Lord, our faith and hope,
And fit us to ascend,
Where the assembly ne'er breaks up,
The Sabbath ne'er shall end.
4 Where we shall breathe in heavenly air,
With heavenly lustre shine;
Before the throne of God appear,
And feast on love divine.
5 Where we in high seraphic strains,
Shall all our powers employ;
Delighted range th' ethereal plains,
And take our fill of joy.
GREAT King of kings, eternal God,
Shall mortal creatures dare to raise
Their songs to thy supreme abode,
And join with angels in thy praise?
2 The brightest seraph veils his face,
And low before thy dazzling throne,
With prostrate homage all confess,
Thou art the Infinite Unknown.
3 Man, ah how far remov❜d below!
Wrapt in the shades of gloomy night:
His brightest day can only show
A few faint streaks of distant light.
4 But see, the bright, the Morning Star!
His beams shall chase the shades away;
His beams, resplendent from afar,
Sweet promise of immortal day!
5 To him our longing eyes we raise,
Our guide to thee, the great Unknown;
Through him, O may our humble praise
Accepted rise before thy throne.
1 LORD, what our ears long since have known, Our eyes delighted trace,
Thy love in long succession shown
To Sion's chosen race.
2 Thrice bless'd abode! whose every tower
By thee supported stands,
That God whose wide extended power
Th' ethereal host commands.
3 When prostrate at thy hallow'd shrine,
Thy mercies each surveys,
Transported with the view, we join
In wonder, love, and praise.
NOW let our songs address the God of peace,
Who bids the tumult of the battle cease;
The pointed spears to pruning hooks he bends,
And the broad falchion in the ploughshare ends,
His powerful bands unite contending nations,
In kind embrace, and friendly salutations.
While we beneath our vines and fig-trees sit,
Or thus, within thy sacred temple meet,
Accept, great God, the tribute of our song,
And all the mercies of this day prolong.
Then spread thy peaceful word through every
That all the earth may hail thy great salvation.
GREAT God, thy watchful care we bless
Which guards our synagogues in peace;
Nor dare tumultuous foes invade,
To fill our worshippers with dread.
2 These walls we to thy honour raise,
Long may they echo to thy praise,
And thou descending, fill the place
With choicest tokens of thy grace.
3 Here let the great Redeemer reign
With all the graces of his train;
While power divine his word attends,
To conquer foes, and cheer his friends.
4 And in the great decisive day,
When God the nations shall survey;
May it before the world appear
That crowds were born to glory here.
HYMN CCCCVIII.
SHEPHERD of Israel, bend thine ear,
Thy servants' groans indulgent hear;
Perplex'd, distress'd, to thee we cry,
And seek the guidance of thine eye.
2 Send forth, O Lord, thy truth and light,
To guide our doubtful footsteps right:
Our drooping hearts, O God, sustain,
Nor let us seek thy face in vain.
3 Return, in ways
of peace, return,
Nor let thy flock neglected mourn;
May our blessed eyes a shepherd see,
Dear to our souls, and dear to thee.
HYMN CCCCIX.
AND why do our admiring eyes,
These gospel glories see?
And whence, may every heart reply,
Salvation sent to me?
2 And dost thou, Lord, my heart subdue,
And show my sins forgiven;
And bear thy witness to my part
Amongst the heirs of heaven?
3 Amazing love! arise, my soul,
And sing the Saviour's name!
And, while the great salvation lasts,
Its boundless grace proclaim.
'HE heavens declare thy glory, Lord, In every star thy wisdom shines;
But, in the volume of thy word,
We read thy name in fairer lines.
2 Sun, moon, and stars convey thy praise
Round the whole earth, and never stand;
So, when thy truth began its race,
It touch'd and glanc'd on every land.
3 Nor shall thy spreading gospel rest,
Till through the earth thy truth has run;
Till Christ has all the nations blest, That see the light or feel the sun. 4 Great Sun of righteousness, arise, Bless the dark world with heavenly light; Thy gospel makes the simple wise, Thy laws are pure, thy judgments right. 5 Thy noblest wonders here we view, In souls renew'd and sins forgiven; Lord, cleanse our sins, our souls renew, And make thy word our guide to heaven.
HYMN CCCCXI.
SION, tune thy voice,
And raise thy hands on high,
Tell all the earth thy joys,
And boast salvation nigh.
Cheerful, to God
Arise and shine,
While rays divine
Stream all abroad.
2 He gilds thy morning face
With beams that cannot fade;
His all-resplendent grace
pours around thy head;
The nations round
Thy form shall view,
With lustre new,
Divinely crown'd.
3 In honour to his name,
Reflect that sacred light;
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