2 I love thy Church, O God!

Her walls before thee stand, Dear as the apple of thine eye,

And graven on thy hand.
3 For her my tears shall fall;

For her my prayers ascend;
To her my cares and toils be given,

Till toils and cares shall end.

4 Beyond my highest joy

I prize her heavenly ways;
Her sweet communion, solemn vows,

Her hymns of love and praise. 5 Sure as thy truth shall last,

To Zion shall be given
The brightest glories earth can yield,

And brighter bliss of heaven.

HEAR

238

9th P. M. 87, 87, 87, 87.
God her everlasting light.
LEAR 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 Ye, no more your suns descending,

Waning moons no more shall see;
But, your griefs forever 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.

THE SABBATH.

G

239

1st P. M. 6 lines 8s.

The day consecrated.
REAT God, this hallow'd day of thine

Demands our souls' collected powers; May we employ in works divine

These solemn and devoted hours :
O may our souls, adoring, own
The grace which calls us to thy throne.
2 Hence, ye vain cares and trifles, fly!

Where God resides appear no more!
Omniscient Lord, thy piercing eye

Doth every secret thought explore : O may thy grace our thoughts refine, And fix our hearts on things divine ! 240

C. M. The day improved. \HIS

own;

Fix our desires on him alone,
And seek his face with

prayer.
2 Lord, in thy love we would rejoice,

Which sets the sinner free,
And, with united heart and voice,

Devote these hours to thee.
3 Now let the world's delusive things

No more our thoughts employ, But faith be taught to stretch her wings,

Tow'rd heaven's unfailing joy.
4 O let these earthly Sabbaths, Lord,

Be to our welfare blest;
The purest comfort here afford,

And fit us for our rest,

241

L. M.
The joys of the Sabbath.
WEET 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 by night.
2 Sweet is the day of sacred rest;
No mortal cares shall seize my breast;
O may my heart in tune be found,
Like David's harp of solemn sound.
3 When grace has purified my heart,
Then I shall share a glorious part:
And fresh supplies of joy be shed,
Like holy oil to cheer my head. .
4 Then shall I see, and hear, and know
All I desired or wish'd below;
And every hour find sweet employ
In that eternal world of joy.
242

S. M.
Delight in ordinances.

WELCOME, sweet day of rest,

That saw the Lord arise:
Welcome to this reviving breast,

And these rejoicing eyes !
2 The King himself comes near,

And feasts his saints to-day;
Here we may sit, and see him here,

And love, and praise, and pray.
3 One day in such a place,

Where thou, my God, art seen,
Is sweeter than ten thousand days

Of pleasurable sin.
4 My willing soul would stay

In such a frame as this,
And sit and sing herself away

To everlasting bliss.

243

L. M.
In the Sanctuary.
AR from my thoughts, vain world, begone,

Fain would mine eyes my Saviour see;
I wait a visit, Lord, from thee.
2 0 warm my heart with holy fire,
And kindle there a pure desire :
Come, sacred Spirit, from above,
And fill my soul with heavenly love.
3 Blest Saviour, what delicious fare !
How sweet thine entertainments are !
Never did angels taste above
Redeeming grace and dying love.
4 Hail, great Immanuel, all divine !
In thee thy Father's glories shine;
Thy glorious Name shall be adored,
And every tongue confess thee Lord.
244

C. M.
We will rejoice and be glad in it.
HIS is the day the Lord hath made :

O earth, rejoice and sing ;
Let songs of triumph hail the morn;

Hosanna to our King !
2 The Stone the builders set at naught,

That Stone has now become
The sure foundation, and the strength

Of Zion's heavenly dome.
3 Christ is that stone, rejected once,

And number'd with the slain; Now raised in glory, o'er his Church

Eternally to reign,
4 This is the day the Lord hath made;

O earth, rejoice and sing :
With songs of triumph hail the morn;

Hosanna to our King !

245

3d P. M. 4 6s & 2 8s.

Joyful homage.
A !

And hail this 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;
He burst the bars of death,

And vanquish'd 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,
And earth, in humbler strains,

Thy praise responsive sings :
Worthy the Lamb, that once was slain,
Through endless years to live and reign.

246

C. M.

The type of everlasting rest.

C'OME, let us join with one accord

This is the day our rising Lord

Hath made and call'd his own. 2 This is the day which God hath blest,

The brightest of the seven, Type of that everlasting rest

The saints enjoy in heaven.
3 Then let us in his name sing on,

And hasten to that day
When our Redeemer shall come down,

And shadows pass away.