William Hurn, 1813.

1O3 Salvation Morning, 7s & 6s.

God’s Salvation Morning.

What means this glorious radiance
  Across Judea’s plain? 
Those white-winged angels singing
  In such exultant strain?

Cho.—­The King of glory cometh,
      Earth’s broken hearts to bind,
      And God’s salvation morning
      Hath dawned for all mankind.

2 What means this wondrous story
  The holy angels tell? 
Of one who reigned in heaven,
  And now on earth would dwell?

3 Why bend these Eastern sages
  To one of lowly birth? 
What means this heav’nly message
  Of love and peace on earth?

4 Ye wand’rers in earth’s darkness,
  On ocean deep and land,
Hail! hail! the joyful tidings,
  The morning is at hand.

     M. E. Servoss.

104 Invitation.  C.M.

The Forgiving One. (232)

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

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

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.

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

     Edward Denny, 1839.

105 Invitation.  C.M.

The True Test.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

     J. G. Whittier.

106 Invitation.  C.M.

Childhood of Jesus. (228)

In stature grows the heavenly Child,
  With death before his eyes;
A Lamb unblemished, meek and mild,
  Prepared for sacrifice.

2 The Son of God his glory hides
  With parents mean and poor;
And he who made the heavens abides
  In dwelling-place obscure.

3 Those mighty hands that stay the sky
  No earthly toil refuse;
And he who set the stars on high
  A humble trade pursues.