The Lord His people loves;
His hand no good withholds
From those His heart approves,
From holy, humble souls;
Thrice happy he, O Lord of Hosts,
Whose spirit trusts alone in Thee!
OW lovely are Thy tents, O Lord!
Where'er Thou choosest to record
Thy Name, or place Thy house of prayer!
My soul outflies the angel-choir,
And faints, o'erpowered with strong desire,
To meet Thy special presence there.
2 Happy the men, to whom 'tis given,
To dwell within that gate of heaven,
And in Thy house record Thy praise ;
Whose strength and confidence Thou art,
Who feel Thee, Saviour, in their heart,
The Way, the Truth, the Life of grace: 3 Who, passing through the mournful vale, Drink comfort from the living well,
That flows replenished from above;
From strength to strength advancing here,
Till all before their God appear,
And each receives the crown of love!
4 Better a day Thy courts within,
Than thousands in the tents of sin;
How base the noblest pleasures there!
How great the weakest child of Thine!
His meanest task is all divine,
And kings and priests Thy servants are.
5 The Lord protects and cheers his own,--
Their light and strength, their shield and sun;
He shall both grace and glory give:
Unlimited His bounteous grant ;
No real good they e'er shall want;
All, all is theirs, who upright live.
6 O Lord of Hosts, how blest is he
Who steadfastly believes in Thee !
He all Thy promises shall gain :
The soul, that on Thy love is cast,
Thy perfect love on earth shall taste,
And soon with Thee in glory reign.
ESUS, where'er Thy people meet,
There they behold Thy mercy-seat;
Where'er they seek Thee, Thou art found,
And every place is hallowed ground.
2 For Thou, within no walls confined,
Inhabitest the humble mind;
Such ever bring Thee where they come,
And going, take Thee to their home.
3 Dear Shepherd of Thy chosen few!
Thy former mercies here renew;
Here to our waiting hearts proclaim
The sweetness of Thy saving name.
4 Here may we prove the power of prayer
To strengthen faith and sweeten care;
To teach our faint desires to rise,
And bring all heaven before our eyes. 5 Behold, at Thy commanding word, We stretch the curtain and the cord; Come Thou, and fill this wider space, And bless us with a large increase. 6 Lord, we are few, but Thou art near;
Nor short Thine arm, nor deaf Thine ear;
Oh, rend the heavens, come quickly down,
And make a thousand hearts Thine own!
GOD of our forefathers, hear,
And make Thy faithful mercies known :
To Thee, through Jesus, we draw near,
Thy suffering, well-beloved Son,
In whom Thy smiling face we see,
In whom Thou art well pleased with me.
2 With solemn faith we offer up,
And spread before Thy glorious eyes,
That only ground of all our hope,
That precious, bleeding Sacrifice,
Which brings Thy grace on sinners down,
And perfects all our souls in one.
3 Acceptance through His only name,
Forgiveness in His blood, we have;
But more abundant life we claim
Through Him, who died our souls to save,
To sanctify us by His blood,
And fill with all the life of God.
4 Father, behold Thy dying Son,
And hear the blood that speaks above!
On us let all Thy grace be shown:
Peace, righteousness, and joy, and love,—
Thy kingdom,-come to every heart,
And all Thou hast, and all Thou art.
PRAISE, Lord, for Thee in Zion waits;
Prayer shall besiege Thy temple-gates;
All flesh shall to Thy throne repair,
And find, through Christ, salvation there.
2 Our spirits faint; our sins prevail;
Leave not our trembling hearts to fail;
O Thou that hearest prayer, descend,
And still be found the sinner's Friend!
3 How blest Thy saints! how safely led,
How surely kept, how richly fed!
Saviour of all in earth and sea,
How happy they who rest in Thee!
4 Thy hand sets fast the mighty hills,
Thy voice the troubled ocean stills;
Evening and morning hymn Thy praise,
And earth Thy bounty wide displays.
5 The year is with Thy goodness crowned;
The clouds drop wealth the world around;
Through Thee the deserts laugh and sing,
And Nature smiles, and owns her King.
6 Lord, on our souls Thy Spirit pour ;
The moral waste within restore;
O let Thy love our spring-tide be,
And make us all bear fruit to Thee.
GREAT God, attend, while Zion sings
The joy that from Thy presence springs;
To spend one day with Thee on earth
Exceeds a thousand days of mirth.
2 Might I enjoy the meanest place
Within Thy house, O God of grace,
Not tents of ease, nor thrones of power,
Should tempt my feet to leave Thy door.
3 God is our Sun, He makes our day;
God is our Shield, He guards our way
From all the assaults of hell and sin;
From foes without, and foes within.
4 All needful grace will God bestow,
And crown that grace with glory too;
He gives us all things, and withholds
No real good from upright souls.
5 O God, our King, whose sovereign sway
The glorious hosts of heaven obey,
And devils at Thy presence flee,
Blest is the man that trusts in Thee.
ALLELUJAH! Raise, O raise
Ho our God the song of praise;
All His servants join to sing,
God our Saviour and our King.
2 Blessed be for evermore
That dread Name which we adore!
Round the world His praise be sung,
Through all lands, in every tongue.
3 O'er all nations God alone,
Higher than the heavens His throne;
Who is like to God most high,
Infinite in majesty ?
4 Yet to view the heavens He bends:
Yea, to earth He condescends;
Passing by the rich and great,
For the low and desolate.
5 He can raise the poor to stand
With the princes of the land;
Wealth upon the needy shower;
Set the meanest high in power.
6 He the broken spirit cheers;
Turns to joy the mourner's tears;
Such the wonders of His ways;
Praise His name,-for ever praise.
REAT is our redeeming Lord,
In power, and truth, and grace;
Him, by highest heaven adored,
His church on earth should praise:
In the city of our God,
In His holy mount below,
Publish, spread His name abroad,
And all His greatness show.
2 For Thy lovingkindness, Lord,
We in Thy temple stay;
Here Thy faithful love record,
Thy saving power display:
With Thy name Thy praise is known,
Glorious Thy perfections shine;
Earth's remotest bounds shall own
Thy works are all divine.
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