A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our helper he, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe [continue reading…]

Make me a captive, Lord,
And then I shall be free;
Force me to render up my sword,
And I shall conqu’ror be.
I sink in life’s alarms
When by myself I stand;
Imprison me within Thine arms,
And strong shall be my hand.

My heart is [continue reading…]

How beautiful upon the mountains
Are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings,
That publisheth peace;
That bringeth good tidings of good,
That publisheth salvation;
That saith unto Zion, “Thy God reigneth!”

— Isaiah 52:7 —

While shepherds kept their watching
O’er silent flocks by night,
Behold, throughout the heavens
There shone a holy light.

Chorus:
Go, tell it on the mountain,
Over the hills, and everywhere!
Go, tell it on the mountain
That Jesus Christ is born!

The shepherds feared and trembled,
When lo! above the earth [continue reading…]

“…as we sing Messiah’s birth…”¹

Then a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse,
And a branch from his roots will bear fruit.

— Isaiah 11:1 —

Lo, how a rose e’er blooming,
From tender stem hath sprung.
Of Jesse’s lineage coming,
As men of old have sung;
It came, a flow’ret bright,
Amid the cold of winter, [continue reading…]

Of the Father’s love begotten,
Ere the worlds began to be
He is Alpha and Omega,
He the source, the ending He
Of the things that are and have been,
And that future years shall see,
Evermore and evermore. [continue reading…]

With steady pace the pilgrim moves
Toward the blissful shore,
And sings with cheerful heart and voice,
“‘Tis better on before!”

His passage through a desert lies,
Where furious lions roar;
He takes his staff, [continue reading…]

O ye who tread life’s pilgrim away
With weary heart and sore,
Find hope and comfort in the thought—
’Tis better on before.

Though circumstances adverse be,
And scanty be your store,
Be patient; brighter days will come—
’Tis better on before.

Though you may be beset by foes
Who wound you o’er and o’er, [continue reading…]

And He arose, and rebuked the wind,
and said unto the sea, “Peace, be still.”
And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

— Mark 4:39 —

Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand,
and meted out heaven with the span,
and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure,
and weighed the mountains in scales,
and the hills in a balance?

— Isaiah 40:12 —

Our God hath given promise,
And His grace for this hath planned:
His child shall rest securely
In the hollow of His hand.

Chorus:
Let come what may — or wave, or tempest—
“Peace, be still!” ‘tis His command;
My soul is held in peace eternal
In the hollow of His hand. [continue reading…]

When the gloomy shadows gather ‘round your way,
And the clouds of sorrow hide the sun’s bright ray,
Keep your faith unshaken, tho’ all ills combine;
When the days are darkest, that’s the time to shine.¹

Chorus:
That’s the time to shine, that’s the time to shine,
Let your faith and courage glow with light divine;
That’s the time to shine, that’s the time to shine, [continue reading…]

The Elixir

Teach me, my God and King,
In all things Thee to see,
And what I do in anything
To do it as for Thee.

To scorn the senses’ sway,
While still to Thee I tend,
In all I do be Thou the Way,
In all be Thou the End. [continue reading…]

But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet,
and when thou hast shut thy door,
pray to thy Father which is in secret;
and thy Father which seeth in secret
shall reward thee openly.

— Matthew 6:6 —

Lord, I have shut the door;
Speak now the word
Which in the din and throng
Could not be heard.
Hushed now my inner heart;
Whisper Thy will,
While I have come apart,
While all is still. [continue reading…]

Peace, perfect peace, in this dark world of sin?
The blood of Jesus whispers peace within.

Peace, perfect peace, by thronging duties pressed?
To do the will of Jesus, this is rest. [continue reading…]