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Man is born to trouble: and it is of the greatest importance to him that he should know where to turn his eyes in the day of adversity. The Gospel directs us to a reconciled God in Christ Jesus, who has engaged to be our support and comfort under every distress. The Christian has many trials peculiar to himself: but the Gospel is fully adequate to his necessities. Its power to support him may be seen in the passage before us. St. Paul is exhorting Timothy to steadfastness in the cause of Christ: and, for his encouragement, he tells him what was the ground of his own consolations under the heavy afflictions which he was now enduring for the sake of Christ. He tells him, that, notwithstanding he was immured in a dungeon, and in daily expectation of a violent and cruel death, he was neither ‘ashamed’ nor afraid: for that he had a firm persuasion of God’s ability to keep him; and that persuasion afforded him ample support.

Verse 1

’Tis midnight; and on Olive’s brow
The star is dimmed that lately shone;
’Tis midnight; in the garden, now,
The suffering Savior prays alone.

Verse 2

’Tis midnight; and, from all removed,
The Savior wrestles lone with fears;
E’en that disciple whom he loved
Heeds not his Master’s grief and tears.

Verse 3

’Tis midnight; and for others’ guilt
The man of sorrows weeps in blood;
Yet he that hath in anguish knelt
Is not forsaken by his God.

Verse 4

’Tis midnight; and from ether plains
Is borne the song that angels know;
Unheard by mortals are the strains
That sweetly soothe the Savior’s woe.

Verse 1

From Calvary a cry was heard--
A bitter and heart-rending cry;
My Savior! ev’ry mournful word
Bespoke thy soul’s deep agony

Verse 2

A horror of great darkness fell
On thee, thou spotless holy One!
And all the eager hosts of hell
Conspired to tempt God’s only Son.

Verse 3

The scourge, the thorns, the deep disgrace,
These thou could’st bear, nor once repine;
But when Jehovah veiled his face,
Unutterable pangs were thine.

Verse 4

Let the dumb world its silence break;
Let pealing anthems rend the sky;
Awake, my sluggish soul, awake!
He died that we might never die.

Verse 1

Great God, when I approach thy throne
And all thy glory see;
This is my stay, and this alone,
That Jesus died for me.

Verse 2

How can a soul condemned to die,
Escape the just decree?
Helpless and full of sin am I,
But Jesus died for me.

Verse 3

Burdened with sin’s oppressive chain,
Oh, how can I get free?
No peace can all my efforts gain,
But Jesus died for me.

Verse 4

And, Lord, when I behold thy face,
This must be all my plea;
Save me by thy almighty grace,
For Jesus died for me.

Verse 1

O Jesus! sweet the tears I shed,
While at thy cross I kneel,
Gaze on thy wounded, fainting head,
And all thy sorrows feel.

Verse 2

My heart dissolves to see thee bleed,
This heart so hard before;
I hear thee for the guilty plead,
And grief o’erflows the more.

Verse 3

’Twas for the sinful thou didst die,
And I a sinner stand;
What love speaks from thy dying eye,
And from each pierced hand!

Verse 4

I know this cleansing blood of thine
Was shed, dear Lord, for me;
For me, for all--oh, grace divine!--
Who look by faith on thee.

Verse 1

Oppressed with noon-day’s scorching heat,
To yonder cross I flee;
Beneath its shelter take my seat:
No shade like this for me!

Verse 2

Beneath that cross clear waters burst,
A fountain sparkling free;
And there I quench my desert thirst:
No spring like this for me!

Verse 3

A stranger here, I pitch my tent
Beneath this spreading tree;
Here shall my pilgrim life be spent:
No home like this for me!

Verse 4

For burdened ones a resting-place
Beside that cross I see;
Here I cast off my weariness:
No rest like this for me!

Verse 1

The cross, the cross, the blood-stained cross!
The hallowed cross I see;
Reminding me of precious blood
That once was shed for me.

Refrain

Oh, the blood, the precious blood,
That Jesus shed for me;
Upon the cross, in crimson flood,
Just now by faith I see.

Verse 2

The cross, the cross, that heavy cross,
My Savior bore for me;
It bowed him to the earth with grief
On sad Mount Calvary

Verse 3

The wounds, the wounds, those painful wounds;
Oh, they were made for me!
His hands and feet, his holy head,
All pierced and torn I see.

Verse 4

The death, the death, the awful death!
That Jesus died for me;
I heard his groans, his prayer, “Forgive,”
His bleeding side I see.

Verse 5

The love, the love, the matchless love,
That bled upon the tree!
It melts my heart, it wins my love,
It brings me, Lord, to thee.

Verse 1

Are there no wounds for me?
Hast thou received them all?
How can I, Lord, the anguish see,
Beneath which thou didst fall?

Verse 2

’Tis over now, I know,--
That suffering life of thine;
Thy precious blood has ceased to flow,
Thou wear’st thy crown divine;

Verse 3

But yet, I weeping see
The thorns which pierced thy head;
Thou faint’st beneath thy cross for me,
For me to death thou’rt led!

Verse 4

Meekly, with love divine,
Thy holy head is bent,
And streams of blood, for sins of mine,
Flow where thy side is rent.

Verse 5

Beneath this sacred flood
I bow my sinful soul;
Dear Savior, let thy precious blood
Wash me and make me whole.

Verse 1

By thy birth, and by thy tears;
By thy human griefs and fears;
By thy conflict in the hour
Of the subtle tempter’s power--
Savior, look with pitying eye;
Savior, help me, or I die.

Verse 2

By the tenderness that wept
O’er the grave where Laz’rus slept;
By the bitter tears that flow’d
Over Salem’s lost abode--
Savior, look with thy pitying eye;
Savior, help me, or I die.

Verse 3

By thy lonely hour of prayer;
By the fearful conflict there;
By thy cross and dying cries;
By thy one great sacrifice,--
Savior, look with pitying eye;
Savior, help me, or I die.

Verse 4

By thy triumph o’er the grave;
By thy power the lost to save;
By thy high, majestic throne;
By the empire all thine own,--
Savior, look with pitying eye;
Savior, help me, or I die.

Verse 1

In the cross of Christ I glory,
Towering o’er the wrecks of time;
All the light of sacred story
Gathers round its head sublime.

Verse 2

When the woes of life o’ertake me,
Hopes deceive, and fears annoy,
Never shall the cross forsake me;
Lo! it glows with peace and joy.

Verse 3

When the sun of bliss is beaming
Light and love upon my way,
From the cross the radiance streaming
Adds more luster to the day.

Verse 4

Bane and blessing, pain and pleasure
By the cross are sanctified;
Peace is there, that knows no measure,
Joys that through all time abide.

Verse 1

I gave my life for thee,
My precious blood I shed,
That thou mightst ransomed be,
And quickened from the dead;
I gave, I gave my life for thee,
What hast thou given for me?

Verse 2

My Father’s house of light,
My glory-circled throne,
I left for earthly night,
For wand’rings sad and lone;
I left, I left it all for thee,
Hast thou left aught for me?

Verse 3

I suffered much for thee,
More than thy tongue can tell,
Of bitterest agony,
To rescue thee from hell;
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee,
What hast thou borne for me?

Verse 4

And I have brought to thee,
Down from my home above,
Salvation full and free,
My pardon and my love;
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee,
What hast thou brought to me?

Verse 1

Jesus, keep me near the cross
There a precious fountain
Free to all--a healing stream,
Flows from Calvary’s mountain.

Refrain

In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Verse 2

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Shed its beams around me.

Verse 3

Near the cross, O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day,
With its shadows o’er me.

Verse 4

Near the cross I’ll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river.

Verse 1

’Tis midnight; and on Olive’s brow
The star is dimmed that lately shone;
’Tis midnight; in the garden, now,
The suffering Savior prays alone.

Verse 2

’Tis midnight; and, from all removed,
The Savior wrestles lone with fears;
E’en that disciple whom he loved
Heeds not his Master’s grief and tears.

Verse 3

’Tis midnight; and for others’ guilt
The man of sorrows weeps in blood;
Yet he that hath in anguish knelt
Is not forsaken by his God.

Verse 4

’Tis midnight; and from ether plains
Is borne the song that angels know;
Unheard by mortals are the strains
That sweetly soothe the Savior’s woe.

Verse 1

Jesus, keep me near the cross
There a precious fountain
Free to all--a healing stream,
Flows from Calvary’s mountain.

Refrain

In the cross, in the cross,
Be my glory ever,
Till my raptured soul shall find
Rest beyond the river.

Verse 2

Near the cross, a trembling soul,
Love and mercy found me;
There the bright and morning star
Shed its beams around me.

Verse 3

Near the cross, O Lamb of God,
Bring its scenes before me;
Help me walk from day to day,
With its shadows o’er me.

Verse 4

Near the cross I’ll watch and wait,
Hoping, trusting ever,
Till I reach the golden strand,
Just beyond the river.

Verse 1

I gave my life for thee,
My precious blood I shed,
That thou mightst ransomed be,
And quickened from the dead;
I gave, I gave my life for thee,
What hast thou given for me?

Verse 2

My Father’s house of light,
My glory-circled throne,
I left for earthly night,
For wand’rings sad and lone;
I left, I left it all for thee,
Hast thou left aught for me?

Verse 3

I suffered much for thee,
More than thy tongue can tell,
Of bitterest agony,
To rescue thee from hell;
I’ve borne, I’ve borne it all for thee,
What hast thou borne for me?

Verse 4

And I have brought to thee,
Down from my home above,
Salvation full and free,
My pardon and my love;
I bring, I bring rich gifts to thee,
What hast thou brought to me?

“Be not ashamed of your faith; remember it is the ancient gospel of martyrs, confessors, Reformers, and saints. Above all, it is the truth of God, against which the gates of hell cannot prevail. Let your lives adorn your faith, let your example recommend your creed. Above all, live in Christ Jesus, and walk in Him, giving credence to no teaching but that which is manifestly approved of Him, and owned by the Holy Spirit. Cleave fast to the Word of God, which is here mapped out to you. May our Father, who is in Heaven, smile on us as ever!