p. 78 | Night Thoughts

The Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 8, 1865

Night Thoughts.

"Unto you who believe he is precious."—1 Peter ii, 7.

PRECIOUS is thy name, sweet Jesus, Sweeter than an angel's dream, More melodious than the music Swelling from a seraph's hymn. Precious is thy love that brought thee From thy Father's throne above, To redeem a world in ruins, Bid its heavy curse remove.

Precious art thou, blessed Jesus, Precious to my sin-sick soul; Precious, O thou great Physician, Who hast cured and made me whole. Precious is thy grace that softly— Softer than a zephyr's sigh— Whispered to my troubled spirit, Peace, be still, poor soul, 'tis I!

Precious is thy great compassion, That, when I was doomed to die, Justly doomed for sins committed, Made thee look with pitying eye On my lost, undone condition. Precious is thy pardoning blood, Blotting out my sins unnumbered, Making me an heir of God.

When the heart, with anguish riven, Has not utterance for a sigh, And no tear relieving issues From the mourner's vacant eye, Mourning for some fondly-loved one; When each minute's creeping tread Through the weary nights of watching Seems to echo, "Dead—dead—dead!"

Then, if through the gloomy shadows, But thy sacred form arise, All thy face compassion beaming, Pity flowing from thine eyes, Weeping, as for Mary's brother, Friend divine, thine unfeigned tears, Precious then thy loving presence To the burdened soul appears.

Were each star that gleams in heaven, Sun and moon and planets gold; Were upon the shores of ocean, All the grains of sand untold, Changed each to a pearl most precious, And their number multiplied, Till to estimate the treasure Man's or angel's skill defied;

Still one word by Jesus spoken, From Gethsemane one sigh, One drop from that cruel spear-wound, One glance from thy loving eye, One smile from those lips celestial, One tear trickling down thy cross, One throb of thy heaving bosom, Would make these but seem as dross.