Call to Worship. Ps. 95.
1 COME, Sound his praise abroad,
And hymns of glory sing;
Jehovah is the sovereign God,
The universal King.
2 He formed the deeps unknown;
gave the seas their bound;
The watery worlds are all his own,
And all the solid ground.
3 Come, worship at his throne,
Come, bow before the Lord:
We are his work, and not our own,
He formed us by his word.
4 To-day attend his voice,
Nor dare provoke his rod;
Come, like the people of his choice,
And own your gracious God.
S. M. E. TAYLOR.
Invitation to the House of God.
1 COME to the house of prayer,
O thou afflicted, come;
The God of peace shall meet thee there, He makes that house his home.
2 Come to the house of praise,
Ye who are happy now;
In sweet accord your voices raise,
In kindred homage bow.
3 Ye aged, hither come, For ye have felt his love;
Soon shall your trembling tongues be dumb,
Your lips forget to move.
4 Ye young, before his throne,
Come, bow; your voices raise;
Let not your hearts his praise disown,
Who gives the power to praise.
5 Thou, whose benignant eye
In mercy looks on all;
Who see'st the tear of misery,
And hear'st the mourner's call;
6 Up to thy dwelling-place
Bear our frail spirits on,
Till they outstrip time's tardy pace,
And heaven on earth be won.
Public Worship. Ps. 65.
1 FOR thee, O God, our constant praise,
In Zion waits, thy chosen seat;
Our promised altars there we 'll raise,
And all our zealous vows complete.
20 thou, who to my humble prayer
Didst always bend thy listening ear,
To thee shall all mankind repair,
And at thy gracious throne appear.
3 Our sins, though numberless, in vain
To stop thy flowing mercy try;
While thou o'erlook'st the guilty stain,
And washest out the crimson dye.
4 Blest is the man, who, near thee placed, Within thy sacred dwelling lives; While we, at humble distance, taste The vast delights thy worship gives.
5. 8 & 7s. M. J. TAYLOR.
Surrounding the Mercy Seat.
1 FAR from mortal cares retreating,
Sordid hopes and fond desires,
Here, our willing footsteps meeting,
Every heart to heaven aspires.
From the Fount of glory beaming,
Light celestial cheers our eyes;
Mercy from above proclaiming
Peace and pardon from the skies.
2 Who may share this great salvation?— Every pure and humble mind; Every kindred, tongue and nation, From the dross of guilt refined: Blessings all around bestowing,
God withholds his care from none; Grace and mercy ever flowing
From the fountain of his throne.
3 Every stain of guilt abhorring,
Firm and bold in virtue's cause,
Still thy providence adoring,
Faithful subjects to thy laws,
Lord! with favor still attend us,
Bless us with thy wondrous love;
Thou, our sun and shield, defend us;
All our hope is from above,
Gentiles brought into the Temple.
1 GREAT Father of mankind,
We bless that wondrous grace,
Which could for Gentiles find
Within thy courts a place.
How kind the care
Our God displays,
For us to raise
A house of prayer!
2 Though once estranged far,
We now approach the Throne;
For Jesus brings us near,
And makes our cause his own.
Strangers no more,
To thee we come,
And find our home,
And rest secure.
3 To thee ourselves we join,
And love thy sacred name;
No more our own, but thine,
We triumph in thy claim.
Our Father-King,
Thy covenant-grace
Our souls embrace,
Thy titles sing.
4 Here in thy house we feast
On dainties all divine;
And while such sweets we taste,
With joy our faces shine;
Incense shall rise
From flames of love,
And God approve
The sacrifice.
5 May all the nations throng
To worship in thy house;
And thou attend the song,
And smile upon their Vows;
Indulgent still,
Till earth conspire
To join the choir
On Zion's hill.
Pleasure and Advantage of Divine Worship. Ps. 84.
1 HAPPY the men, whom strength divine
With ardent love and zeal inspires!
Whose steps to thy blest way incline,
With willing hearts and warm desires.
2 Still they pursue the painful road;
Increasing strength surmounts their fear
Till all at length, before their God,
In Zion's glorious courts appear.
3 God is a sun; our brightest day
From his reviving presence flows;
God is a shield, through all the way,
To guard us from surrounding foes.
4 He pours his hindest blessings down,
Profusely down, on souls sincere;
And grace shall guide, and glory crown
The happy favorites of his care.
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