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DR. LOWELL MASON.

How pleasant, how divinely fair,
O Lord of hosts! thy dwellings are!
With long desire my spirit faints
To meet the assemblies of thy saints.

Blest are the souls who find a place
Within the temple of thy grace :
There they behold thy gentler rays,
And seek thy face, and learn thy praise.

Blest are the men whose hearts are set
To find the way to Zion's gate:
God is their strength; and through the road
They lean upon their helper, God.

Cheerful they walk with growing strength
Till all shall meet in heaven at length;
Till all before thy face appear,
And join in nobler worship there.

The heavens declare thy glory, Lord;
In every star thy wisdom shines:
But, when our eyes behold thy Word,
We read thy name in fairer lines.

The rolling sun, the changing light,
And nights and days, thy power confess;
But the blest volume thou hast writ
Reveals thy justice and thy grace.

Sun, moon, and stars convey thy praise
Round the whole earth, and never stand:

So, when thy truth began its race,

It touched and glanced on every land.

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.

Far from these narrow scenes of night
Unbounded glories rise,

And realms of infinite delight
Unknown to mortal eyes.

There pain and sickness never come,
And grief no more complains;
Health triumphs in immortal bloom,
And endless pleasure reigns.

No cloud those blissful regions know,
Forever bright and fair;

For sin, the source of mortal woe,
Can never enter there.

Prepare us, Lord, by grace divine,

For thy bright courts on high; Then bid our spirits rise, and join The chorus of the sky.

13. Another six-days' work is done;
Another Sabbath is begun :
Return, my soul, unto thy rest;
Enjoy the day thy God hath blest.

Oh that our thoughts and thanks may rise
As grateful incense to the skies,
And draw from heaven that sweet repose
Which none but he that feels it knows!

That heavenly calm within the breast
It is the pledge of that dear rest
Which for the Church of God remains, -
The end of cares, the end of pains.

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!

Spirited.

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14. O God! beneath thy guiding hand
Our exiled fathers crossed the sea;
And, when they trod the wintry strand,

With prayer and psalm they worshipped thee.
Thou heard'st, well pleased, the song, the prayer:
Thy blessing came; and still its power
Shall onward through all ages bear

The memory of that holy hour.

Laws, freedom, truth, and faith in God,
Came with those exiles o'er the waves;
And, where their pilgrim-feet have trod,
The God they trusted guards their graves.

And here thy name, O God of love!
Their children's children shall adore,
Till these eternal hills remove,

And spring adorns the earth no more.

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DR. LOWELL MASON.

How pleasant, how divinely fair,
O Lord of hosts! thy dwellings are!
With long desire my spirit faints
To meet the assemblies of thy saints.
Blest are the souls who find a place
Within the temple of thy grace:
There they behold thy gentler rays,
And seek thy face, and learn thy praise.

Blest are the men whose hearts are set
To find the way to Zion's gate:
God is their strength; and through the road
They lean upon their helper, God.

Cheerful they walk with growing strength
Till all shall meet in heaven at length;
Till all before thy face appear,
And join in nobler worship there.

The heavens declare thy glory, Lord;
In every star thy wisdom shines:
But, when our eyes behold thy Word,
We read thy name in fairer lines.

The rolling sun, the changing light,
And nights and days, thy power confess;
But the blest volume thou hast writ
Reveals thy justice and thy grace.

Sun, moon, and stars convey thy praise
Round the whole earth, and never stand:

So, when thy truth began its race,

It touched and glanced on every land.

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.

Far from these narrow scenes of night
Unbounded glories rise,

And realms of infinite delight
Unknown to mortal eyes.

There pain and sickness never come,
And grief no more complains;
Health triumphs in immortal bloom,
And endless pleasure reigns.

No cloud those blissful regions know,
Forever bright and fair;

For sin, the source of mortal woe,
Can never enter there.

Prepare us, Lord, by grace divine,

For thy bright courts on high; Then bid our spirits rise, and join The chorus of the sky.

O Lord! thy heavenly grace impart,
And fix my frail, inconstant heart:
Henceforth my chief desire shall be
To dedicate myself to thee.

Whate'er pursuits my time employ,
One thought shall fill my soul with joy :
That silent, secret thought shall be,
That all my hopes are fixed on thee.
Thy glorious eye pervadeth space;
Thy presence, Lord, fills every place;
And, wheresoe'er my lot may be,
Still shall my spirit cleave to thee.

Renouncing every worldly thing,
And safe beneath thy spreading wing,
My sweetest thought henceforth shall be,
That all I want I find in thee.

22.

Thee we adore, Eternal Lord;
We praise thy name with one accord:
Thy saints, who here thy goodness see,
Through all the world do worship thee.

To thee aloud all angels cry,

The heavens, and all the powers on high:
Thee, holy, holy, holy King,
Lord God of hosts, they ever sing.

The apostles join the glorious throng;
The prophets swell the immortal song;
The martyrs' noble army raise
Eternal anthems to thy praise.

From day to day, O Lord! do we
Highly exalt and honor thee:
Thy name we worship and adore,
World without end, for evermore.

There is a fold whence none can stray,

And pastures ever green,

Where sultry sun, or stormy day,
Or night, is never seen.

Far up the everlasting hills,

In God's own light, it lies:

His smile its vast dimensions fills
With joy that never dies.

One narrow vale, one darksome wave,
Divides that land from this:

I have a Shepherd pledged to save,
And bear me home to bliss.

O gentle Shepherd! still behold
Thy helpless charge in me,
And take a wanderer to thy fold
Who trembling turns to thee.

25. Faith to the conscience whispers peace,
And bids the mourner's sighing cease:
By faith the children's right we claim,
And call upon our Father's name.

Faith feels the Spirit's kindling breath
In love and hope that conquer death;
Faith brings us to delight in God,
And blesses e'en his smiting rod.

Such faith in us, O God! implant,
And to our prayers thy favor grant
In Jesus Christ, thy saving Son,
Who is our fount of health alone.

In him may every trusting soul
Press onward to the heavenly goal,
The blessedness no foes destroy,
Eternal love and light and joy!

26.

With tearful eyes I look around:
Life seems a dark and stormy sea;
Yet 'midst the gloom I hear a sound,
A heavenly whisper, "Come to Me!"

It tells me of a place of rest;

It tells me where my soul may flee : Oh! to the weary, faint, opprest,

How sweet the bidding, "Come to Me!"

"Come; for all else must fail and die :

Earth is no resting-place for thee.
To heaven direct thy weeping eye:
I am thy portion; come to Me!"
O voice of mercy, voice of love!
In conflict, grief, and agony,
Support me, cheer me from above,
And gently whisper, "Come to Me!"

Oh for a closer walk with God,
A calm and heavenly frame,
A light to shine upon the road
That leads me to the Lamb!

Return, O Holy Dove! return,
Sweet messenger of rest!

I hate the sins that made thee mourn,
And drove thee from my breast.

The dearest idol I have known,
Whate'er that idol be,

Help me to tear it from thy throne,
And worship only thee.

So shall my walk be close with God,
Calm and serene my frame;
So purer light shall mark the road
That leads me to the Lamb.