Ter Steegen's Golden Timepiece

John xiii. 5.
6 P.M.
Wilt Thou be the sinner’s servant,
Humble, loving Lord,
Wash my ways, and all my converse,
Thought, and deed, and word.
Make me bend, the least and lowest,
At my brethren’s feet;
Love saith, “As the task is meanest,
Is the service sweet.”

Matt. xxvi. 28.
7 P.M.
Givest thou Thyself, Lord Jesus,
Thus my life to be?
Thy most precious Blood and Body
Offered up for me?
Thou, O Lord, my food eternal
My eternal feast—
All my hunger stilled for ever,
All my thirst appeased.

John xvii. 9, 20.
8 P.M.
Great High Priest whose prayers are music
In the Father’s ears,
I shall know their glorious answer
Through eternal years.
Even now, O Lord, I know it,
Made by love Divine,
One with Thee, henceforth, for ever,
Therefore one with Thine.

John xviii. 1.
9 P.M.
Lo! I see the shadow falling
Awful in its gloom—
See Thee passing, O Belovèd,
To Thy place of doom—
Mine the sin that veiled the glory,
Thine the burden sore—
Yet, O world, so sweet that sorrow,
Thou art sweet no more.

Luke xxii. 41.
10 P.M.
Sorrowful, I see Thee kneeling
That dread cup to take;
Filled with wrath of my deserving
Given Thee for my sake.
Yet to Thee how sweet the bitter,
Sweet the Father’s will!
Lord, may I, Thy love recalling,
Suffer, and be still.

Luke xxii. 44.
11 P.M.
For Thine agony of weeping,
For Thy sweat of Blood,
For Thy prayer that told the marvel
Of the love of God;
Lord, I thank Thee—still ascendeth
That unceasing prayer,
Incense from my heart’s still temple;
God’s High Priest is there.

Luke xxii. 48.
MIDNIGHT.
On! the traitor’s kiss to suffer
On Thy lips Divine—
Yield Thyself to foemen, stricken
By one word of Thine—
Give me, Lord, to bear rejoicing
Cross and shame for Thee—
Meet with loving lips and gentle
Him who hateth me.

John xviii. 12.
1 A.M.
Unresisting, uncomplaining,
Holy, harmless, calm;
Driven, beaten, led to slaughter,
God’s unblemished Lamb—
Bind me in eternal fetters,
Lead me, Thine alone;
Silent when contempt and hatred
Mark me for Thine own.

Mark xiv. 64.
2 A.M.
Lo! they judge Thee as a traitor,
All the treachery mine—
Scourge Thee as a malefactor,
Saviour Divine.
Search me, O my God, and try me,
Cleanse my inmost will;
Give to me, if men misjudge me,
Patience sweet and still.

Mark xiv. 71.
3 A.M.
Peter hath denied Thee—wilder
Rise the waters deep—
Smitten by Thine eyes of pity
He hath fled to weep.
Make me strong, and true and faithful,
All my strength in Thee;
When my faithless steps would wander,
Look Thou, Lord, on me.

Mark xv. 5.
4 A.M.
Silent midst the false accusers,
Thou the Witness true;
Proud, false lips revile and sentence
Him they never knew.
I, the guilty one, acquitted
By Thy lips Divine;
Thine the curse and condemnation,
Life and glory mine.

Mark xv. 19.
5 A.M.
Lo! they mock Thee, spit upon Thee,
Smite the Face of God;
I shall stand in shining raiment,
Whitened in Thy Blood—
Stand before Thy Throne of judgment
Faultless, glad, and free;
Grant me love to men who hate me
As Thy love to me.

John xix. 9.
6 A.M.
As a sheep before her shearers
Dumb and still art Thou;
For the kingdom and the glory
Are not given Thee now.
Not for me the courts enchanted
Of the world’s delight—
With Thee in Thy palace gardens
I shall walk in white.

John xix. 16.
7 A.M.
Dragged from Thy belovèd city,
Zion’s holy hill,
Mirth of fools and song of drunkards,
Thou art silent still.
Silently, O Lord, I follow
In that path of shame,
Thy reproach and Thy dishonour
Glory of my name.

John xviii. 40.
8 A.M.
Thou, the Prince of Life, rejected,
And the murderer claimed;
Stripped and scourged by hands ungentle,
Mocked by tongues untamed—
Strip from me, Lord, self’s foul raiment,
Clothe me with Thine own;
I am fit for courts of Heaven,
Clad in Christ alone.

John xix. 2.
9 A.M
With the crown of thorns they crown Thee,
Scornfully they bow;
On the Father’s throne in glory
Thou art seated now.
Mighty God, I bow before Thee,
Thee, the Saviour King;
Here, my joy to love and suffer;
There, to love and sing.

John xix. 5.
10 A.M.
Mocked and spit upon, and bleeding,
Pilate leads Thee forth;
In Thy face they see no beauty,
In Thy Blood no worth.
O despised and humble Jesus,
What, compared with Thee,
Are the glory and the beauty
Of all worlds to me.

John xix. 16.
11 A.M.
Sentence passed on Thee, the guiltless
By a sinner’s tongue—
I before Thy throne am speechless
I, who did the wrong.
By Thy holy lips acquitted,
Wondering, I go free—
Past for me are death and judgment,
Crucified with Thee.

John xix. 17, 18.
NOON.
Thou must bear Thy cross, Lord Jesus,
With the robbers twain—
Wearied, bleeding, and forsaken
In Thy shame and pain.
Taking up my cross I follow,
All my glory this,
With Thee here to toil and suffer,
Thy reproach my bliss.

Luke xxiii. 33.
Lo! unto the cross they nail Thee,
Bitter gall prepare,
Those all-holy lips to moisten,
Praying for them there.
When that wounded hand shall sweetly
Pass that cup to me,
May it all the world embitter,
Leave me naught but Thee.

Luke xxiii. 43; John xix. 25-27.
Hanging in Thy shame and anguish,
Words of love and grace
Welcome the forgiven felon
To Thy Holiest place—
Guide Thy mother, broken-hearted,
To a home of rest—
Comfort him, who yester even
Lay upon Thy Breast.

Matt. xxvii. 46; John xix. 30.
In Thy direst need forsaken,
Now the work is done—
Thou dost bow Thy Head to welcome
Me, Thy wandering one—
Bend to kiss Thine own, Thy ransomed—
In that kiss to die—
My Belovèd, Thine for ever,
Thine alone am I.

John xix. 34.
4 P.M.
From Thy side the blood and water
Flow to cleanse my sin—
Rent the mystic veil of Heaven;
I have entered in.
Heart of love, to sinners open,
Place where God can meet
His beloved, His priest anointed
At His mercy seat.

John xix. 41.
5 P.M.
New the grave wherein Thou liest
Wound in linen fine—
I an old cold grave have found Thee,
This poor heart of mine.
So shall that dark grave be glorious,
New, and pure, and fair;
I shall worship Thee for ever
In Thy glory there.


Source: Hymns of Ter Steegen and Others (Second Series) #54