PRAYER

Lord, help me feed on heavenly food,

Thyself, whose moral worth is great,

To help me to discriminate

Against the wrong, and for the good.

Lord, foster in me the desire

To know and love the Father’s will;

May my disordered heart be still,

Learning the grace that does not tire.

Lord, let me settle at Thy feet

Determined to receive thy word,

Finding there saints who have concurred

In owning that Thy word is sweet.

Lord, let me wait for Thee alone,

Devoted to Thy holy Name

Till Thy return in power to claim

Thy saints, with whom to share thy throne.

A SONG IN THE NIGHT

O blessed God, we come to Thee

With songs of exultation,

When we behold Thy wondrous works

And wisdom in creation,

The deeper way and greater thought

In Christ in incarnation,

The grace that brought Him to the cross

To work out our salvation.

The mercy of descending ways

To meet our situation,

And love through which the Father’s Name

Is known in revelation;

Brought near to Thee to share with Christ

In glorious elevation

We join with Him before Thyself

In holy celebration.

FIRSTBORN

When Jesus entered His own universe

Nature acknowledged Him. His birth-star came;

The silenced winds and waves were not perverse,

Heeding the Firstborn of creation’s claim.

But men refused Him. They would give no room

To Jesus. In their hatred He was led

To judgement and to death. But though His tomb

Was sealed He rose as Firstborn from the dead.

Seeing His purposes let praise be sung

To God who from eternity designed

That Christ should be the Firstborn One among

The many brethren suited to His mind.

COMPANIONS

Before He bore their sins with all that cost

The Master found companions adhered

To Him, and walked with Him, and persevered.

Death intervened, but soon the risen Christ

Hastened to their companionable tryst:

A thought so full of grace could not be lost.

THE FATHER’S ACTIONS

I came to Jesus as the Father drew me,

Although I did not know it at the time;

While before time He purposed to pursue me

With blessings both eternal and sublime;

If Jacob clothed his son in splendid vesture

The Father chose to clothe me in His best;

In each of these I see a Father’s gesture

Towards one He wishes to enjoy His rest.

I am among the sons He loves to gather

In line with the good pleasure of His will,

Who all rejoice in crying “Abba, Father”

In loving tones which time will never still.

We know the Father’s love is marvellous

As witnessed in all He has done for us.

SONNET

A Saviour’s love has taken up my case

That one who had been captive should be free;

A Bridegroom’s love has claimed and cherished me,

And held me in the warmth of His embrace.

A Father’s love has lavished on me grace,

Riches and blessing, and has given me

The status of a son that I might be

For His eternal praise before His face.

The Spirit’s love has acted in my soul

And shed abroad God’s love within my heart;

Thus in the church He touches every part

And in uniting love makes all one whole.

The love of God has been so full shown

That now the God of love Himself in known.

FRAGMENT

There has one object been disclosed on earth
That might commend the place; but now 'tis gone: 
Jesus is with the Father, and demands 
His members to be there. Him do I seek 
Who died, who rose for us. In gaining Him,
I shall be rich enough.

A fragment from "The Martyrdom of St Ignatius", by John Gambold

LOVE NEVER FAILS

Within the wilderness
Where Satan's power assails
We see Christ in His faithfulness:
Love never fails.

Where men are sick and sad
Christ's constant grace prevails
And makes the poor and helpless glad:
Love never fails.

Against Him all the might
Of man's religion rails
But Christ brings sustenance and light:
Love never fails.

If all man's heart will give
Is scourging, thorns, and nails
He asks the Father to forgive:
Love never fails.

He bears upon the cross
All that God's wrath entails:
We see through wrath and shame and loss
Love never fails.

But joyfully we see
Love is unquenched; what ails
The sea and Jordan that they flee?
Love never fails.




He comes among His own
As One who lives, and hails
His brethren, to whose hearts is shown
Love never fails.

Two thousand years have passed
And still that love avails:
What helps His people to stand fast?
Love never fails.

We wait till He will show
His glory, and unveils
His kingdom, where all men will know
Love never fails.

And when God's power will bring
A scene where nothing stales
The well-loved sons of God will sing
“Love never fails”.