2 Thy walls are strength,—and at thy gates
A guard of heavenly warriors waits;
Nor shall thy deep foundation move,
Fixed on his counsels and his love.
3 Thy foes in vain designs engage—
Against thy throne in vain they rage,
Like rising waves, with angry roar,
That dash and die upon the shore.
4 God is our shield, and God our sun;
Swift as the fleeting moments run,
On us he sheds new beams of grace,
And we reflect his brightest praise.
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 afar,
We now approach the throne,
For Jesus brings us near,
And makes our cause his own;
Strangers no more,
To thee we come;
We find our home,
And rest secure.
3 To thee our souls 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 Let 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.
The House of Prayer and Praise.
1 LORD of hosts! to thee we raise,
Here, a house of prayer and praise;
Thou thy people's heart prepare.
Here to meet for praise and prayer.
2 Let the living here be fed,
With thy word, the heavenly bread;
Here, in hope of glory blest,
May the dead be laid to rest.
3 Here, to thee a temple stand,
While the sea shall girt the land;
Here, reveal thy mercy sure,
While the sun and moon endure.
4 Hallelujah!-earth and sky
To the joyful sound reply:
Hallelujah!—hence ascend
Prayer and praise, till time shall end.
On opening a House of Worship.
1 HERE, in thy name, eternal God!
We build this earthly house for thee;
Oh! make it now thy fixed abode,
And keep it, Lord! from error free.
2 When here thy people seek thy face,
And dying sinners pray to live;
Hear thou, in heaven, thy dwelling-place,
And when thou hearest, Lord! forgive.
3 Here, when thy messengers proclaim,
The blessed gospel of thy Son;
Still, by the power of his great name,
Be mighty signs and wonders done.
4 When children's voices raise the song,―
Hosanna to their heavenly King;
Let heaven, with earth, the strain prolong"Hosanna!" let the angels sing.
5 But will, indeed, Jehovah deign,
Here to abide,-no transient guest?
Here, will our great Redeemer reign,
And here, the Holy Spirit rest ?— 6 Thy glory never hence depart!
Yet choose not, Lord! this house alone;
Thy kingdom come, in every heart,—
In every bosom, fix thy throne.
Prayer on opening a Church-Edifice.
1 WITHIN thy house, O Lord our God!
In glorious majesty appear;
Make this a place of thine abode,
And shed thy choicest blessings here.
2 When we thy mercy-seat surround,
Thy Spirit, with thy word, impart;
And let thy gospel's joyful sound,
With power divine, reach every heart.
3 Here, let the blind their sight obtain,
Here, give the broken spirit rest;
Let Jesus here triumphant reign,-
Enthroned in every yielding breast.
4 Here, let the voice of sacred joy
And humble supplication rise,
Till higher strains our tongues employ,
In realms of bliss, beyond the skies.
Dedication of a Church.
1 GOD of the universe! to thee
This sacred fane we rear,
And now, with songs and bended knee,
Invoke thy presence here.
2 Long may this echoing dome resound
The praises of thy name,-
These hallowed walls to all around
The Triune God proclaim.
8 Here, let thy love-thy presence dwell,Thy glory here make known;
Thy people's home, Oh! come, and fill,
And seal it as thine own.
4 When sad with care-by sin oppressed,Here may the burdened soul,
Beneath thy sheltering wing, find rest;
Here, make the wounded whole.
5 And when the last long Sabbath-morn,
Upon the just, shall rise,
May all, who own thee here, be borne
To mansions in the skies.
The Heralds of Christ.
1 HOW beauteous are their feet,
Who stand on Zion's hill!
Who bring salvation on their tongues,
And words of peace reveal!
2 How charming is their voice!
How sweet the tidings are!—
"Zion! behold thy Saviour-King,
He reigns and triumphs here!"
3 How happy are our ears
That hear this joyful sound!
Which kings and prophets waited for,
And sought, but never found
4 How blessed are our eyes,
That see this heavenly light!
Prophets and kings desired it long,
But died without the sight.
5 The watchmen join their voice,
And tuneful notes employ;
Jerusalem breaks forth in songs,
And deserts learn the joy.
6 The Lord makes bare his arm,
Through all the earth abroad;
Let every nation now behold
Their Saviour and their God.
1 "GO, preach my gospel!"-saith the Lord,Bid the whole earth my grace receive; He shall be saved who trusts my word;
He shall be damned who don't believe. 2 "I'll make your great commission known, And ye shall prove my gospel true, By all the works that I have done, By all the wonders ye shall do.
3 "Teach all the nations my commands,I'm with you till the world shall end; All power is trusted in my hands,
I can destroy, and I defend."
4 He spake-and light shone round his head;
On a bright cloud, to heaven he rode:
They to the farthest nations spread
The grace of their ascended God.
Ministers watch for Souls.'
1 LET Zion's watchmen all awake,
And take th' alarm they give;
Now let them, from the mouth of God,
Their awful charge receive.
2 "T is not a cause of small import
The pastor's care demands;
But what might fill an angel's heart;
It filled a Saviour's hands.
3 They watch for souls, for which the Lord
Did heavenly bliss forego;-
For souls, that must for ever live,
In raptures, or in wo.
4 All to the great tribunal haste,
Th' account to render there;
And shouldst thou strictly mark our faults,
Lord! how should we appear?
5 May they that Jesus, whom they preach,
Their own Redeemer see;
And watch thou daily o'er their souls,
That they may watch for thee.
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