These have been referred to in the Memoir, and a few have been given from the valuable little book, Hymns and Meditations, which contains 165 pieces, with meditations on the first two chapters of the Song of Solomon. The following six are newer, and are not in the volume. The piece on Love’s Excelling Way was once published as a leaflet.
Resting in God
My God, who gavest Thine own Son
The curse for me to bear,
Thy Well-beloved, Thine only Son,
Thy justice did not spare!
Thy Spirit teaches me Thy truth,
And leads me in Thy ways;
On Christ the Lord my burdens all
I cast, with songs of praise.
Thy Spirit gives me fellowship
With Thee and with Thy Son;
His glorious beauty I behold,
With joy my race I run.
To Him, Thy First-born, Thou didst give
Thy Church—His joy and Thine;
I pray Thee, Father, let Thy will
Be altogether mine.
Countless Thy thoughts of love to me,
Beyond all searching deep;
E’en as the apple of mine eye,
Father, Thy words I keep.
Shall not my lips of Jesus’ cross
And glories ever tell,
Thy Spirit showing me that I
Please Thee, my Father, well?
Amidst a world of restless pride,
I rest in Thy decrees;
I taste of pleasures evermore,
And in Thee dwell at ease.
God’s Care and Discipline
Beneath the shadow of Thy wings,
My Father and my God, I rest;
Seeing unseen, eternal things,
My portion soon to be possest.
Thy Son, Thy First-born from the dead,
Jesus, how excellent is He!
Thy joy and rest—Thy Church’s Head—
Father, Thou gavest Him for me!
Sealed by Thy Spirit, I am Thine,
Raised up to sit with Christ the Lord;
Forth from His face Thy glories shine,
Unveiled in Him the living Word.
Thou provest faith, in wisdom deep,
To nourish faith, to save from pride;
’Tis Thine alone the heart to keep
Of each who with the Lord has died.
Thy rod of discipline I kiss,
And bitters turn to sweet; Thy child
Would e’er be blameless in Thine eyes,
With harp in hand, all undefiled.
According to Thy riches Thou
Wilt ever for Thy servant care;
Joyful before Thy throne I bow,
And Jesus’ bliss and glory share.
But when shall we, who now are clad
In heavenly garments, all unite
To make our God and Father glad,
Midst darkness, children of the light?
Oh, let the world, as once of old,
Ere the Redeemer come to reign,
Sure tokens in Thy saints behold,
That Jesus died and rose again!
Conformity to Christ
God of all grace, the Only Wise!
Before Thy Throne I wait;
Thy furnace throughly proves my faith;
Thy love can ne’er abate.
In patience I possess my soul;
The gold must be refined,
The image of Thy Son to show;
Mine be His perfect mind.
The cup Thou givest me I drink,
Blessing Thy holy Name;
No gall I taste—the curse, my due,
Fell on the spotless Lamb.
One thing, my Father and my God,
Desires Thy weaned child—
May I be found in Thy great day
Blameless and undefiled!
Answered Prayer
To Thee, my God, for answered prayer
My lowly heart would bring
Meet sacrifice of thanks and praise,
Through Jesus, Priest and King.
In trouble deep I bowed my head
Before Thy mercy-seat;
My bitter cup—Thy gift—I drank;
The bitter turned to sweet.
Beneath the covert of Thy wings
I rested through the storm,
Till Christ the Lord said, “Peace, be still,”
Thy counsel to perform.
I trusted—waited: Thou hast wrought
Salvation for Thy child;
Therefore my heart with thankfulness
And songs of joy is filled.
My Father and my Portion Thou,
I am sufficed in Thee!
All things together work my good,
All things are gain to me.
I bear my Lord and Saviour’s yoke,
I prove His burden light;
His Word and Spirit comfort me,
And guide my steps aright.
To me to live is Christ—let Him
Shine forth in all my ways,
Whose Cross declares Thy holy Name,
Thy riches all displays.
Thy saints redeemed by Jesus’ blood,
In Jesus’ beauty drest,
With Christ their Head shall be Thy joy.
Thine everlasting rest.
Thy Son, for us to intercede,
In highest heaven appears;
Quickly shall He full harvest reap
Of all He sowed in tears.
Then shall Thy opened records show
Thy wise and tender care
Of those who glory in the Lord,
Thou God that hearest prayer.
A Stranger Here
Heavenly Father, in Thy wisdom,
Thou art giving day by day
What is best for me, a pilgrim,
Best to speed me on my way.
In this present world a stranger,
I the path of life pursue,
Waiting for Thy Son from heaven;
Send Him, Lord, in season due!
Him beholding, by Thy Spirit,
Now enthroned at Thy right hand,
With that heavenly Friend I banquet
On the first-fruits of the land.
With His bread and wine He makes me
Strong by faith to run my race;
Crucified with Him and risen—
Oh, the mysteries of Thy grace!
From His hand my crown receiving
I shall cast it at His feet;
Him adoring, with the myriads
Made like Him, in Him complete.
Ruling well the new creation,
Thine own Son Thy rest shall be;
By Him all Thy children gathered,
In Thy house shall rest with Thee.
Head and members the rich harvest
Of their sowing then shall reap;
By Thy Spirit sing Thy praises,
And eternal Sabbath keep.
Love’s Excelling Way
Dost Thou for Jesus’ glory care?
Wouldst thou escape the subtle snare,
And quench the fiery dart?
He that his race would nobly run,
Must watch, and pray, and daily shun
A lukewarm, selfish heart.
Just Lot of old chose Sodom’s plains,
For herds and flocks, with carnal pains,
Rich pastures to provide;
Without the city, first he dwells,
But afterwards his prudence feels
He must within abide.
Yet nothing prospers—friends and foes
Disturb that righteous man’s repose—
Grief, losses, shame, he reaps;
But Abraham is Jehovah’s friend,
Princes and kings before him bend;
The paths of love he keeps.
Love hearkens to the kind reproof
Of Christ her Lord, who stands aloof
When jealous or displeased;
And many tears her cheeks o’erflow
Until His face unclouded show
His anger all appeased!
The purest mind may be defiled;
The truest heart by sin beguiled
Can stray from Jesus’ side;
But love ere long the error mourns,
And, smiting on the breast, returns
To Christ her heavenly Guide.
Thus, if the bee her busy flight
Should stay, on some gay flower to light,
Where honey is not found,
A little while she sits in vain,
Then spreads in haste her wings again,
And touches not the ground.
All Jesus’ members to their Head,
Since by His Spirit they are led,
Some little love must bear;
But, oh, for Abraham’s fervent love,
Far off from Sodom to remove,
And walk in Godly fear!
May we like him ourselves deny;
Believe and look with steadfast eye
To Christ the Son of God!
The love that well the fire endures,
And Jesus’ close embrace procures,
Springs from the Saviour’s blood.
The saints alike by grace are saved,
Their names on Jesus’ hands engraved,
And borne upon His breast;
Whence is it some more brightly shine?
More sap they draw from Christ the vine,
And thus excel the rest.
The hymns which follow are from Mr. Chapman’s Hymns and Meditations.
The Pilgrim’s Hope
Another world, my God, I see,
Where Thou art all in all;
Thither I haste, Thy pilgrim child,
Obedient to Thy call.
There every knee shall bow to Him
Who put my sins away,
Who died Thy mysteries to reveal,
Thy riches to display.
Jesus Thy Son shall quickly come—
Faithful is He and true;
He did the heavens and earth create,
And shall create anew.
Joint-heir with Christ the Lord, I wait;
He soon will end the night;
His yoke is easy to the neck—
I prove His burden light.
A child of dust, far off from Thee,
An heir of wrath was I,
When by Thy Spirit and Thy truth
Quickened and set on high.
My God and Father,
I adore Thy name, for I am Thine;
Thou art my portion and reward,
Let all Thy will be mine.
Following the Lord
By Thy counsel, Father, guide me;
By Thy word and Spirit lead,
Show me Jesus crowned with glory,
Christ the First-born from the dead,
Who once suffered
Death, my wages, in my stead.
More than conqueror, I am warring
’Gainst the foes He overcame;
Hold me up, my God and Father,
Keep me by Thy holy name:
He declared it,
He, Thy Son, the spotless Lamb.
Thou art Love, and therefore lovest;
Let my heart and mind be love:
Let the Bridegroom by His Spirit
All I am possess and move,
Dwelling in me,
By that holy, heavenly Dove.
Let me keep the path and footprints
Of my Shepherd, Christ the Lord;
Thine own Son came from Thy bosom—
Son of Man—to keep Thy Word;
He fulfilled it,
Slain by Thine avenging sword.
Cross enduring, shame despising,
Jesus leads me in the way;
As He trusted, I would trust Thee,
Pleasing Thee from day to day,
And Thy riches
By my love and joy display.
“We See Jesus”
Now is our life no more a dream,
Nor shadows we pursue;
The world a thing of nought we deem,
Our joys are now a living stream,
Our song is ever new.
The Lord who stooped from heaven to die,
The Mighty One to save,
Hid for awhile from mortal eye,
Now sits with God enthroned on high,
Triumphant o’er the grave.
The Prince of Life by faith we see,
His saints with Him are one;
Our Father! who is like to Thee?
For us Thy justice on the tree
Did bruise Thine only Son.
We have no home nor city here,
This earth is all unblest;
Let Christ the Lord again appear,
And wipe away our every tear,
And give us perfect rest.
Our God, Thy holy name we bless,
And drink our cup of woes;
For in our manifold distress
Hope makes this barren wilderness
To blossom as the rose.
Eternally Satisfied
The hour decreed hastes on apace,
When children who in tears have sown,
Shall see their heavenly Father’s face,
And know their God as they are known.
But how before the creature’s eye
Shall God without a veil appear?
The Lamb once slain on Calvary
Shall the great mystery declare.
Jesus the servant’s form did take,
The Son of God for sinners died:
In Jesus’ likeness we shall wake,
With Jesus’ fulness satisfied.
Soon as a dream or tale that’s told
The heavens and earth must pass away,
While we the Son of Man behold,
Nor in one thought from Jesus stray.
The heavens and earth shall be renewed,
To show His death upon the tree;
To Him must all things be subdued,
To Jesus all must bow the knee.
Our city God Himself did build,
The Lamb its everlasting light;
No tears, no curse—’tis un defiled,
All blameless in Jehovah’s sight.