The Blessings of Divine Worship.
1 GOD in his earthly temples lays
Foundations for his heavenly praise;
And loves to see that worship rise,
Which forms his offspring for the skies.
2 His mercy every house attends,
Whence pure devotion's flame ascends;
And ever lends a gracious ear,
Where churches join in praise and prayer.
3 To men of pure and pious hearts,
All real good their God imparts;
With grace he crowns them here below,
And endless glory will bestow.
4 His blessing yields a large increase
Of wisdom, and of sacred peace;
While ripening holiness and love,
Prepare their souls for joys above.
5 Father supreme! whose sovereign sway,
All worlds, all beings must obey;
May our first wish and object be,
On earth, in heaven, to dwell with thee.
Sincerity and Hypocrisy.
1 GoD is a spirit just and wise,
He sees our inmost mind:
In vain to heaven we raise our cries,
And leave our souls behind.
2 Nothing but truth before his throne
With honour can appear;
The formal hypocrites are known
Through the disguise they wear.
3 Their lifted eyes salute the skies,
Their bended knees, the ground;
But God abhors the sacrifice,
Where not the heart is found.
4 Lord! search our thoughts, and try our ways,
And make our souls sincere;
Then may we stand before thy face,
And find acceptance there.
The Excellency of the Gospel.
1 GOD, who in various methods told
His holy will to those of old,
By his beloved Son, displays
His truth and grace in latter days.
2 We have the volume which records
Our Saviour's character and words;
And in our rising Lord was given
The pledge of life, the hope of heaven.
3 There, knowledge of the noblest kind
Expands and elevates the mind;
The heavenly doctrine, plain as true,
Instructs, reproves, and comforts too,
4 How brightly there thy glories shine,
Wisdom, and goodness all divine;
Whate'er can fill the soul with love,
And form it for the joys above.
5 Christians! while grateful songs ye raise,
Improve the gospel which ye praise;
And aid its progress, till the Lord
Hath blessed all nations with his word.
Praise from the Works of God.
1 GREAT cause of all things! Source of life!
Sovereign of air, and earth, and sea!
All nature feels thy power, and all
A silent homage pay to thee.
2 Waked by thy hand, the morning sun
Pours forth to thee its earlier rays,
And spreads thy glories as it climbs;
While raptured worlds look up and praise.
3 The moon to the deep shades of night
Speaks the mild lustre of thy name;
While all the stars that cheer the scene,
Thee, the great Lord of light, proclaim.
4 And groves, and vales, and rocks, and hills,
And every flower, and every tree;
Ten thousand creatures, warm with life,
Have each a grateful song for thee.
But man was formed to rise to heaven;
And, blessed with reason's clearer light,
He views his Maker through his works,
And glows with rapture at the sight.
6 Nor can the thousand songs that rise,
Whether from air, or earth, or sea,
So well repeat Jehovah's praise,
Or raise such sacred harmony.
1 GREATEST of beings! Source of life,
Sovereign of air, of earth, and sea!
All nature owns thy power, but man
A grateful tribute pays to thee.
2 Subject to wants, to thee he looks,
And from thy goodness seeks supplies:
And when, oppressed with guilt, he mourns,
Thy mercy lifts him to the skies.
3 Children, whose infant minds, unformed,
Ne'er raised a tender thought to heaven;
And men, whom reason lifts to God,
Though oft by passion downward driven;
4 Those too, who bend with age and care,
And faint and tremble near the tomb;
Who, sickening at the present scenes,
Sigh for that better world to come;
5 All, great Creator! all are thine;
All feel thy providential care;
And through each changing scene of life,
Alike thy constant pity share.
6 And whether grief oppress the heart;
Or whether joy elate the breast;
Or life still keep its varying course;
Or death invite the heart to rest:
7 All are thy messengers, and all
Thy sacred pleasure, Lord! obey;
And all are training man to dwell
Nearer to bliss, and nearer thee.
God the Creator and Preserver.
1 GREAT First of beings! mighty Lord!
We praise thy glorious name;
Produced by thy creating word,
Arose this wondrous frame.
2 Thy voice sent forth the high command; "Twas instantly obeyed;
And through thy goodness all things stand, Which by thy skill were made.
3 By thee, through fields of azure, roll
Unnumbered worlds above;
Thy mighty hand sustains the whole;
Each creature shares thy love.
4 By thee, the sun dispenses heat,
And beams of cheering day;
By thee, the stars, in order set,
At night thy power display.
5 By thee, the earth its product yields,
And countless myriads live;
And trees and plants adorn the fields,
And their rich treasures give.
6 To thee, all-gracious Power! we bow,
And would ourselves resign;
Accept the praise, accept the vow,
And make us wholly thine.
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