Our Lord in Heaven

325 Prevalent Intercession 1 AWAKE, sweet gratitude, and sing Th' ascended Saviour's love;

Tell how He lives to carry on His people's cause above.

2 With cries and tears He offer'd up His humble suit below; But with authority He asks, Enthroned in glory now.

3 For all that come to God by Him, Salvation He demands;

Points to their names upon His breast, And spreads His wounded hands.

4 His covenant and sacrifice Give sanction to His claim;

"Father, I will that all my saints Be with me where I am.

5 "By their salvation, recompense The sorrows I endured;

Just to the merits of Thy Son, And faithful to Thy word."

6 Eternal life, at His request, To every saint is given;

Safety on earth, and after death, The plenitude of heaven.

Augustus M. Toplady, 1771

326 "He ever liveth."

1 HE lives, the great Redeemer lives, (What joy the blest assurance gives!) And now before His Father God, Pleads the full merit of His blood.

2 Repeated crimes awake our fears, And justice arm'd with frowns appears; But in the Saviour's lovely face Sweet mercy smiles, and all is peace.

3 Hence, then, ye black despairing thoughts;

Above our fears, above our faults, His powerful intercessions rise; And guilt recedes, and terror dies.

4 In every dark distressful hour, When sin and Satan join their power, Let this dear hope repel the dart, That Jesus bears us on His heart.

5 Great Advocate, Almighty Friend, On Him our humble hopes depend: Our cause can never, never fail, For Jesus pleads, and must prevail.

Anne Steele, 1760.

327"Touched with a feeling of our infirmities."

1 WHERE high the heavenly temple stands, The house of God not made with hands, A great High Priest our nature wears, The Patron of mankind appears.

2 He, who for men their Surety stood, And pour'd on earth His precious blood, Pursues in heaven His mighty plan, The Saviour and the Friend of man.

3 Though now ascended up on high, He bends on earth a brother's eye;

Partaker of the human name, He knows the frailty of our frame.

4 Our fellow sufferer yet retains A fellow feeling of our pains, And still remembers in the skies, His tears, and agonies, and cries.

5 In every pang that rends the heart, The Man of Sorrows had a part;

He sympathizes in our grief, And to the sufferer sends relief.

6 With boldness therefore at the throne, Let us make all our sorrows known, And ask the aid of heavenly power To help us in the evil hour.

Michael Bruce, 1770, a.

328
Christ's Compassion to the Weak 1 WITH joy we meditate the grace Of our High Priest above; His heart is made of tenderness, His bowels melt with love.

2 Touch'd with a sympathy within, He knows our feeble frame;

He knows what sore temptations mean, For He has felt the same.

3 But spotless, innocent, and pure, The great Redeemer stood, While Satan's fiery darts He bore, And did resist to blood.

4 He, in the days of feeble flesh, Pour'd out His cries and tears, And in His measure feels afresh What every member bears.

5 Then let our humble faith address His mercy and His power, We shall obtain delivering grace In the distressing hour.

Isaac Watts, 1709

329 Faith triumphant in her living Lord

1 WHO shall the Lord's elect condemn?

'Tis God that justifies their souls; And mercy like a mighty stream, O'er all their sins divinely rolls.

2 Who shall adjudge the saints to hell?

'Tis Christ that suffer'd in their stead;

And, their salvation to fulfil, Behold Tim rising from the dead.

3 He lives, He lives, and sits above, For ever interceding there; Who shall divide us from His love? Or what should tempt us to despair?

4 Shall persecution, or distress, Famine, or sword, or nakedness?

He that hath loved us bears us through, And makes us more than conquerors too.

5 Faith hath an overcoming power, It triumphs in the dying hour:

Christ is our life, our joy, our hope, Nor can we sink with such a prop.

6 Not all that men on earth can do. Nor powers on high, nor powers below, Shall cause His mercy to remove, Or wean our hearts from Christ our love.

Isaac Watts, 1709

330 Preservation by His Plea

1 THERE is a Shepherd kind and strong, Still watchful for His sheep: Nor shall the infernal lion rend Whom He vouchsafes to keep.

2 Blest Jesus, intercede for us, That we may fall no more;

Oh raise us, when we prostrate He, And comfort lost restore.

3 Thy secret energy impart. That faith may never fail; But under showers of fiery darts, That temper'd shield prevail.

Philip Doddridge, 1755.

331 The Power of the risen Lord

1 JESUS, the name high over all, In hell, or earth, or sky, Angels and men before it fall, And devils fear and fly.

2 Jesus, the name to sinners dear, The name to sinners given, It scatters all their guilty fear, And turns their hell to heaven.

3 Jesus the prisoner's fetters breaks, And bruises Satan's head;

Power into strength less souls it speaks, And life into the dead.

4 His only righteousness I show, His saving truth proclaim;

'Tis all my business here below To cry, "Behold the Lamb!"

5 Happy, if with my latest breath I may but gasp His name;

Preach Him to all, and cry in death, "Behold, behold the Lamb!"

Charles Wesley, 1749.

332

He must reign

1 'TIS past—that agonizing hour Of torture and of shame; And Jesus is gone up with power, His promised throne to claim.

2 The Father heard Him when He cried From sorrow's deepest flood; And gave Him those for whom He died, The purchase of His blood.

3 The first fruits have been gather'd in, The work of love begun; But brighter years shall soon begin Their glorious course to run.

4 The name of Jesus shall be known To earth's remotest bound;

Nations shall bow before His throne, And hail the joyful sound.

5 His summons shall awake the dead, And break the captive's chain, Till o'er a ransom'd world shall spread Christ's universal reign.

William Hiley Bathurst, 1831

333"He shall reign for ever and ever"

1 LOOK, ye saints, the sight is glorious, See the "Man of Sorrows" now; From the fight return'd victorious, Every knee to Him shall bow:

Crown Him, crown Him;

Crowns become the Victor's brow.

2 Grown the Saviour, angels, crown Him;

Rich the trophies Jesus brings: In the seat of power enthrone Him, While the vault of heaven rings:

Crown Him, crown Him:

Crown the Saviour, "King of kings."

3 Sinners in derision crown'd Him, Mocking thus the Saviour's claim;

Saints and angels crowd around Him, Own His title, praise His name;

Crown Him, crown Him;

Spread abroad the Victor's fame.

4 Hark! those bursts of acclamation!

Hark! those loud triumphant chords!

Jesus takes the highest station!

Oh what joy the sight affords!

Crown Him, crown Him, "King of kings, and Lord of lords."

Thomas Kelly, 1809.

334 The Kingdom of Christ

1 REJOICE, the Lord is King, Your Lord and King adore;

Mortals, give thanks and sing, And triumph evermore:

Lift up the heart, lift up the voice, Rejoice aloud, ye saints, rejoice.

2 Jesus the Saviour reigns, The God of truth and love: When He had purged our stains, He took His seat above:

Lift up, &c.

3 His kingdom cannot fail, He rules o'er earth and heaven; The keys of death and hell Are to our Jesus given:

Lift up, &c.

4 He all His foes shall quell, Shall all our sins destroy, And every bosom swell With pure seraphic joy:

Lift up, &c.

5 Rejoice in glorious hope, Jesus, the Judge shall come, And take His servants up To their eternal home:

We soon shall hear the archangel's voice, The trump of God shall sound, Rejoice.

Charles Wesley, 1746, a.

335

Reigning Power

1 REJOICE, the Saviour reigns Among the sons of men;

He breaks the prisoner's chains, And makes them free again;

Let hell oppose God's only Son, In spite of foes His cause goes on.

2 The cause of righteousness, Of truth and holy peace, Design'd our world to bless, Shall spread and never cease;

Gentile and Jew their souls shall bow, Allegiance due with rapture vow.

3 The baffled prince of hell In vain new efforts tries, Truth's empire to repel By cruelty and lies;

Th' infernal gates shall rage in vain, Conquest awaits the Lamb once slain.

4 He died, but soon arose Triumphant o'er the grave; And still Himself He shows Omnipotent to save;

Let rebels kiss the Victor's feet, Eternal bliss His subjects meet.

5 All power is in His hand, His people to defend; To His most high command Shall millions more attend:

All heaven with smiles approves His cause, And distant isles receive His laws.

John Ryland, 1792.

336 Christ Glorified

1 THE head that once was crown'd with thorns, Is crown'd with glory now; A royal diadem adorns The mighty Victor's brow.

2 The highest place that heaven affords Is His, is His by right, The King of kings, and Lord of lords, And heaven's eternal light.

3 The joy of all who dwell above, The joy of all below, To whom He manifests His love, And grants His Name to know.

4 We suffer with our Lord below, We reign with Him above, Our profit and our joy to know The mystery of His love.

5 The cross He bore is life and health, Though shame and death to Him; His people's hope, His people's wealth, Their everlasting theme.

Thomas Kelly, 1820.

337 The Glory of Christ in Heaven

1 OH the delights, the heavenly joys, The glories of the place Where Jesus sheds the brightest beams Of His o'erflowing grace!

2 Sweet majesty and awful love Sit smiling on His brow, And all the glorious ranks above At bumble distance bow.

3 Those soft, those blessed feet of His, That once rude iron tore, High on a throne of light they stand, And all the saints adore.

4 His head, the dear majestic head That cruel thorns did wound, See what immortal glories shine, And circle it around!

5 This is the Man, th' exalted Man, Whom we unseen adore; But when our eyes behold His face, Our hearts shall love Him more.

Isaac Watts, 1709.

338 Our Victorious Lord

1 CROWNS of glory ever bright Rest upon the Conqueror's head;

Crowns of glory are His right, His, "Who liveth and was dead."

2 He subdued the powers of hell, In the fight He stood alone;

All His foes before Him fell, By His single arm o'erthrown.

3 His the battle, His the toil; His the honours of the day; His the glory and the spoil;

Jesus bears them all away.

4 Now proclaim His deeds afar, Fill the world with His renown: His alone the Victor's car; His the everlasting crown!

Thomas Kelly, 1806.

339 "In Thy Majesty ride prosperously."

1 LET us sing the King Messiah, King of righteousness and peace!

Hail Him, all His happy subjects, Never let His praises cease:

Ever hail Him, Never let His praises cease.

2 How transcendent are Thy glories, Fairer than the sons of men;

While Thy blessed mediation Brings us back to God again:

Blest Redeemer, How we triumph in Thy reign!

3 Gird Thy sword on, mighty Hero!

Make the Word of truth Thy car;

Prosper in Thy course majestic;

All success attend Thy war!

Gracious Victor, Let mankind before Thee bow!

4 Majesty, combined with meekness, Righteousness and peace unite To insure Thy blessed conquests.

On, great Prince, assert Thy right!

Ride triumphant, All around the conquer'd globe!

5 Blest are all that touch Thy sceptre, Blest are all that own Thy reign;

Freed from sin, that worst of tyrants, Rescued from its galling chain:

Saints and angels, All who know Thee, bless Thy reign.

John Ryland, 1790.

340 At the right Hand of God

1 HE who on earth as man was known, And bore our sins and pains, Now, seated on th' eternal throne, The God of glory reigns.

2 His hands the wheels of nature guide With an unerring skill, And countless worlds, extended wide, Obey His sovereign will.

3 While harps unnumber'd sound His praise In yonder world above, His saints on earth admire His ways, And glory in His love.

4 When troubles, like a burning son, Beat heavy on their head, To this almighty Rock they run, And find a pleasing shade.

5 How glorious He, how happy they In such a glorious Friend! Whose love secures them all the way, And crowns them at the end.

John Newton, 1779.