Abba, Father

Verse 1

Behold what wondrous grace
The Father has bestowed
On sinners of a mortal race,
To call them sons of God!

Verse 2

Nor doth it yet appear
How great we must be made;
But when we see our Saviour here
We shall be like our Head.

Verse 3

A hope so much Divine
May trials well endure,
May purge our souls from sense and sin,
As Christ the Lord is pure.

Verse 4

If in my Father’s love
I share a filial part,
Send down Thy Spirit like a dove
To rest upon my heart.

Verse 5

We would no longer lie
Like slaves beneath the throne;
My faith shall “Abba, Father,” cry,
And Thou the kindred own.

Verse 1

In heavenly love abiding,
No change my heart shall fear,
And safe is such confiding,
For nothing changes here.
The storm may roar without me,
My heart may low be laid;
But God is round about me,
And can I be dismayed?

Verse 2

Wherever He may guide me,
No want shall turn me back;
My Shepherd is beside me,
And nothing can I lack.
His wisdom ever waketh,
His sight is never dim;
He knows the way He taketh,
And I will walk with Him.

Verse 3

Green pastures are before me,
Which yet I have not seen;
Bright skies will soon be o’er me,
Where the dark clouds have been.
My hope I cannot measure,
The path to life is free;
My Saviour has my treasure,
And He will walk with me.

Verse 1

Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave, and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou, from hence, my all shalt be:
Perish every fond ambition,
All I’ve sought, or hoped, or known;
Yet how rich is my condition,
God and heaven are still my own.

Verse 2

Man may trouble and distress me,
’Twill but drive me to Thy breast;
Life with trials hard may press me,
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest:
O ’tis not in grief to harm me
While Thy love is left to me;
O ’twere not in joy to charm me,
Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Verse 3

Take, my soul, thy full salvation,
Rise o’er sin and fear and care;
Joy to find in every station
Something still to do or bear;
Think what Spirit dwells within thee,
What a Father’s smile is thine,
What a Saviour died to win thee:
Child of heaven, shouldst thou repine?

Verse 4

Haste, then, on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith, and winged by prayer;
Heaven’s eternal day’s before thee,
God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission;
Swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
Hope soon change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

Verse 1

Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave, and follow Thee;
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou, from hence, my all shalt be:
Perish every fond ambition,
All I’ve sought, or hoped, or known;
Yet how rich is my condition,
God and heaven are still my own.

Verse 2

Man may trouble and distress me,
’Twill but drive me to Thy breast;
Life with trials hard may press me,
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest:
O ’tis not in grief to harm me
While Thy love is left to me;
O ’twere not in joy to charm me,
Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

Verse 3

Take, my soul, thy full salvation,
Rise o’er sin and fear and care;
Joy to find in every station
Something still to do or bear;
Think what Spirit dwells within thee,
What a Father’s smile is thine,
What a Saviour died to win thee:
Child of heaven, shouldst thou repine?

Verse 4

Haste, then, on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith, and winged by prayer;
Heaven’s eternal day’s before thee,
God’s own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission;
Swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
Hope soon change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.

Verse 1

O Holy Saviour, Friend unseen,
Since on Thine arm Thou bidd’st me lean,
Help me, throughout life’s varying scene,
By faith to cling to Thee.

Verse 2

Blest with this fellowship Divine,
Take what Thou wilt, I’ll ne’er repine;
E’en as the branches to the vine,
My soul would cling to Thee.

Verse 3

Far from her home, fatigued, oppressed,
Here she has found her place of rest,
An exile still, yet not unblest,
While she can cling to Thee.

Verse 4

What though the world deceitful prove,
And earthly friends and joys remove,
With patient, uncomplaining love
Still would I cling to Thee.

Verse 5

Though faith and hope may long be tried,
I ask not, need not aught beside;
How safe, how calm, how satisfied,
The souls that cling to Thee!

Verse 6

Blest is my lot, whate’er befall;
What can disturb me, who appal,
While as my Strength, my Rock, my All,
Saviour, I cling to Thee?

Verse 1

O Lamb of God, still keep me
Near to Thy wounded side;
’Tis only there in safety
And peace I can abide.
What foes and snares surround me,
What doubts and fears within!
The grace that sought and found me
Alone can keep me clean.

Verse 2

’Tis only in Thee hiding,
I know my life secure;
Only in Thee abiding,
The conflict can endure:
Thine arm the victory gaineth
O’er every hateful foe;
Thy love my heart sustaineth
In all its care and woe.

Verse 3

Soon shall my eyes behold Thee,
With rapture, face to face;
One half hath not been told me
Of all Thy power and grace;
Thy beauty, Lord, and glory,
The wonders of Thy love,
Shall be the endless story
Of all Thy saints above.

Verse 1

Thou hidden Love of God, whose height,
Whose depth unfathomed, no man knows,
I see from far Thy beauteous light,
Inly I sigh for Thy repose;
My heart is pained, nor can it be
At rest till it finds rest in Thee.

Verse 2

’Tis mercy all, that Thou hast brought
My mind to seek her peace in Thee;
Yet while I seek, but find Thee not,
No peace my wandering soul shall see:
O when shall all my wanderings end,
And all my steps to Thee-ward tend!

Verse 3

Is there a thing beneath the sun
That strives with Thee my heart to share?
Ah! tear it thence, and reign alone,
The Lord of every motion there;
Then shall my heart from earth be free,
When it has found repose in Thee.

Verse 4

O Love, Thy sovereign aid impart
To save me from low-thoughted care;
Chase this self-will through all my heart,
Through all its latent mazes there;
Make me Thy duteous child, that I
Ceaseless may “Abba, Father,” cry.

Verse 5

Each moment draw from earth away
My heart, that lowly waits Thy call;
Speak to my inmost soul, and say,
“I am thy Love, thy God, thy All.”
To feel Thy power, to hear Thy voice,
To taste Thy love, be all my choice.