Christ, Example of

Verse 1

Behold where, in the Friend of man,
Appears each grace divine!
The virtues all in Jesus meet,
With mildest radiance shine.

Verse 2

To spread the rays of heavenly light,
To give the mourner joy,
To preach glad tidings to the poor,
Was his divine employ.

Verse 3

In the last hour of deep distress,
Before his Father’s throne,
With soul resigned, he bowed, and said,
“Thy will, not mine, be done!”

Verse 4

Be Christ our pattern and our guide,
His image may we bear;
Oh, may we tread his sacred steps,
And his bright glories share.

Verse 1

Ever would I fain be reading,
In the ancient holy Book,
Of my Savior’s gentle pleading,
Truth in ev’ry word and look.
How to all the sick and tearful
Help was ever gladly shown;
How he sought the poor and fearful,
Called them brothers and his own.

Verse 2

How no contrite soul e’er sought him,
And was bidden to depart;
How, with gentle words he taught him,
Took the death from out his heart.
Still I read the ancient story,--
And my joy is ever new,--
How for us he left his glory,
How he still is kind and true.

Verse 3

How the flock he gently leadeth,
Whom his Father gave him here;
How his arms he widely spreadeth,
To his heart to draw us near.
Let me kneel, my Lord! before thee,
Let my heart in tears o’erflow,
Melted by thy love adore thee,
Blessed in thee, mid joy or woe.

Verse 1

How beauteous were the marks divine,
That in thy meekness used to shine;
That lit thy lonely pathway, trod
In wondrous love, O Son of God!

Verse 2

Oh, who, like thee, so calm, so bright,
Thou God of God, thou Light of Light!
Oh, who, like thee, did ever go
So patient through a world of woe?

Verse 3

Oh, who, like thee, so humbly bore
The scorn, the scoffs of men before?
So meek, forgiving, godlike, high,
So glorious in humility?

Verse 4

E’en death, which sets the prisoner free,
Was pang, and scoff, and scorn to thee;
Yet love, through all thy torture glowed,
And mercy with thy life-blood flowed.

Verse 5

Oh, in thy light, be mine to go,
Illuming all my way of woe!
And give me ever on the road
To trace thy footsteps, Son of God!

Verse 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.

Verse 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.

Verse 3

Cold mountains and the midnight air
Witnessed the fervor of thy prayer;
The desert thy temptations knew;
Thy conflict and thy victory too.

Verse 4

Be thou my pattern, make me bear
More of thy gracious image here;
Then God, the Judge, shall own my name
Among the followers of the Lamb.

Verse 1

We may not climb the heavenly steeps
To bring the Lord Christ down;
In vain we search the lowest deeps,
For him no depths can drown.

Verse 2

But warm, sweet, tender, even yet
A present help is he;
And faith has yet its Olivet,
And love its Galilee.

Verse 3

The healing of the seamless dress
Is by our beds of pain;
We touch him in life’s throng and press,
And we are whole again.

Verse 4

Through him the first fond prayers are said
Our lips of childhood frame;
The last low whispers of our dead
Are burdened with his name.

Verse 5

O Lord and Master of us all,
Whate’er our name or sign,
We own thy sway, we hear thy call,
We test our lives by thine!

Verse 1

What grace, O Lord, and beauty shone
Around Thy steps below;
What patient love was seen in all
Thy life and death of woe!

Verse 2

For ever on Thy burdened heart
A weight of sorrow hung;
Yet no ungentle, murmuring word
Escaped Thy silent tongue.

Verse 3

Thy foes might hate, despise, revile,
Thy friends unfaithful prove;
Unwearied in forgiveness still,
Thy heart could only love.

Verse 4

O give us hearts to love like Thee,
Like Thee, O Lord, to grieve
Far more for others’ sins than all
The wrongs that we receive.

Verse 5

One with Thyself, may every eye
In us, Thy brethren, see
That gentleness and grace that spring
From union, Lord, with Thee.

Verse 1

What grace, O Lord! and beauty shone
Around thy steps below!
What patient love was seen in all
Thy life and death of woe!

Verse 2

Thy foes might hate, despise, revile,
Thy friends unfaithful prove;
Unwearied in forgiveness still,
Thy heart could only love.

Verse 3

Oh, give us hearts to love like thee;
Like thee, O Lord! to grieve
Far more for others’ sins, than all
The wrongs that we receive.

Verse 4

One with thyself, may every eye,
In us, thy brethren, see
That gentleness and grace that springs
From union, Lord, with thee.