Hymns, Poems of Praise and Worship

Fredrick Faber's Hymns

No wonder Saints have died of love, 
No wonder hearts can break, Pure hearts
that once have learned to love
God for His own dear sake.

O listen, then, Most Pitiful!
To Thy poor creature's heart; It
blesses Thee that Thou art God,
That Thou art what Thou art!

Most ancient of all mysteries!
Still at Thy throne we lie; Have
mercy now, most merciful,
Most holy Trinity!
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The Eternity of God

O Lord! my heart is sick,
Sick of this everlasting change;
And life runs tediously quick Through its
unresting race and varied range Change finds no
likeness to itself in Thee, And wakes no echo in Thy
mute eternity.
Dear Lord! my heart is sick of
this perpetual lapsing time,
So slow in grief, in joy so quick, Yet
ever casting shadows so sublime.

~Fredrick Faber~
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How Good Is the God We Adore

How good is the God we adore,
Our faithful unchangeable Friend!
His love is as great as His power,
And knows neither measure nor end!

'Tis Jesus the First and the Last,
Whose Spirit shall Guide us safe home,
We'll praise Him for all that is past,
And trust Him for all that's to come.

~Joseph Hart~
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Arise, My Soul, Arise

~Charles Wesley~

Arise, my soul, arise,
Shake off thy guilty fears,
The bleeding Sacrifice
in my behalf appears;
Before the throne my Saviour stands:
My name is written on His hands.

He ever lives above,
For me to intercede;
With His redeeming love,
His precious blood to plead;
His blood was spilt for all our race,
And sprinkles now the throne of grace.

Five bleeding wounds He bears,
Received on Calvary;
They pour effectual prayers,
They strongly speak for me:
Forgive Him, O forgive they cry!
Nor let that ransomed sinner die.

The Father hears Him pray,
His dear anointed one;
He cannot turn away
The presence of His Son:
His Spirit answers to the blood,
And tells me I am born of God.

To God I'm reconciled,
His pardoning voice I hear:
He owns me for His child,
I can no longer fear:
With confidence I now draw nigh,
And Father, Abba Father! cry.
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O Happy Day, That Fixed My Choice

~Philip Doddridge~

O happy day, that fixed my choice
on thee, my Saviour and my God!
Well may this glowing heart rejoice,
and tell its raptures all abroad.

Refrain:

Happy day, happy day,
when Jesus washed my sins away!
He taught me how to watch and pray,
and live rejoicing every day.
Happy day, happy day,
when Jesus washed my sins away!

O happy bond, that seals my vows
to him who merits all my love!
Let cheerful anthems fill  his house,
while to that sacred shrine I move.

It's done: the great transaction's done!
I am the Lord's and He is mine;
He drew me and I followed on,
charmed to confess the voice divine.

Now rest, my long-divided heart,
fixed on this blissful center, rest.
Here have I found a nobler part;
here heavenly pleasures fill my breast.

High heaven, that heard the solemn vow,
that vow renewed shall daily hear,
till in life's latest hour I bow
and bless in death a bond so dear.
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Brief Life Is Here Our Portion

~Bernard of Cluny~

Brief life is here our portion;
Brief sorrow, short lived care;
The life that knows no ending,
The tearless life, is there.

There grief is turned to pleasure;
Such pleasure as below
No human voice can utter,
No human heart can know.

The morning shall awaken,
The shadows flee away,
And each truehearted servant
Shall shine as doth the day.

There God, our King and Portion,
In fullness of His grace,
Shall we behold for ever,
And worship face to face.

O One, O only mansion,
O Paradise of joy,
Where tears are ever banished,
And smiles have no alloy;

The Lamb is all thy splendor,
The Crucified thy praise;
His laud and benediction
Thy ransomed people raise.
O sweet and blessed country,
The home of God's elect!
O sweet and blessed country,
That eager hearts expect!

Jesus, in mercy bring us,
To that dear land of rest;
Who art, with God the Father,
And Spirit, ever blest.

The version from Coffin and Vernon contain the following additional verses:

And now we fight the battle,
But then shall wear the crown
Of full and everlasting
And passionless renown.

And now we watch and struggle,
And now we live in hope,
And Zion in her anguish
With Babylon must cope.

Then all the halls of Zion
For aye shall be complete,
And in the land of beauty,
All things of beauty meet.