And soon again a placid sea
Spoke comfort to the soul.
4 O may our grateful, trembling hearts
Their hallelujahs sing
To him who hath our lives preserved,-
Our Savior and our King.
REFORMATION.
Safety of the church.
REAT is the Lord our God,
And let his praise be great;
He makes the church his own abode,
His most delightful seat.
2 In Zion God is known,
A refuge in distress:
How bright has his salvation shone
Through all her palaces!
3 When kings against her joined,
And saw the Lord was there,
In wild confusion of the mind,
They fled with hasty fear.
4 Oft have our fathers told,
Our eyes have often seen,
How well our God secures the fold
Where his own sheep have been.
5 In ev'ry new distress
We'll to his house repair;
We'll call to mind his wondrous grace
And seek deliv'rance there.
God the safety of his people.
SAFE stronghold our God is still,
Our shield and surest weapon;
He will deliver from the ill
That hath us now o'ertaken.
591 FOR THE FESTIVAL OF THE REFORMATION.
Our old deadly foe
Now aims his last blow;
Deep guile and strong pow'r
He boasteth in this hour:
On earth is not his equal.
2 By strength of ours could naught be done;
The strife full soon were ended,
But for us fights the valiant One,
By God himself commended.
Ask you, "Who is He?".
Christ Jesus! There see
The Lord Sabaoth,
Our God and Savior both-
He conquers in this battle.
3 Though devils all the earth should fill,
Each watching to devour us,
We tremble not, we fear no ill
They cannot overpow'r us.
The false prince of hell
May rage, rave and swell,
He harms not a hair,
We shall escape his snare,
Christ's lightest word shall stay him.
4 His word for ever shall abide,
Our foes can ne'er destroy it,
He standeth ever at our side,
And cheers us by his Spirit.
And take they our life,
Goods, fame, children, wife,
When their worst is done,
Yet have they nothing won-
We shall receive the kingdom.
10 GOD! look down from hear'n, we pray
Thy tenderness awaken!
Thy saints, so few, fast fade away-
Hast thou thy poor forsaken?
Thy word no more is taught aright,
And faith from earth hath vanish'd quite-
O Lord, our God, revive us!
2 From teachers of false doctrine, Lord,
Thy church, we pray, deliver,
They undertake to rule thy word,
As wiser than its giver.
Who shall control our tongues, they say,
Who dare prescribe another way,
Who hath dominion o'er us?
3 God therefore saith, "I will arise,
My poor they are oppressing,
I see their tears, I hear their cries,
Their wrongs shall have redressing.
My healing word shall now appear,
The proud shall think its truths severe,
But it shall save the humble.
4 As silver sev 'n times purified
Is known and priz'd the higher,
The word of God, when fully tried,
Doth deeper love inspire:
The cross but proves its greater worth
It shines abroad o'er all the earth,
Enlight'ning all the nations.
5 O God, preserve it pure, we pray,
In this vile generation,
May we still walk its perfect way,
And see thy full salvation;
Here may it make the simple wise,
And there, beyond the glitt'ring skies,
Fill ev'ry mouth with gladness.
Prayer for the church.
LORD, uphold us by thy word,
And break our foes, descending sword;
Fain would they banish from his throne
Thy Son, whom thou dost call thine own.
2 Lord Jesus Christ, thy pow'r display,
Establish o'er the world thy sway;
Defend thy church, who to thy praise
Shall high the song of triumph raise.
3 O Holy Ghost, descend we pray,
Thy sanctifying pow'r display,
Thy church console, our hearts unite,
And guide us to the realms of light.
4 Thus shall the world admiring see
That thou art God eternally,
That faithful thou dost still defend
Thy people who on thee depend.
967 God the defence of Zion. P. M. 8s 7s & 4s
ZION stands with hills surrounded—
Zion, kept by power divine;
All her foes shall be confounded,
Though the world in arms combine:
Happy Zion,
What a favored lot is thine!
2 In the furnace God may prove thee,
Thence to bring thee forth more bright,
But can never cease to love thee;
Thou art precious in his sight:
God is with thee
God, thine everlasting light.
NATIONAL OCCASIONS
Praise for national prosperity.
SAY, should we search the globe around,
Where can such happiness be found
As dwells in this much favor'd land?
Here plenty reigns; here freedom sheds
Her choicest blessings on our heads:
By God supported, still we stand.
2 Here commerce spreads her ample store,
Which comes from ev'ry foreign shore;
Science and arts their charms display;
Religion teaches us to raise
Our voices in our Maker's praise,
As truth and conscience point the way.
3 These are thy gifts, almighty King;
From thee our matchless blessings spring;
Th' extended shade, the fruitful skies,
The comforts liberty bestows,
The eternal joys the gospel shows,
All from thy boundless goodness rise.
4 With grateful hearts, with cheerful tongues,
To God we raise united songs;
His pow'r and mercy we proclaim;
And still through ev'ry age shall own
Jehovah here has fix'd his throne;
And triumph in his mighty name.
5. Long as the moon her course shall run,
Or man behold the circling sun,
Do thou amidst our nation reign;
Still crown her counsels with success,
With peace and joy her borders bless,
And all her sacred rights maintain.
Praise for national blessings.
ALMIGHTY Sov'reign of the skies,
To thee let songs of gladness rise,
Each grateful heart its tribute bring,
And ev'ry voice thy goodness sing,
2 From thee our choicest blessings flow,
Life, health and strength thy hands bestow;
The daily good thy creatures share,
Springs from thy providential care.
3 The rich profusion nature yields,
The harvest waving o'er the fields,
The cheering light, refreshing shower,
Are gifts from thy exhaustless store.
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