"My meditation of him shall be sweet."
1 SWEET the moments, rich in blessing,
Which before the cross I spend,
Life, and health, and peace possessing,
From the sinner's dying Friend.
Here it is I find my heaven,
While upon the Lamb I gaze;
Love I much? I've much forgiven;
I'm a miracle of
grace.
2 Love and grief my heart dividing,
With my tears his feet I'll bathe,
Constant still in faith abiding,
Life deriving from his death.
May I still enjoy this feeling,
In all need to Jesus go,
Prove his wounds each day more healing,
And himself more deeply know.
James Allen. 1761.
Hon. Walter Shirley. 1774.
"He brought me to the banqueting house."
1 THIS is the feast of heavenly wine,
And God invites to sup;
The juices of the living vine
Were pressed to fill the cup.
2 O bless the Saviour, ye that eat,
With royal dainties fed;
Not heaven affords a costlier treat,
For Jesus is the bread.
1 To keep thy feast, Lord, are we met,
And to remember thee;
Help each poor trembler to repeat,
For me he died, for me.
2 Thy sufferings, Lord, each sacred sign
To our remembrance brings;
We eat the bread and drink the wine,
But think on nobler things.
3 0 tune our tongues, and set in frame
Each heart that pants to thee
To sing Hosanna to the Lamb,
The Lamb that died for me.
"In the seventh is the Sabbath of rest, holy to the Lord."
1 ANOTHER Six days' work is done,
Another Sabbath is begun;
Return, my soul, enjoy thy rest;
Revere the day thy God has blessed.
2 O that our thoughts and thanks may rise,
As grateful incense, to the skies;
And fetch from heaven that sweet repose
Which none but he who feels it knows.
3 This heavenly calm within the breast
Is the sure pledge of glorious rest,
Which for the church of God remains,
The end of cares, the end of pains.
4 In holy duties let the day,
In holy pleasures, pass away;
How sweet a Sabbath thus to spend,
In hope of one that ne'er shall end.
1 BLESSED day of God, most calm, most bright,
The first and best of days;
The labourer's rest, the saint's delight,
A day of mirth and praise.
2 My Saviour's face did make thee shine;
His rising did thee raise;
This made thee heavenly and divine
Beyond the common days.
3 The first fruits do a blessing prove
To all the sheaves behind;
And they that do a Sabbath love
A happy week shall find.
4 My Lord on thee his name did fix,
Which makes thee rich and gay :
Amidst his golden candlesticks
My Saviour walks this day.
"Jesus was risen early, the first day of the week."
1 HAIL, morning known among the blessed,
Morning of hope, and joy, and love,
Of heavenly peace and holy rest,
Pledge of the endless rest above!
2 Blessed be the Father of our Lord,
Who from the dead hath brought his Son;
Hope to the lost was then restored,
And everlasting glory won.
3 Scarce morning twilight had begun
To chase the shades of night away,
When Christ arose, unsetting Sun,
The dawn of joy's eternal day.
4 Mercy looked down with smiling eye,
When our Immanuel left the dead;
Faith marked his bright ascent on high,
And hope with gladness raised her head.
5 Descend, O Spirit of the Lord,
Thy fire to every bosom bring;
Then shall our ardent hearts accord
And teach our lips God's praise to sing.
"We will rejoice and be glad in it.”
1 0 DAY of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful, most bright;
On thee, the high and lowly,
Through ages joined in tune,
Sing, Holy, holy, holy,
To the great God Triune.
2 On thee, at the creation,
The light first had its birth;
On thee, for our salvation,
Christ rose from depths of earth;
On thee, our Lord victorious,
The Spirit sent from heaven;
And thus on thee, most glorious,
A triple light was given.
3 To-day on weary nations
The heavenly manna falls;
To holy convocations
The silver trumpet calls,
Where gospel light is glowing
With pure and radiant beams,
And living water flowing
With soul-refreshing streams.
4 New graces ever gaining
From this our day of rest,
We reach the rest remaining
To spirits of the blessed.
To Holy Ghost be praises,
To Father, and to Son;
The church her voice upraises
To thee, blessed Three in One.
Bishop Christopher Wordsworth. 1862.
"Call the Sabbath a delight!'
1 THIS is the day of light;
Let there be light to-day;
O Dayspring, rise upon our night,
And chase its gloom away.
2 This is the day of rest;
Our failing strength renew;
On weary brain and troubled breast
Shed thou thy freshening dew.
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