Our Lord's Life on Earth

262 His Divine Example

1 MY dear Redeemer and my Lord, I read my duty in Thy Word; But in Thy life the law appears Drawn out in living characters.

2 Such was Thy truth, and such Thy zeal, Such deference to Thy Father's will, Such love, and meekness so divine, I would transcribe and make them mine.

3 Cold mountains and the midnight air Witness'd the fervour of Thy prayer; The desert Thy temptation knew, Thy conflict and Thy victory too.

4 Be Thou my pattern; make me bear More of Thy gracious image here;

Then God the Judge shall own my name Amongst the followers of the Lamb.

Isaac Watts, 1709.

263 Imitation of Jesus

1 LORD, as to Thy dear Cross we flee, And plead to be forgiven, So let Thy life our pattern be, And form our souls for heaven.

2 Help us, through good report and ill, Our daily cross to bear;

Like Thee, to do our Father's will, Our brethren's griefs to share.

3 Let grace our selfishness expel, Our earthliness refine; And kindness in our bosoms dwell, As free and true as Thine.

4 If joy shall at Thy bidding fly, And griefs dark day come on, We, in our turn, would meekly cry, "Father, Thy will be done."

5 Kept peaceful in the midst of strife, Forgiving and forgiven, Oh may we lead the pilgrim's life, And follow Thee to heaven!

John Hampden Gurney, 1851.

264 The Mind of Christ

1 FATHER of eternal grace, May we all resemble Thee;

Meekly beaming in our face, May the world Thine image see.

2 Happy only in Thy love, Poor, unfriended, or unknown;

Fix our thoughts on things above, Stay our hearts on Thee alone.

3 Humble, holy, all resign'd To Thy will—Thy will be done!

Give us, Lord, the perfect mind Of Thy well-beloved Son.

4 Counting gain and glory loss, May we tread the path He trod:

Bear with Him on earth our cross, Rise with Him to Thee, our God.

James Montgomery, 1808

265 His love to Souls

1 DID Christ o'er sinners weep, And shall our cheeks be dry?

Let floods of penitential grief Burst forth from every eye.

2 The Son of God in tears, Angels with wonder see! Be thou astonish'd, O my soul, He shed those tears for Thee.

3 He wept that we might weep;

Each sin demands a tear: In heaven alone no sin is found, And there's no weeping there.

Benjamin Beddome, 1818.

266 His Fellowship with us

1 PILGRIMS here on earth and strangers, 'Neath a weary load we bend:

Oh! how sweet, 'mid toils and dangers, Still to have a heavenly Friend!

Christ has suffer'd, And to sufferers grace will send

2 By as deadly foes assaulted, By as strong temptations tried, Still His footsteps never halted, On from strength to strength He hied.

What could move Him, With Jehovah at His side?

3 To the shameful cross they nail'd Him, And that cross became His throne: In the tomb they laid and seal'd Him;

Lo, the Saviour bursts the stone,

And, ascending, Claims all empire as His own.

4 Jesu, from Thy heavenly glories, Here an eye of mercy cast;

Make our path still plain before us, Smooth the wave, and still the blast.

Thou hast help'd us:

Bear us safely home at last.

Henry Francis Lyte, 1834.

267 His Work as God's Anointed

1 THUS saith God of His Anointed:

He shall let My people go;

'Tis the work for Him appointed, 'Tis the work that He shall do; And My city He shall found, and build it too.

2 He whom man with scorn refuses, Whom the favour'd nation hates, He it is Jehovah chooses, Him the highest place awaits;

Kings and princes Shall do homage at His gates.

3 He shall humble all the scorners;

He shall fill His foes with shame;

He shall raise and comfort mourners By the sweetness of His name; To the captives He shall liberty proclaim.

4 He shall gather those that wander'd; When they hear the trumpet's sound, They shall join His sacred standard, They shall come and flock around;

He shall save them;

They shall be with glory crown'd.

Thomas Kelly, 1809.

268 Despised and rejected of Men

1 REJECTED and despised of men, Behold a man of woe! And grief His close companion still Through all His life below!

2 Yet all the griefs He felt were ours, Ours were the woes He bore;

Pangs not His own, His spotless soul With bitter anguish tore.

3 We held Him as condemn'd of heaven, An outcast from His God;

While for our sins He groan'd, He bled, Beneath His Father's rod.

4 His sacred blood hath wash'd our souls From sin's polluting stain; His stripes have heal'd us, and His death Revived our souls again.

William Robertson, 1751