8.

C. M.

Anticipating Worship.

WATTS.

1 LORD, in the morning thou shalt hear
My voice ascending high;

To thee will I direct my prayer,
To thee lift up mine eye;—

2 Up to the hills where Christ is gone
To plead for all his saints,
Presenting at his Father's throne
Our songs and our complaints.
3 Thou art a God before whose sight
The wicked shall not stand;
Sinners shall ne'er be thy delight,
Nor dwell at thy right hand.
4 But to thy house will I resort,
To taste thy mercies there;
I will frequent thine holy court,
And worship in thy fear.

5 O, may thy Spirit guide my feet
In ways of righteousness,
Make every path of duty straight
And plain before my face.

Homage and Devotion.

1 WITH sacred joy we lift our eyes
To those bright realms above,
That glorious temple in the skies,
Where dwells eternal Love.

JERVIS.

2 Before the gracious throne we bow
Of heaven's almighty King;
Here we present the solemn vow,
And hymns of praise we sing.

3 O Lord, while in thy house we kneel,
With trust and holy fear,
Thy mercy and thy truth reveal,
And lend a gracious ear.

4 With fervor teach our hearts to pray,
And tune our lips to sing;

Nor from thy presence cast away
The sacrifice we bring.

Longing for the House of God.
1 LORD of the worlds above,
How pleasant and how fair
The dwellings of thy love,
Thine earthly temples, are!

To thine abode
My heart aspires,

WATTS.

With warm desires
To see my God.

2 O, happy souls, who pray
Where God appoints to hear!

O, happy men, who pay

Their constant service there!

They praise thee still; | Who love the way

And happy they

To Zion's hill.

3 They go from strength to strength,
Through this dark vale of tears,
Till each arrives at length,

Till each in heaven appears:

O glorious seat,

Shall thither bring

When God, our King, Our willing feet.

11.

S. M.

E. TAYLOR.

Invitation to the House of God.

1 COME to the house of prayer,
O thou afflicted, come;

The God of peace shall meet thee there;
He makes that house his home.

2 Come to the house of praise,

Ye who are happy now;

In sweet accord your voices raise,
In kindred homage bow.

3 Ye aged, hither come,

For ye have felt his love;

Soon shall your trembling tongues be dumb,
Your lips forget to move.

4 Ye young, before his throne,

Come, bow; your voices raise;

Let not your hearts his praise disown
Who gives the power to praise.

12.

5 Thou, whose benignant eye
In mercy looks on all,
Who seest the tear of misery,
And hear'st the mourner's call,
6 Up to thy dwelling-place
Bear our frail spirits on,

Till they outstrip time's tardy pace,
And heaven on earth be won.

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 Here David's greater Son

Has fixed his royal throne;
He sits for grace and judgment here;
He bids the saint be glad;
He makes the sinner sad,
And humble souls rejoice with fear.

4 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.
5 My tongue repeats her vows,

"Peace to this sacred house!"

For here my friends and kindred dwell;
And, since my glorious God

Makes thee his blest abode,

My soul shall ever love thee well.

Enjoyment in Worship.

1 TO spend one sacred day
Where God and saints abide,
Affords diviner joy

Than thousand days beside:

Where God resorts,

I love it more

WATTS.

Than shine in courts.
To keep the door

2 God is our sun and shield,
Our light and our defence;
With gifts his hands are filled;
We draw our blessings thence:

He will bestow

On Jacob's race

Peculiar grace,

And glory too.

3 The Lord his people loves;
His hand no good withholds
From those his heart approves,
From pure and upright souls.

Thrice happy he,

O God of hosts,

Whose spirit trusts
Alone in thee.

WATTS.

God present in the Sanctuary.

1 MY soul, how lovely is the place
To which thy God resorts!

"Tis heaven to see his smiling face,
Though in his earthly courts.

2 There the great Monarch of the skies
His saving power displays;
And light breaks in upon our eyes
With kind and quickening rays.

3 With his rich gifts the heavenly Dove
Descends and fills the place,

While Christ reveals his wondrous love,
And sheds abroad his grace.

4 There, mighty God, thy words declare
The secrets of thy will;

And still we seek thy mercy there,
And sing thy praises still.

15.

C. M.

WATTS.

Thankful Acknowledgment of God's Goodness. 1 WHAT shall I render to my God,

16.

For all his kindness shown?
My feet shall visit thine abode,
My songs address thy throne.

2 Among the saints who fill thy house,
My offering shall be paid;
There shall my zeal perform the vows
My soul, in anguish, made.

3 How much is mercy thy delight,
Thou ever-blessed God!

How dear thy servants in thy sight!
How precious is their blood!

4 How happy all thy servants are!
How great thy grace to me!

My life, which thou hast made thy care,
Lord, I devote to thee.

5 Now I am thine, forever thine,

Nor shall my purpose move;

Thy hand hath loosed my bonds of pain,
And bound me with thy love.

6 Here, in thy courts, I leave my vow,
And thy rich grace record;

Witness, ye saints, who hear me now,
If I forsake the Lord.

C. M.

A Blessing sought.

NEWTON.

1 GREAT Shepherd of thy people, hear;
Thy presence now display;

We kneel within thy house of prayer;
O, give us hearts to pray.

2 The clouds which veil thee from our sight, In pity, Lord, remove;

Dispose our minds to hear aright

The message of thy love.

3 Help us, with holy fear and joy,
To kneel before thy face;

O, make us, creatures of thy power,
The children of thy grace.