The dwellings of Thy love,
Thine earthly temples are!
To Thine abode

My heart aspires,
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

That love the way

To Zion's hill!

8 They go from strength to strength
Through this dark vale of tears;
Till each arrives at length,
Till each in heaven appears:
O glorious seat,

When God our King
Shall thither bring
Our willing feet!

4 To spend one sacred day
Where God and saints abide
Affords diviner joy

Than thousand days beside:
Where God resorts
I love it more

To keep the door
Than shine in courts.

5 God is our Sun and Shield,
Our Light and our Defence;
With gifts His hands are filled;
We draw our blessings thence:
He shall bestow
On Jacob's race
Peculiar grace

And glory too.

6 The Lord His people loves:
His hand no good withholds
From those His heart approves,
From pure and pious souls:
Thrice happy he,

O God of hosts,

Whose spirit trusts
Alone in Thee.

L.M.

774 In Thy fear will I worship toward

Thy holy temple.-Ps. 5, 7.

1 AWAY from every mortal care, Away from earth our souls retreat; We leave this worthless world afar, And wait and worship near Thy feet. 2 Lord, in the temple of Thy grace We see Thy feet, and we adore; We gaze upon Thy lovely face,

And learn the wonders of Thy power. 3 While here our various wants we mourn, United prayers ascend on high;

And faith obtains a quick return
Of blessings in variety.

4 If Satan rage, and sin grow strong,
Here we receive some cheering word;
We gird the gospel armour on,
To fight the battles of the Lord.

5 Or, if our spirit faints and dies,-
Our conscience galled with inward
stings,

Here doth the righteous Sun arise With healing beams beneath His wings. 6 Father! my soul would still abide Within Thy temple, near Thy side; But, since my feet must hence depart, Still keep Thy dwelling in my heart.

$775

78.

A day in Thy courts is better than a thousand.-Ps. 84, 10.

1 LORD of hosts, how bright, how fair,

E'en on earth Thy temples are! Here Thy waiting people see

Much of heaven and much of Thee. 2 From Thy gracious presence flows Bliss that softens all our woes; While Thy Spirit's holy fire

Warms our hearts with pure desire. 3 Here we supplicate Thy throne; Here thou mak'st Thy glories known Here we learn Thy righteous ways, Taste Thy love, and sing Thy praise.

4 Thus, with sacred songs of joy,
We our happy lives employ;

Love, and long to love Thee more,
Till from earth to heaven we soar..

C.M.

776 How amiable are Thy tabernacles!

-Ps. 84, 1.

1 MY soul, how lovely is the place
To which thy God resorts!

Tis heaven to see His smiling face,
Though in His earthly courts.

2 There the great Monarch of the skies
His saving power displays;

And light breaks in upon our eyes
With kind and quickening rays.

3 With His rich gifts the heavenly Dove Descends and fills the place;

While Christ reveals His wondrous love,
And sheds abroad His grace.

4 There, mighty God, Thy words declare The secrets of Thy will;

And still we seek Thy mercy there,
And sing Thy praises still.

L.M.

777 My sout longeth. for the courts

of the Lord.-Ps. 84, 2.

1 Hold of hosts, Thy dwellings are!
OW pleasant, how divinely fair,
With long desire my spirit faints
To meet the assemblies of Thy saints.
2 My flesh would rest in Thine abode;
My panting heart cries out for God:
My God! my King! why should I be
So far from all my joys, and Thee?
3 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.
4 Blest are the souls that find a place
Within the temple of Thy grace;
There they behold Thy gentler rays.
And seek Thy face, and learn Thy praise.

5 Blest are the men whose hearts are set To find the way to Zion's gate: [road God is their strength; and through the They lean upon their helper, God.

6 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.

778

1

2

H

S.M.

I have loved the habitation of Thy
house.-Ps. 26, 8.

OW charming is the place,
Where my Redeemer God

Unveils the beauties of His face,
And sheds His love abroad!

Not the fair palaces,

To which the great resort,

Are once to be compared with this,
Where Jesus holds His court.

Here, on the mercy seat,
With radiant glory crowned,
Our joyful eyes behold Him sit,
And smile on all around,

4 To Him their prayers and cries
Each humble soul presents:
He listens to their broken sighs,
And grants them all their wants.
To them His sovereign will
He graciously imparts;

5

And in return accepts, with smiles,
The tribute of their hearts.

6 Give me, O Lord, a place
Within Thy blest abode,

Among the children of Thy grace,
The servants of my God.

78.

779 Blessed are they

that dwell in

house.-Ps. 84, 4.

1 PLEASANT are Thy courts above,

land of light and love;

Pleasant are Thy courts below,
In this land of sin and woe.

Thy

Oh! my spirit longs and faints
For the fellowship of saints;
For the brightness of Thy face,
King of glory, God of grace.
2 Happy birds that sing and fly
Round Thine altars, Ŏ Most High!
Happier souls that find a rest
In their heavenly Father's breast:
Like the wandering dove that found
No repose on earth around,

They can to Thine ark repair,
And enjoy it ever there.

3 Happy souls! their praises flow,
Ever in this vale of woe;

Waters in the desert rise.

Manna feeds them from the skies.
On they go from strength to strength
Till they see Thy face at length,
At Thy feet adoring fall

Who hast led them safe through all.,

4 Lord, be mine this prize to win,
Guide me through a world of sin;
Keep me by Thy saving grace,
Give me at Thy side a place.
Sun and Shield alike Thou art,
Guide and guard my erring heart;

Grace and glory flow from Thee,

Shower, O shower them, Lord, on me.

104th.

780 My heart and my flesh crieth ove

for the living God.-Ps. 81, 2,

1 HOW honoured, how dear,

That sacred abode,

Where Christians draw near
Their Father and God!
Mid worldly commotion,
My wearied soul faints
For the house of devotion,
The home of Thy saints.
2 The birds have their home,
They fix on their nest;
Wherever they roam,

They return to their rest:
From them fondly learning,
My soul shall take wing: