2 Shepherds in the field abiding,
Watching o'er your flock by night,
God with man is now residing;
Yonder shines the infant light:
Come, &c.
3 Saints before the altar bending,
Waiting long with hope and fear,
Suddenly the Lord, descending,
In his temple shall appear :
Come, &c.
4 Sages, leave your contemplations,
Brighter visions beam afar;
Seek the great Desire of nations,
Ye have seen his natal star:
Come, &c.
5 Sinners, wrung with true repentance,
Doomed for guilt to endless pains,
Justice now repeals the sentence,
Mercy calls you-break your chains:
Come, &c.
NOTHER six days' work is done,
Another sabbath is begun;
L. Return, my soul, enjoy thy rest,
Improve the day thy God hath blest.
2 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.
3 This heavenly calm within the breast
Is the dear pledge of glorious rest,
Which for the church of God remains,
The end of cares, the end of pains.
4 With joy, great God, thy works we view,
In various scenes, both old and new ;
With praise we think on mercies past,
With hope we future pleasures taste.
2 See how we grovel here below,
Fond of these earthly toys!
Our souls how heavily they go
To reach eternal joys.
3 In vain we tune our formal songs,
In vain we strive to rise;
Hosannas languish on our tongues,
And our devotion dies.
4 Come, Holy Spirit, Heav'nly Dove,
With all thy quick'ning powers!
Come, shed abroad a Saviour's love,
And that shall kindle ours.
21 COME, let us join our cheerful songs
With angels round the throne
Ten thousand thousand are their tongues,
But all their joys are one.
2 "Worthy the Lamb that died," they cry,
"To be exalted thus:
"Worthy the Lamb," our lips reply,
"For He was slain for us.
3 Jesus is worthy to receive
Honour and power divine;
And blessings more than we can give,
Be, Lord, for ever thine.
4 Let all that dwell above the sky,
And air, and earth, and seas,
Conspire to lift thy glories high,
And speak thine endless praise.
22 COME, let us search our hearts, and try If all our ways be right:
Is God's great rule of equity
Our practice and delight?
2 Have we to others truly done
As we would have them do ?
Envious, unkind, and false, to none;
But always just and true?
3 In vain we speak of Jesus' blood,
And place in Him our trust,
If, while we boast our love to God,
We prove to men unjust.
4 Thou, before whom we stand in awe,
And tremble, and obey,
Write in our hearts thy perfect law,
And keep us in thy way.
23 COME, my soul, thy suit prepare,
Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He Himself has bid thee pray,
Therefore will not say thee nay.
2 Thou art coming to a King,
Large petitions with thee bring;
For his grace and power are such,
None can ever ask too much.
3 With my burden I begin;
Lord, remove this load of sin!
Let thy blood, for sinners spilt,
Set my conscience free from guilt.
4 Lord! I come to Thee for rest,
Take possession of my breast;
There thy blood-bought right maintain,
And without a rival reign.
24 COME, thou long-expected Jesus,
Born to set thy people free;
8.7. From our fears and sins release us,
Let us find our rest in Thee:
Israel's strength and consolation,
Hope of all the earth Thou art;
Dear desire of every nation,
Joy of every longing heart.
2 Born thy people to deliver,
Born a child, and yet a king;
Born to reign in us for ever,
Now thy gracious kingdom bring:
EFORE Jehovah's awful throne,
Ye nations, bow with sacred joy :
Know that the Lord is God alone;
He can create and He destroy.
2 His sov'reign power, without our aid,
Made us of clay and form'd us men;
And when like wand'ring sheep we stray'd,
He brought us to his fold again.
3 We'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs,
High as the heavens our voices raise;
And earth, with her ten thousand tongues,
Shall fill thy courts with sounding praise.
4 Wide as the world is thy command;
Vast as eternity thy love;
Firm as a rock thy truth must stand,
When rolling years shall cease to move.
12 BEHOLD a stranger at the door!
He gently knocks, has knock'd before, Has waited long, is waiting still:
You use no other friend so ill.
2 Rise, touch'd with gratitude divine,
Turn out his enemy and thine;
Turn out the hateful monster, sin,
And let the Heavenly Stranger in.
3 Admit Him, ere his anger burn,
Lest He depart and ne'er return;
Admit Him or the hour 's at hand.
When at His door denied you'll stand.
4 Yet know, nor of the terms complain,
Where Jesus comes, He comes to reign!
Sovereign of souls! Thou Prince of Peace!
Oh, may thy gentle reign increase!
BENEATH our feet and o'er our head
Is equal warning given;
C. Beneath us lie the countless dead,
Above us is the heaven!
2 Their names are graven on the stone,
Their bones are in the clay;
And ere another day is gone,
Ourselves may be as they.
3 Death rides on every passing breeze,
He lurks in every flower;
Each season has its own disease,
Its peril every hour.
4 Turn, Christian, turn! thy soul apply
To truths divinely given;
The bones that underneath thee lie
Shall live for hell or heaven!
ESET with snares on every hand,
In life's uncertain path I stand;
Saviour Divine, diffuse thy light,
To guide my doubtful footsteps right.
2 Engage this wand'ring, treach'rous heart
To fix on Mary's better part;
To scorn the trifles of a day,
For joys that none can take away.
3 Then let the wildest storms arise,
Let tempests mingle earth and skies,
No fatal shipwreck shall I fear,
But all my treasures with me bear.
4 If Thou, my Saviour, still be nigh,
Cheerful I live, and joyful die;
Secure, when mortal comforts flee,
To find ten thousand worlds in Thee.
15 BL LEST is the man, whose heart expands At melting pity's call;
And the rich blessings of whose hands
Like heavenly manna fall.
2 Children our kind protection claim;
And God will well approve,
When infants learn to lisp his name,
And their Creator love.
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