Imagini ale paginilor
PDF
ePub

204

4 Lord, I come to thee for rest;
Take possession of my breast;

There thy blood-bought right maintain,
And without a rival reign.

5 While I am a pilgrim here,
Let thy love my spirit cheer;
As my guide, my guard, my friend,
Lead me to my journey's end.i

My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the
courts of the Lord.-Ps. lxxxiv. 2.

1 LORD of the worlds above,

How pleasant and how fair
The dwellings of thy love,
Thy earthly temples are!
To thine abode

My heart aspires,
With warm desires
To see my God.

2 O happy souls, that pray
Where God appoints to hear!
O happy men, that pay

Their constant service there!
They praise thee still :

And happy they,

That 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.

4 God is our sun and shield,
Our light and our defence;
With gifts his hands are fill'd,
We draw our blessings thence:

F

[6s. 4s.

Thrice happy he,

O God of hosts,
Whose spirit trusts
Alone in thee."

205 There I will meet with thee; and I will commune [L.M. with thee from above the mercy seat.

Exod. xxv. 22.

1 FROM every stormy wind that blows,
From every swelling tide of woes,
There is a calm, a sure retreat;
Tis found beneath the mercy-seat.

2 There is a place where Jesus sheds
The oil of gladness on our heads;
A place than all beside more sweet;
It is the blood-stain'd mercy-seat.

3 There is a spot where spirits blend,
And friend holds fellowship with friend;
Though sunder'd far, by faith they meet
Around one common mercy-seat.

4 Ah, whither could we flee for aid,
When tempted, desolate, dismay'd?
Or how the hosts of hell defeat,
Had suffering saints no mercy-seat?

5 There, there on eagle wing we soar,
And time and sense seem all no more,
And heaven comes down our souls to greet,
And glory crowns the mercy-seat."

206

O God, thou art my God: early will I seek
thee.-Ps. lxiii. 1.

1 GREAT God, indulge my humble claim,
Thou art my hope, my joy, my rest:
The glories that compose thy name
Stand all engaged to make me bless'd.

[L.M.

2 Thou Great and Good, thou Just and Wise, Thou art my Father and my God; And I am thine by sacred ties ;

Thy son, thy servant bought with blood. 3 With heart and eyes, and lifted hands, For thee I long, to thee I look, As travellers in thirsty lands

Pant for the cooling water-brook. 4 With early feet I love to appear

Among thy saints, and seek thy face;
Oft have I seen thy glory there,

And felt the power of sovereign grace.
5 I'll lift my hands, I'll raise my voice,
While I have breath to pray or praise;
This work shall make my heart rejoice,
And spend the remnant of my days."

207 Where two or three are gathered together in my [L.M. name, there am I in the midst of them.

Matt. xviii. 20.

1 JESU, where'er thy people meet,
There they behold thy mercy-seat;
Where'er they seek thee, thou art found,
And every place is hallow'd ground.
2 For thou, within no walls confined,
Inhabitest the humble mind;

Such ever bring thee where they come,
And going take thee to their home.
3 Dear Shepherd of thy chosen few,
Thy former mercies here renew;
Here to our waiting hearts proclaim
The sweetness of thy saving name.

4 Here may we prove the power of prayer
To strengthen faith and sweeten care;
To teach our faint desires to rise,
And bring all heaven before our eyes.

5 Lord, we are few, but thou art near;

Nor short thine arm, nor deaf thine ear;
O rend the heavens, come quickly down,
And make all hearts, O Lord, thine own."

208 Now are we all here present before God.

Acts x. 33.

[8s. 7s. 4.

1 IN thy name, O Lord, assembling,
We, thy people, now draw near;
Teach us to rejoice with trembling,
Speak, and let thy servants hear,
Hear with meekness, hear thy word with godly fear.
2 While our days on earth are lengthen'd,
May we give them, Lord, to thee,
Cheer'd by hope, and daily strengthen'd,
May we run, nor weary be;

Till thy glory without clouds in heaven we see.
3 Then in worship purer, sweeter,
Thee thy people shall adore,
Tasting of enjoyment greater

Far than thought conceived before,
Full enjoyment, full, unmix'd, and evermore."

209

Lord, I have loved the habitation of thy house. [6s.
Ps. xxvi. 8.

1 We love the place, O God,
Wherein thine honour dwells;
The joy of thine abode
All earthly joy excels.

2 It is the house of prayer,
Wherein thy servants meet;
And thou, O Lord, art there
Thy chosen flock to greet.
3 We love thy feast, O Lord,
Where thou, the living Bread,
By faithful hearts adored,
Our fainting souls dost feed.

210

4 We love the word of life,
The word that tells of peace,
Of comfort in the strife,
And joys that never cease.
5 We love to sing below
For mercies freely given;
But oh we long to know
The triumph-song of heaven.
6 Lord Jesu, give us grace
On earth to love thee more,
In heaven to see thy face,
And with thy saints adore.

The Lord is in this place.-Gen. xxviii. 16. 1 Lo, God is here: let us adore,

Amen.

And own how dreadful is this place:
Let all within us feel his power,

[SIX 88.

And silent bow before his face : Who know his power, his grace who prove, Serve him with awe, with reverence love. 2 Lo, God is here : him day and night The united choirs of angels sing; To him enthroned above all height,

Heaven's host their noblest praises bring.
Disdain not, Lord, our meaner song,
Who praise thee with a stammering tongue.
3 Gladly the toys of earth we leave,

Wealth, pleasure, fame for thee alone;
To thee our will, soul, flesh we give,
O take, O seal them for thine own;
Thou art the God: thou art the Lord:
Be thou by all thy works adored.
4 Being of beings, may our praise

Thy courts with grateful fragrance fill;
Still may we stand before thy face,
Still hear and do thy sovereign will;
To thee may all our thoughts arise,
Ceaseless, accepted sacrifice."

« ÎnapoiContinuă »