6 Wide as the world is thy command;
Vast as eternity thy love;
Firm as a rock thy truth shall stand,
When rolling years shall cease to move.
Envitation to the House of God.
1 COME to the house of prayer,
O thou afflicted, come;
The God of peace shall meet thee there;
He makes that house his home.
2 Come to the house of praise, Ye who are happy now;
In sweet accord your voices raise,
In kindred homage bow.
3 Ye aged, hither come,
For ye have felt his love;
Soon shall your trembling tongues be dumb,
Your lips forget to move.
4 Ye young, before his throne,
Come, bow; your voices raise;
Let not your hearts his praise disown,
Who gives the power to praise.
5 Thou, whose benignant eye
In mercy looks on all,
Who seest the tear of misery,
And hear'st the mourner's call,
6 Up to thy dwelling-place,
Bear our frail spirits on,
Till they outstrip time's tardy pace,
And heaven on earth be won.
Surrounding the Mercy Seat.
1 FAR from mortal cares retreating,
Sordid hopes and fond desires,
Here, our willing footsteps meeting,
Every heart to heaven aspires.
From the Fount of glory beaming,
Light celestial cheers our eyes;
Mercy from above proclaiming
Peace and pardon from the skies.
2 Who may share this great salvation? -
Every pure and humble mind;
Every kindred, tongue and nation,
From the dross of guilt refined:
Blessings all around bestowing,
God withholds his care from none;
Grace and mercy ever flowing
From the fountain of his throne.
3 Every stain of guilt abhoring,
Firm and bold in virtue's cause,
Still thy providence adoring,
Faithful subjects to thy laws.
Lord! with favor still attend us,
Bless us with thy wondrous love;
Thou, our sun and shield, defend us;
All our hope is from above.
1 FOR thee, O God, our constant praise
In Zion waits, thy chosen seat;
Our promised altars there we 'll raise,
And all our zealous vows complete.
2 0 thou, who to my humble prayer
Didst always bend thy listening ear,
To thee shall all mankind repair,
And at thy gracious throne appear.
3 Our sins, though numberless, in vain
To stop thy flowing mercy try;
While thou o'erlook'st the guilty stain,
And washest out the crimson die.
4 Blest is the man, who, near thee placed,
Within thy sacred dwelling lives;
While we, at humble distance taste
The vast delights thy worship gives.
1 O GOD, whose presence glows in all
Within, around us, and above!
Thy word we bless, thy name we call,
Whose word is Truth, whose name is Love.
2 That truth be with the heart believed
Of all who seek this sacred place;
With power proclaimed, in peace received ·
Our spirits' light, thy Spirit's grace.
3 That love its holy influence pour,
To keep us meek, and make us free,
And throw its binding blessing more
Round each with all, and all with thee.
4 Send down its angel to our side —
Send in its calm upon the breast;
For we would know no other guide,
And we can need no other rest.
The Rich and Poor meet together.
1 COME the rich, and come the poor,
To the Christian temple door;
Let their mingled prayers ascend
To the Universal Friend.
2 Here the rich and poor may claim
Common ancestry and name;
Claim a common heritage
In the gospel's promise page.
3 of the same materials wrought;
By the same Instructer taught;
Walking in life's common way;
Tending to the same decay;—
4 Rich and poor at last shall meet
At the heavenly mercy-seat,
Where the name of rich and poor
Never shall be uttered more.
1 O LORD of life, and truth, and grace,
Ere nature was begun,
Make welcome to our erring race
Thy Spirit and thy Son.
2 We hail the church, built high o'er all
The heathens' rage and scoff,
Thy Providence its fenced wall,
"The Lamb the light thereof."
3 Thy Christ hath reached his heavenly seat
Through sorrows and through scars;
The golden lamps are at his feet,
And in his hand the stars.
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