Out of the depths I cry to Thee

June 15

Out of the depths I cry to Thee,
Lord, hear me, I implore Thee!
Bend down Thy gracious ear to me,
Let my prayer come before Thee!
If Thou remember each misdeed,
If each should have its rightful meed,
Who may abide Thy presence?

Our pardon is Thy gift; Thy love
And grace alone avail us.
Our works could ne’er our guilt remove,
The strictest life must fail us.
That none may boast himself of aught,
But own in fear Thy grace hath wrought
What in him seemeth righteous.

And thus my hope is in the Lord,
And not in my own merit:
I rest upon His faithful word
To them of contrite spirit.
That He is merciful and just,-
Here is my comfort and my trust.
His help I wait with patience.

And though it tarry till the night,
And round till morning waken,
My heart shall ne’er mistrust Thy might,
Nor count itself forsaken.
Do thus, O ye of Israel’s seed,
Ye of the Spirit born indeed,
Wait for your God’s appearing.

Though great our sins and sore our woes,
His grace much more aboundeth;
His helping love no limit knows,
Our utmost need it soundeth.
Our kind and faithful Shepherd, He,
Who shall at last set Israel free
From all their sin and sorrow.
     Martin Luther Tr. Catherine Winkworth

Come, ye that love the Lord

June 14

Come, ye that love the Lord,
And let your joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord,
While ye surround His throne.
Let those refuse to sing
Who never knew our God;
But children of the heavenly King
May speak their joys abroad.

The God Who rules on high,
Who all the earth surveys,
Who rides upon the stormy sky,
And calms the roaring seas:
This awful God is ours,
Our Father and our Love;
He will send down His heavenly powers
To carry us above.

There we shall see His face,
And never, never sin;
There, from the rivers of His grace,
Drink endless pleasures in.
Then let our songs abound,
And every tear be dry;
We’re marching through Emmanuel’s ground
To fairer worlds on high.
     Isaac Watts altered

Give to our God immortal praise

June 13

Give to our God immortal praise!
Mercy and truth are all His ways.
Wonders of grace to God belong;
Repeat His mercies in your song.

Give to the Lord of lords renown,
The King of kings with glory crown,
His mercies ever shall endure,
When lords and kings are known no more.

He sent His Son with power to save
From guilt and darkness and the grave,
Wonders of grace to God belong;
Repeat His mercies in your song.

Through this vain world He guides our feet,
And leads us to His heavenly seat,
His mercies ever shall endure,
When this vain world shall be no more.
     Isaac Watts

To God the only wise

June 12

To God the only wise,
Our Saviour and our King,
Let all the saints below the skies
Their humble praises bring.

’Tis His almighty love,
His counsel, and His care,
Preserves us safe from sin and death,
And ev’ry hurtful snare.

He will present our souls
Unblemished and complete
Before the glory of His face
With joys divinely great.

Then all His faithful sons
Shall meet around the throne,
Shall bless the conduct of His grace,
And make His wonders known.

To our Redeemer God,
Wisdom and power belongs,
Immortal crowns of majesty,
And everlasting songs.
     Isaac Watts

Oh, sometimes the shadows are deep

Oh, sometimes the shadows are deep,

And rough seems the path to the goal;
And sorrows, how often they sweep,
Like tempests, down over the soul!

Oh, sometimes how long seems the day,
And sometimes how heavy my feet;
But, toiling in life’s dusty way,
The Rock’s blessed shadow, how sweet!

Oh, near to the Rock let me keep,
Or blessings, or sorrows prevail;
Or climbing the mountain way steep,
Or walking the shadowy vale.

Chorus
Oh, then to the Rock let me fly,
To the Rock that is higher than I;
Oh, then to the Rock let me fly,
To the Rock that is higher than I.
     E. Johnson

O bless the Lord, my soul!

June 9

O bless the Lord, my soul!
Let all within me join
And aid my tongue to bless His Name,
Whose favors are divine.

O bless the Lord, my soul!
Nor let His mercies lie
Forgotten in unthankfulness,
And without praises die.

‘Tis He forgives thy sins;
‘Tis He relieves thy pain;
‘Tis He that heals thy sicknesses,
And gives thee strength again.

He crowns thy life with love,
When ransomed from the grave;
He that redeemed my soul from death
Hath sovereign power to save.

He fills the poor with good;
He gives the sufferers rest;
The Lord hath judgments for the proud,
And justice for the oppressed.

His wondrous works and ways
He made by Moses known,
But sent the world His truth and grace
By His beloved Son.
     Isaac Watts, altered

Lord, with glowing heart I’d praise Thee

June 8

Lord, with glowing heart I’d praise Thee
For the bliss Thy love bestows,
For the pardoning grace that saves me,
And the peace that from it flows.
Help, O God, my weak endeavor;
This dull soul to rapture raise;
Thou must light the flame, or never
Can my love be warmed to praise.

Praise, my soul, the God that sought thee,
Wretched, wanderer, far astray;
Found thee lost, and kindly brought thee
From the paths of death away.
Praise, with love’s devoutest feeling,
Him Who saw thy guilt born fear,
And, the light of hope revealing,
Bade the bloodstained Cross appear.

Lord, this bosom’s ardent feeling
Vainly would my lips express;
Low before Thy footstool kneeling,
Deign Thy suppliant’s prayer to bless.
Let Thy grace, my soul’s chief treasure,
Love’s pure flame within me raise;
And, since words can never measure,
Let my life show forth Thy praise.
     Francis Scott Key