16*. O Jesus, Friend Unfailing

7,6.
by H.K. Burlingham, 1865, from German
1
O Jesus, Friend unfailing,
 
How dear art Thou to me!
 
Are cares or fears assailing?
 
I find my strength in Thee!
 
Why should my feet grow weary
 
Of this my pilgrim way?
 
Rough though the path and dreary,
 
It ends in perfect day!
“A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.” (Proverbs 18:24)
“And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.” (Matthew 8:26)
“And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Corinthians 12:9)
“For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.” (Hebrews 12:3)
“Dearly beloved, I beseech you as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul.” (1 Peter 2:11)
“But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.” (Proverbs 4:18)
2
Naught, naught I court as pleasure,
 
Compared, O Christ, with Thee!
 
Thy sorrow, without measure,
 
Earned peace and joy for me.
 
I love to own, Lord Jesus,
 
Thy claims o’er me divine,
 
Bought with Thy blood most precious,
 
Whose can I be but Thine!
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” (Philippians 3:7-8)
“Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers. But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.” (1 Peter 1:18-19)
“What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
3
What fills my heart with gladness?
 
’Tis Thine abounding grace!
 
Where can I look in sadness,
 
But, Jesus, on Thy face?
 
My all is Thy providing,
 
Thy love can ne’er grow cold;
 
In Thee, my Refuge, hiding,
 
No good wilt Thou withhold.
“Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound.” (Romans 5:20)
“But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:19)
“<<To the chief Musician for the sons of Korah, A Song upon Alamoth.>> God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
“For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.” (Psalm 84:11)
4
Why should I droop in sorrow?
 
Thou’rt ever by my side!
 
Why, trembling, dread the morrow?
 
What ill can e’er betide?
 
If I my cross have taken,
 
’Tis but to follow Thee;
 
If scorned, despised, forsaken,
 
Naught severs Thee from me!
“Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted in me? hope thou in God: for I shall yet praise him for the help of his countenance.” (Psalm 42:5)
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5)
“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.” (Matthew 6:34)
“For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee.” (Psalm 5:4)
“Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.” (Matthew 16:24)
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come. Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:35-39)
5
Oh worldly pomp and glory,
 
Your charms are spread in vain!
 
I’ve heard a sweeter story!
 
I’ve found a truer gain!
 
Where Christ a place prepareth,
 
There is my loved abode;
 
There shall I gaze on Jesus:
 
There shall I dwell with God.
“But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” (Philippians 3:7-8)
“In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.” (John 14:2)
“And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.” (Revelation 22:4)
“And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God.” (Revelation 21:3)
6
For every tribulation,
 
For every sore distress,
 
In Christ I’ve full salvation,
 
Sure help and quiet rest.
 
No fear of foes prevailing!
 
I triumph, Lord, in Thee!
 
O Jesus! Friend unfailing,
 
How dear art Thou to me!
“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16)
“Now thanks be unto God, which always causeth us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place.” (2 Corinthians 2:14)
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