Predestination In Connection With Grace

218

Sovereign Grace

1 WHEN the Eternal bows the skies To visit earthly things, With scorn divine He turns His eyes From towers of haughty kings.

2 He bids His awful chariot roll Far downward from the skies, To visit every humble soul, With pleasure in His eyes.

3 Why should the Lord that reigns above Disdain so lofty kings?

Say, Lord, and why such looks of love Upon such worthless things?

4 Mortals, be dumb; what creature dares Dispute His awful will?

Ask no account of His affairs, But tremble, and be still.

5 Just like His nature is His grace, All sovereign, and all free;

Great God, how searchless are Thy ways, How deep Thy judgments be!

Isaac Watts, 1709.

219 Gracious Election.

1 IN songs of sublime adoration and praise, Ye pilgrims to Zion who press, Break forth, and extol the great Ancient of days, His rich and distinguishing grace.

2 His love, from eternity fix'd upon you, Broke forth, and discover'd its flame, When each with the cords of His kindness He drew, And brought you to love His great name.

3 Oh, had He not pitied the state you were in, Your bosom His love had ne'er felt;

You all would have lived, would have died too in sin, And sunk with the load of your guilt.

4 What was there in you that could merit esteem, Or give the Creator delight?

" 'Twas even so, Father," you ever must sing, "Because it seem'd good in Thy sight."

5 'Twas all of Thy grace we were brought to obey, While others were suffer'd to go The road which by nature we chose as our way, Which leads to the regions of woe.

6 Then give all the glory to His Holy name, To Him all the glory belongs; Be yours the high joy still to sound forth His fame, And crown Him in each of your songs.

George Keith, 1787

220 Electing Love acknowledged.

1 'Tis not that I did choose Thee, For, Lord, that could not be, This heart would still refuse Thee, But Thou hast chosen me:

Thou from the sin that stain'd me Wash'd me and set me free, And to this end ordain'd me, That I should live to Thee.

2 'Twas sovereign mercy call'd me, And taught my opening mind; The world had else enthrall'd me, To heavenly glories blind. My heart owns none above Thee; For Thy rich grace I thirst; This knowing, if I love Thee, Thou must have loved me first.

Josiah Conder, 1856

221 Free Grace in Election..

1 SONS we are through God's election, Who in Jesus Christ believe; By eternal destination, Sovereign grace we here receive;

Lord, Thy mercy Does both grace and glory give.

2 Every fallen soul, by sinning, Merits everlasting pain; But Thy love, without beginning, Has restored Thy sons again:

Countless millions Shall in life, through Jesus, reign.

3 Pause, my soul! adore, and wonder!

Ask, "Oh why such love to me?"

Grace hath put me in the number Of the Saviour's family:

Hallelujah!

Thanks, eternal thanks, to Thee!

4 Since that love had no beginning, And shall never, never cease;

Keep, oh keep me, Lord, from sinning!

Guide me in the way of peace!

Make me walk in All the paths of holiness.

5 When I quit this feeble mansion, And my soul returns to Thee, Let the power of Thy ascension Manifest itself in me:

Through Thy Spirit, Give the final victory!

6 When the angel sounds the trumpet, When my soul and body join, When my Saviour comes to judgment, Bright in majesty divine;

Let me triumph In Thy righteousness as mine.

7 When in that blest habitation, Which ray God has fore-ordain'd When in glory's full possession, I with saints and angels stand;

Free grace only Shall resound through Canaan's land S—P—R—, 1777.

222 Electing Love adored

1 OH, gift of gifts! Oh, grace of faith! My God, now can it be That Thou, who hast discerning love, Shouldst give that gift to me!

2 How many hearts Thou might'st have had More innocent than mine!

How many souls more worthy far Of that pure touch of Thine!

3 Ah, Grace! into unlikeliest hearts It is Thy boast to come; The glory of Thy light to find In darkest spots a home.

4 Thy choice, O God of goodness! then I lovingly adore;

Oh, give me grace to keep Thy grace, And grace to long for more!

Frederick William Faber, 1849.

223 Electing Love immutable

1 WHO shall condemn to endless flames The chosen people of our God, Since in the book of life their names Are fairly writ in Jesus' blood?

2 He, for the sins of all the elect, Hath a complete atonement made; And Justice never can expect That the same debt should twice he paid.

3 Not tribulation, nakedness, The famine, peril, or the sword; Not persecution, or distress, Can separate from Christ the Lord.

4 Nor life, nor death, nor depth, nor height, Nor powers below, nor powers above, Nor present things, nor things to come, Can change His purposes of love.

5 His sovereign mercy knows no end, His faithfulness shall still endure; And those who on His word depend Shall find His word for ever sure.

Benjamin Beddome, 1818

224 Everlasting Love

1 'TWAS with an everlasting love That God His own elect embraced, Before He made the worlds above, Or earth on her huge columns placed.

2 Long ere the sun's refulgent ray Primeval shades of darkness drove, They on His sacred bosom lay, Loved with an everlasting love.

3 Then, in the glass of His decrees, Christ and His bride appear'd as one: Her sin, by imputation, His, Whilst she in spotless splendour shone.

4 O love, how high thy glories swell, How great, immutable, and free!

Ten thousand sins, as black as hell, Are swallow'd up, O love, in thee!

5 Loved when a wretch defiled with sin, At war with heaven, in league with hell, A slave to every lust obscene, who, living, lived but to rebel.

6 Believer, here thy comfort stands, From first to last salvation's free; And everlasting love demands An everlasting song from thee.

John Kent, 1803.

225 Election in Christ

1 JESUS, we bless Thy Father's name!

Thy God and ours are both the same;

What heavenly blessings from His throne Flow down to sinners through His Son!

2 "Christ, be My first elect," He said, Then chose our souls in Christ our head, Before He gave the mountains birth, Or laid foundations for the earth.

3 Thus did eternal love begin To raise us up from death and sin; Our characters were then decreed, "Blameless in love, a holy seed."

4 Predestinated to be sons, Born by degrees, but chose at once, A new-regenerated race, To praise the glory of His grace.

5 With Christ our Lord we share our part In the affections of His heart; Nor shall our souls be thence removed Till He forgets His first-beloved.

Isaac Watts, 1709.

226 Love before Atonement

1 'TWAS not to make Jehovah's love Towards the sinner flame, That Jesus, from His throne above, A suffering man became.

2 'Twas not the death which He endured, Nor all the pangs He bore, That God's eternal love procured, For God was love before.

3 He loved the world of His elect With love surpassing thought; Nor will His mercy e'er neglect The souls so dearly bought.

4 The warm affections of His breast Towards His chosen burn; And in His love He'll ever rest, Nor from His oath return.

5 Still to confirm His oath of old, See in the heavens His bow; No fierce rebukes, but love untold Awaits His children now.

John Kent, 1803