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2 I love thy Church, O God!
Her walls before thee stand,
Dear as the apple of thine eye,
And graven on thy hand.

5 For her my tears shall fall;
For her my prayers ascend;
To her my cares and toils be given,
Till toils and cares shall end.

4 Beyond my highest joy

I prize her heavenly ways;
Her sweet communion, solemn vows,
Her hymns of love and praise.

5 Sure as thy truth shall last,
To Zion shall be given
The brightest glories earth can yield,
And brighter bliss of heaven.

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9th P. M. 87, 87, 87, 87.

God her everlasting light.

EAR what God the Lord hath spoken:
O my people, faint and few,

Comfortless, afflicted, broken,
Fair abodes I build for you.
Scenes of heartfelt tribulation
Shall no more perplex your ways;
You shall name your walls salvation,
And your gates shall all be praise.
2 Ye, no more your suns descending,
Waning moons no more shall see;
But, your griefs forever ending,
Find eternal noon in me:
God shall rise, and, shining o'er you,
Change to day the gloom of night;
He, the Lord, shall be your glory-
God your everlasting light.

THE SABBATH.

239

G

1st P. M. 6 lines 8s.

The day consecrated.

REAT God, this hallow'd day of thine ☑ Demands our souls' collected powers;

May we employ in works divine

These solemn and devoted hours:

O may our souls, adoring, own
The grace which calls us to thy throne.

2 Hence, ye vain cares and trifles, fly!
Where God resides appear no more!
Omniscient Lord, thy piercing eye

Doth every secret thought explore: O may thy grace our thoughts refine, And fix our hearts on things divine!

240

T

The day improved.

С. М.

HIS day the Lord hath call'd his own;
Let us his praise declare,

Fix our desires on him alone,

And seek his face with prayer.

2 Lord, in thy love we would rejoice,
Which sets the sinner free,
And, with united heart and voice,
Devote these hours to thee.

3 Now let the world's delusive things
No more our thoughts employ,
But faith be taught to stretch her wings,
Tow'rd heaven's unfailing joy.

4 O let these earthly Sabbaths, Lord,
Be to our welfare blest;
The purest comfort here afford,
And fit us for our rest.

241

S

WEET is

The joys of the Sabbath.

L. M.

the work, my God, my King,

To praise thy name, give thanks, and sing;

To show thy love by morning light,
And talk of all thy truth by night.

2 Sweet is the day of sacred rest;
No mortal cares shall seize my breast;
O may my heart in tune be found,
Like David's harp of solemn sound.
3 When grace has purified my heart,
Then I shall share a glorious part:
And fresh supplies of joy be shed,
Like holy oil to cheer my head.

4 Then shall I see, and hear, and know
All I desired or wish'd below;
And every powerfind sweet employ
In that eternal world of joy.

242

W

Delight in ordinances.

S. M.

ELCOME, sweet day of rest,
That saw the Lord arise :
Welcome to this reviving breast,
And these rejoicing eyes!
2 The King himself comes near,
And feasts his saints to-day;
Here we may sit, and see him here,
And love, and praise, and pray.
3 One day in such a place,

Where thou, my God, art seen,
Is sweeter than ten thousand days
Of pleasurable sin.

4 My willing soul would stay
In such a frame as this,

And sit and sing herself away
To everlasting bliss.

243

F

In the Sanctuary.

L. M.

AR from my thoughts, vain world, begone,
Let my religious hours alone:
Fain would mine eyes my Saviour see;
I wait a visit, Lord, from thee.

2 O warm my heart with holy fire,
And kindle there a pure desire :
Come, sacred Spirit, from above,
And fill my soul with heavenly love.
3 Blest Saviour, what delicious fare!
How sweet thine entertainments are!
Never did angels taste above
Redeeming grace and dying love.
4 Hail, great Immanuel, all divine!
In thee thy Father's glories shine;
Thy glorious Name shall be adored,
And every tongue confess thee Lord.

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We will rejoice and be glad in it.

С. М.

THIS is the day the Lord hath made:

O earth, rejoice and sing;
Let songs of triumph hail the morn;
Hosanna to our King!

2 The Stone the builders set at naught,
That Stone has now become

The sure foundation, and the strength
Of Zion's heavenly dome.

3 Christ is that stone, rejected once,
And number'd with the slain;
Now raised in glory, o'er his Church
Eternally to reign.

4 This is the day the Lord hath made;
O earth, rejoice and sing:
With songs of triumph hail the morn;
Hosanna to our King!

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3d P. M. 4 6s & 2 8s.

Joyful homage.

AWAKE, ye saints, awake!

And hail this sacred day:

In loftiest songs of praise
Your joyful homage pay:
Come bless the day that God hath blest,
The type of heaven's eternal rest.

2 On this auspicious morn
The Lord of life arose;
He burst the bars of death,

And vanquish'd all our foes;
And now he pleads our cause above,
And reaps the fruit of all his love.
3 All hail, triumphant Lord!
Heaven with hosannas rings,
And earth, in humbler strains,
Thy praise responsive sings:
Worthy the Lamb, that once was slain,
Through endless years to live and reign.

246

C

The type of everlasting rest.

С. М.

one accord

OME, let us join with
In hymns around the throne;

This is the day our rising Lord
Hath made and call'd his own.

2 This is the day which God hath blest,
The brightest of the seven,
Type of that everlasting rest

The saints enjoy in heaven.

3 Then let us in his name sing on,
And hasten to that day

When our Redeemer shall come down,
And shadows pass away.

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