34. Tate and Brady, 1698, a.

76

S. M.

O bless the Lord, my soul!
Let all within me join
And aid my tongue to bless His name,
Whose favors are divine.

2. O bless the Lord, my soul!
Nor let His mercies lie
Forgotten in unthankfulness
And without praises die.

3. ’Tis He forgives thy sins;
’Tis He relieves thy pain;
’Tis He that heals thy sicknesses
And gives thee strength again.

4. He crowns thy life with love
When ransomed from the grave;
He that redeemed my soul from death
Hath sovereign power to save.

5. He fills the poor with good;
He gives the sufferers rest:
The Lord hath judgments for the proud
And justice for th’ opprest.

6. His wondrous works and ways
He made by Moses known,
But sent the world His truth and grace
By His beloved Son.

Ps. 103. Isaac Watts, 1719, a.

77

S. M.

My soul, repeat His praise,
Whose mercies are so great;
Whose anger is so slow to rise,
So ready to abate.

2. God will not always chide;
And when His wrath is felt,
His strokes are fewer than our crimes
And lighter than our guilt.

3. High as the heavens are raised
Above the ground we tread,
So far the riches of His grace
Our highest thoughts exceed.

4. His grace subdues our sins;
And His forgiving love
Far as the east is from the west
Doth all our guilt remove.

5. The pity of the Lord
To those who fear His name
Is such as tender parents feel;
He knows our feeble frame.

6. Our days are as the grass
Or like the morning flower;
If one sharp blast sweep o’er the field,
It withers in an hour.

7. But Thy compassions, Lord,
To endless years endure;
And children’s children ever find
Thy words of promise sure.

Ps. 103. Isaac Watts, 1719.

78

L. M.

Before Jehovah’s awful throne,
Ye nations, bow with sacred joy;
Know that the Lord is God alone,
He can create and He destroy.

2. His sov’reign power, without our aid,
Made us of clay and formed us men;
And when like wandering sheep we strayed,
He brought us to His fold again.

3. We are His people, we His care,
Our souls and all our mortal frame.
What lasting honors shall we rear,
Almighty Maker, to Thy name?

4. We’ll crowd Thy gates with thankful songs,
High as the heavens our voices raise;
And earth, with her ten thousand tongues,
Shall fill Thy courts with sounding praise.

5. Wide as the world is Thy command,
Vast as eternity Thy love;
Firm as a rock Thy truth must stand
When rolling years shall cease to move.

Isaac Watts, 1719, a.

79

L. M.

From all that dwell below the skies
Let the Creator’s praise arise;
Let the Redeemer’s name be sung
Through every land, by every tongue.

2. Eternal are Thy mercies, Lord;
Eternal truth attends Thy Word;
Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore
Till suns shall rise and set no more.

3. Your lofty themes, ye mortals, bring;
In songs of praise divinely sing;
The great salvation loud proclaim
And shout for joy the Savior’s name.

4. In every land begin the song;
To every land the strains belong;
In cheerful sounds all voices raise
And fill the world with loudest praise.

Isaac Watts, 1719.

80

8, 7, 8, 7, 8, 8, 7

The Lord hath helped me hitherto
By His surpassing favor;
His mercies ev’ry morn were new,
His kindness did not waver.
God hitherto hath been my Guide,
Hath pleasures hitherto supplied,
And hitherto hath helped me.

2. I praise and thank Thee, Lord, my God,
For Thine abundant blessing,
Which heretofore Thou hast bestowed
And I am still possessing.
Inscribe this on my memory:
The Lord hath done great things for me
And graciously hath helped me.

3. Help me in future, God of grace,
Help me on each occasion,
Help me in each and ev’ry place,
Help me through Jesus’ Passion;
Help me in life and death, O God,
Help me through Jesus’ dying blood,
Help me as Thou hast helped me!

Emilia Juliana, Countess of Schwarzburg, † 1706; A. Crull, tr., 1882.

THE REDEEMER.

81

8, 7, 8, 7

Lamb of God, we fall before Thee,
Humbly trusting in Thy cross;
That alone be all our glory,
All things else are only dross.

2. Thee we own a perfect Savior,
Only Source of all that’s good.
Every grace and every favor
Comes to us through Jesus’ blood.

3. Jesus gives us true repentance,
By His Spirit sent from heav’n;
Whispers this transporting sentence,
“Son, thy sins are all forgiv’n.”

4. Faith He grants us to believe it,
Grateful hearts His love to prize;
Want we wisdom? He must give it;
Hearing ears and seeing eyes.

5. Jesus gives us pure affections,
Wills to do what He requires,
Makes us follow His directions,
And what He commands, inspires.

6. All our prayers and all our praises,
Rightly offered in His name,—
He that dictates them is Jesus;
He that answers is the same.

Joseph Hart, 1759.

82

6, 6, 5, 6, 6, 5, 7, 8, 6

Jesus, priceless Treasure,
Source of purest pleasure,
Truest Friend to me!
Long my heart hath panted,
Till it well-nigh fainted,
Thirsting after Thee.
Thine I am, O spotless Lamb!
I will suffer naught to hide Thee,
Ask for naught beside Thee.

2. In Thine arms I rest me,
Foes who would molest me
Cannot reach me here;
Though the earth be shaking,
Every heart be quaking,
Jesus calms my fear;
Sin and hell, In conflict fell,
With their heaviest storms assail me.
Jesus will not fail me.

3. Satan, I defy thee;
Death, I need not fly thee;
Fear, I bid thee cease!
Rage, O world; thy noises
Cannot drown our voices
Singing still of peace,
For God’s power Guards every hour;
Earth and all its depths adore Him,
Silent bow before Him.

4. Wealth, I will not heed thee,
Wherefore should I need thee?
Jesus is my Joy.
Honors, ye may glisten,
But I will not listen,
Ye the soul destroy.
Want or loss Or shame or cross
Ne’er to leave my Lord shall move me
Since He deigns to love me.

5. Farewell, thou who choosest
Earth and heaven refusest;
Thou wilt tempt in vain.
Farewell, sins, nor blind me,
Get ye far behind me,
Come not forth again.
Past your hour, O pomp and power;
Godless life, thy bonds I sever,
Farewell now forever!

6. Hence, all fears and sadness!
For the Lord of gladness,
Jesus, enters in.
Those who love the Father,
Though the storms may gather,
Still have peace within;
Yea, whate’er I here must bear,
Still in Thee lies purest pleasure,
Jesus, priceless Treasure!

J. Franck, c. 1653; C. Winkworth, tr.

83

8, 7, 8, 7, 12, 12, 11, 11

One thing’s needful! then, Lord Jesus,
Keep this one thing in my mind;
All beside, though first it please us,
Soon a grievous yoke we find;
Beneath it the heart is still fretting and striving,
No true, lasting happiness ever deriving.
The gain of this one thing all loss can requite
And teach me in all things to find true delight.

2. Soul, wilt thou this one thing find thee?
Seek not midst created things;
What is earthly leave behind thee,
Over nature stretch thy wings.
For where God and Man both in One are united,
With God’s perfect fulness the heart is delighted,
There, there, is the worthiest lot and the best,
My One and my All, and my Joy and my Rest.

3. How were Mary’s thoughts devoted
Her eternal joy to find,
As intent each word she noted,
At her Savior’s feet reclined!
How kindled her heart, how devout was its feeling,
While hearing the lessons that Christ was revealing!
For Jesus all earthly concerns she forgot,
And all was repaid in that one happy lot.

4. Thus my longings, heavenward tending,
Jesus, rest alone on Thee;
Help me, thus on Thee depending,
Savior, come and dwell in me!
Although all the world should forsake and forget Thee,
In love I will follow Thee, ne’er will I quit Thee.
Lord Jesus, both spirit and life is Thy Word;
And is there a joy which Thou dost not afford?

5. Wisdom’s highest, noblest treasure,
Jesus, lies concealed in Thee;
Grant that this may still the measure
Of my will and actions be.
Humility there, and simplicity, reigning.
My steps shall in wisdom forever be training.
Oh! if I of Christ have this knowledge divine,
The fulness of heavenly wisdom is mine.

6. Christ, Thou art the sole oblation
That I’ll bring before my God;
In His sight I’ve acceptation
Only through Thy streaming blood.
Immaculate righteousness I have acquired,
Since Thou on the tree of the cross hast expired;
The robe of salvation forever is mine,
In this shall my faith through eternity shine.

7. Let my soul, in full exemption,
Wake up in Thy likeness now;
Thou art made to me redemption,
My sanctification Thou.
Whatever I need for my journey to heaven,
In Thee, O my Savior, is unto me given;
O let me all perishing pleasure forego,
And Thy life, O Jesus, alone let me know.

8. Where should else my hopes be centered?
Grace o’erwhelms me with its flood;
Thou, my Savior, once hast entered
Holiest heaven through Thy blood.
Eternal redemption for sinners there finding,
From hell’s dark dominion my spirit unbinding,
To me perfect freedom Thy entrance has brought,
And childlike to cry, “Abba, Father,” I’m taught.

9. Christ Himself, my Shepherd, feeds me,
Peace and joy my spirit fill;
In a pasture green He leads me
Forth beside the waters still.
Oh, naught to my soul is so sweet and reviving
As thus unto Jesus alone to be living;
True happiness this, and this only, supplies,
Through faith on my Savior to fasten mine eyes.

10. Therefore, Jesus, my Salvation,
Thou my One, my All, shalt be.
Prove my fixed determination,
Root out all hypocrisy.
Look well if on sin’s slipp’ry paths I am hasting,
And lead me, O Lord, in the way everlasting!
This one thing is needful, all others are vain;
I count all but loss that I Christ may obtain.

J. H. Schroeder, 1697; F. E. Cox, tr., a.

84