Ordinances

Verse 1

Bread of heaven, on thee we feed
For thy flesh is meat indeed;
Ever let our souls be fed
With this true and living bread.

Verse 2

Vine of heaven, thy blood supplies
This blest cup of sacrifice;
Lord, thy wounds our healing give;
To thy cross we look and live.

Verse 3

Day by day with strength supplied,
Thro’ the life of him who died,
Lord of life, oh, let us be
Rooted, grafted, built on thee.

Verse 1

How blest the hour when first we gave
Our guilty souls to thee, O God;
A cheerful sacrifice of love,
Bought with the Savior’s precious blood.

Verse 2

How blest the vow we here record!
How blest the grace we now receive!
Buried in baptism with our Lord,
New lives of holiness to live.

Verse 3

How blest the solemn rite that seals
Our death to sin, our guilt forgiven;--
How blest the emblem that reveals
God reconciled and peace with heaven.

Verse 4

Thus through the emblematic grave
The glorious, suffering Savior trod;
Thou art our pattern, through the wave
We follow thee, blest Son of God.

Verse 1

Jesus, thou Joy of loving hearts!
Thou Fount of life! thou Light of men!
From the best bliss that earth imparts,
We turn unfilled to thee again.

Verse 2

Thy truth unchanged hath ever stood;
Thou savest those that on thee call;
To them that seek thee, thou art good,
To them that find thee,--All in all!

Verse 3

We taste thee, oh, thou living Bread!
And long to feast upon thee still;
We drink of thee, the Fountain Head,
And thirst our souls from thee to fill.

Verse 4

Our restless spirits yearn for thee,
Where’er our changeful lot is cast;
Glad, when thy gracious smile we see,
Blest, when our faith can hold thee fast.

Verse 5

O Jesus! ever with us stay;
Make all our moments calm and bright;
Chase the dark night of sin away;
Shed o’er the world thy holy light.

Verse 1

My God! and is thy table spread?
And does thy cup with love o’erflow?
Thither be all thy children led,
And let them all its sweetness know.

Verse 2

Hail! sacred feast, which Jesus makes!
Rich banquet of his flesh and blood;
Thrice happy he, who here partakes
That sacred stream, that heavenly food!

Verse 3

Oh! let thy table honored be,
And furnished well with joyful guests;
And may each soul salvation see,
That here its sacred pledges tastes.

Verse 4

Let crowds approach, with hearts prepared;
With hearts inflamed let all attend;
Nor, when we leave our Father’s board,
The pleasure or the profit end.

Verse 1

Our children, Lord, in faith and prayer
We now devote to thee;
Let them thy covenant mercies share,
And thy salvation see.

Verse 2

In early days their hearts secure
From worldly snares, we pray;
And let them to the end endure
In every righteous way.

Verse 3

Grant us before them, Lord, to live
In holy faith and fear;
And then to heaven our souls receive
And bring our children there.

Verse 1

That dreadful night before his death,
The Lamb, for sinners slain,
Did, almost with his dying breath,
This solemn feast ordain.

Verse 2

To keep the feast, Lord, we have met,
And to remember thee;
Help each poor trembler to repeat--
For me he died, for me.

Verse 3

Thy suff’rings, Lord, each sacred sign
To our remembrance brings;
We eat the bread and drink the wine,
But think on nobler things.

Verse 4

Oh, tune our tongues, and set in frame
Each heart that pants for thee,
To sing, Hosanna to the Lamb,
The Lamb that died for me.

Verse 1

“Till he come!” oh, let the words
Linger on the trembling chords,
Let the “little while” between
In their golden light be seen;
Let us think how heav’n and home
Lie beyond that “Till he come!”

Verse 2

When the weary ones we love
Enter on that rest above,
When their words of love and cheer
Fall no longer on our ear,
Hush! be ev’ry murmur dumb,
It is only “Till he come!”

Verse 3

Clouds and darkness round us press;
Would we have one sorrow less?
All the sharpness of the cross,
All that tells the world is loss,
Death, and darkness, and the tomb
Pain us only “Till he come!”

Verse 4

See, the feast of love is spread,
Drink the wine and eat the bread:
Sweet memorials, till the Lord
Call us round his heavn’ly board;
Some from earth, from glory some,
Severed only “Till he come!”

Verse 1

“Till he come!” oh, let the words
Linger on the trembling chords,
Let the “little while” between
In their golden light be seen;
Let us think how heav’n and home
Lie beyond that “Till he come!”

Verse 2

When the weary ones we love
Enter on that rest above,
When their words of love and cheer
Fall no longer on our ear,
Hush! be ev’ry murmur dumb,
It is only “Till he come!”

Verse 3

Clouds and darkness round us press;
Would we have one sorrow less?
All the sharpness of the cross,
All that tells the world is loss,
Death, and darkness, and the tomb
Pain us only “Till he come!”

Verse 4

See, the feast of love is spread,
Drink the wine and eat the bread:
Sweet memorials, till the Lord
Call us round his heavn’ly board;
Some from earth, from glory some,
Severed only “Till he come!”