138 L.M.
1 A holy Father’s constant care
Keeps watch, with an unwearying eye,
To see what fruits His children bear –
Fruits that may suit their calling high;
2 Takes ever knowledge of our state:
What dims communion with His love,
Might check our growth, or separate
Our hearts from what’s revealed above.
3 O wondrous love! that ne’er forgets
The objects of its tender care;
May chasten still, while sin besets,
To warn and guard them where they are;
4 Yet ne’er forgets, but feeds them still
With tokens of His tender love;
Will keep till, freed from every ill,
They find their rest with Him above.
5 O wondrous, infinite, divine!
Keep near, our souls, to that blest place
Where all those heav’nly glories shine,
Which suit the brightness of His face.
6 O lowliness, how feebly known,
That meets the grace that gave the Son!
That waits to serve Him as His own,
Till grace, what grace began, shall crown!
1. All through this desert dry
My path His footsteps trace,
And He doth all my need supply
In this sad, empty place.
Up to the Father there
Doth He attract my heart –
Doth make this earth a desert drear,
And draw me quite apart.
2 In Christ I find repose,
Nor follow Him in vain;
My soul no loss nor sorrow knows
When He Himself’s my gain.
Though long and hard the road,
Faith’s eyes are on the goal;
He uses trials for my good,
And thus preserves my soul.
3 Thus joyful, bright and free,
I take the heav’nly road;
My soul vibrates with melody,
My song is ever – God!
To Thee I have recourse
When sorrow fills my soul;
Thy staff and rod are my resource,
To comfort and console.
4 O what amazing grace
To know Thee here below!
To this great end my steps I trace,
And onward, upward go.
Thy face I soon shall see,
O mighty Saviour, there;
I have in Thee full victory,
And shall Thy glory share.
Little Flock Hymnbook 1962/1973 No 228
Thought to have been written by John Nelson Darby in French and translated.
O the joy of the salvation
We possess around the throne,
Countless thoughts of admiration
Mingling leave that joy but one.
Hark! ten thousand voices crying,
“Lamb of God!” with one accord;
Thousand thousand saints replying,
Bursts at once the echoing chord.
Long with free and glad devotion
Universal praise prevails,
Till, blest fruit of deep emotion,
Voice by voice in silence fails.
Now, in wondrous adoration,
Dwelling on His matchless love,
Sway’d with power of that salvation,
Silence fills the courts above.
Then their richest thoughts unfolding,
Each to each with joy divine,
Heavenly converse blissful holding,
Tells how bright His glories shine.
Some on God’s high glories dwelling,
Brightly beaming in His face;
Some His First-born greatness telling,
Ordering all things in their place.
These of Godhead’s counsels deep
Him th’ Accomplisher proclaim;
These how Jesu’s self could weep,
Of Godhead’s love the Witness came.
All on love surpassing rest,
That clothed in flesh the great I AM:
Till from a heart divinely prest
Bursts forth at length the loud exclaim,
“Praise the Lamb!”–at once awaking
The gather’d hosts, their voices throng;
Loud and wide each tongue partaking,
Rolls renew’d the endless song.
Grateful incense this, ascending
Rises to the Father’s throne;
Every knee to Christ is bending,
All the mind in heaven is one.
All the Father’s counsels claiming
Equal honours to the Son,
All the Son’s effulgence beaming
Glory of His Father’s throne.
By the Spirit all pervading
Radiant hosts unnumber’d round,
Breathing glory never fading,
Echo back the blissful sound.
Joyful now the wide creation
Rests in undisturb’d repose ;
Blest in Jesu’s full salvation,
Sorrow now nor thraldom knows.
Rich the streams of bounty flowing,
Common blessings from above,
Life and holy joy bestowing,
Tell of God’s unwearied love.
Hark the heavenly notes again
Loudly swells the air-borne praise ;
Throughout creation’s vault, “Amen,
“Amen!” responsive joy doth raise.
Selected verses Hymns for the Little Flock 1962 and 1973 and in Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs 1978 – No 14
A note from Sosthenes
Years ago, Percy Lyon, a servant of the Lord well known for his colourful (in the right sense) language and intonation said to my father, “We won’t be praising the Lord all the time, we’ll have reading meetings too! Then he quoted JND’s lines ‘Each to each with joy divine, Heavenly converse blissful holding, Tells how bright His glories shine Some on God’s high glories dwelling, Brightly beaming in His face; Some His First-born greatness telling, Ordering all things in their place.’ “
Most Christians are really not waiting for the Lord’s coming – but are not planning for the tribulation either. Through God’s mercy we will be saved out of that – See the letter to the Church at Smyrna (modern day Izmir)
But His coming is the Hope of the Church – so every Christian should be waiting for it. Jesus says “I come quickly” (Revelation 22:20)
I love this hymn, written by a Godly Russian, Daniel Otsing.
Daniel Otsing
1. O Lord, with our ears and hearts open,
Awaiting Thy shout would we be,
The summons that calls us to heaven,
Forever to be, Lord, with Thee.
Thy word and Thy Spirit, blest Lover,
The earnest, are giv’n to Thy bride;
Thou’rt near to faith’s vision, O Saviour,
But soon she will be at Thy side.
2. O come then, Lord Jesus, we’re watching!
And take now Thy spouse home to Thee!
Thine absence awakens deep yearning,
The bride her loved Bridegroom to see.
Thou art, O Lord Jesus, still waiting
With love deep, eternal, we know;
Our hearts in response, with love’s burning,
Await Thee with lamps all aglow.
3. The Spirit and bride are united
And now with one voice would say “Come”!
Throughout the long night she has waited
To see Thee, her faithful Bridegroom.
Gross darkness the earth doth now cover,
And night like a pall shrouds the land;
Thy flock is still here, Shepherd Lover,
The sheep Thou hast kept by Thy hand.
4. Midst darkness faith clearly sees beaming
The light of Thy coming afar;
We watch for the dawn of the morning,
And hail Thee, the bright Morning Star.
The word of Thy patience we’re keeping,
Thy radiancy draws us apart –
A beacon us heav’nward attracting –
To meet Thee, the Hope of our heart!
Another verse, not in the Little Flock Hymn Book
How sweet is Thy word, “I come quickly”.
“Amen!” answer Spirit and bride;
Responsive to love, faithful, holy,
That never has once turned aside. Thy promise is sure; blest Protector,
“Not one shall be lost”, is Thy word;
Of the “men given” Thee by Thy Father,
We praise Thee; we bless Thee O Lord.
Tunes: 449 Willenhall 447 Petrograd 448 Russian Air
B419 Morning Star R235 Mansewood
Daniel Otsing and his Wife
Daniel Otsing (1850-1937) lived in St Petersburg/Leningrad, Russia, and was in a small brethren meeting there. He was exiled to Kazakhstan where he died in appalling conditions.. The meeting suffered a lot of persecution after the Bolshevik Revolution and many faithful souls were transported to Siberia where they continued to witness to the Love of God. His niece Alice Mutton was taken to be with the Lord in January 2015. Some ‘Russian Nuggets’ are being issued by Saville Street Distribution, Walton, Essex. Contact e.mutton1462@btinternet.com .
June 2020 – Edwin Mutton has written a book ‘We Despaired even of Life’ , a collecton of correspondence with and accounts of visits to brethren in Russia from the Bolshevik Revolution in 1916 to the Stalin purges of the late 1930’s, with further sstories up to the home-going of Daniel Otsing’s daughter-in-law Jenny Otsing in 1975?. Daniel Otsing was a key figure. Edwin’s mother, Alice was the daughter of Paul and xx Cooper (originally Kubler). Xx was sister to yy, Daniel Otsing’s wife. The book is available from Saville Street Distribution (above) or from Bibles Etc, Wheaton IL, wsc@bibles-etc.com
The darkest hour, Lord Jesus, that rolled o’er Thy blest head
Called forth the sweetest fragrance that e’er on earth was shed
That cup so full so bitter – the wormwood and the gall –
Directly from Thy Father Thou didst accept it all.
2
What perfect meek submission!- Thy will, not Mine be done –
Obedience full, unquestioned: perfection of aSon!
Thus prostrate there before Him, Thy sweat as drops of blood –
And so to be the Victim, the spotless Lamb ofGod!
3
Yet Thou, O holy Suff’rer, couldst “Abba, Father!” cry,
Through all Thy woe abiding in sonship’s perfect tie.
O glorious heav’nly Leader, perfect through suff’ring Thou;
Captain of our salvation! With rev’rent hearts we bow.
4
Thou hast Thyself, Lord Jesus, our hearts’ affection gained.
How can we give Thee comfort for what Thou hast sustained?
Entire and full devotion alone can worthy be,
Till, love to love responsive, Thy glorious face we see.
O the wonder of the moment!
God outshining from above
To secure a scene of glory,
All responsive to His love.
Thought eternal are unfolded;
Now, in Christ, their wealth is shown
That for men a place in sonship
Might through Him, the Son, be known.
But the objects of that favour
Were in chains of bondage bound;
Guilty sinners must be ransomed,
And the lost must needs be found.
Love was thus in mercy seeking
Satan’s captives from the fall,
And the wonder of the story –
Jesus died to save them all!
Thus that work in all it’s glory
Every thought of God maintains,
While His grace o’er all has triumphed,
And through righteousness now reigns.
Here the Spirit too bears witness
To the truth that all is done.
O the wonder of the moment –
God outshining in His Son!
G. H. Stuart. Price Harrow 1911-63
Hymn 133. “Hymns and Spiritual Songs (1962) – English.” iBooks.
