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HYMNS
Breathe on Me, Breath of God
Text: Edwin Hatch
Hymn #4 in "Songs of the Soul"
Breathe on me, breath of God
Fill me with life anew
That I may love what Thou dost love
And do what Thou wouldst do.
Breathe on me, breath of God
Until my heart is pure
Until with Thee I will one will
To do and to endure.
Breathe on me, breath of God
'til I am wholly Thine
'til all this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire Divine.
Breathe on me, breath of God
So shall I never die
But live with Thee the perfect life
Of Thine eternally.
Come Down, O Love Divine
(19th century hymn translation of a 15th century text)
Hymn #6 in "Songs of the Soul"
Come down, O Love divine,
Seek Thou this soul of mine,
And visit it with Thine own ardor glowing;
O Comforter, draw near,
Within my heart appear
And kindle it, Thy holy flame bestowing.
O let it freely burn
'Till earthly passions turn
To dust and ashes in its heat consuming;
And let Thy glorious light
Shine ever on my sight
And clothe me round, the while my path illuming.
And so the yearning strong,
With which the soul will long,
Shall far out pass the power of human telling;
For none can guess its grace,
'Till he become the place
Wherein the Holy Spirit makes His dwelling.
Father, Thy Boundless Love to Me
Text: Paul Gerhardt, adapted by FCNB
Hymn #10 in "Songs of the Soul"
Father, Thy boundless Love to me
No thought can reach, no tongue declare
O knit my thankful heart to Thee
And reign without a rival there!
Thine, wholly Thine, alone I am
Be Thou alone my constant flame.
O grant that nothing in my soul
May dwell, but Thy pure Love alone
O may Thy Love possess me whole
My joy, my treasure, and my crown
Strange fires far from my soul remove
My every act, thought, word, be love.
Oh Love, how cheering is Thy ray!
All pain before Thy Presence flies.
Care, anguish, sorrow melt away,
Where'ere Thy healing beams arise.
O Father, nothing may I see,
Nothing desire, or seek, but Thee!
His Love Can Never Fail
Text: E.S. Hall, adapted by FCNB
Hymn #13 in "Songs of the Soul"
I do not ask to see the way
My feet will have to tread,
But only that my soul may feed
upon Divine Love's bread.
'Tis better far that I should walk
by faith close to His side.
I may not know the way I go,
but oh, I know my Guide.
His Love can never fail,
His Love can never fail,
My soul is satisfied to know,
His Love can never fail.
And if my feet would go astray,
They cannot, for I know
Our Father guides my falt'ring steps
As joyfully I go.
And though I may not see His face,
My faith is strong and clear
That in each hour of sore distress,
My Father will be near.
I will not fear, tho' darkness come
Abroad o'er all the land,
If I may only feel the touch
Of His own Loving hand.
And though I tremble when
I think how weak I am, how frail,
My soul is satisfied to know
His Love can never fail.
His Love can never fail,
His Love can never fail,
My soul is satisfied to know,
His Love can never fail.
How Silently, How Silently
Text: Leora Carlson
Hymn #14 in "Songs of the Soul"
You ask me how Love comes to me,
My heart Its Presence fills?
It comes as silently as the dawn comes
Over the wakened hills.
Apart with Love, alone with Love,
There flows into my heart,
And sweet repose, a gentleness
That earth cannot impart.
How silently, how silently,
Love makes Its Presence known!
'Tis only when the soul doth yearn
Love makes Its Presence known!
I Look to Thee
Text: Samuel Longfellow, adapted by FCNB
Hymn #15 in "Songs of the Soul"
I look to Thee in every need
And never look in vain.
I feel Thy strong and tender Love
And all is well again.
The thought of Thee is mightier far
Than sin and pain and sorrow are.
Discouraged in the work of life
Disheartened by its load.
Shamed by its failures or its fears,
I sink beside the road.
But let me only think of Thee
And then new hart springs up in me.
Embosomed deep in Thy dear Love
Held in Thy law I stand.
Thy hand in all things I behold
And all things in Thy hand.
Thou leadest me by unsought ways
And turn my mourning into praise.
If Thou But Suffer God to Guide Thee
Text: Georg Neumark
Hymn #18 in "Songs of the Soul"
If thou but suffer God to guide thee
And hope in Him in all thy ways
He'll give thee strength, what e'er betide thee
And bear thee through the evil days.
Who trusts in God's unchanging Love
Builds on the rock that naught can move.
Only be still and wait God's leisure
In cheerful hope with heart content
To take what e'er thy Maker's pleasure
And all discerning Love hath sent.
We know our inmost wants are known,
For we are called to be God's own.
Sing, pray, and keep God's ways unswerving,
So do thine own part faithfully.
Trusting God's word, though undeserving,
Thou yet shall find it true for thee.
God never yet forsook a need
Nor soul that trusted God indeed.
Love Eternal
Text: Rev. Marva Egenberger
Hymn #26 in "Songs of the Soul"
Love goes on forever,
There is no end of day.
Night is but a shadow
Where I pass it on my way.
Love is Light eternal
There is not time apart,
For now it flows supernal
From the wellspring in my heart.
With Truth my firm companion,
Hope's born anew each day
Gone the darkening death wish
For Love has come to stay.
Oh, Most Holy Love Divine
Text: German, anonymous, adapted by FCNB
Hymn #35 in "Songs of the Soul"
Sing praises to Our Father,
His mercy and His Love,
And let our voices gather
To pierce the clouds above.
Oh, most holy Love Divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine.
Holy God, loving God,
God of mercy be adored.
Please, Father, keep bestowing
Thy Love upon us all,
And set our hearts to glowing
When e'er to Thee we call.
Oh, most holy Love Divine,
Dwell within this heart of mine.
Holy God, loving God,
Seek His Love!
Text: Rev. Timothy C. Foley
Hymn #47 in "Songs of the Soul"
We are all our Father's children
In this world of trials and cares.
A great privilege has been given
Divine Love we now can share.
Jesus was the first to know this
Way to seek and find God's Love
Born to teach us and to show us
Truths that he was speaking of
We are all our Father's children
Sisters, brothers, one and all,
Not just bodies we now live in,
Souls that soon will be recalled
Back up to the place we came from
Where our lives can start anew.
But why wait 'til so-called death comes?
Jesus told us what to do:
Let us recognize that God is Love
We are His children, objects of
His Love and tenderest care for all.
Then let us humbly seek His Love,
Seek God's mercy and His Love.
His Love so patiently awaits our call
If we would only seek His Love!
It's here on earth just as above;
A Love that patiently awaits our call
His Love so patiently awaits our call.
O How Glorious, Full of Wonder
Text based on Psalm 8 by Curtis Beach
Adapted by FCNB
O how glorious, full of wonder is Thy name o'er all the earth;
Thou who wrought creation's splendor, bringing suns and stars to birth!
Rapt in reverence we adore Thee, marveling at Thy mystic ways,
Humbly now we bow before Thee, lifting up our hearts in praise.
When we see Thy lights of heaven, moon and stars, Thy power displayed,
What is man that Thou shouldst love him, creature that Thy hand hath made?
Child of earth, yet full of yearning, mixture strange of good and ill,
From Thy ways so often turning, yet Thy Love doth seek him still.
O how wondrous, O how glorious is Thy name in every land!
Thou, whose purpose moves before us toward the goal that Thou hast planned,
'Tis Thy Love our hearts are seeking, conscious of our deepest need,
Fill our souls to overflowing; make us one with Thee, indeed!
