2 How sweet to hail the ear.y dawn
That opens on the sight,
When first that soul-reviving morn
Beams its new rays of light!
3 Blest day! thine hours too soon will cease Yet, while they gently roll,
Breathe, Heavenly Spirit, source of peace,
A sabbath o'er my soul !
The Blessing of the Sabbath.
1 BLEST day of God! most calm, most brigh
The first and best of days;
The laborer's rest, the saint's delight,
The day of prayer and praise.
2 My Saviour's face made thee to shine;
His rising thee did raise;
And made thee heavenly and divine
Beyond all other days.
3 The first fruits oft a blessing prove
To all the sheaves behind;
And they who do the Sabbath love,
A happy week will find.
4 This day I must to God appear;
For, Lord, the day is thine;
Help me to spend it in thy fear,
And thus to make it mine.
1 How sweet, upon this sacred day,
The best of all the seven,
To cast our earthly thoughts away,
And think of God and heaven
2 How sweet to be allowed to pray
Our sins may be forgiven!
With filial confidence to say,
Father, who art in heaven!"
3 How sweet the words of peace to hear
From him to whom. 't is given
To wake the penitential tear,
And lead the way to heaven!
4 And if, to make our sins depart,
In vain the will has striven,
He who regards the inmost heart
Will send his grace from heaven.
1 GREAT GOD, this sacred day of thine
Demands our souls' collected powers.
May we employ in work divine
These solemn, these devoted hours;
O may our souls adoring own
The grace which calls us to thy throne.
2 Hence, ye vain cares and trifles, fly;
Where God resides appear no more;
Omniscient God, thy piercing eye
Can every secret thought explore:
O may thy grace our hearts refine,
And fix our thoughts on things divine.
3 The word of life dispensed to-day
Invites us to a heavenly feast.
May every ear the call obey;
Be every heart a humble guest;
O bid the wretched sons of need
On soul-reviving dainties feed.
4 Thy spirit's powerful aid impart ;
O may thy word, with life divine,
Engage the ear, and warm the heart;
Then shall the day indeed be thine;
Then shall our souls adoring own
The grace which calls us to thy throne
1 FATHER in heaven, to thee my heart
Would lift itself in prayer;
Drive from my soul each earthly thought
And show thy presence there.
2 Each moment of my
The mercies of my Lord,
Each moment is itself a gift
To bear me on to God.
3 0, help me break the galling chains,
This world has round me thrown,
Each passion of my heart subdue,
Each darling sin disown.
4 O Father, kindle in my breast
A never dying flame
Of holy love, of grateful trust
In thine almighty name.
Invocatior for Lord's Day Morning.
1 WELCOME, delightful morn,
Thou day of sacred rest!
We hail thy glad return:
Lord, make these moments blest.
From low delights and mortal toys
We soar to reach immortal joys.
2 Now may the King descend,
And fill his throne of grace;
Thy sceptre, Lord, extend,
While we address thy face.
O let us feel thy quickening word,
And learn to know and fear the Lord.
3 Descend, celestial Dove,
With all thy quickening powers;
Disclose a Saviour's love,
And bless these sacred hours:
Then shall our souls new life obtain,
Nor sabbaths be enjoyed in vain.
1 I'LL bless Jehovah's glorious name,
Whose goodness heaven and earth proclaim
With every morning light;
And at the close of every day,
To him my cheerful homage pay,
Who guards me through the night.
2 Then in his churches to appear,
And pay my humble worship there,
Shall be my sweet employ :
The day that saw my Saviour rise
Shall dawn on my delighted eyes
With pure and holy joy.
3 With grateful sorrow in my breast,
I'll celebrate the dying feast
Of my exalted Lord;
And, while his perfect love I view.
His bright example I 'll pursue,
And meditate his word.
Delight in the House of God.'.
1 How pleased and blest was I
To hear the people cry,
"Come, let us seek our God to-day!"
Yes, with a cheerful zeal,
We haste to Zion's hill,
And there our vows and honors pay.
2 Zion, thrice happy place,
Adorned with wondrous grace,
And walls of strength embrace thee round
In thee our tribes appear,
To pray, and praise, and hear
The sacred gospel's joyful sound.
3 May peace attend thy gate,
And joy within thee wait,
To bless the soul of every guest;
The man who seeks thy peace,
And wishes thine increase,
A thousand blessings on him rest.
1 Love divine, all love excelling,
Joy of heaven, to earth come down!
Fix in us thy humble dwelling,
All thy faithful mercies crown.
Father! thou art all compassion,
Pure, unbounded love thou art ;
Visit us with thy salvation,
Enter every longing heart.
2 Breathe, O breathe thy loving spirit
Into every troubled breast;
Let us all in thee inherit,
Let us find thy promised rest.
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