Here are some hymns written from 1700 - 1800's. The old English has a rich sound, and the words are reverent and deep. Enjoy!
Jesus, my Strength, my Hope,
on thee I cast my care,
with humble confidence look up,
and know thou hear'st my prayer.
Give me on thee to wait
till I can all things do;
on thee, almighty to create,
almighty to renew.
Give me a true regard,
a single, steady aim,
unmoved by threatening or reward
to thee and thy great Name;
a jealous, just concern
for thine immortal praise;
a pure desire that all may learn
and glorify thy grace.
I rest upon thy Word;
the promise is for me;
my comfort and salvation, Lord,
shall surely come from thee.
but let me still abide,
nor from my hope remove,
till thou my patient spirit guide
into thy perfect love.
Words: Charles Wesley, 1742
Jesus, my Savior, look on me,
for I am weary and oppressed;
I come to cast myself on thee:
thou art my Rest.
Look down on me, for I am weak;
I feel the toilsome journey's length;
thine aid omnipotent I seek:
thou art my Strength.
I am bewildered on my way,
dark and tempestuous is the night;
O send thou forth some cheering ray:
thou art my Light.
When Satan flings his fiery darts
I look to thee; my terrors cease;
thy cross a hiding-place imparts;
thou art my Peace.
Standing alone on Jordan 's brink,
in that tremendous latest strife,
thou will not suffer me to sink:
thou art my Life.
Thou wilt my every want supply,
e'en to the end, whate'er befall;
through life, in death, eternally,
thou art my All.
Words: Charlotte Elliott, 1848
Jesus, my Lord, my God, my All,
hear me, blest Savior, when I call;
hear me, and from thy dwelling-place
pour down the riches of thy grace;
Jesus, my Lord, I thee adore,
O make me love thee more and more.
Jesus, too late I thee have sought,
how can I love thee as I ought?
And how extol thy matchless fame,
the glorious beauty of thy Name?
Jesus, my Lord, I thee adore,
O make me love thee more and more.
Jesus, what didst thou find in me,
that thou hast dealt so lovingly?
How great the joy that thou hast brought,
so far exceeding hope or thought!
Jesus, my Lord, I thee adore,
O make me love thee more and more.
Jesus, of thee shall be my song,
to thee my heart and soul belong;
all that I have or am is thine,
and thou, blest Savior, thou art mine.
Jesus, my Lord, I thee adore,
O make me love thee more and more.
Words: Henry Collins, 1854
Jesus, meek and lowly,
Savior, pure and holy,
on thy love relying
hear me humbly crying.
Prince of life and power,
my salvation's tower,
on the cross I view thee
calling sinners to thee.
There behold me gazing
at the sight amazing;
bending low before thee,
helpless I adore thee.
By thy red wounds streaming,
with thy life-blood gleaming,
blood for sinners flowing,
pardon free bestowing;
by that fount of blessing,
thy dear love expressing,
all my aching sadness
turn thou into gladness.
Lord, in mercy guide me,
be thou e'er beside me;
in thy ways direct me,
'neath thy wings protect me.
Words: Henry Collins, 1854
Jesus, Master, whom I serve,
though so feebly and so ill,
strengthen hand and heart and nerve
all thy bidding to fulfill;
open thou mine eyes to see
all the work thou hast done for me.
Lord, thou needest not, I know,
service such as I can bring;
yet I long to prove and show
full allegiance to my King.
Thou Redeemer art to me;
let me be a praise to thee.
Jesus, Master, wilt thou use
one who owes thee more than all?
As thou wilt! I would not choose;
only let me hear thy call.
Jesus! let me always be
in thy service glad and free.
Words: Frances Ridley Havergal, 1869
Jesus, Lord, we look to thee;
let us in thy Name agree;
show thyself the Prince of Peace,
bid our strife forever cease.
By thy reconciling love
every stumbling block remove;
each to each unite, endear;
come, and spread thy banner here.
Make us of one heart and mind,
gentle, courteous, and kind,
lowly, meek, in thought and word,
altogether like our Lord.
Let us for each other care,
each the other's burdens bear;
to thy church the pattern give,
show how true believers live.
Free from anger and from pride;
let us thus in God abide;
all the depths of love express,
all the heights of holiness.
Let us then with joy remove
to the family above;
on the wings of angels fly,
show how true believers die.
Jesus, Lord of life and glory,
bend from heaven thy gracious ear;
while our waiting souls adore thee,
friend of helpless sinners, hear:
Refrain:
by thy mercy,
O deliver us, good Lord.
From the depth of nature's blindness,
from the hardening power of sin,
from all malice and unkindness,
from the pride that lurks within, Refrain
When temptation sorely presses,
in the day of Satan's power,
in our times of deep distresses,
in each dark and trying hour, Refrain
When the world around is smiling,
in the time of wealth and ease,
earthly joys our hearts beguiling,
in the day of health and peace, Refrain
In the weary hours of sickness,
in the times of grief and pain,
when we feel our mortal weakness,
when all human help is vain, Refrain
In the solemn hour of dying,
in the awful judgment day,
may our souls, on thee relying,
find thee still our Rock and Stay; Refrain
Words: James J. Cummins, 1839
Jesus, keep me near the cross,
there a precious fountain
free to all, a healing stream
flows from Calvary 's mountain.
Refrain:
In the cross, in the cross,
be my glory ever;
till my raptured soul shall find
rest beyond the river.
Near the cross, a trembling soul,
love and mercy found me;
there the bright and morning star
sheds its beams around me. Refrain
Near the cross! O Lamb of God,
bring its scenes before me;
help me walk from day to day,
with its shadows over me. Refrain
Jesus, I will trust thee, trust thee with my soul;
guilty, lost, and helpless, thou canst make me whole.
There is none in heaven or on earth like thee:
thou hast died for sinners--therefore, Lord, for me.
Jesus, I will trust thee, Name of matchless worth,
spoken by the angel at thy wondrous birth;
written, and for ever, on thy cross of shame,
sinners read and worship, trusting in that Name.
Jesus, I will trust thee, pondering thy ways,
full of love and mercy all thine earthly days;
sick men gathered round thee, sinners sought thine aid,
and on sick and sinful healing hands were laid.
Jesus, I will trust thee, trust thy written word,
though thy voice of pity I have never heard.
When thy Spirit teacheth, to my taste how sweet--
only may I hearken, sitting at thy feet.
Jesus, I will trust thee, trust without a doubt:
whosoever cometh, thou wilt not cast out;
faithful is thy promise, precious is thy Blood;
these my soul's salvation, thou my Savior God.
Words: Mary J. Walker, 1864
Jesus, I my cross have taken,
all to leave and follow thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition,
all I've sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition!
God and heaven are still mine own.
Man may trouble and distress me,
'twill but drive me to thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me;
heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
O 'tis not in grief to harm me
while thy love is left to me;
o 'twere not in joy to charm me,
were that joy unmixed with thee.
Take, my soul, thy full salvation;
rise o'er sin, and fear, and care;
Joy to find in every station
something still to do or bear:
think what Spirit dwells within thee;
what a Father's smile is thine;
what a Savior died to win thee,
child of heaven, shouldst thou repine?
Haste then on from grace to glory,
armed by faith, and winged by prayer,
heaven's eternal day's before thee,
God's own hand shall guide thee there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
swift shall pass thy pilgrim days;
hope soon change to glad fruition,
faith to sight, and prayer to praise.
Words: Henry Francis Lyte, 1824
Jesus, and shall it ever be,
a mortal man, ashamed of thee?
Ashamed of thee, whom angels praise,
whose glories shine through endless days?
Ashamed of Jesus! sooner far
let night disown each radiant star!
'Tis midnight with my soul, till he,
bright Morning Star, bid darkness flee.
Ashamed of Jesus! O as soon
let morning blush to own the sun!
He sheds the beams of light divine
o'er this benighted soul of mine.
Ashamed of Jesus! that dear Friend
on whom my hopes of heaven depend!
No; when I blush, be this my shame,
that I no more revere his Name.
Ashamed of Jesus! empty pride!
I'll boast a Savior crucified,
and O may this my portion be,
my Savior not ashamed of me!
Words: Joseph Grigg, 1765, alt.
Jesus, all my gladness,
my repose in sadness,
Jesus, heaven to me;
ah, my heart long paineth,
ah, my spirit straineth,
longeth after thee!
Thine I am, O holy Lamb;
only where thou art is pleasure,
thee alone I treasure.
Hence with earthly treasure:
thou art all my pleasure,
Jesus my desire!
Hence, for pomps I care not,
e'en as though thy were not
rank and fortune's hire.
Want and gloom, cross, death, and tomb;
nought that I may suffer ever
shall from Jesus sever.
Flee, dark clouds that lower,
for my joy-bestower,
Jesus, enters in!
Joy from tribulation,
hope from desolation,
they who love God win.
Be it blame or scorn or shame,
thou art with me in earth's sadness,
Jesus, all my gladness.
Words: Johann Franck, 1650;
trans. J.W. Wotherspoon, 1912, alt.
All my hope on God is founded;
he doth still my trust renew,
me through change and chance he guideth,
only good and only true.
God unknown,
he alone
calls my heart to be his own.
Pride of man and earthly glory,
sword and crown betray his trust;
what with care and toil he buildeth,
tower and temple fall to dust.
But God's power,
hour by hour,
is my temple and my tower.
God's great goodness aye endureth,
deep his wisdom, passing thought:
splendor, light and life attend him,
beauty springeth out of naught.
Evermore
from his store
newborn worlds rise and adore.
Daily doth the almighty Giver
bounteous gifts on us bestow;
his desire our soul delighteth,
pleasure leads us where we go.
Love doth stand
at his hand;
joy doth wait on his command.
Still from man to God eternal
sacrifice of praise be done,
high above all praises praising
for the gift of Christ, his Son.
Christ doth call
one and all:
ye who follow shall not fall.
Words: Robert Bridges (1844-1930);
based on the German from Joachim Neander (1650-1680)
Jesus, our hope, our heart's desire,
thy work of grace we sing;
Redeemer of the world art thou,
its Maker and its King.
How vast the mercy and the love
which laid our sins on thee,
and led thee to a cruel death,
to set thy people free!
But now the bonds of death are burst;
the ransom has been paid;
and thou art on thy Father's throne,
in glorious robes arrayed.
O may thy mighty love prevail
our sinful souls to spare!
O may we stand around thy throne,
and see thy glory there!
Jesus, our only joy be thou,
as thou our prize wilt be;
in thee be all our glory now
and through eternity.
All praise to thee who art gone up
triumphantly to heaven;
all praise to God the Father's Name
and Holy Ghost be given.
Words: Latin, ca. seventh century;
trans. John Chandler, 1837