2 Samuel 17

Sermon: God frustrates the plans of the rebel king; his treacherous counsellor dies and God begins to restore David. 

Lead Us, Heavenly Father, Lead Us

Forward Be

Fight the Good Fight

He Who Would Valiant Be

Lead us, Heavenly Father, lead us (J. Edmeston)
O’er the world’s tempestuous sea;
Guard us, guide us, keep us, feed us,
For we have no help but Thee;
Yet possessing every blessing
If our God our Father be.

Saviour, breathe forgiveness o’er us;
All our weakness Thou dost know;
Thou didst tread this earth before us,
Thou didst feel its keenest woe;
Lone and dreary, faint and weary,
Through the desert Thou didst go.

Spirit of our God, descending,
Fill our hearts with heavenly joy,
Love with every passion blending,
Pleasure that can never cloy:
Thus provided, pardoned, guided,
Nothing can our peace destroy.

Forward! Be our watchword, steps and voices joined; (H. Alford)
Seek the things before us, not a look behind:
Burns the fiery pillar at our army’s head;
Who shall dream of shrinking, by our Captain led?
Forward through the desert, through the toil and fight;
Canaan lies before us, Zion beams with light.

Forward, flock of Jesus, salt of all the earth,
Till each yearning purpose spring to glorious birth;
Sick, they ask for healing, blind, they grope for day;
Pour upon the nations wisdom’s loving ray!
Forward, out of error, leave behind the night;
Forward through the darkness, forward into light.

Glories upon glories hath our God prepared,
By the souls that love Him one day to be shared:
Eye hath not beheld them, ear hath never heard;
Nor of these hath uttered, thought or speech, a word:
Forward, ever forward, clad in armour bright;
Till the veil be lifted, till our faith be sight.

Far o’er yon horizon rise the city towers,
Where our God abideth; that fair home is ours!
Flash the gates with jasper, shine the streets with gold;
Flows the gladdening river shedding joys untold;
Thither, onward, thither, in the Spirit’s might:
Pilgrims, to your country, forward into light!

Fight the good fight with all thy might, (J. Monsell)
Christ is thy strength, and Christ thy right.
Lay hold on life, and it shall be
Thy joy and crown eternally.

Run the straight race through God’s good grace,
Lift up thine eyes, and seek his face;
Life with its way before thee lies;
Christ is the path, and Christ thy prize.

Cast care aside, lean on thy guide;
His boundless mercy will provide;
Lean, and the trusting soul shall prove
Christ is its light, and Christ its love.

Faint not nor fear, His arms are near;
He changeth not, and thou art dear;
Only believe, and thou shalt see
That Christ is all in all to thee.

He who would valiant be (John Bunyan/P. Dearmer)
Gainst all disaster,
Let him in constancy
Follow the Master.
There’s no discouragement
Shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent
To be a pilgrim.

Who so beset him round
With dismal stories,
Do but themselves confound -
His strength the more is.
No foe shall stay his might,
Though he with giants fight:
He will make good his right
To be a pilgrim.

Since, Lord, Thou dost defend
Us with Thy Spirit,
We know we at the end
Shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away!
I’ll fear not what men say,
I’ll labour night and day
To be a pilgrim.

Piano: Bill Ashton

Singing: Hilary Ashton