LUTHER'S HYMN.

["A song of praise for the great benefits which God has fested to us in Christ.”]

EAR Christian people, all rejoice,

Each soul with joy upspringing;
Pour forth one song with heart and voice

With love and gladness singing;
Give thanks to God, our Lord above,
Thanks for his miracle of love;
Dearly he hath redeemed us!

The devil's captive, bound I lay,

Lay in death's chains forlorn;
My sins distressed me night and day,

The sin within me born;
I could not do the thing I would,
In all my life was nothing good,

Sin had possessed me wholly.

My good works could no comfort shed,

Worthless must they be rated;
My free-will to all good was dead,
And God's just judgments hated.

Me of all hope my sins bereft,

And death was hell's dark portal.

Then God saw, with deep pity moved,

My grief that knew no measure ;
Pitying He saw, and freely loved -

To save me was His pleasure.
The Father's heart to me was stirred,
He saved me with no sovereign word

His very best it cost Him.

He spoke to His belovéd Son,

With infinite compassion: “Go hence, my heart's most precious crown,

Be to the lost salvation;
Death, his relentless tyrant, stay,
And bear him from his sins away,

With Thee to live forever!"

Willing the Son took that behest:

Born of a maiden mother,
To His own earth He came a guest,
And made Himself

my

brother. All secretly He went His way, Veiled in my mortal flesh He lay,

And thus the foe He vanquished.

And guard thee from the words of men,
Lest the great joy be lost again;
This, my last charge, I leave thee.”

TRANSLATED BY MRS. CHARLES,

ABIDE IN HIM.

" Tecum volo vulnerari
Te libenter amplexari

In cruce desidero.”

OLD HYMN.

LING to the Crucified!

His death is life to thee,
Life for eternity;
His pains thy pardon seal,
His stripes thy bruises heal,
His Cross proclaims thy peace,
Bids every sorrow cease;
His blood is all to thee,

It purges thee from sin;
It sets thy spirit free,

It keeps thy conscience clean:
Cling to the Crucified !