THE Shepherd now was smitten;
The wolf was ravening near,
The scattered flock he threatened,
But knew not Whose they were.
In zealous fury seeking
To bind and crucify,
A sudden voice witheld him,
A loud and startling cry:
"Saul! Saul! why blindly daring
To persecute thy Lord?
'Tis Jesus Whom thou hatest,
Rebel not at My word."
Then forth in prayer he stretcheth,
Those hands prepared to slay;
What would'st Thou with Thy servant?
My Lord and Saviour say,"
Christ's foe becomes His soldier,
The wolf destroys no more,
A sheep within the sheepfold
He enters by the door.
Jesu, our Shepherd, cease not
Thy flock from harm to free,
And when Thy sheep are wandering,
O lead them back to Thee.
ST. MICHAEL AND ALL ANGELS.
THEY Come, God's Messengers of love,
They come from realms of peace above,
From homes of never-fading light,
From blissful mansions ever bright.
They come to watch around us here,
To soothe our sorrow, calm our fear :
Ye heavenly guides, speed not away,
God willeth you with us to stay.
But chiefly at its journey's end
'Tis yours the spirit to befriend,
And whisper to the willing heart,
O Christian soul, in peace depart."
Blest Jesu, Thou whose groans and tears
Have sanctified frail nature's fears,
To earth in bitter sorrow weighed
Thou did'st not scorn Thine Angels' aid;
An Angel guard to us supply,
When on the bed of death we lie;
And by Thine own Almighty power
O shield us in the last dread hour.
JERUSALEM, my happy home,
Name ever dear to me,
When shall my labours have an end?
Thy joys when shall I see?
When shall these eyes thy heaven-built walls,
And pearly gates behold?
Thy bulwarks, with salvation strong,
And streets of shining gold?
Apostles, Martyrs, Prophets, there
Around my Saviour stand;
And all I loved in Christ are gone
To join the glorious band.
Jerusalem, my happy home,
When shall I come to thee?
When shall my labours have an end?
Thy joys when shall I see?
THERE is a land of pure delight,
Where saints immortal reign;
Eternal day excludes the night,
And pleasures banish pain.
There everlasting spring abides,
And never-fading flowers;
Death, like a narrow sea, divides
That heavenly land from ours.
O could we all our doubts remove,-
Those gloomy doubts that rise,—
And see the Canaan that we love
With faith's unclouded eyes,-
Could we but stand where Moses stood,
And view the landscape o'er,
Not Jordan's stream, nor death's cold flood,
Could fright us from the shore!
GIVE me the wings of faith to rise
Within the veil, and see
The saints above, how great their joys,
How bright their glories be!
Once they were mourning here below,
And wet their couch with tears;
They wrestled hard as we do now,
With sins, and doubts, and fears.
I ask them whence their victory came;
They, with united breath,
Ascribe their conquest to the Lamb,
Their triumph to His death.
They marked the footsteps that He trod,
(His zeal inspired their breast;)
And following their incarnate God,
Possess the promised rest.
EXALTED high at God's right hand,
Around the throne where angels stand,
With glory crowned, in white array,—
What are their names, and whence came they?
These are the saints beloved of God,
Washed are their robes in Jesu's blood,
More spotless than the purest white
They shine in never-fading light.
Through tribulation great they came,
They bore the cross, and scorned the shame;
Within the living temple blest,
In God they dwell, and on Him rest.
Hunger they ne'er shall feel again,
Nor burning thirst shall they sustain,
To wells of living waters led,
By God the Lamb for ever fed.
Oh may we tread the sacred road,
That holy saints and martys trode ;
Wage to the end the glorious strife,
And win, like them, a crown of life!
166.
THE saints on earth and those above,
But one communion make,
Joined to their Lord in bonds of love,
All of His grace partake.
One family we dwell in Him,
One Church, above, beneath,
Though now divided by the stream,
The narrow stream of death.
One army of the living God
To His command we bow:
Part of the host have crossed the flood,
And part are crossing now.
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