Hymns for Christian Devotion Part 65

1 Blest are the sons of peace, Whose hearts and hopes are one; Whose kind designs to serve and please Through all their actions run.

2 Blest is the pious house Where zeal and friends.h.i.+p meet; Their songs of praise, their mingled vows, Make their communion sweet.

3 Thus on the heavenly hills The saints are blest above, Where joy like morning dew distils, And all the air is love.

394. C. M. Montgomery.

"The unity of the spirit in the bond of peace."

1 The glorious universe around, The heavens with all their train, Sun, moon, and stars, are firmly bound In one mysterious chain.

2 The earth, the ocean, and the sky, To form one world agree, Where all that walk, or swim, or fly, Compose one family.

3 In one fraternal bond of love, One fellows.h.i.+p of mind, The saints below and saints above Their bliss and glory find.

4 Here in their house of pilgrimage, Thy statutes are their song; There, through one bright, eternal age, Thy praises they prolong.

395. C. M. C. Wesley.

The Church on Earth and in Heaven, One.

1 The saints on earth and those above But one communion make: Joined to their Lord in bonds of love, All of his grace partake.

2 One family, we dwell in him; One church above, beneath; Though now divided by the stream, The swelling stream of death.

3 One army of the living G.o.d,-- To his command we bow; Part of the host have crossed the flood, And part are crossing now.

4 O G.o.d, be thou our constant guide!

And when the word is given, Sustain us o'er the fearful tide, And bring us safe to heaven.

396. S. M. Beddome.

Christian Unity.

1 Let party names no more The Christian world o'erspread; Gentile and Jew, and bond and free, Are one in Christ their head.

2 Among the saints on earth Let mutual love be found; Heirs of the same inheritance, With mutual blessings crowned.

3 Let envy and ill-will Be banished far away; Those should in holy friends.h.i.+p dwell, Who the same Lord obey.

4 Thus will the church below Resemble that above; Where streams of pleasure always flow, And every heart is love.

397. L. M. Barbauld.

Christian Friends.h.i.+p.

1 How blest the sacred tie that binds In union sweet according minds!

How swift the heavenly course they run, Whose hearts, and faith, and hopes are one!

2 To each the soul of each how dear!

What jealous love, what holy fear!

How doth the generous flame within Refine from earth, and cleanse from sin!

3 Their streaming eyes together flow For human guilt and mortal woe; Their ardent prayers together rise Like mingling flames in sacrifice.

4 Together shall they seek the place Where G.o.d reveals his awful face: How high, how strong, their raptures swell There's none but kindred souls can tell.

398. L. M. Anonymous.

Charitable Judgment.

1 Omniscient G.o.d, 'tis thine to know The springs whence wrong opinions flow; To judge from principles within, When frailty errs, and when we sin.

2 Who with another's eye can read, Or wors.h.i.+p by another's creed?

Revering thy command alone, We humbly seek and use our own.

3 If wrong, forgive; accept, if right, Whilst faithful, we obey our light, And judging none, are zealous still To follow, as to learn, thy will.

4 When shall our happy eyes behold Thy people, fas.h.i.+oned in thy mould?

And charity our kindred prove Derived from thee, O G.o.d of love?

399. L. M. Watts.

The Same.