The Otterbein Hymnal / For Use in Public and Social Worship

How tender is thy hand,

Oh, thou beloved Lord!

Afflictions come at thy command,

And leave us at thy word.

2 How gentle was the rod

That chastened us for sin!

How soon we found a smiling God,

Where deep distress had been!

3 A Father's hand we felt,

A Father's heart we knew;

With tears of penitence we knelt,

And found his word was true.

4 We told him all our grief,

We thought of Jesus' love;

A sense of pardon brought relief,

And bade our pains remove.

From every stormy wind that blows,

From every swelling tide of woes,

There is a calm, a sure retreat;--

'Tis found before the mercy-seat.

2 There is a place where Jesus sheds

The oil of gladness on our heads,--

A place, than all besides, more sweet;

It is the blood-bought mercy-seat.

3 There is a spot where spirits blend,

Where friend holds fellowship with friend;

Though sundered far, by faith they meet

Around one common mercy-seat.

4 There, there, on eagle's wings we soar,

And time, and sense seem all no more;

And heaven comes down our souls to greet,

And glory crowns the mercy-seat!

5 Oh! may my hand forget her skill,

My tongue be silent, cold, and still,

This bounding heart forget to beat,

If I forget the mercy-seat!

Prayer is appointed to convey

The blessings God designs to give:

Long as they live should Christians pray;

They learn to pray when first they live.

2 If pain afflict or wrongs oppress;

If cares distract, or fears dismay;

If guilt deject; if sin distress;

In every case, still watch and pray.

3 'Tis prayer supports the soul that's weak,

Tho' thought be broken, language lame,

Pray, if thou canst or canst not speak,

But pray with faith in Jesus' name.

4 Depend on him, thou canst not fail;

Make all thy wants and wishes known;

Fear not, his merits must prevail,

Ask but in faith, it shall be done.

My God, is any hour so sweet

From blush of morn to evening star,

As that which calls me to thy feet,

The calm and holy hour of prayer?

2 Blest is the tranquil break of morn,

And blest the hush of solemn eve,

When on the wings of prayer up-borne,

This fair, but transient, world I leave.

3 Then is my strength by thee renewed;

Then are my sins by thee forgiven;

Then dost thou cheer my solitude,

With clear and beauteous hopes of heaven.

4 No words can tell what sweet relief,

There for my every want I find;

What strength for warfare, balm for grief,

What deep and cheerful peace of mind.

5 Lord, till I reach the blissful shore,

No privilege so dear shall be,

As thus my inmost soul to pour

In faithful, filial prayer to thee!

Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

That calls me from a world of care,

And bids me at my Father's throne

Make all my wants and wishes known:

In seasons of distress and grief,

My soul has often found relief;

And oft escaped the tempter's snare,

By thy return, sweet hour of prayer!

2 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

Thy wings shall my petition bear

To him whose truth and faithfulness

Engage the waiting soul to bless.

And since he bids he seek his face,

Believe his word, and trust his grace,

I'll cast on him my ev'ry care

And wait for thee, sweet hour of prayer!

3 Sweet hour of prayer! sweet hour of prayer!

May I thy consolation share,

Till, from Mount Pisgah's lofty height,

I view my home and take my flight:

This robe of flesh I'll drop and rise

To seize the everlasting prize;

And shout, while passing thro' the air,

Farewell, farewell, sweet hour of prayer!

I love to steal awhile away

From ev'ry cumb'ring care,

And spend the hours of setting day

In humble, grateful prayer.

2 I love in solitude to shed

The penitential tear,

And all his promises to plead,

Where none but God can hear.

3 I love to think on mercies past,

And future good implore,

And all my cares and sorrows cast

On him whom I adore.

4 I love by faith to take a view

Of brighter scenes in heaven;

The prospect doth my strength renew,

While here by tempests driven.

5 Thus, when life's toilsome day is o'er,

May its departing ray

Be calm as this impressive hour,

And lead to endless day!

Lord! teach us how to pray aright,

With reverence and with fear;

Though dust and ashes in thy sight,

We may, we must draw near.

2 God of all grace, we come to thee,

With broken, contrite hearts,

Give, what thine eye delights to see,

Truth in the inward parts;

3 Patience, to watch, and wait, and weep,

Though mercy long delay;

Courage, our fainting souls to keep,

And trust thee though thou slay.

4 Give these, and then--thy will be done--

Thus strengthened with all might,

We by the Spirit and thy Son,

Shall pray, and pray aright.

The Savior bids thee watch and pray

Through life's momentous hour;

And grants the Spirit's quickening ray

To those who seek his power.

2 The Savior bids thee watch and pray,

Maintain a warrior's strife;

Oh, Christian! hear his voice to-day;

Obedience is thy life.

3 The Savior bids thee watch and pray,

For soon the hour will come

That calls thee from the earth away

To thy eternal home.

4 The Savior bids thee watch and pray

Oh, hearken to his voice,

And follow where he leads the way,

To heaven's eternal joys.

Prayer is the soul's sincere desire,

Uttered or unexpressed;

The motion of a hidden fire,

That trembles in the breast.

2 Prayer is the burden of a sigh,

The falling of a tear,

The upward glancing of an eye,

When none but God is near.

3 Prayer is the simplest form of speech,

That infant lips can try;

Prayer, the sublimest strains that reach

The Majesty on high.

4 Prayer is the Christian's vital breath,

The Christian's native air:

His watchword at the gates of death;

He enters heaven with prayer.

5 Oh, Thou, by whom we come to God,--

The Life, the Truth, the Way!

The path of prayer thyself hast trod;

Lord! teach us how to pray.

A throne of grace! then let us go

And offer up our prayer;

A gracious God will mercy show

To all that worship there.

2 A throne of grace! oh, at that throne

Our knees have often bent,

And God has showered his blessings down

As often as we went.

3 A throne of grace! rejoice, ye saints!

That throne is open still;

To God unbosom your complaints,

And then inquire his will.

Talk with us, Lord, thyself reveal,

While here o'er earth we rove;

Speak to our hearts, and let us feel

The kindling of thy love.

2 With thee conversing, we forget

All time, and toil, and care:

Labor is rest, and pain is sweet,

If thou, my God! art here.

3 Here, then, my God, vouchsafe to stay,

And bid my heart rejoice:

My bounding heart shall own thy sway,

And echo to thy voice.

4 Thou callest me to seek thy face--

'Tis all I wish to seek;

T' attend the whisperings of thy grace,

And hear thee only speak.

Come, my soul! thy suit prepare;

Jesus loves to answer prayer;

He himself has bid thee pray,

Therefore will not say thee nay.

2 Thou art coming to a King,

Large petitions with thee bring;

For his grace and power are such,

None can ever ask too much.

3 Lord! I come to thee for rest,

Take possession of my breast;

There thy blood-bought right maintain,

And without a rival reign.

4 While I am a pilgrim here,

Let thy love my spirit cheer;

As my Guide, my Guard, my Friend,

Lead me to my journey's end.

What a friend we have in Jesus,

All our sins and griefs to bear;

What a privilege to carry

Ev'rything to God in prayer!

O what peace we often forfeit,

O what needless pain we bear,

All because we do not carry

Ev'rything to God in prayer!

2 Have we trials and temptations?

Is there trouble anywhere?

We should never be discouraged,

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Can we find a friend so faithful,

Who will all our sorrows share?

Jesus knows our ev'ry weakness,

Take it to the Lord in prayer!

3 Are we weak and heavy laden,

Cumbered with a load of care?--

Precious Savior, still our refuge,--

Take it to the Lord in prayer.

Do thy friends despise, forsake thee?

Take it to the Lord in prayer;

In his firms he'll take and shield thee,

Thou wilt find a solace there.

Our Father who art in heaven, | Hallowed | be thy | name, ||

Thy kingdom come; thy will be done in | earth, as it | is in | heaven,

2 Give us this | day our | daily bread, ||

And forgive us our debts, as | we for- | give our | debtors.

3 Lead us not into temptation, but de- | liver | us from | evil; ||

For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for | ever. | A- | men.

Come at the morning hour,

Come, let us kneel and pray;

Pray'r is the Christian pilgrim's staff

To walk with God all day.

2 At noon beneath the Rock

Of Ages, rest and pray;

Sweet is that shelter from the sun

In weary heat of day.

3 At evening, in thy home,

Around its altar, pray;

And finding there the house of God,

With heaven then close the day.

4 When midnight veils our eyes,

Oh, it is sweet to say,

I sleep, but my heart waketh, Lord!

With thee to watch and pray.

Behold the throne of grace!

The promise calls me near;

There Jesus shows a smiling face,

And waits to answer prayer.

2 That rich atoning blood,

Which sprinkled round I see,

Provides, for those who come to God,

An all-prevailing plea.

3 My soul! ask what thou wilt;

Thou canst not be too bold;

Since his own blood for thee he spilt,

What else can he withhold?

4 Thine, image, Lord! bestow,

Thy presence and thy love;

I ask to serve thee here below,

And reign with thee above.

5 Teach me to live by faith;

Conform my will to thine;

Let me victorious be in death,

And then in glory shine.

Are you weary, are you heavy-hearted?

Tell it to Jesus.

Are you grieving over joys departed?

Tell it to Jesus alone.

CHO.--Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus,

He is a Friend that's well known;

You have no other such a friend or brother!

Tell it to Jesus alone.

2 Do the tears flow down your cheeks unbidden?

Tell it to Jesus.

Have you sins that to man's eye are hidden?

Tell it to Jesus alone.

3 Do you fear the gath'ring clouds of sorrow?

Tell it to Jesus.

Are you anxious what shall be to-morrow?

Tell it to Jesus alone.

4 Are you troubled at the tho't of dying?

Tell it to Jesus.

For Christ's coming kingdom are you sighing?

Tell it to Jesus alone.

Must Jesus bear the cross alone,

And all the world go free?

No, there's a cross for every one,

And there's a cross for me.

2 How happy are the saints above,

Who once went mourning here!

But now they taste unmingled love,

And joy without a tear.

3 This 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.

4 Upon the crystal pavement, down

At Jesus' pierced feet,

Joyful, I'll cast my golden crown,

And his dear name repeat.

5 And palms shall wave, and harps shall ring

Beneath heaven's arches high;

The Lord, that lives, the ransomed sing,

That lives no more to die.

6 Oh! precious cross! oh! glorious crown!

Oh! resurrection day!

Ye angels! from the skies come down,

And bear my soul away.

Awake, my soul--stretch every nerve,

And press with vigor on;

A heavenly race demands thy zeal,

A bright, immortal crown.

2 'Tis God's all-animating voice

That calls thee from on high:

'Tis his own hand presents the prize

To thine aspiring eye.

3 A cloud of witnesses around,

Hold thee in full survey:

Forget the steps already trod,

And onward urge thy way.

4 Blest Savior, introduced by thee

Have we our race begun;

And, crowned with vict'ry, at thy feet

We'll lay our laurels down.

Blest is the man, whose softening heart

Feels all another's pain;

To whom the supplicating eye

Was never raised in vain;--

2 Whose breast expands with generous warmth,

A stranger's woes to feel,

And bleeds in pity o'er the wound

He wants the power to heal.

3 He spreads his kind supporting arms

To every child of grief;

His secret bounty largely flows,

And brings unasked relief.

4 To gentle offices of love,

His feet are never slow;

He views, through mercy's melting eye,

A brother in a foe.

A charge to keep I have,

A God to glorify;

A never-dying-soul to save,

And fit it for the sky:---

2 To serve the present age,

My calling to fulfill,--

Oh! may it all my powers engage--

To do my Master's will.

3 Arm me with jealous care,

As in thy sight to live;

And, oh, thy servant, Lord! prepare

A strict account to give.

4 Help me to watch and pray,

And on thyself rely;

Assured, if I my trust betray,

I shall forever die.

Sow in the morn thy seed,

At eve hold not thy hand;

To doubt and fear give thou no heed;

Broad-cast it o'er the land.

2 And duly shall appear,

In verdure, beauty, strength,

The tender blade, the stalk, the ear,

And the full corn at length.

3 Thou canst not toil in vain;

Cold, heat, and moist, and dry,

Shall foster and mature the grain,

For garners in the sky.

4 Thence, when the glorious end,

The day of God, shall come,

The angel-reapers shall descend,

And heaven cry "Harvest-home!"

We give thee but thine own,

Whate'er the gift may be:

All that we have is thine alone,

A trust, O Lord! from thee.

2 O, hearts are bruised and dead,

And homes are bare and cold,

And lambs, for whom the Shepherd bled,

Are straying from the fold.

3 To comfort and to bless,

To find a balm for woe,

To tend the lone and fatherless

Is angels' work below.

4 The captive to release,

To God the lost to bring,

To teach the way of life and peace,

It is a Christ-like thing.

5 And we believe thy word,

Though dim our faith may be:

Whate'er for thine we do, O Lord,

We do it unto thee.

Go, labor on; spend, and be spent,--

Thy joy to do the Father's will;

It is the way the Master went;

Should not the servant tread it still?

2 Go, labor on; 'tis not for naught;

Thine earthly loss is heavenly gain;

Men heed thee, love thee, praise thee not,

The Master praises;--what are men?

3 Go, labor on; enough, while here,

If he shall praise thee, if he deign

Thy willing heart to mark and cheer,

No toil for him shall be in vain.

4 Toil on, and in thy toil rejoice;

For toil comes rest, for exile home;

Soon shalt thou hear the Bridegroom's voice,

The midnight peal,--"Behold! I come!"

So let our lips and lives express

The holy gospel we profess;

So let our works and virtues shine

To prove the doctrine all divine.

2 Thus shall we best proclaim abroad

The honors of our Savior God;

When his salvation reigns within,

And grace subdues the power of sin.

3 Religion bears our spirits up,

While we expect that blessed hope,--

The bright appearance of the Lord;

And faith stands leaning on his word.

We are living, we are dwelling,

In a grand and awful time,

In an age on ages telling;

To be living is sublime.

2 Hark the onset! will ye fold your

Faith-clad arms in lazy lock?

Up! O up! thou drowsy soldier;

Worlds are charging to the shock.

3 Worlds are charging, heav'n beholding;

Thou hast but an hour to fight;

Now, the blazoned cross unfolding,

On! right onward for the right.

4 On! let all the soul within you

For the truth's sake go abroad;

Strike! let ev'ry nerve and sinew

Tell on ages--tell for God.

Go, labor on, while it is day;

The world's dark night is hastening on;

Speed, speed thy work,--cast sloth away!

It is not thus that souls are won.

2 Men die in darkness at your side,

Without a hope to cheer the tomb;

Take up the torch and wave it wide--

The torch that lights time's thickest gloom.

3 Toil on, faint not;--keep watch and pray!

Be wise the erring soul to win;

Go forth into the world's highway;

Compel the wanderer to come in.

4 Go, labor on; your hands are weak;

Your knees are faint, your soul cast down;

Yet falter not; the prize you seek

Is near,--a kingdom and a crown!

Blest is the man whose heart doth move,

And melt with pity to the poor;

Whose soul, by sympathizing love,

Feels what his fellow-saints endure.

2 His heart contrives, for their relief,

More good than his own hands can do;

He, in the time of general grief,

Shall find the Lord has pity too.

3 His soul shall live secure on earth,

With secret blessings on his head,

When drought, and pestilence, and dearth

Around him multiply their dead.

4 Or, if he languish on his couch,

God will pronounce his sins forgiven,

Will save him with a healing touch,

Or take his willing soul to heaven.

Rescue the perishing,

Care for the dying,

Snatch them in pity from sin and the grave;

Weep o'er the erring one,

Lift up the fallen,

Tell them of Jesus, the mighty to save.

CHO.--Rescue the perishing,

Care for the dying;

Jesus is merciful,

Jesus will save.

2 Tho' they are slighting him,

Still he is waiting,

Waiting the penitent child to receive.

Plead with them earnestly,

Plead with them gently,

He will forgive if they only believe.

3 Down in the human heart,

Crushed by the tempter,

Feelings lie buried which grace can restore.

Touched by a loving heart,

Wakened by kindness,

Cords that were broken will vibrate once more.

4 Rescue the perishing,

Duty demands it;

Strength for thy labor the Lord will provide.

Back to the narrow way

Patiently win them;

Tell the poor wand'rer a Savior has died.

There are lonely hearts to cherish,

While the days are going by;

There are weary souls who perish,

While the days are going by;

If a smile we can renew,

As our journey we pursue,

Oh, the good we all may do,

While the days are going by.

REF.--Going by, going by,

Going by, going by,

Oh, the good we all may do,

While the days are going by.

2 There's no time for idle scorning,

While the days are going by;

Let your face be like the morning,

While the days are going by;

Oh, the world is full of sighs,

Full of sad and weeping eyes;

Help your fallen brother rise,

While the days are going by.

3 All the loving links that bind us,

While the days are going by;

One by one we leave behind us,

While the days are going by;

But the seeds of good we sow

Both in shade and shine will grow,

And will keep our hearts aglow,

While the days are going by.

I want to be a worker for the Lord,

I want to love and trust his holy word;

I want to sing and pray, and be busy ev'ry day

In the vineyard of the Lord.

CHO.--I will work, I will pray,

In the vineyard, in the vineyard of the Lord;

I will work, I will pray, I will labor ev'ry day

In the vineyard of the Lord.

2 I want to be a worker ev'ry day,

I want to lead the erring in the way

That leads to heav'n above, where all is peace and love,

In the kingdom of the Lord.

3 I want to be a worker strong and brave,

I want to trust in Jesus' power to save;

All who will truly come, shall find a happy home

In the kingdom of the Lord.

4 I want to be a worker; help me, Lord,

To lead the lost and erring to thy word

That points to joys on high, where pleasures never die,

In the kingdom of the Lord.

Oh, scatter seeds of loving deeds,

Along the fertile field,

For grain will grow from what you sow,

And fruitful harvest yield.

CHO--Then day by day along your way,

The seeds of promise cast,

That ripened grain from hill and plain,

Be gathered home at last.

2 Tho' sown in tears the weary years,

The seed will surely live;

Tho' great the cost it is not lost,

For God will fruitage give.

3 The harvest home of God will come;

And after toil and care,

With joy untold your sheaves of gold

Will all be garnered there.

Come, we that love the Lord,

And let our joys be known,

Join in a song with sweet accord,

And thus surround the throne.

CHO.--We're marching to Zion,

Beautiful, beautiful Zion,

We're marching upward to Zion,

The beautiful city of God.

2 Let those refuse to sing

Who never knew our God;

But children of the heavenly King

May speak their joys abroad.

3 The hill of Zion yields

A thousand sacred sweets,

Before we reach the heavenly fields,

Or walk the golden streets.

4 Then let our songs abound,

And ev'ry tear be dry;

We're marching thro' Immanuel's ground

To fairer worlds on high.

Work, for the night is coming,

Work thro' the morning hours;

Work while the dew is sparkling,

Work 'mid springing flowers;

Work, when the day grows brighter,

Work in the glowing sun;

Work, for the night is coming,

When man's work is done.

2 Work, for the night is coming,

Work thro' the sunny noon;

Fill brightest hours with labor,

Rest comes sure and soon;

Give ev'ry flying minute,

Something to keep in store;

Work, for the night is coming,

When man works no more.

3 Work, for the night is coming,

Under the sunset skies;

While their bright tints are glowing,

Work, for daylight flies;

Work till the last beam fadeth,

Fadeth to shine no more;

Work while the night is dark'ning,

When man's work is o'er.

Sowing in the morning, sowing seeds of kindness,

Sowing in the noontide and the dewy eve;

Waiting for the harvest, and the time of reaping,

We shall come, rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

CHO.--Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,

We shall come, rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves;

Bringing in the sheaves, bringing in the sheaves,

We shall come, rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

2 Sowing in the sunshine, sowing in the shadows,

Fearing neither clouds nor winter's chilling breeze;

By and by the harvest and the labor ended,

We shall come, rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

3 Going forth with weeping, sowing for the Master,

Though the loss sustained our spirit often grieves;

When our weeping's over, he will bid us welcome;

We shall come, rejoicing, bringing in the sheaves.

Light after darkness,

Gain after loss,

Strength after weariness,

Crown after cross,

Sweet after bitter,

Song after sigh,

Home after wandering,

Praise after cry.

CHO.--Now comes the weeping,

Then the glad reaping;

Now comes the labor hard,

Then the reward.

2 Sheaves after sowing,

Sun after rain,

Sight after mystery,

Peace after pain,

Joy after sorrow,

Calm after blast,

Rest after weariness,

Sweet rest at last.

3 Near after distant,

Gleam after gloom,

Love after loneliness,

Life after tomb.

After long agony,

Rapture of bliss;

Right was the pathway

Leading to this.

I love to tell the story

Of unseen things above,

Of Jesus and his glory,

Of Jesus and his love!

I love to tell the story,

Because I know it's true;

It satisfies my longings,

As nothing else would do.

CHO.--I love to tell the story!

'Twill be my theme in glory,

To tell the old, old story

Of Jesus and his love.

2 I love to tell the story!

More wonderful it seems,

Than all the golden fancies

Of all our golden dreams.

I love to tell the story!

It did so much for me!

And that is just the reason,

I tell it now to thee.

3 I love to tell the story!

'Tis pleasant to repeat

What seems, each time, I tell it,

More wonderfully sweet.

I love to tell the story!

For some have never heard

The message of salvation

From God's own Holy Word.

4 I love to tell the story!

For those who know it best

Seem hungering and thirsting

To hear it like the rest.

And when, in scenes of glory,

I sing the new, new song,

'Twill be--the old, old story

That I have loved so long.

Only a word for Jesus,

Spoken in fear with sense of need;

Yet, with the Master's blessing,

Thousands that word may feed.

CHO.--Give me a word for thee, Master!

Give me a word for thee!

To speak thy praise,

Some soul to raise,

Oh, give me a word for thee.

2 Only a word for Jesus,

Gentle and low with falt'ring breath;

Yet, with the Spirit's thrilling,

Winning a soul from death.

3 Only a word for Jesus,

Only a wav'ring soul to hear;

Yet, thro' increasing ages,

Widen its help and cheer.

4 Only a word for Jesus,

Feeble the love and praise appear:

Angels their songs are ceasing,

Glad this new note to hear.

Are you Christ's light bearer?

Of his joy a sharer?

Is this dark world fairer

For your cheering ray?

Is your beacon lighted,

Guiding souls benighted

To the land of perfect day?

CHO.--Oh, brother, is your lamp trimmed and burning?

Is the world made brighter by its cheering ray?

Are you ever waiting

For your Lord's returning?

Are you watching day by day?

2 Is your heart warm glowing,

With his love o'erflowing,

And his goodness showing

More and more each day?

Are you pressing onward,

With Christ's faithful vanguard,

In the safe and narrow way?

3 Keep your altars burning,

Wait your Lord's returning,

While your heart's deep yearning

Draws him ever near;

With his radiance splendid

Shall your light be blended

When his glory shall appear?