Death shall never harm thee, Shrink not from his blow, For thy God shall arm thee And victory bestow; For death shall bring to thee no sting, The grave no desolation; 'Tis gain to die with Jesus nigh-- The Rock of thy salvation. --Francis Scott Key. The dearest thing on earth to me Is Jesus' will; Whate'er I do, where'er I be, To do his will. Worldly pleasures cannot charm me, Powers of evil cannot harm me, Death itself cannot alarm me, For 'tis his will. SWEET PROMISES O Jesus, I have promised, To serve thee to the end; Be thou forever near me, My Master and my Friend. I shall not fear the battle If thou art by my side, Nor wander from the pathway If thou wilt be my guide. O let me feel thee near me; The world is ever near; I see the sights that dazzle, The tempting sounds I hear; My foes are ever near me, Around me and within; But, Jesus, draw thou nearer, And shield my soul from sin. O Jesus, thou hast promised To all who follow thee, That where thou art in glory There shall thy servant be; And, Jesus, I have promised To serve thee to the end; O give me grace to follow My Master and my Friend. --John E. Bode. THE KING OF LOVE The King of love my Shepherd is, Whose goodness faileth never; I nothing lack if I am his, And he is mine forever. Where streams of living water flow My ransomed soul he leadeth, And where the verdant pastures grow With food celestial feedeth. Perverse and foolish oft I strayed, But yet in love he sought me, And on his shoulder gently laid, And home rejoicing brought me. In death's dark vale I fear no ill, With thee, dear Lord, beside me; Thy rod and staff my comfort still, Thy cross before to guide me. And so, through all the length of day, Thy goodness faileth never; Good Shepherd, may I sing thy praise Within thy house forever. --Henry W. Baker. WE WOULD SEE JESUS We would see Jesus when our hopes are brightest And all that earth can grant is at its best; When not a drift of shadow, even the lightest, Blurs our clear atmosphere of perfect rest. We would see Jesus when the joy of living Holds all our senses in a realm of bliss, That we may know he hath the power of giving Enduring rapture more supreme than this. We would see Jesus when our pathway darkens, Beneath the dread of some impending ill; When the discouraged soul no longer harkens To hope, who beckons in the distance still. We would see Jesus when the stress of sorrow Strains to their utmost tension heart and brain; That he may teach us how despair may borrow From faith the one sure antidote of pain.