5 God is in heaven, and men below:
Be short our tunes; our words be few.
A solemn rev'rence checks our songs,
And praise sits silent on our tongues.
L. M.

28

THY

Living bread.

THY presence, gracious God, afford;
Prepare us to receive thy word:
Now let thy voice engage our ear,
And faith be mix'd with what we hear.
2 Distracting thoughts and cares remove
And fix our hearts and hopes above;
With food divine may we be fed,
And satisfied with living bread.
3 To us the sacred word apply,
With sov'reign power and energy;
And may we, in thy faith and fear,
Reduce to practice what we hear.
4 Father, in us thy Son reveal;
Teach us to know and do thy will:
Thy saving power and love display,
And guide us to the realms of day.

29

C. M. Invoking God's presence and blessing. ITHIN thy house, O Lord our God.

W In majesty appear;

Make this a place of thine abode,
And shed thy blessings here.

2 As we thy mercy-seat surround,
Thy Spirit, Lord, impart:
And let thy Gospel's joyful sound,
With power reach every heart.

3 Here let the blind their sight obtain; Here give the mourner rest;

Let Jesus here triumphant reign,
Enthroned in every breast.

4 Here let the voice of sacred joy
And fervent prayer arise,

Till higher strains our tongues employ,
In bliss beyond the skies.

30

0

How dreadful is this place!

L. M.

THOU, whom all thy saints adore,
We now with all thy saints agree,'
And bow our inmost souls before
Thy glorious, awful Majesty.

2 We come, great God, to seek thy face,
And for thy loving kindness wait;
And O, how dreadful is this place!

"Tis God's own house, 'tis heaven's gate. 3 Tremble our hearts to find thee nigh; To thee our trembling hearts aspire: And lo! we see descend from high The pillar and the flame of fire. 4 Still let it on the' assembly stay, And all the house with glory fill: To Canaan's bounds point out the way, And lead us to thy holy hill.

5 There let us all with Jesus stand,
And join the general Church above,
And take our seats at thy right hand,
And sing thine everlasting love.

31

4th P. M. 886, 886.

God's glorious presence.

HOU God of power, thou God of love,
Whose glory fills the realms above,

Whose praise archangels sing,
And veil their faces while they cry,
Thrice Holy, to their God Most High,
Thrice Holy, to their King:-

2 Thee as our God we too would claim,
And bless the Saviour's precious Name,
Through whom this grace is given;
He bore the curse to sinners due,
He forms their ruin'd souls anew,

And makes them heirs of heaven.
3 The veil that hides thy glory rend,
And here in saving power descend,
And fix thy blest abode;

Here to our hearts thyself reveal,
And let each waiting spirit feel
The presence of our God.

32

A blessing from God's presence.

C. M.

YREAT Shepherd of thy people, hear;
Thy presence now display;

We kneel within thy house of prayer;
O give us hearts to pray.

2 The clouds which veil thee from our sight, In pity, Lord, remove;

Dispose our minds to hear aright
The message of thy love.

3 Help us, with holy fear and joy,
To kneel before thy face;

O make us, creatures of thy power,
The children of thy grace.

33

Faith reveals God's
's presence.

L. M

NOT here, as to the prophet's eye,

The Lord upon his throne appears,
Nor seraph-tongues responsive cry,
Holy! thrice holy! in our ears:—
2 Yet God is present in this place,
Veil'd in serener majesty;

So full of glory, truth, and grace,

That faith alone such light can see.

3 Nor, as he in the temple taught,

Is Christ within these walls reveal'd, When blind, and deaf, and dumb were brought, Lepers and lame-and all were heal'd:

4 Yet here, when two or three shall meet, Or thronging multitudes are found, All may sit down at Jesus' feet,

And hear from him the joyful sound.

34

The promised blessing.

CEE, Jesus, thy disciples see;
The promised blessing give

Met in thy name, we look to thee,
Expecting to receive.

C. M.

2 Thee we expect, our faithful Lord,
Who in thy name are join'd;
We wait, according to thy word,
Thee in the midst to find.

3 With us thou art assembled here,
But O, thyself reveal;
Son of the living God, appear!
Let us thy presence feel.

4 Breathe on us, Lord, in this our day,
And these dry bones shall live;
Speak peace into our hearts, and say,
The Holy Ghost receive.

5 Whom now we seek, O may we meet, Jesus, the crucified;

Show us thy bleeding hands and feet,
Thou who for us hast died.

6 Cause us the record to receive-
Speak, and the tokens show-

"O be not faithless, but believe In me, who died for you."

35

Claiming the promise.

[ESUS, we look to thee,

JES

S. M.

JThy promised presence claim;
Thou in the midst of us shalt be,
Assembled in thy name:

2 Thy name salvation is,

Which here we come to prove:
Thy name is life, and health, and peace,
And everlasting love.

3 Not in the name of pride

Or selfishness we meet;
From nature's paths we turn aside,
And worldly thoughts forget.

4 We meet the grace to take,
Which thou hast freely given;
We meet on earth for thy dear sake,
That we may meet in heaven.

5 Present we know thou art,
But O, thyself reveal!

Now, Lord, let every bounding heart
The mighty comfort feel.

6 O may thy quick'ning voice
The death of sin remove;
And bid our inmost souls rejoice,
In hope of perfect love.

36

1st P. M. 6 lines 8s.

God is in this place.

LO! God is here ! let us ad this

And own how dreadful is this place;

Let all within us feel his power,

And silent bow before his face;

Who know his power, his grace who prove,

Serve him with awe, with rev'rence love.