HE LOVED

He loved, though I was sinful;

He loved, when I was lost;

He loved, when I was needy;

He loved, to His great cost;

He loved when left out, knocking,

He loved, when brought within;

He loved me by the wayside,

He loved me at the inn.

He loved me though I wandered;

He loved, as I returned;

He loved, when my love faded;

He loved, when my heart burned;

He loved, despite my weakness;

He loved, despite my will;

He loved, through joy and sorrow;

He loved - He loves me still!

He loves, though we are faithless;

He loves, although we fail;

He loves when times are easy;

He loves, when storms assail;

He loves us in the battle;

He loves us in God’s house;

He loves us as His brethren;

He loves us as His spouse.

GARDEN

He walked in the garden

To find company –and sin

Had nipped every bud.

He walked in the garden

With His own, but men

Bound Him and led Him.

He walked in the garden

And Mary was there

Like a half-opened flower.

He walks in the garden,

His enclosed garden, to enjoy

Buds, blossoms, and fruit –

Life according to Him.

The Old Christian Day Song

John Irons

    With gladness we hail the blessed day
    Now out of the sea ascending,
    Illuming the earth upon its way
    And cheer to all mortals lending.
    God grant that His children everywhere
    May prove that the night is ending.

    How blest was that wondrous midnight hour
    When Jesus was born of Mary!
    Then dawned in the East with mighty power
    The day that anew shall carry
    The light of God's grace to every soul
    That still with the Lord would tarry.

    Should every creature in song rejoice,
    And were every leaflet singing,
    They could not His grace and glory voice,
    Though earth with their praise were ringing,
    For henceforth now shines the Light of Life,
    Great joy to all mortals bringing.

    Like gold is the blush of morning bright,
    When day has from death arisen.
    Blest comfort too holds the peaceful night
    When skies in the sunset glisten.
    So sparkle the eyes of those whose hearts
    In peace for God's summons listen.

    Then journey we to our fatherland,
    Where summer reigns bright and vernal.
    Where ready for us God's mansions stand
    With thrones in their halls supernal.
    So happily there with friends of light
    We joy in the peace eternal.

Anonymous - ? 14th century Danish. 

Translated from Danish: 

Taken from here.

John Irons blog has got me interested in Danish hymns.

ONE MAN

God’s heart desires that all should know

He is distinguishing one Man,

According to His glorious plan

Which finds an answer here below.

Before Christ’s service here began

The heavens opened up to show

God’s heart desires that all should know

He is distinguishing one Man.

God will have no one other than

His Christ, to whom now praises flow

Because He plumbed the depths of woe:

Delighted with the course Christ ran

He is distinguishing one Man.

AVAILABLE

The breast of Jesus

And His bosom…available

For you and for me.

GLORIFYING

How Jesus dignified
The manger that He graced!

How Jesus magnified
The cross that He endured!

How Jesus glorifies
The hearts He dwells in!

HOW GREAT

How great is His mercy! - when we were still lawless,

He came to redeem us from hell;

He came as the Lamb who was perfect and flawless -

The Lord has done everything well!

How great is His goodness! - He heals all who need Him

In grace more than humans can tell;

He comes now as manna for all those who heed Him -

The Lord has done everything well!

How great is His beauty - His charms and His graces

Delight all the hearts they impel

To be near Himself to enjoy His embraces -

The Lord has done everything well!

TRUE

For true love what it can is what it must
And since it can it must redeem the lost:
Thus true love overcomes the lie of lust.


True joy will not be found in this world's froth
But as the ascended Man is in your view
You have a joy untouched by rust or moth.


True peace is only peace that will not cease
And Christ won such an ambience for His own
Where the peace dividends always increase.


The God of grace in whom true blessings start,
Desiring the salvation of us all,
Showed through longsuffering His loving heart.

Because God knows the burdens of mankind

True kindness and true love to man appeared:

Christ came to heal lame, leprous, dumb or blind.

True goodness has been seen - "fruit of the light" -

"Goodness and righteousness and truth" in men,

In persons Christ secured for God's delight.

When seeing Jesus in His dignity

Where His true faithfulness has been displayed

"Are not thine eyes upon fidelity"?

True meekness, seen in Jesus, was unique
Yet by the Spirit saints conform to Him:

God's heart is cheered by persons who are meek.

True self-control is when the Spirit fills
The soul and shows us Christ, to captivate

The heart – and not by human works or wills.

Does this work as a composition in its own right?  It's the them of Galatians 5 and Philippians 4 run in the other direction.