Hold up the grand old Bible to the people!
Deny it or neglect it never!
Unfailing it has stood the test of ages,
And it shall stand unchanged forever!

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O blessèd book, the only book,
The pow’rs of earth can change it never!
The test of fire and flood through ages it hath stood,
And it shall stand unchanged forever.

Hold up the grand old Bible and proclaim it
The Word of God by prophets spoken;
His seal imprinted glows upon its pages,
And not a precept can be broken.

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Hold up the grand old Bible of our fathers,
And send it unto ev’ry nation;
It is the cloud by day, the fire in darkness,
That lights the way unto salvation.

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Hold up the grand old Bible, proudly own it,
Believe, and search its sacred pages;
There you may find the way of life eternal—
Immortal life through endless ages.

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In God’s Word it is recorded
That this world will not endure;
Then while time is yet afforded
Make your hope of Heaven sure;
For the stars, before the morning,
From their orbits may be hurled,
And the moon may send a warning
That tonight will end the world.

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If tonight should end the world,
If tonight should end the world,
Would your soul adrift be driven?
Or would you set sail for Heaven,
If tonight should end the world?

O’er this question do you ponder,
As the days pass swiftly by?
Have you gained an interest yonder,
Where the soul will never die?
If the last trump should be sounded,
And the blood stained banner furled,
Would it bring you grief unbounded
If tonight should end the world?

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See the hands once torn and bleeding
On the cross of Calvary,
Reaching out with gentle pleading;
Oh, poor sinner, ’tis for thee;
Come, accept this great salvation,
Ere to judgment you are hurled;
Slight you not this invitation,
For tonight may end the world.

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Lord, Thy Word abideth,
And our footsteps guideth;
Who its truth believeth
Light and joy receiveth.

When our foes are near us,
Then Thy Word doth cheer us,
Word of consolation,
Message of salvation.

When the storms are o’er us,
And dark clouds before us,
Then its light directeth,
And our way protecteth.

Who can tell the pleasure,
Who recount the treasure,
By Thy Word imparted
To the simple hearted?

Word of mercy, giving
Succor to the living;
Word of life, supplying
Comfort to the dying!

O that we, discerning,
Its most holy learning,
Lord, may love and fear Thee,
Evermore be near Thee!

There’s a dear and precious Book,
Though it’s worn and faded now,
Which recalls those happy days of long ago,
When I stood at mother’s knee,
With her hand upon my brow,
And I heard her voice in gentle tones and low.

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Blessèd Book, precious Book,
On thy dear old tear stained leaves I love to look;
Thou art sweeter day by day, as I walk the narrow way
That leads at last to that bright home above.

As she read the stories o’er
Of those mighty men of old,
Of Joseph and of Daniel and their trials,
Of little David bold,
Who became a king at last,
Of Satan and his many wicked wiles.

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Then she read of Jesus’ love,
As He blessed the children dear,
How He suffered, bled and died upon the tree;
Of His heavy load of care,
Then she dried my flowing tears
With her kisses as she said it was for me.

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Well, those days are past and gone,
But their memory lingers still
And the dear old Book each day has been my guide;
And I seek to do His will,
As my mother taught me then,
And ever in my heart His Words abide.

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O changeless Word of life and light,
A perfect rule to guide me,
I take thy counsels, trust thy truth,
And in my heart I hide thee.

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Precious Bible, precious Bible,
Book by inspiration given;
Precious Bible, precious Bible,
Light to guide our souls to Heav’n!

Thou Book divine, thy pages shine
With Heav’n’s unfading glory;
Thou dost reveal to mortals here
The great redemption story.

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Here law and love and wisdom stand
Revealed through bygone ages,
And children read a message sweet
Upon thy simple pages.

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Untouched by time, or men’s assaults,
This Word remains unshaken,
And those who build upon this rock
Will never be forsaken.

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’Mid the storms of doubt and unbelief, we fear,
Stands a Book eternal that the saints hold dear;
Thro’ the restless ages it remains the same—
’Tis the Book of God, and the Bible is its name!

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The old Book and the old faith
Are the Rock on which I stand!
The old Book and the old faith
Are the bulwark of the land!
Thro’ storm and stress they stand the test
In every clime and nation blessed;
The old Book and the old faith
Are the hope of every land!

’Tis the Book that tells us of the Father’s love,
When He sent His Son to us from Heav’n above,
Who by richest promise creates hope within,
For ’tis through His blood we are saved from every sin!

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’Tis the Book that tells us of the will of God
And the Savior’s teachings while the earth He trod—
How He soothed earth’s sorrows and relieved its woe,
Through Whom strength is given to conquer every foe!

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’Tis the Book that tells us of eternal life,
After faithful service in a world of strife,
And this glorious triumph over death’s dark fears
Is the world’s best gift in an age of countless tears.

Oh, the grand old Book and the dear old faith
Are the Rock on which I stand!
Oh, the grand old Book and the dear old faith
Are the hope of every land!

Standing at the portal
Of the opening year,
Words of comfort meet us,
Hushing every fear;
Spoken thru the silence
By our Savior’s voice,
Tender, strong and faithful,
Making us rejoice.

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Onward, then, and fear not,
Children of the day;
For His Word shall never,
Never pass away.

“I, the Lord, am with thee,
Be thou not afraid;
I will help and strengthen
Be thou not dismayed.
Yea, I will uphold thee
With My own right hand;
Thou art called and chosen
In My sight to stand.”

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For the year before us,
O what rich supplies!
For the poor and needy
Living streams shall rise;
For the sad and sinful
Shall His grace abound;
For the faint and feeble
Perfect strength be found.

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He will never fail us,
He will not forsake;
For His eternal covenant
He will never break.
Resting on the promise,
What have we to fear?
God is all sufficient
For the coming year.

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The starry firmament on high,
And all the glories of the sky,
Yet shine not to Thy praise, O Lord,
So brightly as Thy written Word.

The hopes that holy Word supplies,
Its truths divine and precepts wise,
In each a heavenly beam I see,
And every beam conducts to Thee.

Almighty Lord, the sun shall fail,
The moon forget her nightly tale,
And deepest silence hush on high,
The radiant chorus of the sky.

But, fixed, for everlasting years,
Unmoved amid the wreck of spheres,
Thy Word shall shine in cloudless day,
When Heaven and earth have passed away.

There’s an hour which no man knoweth,
Nor the angels round the throne,
When the Lord shall come in glory from the sky;
All the saints shall rise to meet Him,
For He calleth for his own;
They shall hear the trumpet sounding by and by.

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Are you ready? ready?
Looking for the King?
Ready, while you labor, watch and pray?
Are you ready? ready?
Looking for the King?
Ready for the happy crowning day?

What a blessèd transformation,
In the twinkling of an eye,
When the mortal shall immortal life put on!
Those who love Him shall be like Him,
When He cometh from on high,
At the noontide, at the midnight, or at dawn.

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Though our sins have been as scarlet,
Let us seek the streams that flow
From the cross that rose on Calv’ry’s rugged height;
He is able still to keep us,
And present us white as snow,
When He comes again, as clouds of dazzling light.

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Are you ready for the coming of the Lord from Heav’n?
Are you resting in the promise which to us is giv’n?
Does your heart leap up with rapture as you know He’s near?
Or do thoughts of His appearing fill your heart with fear?

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Are you ready (are you ready),
Are you ready (are you ready),
Are you ready for the opening skies?
Are you ready (are you ready),
Are you ready (are you ready),
Are you ready for that glad surprise?

If He came to call His people would you be dismayed?
Though your sins have been forgiven would you be afraid?
Would you be ashamed to meet Him if He came today?
From the presence of the Master would you shrink away?

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To this world with all its pleasures are you rooted fast?
Would a call to leave it quickly be a wrench at last?
When He views your finished life work will you suffer loss?
Will you find that you have gathered only worthless dross?

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Are you busy in His service though your heart is cold?
Are there precious earthly treasures which you fondly hold?
Would He find you doing only what He could approve?
Would He find you watching, waiting for the One you love?

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Church of Christ, thy Lord is calling;
Ope thine eyes, behold and see,
Precious souls, in chains of bondage,
Pleading now for aid from thee.
Up and work for those that perish,
Haste, the time will soon be o’er;
Fold thy arms of love around them,
Church of Christ, O sleep no more.

Lo, again thy Lord is calling;
Preach the Word, its truth proclaim;
Lift thy voice and, like a trumpet,
Sound aloud Jehovah’s Name.
Boding clouds are in the distance,
Billows foam, and surges roar,
Dark and wild the night is coming,
Church of Christ, O sleep no more.

Still again thy Lord is calling;
Take the lamp that once He gave;
Let its beams of peerless glory
Shine afar the lost to save.
Do His will and do it quickly,
For the time will soon be o’er;
He may come when least expected,
Church of Christ, O sleep no more.

If our Lord should come tonight,
With the bright angelic host,
Would He find us in His vineyard,
Every servant at his post?
Thro’ the precious cleansing blood,
Are our garments clean and white?
Are we dwelling in the light,
Should our Lord appear tonight?

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Are we watching, are we waiting
In the raiment pure and white?
Should we joy at His appearing
If our Lord should come tonight?

If our Lord should come tonight,
Come as King and Judge of all,
Are there any here assembled
Who would tremble at His call?
Is there one, oh, is there one
Far from Jesus and the light,
Unrepentant, lost, undone,
If the Judge should come tonight?

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Christ as King and Judge will come,
’Tis recorded in His book;
He will bid us stand before Him,
Not a soul will He o’erlook!
Are we ready, every one?
Are we in the raiment white,
If the Judge of all mankind
Should appear this very night?

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Are you walking now in the light of God?
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.
Are you in the path that the Master trod?
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.

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Will you be ready to enter in?
Ready when the Bridegroom comes?
In the morning light, or at noon, or night,
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.

Have you full salvation from every sin?
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.
Trusting in His Word, have you peace within?
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.

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Is your heart made clean by the precious blood?
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.
Have you been made white in the cleansing flood?
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.

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He will come some day unto every soul;
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.
By His healing power let Him make you whole—
Be ready when the Bridegroom comes.

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