A Debtor to Mercy Alone ~ Hymn

A Debtor to Mercy Alone

A debtor to mercy alone,
Of covenant mercy I sing;
Nor fear, with Thy righteousness on,
My person and offering to bring.
The terrors of law and of God
With me can have nothing to do;
My Savior’s obedience and blood
Hide all my transgressions from view.

The work which His goodness began,
The arm of His strength will complete;
His promise is Yea and Amen,
And never was forfeited yet.
Things future, nor things that are now,
Nor all things below or above,
Can make Him His purpose forgo,
Or sever my soul from His love.

My name from the palms of His hands
Eternity will not erase;
Impressed on His heart it remains,
In marks of indelible grace.
Yes, I to the end shall endure,
As sure as the earnest is giv’n;
More happy, but not more secure,
The glorified spirits in Heav’n.

Words: Augustus M. Toplady, 1771.

A Glory Gilds the Sacred Page ~ Hymn

A Glory Gilds the Sacred Page

A glory gilds the sacred page,
Majestic like the sun;
It gives a light to every age;
It gives, but borrows none.

The Spirit breathes upon the Word
And brings the truth to sight;
Precepts and promises afford
A sanctifying light.

The hand that gave it still supplies
The gracious light and heat;
His truths upon the nations rise;
They rise, but never set.

Let everlasting thanks be Thine
For such a bright display.
As makes a world of darkness shine
With beams of heavenly day.

My soul rejoices to pursue
The steps of Him I love,
Till glory breaks upon my view
In brighter worlds above.

Words: William Cowper, 1770.

I Surrender All ~ Hymn

I Surrender All

All to Jesus, I surrender;
All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.

Refrain

I surrender all, I surrender all,
All to Thee, my blessèd Savior,
I surrender all.

All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now.

Refrain

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine.

Refrain

All to Jesus, I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me.

Refrain

All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
O the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His name!

Refrain

Words: Judson W. Van DeVenter, 1896.

I’m posting this hymn in honor of our dear old pop who is waiting for His Savior to take him home. “All to Jesus I surrender, humbly at His feet I bow, Worldly pleasures all forsaken, Take me Jesus; take me now.” He is currently in Hospice care in my oldest sister’s home. Dan, Jamie, Addy and I will hopefully have a nice visit with him on Monday, introducing him to his newest Great Granddaughter.

January 14, 2017 above and the next four at grandson Joe’s wedding.

Most of pop’s grandchildren and great grands.

At my mom’s funeral in 2013.

My pop praying a marriage blessing on Katie and Andrew, 2012.

Me and my pop from 1973 and 2017.

Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone? ~ Hymn

Must Jesus Bear the Cross Alone?

Must Jesus bear the cross alone,
And all the world go free?
No, there’s a cross for everyone,
And there’s a cross for me.

How happy are the saints above,
Who once went sorrowing here!
But now they taste unmingled love,
And joy without a tear.

The consecrated cross I’ll bear
Till death shall set me free;
And then go home my crown to wear,
For there’s a crown for me.

Upon the crystal pavement down
At Jesus’ piercèd feet,
Joyful I’ll cast my golden crown
And His dear Name repeat.

O precious cross! O glorious crown!
O resurrection day!
When Christ the Lord from Heav’n comes down
And bears my soul away.

Words: Thomas Shepherd, 1693.

Matthew 16:24-26 ~

24 Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. 25 For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. 26 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul? Or what shall a man give in return for his soul?

All That I Was ~ Hymn

All That I Was

All that I was, my sin, my guilt,
My death, was all mine own;
All that I am I owe to Thee,
My gracious God, alone.

The evil of my former state
Was mine, and only mine;
The good in which I now rejoice
Is Thine, and only Thine.

The darkness of my former state,
The bondage, all was mine;
The light of life in which I walk,
The liberty, is Thine.

Thy Word first made me feel my sin,
It taught me to believe;
Then, in believing, peace I found,
And now I live, I live!

All that I am, e’en here on earth
All that I hope to be,
When Jesus comes and glory dawns,
I owe it, Lord to Thee.

Words: Horatius Bonar, 1845.

The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns ~ Hymn

The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns

The King shall come when morning dawns,
And light triumphant breaks;
When beauty gilds the eastern hills,
And life to joy awakes.

Not as of old a little child
To bear, and fight, and die,
But crowned with glory like the sun
That lights the morning sky.

O brighter than the rising morn
When He, victorious, rose,
And left the lonesome place of death,
Despite the rage of foes.

O brighter than that glorious morn
Shall this fair morning be,
When Christ, our King, in beauty comes,
And we His face shall see.

The King shall come when morning dawns,
And earth’s dark night is past;
O haste the rising of that morn,
The day that aye shall last.

And let the endless bliss begin,
By weary saints foretold,
When right shall triumph over wrong,
And truth shall be extolled.

The King shall come when morning dawns,
And light and beauty brings:
Hail, Christ the Lord! Thy people pray,
Come quickly, King of kings.

Words: Unknown au­thor; trans­lat­ed from Greek to Eng­lish by John Brown­lie in Hymns of the Russ­ian Church, 1907.

ht: cyberhymnal

Faithful Shepherd, Feed Me

winter trail 012

Faithful Shepherd, Feed Me

Faithful Shepherd, feed me
In the pastures green;
Faithful Shepherd, lead me
Where Thy steps are seen.

Hold me fast, and guide me
In the narrow way;
So, with Thee beside me,
I shall never stray.

Daily bring me nearer
To the heav’nly shore;
Make my faith grow clearer,
May I love Thee more.

Hallow every pleasure,
Every gift and pain;
Be Thyself my treasure,
Though none else I gain.

Day by day prepare me
As Thou seest best,
Then let angels bear me
To Thy promised rest.

Words: Thomas B. Pollack, December 1868.

Again the Rounded Year ~ Hymn

Again the Rounded Year

Again the rounded year has brought
Its bloom and harvest glory,
And every smiling Sabbath taught
To us the Gospel story.
Again our voices join in song,
And bring their glad thanksgiving,
To Thee, to whom all years belong,
To Thee, the Ever-Living.

We meet with gladness on each lip,
And kindly warmth of greeting,
And, in Thy boundless fellowship,
Each heart to heart is beating.
And for this day, and for this hour,
We bring our glad thanksgiving,
To Thee, the ever gracious Power,
To Thee, the Ever-Living.

How oft has lighted every brow
To see Thy love upspringing!
And some who joined our songs, are now
Amid the angels singing.
But friends below and friends above
Unite in glad thanksgiving
To Thee, whom all the children love,
To Thee, the Ever-Living.

Thy power in prayer we oft have felt,
Thy sympathy most tender,
And seemed to see, as we have knelt,
Thy face in veilèd splendor.
For all these joys of Paradise,
We bring our glad thanksgiving,
To Thee, who every good supplies,
To Thee, the Ever-Living.

So may we join from year to year,
Thy goodness ever singing,
And, after faithful service, hear
The bells of glory ringing.
Then, safe with Thee, again we’ll raise
Our voices in thanksgiving
To Thee, in more exalted praise
To Thee, the Ever-Living.

Words: Hezekiah Butterworth

To wrest the power of death from Satan’s hand, God sent Christ into the world. If you have a greater weapon than your enemy, then his weapon is useless. You can’t fight a machine gun with a bow and arrow. Satan’s weapon is death, but eternal life is God’s weapon, and with it Jesus destroyed death.

How was He able to do it? He rose again, proving He had conquered death. That’s why He said, “Because I live, you shall live also” (John 14:19). His resurrection provides the believer with eternal life. ~John MacArthur (Drawing Near Daily Devotional)

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen

God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay,
Remember Christ our Savior was born on Christmas Day;
To save us all from Satan’s power when we were gone astray.

Refrain

O tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy;
O tidings of comfort and joy.

In Bethlehem, in Israel, this blessèd Babe was born,
And laid within a manger upon this blessèd morn;
The which His mother Mary did nothing take in scorn.

Refrain

From God our heavenly Father a blessèd angel came;
And unto certain shepherds brought tidings of the same;
How that in Bethlehem was born the Son of God by name.

Refrain

Fear not, then, said the angel, Let nothing you affright
This day is born a Savior of a pure Virgin bright,
To free all those who trust in Him from Satan’s power and might.

Refrain

The shepherds at those tidings rejoiced much in mind,
And left their flocks a-feeding in tempest, storm and wind,
And went to Bethl’em straightaway this blessèd Babe to find.

Refrain

But when to Bethlehem they came where our dear Savior lay,
They found Him in a manger where oxen feed on hay;
His mother Mary kneeling unto the Lord did pray.

Refrain

Now to the Lord sing praises all you within this place,
And with true love and brotherhood each other now embrace;
This holy tide of Christmas all others doth deface.

Refrain

God bless the ruler of this house, and send him long to reign,
And many a merry Christmas may live to see again;
Among your friends and kindred that live both far and near—

That God send you a happy new year, happy new year,
And God send you a happy new year.

The Prince of Peace Is Come ~ Hymn

The Prince of Peace Is Come

The Prince of Peace is come,
Ye nations shout and sing;
Let men and angels join their songs,
To hail this glorious King.

He takes the servant’s form;
He lays His glory by;
His heavenly Father’s bosom leaves,
And throne of majesty.

Light of the world He comes,
The blind receive their sight;
The mind now feels His gladdening ray,
And all within is light.

Physician blest He came,
And well employs His art;
With ease He makes the bruisèd whole,
And heals the broken heart.

His tears, His sighs and pains
Ease to the wounded give;
The kind physician dies to make
The dying patients live.

The great Redeemer comes,
And sounds a jubilee:
He burst the prison doors, and bids
The captive souls go free.

Evangelist divine,
He makes the Gospel known;
The poor the joyful tidings hear,
And their great prophet own.

Whilst gracious God I hear
Thy Gospel’s joyful sound,
May my glad heart, my tongue, my life,
Be all obedience found.

Words: John Needham, 1768.