LORD of the worlds above,
How pleasant and how fair,
The dwellings of thy love,
Thy earthly temples are;
To thine abode
My heart aspires, with warm desires,
To see my God.
2. O happy souls that pray
Where God appoints to hear!
O happy men that pay
Their constant service there;
They praise thee still,
And happy they, who love the way
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,
When God our king, shall thither bring
Our willing feet!
TO spend one sacred day
Where God and saints abide,
Affords diviner joy
Than thousand days beside :
Where God resorts,
I love it more
To keep the door,
Than shine in courts.
2. God is our sun and shield,
Our light and our defence;
With gifts his hands are fill'd.
We draw our blessings thence;
He shall 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 pious souls ;
Thrice happy he,
O God of hosts,
Whose spirit trusts
Alone in thee!
PSALM LXXXVI, 11, 12, 13, 15.
TEACH me thy ways, O Lord and I
From truth shall ne'er depart;
In rev'rence to thy sacred name
Devoutly fix my heart.
2. Thee will I praise, O Lord my God, With heart and voice sincere ; And to thy everlasting name
Eternal trophies * rear.
3. Thy boundless mercy shewn to me
Transcends my power to tell;
For thou hast oft redeem'd my soul
From lowest depths of hell. †
4. Thy boundless goodness always did
To me assistance bring;
O thou, of patience, mercy, truth,
The everlasting spring.
Acts of gratitude and praise. †Out of extremest dangers.
TO thee, my God and hope, I fly,
To thee address my mournful cry;
Vouchsafe both day and night to hear,
In all my grief bow down thine ear.
2. Wilt thou by miracle revive
And cause the dead again to live?
Shall the mute grave thy love confess?
A mould'ring tomb thy faithfulness.
3. Yes when I'm buried deep in dust, My perish'd flesh to thee I'll trust; These wither'd limbs shall be thy care, Thy glorious quick'ning they shall share.
4. Thou to my eyes in full survey
Shall paths of heav'nly life display,
Those paths which to thy presence bear;
For fulness of thy bliss is there,
THOU turnest man, O Lord, to dust,
Of which he first was made;
And when thou speak'st the word,
"Tis instantly obey'd.
2. Thou sweep'st us off as with a flood
We vanish hence like dreams;
At first we grow like grass that feels
The sun's reviving beams,
3. But howsoever fresh and fair
It's morning beauty shews,
"Tis all cut down and wither'd quite
Before the ev'ning close.
4. So teach us Lord, th' uncertain sum
Of our short days to mind,
That to true wisdom all our hearts
May ever be inclin'd.
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