THE VISITATION
O what could hope and confidence afford To tread that path; but this, thou knowest, Lord.
Thou knowest, not alone as God, allknowing;
As Man, our mortal weakness thou hast proved:
On earth, with purest sympathies o'erflowing,
O Saviour, thou hast wept, and thou hast loved;
And love and sorrow still to thee may
come,
And find a hiding- place, a rest, a home. Therefore we come, thy gentle call obeying,
And lay our sins and sorrows at thy feet;
On everlasting strength our weakness
staying,
Clothed in thy robe of righteousness complete:
Then rising and refresh'd we leave thy
In thee I put my trust, Encouraged by thy holy word, A feeble child of dust.
I have no argument beside,
I urge no other plea,
And' as enough my Saviour díed, My Saviour died for me.
OF THE SICK.
Tell me the story slowly, That I may take it in: That wonderful redemption God's remedy for sin. Tell me the story often,
throne,
And follow on to know as we are known. 463 WHEN gathering clouds around 461 THOU art my hiding- place, O
Lord
For I forget so soon; The early dew of morning
Has pass'd away at noon. Tell me the story softly,
With earnest tones and grave; Remember, I'm the sinner
Whom Jesus came to save. Tell me that story always, If you would really be, In any time of trouble,
A comforter to me. Tell me the same old story,
When you have cause to fear That this world's empty glory Is costing me too dear. Yes, and when that world's glory, Is dawning on my soul, Tell me the old, old story:
" Christ Jesus makes thee whole."
462 TELL me the old, old story,
Of unseen things above, Of Jesus and his glory, Of Jesus and his love. Tell me the story simply, As to a little child, For I am weak and weary, And helpless and defiled.
And days are dark, and friends are few, On him I lean, who not in vain Experienced every human pain;
He sees my wants, allays my fears, And counts and treasures up my tears. If aught should tempt my soul to stray From heavenly wisdom's narrow way, To fly the good I would pursue,
When storms of fierce temptation beat, Or do the sin I would not do,
And furious foes assail,
Still he, who felt temptation's power, Shall guard me in that dangerous heur. If vexing thoughts within me rise, And sore dismay'd my spirit dies; Still he, who once vouchsafed to bear The sickening anguish of despair, Shall sweetly soothe, shall gently dry, The throbbing heart, the streaming eye, When sorrowing o'er some stone I bend, Which covers what was once a friend, And from his voice, his hand, his smile, Divides me for a little while;
My refuge is the mercy- seat, My hope within the veil. From strife of tongues and bitter words My spirit flies to thee:
Joy to my heart the thought affords,
My Saviour died for me. Mid trials, heavy to be borne, When mortal strength is vain, A heart with grief and anguish torn, A body rack'd with pain ,Ah! what could give the sufferer rest, Bid every murmur flee,
But this, the witness in my breast, My Saviour died for me. And when thine awful voice commands This body to decay,
Thou, Saviour, mark'st the tears I shed, For thou didst weep o'er Lazarus dead. And O, when I have safely pass'd Through every conflict but the last, Still, still, unchanging, watch beside My painful bed, for thou hast died; Then point to realms of cloudless day, And wipe the latest tear away.( g)
And life in its last lingering sands Is ebbing fast away, Then, though it be in accents weak, And faint and
is not
My for me.( d)
give me strength in death to speak, 464 My rest is in heaven, my rest
Then why should I murmur when trials are near?
Be hush'd, my dark spirit,-the worst that can come
But shortens my journey, and hastens me home.
It is not for me to be seeking my bliss, And building my hopes in a region like this;