Chapter IX: Introduction (9)

2 O, blesséd is the hour
That lifts our hearts on high!
Like sunlight when the tempests lower,
Prayer to the soul is nigh;
Though dark may be our lot,
Our eyes be dim with care,
These saddening thoughts shall trouble not
This holy hour of prayer.

569 C. H. M.
Come, let us pray.

Come, let us pray; ’tis sweet to feel
That God himself is near;
That while we at his footstool kneel,
His mercy deigns to hear:
Though sorrows cloud life’s dreary way,
This is our solace—let us pray.

2 Come, let us pray: the burning brow,
The heart oppressed with care,
And all the woes that throng us now,
Will be relieved by prayer:
Jesus will smile our griefs away;
O, glorious thought!—come! let us pray.

3 Come, let us pray: the mercy-seat
Invites the fervent prayer,
And Jesus ready stands to greet
The contrite spirit there:
O, loiter not, nor longer stay
From him who loves us; let us pray.

570 S. M.
Invitation to prayer.

Come to the house of prayer,
O thou afflicted, come;
The God of peace shall meet thee there;
He makes that house his home.

2 Come to the house of praise,
Ye who are happy now;
In sweet accord your voices raise,
In kindred homage bow.

3 Ye agéd, hither come,
For you have felt his love;
Soon shall your trembling tongues be dumb,
Your lips forget to move.

4 Ye young, before his throne
Come, bow; your voices raise;
Let not your hearts his praise disown
Who gives the power to praise.

5 Thou, whose benignant eye
In mercy looks on all—
Who seest the tear of misery,
And hearest 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.

571 7s, 6 lines.
Heavenly places.

If ’tis sweet to mingle where
Christians meet for social prayer;
If ’tis sweet with them to raise
Songs of holy joy and praise—
Passing sweet that state must be,
Where they meet eternally.

2 Saviour, may these meetings prove
Antepasts to that above;
While we worship in this place,
May we go from grace to grace,
Till we each, in his degree,
Fit for endless glory be.

572 7s.
Deliver us from evil.

Heavenly Father! to whose eye
Future things unfolded lie;
Through the desert when I stray
Let thy counsels guide my way.

2 Lord! uphold me day by day;
Shed a light upon my way;
Guide me through perplexing snares,
Care for me in all my cares.

3 Should thy wisdom, Lord, decree
Trials long and sharp for me,
Pain, or sorrow, care or shame—
Father! glorify thy name.

4 Let me neither faint nor fear,
Feeling still that thou art near;
In the course my Saviour trod,
Tending home to thee, my God.

573 7s.
God is present everywhere.

They who seek the throne of grace
Find that throne in every place;
If we live a life of prayer,
God is present everywhere.

2 In our sickness and our health,
In our want, or in our wealth,
If we look to God in prayer,
God is present everywhere.

3 When our earthly comforts fail,
When the woes of life prevail,
’Tis the time for earnest prayer;
God is present everywhere.

4 Then, my soul, in every strait,
To thy Father come, and wait;
He will answer every prayer;
God is present everywhere.

574 7s.
Lift the heart, and bend the knee.

Child, amid the flowers at play,
While the red light fades away;
Mother, with thine earnest eye
Ever following silently;

2 Father, by the breeze of eve,
Called thy daily toil to leave;
Pray! ere yet the dark hours be,
Lift the heart, and bend the knee!

3 Traveler in the stranger’s land,
Far from thine own household band;
Mourner, haunted by the tone
Of a voice from this world gone;

4 Captive, in whose narrow cell
Sunshine hath not leave to dwell;
Sailor, on the darkening sea,
Lift the heart, and bend the knee!

5 Ye that triumph, ye that sigh,
Kindred by one holy tie,
Heaven’s first star alike ye see;
Lift the heart, and bend the knee!

575 7s.
Lead me, O Lord.

Shepherd of thy little flock,
Lead me to the shadowing rock,
Where the richest pasture grows;
Where the living water flows;

2 By that pure and silent stream,
Sheltered from the scorching beam;
Shepherd, Saviour, Guardian, Guide,
Keep me ever near thy side.

576 7s, 6 lines.
Draw near with a true heart.
Heb. 10:22.

Holy Lord, our hearts prepare
For the solemn work of prayer;
Grant that while we bend the knee,
All our thoughts may turn to thee;
Let thy presence here be found,
Breathing peace and joy around.

2 Lord, when we approach thy throne,
Make thy power and glory known:
Thus may we be taught to call
Humbly on the Lord of all,
And with reverence and fear,
At thy footstool to appear.

3 Teach us, as we breathe our woes,
On thy promise to repose;
All thy tender love to trace
In the Saviour’s work of grace;
And with confidence depend
On a gracious God and Friend.

577 7s.
The Lord make his face shine upon thee.
Num. 6:25.

Stealing from the world away,
We are come to seek thy face;
Kindly meet us, Lord, we pray,
Grant us thy reviving grace.

2 Yonder stars that gild the sky,
Shine but with a borrowed light:
We, unless thy light be nigh,
Wander, wrapt in gloomy night.

3 Sun of Righteousness! dispel
All our darkness, doubts and fears;
May thy light within us dwell,
Till eternal day appears.

578 7s, double.
Hear us when to thee we cry.

Saviour, when in dust to thee
Low we bow th’ adoring knee:
When repentant, to the skies
Scarce we lift our streaming eyes;
O, by all thy pains and woe,
Suffered once for man below,
Bending from thy throne on high,
Hear us when to thee we cry.

2 By thy birth and early years,
By thy human griefs and fears,
By thy fasting and distress
In the lonely wilderness;
By thy victory in the hour
Of the subtle tempter’s power;
Jesus look with pitying eye,
Hear our humble, earnest cry.

3 By thine hour of dark despair,
By thine agony of prayer,
By thy purple robe of scorn,
By thy wounds, thy crown of thorn,
By thy cross, thy pangs and cries,
By thy perfect sacrifice;
Jesus, look with pitying eye,
Listen to our humble cry.

4 By thy deep expiring groan,
By thy sealed sepulchral stone,
By thy triumph o’er the grave,
By thy power from death to save:
Dying, risen, ascended, Lord,
To thy throne in heaven restored,
Bending from thy throne on high,
Hear us when to thee we cry.

579 7s & 6s.
Evening, and morning, etc.
Psalm 55:17.

Go, when the morning shineth,
Go, when the moon is bright,
Go, when the eve declineth,
Go, in the hush of night;
Go with pure mind and feeling,
Put earthly thoughts away,
And in God’s presence kneeling,
Do thou in secret pray.

2 Remember all who love thee,
All who are loved by thee;
Pray, too, for those who hate thee,
If any such there be;
Then for thyself, in meekness,
A blessing humbly claim;
And blend with each petition
Thy great Redeemer’s name.

3 Or, if ’tis e’er denied thee
In solitude to pray,
Should holy thoughts come o’er thee,
When friends are round thy way,
E’en then, the silent breathing
Thy spirit lifts above,
Will reach his throne of glory,
Where dwells eternal love.

580 6s & 5s.
After this manner pray ye.
Matt. 6:9.

Our Father in heaven,
We hallow thy name!
May thy kingdom holy
On earth be the same!
O give to us daily,
Our portion of bread;
It is from thy bounty
That all must be fed.

2 Forgive our transgressions,
And teach us to know
That humble compassion
That pardons each foe;
Keep us from temptation,
From weakness and sin,
And thine be the glory
For ever—Amen!

581 8s & 4s.
The hour of prayer.

My God! is any hour so sweet,
From blush of morn to evening star,
As that which calls me to thy feet—
The hour of prayer?

2 Blest is the tranquil hour of morn,
And blest that hour of solemn eve,
When, on the wings of prayer up-borne,
The world I leave.

3 Then is my strength by thee renewed;
Then are my sins by thee forgiven;
Then dost thou cheer my solitude
With hopes of heaven.

4 No words can tell what sweet relief
There for my every want I find;
What strength for warfare, balm for grief,
What peace of mind!

5 Hushed is each doubt, gone every fear;
My spirit seems in heaven to stay;
And e’en the penitential tear
Is wiped away.

6 Lord! till I reach that blissful shore,
No privilege so dear shall be
As thus my inmost soul to pour
In prayer to thee.

582 C. P. M.
Casting all your care upon him.
1 Pet. 5:7.

O Lord! how happy should we be,
If we could leave our cares to thee,
If we from self could rest,
And feel at heart that One above,
In perfect wisdom, perfect love,
Is working for the best.

2 For when we kneel and cast our care
Upon our God in humble prayer,
With strengthened souls we rise;
Sure that our Father, who is nigh
To hear the ravens when they cry,
Will hear his children’s cries.

3 O! would these restless hearts of ours
The lesson learn from birds and flowers,
And learn from self to cease;
Leave all things to our Father’s will,
And in his mercy trusting still,
Find in each trial, peace.

583 11s.
Faint, yet pursuing.
Judges 8:4.

Though faint, yet pursuing, we go on our way;
The Lord is our Leader, his Word is our stay;
Though suffering, and sorrow, and trial, be near,
The Lord is our refuge, and whom can we fear?

2 He raiseth the fallen, he cheereth the faint;
The weak and oppressed, he will hear their complaint;
The way may be weary, and thorny the road,
But how can we falter? our help is in God.

3 And to his green pastures our footsteps he leads;
His flock in the desert, how kindly he feeds!
The lambs in his bosom he tenderly bears,
And brings back the wanderers all safe from the snares.

4 Though clouds may surround us, our God is our light;
Though storms rage around us, our God is our might;
So faint, yet pursuing, still onward we come;
The Lord is our Leader, and heaven is our home.

584 11s & 10s.
For divine strength.

Father, in thy mysterious presence kneeling,
Fain would our souls feel all thy kindling love,
For we are weak, and need some deep revealing
Of trust, and strength, and calmness, from above.

2 Lord, we have wandered forth thro’ doubt and sorrow,
And thou hast made each step an onward one;
And we will ever trust each unknown morrow—
Thou wilt sustain us till its work is done.

3 In the heart’s depths, a peace serene and holy
Abides, and when pain seems to have her will,
Or we despair—O may that peace rise slowly,
Stronger than agony, and we be still.

4 Now, Father, now, in thy dear presence kneeling,
Our spirits yearn to feel thy kindling love:
Now make us strong, we need thy deep revealing
Of trust, and strength, and calmness, from above.

585 11s.
The house of prayer.

How honored, how dear, is that sacred abode,
Where Christians draw near to their Father and God:
’Mid worldly commotion my wearied soul faints
For the house of devotion, the home of thy saints.

2 Thou hearer of prayer, O still grant me a place
Where Christians repair to the courts of thy grace,
More blest beyond measure one day so employed,
Than years of vain pleasure by worldlings enjoyed.

3 Me more would it please keeping post at thy gate,
Than lying at ease in the chambers of state;
The meanest condition outshines with thy smiles,
The pomp of ambition, the world with its wiles.

4 The Lord is a Sun, and the Lord is a Shield:
What grace has begun, will with glory be sealed;
He hears the distresséd, he succors the just,
And they shall be blesséd who make him their trust.

586 11s & 10s.
Come ye disconsolate.

Come, ye disconsolate, where’er you languish,
Come, at the shrine of God fervently kneel;
Here bring your wounded hearts, here tell your anguish;
Earth has no sorrow that heaven can not heal.

2 Joy of the desolate, light of the straying,
Hope of the penitent, fadeless and pure!
Here speaks the Comforter, tenderly saying,
Earth has no sorrow that heaven can not cure.

3 Here see the bread of life; see waters flowing
Forth from the throne of God, pure from above:
Come to the feast of love; come, ever-knowing,
Earth has no sorrow but heaven can remove.

587 P. M.
Hear, Father, hear our prayer.

Hear, Father, hear our prayer!
Thou who art pity where sorrow prevaileth,
Thou who art safety when mortal help faileth,
Strength to the feeble and hope to despair,
Hear, Father, hear our prayer!

2 Hear, Father, hear our prayer!
Wandering alone in the land of the stranger,
Be with all travelers in sickness or danger,
Guard thou their path, guide their feet from the snare:
Hear, Father, hear our prayer!

3 Hear thou the poor that cry!
Feed thou the hungry and lighten their sorrow,
Grant them the sunshine of hope for the morrow;
They are thy children, their trust is on high:
Hear thou the poor that cry!

4 Dry thou the mourner’s tear!
Heal thou the wounds of time-hallowed affection;
Grant to the widow and orphan protection;
Be, in their trouble, a friend ever near;
Dry thou the mourner’s tear!

5 Hear, Father, hear our prayer!
Long hath thy goodness our footsteps attended;
Be with the pilgrim whose journey is ended:
When at thy summons for death we prepare,
Hear, Father, hear our prayer!

588 11s & 5.
Prayer of the contrite.

From the recesses of a lowly spirit,
Our humble prayer ascends; O Father! hear it,
Upsoaring on the wings of awe and meekness;
Forgive its weakness!

2 We see thy hand: it leads us, it supports us;
We hear thy voice: it counsels and it courts us:
And then we turn away; and still thy kindness
Forgives our blindness.

3 O, how long-suffering, Lord! but thou delightest
To win with love the wandering; thou invitest,
By smiles of mercy, not by frowns or terrors,
Man from his errors.

4 Father and Saviour! plant within each bosom
The seeds of holiness, and bid them blossom
In fragrance and in beauty bright and vernal,
And spring eternal.

589 11s & 10s.
Strengthened with might, etc.
Eph 3:16.

Father, to us thy children, humbly kneeling,
Conscious of weakness, ignorance, sin and shame,
Give such a force of holy thought and feeling,
That we may live to glorify thy name;

2 That we may conquer base desire and passion,
That we may rise from selfish thought and will,
O’ercome the world’s allurement, threat and fashion,
Walk humbly, gently, leaning on thee still.

3 Let all thy loving kindness which attends us,
Let all thy mercy on our souls be sealed;
Lord, if thou wilt, thy saving power can cleanse us;
O, speak the word! thy servants shall be healed.

590 P. M.
Lead thou me on.

Shed kindly light amid the encircling gloom,
And lead me on!
The night is dark, and I am far from home,
Lead thou me on!
Keep thou my feet: I do not ask to see
The distant scene: one step enough for me.

2 I was not ever thus, nor prayed that thou
Shouldst lead me on!
I loved to choose and see my path; but now,
Lead thou me on!
I loved day’s dazzling light, and spite of fears
Pride ruled my will: remember not past years!

3 So long thy power hath blessed me, surely still
’Twill lead me on!
Through dreary doubt, through pain and sorrow, till
The night is gone!
And with the morn those angel faces smile
Which I have loved long since and lost awhile.

ITS GROWTH AND FUTURE TRIUMPHS.

591 L. M.
Put on thy strength, O Zion.
Isaiah 52:1.

Triumphant Zion! lift thy head
From dust, and darkness, and the dead!
Though humbled long—awake at length,
And gird thee with thy Saviour’s strength.

2 Put all thy beauteous garments on,
And let thy excellence be known;
Decked in the robes of righteousness,
The world thy glories shall confess.

3 No more shall foes unclean invade,
And fill thy hallowed walls with dread:
No more shall hell’s insulting host
Their victory and thy sorrows boast.

4 God, from on high, has heard thy prayer;
His hand thy ruins shall repair;
Nor will thy watchful Monarch cease
To guard thee in eternal peace.

592 L. M.
All nations shall serve him.
Psalm 72:11.

Eternal Lord! from land to land
Shall echo thine all-glorious name,
Till kingdoms bow at thy command,
And every lip thy praise proclaim.

2 Exalted high, on every shore,
The banner of the cross unfurled,
Shall summon thousands to adore
The Saviour of a ransomed world.

3 Thousands shall join thy pilgrim band,
And, by that sacred standard led,
Press forward to Immanuel’s land,
Nor fear the thorny path to tread.

4 Triumphant over every foe,
Their ransomed hosts shall move along
To that blest world, where sin and woe
Shall never mingle with their song.

593 L. M.
Put on thy beautiful garments.
Isaiah 52:1.

Zion, awake! thy strength renew;
Put on thy robes of beauteous hue;
Church of our God, arise and shine,
Bright with the beams of truth divine.

2 Soon shall thy radiance stream afar,
Wide as the heathen nations are;
Gentiles and kings thy light shall view;
All shall admire and love thee too.

594 C. M.
Zion’s prospects.

Let Zion and her sons rejoice;
Behold the promised hour;
Her God hath heard her mourning voice,
And comes t’ exalt his power.

2 Her dust and ruins, that remain,
Are precious in his eyes;
Those ruins shall be built again,
And all that dust shall rise.

3 The Lord will raise Jerusalem,
And stand in glory there;
All nations bow before his name,
And kings attend with fear.

4 He frees the soul condemned to death;
Nor, when his saints complain,
Shall it be said that praying breath
Was ever spent in vain.

5 This shall be known when we are dead,
And left on long record,
That ages yet unborn may read
And praise and trust the Lord.

595 C. M.
Isaiah 62.

For Zion’s sake I will not rest,
I will not hold my peace
Until Jerusalem be blest,
And Judah dwell at ease;

2 Until her righteousness return,
As daybreak after night—
The lamp of her salvation burn
With everlasting light.

3 The Gentiles shall her glory see,
And kings declare her fame;
Appointed unto her shall be
A new and holy name.

4 The watchmen on her walls appear,
And day and night proclaim,
“Zion’s Deliverer is near;
Make mention of his name.”

5 Go through, go through, prepare the way,
The gates wide open fling;
With loudest voice let heralds say,
“Behold thy coming King.”

596 C. M.
Christ’s Church.
Canticles 6:10.

Say, who is she that looks abroad
Like the sweet, blushing dawn,
When with her living light she paints
The dew-drops of the lawn?

2 Fair as the moon when in the skies
Serene her throne she guides,
And o’er the twinkling stars supreme
In full orbed glory rides;

3 Clear as the sun, when from the east,
Without a cloud he springs,
And scatters boundless light and heat,
From his resplendent wings.

4 Tremendous as a host that moves
Majestically slow,
With banners wide displayed, all armed,
And fearless of the foe!

5 This is the church by heaven arrayed
With strength and grace divine;
Thus shall she strike her foes with dread,
And thus her glories shine.

597 C. M.
All nations shall flow unto it.
Isaiah 2:2.

Behold the mountain of the Lord
In latter days shall rise,
On mountain tops above the hills,
And draw the wondering eyes.

2 To this the joyful nations round,
All tribes and tongues shall flow;
Up to the hill of God, they’ll say,
And to his house we’ll go!

3 The beam that shines from Zion hill
Shall lighten every land!
The King who reigns in Salem’s towers,
Shall all the world command.

4 No strife shall vex Messiah’s reign,
Or mar the peaceful years,
To plowshares men shall beat their swords,
To pruning-hooks their spears.

5 No longer hosts encountering hosts,
Their millions slain deplore;
They hang the trumpet in the hall,
And study war no more.

6 Come, then—O come from every land,
To worship at his shrine;
And, walking in the light of God,
With holy beauties shine.

598 P. M.
We look for thine appearing.

Come, O thou mighty Saviour,
We look for thine appearing;
Descend, we pray,
Thy love display,
Our waiting spirits cheering.

2 Come, clothed with glorious power;
Let all thy saints adore thee,
And let thy word,
The Spirit’s sword,
Subdue thy foes before thee.

3 May every heart with gladness,
Thine offered grace receiving,
Now cease from sin,
And pure within,
Have peace, in thee believing.

4 Then, when thou comest to judgment,
On flying clouds descending,
May we rejoice
When, at thy voice,
The solid earth is rending.

599 7s.
I, the Lord, will hasten it in his time.
Isaiah 60:22.

Hasten, Lord! the glorious time,
When, beneath Messiah’s sway,
Every nation, every clime,
Shall the gospel call obey.

2 Mightiest kings his power shall own,
Heathen tribes his name adore;
Satan and his host, o’erthrown,
Bound in chains shall hurt no more.

3 Then shall wars and tumults cease,
Then be banished grief and pain;
Righteousness, and joy, and peace,
Undisturbed shall ever reign.

4 Bless we, then, our gracious Lord!
Ever praise his glorious name;
All his mighty acts record,
All his wondrous love proclaim.

600 7s, double.
Rev. 19:6.

Hark! the song of Jubilee,
Loud as mighty thunders roar,
Or the fullness of the sea,
When it breaks upon the shore!
Hallelujah! for the Lord
God omnipotent, shall reign!
Hallelujah! let the word
Echo round the earth and main.

2 Hallelujah! hark, the sound,
From the depths unto the skies,
Wakes above, beneath, around,
All creation’s harmonies!
See Jehovah’s banner furled,
Sheathed his sword; he speaks—’tis done!
And the kingdoms of this world
Are the kingdoms of his Son!

3 He shall reign from pole to pole,
With illimitable sway;
He shall reign, when like a scroll
Yonder heavens have passed away.
Then the end: beneath his rod
Man’s last enemy shall fall:
Hallelujah! Christ in God,
God in Christ, is all in all!

601 8s & 7s.
Future peace and glory of the church.

Hear what God, the Lord, hath spoken:
O my people, faint and few,
Comfortless, afflicted, broken,
Fair abodes I build for you;
Scenes of heartfelt tribulation
Shall no more perplex your ways;
You shall name your walls salvation,
And your gates shall all be praise.

2 There, like streams that feed the garden,
Pleasures without end shall flow;
For the Lord, your faith rewarding,
All his bounty shall bestow;
Still in undisturbed possession
Peace and righteousness shall reign;
Never shall you feel oppression,
Hear the voice of war again.

3 You, no more your suns descending,
Waning moons no more shall see;
But, your griefs for ever ending,
Find eternal noon in me;
God shall rise, and shining o’er you,
Change to day the gloom of night;
He, the Lord, shall be your glory,
God your everlasting light.

602 8s, 7s & 4s.
The day-spring.
Luke 1:78.

Christian! see! the orient morning
Breaks along the heathen sky;
Lo! the expected day is dawning—
Glorious day-spring from on high;
Hallelujah!—
Hail the day-spring from on high!

2 Heathens at the sight are singing;
Morning wakes the tuneful lays;
Precious offerings they are bringing—
First-fruits of more perfect praise;
Hallelujah!—
Hail the day-spring from on high!

3 Zion’s Sun—salvation beaming—
Gilding now the radiant hills—
Rise and shine, till brighter gleaming,
All the world thy glory fills;
Hallelujah!—
Hail the day-spring from on high!

4 Lord of every tribe and nation!
Spread thy truth from pole to pole;
Spread the light of thy salvation
Till it shine on every soul;
Hallelujah!—
Hail the day-spring from on high!

603 8s, 7s & 4s.
Encouraging prospects.

Yes, we trust the day is breaking;
Joyful times are near at hand;
God, the mighty God, is speaking,
By his word, in every land:
When he chooses,
Darkness flies at his command.

2 While the foe becomes more daring,
While he enters like a flood,
God, the Saviour, is preparing
Means to spread his truth abroad:
Every language
Soon shall tell the love of God.

3 O, ’tis pleasant, ’tis reviving
To our hearts, to hear, each day,
Joyful news, from far arriving,
How the gospel wins its way;
Those enlightening
Who in death and darkness lay.

4 God of Jacob, high and glorious,
Let thy people see thy hand;
Let the gospel be victorious,
Through the world, in every land;
Then shall idols
Perish, Lord, at thy command.

604 8s, 7s & 4s.
How beautiful on the mountains.
Isaiah 52:7.

In the mountain’s top appearing,
Lo! the sacred herald stands,
Welcome news to Zion is bearing—
Zion long in hostile lands:
Mourning captive,
God himself will loose thy bands.

2 Has thy night been long and mournful?
Have thy friends unfaithful proved?
Have thy foes been proud and scornful,
By thy sighs and tears unmoved?
Cease thy mourning;
Zion still is well-beloved.

3 God, thy God, will now restore thee:
He himself appears thy Friend;
All thy foes shall flee before thee;
Here their boasts and triumphs end:
Great deliverance
Zion’s King will surely send.

4 Peace and joy shall now attend thee;
All thy warfare now be past;
God thy Saviour will defend thee;
Victory is thine at last;
All thy conflicts
End in everlasting rest.

605 11s.
Awake, awake, O Zion.
Isaiah 52:1.

Daughter of Zion, awake from thy sadness;
Awake, for thy foes shall oppress thee no more:
Bright o’er the hills dawns the day-star of gladness,
Arise, for the night of thy sorrow is o’er.

2 Strong were thy foes, but the arm that subdued them,
And scattered their legions, was mightier far;
They fled, like the chaff, from the scourge that pursued them,
Vain were their steeds and their chariots of war.

3 Daughter of Zion, the power that hath saved thee,
Extolled with the harp and the timbrel should be;
Shout! for the foe is destroyed that enslaved thee,
Th’ oppressor is vanquished, and Zion is free.

606 12s, 11s & 8s.
In thy majesty, etc.
Psalm 45:4.

The Prince of Salvation in triumph is riding,
And glory attends him along his bright way;
The news of his grace on the breezes is gliding,
And nations are owning his sway.

2 And now thro’ the darkness of earth’s gloomy regions,
The wheels of his chariot are rolling sublime;
His banners unfolding his own true religion,
Dispelling the errors of time.

3 Behold a bright angel from heaven descending,
High lifting his trumpet, hosannas to raise:
“Hail, Son of the Highest! let every knee bending,
Adore thee with offerings of praise.

4 “Thy sword and thy buckler shall save and deliver
The poor and the needy, from foes that assail;
Thy bow and thy quiver shall vanquish for ever
The prince and the legions of hell.

5 “Ride on in thy greatness, thou conquering Saviour;
Let thousands of thousands submit to thy reign,
Acknowledge thy goodness, entreat for thy favor,
And follow thy glorious train.

6 “Ride on, till the compass of thy great dominion,
The globe shall encircle from pole unto pole;
And mankind, cemented with friendship and union,
Obey thee with heart and with soul.

7 “Then loud shall ascend from each sanctified nation
The voice of thanksgiving, the chorus of praise;
And heaven shall echo the song of salvation,
In rich and melodious lays.”

607 11s.
Shout, inhabitant of Zion.
Isaiah 12:6.

Zion, the marvelous story be telling,
The Son of the Highest, how lowly his birth!
The brightest of angels in glory excelling,
He stoops to redeem thee—he reigns upon earth,
Shout the glad tidings! exultingly sing,
Jerusalem triumphs! Messiah is King!

2 Tell how he cometh from nation to nation,
The heart-cheering news let the earth echo round,
How free to the sinner he offers salvation!
How his people with joy everlasting are crowned!
Shout the glad tidings! exultingly sing,
Jerusalem triumphs! Messiah is King!

3 Mortals, your homage be gratefully bringing,
And sweet let the gladsome hosanna arise;
You angels, the full hallelujah be singing—
One chorus resound thro’ the earth and the skies!
Shout the glad tidings! exultingly sing,
Jerusalem triumphs! Messiah is King!

608 11s & 10s.
Hail to the brightness.

Hail, to the brightness of Zion’s glad morning!
Joy to the lands that in darkness have lain;
Hushed be the accents of sorrow and mourning,
Zion in triumph begins her mild reign.

2 Hail to the brightness of Zion’s glad morning,
Long by the prophets of Israel foretold;
Hail to the millions from bondage returning,
Gentiles and Jews the blest vision behold.

3 Lo! in the desert rich flowers are springing,
Streams ever copious are gliding along;
Loud from the mountain-tops echoes are ringing,
Wastes rise in verdure and mingle in song.

4 See, from all lands—from the isles of the ocean,
Praise to Jehovah ascending on high;
Fallen are the engines of war and commotion,
Shouts of salvation are rending the sky.

609 H. M.
Gird on thy sword, O most mighty!
Psalm 45:3.

Gird on thy conquering sword,
Ascend thy shining car,
And march, almighty Lord!
To wage thy holy war.
Before his wheels, in glad surprise,
Ye valleys, rise, and sink, ye hills.

2 Fair truth and smiling love,
And injured righteousness,
Under thy banners move,
And seek from thee redress;
Thou in thy cause shall prosperous ride,
And far and wide dispense thy laws.

3 Before thine awful face
Millions of foes shall fall,
The captives of thy grace—
The grace that captures all.
The world shall know, great King of kings,
What wondrous things thine arm can do.

4 Here to my willing soul
Bend thy triumphant way;
Here every foe control,
And all thy power display;
My heart, thy throne, blest Jesus! see,
Bows low to thee, to thee alone.

610 P. M.
Joyful tidings.

O let the joyful tidings fill the wide creation,
Heirs of redeeming mercy spread the news around;
Jesus, Immanuel, shall rule o’er every nation,
Far as the guilty race of man is found.
Now while the night of ages fills the world with sadness,
Now while the prince of darkness rages in his madness;
O, Sun of Righteousness, thy cheering beams display,
Dawn on the earth, and bring the glorious day!

2 O Father, let thy blessing with thy saints abounding,
Fill every breast with zeal, the gospel to proclaim;
O sing Jerusalem, thy gates with joy surrounding,
While distant isles rejoice in Jesus’ name.
Watchmen of Zion, sound aloud the note of warning,
Till earth’s benighted nations hail the glorious morning;
O, Sun of Righteousness, thy cheering beams display,
Dawn on the earth, and bring the glorious day!

3 Deep is the desolation of the race benighted
Fast bound in ignorance, o’erwhelmed with guilt and fear;
Folly and superstition every hope have blighted,
Save where the rays of truth divine appear.
Haste, haste, ye messengers, reveal the wondrous story,
Tell of the cross, and of the coming tide of glory:
Then, Sun of Righteousness, thy cheering beams display,
Dawn on the earth, and bring the glorious day.

PUBLIC WORSHIP—THE LORD’S DAY.

611 L. M.
It is a good thing to give thanks, etc.
Psalm 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 care 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 Lord! I shall share a glorious part,
When grace hath well refined my heart,
And fresh supplies of joy are shed,
Like holy oil, to cheer my head.

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.

612 L. M.
As it began to dawn.
Matt 28:1.

My opening eyes with rapture see
The dawn of thy returning day;
My thoughts, O God, ascend to thee,
While thus my early vows I pay.

2 I yield my heart to thee alone,
Nor would receive another guest:
Eternal King, erect thy throne,
And reign sole monarch in my breast.

3 O, bid this trifling world retire,
And drive each carnal thought away;
Nor let me feel one vain desire,
One sinful thought through all the day.

4 Then, to thy courts when I repair,
My soul shall rise on joyful wing,
The wonders of thy love declare,
And join the strains which angels sing.

613 L. M.
The Lord’s day.

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.

2 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.

614 L. M.
Christ is risen.

Hail! morning known among the blest!
Morning of hope, and joy, and love,
Of heavenly peace and holy rest;
Pledge of the endless rest above.

2 Blessed be the Father of our Lord,
Who from the dead has brought his Son!
Hope to the lost was then restored,
And everlasting glory won.

3 Scarce morning twilight had begun
To chase the shades of night away,
When Christ arose—unsetting Sun—
The dawn of joy’s eternal day!

4 Mercy looked down with smiling eye
When our Immanuel left the dead;
Faith marked his bright ascent on high,
And Hope with gladness raised her head.

5 God’s goodness let us bear in mind,
Who to his saints this day has given,
For rest and serious joy designed,
To fit us for the bliss of heaven.

615 L. M.
Lord’s-day evening.

Sweet is the fading light of eve;
And soft the sunbeams lingering there;
For these blest hours the world I leave,
Wafted on wings of praise and prayer.

2 The time, how lovely and how still!
Peace shines and smiles on all below:
The plain, the stream, the wood, the hill,
All fair with evening’s setting glow.

3 Season of rest! the tranquil soul
Feels the sweet calm, and melts to love,
And while these sacred moments roll,
Faith sees a smiling heaven above.

4 Nor will our days of toil be long;
Our pilgrimage will soon be trod,
And we shall join the ceaseless song,
The endless sabbath of our God.

616 L. M.
Return unto thy rest, O my soul.
Psalm 116:7.

Another six days’ work is done;
Another day of rest begun,
Return, my soul, enjoy the rest,
Improve the day thy 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.

617 L. M.
There remaineth a rest to the people of God.
Heb. 4:9.

Thine earthly Sabbaths, Lord, we love;
But there’s a nobler rest above;
To that our laboring souls aspire,
With ardent pangs of strong desire.

2 No more fatigue, no more distress,
Nor sin nor death shall reach the place;
No groans to mingle with the songs
Which warble from immortal tongues.

3 No rude alarms of raging foes,
No cares to break the long repose;
No midnight shade, no clouded sun,
But sacred, high, eternal noon.

4 O long-expected day, begin,
Dawn on these realms of woe and sin;
Fain would we leave this weary road,
And sleep in death, to rest with God.

618 C. M.
This is the day which the Lord hath made.
Psalm 118:24.

Come, let us join with one accord
In hymns around the throne;
This is the day our risen Lord
Hath made and called his own.

2 This is the day which God has blessed,
The brightest of the seven,
Type of the everlasting rest
The saints enjoy in heaven.

3 Then let us in his name sing on,
And hasten on that day,
When our Redeemer shall come down,
And shadows pass away.

4 Not one, but all our days below,
Our hearts his praise employ;
And in our Lord rejoicing go
To his eternal joy.

619 C. M.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
Psalm 118:24.

This is the day the Lord hath made,
He calls the hours his own;
Let heaven rejoice, let earth be glad,
And praise surround the throne.

2 To-day he rose and left the dead,
And Satan’s empire fell;
To-day the saints his triumphs spread,
And all his wonders tell.

3 Hosanna to th’ anointed King,
To David’s holy Son;
Help us, O Lord—descend and bring
Salvation from thy throne.

4 Blessed be the Lord who comes to men
With messages of grace;
Who comes in God his Father’s name
To save our sinful race.

5 Hosanna in the highest strains
The church on earth can raise;
The highest heavens in which he reigns,
Shall give him nobler praise.

620 C. M.
I will praise thee with my whole heart.
Psalm 9:1.

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

621 C. M.
Lev. 23:11, & 1 Cor. 15:20.

This is the day the first ripe sheaf
Before the Lord was waved,
And Christ, first-fruits of them that slept,
Was from the dead received.

2 He rose for them for whom he died,
That, like to him, they may
Rise when he comes, in glory great,
That ne’er shall fade away.

3 This is the day the Spirit came
With us on earth to stay—
A Comforter, to fill our hearts
With joys that ne’er decay.

4 His comforts are the earnest sure
Of that same heavenly rest
Which Jesus entered on, when he
Was made for ever blest.

5 This day the Christian Church began,
Formed by his wondrous grace;
This day the saints in concord meet,
To join in prayer and praise.

622 C. M.
He hath abolished death.
2 Tim. 1:10.

The Saviour risen to-day we praise,
In concert with the blest;
For now we see his work complete,
And enter into rest.

2 On this first day a brighter scene
Of glory was displayed
By the Creating Word, than when
The universe was made.

3 He rises who mankind has bought
With grief and pain extreme:
’Twas great to speak the world from nought,
’Twas greater to redeem.

4 How vain the stone, the watch, the seal!
Nought can forbid his rise:
’Tis he who shuts the gates of hell,
And opens Paradise.

623 C. M.
The type of endless rest.

The 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
Sheds forth new rays of light!

3 Sweet day! thine hours too soon will cease;
Yet while they gently roll,
Breathe, gracious Lord, thou source of peace,
A Sabbath o’er my soul!

4 When will my pilgrimage be done,
The world’s long week be o’er:
That Sabbath dawn, which needs no sun,
That day, which fades no more!

624 S. M.
This is the Lord’s doing.
Psalm 118:23.

This is the glorious day,
That our Redeemer made;
Let us rejoice, and sing, and pray,
Let all the church be glad.

2 The work, O Lord, is thine,
And wondrous in our eyes;
This day declares it all divine,
This day did Jesus rise.

3 Hosanna to the King,
Of David’s royal blood;
Bless him, you saints, he comes to bring
Salvation from your God.

4 We bless thy Holy Word,
Which all this grace displays,
And offer on thine altar, Lord,
Our sacrifice of praise.

625 S. M.
The righteous doth sing and rejoice.
Prov. 29:6.

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,
May all our days be given,
That such may be our best employ
Eternally in heaven.

626 S. M.
Welcome, sweet day of rest.

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 may we sit and see him here,
And love, and praise, and pray.

3 One day, amid the place
Where Christ my Lord, hath been,
Is sweeter than ten thousand days
Within the tents of sin.

4 My willing soul would stay
In such a frame as this,
And sit and sing herself away
To everlasting bliss.

627 S. P. M.
I was glad.
Psalm 122:1.

How pleased and blessed 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!

628 7s, double.
Hail the day that saw him rise.

Hail the day that saw him rise,
Ravished from his people’s eyes;
Christ, awhile to mortals given,
Re-ascends his native heaven.
There the glorious triumph waits—
“Lift your heads, you heavenly gates;
Wide unfold the radiant scene,
Take the King of glory in.”

2 He, whom highest heaven receives,
Ever loves the friends he leaves;
Though returning to his throne,
Still he calls his saints his own;
Still for us he intercedes,
Prevalent his death he pleads;
Near himself prepares a place,
Harbinger of human race.

3 Taken from our eyes to-day,
Master, hear us when we pray;
See thy needy servants, see,
Ever gazing up to thee:
Grant, though parted from our sight,
Far above yon azure hight,
Grant our hearts may thither rise,
Follow thee beyond the skies.

4 Ever upward let us move,
Wafted on the wings of love;
Looking when the Lord shall come,
Longing, reaching after home;
There for ever to remain,
Partners of thy endless reign;
There thy face unclouded see,
Find our heaven of heavens in thee.

629 7s, 6 lines.
Springs in the desert.
Isaiah 49:10.

Safely through another week
God has brought us on our way;
Let us each a blessing seek,
Waiting in his courts to-day:
Day of all the week the best,
Emblem of eternal rest.

2 While we seek supplies of grace
Through the blest Redeemer’s name,
Show thy reconciling face,
Take away our sin and shame:
From our worldly care set free,
May we rest this day in thee.

3 Here we come thy name to praise,
Let us feel thy presence near;
May thy glory meet our eyes,
While we in thy house appear;
Here afford us, Lord, a taste
Of our everlasting rest.

4 May the gospel’s joyful sound
Conquer sinners—comfort saints:
Make the fruits of grace abound,
Bring relief to all complaints:
Thus let all our worship prove,
Till we join thy courts above.

5 Glory be to God on high—
God, whose glory fills the sky;
Glory to the Lamb be given—
Glory in the highest heaven:
Wisdom, riches, praise, and power,
Be to God for evermore.

630 H. M.
The resurrection celebrated.

Awake, ye saints, awake,
And hail the sacred day;
In loftiest songs of praise
Your joyful homage pay;
Come bless the day that God hath blest,
The type of heaven’s eternal rest.

2 On this auspicious morn
The Lord of life arose,
And burst the bars of death,
And vanquished all our foes;
And now he pleads our cause above,
And reaps the fruit of all his love.

3 All hail, triumphant Lord!
Heaven with hosannas rings;
All earth, in humbler strains,
Thy praise responsive sings;
Worthy the Lamb that once was slain,
Through endless years to live and reign.

631 H. M.
A day in thy courts, etc.
Psalm 84:10.

To spend one sacred day
Where God and saints abide,
Affords diviner joy
Than thousand days beside:
Where God resorts,
I love it more
To keep the door,
Than shine in courts.

2 God is our sun and shield,
Our light and our defense;
With gifts his hands are filled;
We draw our blessings thence:
He will bestow
On Israel’s race
Peculiar grace,
And glory too.

3 The Lord his people loves;
His hand no good withholds
From those his heart approves—
From pure and upright souls:
Thrice happy he,
O God of hosts,
Whose spirit trusts
Alone in thee.

632 H. M.
Welcome, delightful morn.

Welcome, delightful morn,
Thou day of sacred rest;
I hail thy kind return—
Lord, make these moments blest;
From the low train of mortal toys,
I soar to reach immortal joys.

2 Now may the King descend
And fill his throne with grace;
The scepter, Lord, extend,
While saints address thy face:
Let sinners feel thy quickening word,
And learn to know and fear the Lord.

633 7s & 6s.
The first day of the week.

O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful, most bright,
On thee, the high and lowly,
Bending before the throne,
Sing holy, holy, holy,
To God the holy One.

2 On thee, at the creation,
The light first had its birth;
On thee for our salvation
Christ rose from depths of earth;
On thee our Lord victorious,
The Spirit sent from heaven,
And thus on thee most glorious,
A triple light was given.

3 Thou art a port protected
From storms that round us rise;
A garden intersected
With streams of Paradise;
Thou art a cooling fountain
In life’s dry, dreary sand;
From thee, like Pisgah’s mountain,
We view our promised land.

GRATITUDE AND PRAISE.

634 L. M.
Loving kindness.

Awake, my soul, to joyful lays,
And sing the great Redeemer’s praise;
He justly claims a song from me,
His loving kindness, O how free!

2 He saw me ruined in the fall,
Yet loved me, notwithstanding all;
He saved me from my lost estate,
His loving kindness, O how great.

3 Though numerous hosts of mighty foes,
Though earth and hell, my way oppose,
He safely leads my soul along,
His loving kindness, O how strong!

4 When trouble, like a gloomy cloud,
Has gathered thick and thundered loud,
He near my soul has always stood,
His loving kindness, O how good!

5 Soon shall I pass the gloomy vale,
Soon all my mortal powers must fail;
O may my last expiring breath
His loving kindness sing in death!

6 Then let me mount and soar away
To the bright world of endless day,
And sing with rapture and surprise,
His loving kindness in the skies!

635 L. M.
I will praise thee for ever.
Psalm 52:9.

My God, my King, thy various praise
Shall fill the remnant of my days;
Thy grace employ my humble tongue,
Till death and glory raise the song.

2 The wings of every hour shall bear
Some thankful tribute to thine ear,
And every setting sun shall see
New works of duty, done for thee.

3 Let distant times and nations raise
The long succession of thy praise;
And unborn ages make my song
The joy and labor of my tongue.

4 But who can speak thy wondrous deeds?
Thy greatness all my thoughts exceeds:
Vast and unsearchable thy ways,
Vast and immortal is thy praise.

636 L. M.
Omnipresence.
Psalm 138.

Lord of all being; throned afar,
Thy glory flames from sun and star;
Center and soul of every sphere,
Yet to each loving heart how near!

2 Sun of our life, thy quickening ray
Sheds on our path the glow of day;
Star of our hope, thy softened light
Cheers the long watches of the night.

3 Our midnight is thy smile withdrawn;
Our noontide is thy gracious dawn;
Our rainbow arch thy mercy’s sign;
All, save the clouds of sin, are thine!

4 Lord of all life, below, above,
Whose light is truth, whose warmth is love,
Before thy ever-blazing throne
We ask no luster of our own.

5 Grant us thy truth to make us free,
And kindling hearts that burn for thee,
Till all thy living altars claim
One holy light, one heavenly flame!

637 L. M.
His mercy endureth for ever.
Psalm 106:1.

O render thanks to God above,
The fountain of eternal love;
Whose mercy firm through ages past
Has stood, and shall for ever last.

2 Who can his mighty deeds express,
Not only vast, but numberless!
What mortal eloquence can raise
His tribute of immortal praise!

638 L. M.
Condescension of Christ.

How sweet the praise, how high the theme,
To sing of him who rules supreme,
Who dwells at God’s right hand on high,
Yet looks on us with tender eye.

2 Th’ angelic host, in countless throngs,
Recount his glories in their songs,
And golden harps salute his ear;
Yet our weak praise he deigns to hear.

3 The planets roll their orbits round;
Unnumbered worlds, in space profound,
Are ruled by him, by him controlled;
Yet he’s the Shepherd of our fold.

4 Exalted high upon his throne,
The universe is all his own:
Untold the honors he doth wear;
Yet we are objects of his care.

639 C. P. M.
Matt. 1:21.

O let your mingling voices rise
In grateful rapture to the skies,
And hail a Saviour’s birth;
Let songs of joy the day proclaim,
When Jesus all-triumphant came
To bless the sons of earth.

2 He came to bid the weary rest;
To heal the sinner’s wounded breast;
To bind the broken heart;
To spread the light of truth around;
And to the world’s remotest bound,
The heavenly gift impart.

3 He came, our trembling souls to save
From sin, from sorrow, and the grave,
And chase our fears away;
Victorious over death and time,
To lead us to a happier clime,
Where reigns eternal day.

640 P. M.
To him be glory.

Rejoice, O earth! the Lord is King!
To him your humble tribute bring;
Let Jacob rise, and Zion sing,
And all the world with praises ring,
And give to Jesus glory!

2 O may the saints of every name
Unite to serve the bleeding Lamb!
May jars and discords cease to flame,
And all the Saviour’s love proclaim,
And give to Jesus glory!

3 We long to see the Christians join
In union sweet and love divine,
And glory through the churches shine,
And Gentiles crowding to the sign,
To give to Jesus glory!

4 O may the distant lands rejoice,
And sinners hear the Bridegroom’s voice,
While praise their happy tongues employs,
And all obtain immortal joys,
And give to Jesus glory!

5 Then tears shall all be wiped away,
And Christians never go astray;
When we are freed from cumbrous clay,
We’ll praise the Lord in endless day,
And give to Jesus glory.

641 C. M.
My sheep—follow me.
John 10:27.

To thee, my Shepherd and my Lord,
A grateful song I’ll raise;
O let the humblest of thy flock
Attempt to speak thy praise.