HYMNS

FOR

THE PRINCIPAL FESTIVALS, FASTS, AND OTHER SOLEMNITIES

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The Church.

I. ADVENT.

1. FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVent.

The advent and offices of Christ, a ground of joy. (C. M.)

1 HARK, the glad sound! the SAVIOUR comes, The SAVIOUR promis'd long;

Let ev'ry heart exult in praise,
And every voice in song.

2 He comes the prisoners to release,
In Satan's bondage held;

The gates of brass before Him break,
The iron fetters yield.

3 He comes from thickest films of vice
To clear the mental ray,

And on the eye, oppress'd with night,
To pour celestial day:

4 He comes the broken heart to bind,
The wounded soul to cure,
And with the riches of His grace
To bless the humble poor.

5 Our glad hosannas, PRINCE of PEACE,
Thy welcome shall proclaim;
And heav'n's eternal arches ring
With Thy most honour'd name.

1

2. SECOND SUNDAY IN ADVENT.
The excellency of the Scriptures. (C. M.)

FATHER
ATHER of Mercies! in Thy word
What endless riches shine!
For ever be Thy name ador'd

For knowledge thus divine!

2 Here the REDEEMER'S welcome voice Spreads heavenly peace around; And life and everlasting joys

Attend the blissful sound.

3 O may those heavenly pages be
My first, my chief delight!
And still new beauties may I see,
And still increase in light.

4 Divine INSTRUCTOR! glorious "LORD! Be Thou for ever near:

Teach me to love Thy sacred word,
And view my SAVIOUR there.

3. SECOND SUNDAY IN ADvent.

The Second Advent of Christ. (P. M.) 1 Lo, He comes! with clouds descending, Once for guilty sinners slain, Thousand thousand saints attending, Swell the triumph of His train. Hallelujah!

JESUS comes, and comes to reign.

2 Ev'ry eye shall now behold Him,
Rob'd in dreadful majesty ;

Those who set at nought and sold Him,
Pierc'd and nail'd Him to the tree,
Deeply wailing,

Shall the true MESSIAH see.

3 Blest Redemption, long expected,
See! His solemn pomp to share
All His saints, by men rejected,
Rise to meet Him in the air.
Hallelujah!

See the Son of GOD is there.

4 Yea, Amen! let all adore Thee
High on Thine eternal throne ;
SAVIOUR! Take the pow'r and glory,.
Make Thy righteous sentence known.
O! come quickly,

Claim the kingdoms for Thine own.

4. THIRD SUNDAY IN Advent.

The blessings and extent of Messiah's kingdom. (L. M.) 1 THE LORD shall reign, where'er the sun, Doth His successive journeys run;

His empire, stretch from shore to shore,
Till moons shall wax and wane no more.

2 To Him shall fervent pray'r be made,
And princes throng to crown His head :
His name like sweet perfume shall rise,
With ev'ry morning sacrifice.

3 People, and realms of ev'ry tongue,
Shall hail His love with sweetest song:
And infant voices shall proclaim
Their early blessings on His name.

4 Blessings abound where'er He reigns;
The pris'ner leaps to burst his chains;
The weary find eternal rest,

And all the sons of want are blest.

5 Let ev'ry creature rise and bring
Peculiar honours to our King;
Angels descend with songs again,
And earth repeat the loud AMEN.

5. THIRD SUNDAY IN ADVENT. The example of Christ. (L.M.)—JOHN xiii. 15. 1 Pet. ii. 21 1 AND is the Gospel peace and love?

So let our conversation be:
The serpent blended with the dove,
Wisdom with meek humility.

2 Whene'er the angry passions rise,

And tempt our thoughts or tongues to strife, On JESUS let us fix our eyes

Bright pattern of the Christian life!

3 To do His heavenly Father's will Was His employment and delight : Humanity and holy zeal,

Shone through His life divinely bright.

4 Dispensing good where'er He came,
The labours of His life were love;
If then we love our SAVIOUR's name,
Let us His bright example move.

5 But ah! how blind, how weak we are!
How frail, how apt to turn aside !
LORD, we depend upon Thy care,
And ask Thy Spirit for our Guide.

6. FOURTH SUNDAY IN ADVENT. Praise for redemption, and our consequent obligations. (C.M.) 1 WITH One consent let all the earth The praise of God proclaim,

Who sent the SAVIOUR, by whose birth
To man Salvation came.

2 Let nations join to magnify
The great, the wondrous love
Of Him, who left for us the sky,
And all the joys above.

3 But vainly thus in songs of praise,
We bear a joyful part;

If, while our voice aloud we raise,
We lift not up the heart.

4 We, by a holy life alone,

Our SAVIOUR's laws fulfil;
By them His glory best is shown
Who best perform His will.

5 May we to all His words attend,
With humble pious care!

Then shall our songs to heav'n ascend,
And find acceptance there.