Unchanging Love

730 Praise to Vie God of Love 1 FATHER, 'twas Thy love that knew us Earth's foundations long before: That same love to Jesus drew us By its sweet constraining power, And will keep us Safely now, and evermore.

2 God of love, our souls adore Thee!

We would still Thy grace proclaim, Till we cast our crowns before Thee, And in glory praise Thy name:

Hallelujah! Be to God and to the Lamb!

James George Deck, 1836

731 The Refiner sitting by the Fire 1 GOD'S furnace doth in Zion stand; But Zion's God sits by, As the refiner views his gold With an observant eye.

2 His thoughts are high, His love is wise, His wounds a cure intend; And though He does not always smile, He loves unto the end.

3 Thy love is constant to its line, Though clouds oft come between:

Oh could my faith but pierce these clouds, It might be always seen.

4 But I am weak, and forced to cry, Take up my soul to Thee:

Then, as Thou ever art the same, So shall I ever be.

5 Then shall I ever, ever sing, Whilst Thou dost ever shine:

I have Thine own dear pledge for this;

Lord, Thou art ever mine.

John Mason, 1683.

732 The firm Foundation 1 HOW firm a foundation, ye saints of the Lord, Is laid for your faith in His excellent word!

What more can He say than to you He hath said, You who unto Jesus for refuge have fled?

2 In every condition—in sickness, in health, In poverty's vale, or abounding in wealth; At home and abroad, on the land, on the sea, "As thy days may demand shall thy strength ever be."

3 "Fear not, I am with thee, oh, be not dismay'd!

I, I am thy God, and will still give thee aid;

I'll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand, Upheld by My righteous omnipotent hand.

4 "When through the deep waters I call thee to go, The rivers of grief shall not thee overflow: For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless, And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.

5 "When through fiery trials thy pathway shall lie, My grace all-sufficient shall be thy supply; The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.

6 "E'en down to old age, all My people shall prove My sovereign, eternal, unchangeable love; And when hoary hairs shall their temples adorn, Like lambs they shall still in My bosom be borne.

7 "The soul that on Jesus hath lean'd for repose, I will not, I will not desert to his foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavour to shake, I'll never, no never, no never forsake!"

George Keith, 1787

733 "I will never leave thee."

1 O ZION, afflicted with wave upon wave, Whom no man can comfort, whom no man can save; With darkness surrounded, by terrors dismay'd, In toiling and rowing thy strength is decay'd.

2 Loud roaring the billows now nigh overwhelm. But skilful's the Pilot who sits at the helm, His wisdom conducts thee, His power thee defends, In safety and quiet thy warfare He ends.

3 "O fearful! O faithless!" in mercy He cries, "My promise, My truth, are they light in thine eyes?

Still, still I am with thee, My promise shall stand, Through tempest and tossing I'll bring thee to land.

4 "Forget thee I will not, I cannot, thy name Engraved on My heart doth for ever remain: The palms of My hands whilst I look on I see The wounds I received when suffering for thee.

5 "I feel at My heart all thy sighs and thy groans, For thou art most near Me, My flesh and My bones. In all thy distresses thy Head feels the pain.

Yet all are most needful, not one is in vain.

6 "Then trust Me, and fear not; thy life is secure; My wisdom is perfect, supreme is My power; In love I correct thee, thy soul to refine, To make thee at length in My likeness to shine.

7 "The foolish, the fearful, the weak are My care, The helpless, the hopeless, I hear their sad prayer: From all their afflictions My glory shall spring, And the deeper their sorrows, the louder they'll sing."

James Grant, 1784, a.

734 Begone, Unbelief 1 BEGONE, unbelief, my Saviour is near, And for my relief will surely appear; By prayer let me wrestle, and He will perform, With Christ in the vessel, I smile at the storm.

2 Though dark be my way, since He is my guide, 'Tis mine to obey, 'tis His to provide;

Though cisterns be broken, and creatures all fail, The word He has spoken shall surely prevail.

3 His love in time past forbids me to think He'll leave me at last in trouble to sink;

Each sweet Ebenezer I have in review, Confirms His good pleasure to help me quite through.

4 Determined to save, He watch'd o'er my path When, Satan's blind slave, I sported with death: And can He have taught me to trust in His name, And thus far have brought me to put me to shame?

5 Why should I complain of want or distress, Temptation or pain? He told me no less; The heirs of salvation, I know from His word, Through much tribulation must follow their Lord.

6 How bitter that cup no heart can conceive, Which He drank quite up, that sinners might live! His way was much rougher and darker than mine; Did Christ, my Lord, suffer, and shall I repine?

7 Since all that I meet shall work for my good, The bitter is sweet, the medicine is food;

Though painful at present 'twill cease before long, And then, oh how pleasant, the conqueror's song!

John Newton, 1779.

735 ”Lovest Them Me?"

1 HARK, my soul! it is the Lord;

'Tis thy Saviour, hear His word;

Jesus speaks, and speaks to thee:

"Say, poor sinner, lov'st thou Me?

2 "I deliver'd thee when bound, And, when bleeding, heal'd thy wound;

Sought thee wand'ring, set thee right, Turn'd thy darkness into light.

3 "Can a woman's tender care Cease toward the child she bare?

Yes, she may forgetful be, Yet will I remember thee.

4 "Mine is an unchanging love, Higher than the heights above:

Deeper than the depths beneath, Free and faithful, strong as death

5 "Thou shalt see My glory soon, When the work of grace is done:

Partner of My throne shall be, Say, poor sinner, lov'st thou Me?"

6 Lord, it is my chief complaint, That my love is weak and faint;

Yet I love Thee and adore—

Oh for grace to love Thee more!

William Cowper, 1771.

736 "Who shall separate?"

1 HALLELUJAH! who shall part Christ's own church from Christ's own heart?

Sever from the Saviour's side Souls for whom the Saviour died?

Dash one precious jewel down From Immanuel's blood-bought crown?

2 Hallelujah! shall the sword Part us from our glorious Lord?

Trouble dark or dire disgrace E'er the Spirit's seal efface?

Famine, nakedness, or hate, Bride and Bridegroom separate!

3 Hallelujah! life nor death.

Powers above nor powers beneath, Monarch's might, nor tyrant's doom, Things that are, nor things to come.

Men nor angels, e'er shall part Christ's own church from Christ's own heart.

William Dickinson, 1846.