Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion Part 91

Awake and run the heavenly race, And put a cheerful courage on.

2 True 'tis a strait and th.o.r.n.y road, And mortal spirits tire and faint; But they forget the mighty G.o.d, That feeds the strength of every saint.

3 From Thee, the overflowing spring, Our souls shall drink a fresh supply, While such as trust in human strength Shall melt away, and droop, and die.

4 Swift as an eagle cuts the air, We'll mount aloft to Thine abode; On wings of love our souls shall fly, Nor tire amidst the heavenly road.

542. S. M. Anonymous.

The Whole Armor of G.o.d.

1 Followers of Christ! arise, And put your armor on, Strong in the strength which G.o.d supplies To each obedient son.

2 Stand forth in His great might, With all His strength endued; But take, to arm you for the fight, The panoply of G.o.d.

3 And, above all, lay hold Of faith's victorious s.h.i.+eld; Armed with that adamant and gold, Ye cannot lose the field.

4 Leave no unguarded place, No weakness of the soul; Take every virtue, every grace, And consecrate the whole.

5 That having all things done, And conquered in the strife, To n.o.bler service ye pa.s.s on, And an undying life!

543. S. M. Heath.

Conflict.

1 My soul, be on thy guard; Ten thousand foes arise; The hosts of sin are pressing hard To draw thee from the skies.

2 O, watch, and strive, and pray; The battle ne'er give o'er; Renew it boldly every day, And help divine implore.

3 Ne'er think the victory won, Nor lay thine armor down: Thy arduous work will not be done Till thou obtain thy crown.

4 Fight on, my soul, till death Shall bring thee to thy G.o.d; He'll take thee, at thy parting breath, To His divine abode.

544. 7s. M. Neale.

Bearing the Cross.

1 Every bird that upward springs Bears the Cross upon his wings; We without it cannot rise Upward to our native skies.

2 Every s.h.i.+p that meets the waves By the Cross their fury braves; We, on life's wide ocean tossed, If we have it not are lost.

3 Hope it gives us when distrest, When we faint it gives us rest; Satan's craft, and Satan's might, By the Cross are put to flight.

4 That from sin earth might be free, Jesus bore it; so must we; Ne'er through faintness lay it down: First the Cross, and then the crown!

545. C. M. Heber.

In the Day of Distress.

1 Oh G.o.d, that mad'st the earth and sky, The darkness and the day, Oh listen to Thy children's cry, And help us when we pray!

2 For wide the waves of bitterness Around our vessel roar, And heavy grows the burdened heart, To view the rocky sh.o.r.e.

3 The cross our Master bore for us, For him we fain would bear; But mortal strength to weakness turns, And courage to despair!

4 Have mercy on our failings, Lord!

Our sinking faith renew!

And when his sorrows visit us, O send his patience too.

546. C. M. Doddridge.

G.o.d Tempers the Wind to the Shorn Lamb.

1 Great ruler of all nature's frame, We own Thy power divine; We hear Thy breath in every storm, For all the winds are Thine.

2 Wide as they sweep their sounding way, They work Thy sovereign will; And awed by Thy majestic voice, Confusion shall be still.

3 Thy mercy tempers every blast To those who seek Thy face; And mingles with the tempest's roar The whispers of Thy grace.

4 Those gentle whispers let me hear, Till all the tumult cease; And gales of Paradise shall lull My weary soul to peace.

547. S. M. Montgomery.

The Bow in the Cloud.