2 O thou, whose mercy bends the skies
To save when humble sinners pray;
All lands to thee shall lift their eyes,
And islands of the utmost sea.
3 Against my will my sins prevail,
But grace shall purge away their stain;
The blood of Christ will never fail
To wash my garments white again.
4 Blest is the man whom thou shalt choose,
And give him kind access to thee,
Give him a place within thy house,
To taste thy love divinely free.
448. Longing for the House of God. L.M.
How amiable are thy tabernacles, O LORD of Hosts, &c.-PSALM lxxxiv.
1 How pleasant, how divinely fair,
O Lord of Hosts, thy dwellings are!
With long desire my spirit faints
To meet th' assemblies of thy saints.
2 My flesh would rest in thine abode;
My panting heart cries out for God;
My God! my King! why should I be
Afar from all my joys and thee?
3 Blest are the saints who sit on high,
Around thy throne of majesty;
Thy brightest glories shine above,
And all their work is praise and love.
[4 Blest are the souls that find a place
Within the temples of thy grace;
There they behold thy gentler rays,
And seek thy face, and learn thy praise.]
5 Blest are the men whose hearts are set
To find the way to Zion's gate;
God is their strength; and all the road
They lean upon their helper God.
6 Cheerful they walk in growing strength,
Till all shall meet in heav'n at length;
Till all before thy throne appear,
And join in nobler worship there!
448.2 The Pleasantness of Praising God. c.M. Praise ye the LORD for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.-PSALM cxlvii. 1.
1 COME, ye that love the Saviour's name,
And joy to make it known;
The Sov'reign of your hearts proclaim,
And bow before his throne.
2 Behold your King, your Saviour crown'd With glories all divine;
And tell the wond'ring nations round
How bright those glories shine.
[3 Infinite power and boundless grace
In him unite their rays;
You that have e'er beheld his face,
Can you forbear his praise?
4 When in his earthly courts we view
The glories of our King,
We long to love as angels do,
And wish like them to sing.
5 And shall we long and wish in vain?
Lord, teach our songs to rise!
Thy love can animate the strain,
And bid it reach the skies.
6 O happy period! glorious day!
When heav'n and earth shall raise
With all their pow'rs the raptur'd lay,
To celebrate thy praise!
449. The Presence of God implored. c.M.
O GOD, thou art my GoD; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee, &c., to see thy power and thy glory.-PSALM lxiii. 1, 2.
1 O LORD, our languid souls inspire,
Thy presence now display,
As thou hast giv'n a place for prayer,
So give us hearts to pray,
2 Show us some token of thy love,
Our fainting hope to raise;
And pour thy blessings from above,
That we may render praise.
3 Within these walls let holy peace,
And love, and concord dwell;
Here give the troubled conscience ease,
The wounded spirit heal.
4 May we in faith receive thy word,
In faith present our prayers;
And in the presence of our Lord,
Unburden all our cares.
5 And may the Gospel's joyful sound,
Enforc'd by mighty grace,
Awaken many sinners round,
To come and fill the place.
450. The presence of the Lord implored. c.м.
We will go into his tabernacles; we will worship at
his footstool. Arise, O LORD, into thy rest; thou,
and the ark of thy strength.-PSALM CXxXxii. 7. 8.
1 ARISE, O King of grace, arise,
And enter to thy rest,
Lo! thy church waits with longing eyes;
Now be it own'd and blest.
2 Enter with all thy glorious train,
Thy Spirit and thy word;
All that the ark did once contain
Could no such grace afford.
3 Here, mighty God, accept our vows,
Here let thy praise be spread;
Bless the provisions of thy house,
And fill thy poor with bread.
4 Here let the Son of David reign
Let God's anointed shine;
Justice and truth his court maintain,
With love and pow'r divine.
5 Here let him hold a lasting throne:
And, as his kingdom grows,
Fresh honours shall adorn his crown,
And shame confound his foes.
451. The privilege of Public Worship. c.M. Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be still praising thee.-PSALm lxxxiv. 4.
10 HAPPY they who know the Lord,
With whom he deigns to dwell!
He feeds and cheers them by his word,
His arm supports them well.
2 To them, in each distressing hour,
His throne of grace is near;
And when they plead his love and pow'r,
He stands engag'd to hear.
[3 He help'd his saints in ancient days,
Who trusted in his name;
And we can witness to his praise,
His love is still the same.
4 Wand'ring in sin, our souls he found,
And bid us seek his face;
Gave us to hear the gospel sound,
And taste the gospel-grace.]
5 Oft in his house his glory shines,
Before our wond'ring eyes;
We wish not then for golden mines,
Or aught beneath the skies.
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