How precious, Lord, Thy sacred Word,
What light and joy those leaves afford
To souls in deep distress!
Thy precepts guide our doubtful way,
Thy fear forbids our feet to stray,
Thy promise leads to rest.

Thy threat’nings wake our slum’bring eyes,
And warn us where our danger lies;
But ’tis Thy Gospel, Lord,
That makes the guilty conscience clean,
Converts the soul, and conquers sin,
And gives a free reward.

My Bible, precious treasure!
Worth more than gems or gold;
Be it my choicest treasure
Thy covers to unfold.
Thy fair illumined pages
With God’s own glory shine;
Down through the long, long ages,
It gleams in ev’ry line.

Refrain

My precious Bible! ’tis a book divine,
Where heavenly truth and mercy shine,
And wisdom speaks in ev’ry line,
Speaks to me, speaks to me,
Speaks good news to me.

For God’s exceeding glory,
His very life is love;
All through His sacred story
Its splendor is inwove.
It glows in man’s creation,
And O! more radiant still,
In His complete salvation,
From sin and mortal ill.

Refrain

I read and weep and wonder,
How God, a holy God,
Could still the law’s wild thunder,
With mercy, gentle word.
How raise the pale transgressor,
Bow low with pain and fear,
And make him Heav’n’s possessor,
With Christ, the Son, an heir.

Refrain

O, marvelous relation!
O, tender, pitying love!
Of saints the admiration,
The song of host above.
Be this my wondrous story,
My daily, fresh delight,
And in this flood of glory,
My soul be ever bright.

Refrain

O the joy while thus we meet,
Learning here at Jesus’ feet
Words of truth that point the way
To realms of day!
Precious words of worth untold,
Ever new but never old,
May we read them o’er and o’er,
And love them more.

Words that tell of Him Who came
In His Father’s blessèd name;
And the angels at His birth
Sang “Peace on earth”;
Words that tell His love to men,
How He died and rose again,
To provide a mansion fair
That we might share.

Words that kindly say to all,
While their tones like music fall,
“Come to Jesus while you may;
He calls today”;
If our heart we open wide,
He will then with us abide;
We may dwell with Him above,
Where all is love.

There’s a picture fair and bright,
Hanging still on memory’s wall:
There I see my father take the Book divine;
Dear home faces gathered round,
As the shadows softly fall,
And a light from out the pages seems to shine.

Refrain

Dear old Book, precious Book,
On thy pages soiled and worn I love to look!
O thou balm for hearts that ache,
For my sainted mother’s sake,
Thou art dearer day by day, thou blessèd Book!

While I look, the pictures change,
And I see my mother’s face;
In her hand the Bible, worn and stained with tears;
But the light is shining still,
And within the hallowed place
There is comfort for earth’s griefs and doubts and fears.

Refrain

O the blessèd days of old,
When I felt my mother’s hand,
With its tender touch of love upon my head,
While the old, old, story sweet,
Which a child can understand,
From the pages of the Book divine she read.

Refrain

When I long for voices hushed,
And the touch of vanished hands,
In the darkness when death’s angel spreads his wing,
Let me turn to mother’s Book,
With its comforts and commands,
For the peace and hope its blessèd pages bring!

Refrain

I hear Thy voice, within the silence speaking;
Above earth’s din it rises, calm and clear;
Whatever goal my wayward will is seeking,
Its whispered message tells me Thou art near.

When evil reigns, life’s darker depths revealing,
And all the good seem sadly marred by wrong,
Amidst the discord, like sweet music stealing,
Thy voice, abiding, fills my soul with song.

O living voice, within the silence calling,
My spirit answers, wheresoe’er I roam;
Through life’s brief day still keep my feet from falling,
And lead me, through the evening shadows, home.

Hushed was the evening hymn,
The temple courts were dark;
The lamp was burning dim
Before the sacred ark;
When suddenly a voice divine
Rang through the silence of the shrine.

The old man, meek and mild,
The priest of Israel, slept;
His watch the temple child,
The little Levite, kept;
And what from Eli’s sense was sealed
The Lord to Hannah’s son revealed.

O give me Samuel’s ear,
The open ear, O Lord,
Alive and quick to hear
Each whisper of Thy Word,
Like him to answer at Thy call,
And to obey Thee first of all.

O give me Samuel’s heart,
A lowly heart, that waits
Where in Thy house Thou art,
Or watches at Thy gates;
By day and night, a heart that still
Moves at the breathing of Thy will.

O give me Samuel’s mind,
A sweet unmurm’ring faith,
Obedient and resigned
To Thee in life and death,
That I may read with child like eyes
Truths that are hidden from the wise.

Master, speak! Thy servant heareth,
Waiting for Thy gracious word,
Longing for Thy voice that cheereth;
Master! let it now be heard.
I am listening, Lord, for Thee:
What hast Thou to say to me?

Speak to me by name, O Master,
Let me know it is to me;
Speak, that I may follow faster,
With a step more firm and free,
Where the Shepherd leads the flock,
In the shadow of the rock.

Master, speak! Though least and lowest,
Let me not unheard depart;
Master, speak! For O, Thou knowest
All the yearning of my heart,
Knowest all its truest need:
Speak! and make me blest indeed.

Master, speak! and make me ready,
When Thy voice is truly heard,
With obedience glad and steady
Still to follow every word.
I am listening, Lord, for Thee:
Master, speak! O, speak to me!

O Master, when Thou callest,
No voice may say Thee nay,
For blest are they that follow
Where Thou dost lead the way;
In freshest prime of morning,
Or fullest glow of noon,
The note of heavenly warning
Can never come too soon.

O Master, when Thou callest,
No heart may dare refuse;
’Tis honor, highest honor,
When Thou dost deign to use;
Our brightest and our fairest,
Our dearest—all are thine;
Thou Who for each one carest,
We hail Thy love’s design.

Speak, Lord, in the stillness
While I wait on Thee;
Hushed my heart to listen,
In expectancy.

Speak, O blessèd Master,
In this quiet hour,
Let me see Thy face, Lord,
Feel Thy touch of power.

For the words Thou speakest,
“They are life” indeed;
Living Bread from Heaven,
Now my spirit feed!

All to Thee is yielded,
I am not my own;
Blissful, glad surrender,
I am Thine alone.

Fill me with the knowledge
Of Thy glorious will;
All Thine own good pleasure
In my life fulfill.

Like “a watered garden”
Full of fragrance rare,
Ling’ring in Thy presence
Let my life appear.

Speak, O Lord, Thy servant heareth,
To Thy Word I now give heed;
Life and spirit Thy Word beareth,
All Thy Word is true indeed.
Death’s dread pow’r in me is rife;
Jesus, may Thy Word of Life
Fill my soul with love’s strong fervor
That I cling to Thee forever.

Oh, what blessing to be near Thee
And to hearken to Thy voice;
May I ever love and fear Thee
That Thy Word may be my choice!
Oft were hardened sinners, Lord,
Struck with terror by Thy Word;
But to him who for sin grieveth
Comfort sweet and hope it giveth.

Lord, Thy words are waters living
Where I quench my thirsty need;
Lord, Thy words are bread life-giving,
On Thy words my soul doth feed.
Lord, Thy words shall be my light
Through death’s vale and dreary night;
Yea, they are my sword prevailing
And my cup of joy unfailing.

Precious Jesus, I beseech Thee,
May Thy words take root in me;
May this gift from Heav’n enrich me
So that I bear fruit for Thee!
Take them never from my heart
Till I see Thee as Thou art,
When in heav’nly bliss and glory
I shall greet Thee and adore Thee.

Speak to my soul, dear Jesus,
Speak now in tend’rest tone;
Whisper in loving kindness,
“Thou art not left alone.”
Open my heart to hear Thee,
Quickly to hear Thy voice,
Fill Thou my soul with praises,
Let me in Thee rejoice.

Refrain

Speak Thou in softest whispers
Whispers of love to me,
“Thou shalt be always conq’ror,
Thou shalt be always free.”
Speak Thou to me each day, Lord,
Always in tend’rest tone,
Let me now hear Thy whisper,
“Thou art not left alone.”

Speak to Thy children ever,
Lead in the holy way;
Fill them with joy and gladness,
Teach them to watch and pray.
May they in consecration
Yield their whole lives to Thee,
Hasten Thy coming kingdom,
Till our dear Lord we see.

Refrain

Speak now as in the old time
Thou didst reveal Thy will;
Let me know all my duty,
Let me Thy law fulfill.
Lead me to glorify Thee,
Help me to show Thy praise,
Gladly to do Thy bidding,
Honor Thee all my days.

Refrain

Talk with us, Lord, Thyself reveal,
While here o’er earth we rove;
Speak to our hearts, and let us feel
The kindling of Thy love.

With Thee conversing, we forget
All time, and toil, and care;
Labor is rest, and pain is sweet,
If Thou, my God, art here.

Here, then, my God, vouchsafe to stay,
And bid my heart rejoice;
My bounding heart shall own Thy sway,
And echo to Thy voice.

Thou callest me to seek Thy face,
’Tis all I wish to seek;
To attend the whispers of Thy grace,
And hear Thee inly speak.

Let this my every hour employ,
Till I Thy glory see;
Enter into my Master’s joy,
And find my heaven in Thee.