Behold we come, dear Lord,to Thee, And bow before Thy throne; We come to offer on our knee Our vows to Thee alone.
BEHOLD we come, dear Lord, to Thee,
And bow before Thy throne;
We come to offer on our knee
Our vows to Thee alone.
2 Whate'er we have, whate'er we are, Thy bounty freely gave;
Thou dost us here in mercy spare,
And wilt hereafter save.
3 Come then, my soul, bring all thy powers,
And grieve thou hast no more;
Bring every day thy choicest hours,
And thy great God adore.
4 But, above all, prepare thine heart
On this, His own blest day,
In its sweet task to bear thy part,
And sing, and love, and pray.
28
My Lord, my Love, was crucified,
He all the pains did bear;
But in the sweetness of His rest
He makes His servants share.
AGAIN our earthly cares we leave,
And in Thy courts appear;
Again, with joyful feet, we come
To meet our Saviour here.
2 Within these walls let holy peace,
And love, and concord dwell:
Here give the troubled conscience ease, The wounded spirit heal.
3 May we in faith receive Thy word,
In faith present our prayers;
And, in the presence of our Lord,
Unbosom all our cares.
4 Show us some token of Thy love,
Our fainting hope to raise;
And pour Thy blessing from above,
That we may render praise.
John Newton 1779 v. i. Thomas Cotterill 1819
ST. CATHERINE L. M. 6 lines
Forth from the dark and storm-y sky, Lord, to Thine altar's shade we fly; Forth from the world, its hope and fear,
Saviour, we seek Thy shel-ter here: Weary and weak, Thy grace we pray; Turn not, O Lord, Thy guests a-way.
SWEET is the work, my God, my King,
To praise Thy name, give thanks, and sing;
To show Thy love by morning light,
And talk of all Thy truth at night.
2 Sweet is the day of sacred rest ;
No mortal cares shall seize my breast;
O may my heart in tune be found,
Like David's harp of solemn sound.
3 My heart shall triumph in my Lord,
And bless His works, and bless His word;
Thy works of grace, how bright they shine,
How deep Thy counsels, how divine.
4 Lord, I shall share a glorious part,
When grace hath well refined my heart,
And fresh supplies of joy are shed,
Like holy oil, to cheer my head.
5 Then shall I see, and hear, and know
All I desired or wished below;
And every power find sweet employ,
In that eternal world of joy.
Isaac Watts 1719
ALL people that on earth do dwell,
Sing to the Lord with cheerful voice: Him serve with fear, His praise forth tell, Come ye before Him, and rejoice.
2 The Lord, ye know, is God indeed,
Without our aid He did us make:
We are His flock, He doth us feed,
And for His sheep He doth us take
3 O enter then His gates with praise,
Approach with joy His courts unto:
Praise, laud, and bless His name always,
For it is seemly so to do.
4 For why? the Lord our God is good,
His mercy is forever sure:
His truth at all times firmly stood,
And shall from age to age endure.
William Kethe 1561
How pleasant, how divinely fair,
O Lord of hosts, Thy dwellings are;
With long desire my spirit faints,
To meet the assemblies 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.
3 Blest are the souls who find a place
Within the temple of Thy grace;
There they behold Thy gentler rays,
And seek Thy face, and learn Thy praise.
4 Blest are the men whose hearts are set
To find the way to Zion's gate;
God is their strength, and through the road,
They lean upon their helper, God.
5 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.
34
ANOTHER Six days' work is done,
Another Sabbath is begun :
Return my soul, enjoy thy rest,
Improve the day thy God hath blest.
2 O 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 In holy duties let the day,
In holy pleasures, pass away;
How sweet a Sabbath thus to spend,
In hope of one that ne'er shall end.
Joseph Stennett 1712
35
COME, dearest Lord, descend and dwell,
By faith and love, in every breast;
Then shall we know, and taste, and feel,
The joys that cannot be expressed.
2 Come, fill our hearts with inward strength;
Make our enlargéd souls possess,
And learn the height and breadth and length
Of Thine unmeasurable grace.
3 Now to the God whose power can do More than our thoughts or wishes know, Be everlasting honors done,
By all the Church, through Christ, His Son.
Lord,we come before Thee now,At Thy feet we humbly bow; O do not our suit disdain, Shall we seek Thee, Lord,in vain?
On this day, the first of days,
God the Father's name we praise;
Who, creation's Fount and Spring,
Did the world from darkness bring.
2 On this day the eternal Son
Over death His triumph won;
On this day the Spirit came
With His gifts of living flame.
3 0 that fervent love to-day
May in every heart have sway,
Teaching us to praise aright
God, the Source of life and light!
4 Father! who didst fashion me
Image of Thyself to be,
Fill me with Thy love divine,
Let my every thought be Thine.
5 Holy Jesus! may I be
Dead and buried here with Thee;
And, by love inflamed, arise.
Unto Thee a sacrifice.
Tr. by Henry Williams Baker 1861
COME, my soul, thy suit prepare,
Jesus loves to answer prayer;
He Himself has bid thee pray,
Therefore will not say thee nay.
2 With my burden I begin:
Lord, remove this load of sin;
Let Thy blood, for sinners spilt,
Set my conscience free from guilt.
3 Lord, I come to Thee for rest,
Take possession of my breast;
There Thy blood-bought right maintain
And without a rival reign.
4 While I am a pilgrim here,
Let Thy love my spirit cheer;
As my Guide, my Guard, my Friend,
Lead me to my journey's end.
5 Show me what I have to do,
Every hour my strength renew;
Let me live a life of faith,
Let me die Thy people's death.
|