All that we were–our sins, our guilt,
Our death–was all our own;
All that we are we owe to Thee,
Thou God of grace, alone.
Thy mercy found us in our sins,
And gave us to believe;
Then, in believing, peace we found;
And in Thy Christ we live.
All that we are as saints on earth,
All that we hope to be
When Jesus comes and glory dawns,
We owe it all to Thee.
Category Archives: Hymns for the Little Flock
Hymns for the Little Flock Selected 1856 – Revised 1881
The Father, From Eternity ( 31 )
The Father, from eternity,
Choose us, O Jesus Christ, in Thee,
In Thee, His well-belovéd:
And we, as given to Thee–Thy bride,
In Thee, Lord Jesus, can confide:
Thy love remains unmovéd.
From Thee daily
Strength receiving–to Thee cleaving,
Blessed Jesus!
May we all show forth Thy praises.
Before the world we’d make our boast,
That Thou, in whom is all our trust,
Art Lord of life and glory;
And soon Thou’lt bring us to that place
Where we shall see Thee face to face,
And, glorified, adore Thee.
Amen!–Be then
Praise and blessing–never ceasing
To Thee given
Here, and when we come to heaven.
Grace Taught Our Wandering Feet ( 47 )
Grace taught our wandering feet
To tread the heavenly road;
And new supplies each hour we meet
While traveling home to God.
‘Twas grace that wrote each name
In God’s eternal book;
‘Twas grace that gave us to the Lamb,
Who all our burdens took.
Grace saved us from the foe,
Grace taught us how to pray;
And God will ne’er His grace forego,
Till we have won the day.
May grace, free grace, inspire
Our souls with strength divine;
May every thought to God aspire,
And grace in service shine.
Grace all the work shall crown
Through everlasting days;
It lays in heaven the topmost stone,
And well deserves the praise.
When Wandering Far From The Father’s Abode ( 63 )
When wandering far from the Father’s abode,
The heart full of pride and hatred to God,
The children of darkness, of Satan the slaves,
‘Twas Jesus redeemed us–His merit that saves.
Our sins on the cross He on Calvary bore,
He blotted them out and they are no more;
Now pardoned and washed we boldly draw near,
And cry, "Abba, Father!" unhindered by fear.
Despised by the world, we’re strangers below,
But called to heaven we cheerfully go;
The Lord is our Leader; and, strong in His might,
Though Satan opposes we fight the good fight.
We look for the day when Jesus shall come,
And take His blood-purchased brethren home;
When we shall behold all His glory and grace,
And a heaven be found in the light of His face.
Rest Of The Saints Above ( 79 )
Rest of the saints above,
Jerusalem of God,
Who in thy palaces of love,
Thy golden streets have trod?
To me thy joy to tell,
Those courts secure from ill,
Where God Himself vouchsafes to dwell,
And every bosom fill.
Who shall to me that joy
Of saint-thronged courts declare;
Tell of that constant sweet employ
My spirit longs to share?
That rest secure from ill
No cloud of grief e’er stains,
Unfailing praise each heart doth fill,
And love eternal reigns.
The Lamb is there, my soul–
There God Himself doth rest,
In love divine diffused through all
With Him supremely blest.
God and the Lamb–’tis well
I know that source divine
Of joy and love no tongue can tell,
Yet know that all is mine.
And see, the Spirit’s power
Has ope’d the heavenly door,
Has brought me to that favored hour
When toil shall all be o’er.
There on the hidden bread
Of Christ–once humbled here–
God’s treasured store–for ever fed,
His love my soul shall cheer.
Called by that secret name
Of undisclosed delight,
(Blest answer to reproach and shame)
Graved on the stone of white.
There in effulgence bright,
Savior and Guide, with Thee
I’ll walk, and in Thy heavenly light
Whiter my robe shall be.
There in th’ unsullied way
Which His own hand hath dressed,
My feet press on where brightest day
Shines forth on all the rest.
But who that glorious blaze
Of living light shall tell,
Where all His brightness God displays,
And the Lamb’s glories dwell?
(There only to adore,
My soul its strength may find,
Its life, its joy for evermore,
By sight nor sense defined.)
God and the Lamb shall there
The light and temple be,
And radiant hosts for ever share
The unveiled mystery.
Break Forth And Sing The Song ( 95 )
Break forth and sing the song
Of "Glory to the Lamb!"
Wake every heart and every tongue
To praise the Savior’s name.
Sing of His dying love;
Sing of His rising power;
Song how He intercedes above
For those whose sins He bore.
Sing on your heavenly road,
Ye sons of glory, sing;
To the ascended Lamb of God,
Your cheerful praises bring.
Soon shall we hear Him say,
"Ye ransomed pilgrims, come";
Soon will He call us hence away,
And take us to His home.
Then shall each raptured tongue
His fullest praise proclaim;
And sweeter voices wake the song
Of "Glory to the Lamb!"
By Thee, O God, Invited ( 111 )
By Thee, O God, invited,
We look unto the Son,
In whom Thy soul delighted,
Who all Thy will hath done;
And by the one chief treasure
Thy bosom freely gave,
Thine own pure love we measure,
Thy willing mind to save.
O God of mercy–Father!
The one unchanging claim,
The brightest hopes we gather
From Christ’s most precious name;
What always sounds so sweetly
In Thine unwearied ear
Has freed our souls completely
From all our sinful fear.
The trembling sinner feareth
That God can ne’er forget;
But one full payment cleareth
His memory of all debt.
When naught beside could free us,
Or set our souls at large,
Thy holy work, Lord Jesus,
Secured a full discharge.
No wrath God’s heart retaineth
To us-ward who believe;
No dread in ours remaineth
As we His love receive;
Returning sons He kisses,
And with His robe invests;
His perfect love dismisses
All terror from our breasts.
How Blest A Home! The Father’s House! ( 127 )
How blest a home! the Father’s house!
There love divine doth rest;
What else could satisfy the hearts
Of those in Jesus blest?
His home made ours–His Father’s love
Our heart’s full portion given,
The portion of the firstborn Son,
The full delight of heaven.
Oh what a home! The Son who knows,
He only–all His love;
And brings us as His well beloved
To that bright rest above,
Dwells in His bosom–knoweth all
That in that bosom lies,
And came to earth to make it known,
That we might share His joys.
Oh what a home! there fullest love
Flows through its courts of light;
The Son’s divine affections flow
Throughout its depth and height.
And full response the Father gives,
To fill with joy the heart–
No cloud is there to dim the scene
Or shadow to impart.
Oh what a home! But such His love
That He must bring us there,
To fill that home, to be with Him,
And all His glory share.
The Father’s house, the Father’s heart,
All that the Son is given
Made ours–the object of His love,
And He, our joy in heaven.
King Of Glory, Set On High ( 143 )
King of glory, set on high,
Girt with strength and majesty,
We Thy holy name confess;
Thee with adoration bless.
Jesus, mighty Son of God!
Wondrous gift on man bestowed;
Many crowns are on Thy head,
Glorious Firstborn from the dead.
Gladly, Lord, we bow the knee,
By the Father’s just decree,
To His own anointed One;
To His well-beloved Son.
All Things That God Or Man Could Wish ( 159 )
All things that God or man could wish,
In Jesus richly meet;
Not to our eyes is light so dear,
No earthly tie so sweet.
O may His name still cheer our hearts
And shed its fragrance there!
The sweetest balm of every wound,
The cure of every care.
We Sing The Praise Of Him Who Died ( 175 )
We sing the praise of Him who died,
Of Him who died upon the cross,
The sinner’s Hope–let men deride;
For this we count the world but loss.
Inscribed upon the cross we see,
In shining letters, "GOD IS LOVE!"
The Lamb who died upon the tree
Has brought us mercy from above.
The Cross! it took our guilt away,
It holds the fainting spirit up;
It cheers with hope the gloomy day,
And sweetens every bitter cup.
It makes the coward spirit brave,
And nerves the feeble arm for fight;
It takes its terror from the grave,
And guilds the bed of death with light.
The balm of life, the cure of woe,
The measure and the pledge of love,
The sinner’s refuge here below,
The theme of praise in heaven above.
Still In A Land Of Doubt And Dearth ( 191 )
Still in a land of doubt and dearth,
Our longing spirits cry
To Thee, the Lord of heaven and earth,
Our thirst to satisfy.
O Thou with love more strong than death,
Unquenched by deepest waves;
We need throughout the walk of faith
The same free grace that saves.
We would not take from falsehood’s fire,
Though glittering be the spark;
Thou only art our heart’s desire,
Art light where all is dark.
Dark unbelief alone can shroud
A Sun that sets no more;
And when Thy grace removes the cloud,
We see Thee as before.
We soon shall join the white-robed throng,
We soon shall walk by sight;
Till then by faith we raise the song,
By faith in Thee delight.
Now May The God Of Peace And Love ( 207 )
Now may the God of peace and love,
Who from the silent grave
Brought back the Shepherd of the sheep,
Omnipotent to save–
Through the rich merits of that blood
Which He on Calvary spilt,
To make the gracious work secure,
On which our hopes are built–
Perfect our souls in every grace,
To do His blessed will,
And all that’s pleasing in His sight
Inspire us to fulfil.
For His, the risen Shepherd’s sake,
We every blessing pray;
With glory let His name be crowned
Through heaven’s eternal day.
O God Whose Wondrous Name Is Love ( 223 )
O God whose wondrous name is Love,
Whose grace has fashioned us anew,
Before Thy face now stands the Lamb,
Whom sinful man once pierced and slew;
For us Thy Son Thou didst not spare,
For us canst Thou cease to care?
O heavenly Father, grant us all
The new-born babe’s simplicity!
From us the doubtful mind remove;
We boast a God that cannot lie!
Taught to repose, through love divine,
On truth itself, on truth divine.
Thou art the Potter, we the clay,
Thy will be ours, Thy truth our light,
Thy love the fountain of our joy,
Thine arm a safeguard day and night,
Till Thou shalt wipe all tears away,
And bring forth everlasting day.
To Us Our God His Love Commends ( 239 )
To us our God His love commends,
When by our sins undone;
That He might spare His enemies,
He would not spare His Son;
His only Son, on whom was placed
His whole delight and love,
Before He formed the earth below,
Or spread the heavens above.
Our sorrows and our guilt to bear,
Our judgment to sustain;
He came, upon the tree to die,
That we might life obtain.
His word assures He’ll quickly come,
For this His brethren pray;
The whole creation for it groans,
Come, Lord, without delay!
The Prince Of Life, Once Slain For Us ( 255 )
The Prince of Life, once slain for us,
Is now gone up on high;
Captivity was captive led,
And Christ no more can die.
His word is faithfulness and truth–
"Behold, I quickly come;"
And faith, that counts the promise sure,
Can pierce the midnight gloom.
Far spent already in the night,
In hope we hail the day
Of the beloved Lord’s return,
To wipe all tears away.
Jesus, at the appointed hour,
In glory shall appear;
Then, fashioned by His mighty hand,
We shall His image bear.
Soon shall the saints with glory crowned
Dwell in that cloudless light,
And see their Lord in glory owned,
Heaven’s constant, sweet delight.
Lord Of The Worlds Above ( 271 )
Lord of the worlds above,
How pleasant and how fair
The dwellings of Thy love–
The heavenly mansions are!
To Thine abode
Our hearts aspire,
With warm desire,
To see our God.
There is Thy throne of grace,
And there the sprinkled blood;
There lives, before Thy face,
Our great High Priest, O God!
His name our plea,
We now draw near,
In holy fear,
To worship Thee.
We go from strength to strength,
Through this dark vale of tears,
Till each arrives at length,
And safe in heaven appears:
O glorious seat!
Where God the King
Shall shortly bring
Our willing feet.
‘Tis Not Far Off–The Hour ( 287 )
‘Tis not far off–the hour
When Christ will claim His own!
We soon shall hear that voice of power,
The Lord Himself shall come!
The days are passing by,
The years flow on apace,
Lord Jesus! Thy return draws nigh,
We long to see Thy face.
Eternal in the heavens,
Is our prepared abode–
Radiant and pure, in light divine,
The building of our God.
Rest, Lord in serving Thee,
As none have served below;
Oh, through that blest eternity
What tides of praise shall flow!
Come quickly blessed Lord!
Like exiles here we roam;
Fulfill to us Thy gracious word,
Lord Jesus, take us home.
When Israel, By Divine Command ( 303 )
When Israel, by divine command,
The pathless desert trod,
They found, throughout the barren land,
A sure resource in God.
A cloudy pillar marked the road,
And screened them from the heat;
From the hard rock the water flowed,
And manna was their meat.
Like them, we have a rest in view,
Secure from hostile powers:
Like them, we pass a desert too,
But Israel’s ‘God is ours.
His word a light before us spreads,
By which our path we see;
His love, a banner o’er our heads,
From harm preserves us free.
Jesus, the Bread of life, is given
To be our daily food;
Within us dwells that well from heaven,
The Spirit of our God.
Lord, ’tis enough, we ask no more;
Thy grace around us pours
Its rich and unexhausted store,
And all its joy is ours.
Our Sins Were Born By Jesus ( 319 )
Our sins were born by Jesus,
The holy Lamb of God;
He took them all, and freed us
From that condemning load.
Our guilt was borne by Jesus,
Who washed the crimson stains
White in His blood most precious,
Till not a spot remains.
Our wants are known to Jesus;
All fulness dwells in Him:
He healeth all diseases
Who did our souls redeem.
We tell our griefs to Jesus,
Our burdens and our cares
He from them all released,
Who all our sorrow shares.
We love the name of Jesus,
The Christ of God, the Lord;
Like fragrance on the breezes
His name is spread abroad.
We long to be with Jesus,
With all the ransomed throng,
To sing for aye His praises,
The one eternal song.
O God, How Wide Thy Glory Shines ( 335 )
O God, how wide Thy glory shines,
How high Thy wonders rise!
Known through the earth by thousand signs,
By thousands through the skies.
Those mighty orbs proclaim Thy power
Their motions speak Thy skill:
And on the wings of every hour,
We read Thy patience still.
Part of Thy name divinely stands
On every work impressed;
Each is the labor of Thy hands,
By each Thy power’s confessed.
But when we view Thy strange design
To save rebellious worms,
Where vengeance and compassion join
In their divinest forms:
Here Thy bright character is known,
Nor dares a creature guess
Which of the glories brightest shone–
The justice or the grace.
Now the full glories of the Lamb
Adorn the heavenly throne,
While saints on earth that know His name,
Their Lord and Savior own.
How blest are we, who have a part
In the immortal song;
Wonder and joy become our heart,
And praise and thanks, our tongue.
Though Dark Be Our Way, Since God Is Our Guide ( A10 )
Though dark be our way, since God is our Guide,
‘Tis ours to obey; ’tis His to provide:
Though cisterns be broken, and creatures all fail,
The word He hath spoken shall surely prevail.
His love in times past forbids us to think
He’ll leave us at last in trouble to sink:
The Lamb in His glory is ever in view,
The pledge and the proof He will help us quite through.
And since all we meet must work for our good,
The bitter is sweet, the medicine is food:
Though painful at present, ’twill cease before long,
And then how triumphant the conqueror’s song!
I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say ( A26 )
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Come unto Me and rest;
Lay down, thou weary one, lay sown
Thy head upon My breast."
I came to Jesus as I was,
Weary, and worn, and sad;
I found in Him a resting-place,
And He has made me glad.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"Behold I freely give
The living water–thirsty one,
Stoop down, and drink, and live."
I came to Jesus, and I drank
Of that life-giving stream;
My thirst was quenched, my soul revived,
And now I live in Him.
I heard the voice of Jesus say,
"I am this dark world’s light;
Look unto Me: thy morn shall rise
And all thy day be bright."
I looked to Jesus, and I found
In Him my Star, my Sun;
And in that light of life I’ll walk
Till traveling days are done.
Savior! Lead Us By Thy Power ( A42 )
Savior! lead us by Thy power
Safe into the promised rest;
Choose the path, the way whatever
Seems to Thee, O Lord, the best:
Be our Guide in every peril,
Watch and keep us night and day,
Else our foolish hearts will wander
From the straight and narrow way.
Since in Thee is our redemption,
And salvation full and free,
Nothing need our souls dishearten
But forgetfulness of Thee:
Naught can stay our steady progress,
More than conquerors we shall be,
If our eye, whate’er the danger,
Looks to Thee, and none but Thee.
In Thy presence we are happy;
In Thy presence we’re secure;
In Thy presence all afflictions
We can easily endure;
In Thy presence we can conquer,
We can suffer, we can die;
Wandering from Thee we are feeble;
Let Thy love, Lord, keep us nigh.
Ho! Ye That Thirst, Approach The Spring ( A58 )
Ho! ye that thirst, approach the spring
Whence living waters flow;
Free to that open fountain all
Without a price may go.
Without a price may go;
Free to that open fountain all
Without a price may go.
How long to streams of false delight
Will ye in crowds repair?
How long your strength and substance waste
On trifles light as air? etc…
My stores afford those rich supplies
That health and pleasure give;
Incline your ear and come to Me:
The soul that hears shall live, etc…
Seek ye the Lord while yet His ear
Is open to your call;
While offered mercy still is near,
Before His footstool fall, etc…
"Behold The Lamb" Enthroned On High– ( A74 )
"Behold the Lamb" enthroned on high–
"He is our peace";
In Him we are to God brought nigh–
"He is our peace."
He who on Calvary’s cross has bled–
He who was numbered with the dead–
Exalted now o’er all as Head,
"He is our peace."
"Complete in Him" at God’s right hand–
"He is our peace"
Before the throne we boldly stand–
"He is our peace":
The blood-besprinkled mercy-seat,
His pierced side, His hands and feet,
Proclaim redemption’s work complete–
"He is our peace."
God finds eternal rest in Him–
"He is our peace";
That rest which was disturbed by sin–
"He is our peace";
We too by faith on Him repose,
Who did the Father’s heart disclose,
From which this full salvation flows–
"He is our peace."
As one with him we rest secure–
"He is our peace."
Unchanging doth His work endure–
"He is our peace";
Now seated on the Father’s throne,
Elect and precious Corner-stone,
On Him we rest–on Him alone–
"He is our peace."
Many Sons To Glory Bringing ( 16 )
Many sons to glory bringing,
God sets forth His heavenly name;
On we march in chorus singing,
"Worthy the ascended Lamb!"
God who gave the blood to screen us,
God looks down in perfect love;
Clouds may seem to pass between us,
There’s no change in Him above.
Though the restless foe accuses,
Sins recounting like a flood;
Every charge our God refuses:
Christ has answered with His blood.
In the refuge God provided,
Though the world’s destruction lowers,
We are safe–to Christ confided,
Everlasting life is ours.
And ere long, when come to glory,
We shall sing a well-known strain,
This is the never-tiring story,
"Worthy is the Lamb once slain!"
Son Of God! With Joy We Praise Thee ( 32 )
Son of God! with joy we praise Thee,
On the Father’s throne above;
All Thy wondrous work displays Thee,
Full of grace and full of love!
Lord, accept our adoration–
For our sins Thou once wast slain;
Through Thy blood we have salvation;
Soon shall share Thine endless reign.
God, in Thee His love unfolding,
Shows how vast, how rich His grace;
Blest our lot, with joy beholding
All His glory in Thy face.
Oh! the mercy which hath blessed us,
Purposed thus ere time began,
Mercy which in Thee hath kept us,
Where His blessed race He ran.
High, In The Father’s House Above ( 48 )
High, in the Father’s house above,
Our mansion is prepared;
There is the home, the rest we love,
And there our bright reward.
With Him we love, in spotless white,
In glory we shall shine;
His blissful presence our delight,
In live and joy divine.
All taint of sin shall be removed,
All evil done away:
And we shall dwell with God’s Beloved,
Through God’s eternal day.
Oh Bright And Blessed Scenes! ( 64 )
Oh bright and blessed scenes!
Where sin can never come,
Whose sight our longing spirit weans
From earth where yet we roam.
And can we call our home
Our Father’s house on high,
The rest of God our rest to come,
Our place of liberty?
Yes! in that light unstained,
Our stainless souls shall live,
Our heart’s deep longings more than gained,
When God His rest shall give.
His presence there, my soul,
Its rest, its joy untold,
Shall find when endless ages roll,
And time shall ne’er grow old.
Our God the center is,
His presence fills that land,
And countless myriads owned as His,
Round Him adoring stand.
Our God whom we have known,
Well known in Jesus’ love,
Rests in the blessing of His own,
Before Himself above.
Glory supreme is there,
Glory that shines through all,
More precious still that love to share
As those that love did call.
Like Jesus in that place
Of light and love supreme;
Once Man of Sorrows, full of grace,
Heaven’s blest and endless theme.
Like Him! O grace supreme!
Like Him before Thy face,
Like Him to know that glory beam
Unhindered face to face.
O love supreme and bright!
Good to the feeblest heart,
That gives us now, as heavenly light,
What soon shall be our part.