Nearness to God

Verse 1

A few more years shall roll,
A few more seasons come,
And we shall be with those that rest
Asleep within the tomb:
Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that great day;
O wash me in Thy precious blood,
And take my sins away.

Verse 2

A few more storms shall beat
On this wild rocky shore,
And we shall be where tempests cease,
And surges swell no more:
Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that calm day;
O wash me in Thy precious blood,
And take my sins away.

Verse 3

A few more struggles here,
A few more partings o’er,
A few more toils, a few more tears,
And we shall weep no more:
Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that blest day;
O wash me in Thy precious blood,
And take my sins away.

Verse 4

A few more Sabbaths here
Shall cheer us on our way,
And we shall reach the endless rest,
The eternal Sabbath-day:
Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that sweet day;
O wash me in Thy precious blood,
And take my sins away.

Verse 5

’Tis but a little while,
And He shall come again
Who died that we might live, who lives
That we with Him may reign:
Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that glad day;
O wash me in Thy precious blood,
And take my sins away.

Verse 1

As pants the hart for cooling streams,
When heated in the chase,
So pants my soul, O Lord, for thee,
And thy refreshing grace.

Refrain

As pants the hart for cooling streams,
So pants my soul, O Lord, for thee;
As pants the hart for cooling streams,
So pants my soul, O Lord, for thee.

Verse 2

For thee, my God, the living God,
My thirsty soul doth pine;
Oh, when shall I behold thy face,
Thou Majesty divine?

Verse 3

I sigh to think of happier days,
When thou, O Lord, wast nigh,
When ev’ry heart was tuned to praise,
And none more blest than I.

Verse 4

Why restless, why cast down, my soul?
Trust God, and thou shalt sing
His praise again, and find him still
Thy health’s eternal spring.

Verse 1

Beyond the smiling and the weeping
I shall be soon;
Beyond the waking and the sleeping,
Beyond the sowing and the reaping,
I shall be soon.
Love, rest, and home! Sweet hope!
Lord, tarry not, but come.

Verse 2

Beyond the blooming and the fading
I shall be soon;
Beyond the shining and the shading,
Beyond the hoping and the dreading,
I shall be soon.
Love, rest, and home! Sweet hope!
Lord, tarry not, but come.

Verse 3

Beyond the rising and the setting
I shall be soon;
Beyond the calming and the fretting,
Beyond remembering and forgetting,
I shall be soon.
Love, rest, and home! Sweet hope!
Lord, tarry not, but come.

Verse 4

Beyond the parting and the meeting
I shall be soon;
Beyond the farewell and the greeting,
Beyond the pulse’s fever-beating,
I shall be soon.
Love, rest, and home! Sweet hope!
Lord, tarry not, but come.

Verse 5

Beyond the frost-chain and the fever
I shall be soon;
Beyond the rock-waste and the river,
Beyond the ever and the never,
I shall be soon.
Love, rest, and home! Sweet hope!
Lord, tarry not, but come.

Verse 1

I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice,
And it told thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to thee.

Refrain

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To thy precious, bleeding side.

Verse 2

Consecrate me now to thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in thine.

Verse 3

O the pure delight of a single hour
That before thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in pray’r, and with thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend.

Verse 4

There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea,
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with thee.

Verse 1

I am thine, O Lord, I have heard thy voice,
And it told thy love to me;
But I long to rise in the arms of faith,
And be closer drawn to thee.

Refrain

Draw me nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To the cross where thou hast died;
Draw me nearer, nearer, nearer, blessed Lord,
To thy precious, bleeding side.

Verse 2

Consecrate me now to thy service, Lord,
By the pow’r of grace divine;
Let my soul look up with a steadfast hope,
And my will be lost in thine.

Verse 3

O the pure delight of a single hour
That before thy throne I spend,
When I kneel in pray’r, and with thee, my God,
I commune as friend with friend.

Verse 4

There are depths of love that I cannot know
Till I cross the narrow sea,
There are heights of joy that I may not reach
Till I rest in peace with thee.

Verse 1

I hear thy welcome voice
That calls me, Lord, to thee
For cleansing in thy precious blood
That flowed on Calvary.

Refrain

I am coming, Lord!
Coming now to thee!
Wash me, cleanse me, in the blood
That flowed on Calvary.

Verse 2

Tho’ coming weak and vile,
Thou dost my strength assure;
Thou dost my vileness fully cleanse,
Till spotless all and pure.

Verse 3

’Tis Jesus calls me on
To perfect faith and love,
To perfect hope, and peace, and trust,
For earth and heaven above.

Verse 4

’Tis Jesus who confirms
The blessed work within,
By adding grace to welcomed grace,
Where reigned the power of sin.

Verse 5

And he the witness gives
To loyal hearts and free,
That every promise is fulfilled,
If faith but brings the plea.

Verse 6

All hail, atoning blood!
All hail, redeeming grace!
All hail, the gift of Christ, our Lord,
Our strength and righteousness!

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 darkest clouds have been;
My hope I cannot measure,
My path to life is free;
My Savior has my treasure,
And he will walk with me.

Verse 1

In thy cleft, O Rock of Ages,
Hide thou me;
When the fitful tempest rages,
Hide thou me;
Where no mortal arm can sever
From my heart thy love forever,
Hide me, O thou Rock of Ages,
Safe in thee.

Verse 2

From, the snare of sinful pleasure
Hide thou me;
Thou, my soul’s eternal treasure,
Hide thou me;
When the world its power is wielding,
And my heart is almost yielding,
Hide me, O thou Rock of Ages,
Safe in thee.

Verse 3

In the lonely night of sorrow,
Hide thou me;
Till in glory dawns the morrow,
Hide thou me;
In the sight of Jordan’s billow,
Let thy bosom be my pillow,
Hide me, O thou Rock of Ages,
Safe in thee.

We would commend each other to Thee, in all the variety of our condition. Especially we pray that Thou wouldst be near any who may have a hard fight in the world, who may have burdens to carry that they do not expect ever to lose, or ever to be fit to carry in their own strength. Comfort all sad hearts, enlighten all that may need guidance and light. Be near us in all the variety of our circumstances, and mould Thy gifts according to our characters and dispositions. And we pray that by whatever variety of method Thy providence may be working with any of us, may we be able to recognise the unity of purpose in all the various ways which Thou dost take, and may work together with God to make all things contribute to the highest end, even our perfecting.

O Lord our God, from Whom cometh every good and perfect gift, give us, we pray Thee, the consciousness of Thy presence in this hour of worship, and grant that whatever we may each of us most need for our inward life we may find here and now. Draw our hearts to Thyself, we beseech Thee; prepare us for better service; help each of us to pass beyond the outward forms of worship; and to come, in the silence of our minds, into the secret place of the Most High. Flash Thy truth upon all our hearts and minds, help us in hearing and in speaking, bless us each as we severally require, receive our thanks for the individual and private blessings which we each possess, and for the universal gift which we each may have—the unspeakable gift of God in Jesus Christ. Hear us, we pray Thee, and grant us Thy presence and help now, for our Saviour Christ’s sake.

O Lord, regard each of us as we are here before Thee this morning, and in Thy great mercy help us really to draw near to Thee. How often, how long, and how far we have wandered from Thee Thou knowest, and we partly know. We are glad that our brethren do not know. We pray that we may know it better; and we beseech Thee that Thou wouldst now, in Thy grace and according to Thy promises, move upon all our hearts and bring us very near to Thyself in grateful love and quiet dependence, and longing aspiration after Thee; that our minds and hearts and wills may all be filled, hallowed, strengthened by Thy felt presence; and that we may be able more and more to do Thy will, and to rejoice in Thyself. We need Thy strength at every turn in our daily lives, and we bless Thee that we get all that we need if only we will take it. Lord! Be Thou near each of us, our Light and our Salvation, the strength of our hearts and our portion for ever. And help us, whatever burdens we have to carry, and whatever sorrows Thou layest upon us, and whatever heavy tasks we may have to bear, whatever perplexities may gnaw at our hearts, whatever difficulties may block our paths, help us to cast ourselves into Thy outstretched hands, and commit the keeping of bodies and souls unto Thee as to a faithful Creator and a loving Father. May we have, in all times and in all conflicts deeper than the strife, the peace which passes understanding and garrisons heart and mind.