Christ the Christian's Life

O for the animating fire
That tun'd harmonious Watts's lyre
To sweet seraphic strains!
Celestial fire, that bore his mind
(Earth's vain amusements left behind)
To yonder blissful plains.

There Jesus lives, (transporting name!)
Jesus inspir'd the sacred flame,
And gave devotion wings?
With heaven-attracted flight she soar'd,
The realms of happiness explor'd,
And smil'd, and pitied kings.

Come, sacred flame, and warm my heart,
Thy animating power impart,
Sweet dawn of life divine!
Jesus, thy love alone can give
The power to rise, the power to live;
Eternal life is thine.

If in my heart thy heavenly day
Has e'er diffus'd its vital ray,
I bless the smiling dawn;
But oh, when gloomy clouds arise,
And veil thy glory from mine eyes,
I mourn my joys withdrawn.

Then faith, and hope, and love decay;
Without thy life-inspiring ray,
Each cheerful grace declines;
Yet I must live on thee, my Lord,
For still in thy unchanging word
A beam of comfort shines.

The vital principle within,
Though oft depress'd with fear and sin,
Can never cease to be;
Though doubt prevails, and grief complains,
Thy hand omnipotent sustains
The life deriv'd from thee.

O come, thou life of every grace,
Reveal, reveal thy lovely face,
These gloomy clouds remove;
And bid my fainting hope arise
To thy fair mansions in the skies.
On wings of faith and love.

There life divine no languor knows,
But with immortal vigour glows,
By joys immortal fed:
No cloud can spread a moment's night,
For there thy smiles immense delight
And boundless glory shed.