Chapter VIII: Introduction: And Close of Worship (1)

1. 7s. M. Bowring.

Humble Worship

1 When before thy throne we kneel,
Filled with awe and holy fear,
Teach us, O our God! to feel
All thy sacred presence near.

2 Check each proud and wandering thought
When on thy great name we call;
Man is nought--is less than nought:
Thou, our God, art all in all.

3 Weak, imperfect creatures, we
In this vale of darkness dwell;
Yet presume to look to thee,
'Midst thy light ineffable.

4 O, receive the praise that dares
Seek thy heaven-exalted throne;
Bless our offerings, hear our pray'rs,
Infinite and Holy One!

2. P. M. Anonymous.

Solemn Invocation.

1 Come, thou Almighty King!
Help us thy name to sing;
Help us to praise!
Father all glorious,
O'er all victorious,
Come and reign over us,
Ancient of days!

2 Come, thou all gracious Lord!
By heaven and earth adored,
Our prayer attend!
Come, and thy children bless;
Give thy good word success;
Make thine own holiness
On us descend!

3 Never from us depart;
Rule thou in every heart,
Hence, evermore!
Thy sovereign majesty
May we in glory see,
And to eternity
Love and adore.

3. S. M. Montgomery.

Exhortation to Praise.

1 Stand up and bless the Lord,
Ye people of his choice;
Stand up, and bless the Lord your God,
With heart, and soul and voice.

2 Though high above all praise,
Above all blessing high,
Who would not fear his holy name,
And laud and magnify?

3 O for the living flame
From his own altar brought,
To touch our lips, our minds inspire,
And wing to heaven our thought!

4 There, with benign regard,
Our hymns he deigns to hear;
Though unrevealed to mortal sense,
The spirit feels him near.

5 Stand up and bless the Lord,
The Lord your God adore;
Stand up and bless his glorious name,
Henceforth for evermore.

4. L. M. Watts.

Public Worship.

1 Before Jehovah's awful throne,
Ye nations, bow with sacred joy;
Know that the Lord is God alone;
He can create, and he destroy.

2 His sovereign power, without our aid,
Made us of clay, and formed us men;
And when, like wandering sheep we strayed,
He brought us to his fold again.

3 We are his people; we his care;
Our souls, and all our mortal frame:
What lasting honors shall we rear,
Almighty Maker, to thy name?

4 We'll crowd thy gates, with thankful songs
High as the heaven our voices raise;
And earth, with her ten thousand tongues,
Shall fill thy courts with sounding praise.

5 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.

5. L. M. Tate & Brady.

The Same.

1 O, Come, loud anthems let us sing,
Loud thanks to our Almighty King;
For we our voices high should raise,
When our salvation's Rock we praise.

2 Into his presence let us haste,
To thank him, for his favors past;
To him address, in joyful songs,
The praise that to his name belongs.

3 O, let us to his courts repair,
And bow with adoration there;
With joy and fear devoutly all
Before the Lord, our Maker, fall!

6. L. M. Watts.

"How amiable are thy Tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts."

1 Great God! attend, while Zion sings
The joy that from thy presence springs;
To spend one day with thee, on earth,
Exceeds a thousand days of mirth.

2 Might I enjoy the meanest place
Within thy house, O God of grace,
Not tents of ease, nor thrones of power,
Should tempt my feet to leave thy door.

3 God is our Sun--he makes our day;
God is our shield--he guards our way;
All needful grace he will bestow,
And crown that grace with glory too.

4 O God! our king, whose sovereign sway
The glorious hosts of heaven obey,
Thy willing servants may we be,
For blest are they who trust in thee.

7. C. M. Edmeston.

The Lord's Day.

1 When the worn spirit wants repose,
And sighs her God to seek,
How sweet to hail the evening's close
That ends the weary week!

2 How sweet to hail the early dawn
That opens on the sight,
When first that soul-reviving morn
Beams its new rays of light!

3 Blest day! thine hours too soon will cease
Yet, while they gently roll,
Breathe, Heavenly Spirit, source of peace,
A sabbath o'er my soul!

8. C. M. Codman's Coll.

The Blessing of the Sabbath.

1 Blest day of God! most calm, most bright,
The first and best of days;
The laborer's rest, the saint's delight,
The day of prayer and praise.

2 My Saviour's face made thee to shine;
His rising thee did raise;
And made thee heavenly and divine
Beyond all other days.

3 The first fruits oft a blessing prove
To all the sheaves behind;
And they who do the Sabbath love,
A happy week will find.

4 This day I must to God appear;
For, Lord, the day is thine;
Help me to spend it in thy fear,
And thus to make it mine.

9. C. M. Mrs. Follen.

Love of Sabbath Service.

1 How sweet, upon this sacred day,
The best of all the seven,
To cast our earthly thoughts away,
And think of God and heaven!

2 How sweet to be allowed to pray
Our sins may be forgiven!
With filial confidence to say,
"Father, who art in heaven!"

3 How sweet the words of peace to hear
From him to whom 'tis given
To wake the penitential tear,
And lead the way to heaven!

4 And if, to make our sins depart,
In vain the will has striven,
He who regards the inmost heart
Will send his grace from heaven.

10. L. M. 6l. Mrs. Steele.

A Prayer for Lord's Day.

1 Great God, this sacred day of thine
Demands our souls' collected powers.
May we employ in work divine
These solemn, these 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 God, thy piercing eye
Can every secret thought explore:
O may thy grace our hearts refine,
And fix our thoughts on things divine.

3 The word of life dispensed to-day
Invites us to a heavenly feast.
May every ear the call obey;
Be every heart a humble guest;
O bid the wretched sons of need
On soul-reviving dainties feed.

4 Thy spirit's powerful aid impart;
O may thy word, with life divine,
Engage the ear, and warm the heart;
Then shall the day indeed be thine;
Then shall our souls adoring own
The grace which calls us to thy throne.

11. C. M. H. Ware, Jr.

Invoking God's Aid.

1 Father in heaven, to thee my heart
Would lift itself in prayer;
Drive from my soul each earthly thought
And show thy presence there.

2 Each moment of my life renews
The mercies of my Lord,
Each moment is itself a gift
To bear me on to God.

3 O, help me break the galling chains,
This world has round me thrown,
Each passion of my heart subdue,
Each darling sin disown.

4 O Father, kindle in my breast
A never dying flame
Of holy love, of grateful trust
In thine almighty name.

12. H. M. Hayward.

Invocation for Lord's Day Morning.

1 Welcome, delightful morn,
Thou day of sacred rest!
We hail thy glad return:
Lord, make these moments blest.
From low delights and mortal toys
We soar to reach immortal joys.

2 Now may the King descend,
And fill his throne of grace;
Thy sceptre, Lord, extend,
While we address thy face.
O let us feel thy quickening word,
And learn to know and fear the Lord.

3 Descend, celestial Dove,
With all thy quickening powers;
Disclose a Saviour's love,
And bless these sacred hours:
Then shall our souls new life obtain,
Nor sabbaths be enjoyed in vain.

13. C. P. M. Day.

Attendance on Worship.

1 I'll bless Jehovah's glorious name,
Whose goodness heaven and earth proclaim,
With every morning light;
And at the close of every day,
To him my cheerful homage pay,
Who guards me through the night.

2 Then in his churches to appear,
And pay my humble worship there,
Shall be my sweet employ:
The day that saw my Saviour rise
Shall dawn on my delighted eyes
With pure and holy joy.

3 With grateful sorrow in my breast,
I'll celebrate the dying feast
Of my exalted Lord;
And, while his perfect love I view,
His bright example I'll pursue,
And meditate his word.

14. S. P. M. Watts.

Delight in the House of God.

1 How pleased and blest was I
To hear the people cry,
"Come, let us seek our God to-day!"
Yes, with a cheerful zeal,
We haste to Zion's hill,
And there our vows and honors pay.

2 Zion, thrice happy place,
Adorned with wondrous grace,
And walls of strength embrace thee round;
In thee our tribes appear,
To pray, and praise, and hear
The sacred gospel's joyful sound.

3 May peace attend thy gate,
And joy within thee wait,
To bless the soul of every guest;
The man who seeks thy peace,
And wishes thine increase,
A thousand blessings on him rest.

15. 8 & 7s. M. Wesley's Coll.

Divine Love.

1 Love divine, all love excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down!
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Father! thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love thou art;
Visit us with thy salvation,
Enter every longing heart.

2 Breathe, O breathe thy loving spirit
Into every troubled breast;
Let us all in thee inherit,
Let us find thy promised rest.
Come, almighty to deliver,
Let us all thy life receive,
Graciously come down, and never,
Never more thy temples leave.

16. L. M. Pierpont.

Universal Worship.

1 O Thou, to whom, in ancient time,
The lyre of Hebrew bards was strung,
Whom kings adored in song sublime,
And prophets praised with glowing tongue!

2 Not now on Zion's height alone
Thy favored worshipper may dwell;
Nor where, at sultry noon, thy Son,
Sat weary, by the Patriarch's well.

3 From every place below the skies,
The grateful song, the fervent prayer--
The incense of the heart--may rise
To Heaven, and find acceptance there.

4 To thee shall age, with snowy hair,
And strength and beauty bend the knee,
And childhood lisp, with reverent air,
Its praises and its prayers to thee.

5 O Thou, to whom, in ancient time,
The lyre of prophet-bards was strung,
To thee, at last, in every clime
Shall temples rise, and praise be sung.

17. C. M. Presbyterian Coll.

Prayer for special Favor.

1 Within thy house, O Lord, our God,
In glory now appear;
Make this a place of thine abode,
And shed thy blessings here.

2 When 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 mourners rest;
Let Jesus here triumphant reign,
Enthroned in every breast.

4 Here let the voice of sacred joy
And humble prayer arise,
Till higher strains our tongues employ
In realms beyond the skies.

18. C. M. Watts.

Daily and nightly Devotion.

1 Ye that obey the immortal King,
Attend his holy place;
Bow to the glories of his name,
And sing his wondrous grace.

2 Lift up your hands by morning light,
And raise your thanks on high;
Send your admiring thoughts, by night,
Above the starry sky.

3 The God of Zion cheer your hearts
With rays of quickening grace:
'Tis he that spreads the heavens abroad,
Whose presence fills the place.

19. S. M. Montgomery.

The Delight of Worship.

1 Glad was my heart to hear
My old companions say
Come, in the house of God appear,
For 'tis a holy day.

2 Our willing feet shall stand
Within thy temple-door;
While young and old in many a band
Shall throng the sacred floor.

3 Within these walls be peace
And harmony be found:
Zion, in all thy palaces,
Prosperity abound!

4 For friends and brethren dear,
Our prayer shall never cease
Oft as they meet for worship here,
God send his people peace!

20. S. M. E. Taylor.

Call to the House of Prayer.

1 Come to the house of prayer,
O ye afflicted, come:
The God of peace shall meet you 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 see'st 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.

21. H. M. Watts.

Delight in Public Worship.

1 Lord of the worlds above,
How pleasant and how fair
The dwellings of thy love,
Thine earthly temples, are!
To thine abode my heart aspires,
With warm desires to see my God.

2 O happy souls that pray
Where God appoints to hear!
O happy men that pay
Their constant service there!
They praise thee still; and happy they
Who love the way to Zion's hill.

3 They go from strength to strength,
Throughout these mortal years,
Till each arrives at length,
Till each in heaven appears:
O glorious seat, when God, our King,
Shall thither bring our willing feet!

22. 7s. Hammond.

A Blessing humbly requested.

1 Lord, we come before thee now;
At thy feet we humbly bow;
O, do not our suit disdain;
Shall we seek thee, Lord, in vain?

2 In thine own appointed way,
Now we seek thee; here we stay;
Lord, from hence we would not go,
Till a blessing thou bestow.

3 Comfort those who weep and mourn;
Let the time of joy return;
Those that are cast down, lift up;
Make them strong in faith and hope.

4 Grant that all may seek and find
Thee a God supremely kind;
Heal the sick; the captive free;
Let us all rejoice in thee.

23. L. M. Anonymous.

For Opening or Close of Service.

1 Thy presence, gracious God, afford;
Prepare us to receive thy word;
Now let thy voice engage our ear,
And faith be mixed 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 sovereign 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.

24. L. M. 6l. Heber.

Seeking Refuge.

1 Forth from the dark and stormy sky,
Lord, to thine altar's shade we fly;
Forth from the world, its hope and fear,
Father, we seek thy shelter here:
Weary and weak, thy grace we pray;
Turn not, O Lord, thy guests away.

2 Long have we roamed in want and pain;
Long have we sought thy rest in vain;
Wildered in doubt, in darkness lost,
Long have our souls been tempest-tost:
Low at thy feet our sins we lay;
Turn not, O Lord, thy guests away.

25. 11s. M. Edmeston.

The House of God.

1 There's a refuge of peace from the tempests that beat,
From the dark clouds that threaten, the wild wind that blows;
A holy, a sweet and a lovely retreat,
A spring of refreshment, a place of repose.

2 'Tis the house of my God, 'tis the dwelling of prayer,
The temple all hallowed by blessing and praise;
If sorrow and faithlessness conquer me, there
My heart to the throne of his grace I can raise.

3 For a refuge like this, ah, what praises are due!
For a rest so serene, for a covert so fair:
Ah, why are the seasons of worship so few?
And why are so seldom the meetings of prayer?

26. 8 & 7s. M. J. Taylor.

The Fount of Blessing.

1 Far from mortal cares retreating,
Sordid hopes, and vain desires,
Here our willing footsteps meeting,
Every heart to heaven aspires.

2 From the fount of glory beaming,
Light celestial cheers our eyes,
Mercy from above proclaiming
Peace and pardon from the skies.

3 Who may share this great salvation?
Every pure and humble mind,
Every kindred, tongue, and nation,
From the stains of guilt refined.

4 Blessings all around bestowing,
God withholds his care from none,
Grace and mercy ever flowing
From the fountain of his throne.

27. C. M. Newton.

A Blessing sought.

1 Great 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.

28. 7s. M. J. Taylor.

Preparation for Worship.

1 Lord, before thy presence come,
Bow we down with holy fear;
Call our erring footsteps home,
Let us feel that thou art near.

2 Wandering thoughts and languid powers
Come not where devotion kneels;
Let the soul expand her stores,
Glowing with the joy she feels.

3 At the portals of thine house,
We resign our earth-born cares;
Nobler thoughts our souls engross,
Songs of praise and fervent prayers.

29. C. M. Rippon's Coll.

"Hallowed be Thy name."

1 Holy and reverend is the name
Of our eternal King;
Thrice holy Lord, the angels cry;
Thrice holy, let us sing.

2 The deepest reverence of the mind
Pay, O my soul, to God;
Lift with thy hands a holy heart
To his sublime abode.

3 With sacred awe pronounce his name,
Whom words nor thoughts can reach;
A broken heart shall please him more
Than the best forms of speech.

4 Thou holy God! preserve my soul
From all pollution free;
The pure in heart are thy delight,
And they thy face shall see.

30. S. M. Urwick's Coll.

Pleasures of Spiritual Worship.

1 How sweet to bless the Lord,
And in his praises join,
With saints his goodness to record,
And sing his power divine!

2 These seasons of delight
The dawn of glory seem,
Like rays of pure, celestial light,
Which on our spirits beam.

3 O, blest assurance this;
Bright morn of heavenly day;
Sweet foretaste of eternal bliss,
That cheers the pilgrim's way.

4 Thus may our joys increase,
Our love more ardent grow,
While rich supplies of Jesus' grace
Refresh our souls below.

31. C. M. Watts.

God present in the Sanctuary.

1 My Soul, how lovely is the place
To which thy God resorts!
'Tis heaven to see his smiling face,
Though in his earthly courts.

2 There the great Monarch of the skies
His saving power displays;
And light breaks in upon our eyes
With kind and quickening rays.

3 With his rich gifts the heavenly Dove
Descends and fills the place,
While Christ reveals his wondrous love,
And sheds abroad his grace.

4 There, mighty God, thy words declare
The secrets of thy will;
And still we seek thy mercy there,
And sing thy praises still.

32. C. M. Pratt's Coll.

A Blessing sought.

1 Again our earthly cares we leave,
And to thy courts repair;
Again, with joyful feet we come
To meet our Saviour here.

2 The feeling heart, the melting eye,
The humble mind, bestow;
And shine upon us from on high,
To make our graces grow.

3 May we in faith receive thy word,
In faith present our prayers,
And in the presence of our Lord
Unbosom all our cares.

4 Show us some token of thy love,
Our fainting hope to raise,
And pour thy blessing from above,
That we may render praise.

33. L. M. Tate & Brady.

Public Worship.

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 O 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;
For thou wilt cleanse the guilty stain,
And wash away the crimson dye.

4 Blest is the man, who, near thee placed,
Within thy sacred dwelling lives;
Whilst we at humbler distance taste
The vast delight thy worship gives.

34. L. M. Frothingham.

Truth and Love.

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.

35. L. M. Montgomery.

Invoking a Blessing.

1 Lord! when thy people seek thy face,
And dying sinners pray to live,
Hear thou in heaven, thy dwelling-place,
And, when thou hearest, O forgive!

2 Here, when thy messengers proclaim
The blessed Gospel of thy Son,
Still, by the power of his great name,
Be mighty signs and wonders done.

3 But will indeed Jehovah deign
Here to abide, no transient guest?
Here will the world's Redeemer reign,
And here the Holy Spirit rest?

4 That glory never hence depart!
Yet choose not, Lord, this house alone;
Thy kingdom come to every heart,
In every bosom fix thy throne.

36. 7s. M. 6l. J. Newton.

A Prayer for Lord's Day.

1 Safely through another week
Thou hast brought us on our way;
Let us now thy blessing seek,
Waiting in thy courts to-day:
Day, of all the week the best--
Emblem of eternal rest.

2 Mercies multiplied each hour
Through the week our praise demand:
Guarded by almighty power,
Fed and guided by thy hand,
May we not forgetful be,
Nor ungrateful, Lord, to thee.

3 While we seek supplies of grace
Through the dear Redeemer's name,
Show thy reconciling face,
Take away our sin and shame.
From our worldly cares set free,
May we rest this day in thee.

4 May the gospel's joyful sound
Conquer sinners, comfort saints;
Make the fruits of grace abound;
Bring relief from all complaints.
Thus let all our sabbaths prove,
Till we join the church above.

37. L. M. Bowring.

Evening Worship.

1 How shall we praise thee, Lord of light!
How shall we all thy love declare!
The earth is veiled in shades of night,
But heaven is open to our prayer,--
That heaven so bright with stars and suns--
That glorious heaven which has no bound,
Where the full tide of being runs,
And life and beauty glow around.

2 We would adore thee, God sublime!
Whose power and wisdom, love and grace,
Are greater than the round of time,
And wider than the bounds of space,
O how shall thought expression find,
All lost in thine immensity!
How shall we seek thee, glorious Mind,
Amid thy dread infinity!

3 But thou art present with us here,
As in thy glittering, high domain;
And grateful hearts and humble fear
Can never seek thy face in vain.
Help us to praise thee, Lord of light!
Help us thy boundless love declare;
And, here within thy courts to-night,
Aid us, and hearken to our prayer.

38. C. M. Mrs. Barbauld.

The Sabbath of the Soul.

1 O Father! though the anxious fear
May cloud to-morrow's way,
No fear nor doubt shall enter here,--
All shall be thine to-day.

2 We will not bring divided hearts
To worship at thy shrine;
But each unworthy thought departs,
And leaves this temple thine.

3 Then sleep to-day, tormenting cares,
Of earth and folly born;
Ye shall not dim the light that streams
From this celestial morn.

4 To-morrow will be time enough
To feel your harsh control;
Ye shall not violate this day,
The Sabbath of the soul.

39. 7s. M. Bowring.

Lowly Praise.

1 Lord, in heaven, thy dwelling-place,
Hear the praises of our race,
And, while hearing, let thy grace
Dews of sweet forgiveness pour;
While we know, benignant King,
That the praises which we bring
Are a worthless offering
Till thy blessing makes it more.

2 More of truth, and more of might,
More of love, and more of light,
More of reason, and of right,
From thy pardoning grace be given!
It can make the humblest song
Sweet, acceptable, and strong,
As the strains the angels' throng
Pour around the throne of heaven.

40. L. M. M. W. Hale.

The Day of Rest.

1 This day let grateful praise ascend
To thee, our Father, and our Friend,
Thee, Author of this holy light,
Thee, throned in boundless power and might.

2 O, let the sacred hours be given
To truth, to duty, and to heaven;
While trusting faith and holy love
Rise fervent to thy throne above.

3 Grant that our earthly Sabbaths be
But dawnings of eternity,
To shadow forth the glorious rest,
The heavenly quiet of the blest.

41. L. M. Bathurst.

Improvement of the Sabbath.

1 This day the Lord hath called his own;
O, let us, then, his praise declare,
Fix our desires on him alone,
And seek his face with fervent prayer.

2 Lord, in thy love we would rejoice,
Which bids the burdened soul be free,
And, with united heart and voice,
Devote these sacred hours to thee.

3 Now let the world's delusive things
No more our grovelling thoughts employ
But Faith be taught to stretch her wings,
In search of heaven's unfailing joy.

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

42. S. M. Bulfinch.

Sabbath Worship.

1 Hail to the Sabbath day!
The day divinely given,
When men to God their homage pay,
And earth draws near to heaven.

2 Lord, in this sacred hour,
Within thy courts we bend,
And bless thy love, and own thy power,
Our Father and our Friend.

3 But thou art not alone
In courts by mortals trod;
Nor only is the day thine own
When man draws near to God.

4 Thy temple is the arch
Of yon unmeasured sky;
Thy Sabbath, the stupendous march
Of grand eternity.

5 Lord, may that holier day
Dawn on thy servants' sight;
And purer worship may we pay
In heaven's unclouded light.

43. S. M. Spirit of the Psalms.

The Delights of the Sabbath.

1 Sweet is the task, O Lord,
Thy glorious acts to sing,
To praise thy name, and hear thy word,
And grateful offerings bring.

2 Sweet, at the dawning hour,
Thy boundless love to tell;
And when the night-wind shuts the flower,
Still on the theme to dwell.

3 Sweet, on this day of rest,
To join in heart and voice,
With those who love and serve thee best,
And in thy name rejoice.

4 To songs of praise and joy,
Be every Sabbath given,
That such may be our blest employ
Eternally in heaven.

44. L. M. Raffles.

The Hour of Prayer.

1 Blest hour, when mortal man retires
To hold communion with his God,
To send to heaven his warm desires,
And listen to the sacred word.

2 Blest hour, when earthly cares resign
Their empire o'er his anxious breast,
While, all around, the calm divine
Proclaims the holy day of rest.

3 Blest hour, when God himself draws nigh,
Well pleased his people's voice to hear,
To hush the penitential sigh,
And wipe away the mourner's tear.

4 Blest hour! for, where the Lord resorts,
Foretastes of future bliss are given,
And mortals find his earthly courts
The house of God, the gate of heaven.

45. L. M. Sir J. E. Smith.

Devout Worship of God.

1 Praise waits in Zion, Lord, for thee;
Thy saints adore thy holy name;
Thy creatures bend th' obedient knee,
And, humbly, thy protection claim.

2 Thy hand has raised us from the dust;
The breath of life thy Spirit gave;
Where, but in thee, can mortals trust?
Who, but our God, has power to save?

3 Still may thy children in thy word
Their common trust and refuge see;
O bind us to each other, Lord,
By one great tie,--the love of thee.

4 So shall our sun of hope arise,
With brighter still and brighter ray,
Till thou shalt bless our longing eyes
With beams of everlasting day.

46. S. M. Watts.

The Sabbath Welcomed.

1 Welcome, 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, amid the place
Where my dear Lord hath been,
Is sweeter than ten thousand days
Of folly and of sin.

4 My willing soul would stay
In such a frame as this,
Till called to rise and soar away
To everlasting bliss.

47. S. M. Watts.

Public Worship. Ps. 95.

1 Come, sound his praise abroad,
And hymns of glory sing:
Jehovah is the sovereign God,
The universal King.

2 He formed the deeps unknown;
He gave the seas their bound;
The watery worlds are all his own,
And all the solid ground.

3 Come, worship at his throne;
Come, bow before the Lord;
We are his works, and not our own:
He formed us by his word.

4 To-day attend his voice,
Nor dare provoke his rod;
Come, like the people of his choice,
And own your gracious God.

48. C. M. Jervis.

Homage and Devotion.

1 With sacred joy we lift our eyes
To those bright realms above--
That glorious temple in the skies
Where dwells eternal love.

2 Thee we adore, and, Lord, to thee
Our filial duty pay;
Thy service, unconstrained and free,
Conducts to endless day.

3 While in thy house of prayer we kneel
With trust and holy fear,
Thy mercy and thy truth reveal,
And lend a gracious ear.

4 With fervor teach our hearts to pray,
And tune our lips to sing;
Nor from thy presence cast away
The sacrifice we bring.

49. L. M. Newton.

The Lord's Day.

1 How welcome to the soul, when pressed
With six days' noise, and care, and toil,
Is the returning day of rest,
Which hides us from the world awhile!

2 How happy they, whose lot is cast
Where Christ invites the "weary" yet;
They find their sorrows quickly past,
And all their burdens soon forget.

3 Though pinched with poverty at home,
With sharp afflictions daily fed,
It makes amends, if they can come
To God's own house for heavenly bread.

4 We thank thee for thy day, O Lord!
And here thy promised presence seek;
Open thy hand with blessings stored,
And give us manna for the week.

50. L. M. Butcher.

Christian Worship.

1 Father of all! where shall we find
A temple suited to thy praise?
To thee, the uncreated Mind,
What earthly altar shall we raise?

2 We'll call a multitude around,
And gladly seek the house of prayer;
There thy salvation we have found,
And still, O God, we'll seek it there.

3 From breast to breast the holy flame
Shall kindle round the sacred place:
At once we'll hymn our Father's name,
At once we'll seek our Father's face.

4 There, heavenly Father, condescend
To meet us with peculiar love;
And when the hymns of earth shall end,
We'll give thee nobler hymns above.

51. L. M. Pope's Coll.

The Lord's Prayer.

1 Father! adored in worlds above,
Thy glorious name be hallowed still;
Thy kingdom come with power and love,
And earth, like heaven, obey thy will.

2 Lord! make our daily wants thy care;
Forgive the sins which we forsake:
And, as we in thy kindness share,
Let fellow-men of ours partake.

3 Evils beset us every hour;
Thy kind protection we implore:
Thine is the kingdom, thine the power;
Be thine the glory evermore!

52. C. M. Montgomery.

Mutual Invitation.

1 Come, let us join our souls to God
In everlasting bands,
And seize the blessings he bestows
With eager hearts and hands.

2 Come, let us to his temple haste,
And seek his favor there,
Before his footstool humbly bow,
And offer fervent prayer.

3 Come, let us share, without delay,
The blessings of his grace;
Nor shall the years of distant life
Their mem'ry e'er efface.

4 O, may our children ever haste
To seek their fathers' God,
Nor e'er forsake the happy path
Their fathers' feet have trod.

53. C. M. Milton.

"The Lord God is a Sun and Shield." Ps. 84.

1 How lovely are thy dwellings fair,
O Lord of hosts, how dear
The pleasant tabernacles are
Where thou dost dwell so near!

2 Happy, who in thy house reside,
Where thee they ever praise,
Happy, whose strength in thee doth bide,
And in their hearts thy ways.

3 They pass through sorrow's thirsty vale,
That dry and barren ground,
As through a fruitful, wat'ry dale,
Where springs and showers abound.

4 They journey on from strength to strength,
With joy and gladsome cheer,
Till all before our God at length
In Zion do appear.

5 For God the Lord, both sun and shield,
Gives grace and glory bright;
No good from them shall be withheld
Whose ways are just and right.

54. L. M. Salisbury Co.

House of God.

1 Lo, God is here! Let us adore,
And humbly bow before his face;
Let all within us feel his power;
Let all within us seek his grace.

2 Lo, God is here! Him, day and night
United choirs of angels sing:
To him, enthroned above all height,
Heaven's host their noblest homage bring.

3 Being of beings! may thy praise
Thy courts with grateful fragrance fill:
Still may we stand before thy face--
Still hear and do thy sovereign will.

55. L. M. New York Coll.

Sabbath Day.

1 We bless thee for this sacred day,
Thou who hast every blessing given,
Which sends the dreams of earth away,
And yields a glimpse of opening heaven.

2 Lord, in this day of holy rest,
We would improve the calm repose;
And, in thy service truly blest,
Forget the world, its joys and woes.

3 Lord! may thy truth, upon the heart,
Now fall and dwell as heavenly dew,
And flowers of grace in freshness start
Where once the weeds of error grew.

4 May prayer now lift her sacred wings,
Contented with that aim alone
Which bears her to the King of kings,
And rests her at his sheltering throne.

56. C. M. Montgomery.

Introduction to Evening Worship.

1 On the first Christian Sabbath eve,
When his disciples met
O'er his lost fellowship to grieve,
Nor knew the Scripture yet,--

2 Lo! in their midst his form was seen,--
The form in which he died;
Their Master's marred and wounded mien,--
His hands, his feet, his side.

3 Then were they glad their Lord to know,
And hailed him, yet with fear;--
Jesus, again thy presence show;
Meet thy disciples here.

4 Be in our midst; let faith rejoice
Our risen Lord to view,
And make our spirits hear thy voice
Say, "Peace be unto you!"

57. C. M. Watts.

Going to Church. Ps. 122.

1 How did my heart rejoice to hear
My friends devoutly say,
"In Zion let us all appear,
And keep the solemn day!"

2 Up to her courts, with joys unknown,
The holy tribes repair:
The Son of David holds his throne,
And sits in judgment there.

3 Peace be within this sacred place,
And joy a constant guest;
With holy gifts and heavenly grace
Be her attendants blest.

4 My soul shall pray for Zion still
While life or breath remains;
There my best friends, my kindred, dwell;
There God, my Saviour, reigns.

58. L. M. Stennett.

Sabbath Morning.

1 Another six days' work is done,
Another Sabbath is begun:
Return, my soul, enjoy thy rest,
Improve the day which God hath blest.

2 O that our thoughts and thanks may rise,
As grateful incense, to the skies,
And draw from heaven that sweet repose,
Which none but he that feels it knows!

3 This heavenly calm within the breast
Is the dear pledge of glorious rest,
Which for the church of God remains,
The end of cares, the end of pains.

4 In holy duties let the day--
In holy pleasures--pass away:
How sweet, a Sabbath thus to spend,
In hope of one that ne'er shall end!

59. 7s. M. Miss H. F. Gould.

The Sabbath.

1 Choice of God, thou blessed day,
At thy dawn the grave gave way
To the power of him within,
Who had, sinless, bled for sin.

2 Thine the radiance to illume
First, for man, the dismal tomb,
When its bars their weakness owned,
There revealing death dethroned.

3 Then the Sun of righteousness
Rose, a darkened world to bless,
Bringing up from mortal night
Immortality and light.

4 Day of glory, day of power,
Sacred be thine every hour,
Emblem, earnest of the rest
That remaineth for the blest!

60. C. M. Mrs. Bareauld.

The Lord's Day Morning.

1 Again the Lord of life and light
Awakes the kindling ray,
Unseals the eyelids of the morn,
And pours increasing day.

2 O what a night was that which wrapped
The heathen world in gloom!
O what a sun which broke, this day,
Triumphant from the tomb!

3 This day be grateful homage paid,
And loud hosannas sung;
Let gladness dwell in every heart,
And praise on every tongue.

4 Ten thousand differing lips shall join
To hail this welcome morn,
Which scatters blessings from its wings
To nations yet unborn.

61. L. M. Watts.

Sabbath on Earth and in Heaven. Ps. 92.

1 Sweet is 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 at 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 My heart shall triumph in the Lord,
And bless his works, and bless his word:
Thy works of grace, how bright they shine,
How deep thy counsels, how divine!

4 But I shall share a glorious part
When grace hath well refined my heart,
And, raised to holier courts above,
I praise thee with a purer love.

5 Then shall I see, and hear, and know,
All I desired or wished below;
And every power find sweet employ
In that eternal world of joy.

62. C. P. M. Merrick.

The Sabbath and the Earthly Temple.

1 The joyful morn, my God, is come,
That calls me to thy sacred dome,
Thy presence to adore:
My feet the summons shall attend,
With willing steps thy courts ascend
And tread the hallowed floor.

2 With holy joy I hail the day,
That warns my thirsting soul away;
What transports fill my breast!
For, lo! my great Redeemer's power
Unfolds the everlasting door,
And leads me to his rest!

3 Hither, from earth's remotest end,
Lo! the redeemed of God ascend,
Their tribute hither bring;
Here, crowned with everlasting joy,
In hymns of praise their tongues employ,
And hail the immortal King.

63. C. M. Watts.

Longing for the House of God.

1 Early, my God, without delay,
I haste to seek thy face;
My thirsty spirit faints away
Without thy cheering grace.

2 So pilgrims on the scorching sand,
Beneath a burning sky,
Long for a cooling stream at hand;
And they must drink, or die.

3 Not life itself, with all its joys,
Can my best passions move,
Or raise so high my cheerful voice,
As thy forgiving love.

4 Thus, till my last expiring day,
I'll bless my God and King;
Thus will I lift my hands to pray,
And tune my lips to sing.

64. L. M. Heber.

The Worship of Earth and Heaven.

1 Hosanna! Lord, thine angels cry:
Hosanna! Lord, we hear reply:
Above, beneath us, and around,
The dead and living swell the sound.

2 O Father! with protecting care
Meet us in this, thy house of prayer;
Assembled in Messiah's name,
Thy promised blessing here we claim.

3 But, chiefest, in our cleansed breast,
Eternal! let thy Spirit rest;
And make our secret soul to be
A temple pure, and worthy thee.

65. L. M. Watts.

Watchfulness and Brotherly Reproof. Ps. 141.

1 My God, accept my early vows,
Like morning incense, in thy house;
And let my nightly worship rise
Sweet as the evening sacrifice.

2 Watch o'er my lips, and guard them, Lord,
From every rash and heedless word;
Nor let my feet incline to tread
The guilty path where sinners lead.

3 O may the righteous, when I stray,
Smite and reprove my wandering way;
Their gentle words, like ointment shed,
Shall never bruise, but cheer, my head.

4 When I behold them prest with grief
I'll cry to heaven for their relief;
And by my warm petitions prove
How much I prize their faithful love.

66. L. M. Watts.

The Pleasure of Public Worship. Ps. 84.

1 How pleasant, how divinely fair,
O Lord of Hosts, thy dwellings are!
With long desire my spirit faints
To meet the assemblies of thy saints.

2 Blest are the souls who find a place
Within the temple of thy grace;
There they behold thy gentler rays,
And seek thy face and learn thy praise.

3 Blest are the men whose hearts are set
To find the way to Zion's gate;
God is their Strength; and through the road
They lean upon their Helper, God.

4 Cheerful they walk with growing strength,
Till all shall meet in heaven at length;
Till all before thy face appear,
And join the nobler worship there.

67. L. M. C. Robbins.

"Speak, Lord, for thy servant heareth."

1 While thus thy throne of grace we seek,
O God, within our spirits speak!
For we will hear thy voice to-day,
Nor turn our hardened hearts away.

2 Speak in thy gentlest tones of love,
Till all our best affections move;
We long to hear no meaner call,
But feel that Thou art all in all.

3 To conscience speak thy quickening word,
Till all its sense of sin is stirred:
For we would leave no stain of guile,
To cloud the radiance of thy smile.

4 Speak, Father, to the anxious heart,
Till every fear and doubt depart:
For we can find no home or rest,
Till with thy Spirit's whispers blest.

68. H. M. Roman Breviary.

For a Blessing on Worship.

1 Here, gracious God! do thou
For evermore draw nigh;
Accept each faithful prayer,
And mark each suppliant sigh:
In copious shower, on all who pray,
This holy day, thy blessings pour.

2 Here may we find from heaven
The grace which we implore;
And may that grace once given,
Be with us evermore:
Until that day, when all the blest
To endless rest are called away.

69. L. M. Sun. School H. B.

Sabbath Hymn.

1 Called by the Sabbath bells away,
Unto thy holy temple, Lord,
I'll go, with willing mind to pray,
To praise thy name and hear thy word.

2 O sacred day of peace and joy,
Thy hours are ever dear to me;
Ne'er may a sinful thought destroy
The holy calm I find in thee.

3 Dear are thy peaceful hours to me,
For God has given them in his love,
To tell how calm, how blest shall be
The endless day of heaven above.

70. L. M. Mrs. Barbauld.

The Worship of the Heart.

1 When, as returns this solemn day,
Man comes to meet his Maker, God,
What rites, what honors shall he pay?
How spread his Sovereign's praise abroad?

2 From marble domes and gilded spires,
Shall curling clouds of incense rise?
And gems, and gold, and garlands deck
The costly pomp of sacrifice?

3 Vain, sinful man! creation's Lord
Thy golden offerings well may spare:
But give thy heart, and thou shalt find
Here dwells a God who heareth prayer.

71. 7s. M. Sun. School H. B.

Sunday Evening.

1 Sacred day, forever blest!
Day of all our days the best!
Welcome hours of praise and prayer,
Free from toil, fatigue, and care!

2 Happy, truly happy, Lord,
Those who hear and read thy word!
Happy those who dwell with thee!
Who thy grace and glory see.

3 We once more have heard thy voice,
Lord, in thee our souls rejoice;
Borne by faith to worlds on high,
Called to reign above the sky.

4 Though this day of rest we close,
Still in thee our hearts repose;
Guide and guard us all our days:
O may all our lives be praise!

72. 7s. M. 6l. J. Taylor.

Invitation to pure Worship.

1 At the portals of thy house,
Lord, we leave our mortal cares:
Nobler thoughts our souls engage,
Songs of praise, and fervent prayers.
Pure and contrite hearts alone
Find acceptance at thy throne.

2 Hapless men, whose footsteps stray
From the temple of the Lord!
Teach them Zion's heavenly way;
To their feet thy light afford.
Let the world unite to raise
Solemn harmonies of praise.

73. L. M. 6l. C. Wesley.

Worship in spirit and in truth.

1 Father of omnipresent grace!
We seem agreed to seek thy face:
But every soul assembled here
Doth naked in thy sight appear;
Thou know'st who only bows the knee,
And who in heart approaches thee.

2 To-day, while it is called to-day,
Awake and stir us up to pray;
The spirit of thy word impart,
And breathe the life into our heart;
Our weakness help, our darkness chase,
And guide us by the light of grace.

74. L. M. Doddridge.

Subjection to the Father of Spirits.

1 Eternal Source of light and thought!
Be all beneath thyself forgot,
Whilst thee, great parent-mind, we own,
In prostrate homage round thy throne.

2 Whilst in themselves our souls survey
Of thee some faint reflected ray,
They wondering to their Father rise:
His power how vast! his thoughts how wise!

3 O may we live before thy face,
The willing subjects of thy grace;
And through each path of duty move,
With filial awe, and filial love.

75. L. M. Montgomery.

Public Worship.

1 God in his temple let us meet,
In spirit, low before him bend:
Here he hath fixed his mercy-seat,
Here on his Sabbath we attend.

2 Arise into thy resting-place,
Thou, and thine ark of strength, O Lord!
Shine through the veil, we seek thy face:
Speak, for we hearken to thy word.

3 With righteousness thy priests array:
Joyful thy favored people be:
Let those who teach, and those who pray,
Let all--be holiness to thee!

76. L. M. 6l. Dryden.

The Divine Spirit implored.

1 Creator Spirit, by whose light
The sleeping worlds were called from night!
Come, visit every pious mind,
Come, pour thy joys on human kind;
From sin and sorrow set us free,
And make us temples worthy thee.

2 Plenteous in grace descend from high,
Rich in thy sevenfold energy;
Our frailty help, our vice control,
Thou ruler of our secret soul!
And, lest our feet should haply stray
Protect and guide us in the way.

77. L. M. J. Wesley.

"The healthful spirit of God's grace."

1 Spirit of grace, and health, and power!
Fountain of light and love below!
Abroad thy healing influence shower;
On all thy servants let it flow.

2 Inflame our hearts with perfect love;
In us the work of faith fulfil:
So not heaven's host shall swifter move,
Than we on earth to do thy will.

3 Father! 'tis thine each day to yield
Thy children's wants a fresh supply;
Thou cloth'st the lilies of the field,
And hearest the young ravens cry.

4 On thee we cast our care; we live
Through thee, who know'st our every need:
O feed us with thy grace, and give
Our souls this day the living bread!

78. C. M. Doddridge.

Life dedicated to God.

1 Shine on our souls, eternal God!
With rays of beauty shine;
O let thy favor crown our days,
And all their round be thine.

2 Did we not raise our hands to thee,
Our hands might toil in vain;
Small joy success itself could give,
If thou thy love restrain.

3 With thee let every week begin;
With thee each day be spent;
For thee each fleeting hour improved,
Since each by thee is lent.

4 Thus cheer us through the checkered road,
Till all our labors cease,
And heaven refresh our weary souls
With everlasting peace.

79. 7s. M. S. F. Smith.

Sabbath Evening.

1 Softly fades the twilight ray
Of the holy Sabbath day;
Gently as life's setting sun;
When the Christian's course is run.

2 Night her solemn mantle spreads
O'er the earth, as daylight fades;
All things tell of calm repose
At the holy Sabbath's close.

3 Peace is on the world abroad;
'Tis the holy peace of God,--
Symbol of the peace within,
When the spirit rests from sin.

4 Still the Spirit lingers near,
Where the evening worshipper
Seeks communion with the skies,
Pressing onward to the prize.

CLOSE OF WORSHIP.

80. L. M. Anonymous.

Close of Worship. Evening.

1 Ere to the world again we go,
Its pleasures, cares, and idle show,
Thy grace once more, O God, we crave,
From folly and from sin to save.

2 May the great truths we here have heard--
The lessons of thy holy word--
Dwell in our inmost bosoms deep,
And all our souls from error keep.

3 Oh! may the influence of this day,
Long as our memory with us stay,
And as an angel guardian prove,
To guide us to our home above.

81. C. M. Cappe's Sel.

Prayer for Divine Direction.

1 Eternal Source of life and light,
Supremely good and wise,
To thee we bring our grateful vows,
To thee lift up our eyes.

2 Our dark and erring minds illume
With truth's celestial rays;
Inspire our hearts with sacred love,
And tune our lips to praise.

3 Safely conduct us, by thy grace,
Through life's perplexing road;
And place us, when that journey's o'er
At thy right hand, O God.

82. 8s. 7s. & 4s. Jay.

Prayer for a Blessing.

1 Come, thou soul-transforming Spirit,
Bless the sower and the seed;
Let each heart thy grace inherit;
Raise the weak, the hungry feed;
From the gospel
Now supply thy people's need.

2 O, may all enjoy the blessing
Which thy word's designed to give,
Let us all, thy love possessing,
Joyfully the truth receive,
And forever
To thy praise and glory live.

83. C. M. Montgomery.

After Divine Service.

1 Again our ears have heard the voice
At which the dead shall live;
O, may the sound our hearts rejoice,
And strength immortal give!

2 And have we heard the word with joy?
And have we felt its power?
To keep it be our blest employ,
Till life's extremest hour.

84. 8 & 7s. M. Bickersteth.

Closing Hymn.

1 Israel's Shepherd, guide me, feed me.
Through my pilgrimage below,
And beside the waters lead me,
Where thy flock rejoicing go.

2 Lord, thy guardian presence ever,
Meekly kneeling, I implore;
I have found thee, and would never,
Never wander from thee more.

85. 7s. M. Peabody's Coll.

Closing Supplication.

1 Father! bless thy word to all;
Quick and powerful may it prove;
O, may sinners hear thy call,
May thy people grow in love.

2 Father, bid the world rejoice;
Send thy heavenly truth abroad;
May the nations hear thy voice,
Hear it, and return to God.

86. C. M. Bp. Heber.

"The Seed is the Word of God."

1 O God, by whom the seed is given,
By whom the harvest blest;
Whose word, like manna showered from heaven
Is planted in our breast.

2 Preserve it from the passing feet,
And plunderers of the air;
The sultry sun's intenser heat,
And weeds of worldly care!

3 Though buried deep, or thinly strewn,
Do thou thy grace supply:
The hope in earthly furrows sown
Shall ripen in the sky.

87. C. M. Anonymous.

"God giveth the Increase."

1 Now, Lord, the heavenly seed is sown,
Be it thy servants' care
Thy heavenly blessing to bring down
By humble, fervent prayer.