Inspiration of Scripture

Verse 1

Christ in His word draws near;
Hush, moaning voice of fear,
He bids thee cease;
With songs sincere and sweet
Let us arise, and meet
Him who comes forth to greet
Our souls with peace.

Verse 2

Rising above thy care,
Meet Him as in the air,
O weary heart;
Put on joy’s sacred dress;
Lo, as He comes to bless,
Quite from thy weariness
Set free thou art.

Verse 3

For works of love and praise
He brings thee summer days,
Warm days and bright;
Winter is past and gone,
Now He, salvation’s Sun,
Shineth on every one
With mercy’s light.

Verse 4

From the bright sky above,
Clad in His robes of love,
’Tis He, our Lord!
Dim earth itself grows clear,
As His light draweth near:
O let us hush and hear
His holy word.

Verse 1

Father of mercies, in Thy word
What endless glory shines;
For ever be Thy Name adored
For these celestial lines.

Verse 2

Here may the wretched sons of want
Exhaustless riches find,
Riches above what earth can grant,
And lasting as the mind.

Verse 3

Here the Redeemer’s welcome voice
Spreads heavenly peace around;
And life and everlasting joys
Attend the blissful sound.

Verse 4

O may these heavenly pages be
My ever dear delight;
And still new beauties may I see,
And still increasing light.

Verse 5

Divine Instructor, gracious Lord,
Be Thou forever near;
Teach me to love Thy sacred word,
And view my Saviour there.

Verse 1

God, in the gospel of His Son,
Makes His eternal counsels known;
Where love in all its glory shines,
And truth is drawn in fairest lines.

Verse 2

Here sinners of a humble frame
May taste His grace, and learn His Name;
May read, in characters of blood,
The wisdom, power, and grace of God.

Verse 3

The prisoner here may break his chains;
The weary rest from all his pains;
The captive feel his bondage cease;
The mourner find the way of peace.

Verse 4

Here faith reveals to mortal eyes
A brighter world beyond the skies;
Here shines the light which guides our way
From earth to realms of endless day.

Verse 5

O grant us grace, Almighty Lord,
To read and mark Thy holy word;
Its truths with meekness to receive,
And by its holy precepts live.

Verse 1

How precious is the Book Divine,
By inspiration given:
Bright as a lamp its doctrines shine,
To guide our souls to heaven.

Verse 2

It sweetly cheers our drooping hearts,
In this dark vale of tears;
Life, light, and joy it still imparts,
And quells our rising fears.

Verse 3

This lamp, through all the tedious night
Of life, shall guide our way,
Till we behold the clearer light
Of an eternal day.

Verse 1

Lamp of our feet, whereby we trace
Our path when wont to stray;
Stream from the fount of heavenly grace,
Brook by the traveller’s way;

Verse 2

Bread of our souls, whereon we feed,
True manna from on high;
Our guide and chart, wherein we read
Of realms beyond the sky;

Verse 3

Pillar of fire, through watches dark,
Or radiant cloud by day;
When waves would whelm our tossing bark,
Our anchor and our stay;

Verse 4

Word of the ever-living God,
Will of His glorious Son:
Without thee how could earth be trod,
Or heaven itself be won?

Verse 5

Yet to unfold thy hidden worth,
Thy mysteries to reveal,
That Spirit which first gave thee forth
Thy volume must unseal.

Verse 6

And we, if we aright would learn
The wisdom it imparts,
Must to its heavenly teaching turn
With simple, childlike hearts.

Verse 1

Lord, Thy word abideth,
And our footsteps guideth;
Who its truth believeth
Light and joy receiveth.

Verse 2

When our foes are near us,
Then Thy word doth cheer us,
Word of consolation,
Message of salvation.

Verse 3

When the storms are o’er us,
And dark clouds before us,
Then its light directeth,
And our way protecteth.

Verse 4

Who can tell the pleasure,
Who recount the treasure,
By Thy word imparted
To the simple-hearted?

Verse 5

Word of mercy, giving
Succor to the living;
Word of life, supplying
Comfort to the dying!

Verse 6

O that we, discerning
Its most holy learning,
Lord, may love and fear Thee,
Evermore be near Thee.

Verse 1

O Word of God Incarnate,
O Wisdom from on high,
O Truth unchanged, unchanging,
O Light of our dark sky;
We praise Thee for the radiance
That from the hallowed page,
A lantern to our footsteps,
Shines on from age to age.

Verse 2

The Church from her dear Master
Received the gift Divine,
And still that light she lifteth
O’er all the earth to shine.
It is the golden casket,
Where gems of truth are stored;
It is the heaven-drawn picture
Of Christ, the living Word.

Verse 3

It floateth like a banner
Before God’s host unfurled;
It shineth like a beacon
Above the darkling world.
It is the chart and compass
That o’er life’s surging sea,
‘Mid mists and rocks and quicksands,
Still guides, O Christ, to Thee.

Verse 4

O make Thy Church, dear Saviour,
A lamp of purest gold,
To bear before the nations
Thy true light, as of old.
O teach Thy wandering pilgrims
By this their path to trace,
Till, clouds and darkness ended,
They see Thee face to face.

Verse 1

The heavens declare Thy glory, Lord;
In every star Thy wisdom shines;
But when our eyes behold Thy word,
We read Thy Name in fairer lines.

Verse 2

The rolling sun, the changing light,
And nights and days, Thy power confess;
But the blest volume Thou hast writ
Reveals Thy justice and Thy grace.

Verse 3

Sun, moon, and stars convey Thy praise
Round the whole earth, and never stand;
So when Thy truth began its race,
It touched and glanced on every land.

Verse 4

Nor shall Thy spreading gospel rest
Till through the world Thy truth has run,
Till Christ has all the nations blest
That see the light, or feel the sun.

Verse 5

Great Sun of Righteousness, arise;
Bless the dark world with heavenly light;
Thy gospel makes the simple wise,
Thy laws are pure, Thy judgments right.

Verse 6

Thy noblest wonders here we view
In souls renewed, and sins forgiven:
Lord, cleanse my sins, my soul renew,
And make Thy word my guide to heaven.

Verse 1

The Spirit breathes upon the word,
And brings the truth to sight;
Precepts and promises afford
A sanctifying light.

Verse 2

A glory gilds the sacred page,
Majestic, like the sun;
It gives a light to every age;
It gives, but borrows none.

Verse 3

The Hand that gave it still supplies
The gracious light and heat:
His truths upon the nations rise;
They rise, but never set.

Verse 4

Let everlasting thanks be Thine
For such a bright display
As makes a world of darkness shine
With beams of heavenly day.

Verse 5

My soul rejoices to pursue
The steps of Him I love,
Till glory break upon my view
In brighter worlds above.