4 Father, our souls would still abide
Within thy temple, near thy side;
But if our feet must hence depart,
Still keep thy dwelling in our heart.

50. H. M.

Desire of Worship.

1 LORD of the worlds above!
How pleasant and how fair
The dwellings of thy love,
Thine earthly temples, are;

To thine abode

My heart aspires,

Watts.

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,

And each in heaven appears.

Thrice happy he,

Whose spirit trusts

O God of hosts,

Alone in thee.

Watts

51. S. M.

Invitation to the House of God,

1 COME to the house of prayer,

O thou afflicted, come :

The God of peace will 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 youths, 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 seest 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 lingering pace,

And heaven on earth be won.

E. Taylor.

52. C. M.

Public Worship.

1 How did my heart rejoice to hear
My friends devoutly say,

"In Zion let us all appear,
And keep the solemn day."

2 I love her gates, I love the road;

The church, adorned with grace,
Stands, like a palace, built for God
To show his milder face.

3 Peace be within this sacred place;
And joy a constant guest:
With holy gifts and heavenly grace,
Be her attendants blessed.

4 My soul shall pray for Zion still,
While life or breath remains;

There my best friends, my kindred dwell,
Where God, my Saviour, reigns.

53. S. M.

Heavenly joy.

1 COME, we who love the Lord,
And let our joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne.

2 Let those refuse to sing,

Who never knew our God;
But children of the heavenly king
Should speak their joys abroad.

3 This awful God is ours!

Watts.

Our portion and our love;
He will send down his heavenly powers
To bear our souls above.

4 There we shall see his face,
And never, never sin;
There, from the rivers of his grace,
Drink endless pleasures in.

5 Then let our songs abound,

And every tear be dry;

We're marching through Immanuel's ground To fairer worlds on high.

Pleasure of Worship.

10 T'was a joyful sound to hear
Our tribes devoutly say,
Up, Israel, to the temple haste,
And keep the solemn day :

2 For there, by his divine command,
The sons of God repair,
To celebrate his glorious name,
And offer praise and prayer.

3 May peace within these sacred walls
A constant guest be found;
And calm prosperity and joy
Through all thy courts abound.

4 May everlasting peace be thine;
And happy may they be,

Thou holy city of our God,
Who bear true love to thee.

55. P. M.

Public Worship.

Tate and Brady.

1 How pleased and blessed was I
To hear the people cry,
Come, let us seek our God to-day;
Yes, with a cheerful zeal,

We haste to Zion's hill,

And there our vows and honors pay.

2 Zion, thrice happy place!

Adorned with wondrous grace,

With walls of strength embraced around;

In thee our tribes appear,
To pray, and praise, and hear
The sacred gospel's joyful sound.

3 May peace attend thy gate,
And joy within thee wait,
To bless the soul of every guest;
The man who seeks thy peace,
And wishes thine increase,
A thousand blessings on him rest.

56. L. M.

The pleasure of Worship.

1 How pleasant, how divinely fair,
O Lord of Hosts, thy dwellings are!
With long desire my spirit faints,
To meet the assembly of thy saints.

2 Blest are the saints, who sit on high,
Around thy throne of majesty ;
Thy brightest glories shine above,
And all their work is praise and love.

Watts.

3 Blest are the souls, that find a place
Within the temples of thy grace;
Beholding there thy gentler rays,
They seek thy face and learn thy praise.

4. Cheerful they walk with growing strength, Till all shall meet in heaven at length; Till all before thy face appear,

And join in nobler worship there.

Watts.