Chapter X: Introduction (10)

2 My life, my joy, my hope, I owe
To thine amazing love;
Ten thousand thousand comforts here,
And nobler bliss above.

3 To thee my trembling spirit flies,
With sin and grief oppressed;
Thy gentle voice dispels my fears,
And lulls my cares to rest.

4 Lead on, dear Shepherd!—led by thee,
No evil shall I fear;
Soon shall I reach thy fold above,
And praise thee better there.

642 P. M.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.
Rev. 5:12.

Rise, tune thy voice to sacred song,
Exert thy noblest powers;
Rise, mingle with the choral throng,
The Saviour’s praises to prolong,
Amid life’s fleeting hours.

2 O! hast thou felt the Saviour’s love,
That flame of heavenly birth!
Then let thy strains melodious prove,
With raptures soaring far above
The trifling toys of earth.

3 Hast found the pearl of price unknown
That cost a Saviour’s blood?
Heir of a bright celestial crown,
That sparkles near the eternal throne;
O sing the praise of God!

4 Sing of the Lamb that once was slain
That man might be forgiven;
Sing how he broke death’s bars in twain,
Ascending high in bliss to reign,
The God of earth and heaven.

643 C. M.
The Saviour died for me.

To our Redeemer’s glorious name
Awake the sacred song;
O may his love (immortal flame!)
Tune every heart and tongue.

2 His love, what mortal thought can reach!
What mortal tongue display!
Imagination’s utmost stretch
In wonder dies away.

3 He left his radiant throne on high,
Left the bright realms of bliss,
And came to earth to bleed and die!
Was ever love like this?

4 Blest Lord, while we adoring pay
Our humble thanks to thee,
May every heart with rapture say,
“The Saviour died for me!”

5 O may the sweet, the blissful theme
Fill every heart and tongue,
Till strangers love thy charming name,
And join the sacred song.

644 C. M.
Tender mercies.

Almighty Father! gracious Lord!
Kind Guardian of my days!
Thy mercies let my heart record
In songs of grateful praise.

2 In life’s first dawn, my tender frame
Was thine indulgent care,
Long ere I could pronounce thy name,
Or breathe the infant prayer.

3 Each rolling year new favors brought
From thine exhaustless store;
But, ah! in vain my laboring thought
Would count thy mercies o’er.

4 Still I adore thee, gracious Lord!
For favors more divine—
That I have known thy sacred word.
Where all thy glories shine.

5 Lord, when this mortal frame decays,
And every weakness dies,
Complete the wonders of thy grace,
And raise me to the skies.

645 C. M.
I will bless thy name for ever and ever.
Psalm 145:1.

Long as I live I’ll praise thy name,
My King, my God of love;
My work and joy shall be the same
In the bright world above.

2 Great is the Lord, his power unknown,
And let his praise be great:
I’ll sing the honors of thy throne,
Thy work of grace repeat.

3 Thy grace shall dwell upon my tongue;
And while my lips rejoice,
The men that hear my sacred song,
Shall join their cheerful voice.

4 Fathers to sons shall teach thy name,
And children learn thy ways;
Ages to come thy truth proclaim,
And nations sound thy praise.

5 Thy glorious deeds of ancient date
Shall through the world be known—
Thy arm of power, thy heavenly state
With public splendor shown.

6 The world is managed by thy hands,
Thy saints are ruled by love;
And thy eternal kingdom stands,
Though rocks and hills remove.

646 C. M.
Unto him that loved us.
Rev. 1:5.

To him that loved the sons of men
And washed us in his blood,
To royal honors raised our heads,
And made us priests to God:

2 To him let every tongue be praise,
And every heart be love;
All grateful honors paid on earth,
And nobler songs above.

3 Behold, on flying clouds he comes!
His saints shall bless the day:
While they that pierced him sadly mourn,
In anguish and dismay.

4 Thou art the First and thou the Last;
Time centers all in thee;
Almighty Lord, who wast, and art,
And evermore shalt be.

647 C. M.
Old things passed away.

Let earthly minds the world pursue;
It has no charms for me;
Once I admired its trifles too,
But grace has set me free.

2 As, by the light of opening day,
The stars are all concealed;
So earthly pleasures fade away,
When Jesus is revealed.

3 Creatures no more divide my choice—
I bid them all depart;
His name, his love, his gracious voice,
Have fixed my roving heart.

4 But may I hope, that thou wilt own
A worthless worm like me?
Dear Lord! I would be thine alone,
And wholly live to thee.

648 S. M.
The song of Moses and the Lamb.
Rev. 15:3.

Awake, and sing the song
Of Moses and the Lamb!
Wake, every heart and every tongue,
To praise the Saviour’s name!

2 Sing of his dying love!
Sing of his rising power!
Sing how he intercedes above
For those whose sins he bore!

3 Sing on your heavenly way,
You ransomed sinners, sing;
Sing on, rejoicing every day
In Christ, the glorious King.

4 Soon shall you hear him say,
“You blessed children, come,”
Soon will he call you hence away,
And take his pilgrims home.

649 S. M.
Break forth into joy.
Isaiah 52:9.

Raise your triumphant songs
To an immortal tune;
Let the wide earth resound the deeds
Celestial grace has done.

2 Sing how Eternal Love
His Chief Belovéd chose,
And bade him raise our wretched race
From their abyss of woes.

3 His hand no thunder bears,
Nor terror clothes his brow;
No bolts to drive our guilty souls
To fiercer flames below.

4 He shows his Father’s love,
To raise our souls on high;
He came with pardon from above
To rebels doomed to die.

5 Now, sinners, dry your tears;
Let hopeless sorrow cease;
Bow to the scepter of his love,
And take the offered peace.

6 Lord, we obey thy call;
We lay an humble claim
To the salvation thou hast brought,
And love and praise thy name.

650 S. M.
Psalm 103.

O bless the Lord, my soul!
His grace to thee proclaim;
And all that is within me, join,
To bless his holy name.

2 O bless the Lord, my soul!
His mercies bear in mind;
Forget not all his benefits;
The Lord to thee is kind.

3 He will not always chide;
He will with patience wait;
His wrath is ever slow to rise,
And ready to abate.

4 He pardons all thy sins,
Prolongs thy feeble breath:
He healeth thine infirmities,
And ransoms thee from death.

5 Then bless his holy name
Whose grace hath made thee whole,
Whose loving-kindness crowns thy days;
O bless the Lord, my soul!

651 S. M.
Bless his holy name.
Psalm 103:1.

Let every heart and tongue
Proclaim the Saviour’s praise;
He is the source of all my joy,
His mercy crowns my days.

2 He knows my feeble frame;
Remembers I am dust;
And though he should my life destroy,
In him I’ll put my trust.

3 Each day he is my strength,
My hope, my life, my all;
And while upon his arm I lean,
I surely can not fall.

4 Then to my blesséd Lord,
Let grateful songs arise,
While angels bear the notes above
And sound them through the skies.

652 S. M.
His compassions fail not.
Lam. 3:22.

How various and how new
Are thy compassions, Lord!
Each morning shall thy mercies show,
Each night thy truth record.

2 Thy goodness, like the sun,
Dawned on our early days,
Ere infant reason had begun
To form our lips to praise.

3 Each object we beheld
Gave pleasure to our eyes;
And nature all our senses held
In bands of sweet surprise.

4 But pleasures more refined
Awaited that blest day,
When light arose upon our mind
And chased our sins away.

5 How new thy mercies, then!
How sovereign and how free!
Our souls, that had been dead in sin,
Were made alive to thee.

653 7s.
Redeeming love.

Now begin the heavenly theme;
Sing aloud in Jesus’ name;
Ye who his salvation prove,
Triumph in redeeming love.

2 Ye who see the Father’s grace
Beaming in the Saviour’s face,
As to Canaan on ye move,
Praise and bless redeeming love.

3 Mourning souls, dry up your tears;
Banish all your guilty fears;
See your guilt and curse remove,
Canceled by redeeming love.

4 Welcome, all by sin oppressed,
Welcome to his sacred rest;
Nothing brought him from above,
Nothing but redeeming love.

5 Hither, then, your music bring;
Strike aloud each cheerful string;
Mortals, join the host above—
Join to praise redeeming love.

654 7s.
They shall come to Zion with songs.
Isaiah 35:10

Songs of praise awoke the morn
When the Prince of Peace was born;
Songs of praise arose, when he
Captive led captivity.

2 Heaven and earth must pass away,
Songs of praise shall crown the day:
God will make new heavens and earth,
Songs of praise shall hail their birth.

3 And will man alone be dumb,
Till that glorious kingdom come?
No; the church delights to raise
Psalms, and hymns, and songs of praise.

4 Saints below, with heart and voice,
Still in songs of praise rejoice;
Learning here, by faith and love,
Songs of praise to sing above.

5 Borne upon the latest breath,
Songs of praise shall conquer death;
Then amidst eternal joy,
Songs of praise their powers employ.

655 7s.
Praise waiteth for thee, etc.
Psalm 65:1.

Praise on thee, in Zion’s gates,
Daily, O Jehovah, waits;
Unto thee, who hearest prayer,
Shall the tribes of men repair.

2 Though with conscious guilt oppressed,
On thy mercy still we rest;
Thy forgiving love display,
Take, O Lord, our sins away.

3 O, how blesséd their reward,
Chosen servants of the Lord,
Who within thy courts abide,
With thy goodness satisfied.

656 P. M.
1 Pet. 1:8.

Saviour! thy gentle voice
Gladly we hear;
Author of all our joys,
Be ever near;
Our souls would cling to thee,
Let us thy fullness see,
Our life to cheer.

2 Fountain of life divine!
Thee we adore;
We would be wholly thine
For evermore;
Freely forgive our sin,
Grant heavenly peace within,
Thy light restore.

3 Though to our faith unseen,
While darkness reigns,
On thee alone we lean
While life remains;
By thy free grace restored,
Our souls shall bless the Lord
In joyful strains!

657 8s.
All things loss for Christ.

My gracious Redeemer I love!
His praises aloud I’ll proclaim,
And join with the armies above
To shout his adorable name.

2 To gaze on his glories divine
Shall be my eternal employ,
And feel them incessantly shine,
My boundless, ineffable joy.

3 You palaces, scepters, and crowns,
Your pride with disdain I survey,
Your pomps are but shadows and sounds,
And pass in a moment away.

4 The crown that my Saviour bestows,
Yon permanent sun shall outshine;
My joy everlastingly flows—
My God, my Redeemer, is mine.

658 8s.
The first, and the last.
Rev. 1:11.

This Lord is the Lord we adore,
Our faithful unchangeable Friend,
Whose love is as large as his power,
And neither knows measure nor end.

2 ’Tis Jesus, the First and the Last,
Whose Spirit shall guide us safe home;
We’ll praise him for all that is past,
And trust him for all that’s to come.

659 8s.
The unsearchable riches of Christ.
Eph. 3:8.

How shall I my Saviour set forth?
How shall I his beauties declare?
O how shall I speak of his worth,
Or what his chief dignities are?

2 His angels can never express,
Nor saints who sit nearest his throne,
How rich are his treasures of grace—
No—this is a secret unknown.

3 In him all the fullness of God
For ever transcendently shines!
Though once like a mortal he stood
To finish his gracious designs.

4 Though once he was nailed to the cross,
Vile rebels like me to set free,
His glory sustainéd no loss,
Eternal his kingdom shall be.

5 O sinners! believe and adore
This Saviour so rich to redeem!
No creature can ever explore
The treasures of goodness in him.

6 Come, all you who see yourselves lost,
And feel yourselves burdened with sin,
Draw near, while with terror you’re tossed,
Obey, and your peace shall begin.

7 He riches has ever in store,
And treasures that never can waste:
Here’s pardon, here’s grace—yea, and more,
Here’s glory eternal at last.

660 8s & 7s.
O thou Fount of every blessing.

O thou Fount of every blessing!
Tune my heart to sing thy grace;
Streams of mercy, never ceasing,
Call for songs of loudest praise.

2 Teach me ever to adore thee,
May I still thy goodness prove,
While the hope of endless glory
Fills my heart with joy and love.

3 Here I’ll raise my Ebenezer,
Hither by thy help I’ve come,
And I hope, by thy good pleasure,
Safely to arrive at home.

4 Jesus sought me when a stranger,
Wandering from thy fold, O God!
He to rescue me from danger,
Interposed his precious blood.

5 O! to grace how great a debtor
Daily I’m constrained to be!
Let thy goodness, like a fetter,
Bind me closer still to thee!

6 Never let me wander from thee,
Never leave thee whom I love;
By thy Word and Spirit guide me,
Till I reach thy courts above.

661 8s & 7s.
Brightness of the Father’s glory.
Heb. 1:3.

Brightness of the Father’s glory,
Shall thy praise unuttered lie?
Break, my tongue, such guilty silence;
Sing the Lord, who came to die.

2 Did the angels sing thy coming?
Did the shepherds learn their lays?
Shame would cover me, ungrateful,
Should my tongue refuse to praise.

3 From the highest throne in glory
To the cross of deepest woe,
All to ransom guilty captives!
Flow, my praise, for ever flow.

4 Re-ascend, immortal Saviour;
Leave thy footstool, take thy throne;
Thence return, and reign for ever;
Be the kingdom all thine own.

662 8s & 7s.
Thrice holy.

Bright the vision that delighted
Once the sight of Judah’s seer;
Sweet the countless tongues united
To entrance the prophet’s ear.
Round the Lord in glory seated,
Cherubim and seraphim
Filled his temple, and repeated
Each to each th’ alternate hymn:

2 “Lord, thy glory fills the heaven;
Earth is with its fullness stored;
Unto thee be glory given,
Holy, holy, holy Lord!”
Heaven is still with glory ringing;
Earth takes up the angel’s cry,
“Holy, holy, holy,” singing,
“Lord of hosts, the Lord most high!”

3 Ever thus in God’s high praises,
Brethren, let our tongues unite,
While our thoughts his greatness raises,
And our love his gifts recite.
With his seraph train before him,
With his holy church below,
Thus conspire we to adore him,
Bid we thus our anthem flow;

4 “Lord, thy glory fills the heaven;
Earth is with its fullness stored;
Unto thee be glory given,
Holy, holy, holy Lord!
Thus thy glorious name confessing,
We adopt the angels’ cry,
‘Holy, holy, holy,’ blessing
Thee, the Lord of hosts most high!”

663 8s & 7s, peculiar.
Hark! ten thousand harps.

Hark! ten thousand harps and voices
Sound the note of praise above;
Jesus reigns and heaven rejoices;
Jesus reigns, the God of love;
See, he sits on yonder throne;
Jesus rules the world alone.

2 Jesus, hail! whose glory brightens
All above, and gives it worth;
Lord of life, thy smile enlightens,
Cheers and charms thy saints on earth;
When we think of love like thine,
Lord, we own it love divine.

3 King of glory, reign for ever;
Thine an everlasting crown:
Nothing from thy love shall sever
Those whom thou hast made thine own;
Happy objects of thy grace,
Destined to behold thy face.

4 Saviour, hasten thine appearing;
Bring, O bring the glorious day,
When, the awful summons hearing,
Heaven and earth shall pass away:
Then, with golden harps, we’ll sing,
“Glory, glory to our King.”

664 8s, 7s & 4s.
Worthy is the Lamb, etc.
Rev. 5:12.

Glory, glory everlasting,
Be to him who bore the cross,
Who redeemed our souls by tasting
Death, the death deserved by us:
Sound his glory
While our heart with transport glows.

2 Jesus’ love is love unbounded,
Without measure, without end:
Human thought is here confounded;
’Tis too vast to comprehend;
Praise the Saviour;
Magnify the sinner’s Friend.

3 While we hear the wondrous story
Of the Saviour’s cross and shame,
Sing we, “Everlasting glory
Be to God and to the Lamb!”
Saints and angels,
Give ye glory to his name.

665 11s.
He hath put a new song in my mouth.
Psalm 40:3.

O Jesus, the giver of all we enjoy!
Our lives to thy honor we wish to employ;
With praises unceasing we’ll sing of thy name!
Thy goodness increasing, thy love we’ll proclaim.

2 The wonderful name of our Jesus we’ll sing,
And publish the fame of our Captain and King,
With sweet exultation his goodness we prove;
His name is salvation—his nature is Love.

3 And when to the regions of glory we rise,
And join the bright legions that shout through the skies,
We’ll tell the glad story of Jesus’ kind grace,
And give him the glory, and honor, and praise.

4 In this blest employment our spirits shall rest,
In sweetest enjoyment on Jesus’ own breast;
We’ll drink of the streams of Immanuel’s love,
And bask in the beams of his glory above.

666 11s.
Worthy is the Lamb.
Rev. 5:12.

Come, saints, let us join in the praise of the Lamb,
The theme most sublime of the angels above;
They dwell with delight on the sound of his name,
And gaze on his glories with wonder and love.

2 They worship the Lamb who for sinners was slain;
But their loftiest songs never equal his love:
The claims of his mercy will ever remain,
Transcending the anthems in glory above.

3 Yet even our service he will not despise,
When we join in his worship and tell of his name;
Then let us unite in the song of the skies,
And, trusting his mercy, sing, “Worthy the Lamb.”

667 6s & 4s.
Let us awake our joys.

Let us awake our joys;
Strike up with cheerful voice,
Each creature sing:
Angels, begin the song;
Mortals, the strain prolong,
In accents sweet and strong,
“Jesus is King.”

2 Proclaim abroad his name;
Tell of his matchless fame!
What wonders done;
Above, beneath, around,
Let all the earth resound,
’Till heaven’s high arch rebound,
“Victory is won.”

3 He vanquished sin and hell,
And our last foe will quell;
Mourners, rejoice;
His dying love adore;
Praise him now raised in power;
Praise him for evermore,
With joyful voice.

4 All hail the glorious day,
When through the heavenly way,
Lo! he shall come,
While they who pierced him, wail;
His promise shall not fail;
Saints, see your King prevail:
Great Saviour, come.

668 6s & 4s.
Rev. 5:12, 13.

Glory to God on high!
Let heaven and earth reply;
Praise ye his name;
His love and grace adore,
Who all our sorrows bore,
And sing for evermore,
“Worthy the Lamb.”

2 Ye who surround the throne,
Join cheerfully in one,
Praising his name;
Ye who have felt his blood
Sealing your peace with God,
Sound his dear name abroad:
“Worthy the Lamb.”

3 Join all ye ransomed race,
Our Lord and God to bless;
Praise ye his name;
In him we will rejoice,
And make a joyful noise,
Shouting with heart and voice,
“Worthy the Lamb.”

4 Soon must we change our place;
Yet will we never cease
Praising his name:
To him our songs we’ll bring,
Hail him our gracious King,
And through all ages sing,
“Worthy the Lamb.”

669 6s & 5s.
God is ever good.

See the shining dew-drops
On the flowers strewed,
Proving as they sparkle—
God is ever good.

2 See the morning sunbeams,
Lighting up the wood,
Silently proclaiming—
God is ever good.

3 Hear the mountain streamlet,
In the solitude,
With its ripple saying—
God is ever good.

4 In the leafy tree-tops,
Where no fears intrude,
Merry birds are singing—
God is ever good.

5 Bring, my heart, thy tribute,
Songs of gratitude,
While all nature utters—
God is ever good.

670 H. M.
Declare among the people his doings.
Psalm 9:11.

Come, every pious heart
That loves the Saviour’s name,
Your noblest powers exert
To celebrate his fame:
Tell all above and all below
The debt of love to him you owe.

2 Such was his zeal for God,
And such his love for you,
He nobly undertook
What angels could not do;
His every deed of love and grace
All words exceed, all thoughts surpass.

3 He left his starry crown,
And laid his robes aside;
On wings of love came down,
And wept, and bled, and died;
What he endured, O who can tell,
To save our souls from death and hell!

4 From the dark grave he rose,
The mansion of the dead;
And thence his mighty foes
In glorious triumph led;
Up through the sky the Conqueror rode,
And reigns on high the Son of God.

5 From thence he’ll quickly come,
His chariot will not stay,
And bear our spirits home
To realms of endless day:
There shall we see his lovely face,
And ever be in his embrace.

671 P. M.
Glad homage.

Father of spirits! humbly bent before thee,
Songs of glad homage unto thee we bring:
Touched by thy Spirit, O teach us to adore thee;
Let thy light attend us,
Let thy love befriend us,
Father of our spirits, Everlasting King!

2 Send forth thy mandate, gather in the nations,
Through the wide universe thy name be known,
Millions of voices shall join in adorations,
Every soul invited,
Every voice united;
Joining to adore thee, Everlasting One!

672 C. P. M.
The great salvation.
Heb. 2:3.

To him who did salvation bring,
Wake every tuneful power, and sing
A song of sweetest praise:
His grace diffuses as the rains
Crown nature’s flowery hills and plains,
And spread a thousand ways.

2 Salvation is the noblest song,
O may it dwell on every tongue,
And all repeat, Amen!
The Lord will come from heaven to earth
To give his people second birth,
And make them one again.

3 We feel redemption drawing near;
We soon in glory shall appear,
And be for ever blessed:
His promise never can delay,
Our Jesus, on th’ appointed day,
Will give his people rest.

4 By faith we view him coming down,
With angels hovering all around;
He smiles upon his saints:
He cries aloud in melting strains,
I come to save you from your pains,
And end your sore complaints.

5 The smiling millions rise and sing
All glory! glory to our King;
The Grand Assize is come!
You everlasting doors, fly wide;
The Church is glorious as a bride,
And Jesus takes her home.

6 In all the heavens there’s not a tear,
Nor in the realms of bliss a fear,
But pleasure yet unknown:
From heaven to heaven we sound the bliss,
O what a blest abode is this,
For ever round the throne!

7 The joys of heaven will never end;
All glory to the sinner’s Friend!
Roll on, you happy scenes!
You wingéd seraphs, help us praise
The Author of eternal joys!
Our Jesus ever reigns.

673 8s, 7s & 4s.
Praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord! ye saints adore him,
All unite with one accord;
Bring your offerings, come before him—
O praise the Lord.

2 Praise the Lord! who every blessing
On our heads hath richly poured;
Sing aloud, his love confessing—
O praise the Lord.

3 Praise the Lord! who would not praise him?
He hath us to grace restored:
To the highest honors raise him—
O praise the Lord.

4 Praise the Lord! your songs excelling
Worldly music’s richest chord;
Sing—your Saviour’s glory telling;
O praise the Lord.

OPENING HYMNS.

674 L. M.
Psalm 100.

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 heavens 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!

675 L. M.
God exalted.
Psalm 57:5.

Be thou exalted, O my God!
Above the heavens where angels dwell;
Thy power on earth be known abroad,
And land to land thy wonders tell.

2 My heart is fixed; my song shall raise
Immortal honors to thy name:
Awake, my tongue, to sound his praise,
My tongue, the glory of my frame.

3 High o’er the earth his mercy reigns,
And reaches to the utmost sky;
His truth to endless years remains,
When lower worlds dissolve and die.

676 L. M.
Every place a temple.

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

2 Not now on Zion’s hight alone
Thy favored worshipers 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!

677 L. M.
Coming together in the name of Jesus.
Matt. 18:20.

Great God! the followers of thy Son,
We bow before thy mercy-seat,
To worship thee, the holy One,
And pour our wishes at thy feet.

2 O, grant thy blessing here to-day;
O, give thy people joy and peace;
The tokens of thy love display,
And favor that shall never cease.

3 We seek the truth which Jesus brought,
His path of light we long to tread;
Here be his holy doctrines taught,
And here their purest influence shed.

4 May faith, and hope, and love abound;
Our sins and errors be forgiven;
And we, from day to day, be found
The sons of God and heirs of heaven.

678 L. M. 6 lines.
Seeking refuge.

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 to gain;
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.

679 L. M.
The hour of worship.

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.

680 L. M.
How amiable are thy tabernacles.
Psalm 84:1.

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
From all th’ assaults of hell and sin,
From foes without and foes within.

4 All needful grace will God bestow,
And crown that grace with glory too:
He gives us all things, and withholds
No real good from upright souls.

5 O God, our King, whose sovereign sway,
The glorious hosts of heaven obey,
And devils at thy presence flee;
Blest is the man that trusts in thee.

681 L. M.
Serve the Lord with gladness.
Psalm 100:2.

Ye nations round the earth, rejoice,
Before the Lord, your sovereign King;
Serve him with cheerful heart and voice;
With all your tongues his glory sing.

2 The Lord is God: ’tis he alone
Doth life, and breath, and being give;
We are his work, and not our own;
The sheep that on his pastures live.

3 Enter his gates with songs of joy;
With praises to his courts repair;
And make it your divine employ
To pay your thanks and honors there.

4 The Lord is good, the Lord is kind;
Great is his grace, his mercy sure:
And the whole race of men shall find
His truth from age to age endure.

682 L. M.
Let us worship and bow down.
Psalm 95:6.

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!
Down on our knees, devoutly, all
Before the Lord, our Maker, fall.

683 L. M.
Speak, Lord, thy servant heareth.
1 Sam. 3:10.

While now 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 thy gentle call,
And 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.

5 Speak to convince, forgive, console:
Childlike we yield to thy control;
These hearts, too often closed before,
Would grieve thy patient love no more.

684 L. M.
God is here.

Be still! be still! for all around,
On either hand, is holy ground:
Here in his house, the Lord to-day
Will listen, while his people pray.

2 Thou, tossed upon the waves of care
Ready to sink with deep despair,
Here ask relief, with heart sincere,
And thou shalt find that God is here.

3 Thou who hast laid within the grave
Those whom thou hadst no power to save,
Now to the mercy-seat draw near,
With all thy woes, for God is here.

4 Thou who hast dear ones far away,
In foreign lands, ’mid ocean’s spray,
Pray for them now, and dry the tear,
And trust the God who listens here.

5 Thou who art mourning o’er thy sin,
Deploring guilt that reigns within,
The God of peace is ever near;
The troubled spirit meets him here.

685 L. M.
I will come in.
Rev. 3:20.

O blest the souls, for ever blest,
Where God as sovereign is confest;
O happy hearts, the blesséd homes
To which the King in glory comes!

2 Fling wide thy portals, O my heart!
Be thou a temple set apart;
So shall thy Sovereign enter in,
And new and nobler life begin.

3 Deliverer, come! we open wide
Our hearts to thee; here, Lord, abide!
Let all thy glorious presence feel;
Thou—King of saints! thyself reveal.

686 L. M.
Blessed are they that dwell in thy house.
Psalm 84:4.

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

2 My soul would rest in thine abode,
My panting heart cries out for God;
My God! my King! why should I be
So far from all my joys and thee!

3 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.

4 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.

687 L. M.
The living temple.

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

2 But chiefest in the cleanséd breast,
For ever let thy Spirit rest,
And make the contrite heart to be
A temple pure and worthy thee.

688 L. M.
My soul longeth for the courts of the Lord.
Psalm 84:2.

Look from on high, great God, and see
Thy saints lamenting after thee:
We sigh, we languish, and complain;
Revive thy gracious work again.

2 To-day thy cheering grace impart,
Bind up and heal the broken heart;
Our sins subdue, our souls restore,
And let our foes prevail no more.

3 Thy presence in thy house afford,
And bless the preaching of thy word,
That sinners may their danger see,
And now begin to mourn for thee.

689 C. M.
Homage and devotion.

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

2 Before the gracious throne we bow
Of heaven’s almighty King;
Here we present the solemn vow,
And hymns of praise we sing.

3 O Lord, while in thy house 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.

690 C. M.
Lift thou the light of thy countenance, etc.
Psalm 4:6

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.

691 C. M.
The house of God.

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

692 C. M.
What shall I render.
Psalm 116:12.

What shall I render to my God
For all his kindness shown?
My feet shall visit thine abode,
My songs address thy throne.

2 Among the saints that fill thy house,
My offerings shall be paid;
There shall my zeal perform the vows
My soul in anguish made.

3 How happy all thy servants are,
How great thy grace to me!
My life, which thou hast made thy care,
Lord, I devote to thee.

4 Now I am thine, for ever thine,
Nor shall my purpose move;
Thy hand hath loosed my bonds of pain,
And bound me with thy love.

5 Here in thy courts I leave my vow,
And thy rich grace record;
Witness, ye saints, who hear me now,
If I forsake the Lord.

693 C. M.
They shall mount up with wings as eagles.
Isaiah 40:31.

Come, O thou King of all thy saints,
Our humble tribute own,
While, with our praises and complaints,
We bow before thy throne.

2 How should our songs, like those above,
With warm devotion rise!
How should our souls on wings of love,
Mount upward to the skies!

3 But, ah, the song, how faint it flows!
How languid our desire!
How dim the sacred passion glows,
Till thou the heart inspire!

4 Blest Saviour, let thy glory shine,
And fill thy dwellings here,
Till life, and love, and joy divine,
A heaven on earth appear.

694 C. M.
Again the Lord of light and life.

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

2 O what a night was that which wrapt
The heathen world in gloom!
O what a Sun which rose 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 different lips shall join
To hail this welcome morn,
Which scatters blessings from its wings
To nations yet unborn.

695 C. M.
With the pure thou wilt show thyself pure.
2 Sam. 22:27.

The offerings to thy throne which rise,
Of mingled praise and prayer,
Are but a worthless sacrifice
Unless the heart is there.

2 Upon thine all-discerning ear
Let no vain words intrude;
No tribute but the vow sincere—
The tribute of the good.

3 My offerings will indeed be blest,
If sanctified by thee—
If thy pure Spirit touch my breast
With its own purity.

4 O, may that Spirit warm my heart
To piety and love,
And to life’s lowly vale impart
Some rays from heaven above.

696 C. M.
Let us go up to the house of the Lord.
Psalm 122:1.

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

2 Within these walls let holy peace,
And love, and concord dwell;
Here give the troubled conscience ease,
The wounded spirit heal.

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

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

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

697 C. M.
Quicken us, and we will call on thy name.
Psalm 80:18.

Come, Lord, and warm each languid heart;
Inspire each lifeless tongue;
And let the joys of heaven impart
Their influence to our song.

2 Then to the shining realms of bliss
The wings of faith shall soar,
And all the charms of Paradise
Our raptured thoughts explore.

3 There shall the followers of the Lamb
Join in immortal songs,
And endless honors to his name
Employ their tuneful tongues.

3 Lord, tune our hearts to praise and love;
Our feeble notes inspire,
Till, in thy blissful courts above,
We join the heavenly choir.

698 C. M.
Early will I seek thee.
Psalm 63:1.

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.

699 C. M.
The morrow after the Sabbath.
Lev. 23:11.

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 Lord’s day love,
A happy week shall 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.

700 S. M.
Stand up and bless the Lord.
Neh. 9:5.

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

3 God is our strength and song,
And his salvation ours;
Then be his love in Christ proclaimed
With all our ransomed powers.

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

701 S. M.
Come, we that love the Lord.

Come, we that love the Lord,
And let our joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne.

2 The sorrows of the mind
Be banished from this place!
Religion never was designed
To make our pleasures less.

3 Let those refuse to sing
Who never knew our God;
But children of the heavenly King
May speak their joys abroad.

4 The men of grace have found
Glory begun below;
Celestial fruits on earthly ground
From hope and faith may grow.

5 The hill of Zion yields
A thousand sacred sweets,
Before we reach the heavenly fields,
Or walk the golden streets.

6 Then let our songs abound,
And every tear be dry;
We’re marching o’er this hallowed ground
To fairer worlds on high.

702 S. M.
Come, sound his praise abroad.

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 work, 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.

703 S. M.
Blessed they that hunger.
Matt. 5:6.

Hungry, and faint, and poor,
Behold us, Lord, again
Assembled at thy mercy’s door,
Thy bounty to obtain.

2 Thy word invites us nigh,
Or we would starve indeed;
For we no money have to buy,
Nor righteousness to plead.

3 The food our spirits want,
Thy hand alone can give;
O! hear the prayer of faith, and grant
That we may eat and live!

704 S. M.
As I have seen thee in the sanctuary.
Psalm 63:2.

My God, permit my tongue
This joy, to call thee mine;
And let my early cries prevail,
To taste thy love divine.

2 Within thy churches, Lord,
I long to find my place;
Thy power and glory to behold,
And feel thy quickening grace.

3 Since thou hast been my help,
To thee my spirit flies;
And on thy watchful providence,
My cheerful hope relies.

4 The shadow of thy wings
My soul in safety keeps;
I follow where my Father leads,
And he supports my steps.

705 S. M.
Reunion.

And are we yet alive,
And see each other’s face?
Glory and praise to Jesus give,
For his preserving grace.

2 What troubles have we seen!
What conflicts have we past!
Fightings without, and fears within,
Since we assembled last.

3 But out of all, the Lord
Hath brought us by his love;
And still he doth his help afford,
And hides our life above.

4 Then let us make our boast
Of his redeeming power,
Which saves us to the uttermost,
Till we can sin no more.

706 7s.
Come into his courts.
Psalm 96:8.

To thy temple we repair;
Lord, we love to worship there;
There, within the vail, we meet
Christ upon the mercy-seat.

2 While thy glorious name is sung,
Tune our lips, inspire our tongue;
Then our joyful souls shall bless
Christ, the Lord, our Righteousness.

707 7s.
The unity of the Spirit.
Eph. 4:3.

Father, hear our humble claim;
We are met in thy great name;
In the midst do thou appear,
Manifest thy presence here.

2 Lord, our fellowship increase;
Knit us in the bond of peace;
Join our hearts, O Father! join
Each to each, and all to thine.

3 Build us in one spirit up,
Called in one high calling’s hope—
One the spirit, one the aim,
One the pure baptismal flame.

708 7s.
Wait on the Lord, etc.
Psalm 27:14.

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 Lord, on thee our souls depend,
In compassion now descend;
Fill our hearts with thy rich grace;
Tune our lips to sing thy praise.

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

4 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.

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

709 8s & 7s.
Far from mortal cares retreating.

Far from mortal cares retreating,
Sordid hopes, and vain 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 Blessings all around bestowing,
God withholds his care from none;
Grace and mercy ever flowing
From the fountain of his throne.
Lord, with favor still attend us;
Bless us with thy wondrous love;
Thou, our Sun, our Shield, defend us;
All our hope is from above.

710 8s & 7s.
Love divine, all love excelling.

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

2 Breathe, O, breathe thy loving Spirit
Into every troubled breast:
Let us all in thee inherit,
Let us find thy promised rest.
Take away the love of sinning,
Take our load of guilt away;
End the work of thy beginning,
Bring us to eternal day.

3 Carry on thy new creation,
Pure and holy may we be;
Let us see our whole salvation,
Perfectly secured by thee;
Change from glory into glory,
Till in heaven we take our place;
Till we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love and praise.

711 8s, 7s & 4s.
The Lord is in his holy temple.
Heb. 2:20.

God is in his holy temple,
All the earth keep silence here;
Worship him in truth and spirit,
Reverence him with godly fear;
Holy, holy,
Lord of hosts, our Lord, appear.

2 God in Christ reveals his presence,
Throned upon the mercy-seat:
Saints, rejoice! and sinners, tremble!
Each prepare his God to meet:
Lowly, lowly,
Bow adoring at his feet.

3 Hail him here with songs of praises,
Him with prayers of faith surround;
Hearken to his glorious gospel,
While the preacher’s lips expound;
Blesséd, blesséd,
They who know the joyful sound.

4 Though the heaven, and heaven of heavens,
O thou Great Unsearchable!
Are too mean to comprehend thee,
Thou with man art pleased to dwell;
Welcome, welcome,
God with us, Immanuel.

712 8s & 6s.
At the hour of prayer.
Acts 3:1.

Blest is the hour when cares depart,
And earthly scenes are far—
When tears of woe forget to start,
And gently dawns upon the heart
Devotion’s holy star.

2 Blest is the place where angels bend
To hear our worship rise,
Where kindred hearts their musings blend,
And all the soul’s affections tend
Beyond the vailing skies.

3 Blest are the hallowed vows that bind
Man to his work of love—
Bind him to cheer the humble mind,
Console the weeping, lead the blind,
And guide to joys above.

4 Sweet shall the song of glory swell,
Saviour divine, to thee,
When they whose work is finished well,
In thy own courts of rest shall dwell,
Blest through eternity.

713 8s, 7s & 4s.
Rejoice with trembling.
Psalm 2:11.

In thy name, O Lord, assembling,
We thy people, now draw near;
Teach us to rejoice with trembling;
O that we this day may hear—
Hear with meekness—
Hear thy word with godly fear.

2 While our days on earth are lengthened,
May we give them, Lord, to thee!
Cheered by hope, and daily strengthened,
We would run, nor weary be,
Till thy glory,
Without clouds, in heaven we see.

3 There, in worship, purer, sweeter,
All thy people shall adore;
Tasting of enjoyment greater
Than they could conceive before;
Full enjoyment—
Holy bliss for evermore.

714 H. M.
Longing for the house of God.

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

2 O, happy souls, who pray
Where God appoints to hear!
O, happy men, who 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,
Through this dark vale of tears,
Till each arrives at length,
Till each in heaven appears:
O glorious seat, when God, our King
Shall thither bring our willing feet.

CLOSING HYMNS.

715 L. M.
He shall go in and out and find pasture.
John 10:9.

Now may the Lord our Shepherd lead
To living streams his little flock;
May he in flowery pastures feed;
Shade us at noon beneath the rock!

2 Now may we hear our Shepherd’s voice,
And gladly answer to his call;
Now may our hearts for him rejoice,
Who knows, and names, and loves us all.

3 When the Chief Shepherd shall appear,
And small and great before him stand,
O, be the flock assembling here
Found with the sheep on his right hand!

716 L. M.
Walking with God.

Through all this life’s eventful road,
Fain would I walk with thee, my God,
And find thy presence light around,
And every step on holy ground.

2 Each blessing would I trace to thee;
In every grief, thy mercy see;
And through the paths of duty move,
Conscious of thine encircling love.

3 And when the angel Death stands by,
Be this my strength, that thou art nigh;
And this my joy, that I shall be
With those who dwell in light with thee.

717 L. M.
The Lord bless thee, and keep thee.
Num. 6:24.

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 O, 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.

718 L. M.
Let all the people praise thee.
Psalm 67:5.

From all that dwell below the skies,
Let the Creator’s praise arise:
Let the Redeemer’s name be sung
Through every land, by every tongue.

2 Eternal are thy mercies, Lord;
Eternal truth attends thy word:
Thy praise shall sound from shore to shore,
Till suns shall rise and set no more.

719 L. M.
Grapes from Eshcol.
Num. 13:24.

Happy the saints whose lot is cast
Where oft is heard the gospel sound;
The word is pleasing to their taste,
A healing balm for every wound.

2 With joy they hasten to the place
Where they their Saviour oft have met;
And while they feast upon his grace,
Their burdens and their griefs forget.