458.

I.

Religious Retirement.

AR from the world, O Lord, I flee;

FAR

From strife and tumult far;
From scenes where evil wages still

Its most successful war.

2. The calm retreat, the silent shade,
With prayer and praise agree ;
And seem by Thy sweet bounty made
For those who follow Thee.

3. There, if Thy Spirit touch the soul,
And grace her mean abode,

Oh with what peace, and joy, and love,
She communes with her God!

4. There, like the nightingale, she pours
Her solitary lays;

Nor asks a witness of her song,
Nor thirsts for human praise.

5. Author and guardian of my life!
Sweet source of light divine !
And, all harmonious names in one,
Our Father-Thou art mine!

6. What thanks I owe Thee, and what love,
A boundless, endless store,

Shall echo through the realms above,
When tine shall be no more.

459.

J.

Nearer to God.

MASTER of my soul,

C.M.

William Cowper.

S.M.

To whom the lives of men,

That floated once upon Thy breath,

Shall yet return again :

2. Give me the eyes to see,
Give me the ears to hear,
Give me the spiritual sense

To feel that Thou art near.

3. So when this earthly mist
Fades in the azure sky,

My soul shall still be close to Thee,
And in Thee cannot die.

Edwin Hatch.

460.

I.

Drawing Near to God.

1. FROM every fear and doubt, O Lord,
In mercy set us free,

While in the confidence of prayer

Our hearts draw near to Thee.

2. In all our trials, struggles, joys,
Teach us Thy love to see,
Which by the discipline of life
Would draw us unto Thee.

3. Our lives, devoted to Thy will,
Our sacrifice shall be ;

And then will death, whene'er it come,
But draw us nearer Thee.

461.

C.M.

The Thought of God.

C.M.

1. THE thought of God, the thought of Thee,

Who liest in my heart,

And yet beyond imagined space

Outstretched and present art,—

2. The thought of Thee, above, below,
Around me and within,

Is more to me than health and wealth,
Or love of kith and kin.

3. It is a thought which ever makes
Life's sweetest smiles from tears,
And is a daybreak to our hopes,
A sunset to our fears.

One while it bids the tears to flow,
Then wipes them from the eyes;
Most often fills our souls with joy,
And always sanctifies.

5. To think of Thee is almost prayer,
And is outspoken praise;

And pain can even passive thoughts
To actual worship raise.

6. All murmurs lie inside Thy will
Which are to Thee addressed;
To suffer for Thee is our work,
To think of Thee our rest.

462.

I.

F. W. Faber.

Thoughts of God.

I THINK of Thee, my God, by night,

And talk of Thee by day;

Thy love, my treasure and delight,
Thy truth, my strength and stay.

2. The day is dark, the night is long,
Unblessed with thoughts of Thee,
And dull to me the sweetest song,
Unless its theme Thou be.

C. M.

3. Like pleasant thoughts of those we love,
Which are of self a part,

Which neither day nor night remove
Out of the loving heart :

4. So all day long, and all the night,
Lord, let Thy presence be

Mine air, my breath, my shade, my light—
Myself absorbed in Thee.

J. S. B. Monsell.

463.

I.

THOU, with whom, in sweet content,
The soul that loves Thee shall abide,
Grant that Thy Spirit may be sent,

That by its influence purified

And touched and blessed, we may be free,
Father and Friend, to dwell with Thee.
2. O fire our hearts with quenchless love

For men, and for Thy truth divine,—
That we may guide to things above,

Where in Thy heavens eternal shine
The strong attractions of that home
From which, when found, no soul can roam.

3. And if upon our lonely way,

We faint and cry to Thee for aid,
Then, O our Father, grant, we pray,
That, by us trembling and afraid,
May walk the Leader of our race,
Filling with light and joy the place.
4. Crown us with love, and so with peace,
Transfigure duty to delight;

Our lips inspire, our faith increase,

Brighten with hope our darkest night.

464.

465.

Bring us from earthly bondage free,
To find our heaven in serving thee.

I.

As

Longing for God.

Henry Wilder Foote.

S pants the hart for cooling streams,
When heated in the chase,

So longs my soul, O God, for Thee,

And Thy refreshing grace.

2. For Thee, my God, the living God,
My thirsty soul doth pine:

Oh when shall I behold Thy face,
Thou majesty divine?

3. How long, my Strength, my Hope, shall I
Like one forgotten mourn?
Forlorn, forsaken, and exposed

To my oppressor's scorn.

4. Why restless, why cast down, my soul?
Hope still, and Thou shalt sing

The praise of Him who is thy God,
Thy health's eternal Spring.

C.M.

Psalm xlii., Tate and Brady.

Quiet Religion.

7.6.7.6.7.7.7.7.

I. OPEN, Lord, my inward ear,

And bid my heart rejoice!

Let my quiet spirit hear

Thy comfortable voice;

Never in the whirlwind found,

Or where earthquakes rock the place :

Still and silent is the sound,

Soft the whisper of Thy grace.