Humble Home

The Temple of the Soul

Thus saith the high and lofty One,

Inhabiting eternity;

Earth is My footstool, Heaven My throne,

What temple will ye build for Me?

Restore Me now Mine own.

Behold the temple of My choice;

My dwelling is the humble soul;

To make the broken heart rejoice,

The wounded spirit to make whole;

Then hearken to My voice.

Here, O Thou high and lofty One,

Bow down Thine heavens to dwell with me;

Here plant Thy footstool, raise Thy throne,

Rebuild Thy fallen sanctuary;

I yield Thee back Thine own.

Behold the temple of Thy choice,

Eternity within my soul;

Now make the broken heart rejoice,

The wounded spirit now make whole;

Lord! I have heard Thy voice.

..from Sacred Poems and Hymns by James Montgomery

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What Price A Soul?

The Soul

What is the thing of greatest price,

The whole creation round?

That, which was lost in Paradise,

That, which in Christ is found.

The soul of man,--Jehovah's breath!

That keeps two worlds at strife;

Hell moves beneath to work its death,

Heaven stoops to give it life.

God, to reclaim it, did not spare

His well-beloved Son;

Jesus, to save it, deign'd to bear

The Sins of all in One.

The Holy Spirit sealed the plan,

And pledged the blood divine,

To ransom every soul of man;

That price was paid for mine.

And is this treasure borne below

In earthly vessels frail;

Can none its utmost value know,

Till flesh and spirit fail?

Then let us gather round the Cross,

This knowledge to obtain,

Not by the soul's eternal loss,

But everlasting gain.

..from Sacred Poems and Hymns by James Montgomery

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Heavenly Unity

The Unity of the Spirit in the Bond of Peace

The glorious universe around,

The heavens with all their train,

Sun, moon, and stars, are firmly bound,

In one mysterious chain.

The earth, the ocean, and the sky,

To form one world agree,

Where all that walk, or swim, or fly,

Compose one family.

God in creation thus displays

His wisdom and His might,

While all His works with all His ways

Harmoniously unite.

In one fraternal bond of love,

One fellowship of mind,

The saints below, and saints above,

Their bliss and glory find.

Here, in their house of pilgrimage,

Thy statutes are their song;

There, through one bright eternal age,

Thy praises they prolong.

Lord, may our union form a part

Of that thrice happy whole,

Derive its pulse from Thee the Heart,

Its life from Thee the Soul.

--from Sacred Poems and Hymns by James Montgomery

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Denial

The Guilt and Folly of Denying God

"There is a God," all Nature cries,
All Knowledge proves "there is a God:"
"There is no God," the Fool replies,
Whose heart is duller than the clod.

The grateful clod, refresh'd with rains,
Pours flowers along its Maker's path;
But the Fool's heart a Fool's remains,
Untouch'd by love, unmoved by wrath.

And yet the wretch himself deceives;
While fiends believe, and trembling fly,
He trembles though he disbelieves;
And conscience gives his life the lie.

Can guilt, can madness further go?
Yes, his who God in works denies,
Whose creed saith "Yes," whose life says "No:"
Am I more holy, just, and wise?

My soul, sink down in shame and grief;
So fair without, so foul within;
Thy faith is specious unbelief,
Thy righteousness, self-righteous sin.

O God! Thou art, Thou surely art,
And those who truly seek Thee find;
Put Thou Thy laws into my heart,
In mercy write them on my mind.

Light in Thy light I long to see,
Thy glory in Thy goodness trace;
Ah! then reveal Thy Son in me,
Through faith may I be saved by grace.

..from Sacred Poems and Hymns by James Montgomery

God All In All

God All In All

Hail, all hail, the King of kings!

On His throne of sovereignty,

By whose will, whose word, all things

Are, and were, and yet shall be.

Hail Him, all that move and breathe,

On His throne of Providence;

To His family beneath,

Life and health diffusing thence.

Hail Him on His throne of grace,

God our Father reconciled,

Changing, from our fallen race,

Many a foe into a child.

Hail Him on His throne of light,

O'er His family above,

From the beatific sight,

Sending peace, and joy, and love.

Hail, all hail, the King of kings,

When on earth He deigns to dwell,

Heaven into the soul He brings,

God with us, Immanuel.

Come, O come! and for Thy throne,

King of kings, each heart prepare;

Reign triumphant, reign alone,

Lord of lords, for ever there.

..from Sacred Poems and Hymns by James Montgomery

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God of Nature, God of Grace

 The Glory of God in Creation

The God of nature and of grace

In all His works appears;

His goodness through the earth we trace,

His grandeur in the spheres.

Behold this fair and fertile globe

By Him in wisdom plann'd;

'Twas He who girded, like a robe,

The ocean round the land.

Lift to the arch of heaven your eye

Thither His path pursue;

His glory, boundless as the sky,

O'erwhelms the wondering view.

How excellent, O Lord, Thy name

In all creation's lines!

Spread through eternity, Thy fame

With rising lustre shines.

These lower works, that swell Thy praise

High as man's thoughts can tower,

Are but a portion of Thy ways,

The hiding of Thy power.

O shouldst Thou rend aside the veil,

And show thy dwelling-place,

The souls which thou hast made would fail

'Twere death to see Thy face.

Can none behold that face and live?

Yea, sinners may draw near:

The Lord is kind, and will forgive,

His love shall cast out fear.

Millions amidst His presence stand,

Who feel, while they adore,

Fulness of joy at His right hand,

And pleasures evermore.

--from Sacred Poems and Hymns by James Montgomery

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God Spoke

God the Creator

Praise the High, the Holy One!

God o'er all, the first, the last:

For He spake, and it was done;

He commanded, it stood fast.

At His word, from darkness light,

Harmony from discord broke;

Weakness started into might,

Beauty out of dust awoke:

Fire and water, air and earth,

Heard His voice and hush'd their strife:

Death itself, by wondrous birth,

Grew the parent of all life.

Plant and flower, and herb and tree,

Sprang spontaneous from the sod;

Sun and moon, and land and sea,

Day and night, beheld their God.

Fishes, fowls upon the wing,

Beasts, and all that creep or fly,

Every breathing, moving thing,

Peopled forest, flood, and sky.

But while all was fair and good,

All accordant to His will,

None their Maker understood,

Mind and thought were wanting still.

God, His glory to display,

With His image crown'd the whole,

Breath'd His Spirit into clay,

And made man a living soul.

Hallelujah, praise the One

God o'er all, the first, the last:

For He spake, and it was done;

He commanded, it stood fast.

--from Sacred Poems and Hymns by James Montgomery

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Beginnings and Endings

The Creation and Dissolution of all Things

In the beginning, God said "Be!"

And all things were,--heaven, earth, and sea:

God, in the end, once more will say,

"Perish!" and all shall pass away.

But Thou, O Lord! for ever art:

The orb of Thine eternity

Is one great whole, without a part;

Past, present, future, meet in Thee.

Convinced of sin, my soul would bend

Before Thee in the lowest dust;

Yet to Thy Throne by prayer ascend,

With trembling awe and childlike trust.

O look in loving-kindness down

On a frail worm with Thee at strife;

Eternal death were in Thy frown,

Thy smile will be eternal life!

--from Sacred Hymns and Poems by James Montgomery

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Holy, Holy, Holy Lord

Photo credit: LifeHouseDesign

Hymn 1

Holy, Holy, Holy Lord,
God of Hosts! when heaven and earth,
Out of darkness at Thy word
Issued into glorious birth,
All Thy works before Thee stood,
And Thine eye beheld them good,
While they sang with sweet accord,
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord!

Holy, Holy, Holy! Thee,
One Jehovah evermore,
Father, Son, and Spirit! we,
Dust and ashes, would adore;
Lightly by the world esteem'd,
From that world by Thee redeem'd,
Sing we here with glad accord,
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord!

Holy, Holy, Holy! All
Heaven's triumphant choirs shall sing,
When the ransom'd nations fall
At the footstool of their King:
Then shall saints and seraphim,
Hearts and voices swell one hymn,
Round the Throne with full accord,
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord!

--from Sacred Poems and Hymns by James Montgomery

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