2 How sweetly rest thy saints above
Which in thy bosom lie!

The church below doth rest in hope
Of that felicity.

3 Thou, Lord, who daily feed'st thy sheep, Mak'st them a weekly feast;

Thy flocks meet in their several folds
Upon this day of rest.

4 Welcome and dear unto my soul
Are these sweet feasts of love;
But what a Sabbath shall I keep
When I shall rest above!

5 I bless thy wise and wondrous love,
Which binds us to be free;

Which makes us leave our earthly snares, That we may come to thee!

6 I come, I wait, I hear, I

pray; Thy footsteps, Lord, I trace; I sing to think this is the way Unto my Saviour's face!

70.

John Mason, 1683.

L. M.

1 THE day of rest once more comes round, A day to all believers dear;

The silver trumpets seem to sound,
That call the tribes of Israel near;
Ye people all,
Obey the call,

And in Jehovah's courts appear.

2 Obedient to thy summons, Lord,
We to thy sanctuary come;
Thy gracious presence here afford,
And send thy people joyful home;
Of thee our King

Oh may we sing,

And none with such a theme be dumb!

3 Oh hasten, Lord, the day when those Who know thee here shall see thy face;

When suffering shall forever close,
And they shall reach their destined
place;

71.

Then shall they rest
Supremely blest,

Eternal debtors to thy grace!

Thomas Kelly, 1806.

1 ERE another Sabbath's close,
Ere again we seek repose,
Lord, our song ascends to thee;
At thy feet we bow the knee.

2 For the mercies of the day,

78.

For this rest upon our way,
Thanks to thee alone be given,
Lord of earth, and King of heaven!
3 Cold our services have been;
Mingled every prayer with sin;
But thou canst and wilt forgive;
By thy grace alone we live!

4 Let these earthly Sabbaths prove
Foretastes of our joys above;
While their steps thy pilgrims bend
To the rest which knows no end!

72.

Anon., 1833.

1 SOFTLY fades the twilight ray Of the holy Sabbath day; Gently as life's setting sun,

7 s.

When the Christian's course is run.

2 Peace is on the world abroad; 'Tis the holy peace of God; Symbol of the peace within, When the spirit rests from sin.

3 Still the Spirit lingers near,
Where the evening worshipper
Seeks communion with the skies,
Pressing onward to the prize.

4 Saviour, may our Sabbaths be
Days of peace and joy in thee!
Till in heaven our souls repose,

Where the Sabbath ne'er shall close.

73.

S. F. Smith, 1840.

78.

1 HOLY Father, whom we praise With imperfect accents here;

Ancient of eternal days,

Lord of heaven and earth and air; Stooping from amid the blaze

Of the flaming seraphim,

Hear and help us, while we raise
This our Sabbath evening hymn.

2 We have trod thy temple, Lord;
We have joined the public praise;
We have heard thy holy word;
We have sought thy heavenly grace:
All thy goodness we record;

All our powers to thee we bring;

Let thy faithfulness afford

Now the shadow of thy wing.

3 We have seen thy dying love,
Jesus! once for sinners slain;
We would follow thee above:
We, like thee, would rise and reign.
Let revolving Sabbaths prove
Seasons of delight in thee;
Let thy presence, Holy Dove,
Fit us for eternity.

Thomas Binney, 1825.

74.

HEB. iv. 9.

L. M.

1 LORD of the Sabbath, hear our vows, On this thy day, in this thy house; And own as grateful sacrifice

The songs which from the desert rise.

2 Thine earthly Sabbaths, Lord, we love,
But there's a nobler rest above;
To that our laboring souls aspire
With ardent pangs of strong desire.
3 No more fatigue, no more distress;
Nor sin, nor hell, shall reach the place;
No groans to mingle with the songs
Which warble from immortal tongues:
4 No rude alarms of raging foes,
No cares to break the long repose,
No midnight shade, no clouded sun;
But sacred, high, eternal noon.

5 O long-expected day, begin;

Dawn on these realms of woe and sin Fain would we leave this weary road, And sleep in death to rest with God. Philip Doddridge, 1737 75.

L. M.

1 SWEET is the light of Sabbath eve,

And soft the sunbeams lingering there; For these blest hours the world I leave,

Wafted on wings of faith and prayer. 2 Season of rest! the tranquil soul [love; Feels the sweet calm, and melts in And while these sacred moments roll, Faith sees a smiling heaven above. 3 Nor will our days of toil be long:

Our pilgrimage will soon be trod; And we shall join the ceaseless song, The endless Sabbath of our God.

James Edmeston, 1820.

MORNING AND EVENING.

76.

L. M.

1 NEW every morning is the love Our wakening and uprising prove; Through sleep and darkness safely brought,

Restored to life, and power, and thought.

2 New mercies each returning day Hover around us while we pray; New perils past, new sins forgiven, New thoughts of God, new hopes of heaven.

3 If, on our daily course, our mind
Be set to hallow all we find,

New treasures still, of countless price,
God will provide for sacrifice.

4 Old friends, old scenes, will lovelier be,
As more of heaven in each we see ;
Some softening gleam of love and prayer
Shall dawn on every cross and care.
5 The trivial round, the common task,
Will furnish all we ought to ask ;
Room to deny ourselves; a road
To bring us daily nearer God.

6 Only, O Lord, in thy dear love,
Fit us for perfect rest above,
And help us this, and every day,
To live more nearly as we pray.

John Keble, 1827.