Sabbath

Verse 1

Another six days’ work is done,
Another Sabbath is begun;
Return, my soul, enjoy thy rest,
Improve the day thy God hath blest.

Verse 2

Come, bless the Lord, whose love assigns
So sweet a rest to wearied minds,
Provides an antepast of heaven,
And gives this day the food of seven.

Verse 3

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.

Verse 4

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.

Verse 5

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.

Verse 1

Come, dearest Lord, and feed thy sheep,
On this sweet day of rest;
Oh, bless this flock, and make this fold
Enjoy a heavenly rest.

Verse 2

Welcome, and precious to my soul
Are these sweet days of love;
But what a Sabbath shall I keep
When I shall rest above!

Verse 3

I come, I wait, I hear, I pray;
Thy footsteps. Lord. I trace;
Here, in thine own appointed way,
I wait to see thy face.

Verse 4

Those are the sweet and precious days
On which my Lord I’ve seen;
And oft, when feasting on his word,
In raptures I have been.

Verse 5

Oh, if my soul, when death appears.
In this sweet frame be found,
I’ll clasp my Savior in mine arms,
And leave this earthly ground.

Verse 1

Hail, thou bright and sacred morn,
Risen with gladness in thy beams!
Light, which not of earth is born,
From thy dawn in glory streams:
Airs of heaven are breathed around,
And each place is holy ground.

Verse 2

Sad and weary were our way,
Fainting oft beneath our load,
But for thee, thou blessed day,
Resting-place on life’s rough road:
Here flow forth the streams of grace;
Strengthened hence we run our race.

Verse 3

Great Creator, who this day
From Thy perfect work didst rest,
By the souls that own Thy sway
Hallowed be its hours and blest;
Cares of earth aside be thrown,
This day given to heaven alone.

Verse 4

Saviour, who this day didst break
The dark prison of the tomb,
Bid my slumbering soul awake;
Shine through all its sin and gloom:
Let me, from my bonds set free,
Rise from sin, and live to Thee.

Verse 5

Blessed Spirit, Comforter,
Sent this day from Christ on high;
Lord, on me Thy gifts confer,
Cleanse, illumine, sanctify:
All Thine influence shed abroad;
Lead me to the truth of God.

Verse 1

How sweetly breaks the Sabbath dawn
Along the eastern skies!
So, when the night of time hath gone,
Eternity shall rise.

Verse 2

How softly spreads the Sabbath light!
How soon the gloom hath fled!
So o’er the new created sight
Celestial bliss is spread.

Verse 3

What quiet reigns o’er earth and sea,
Through all the stilly air!
So calm may we this Sabbath be,
And free from worldly care.

Verse 4

Thus let thy peace, O Lord! pervade
Our bosoms all our days;
And let each passing hour be made
A herald of thy praise.

Verse 5

This peace of God--how full! how sweet
It flows from Jesus’ breast;
It makes our bliss on earth complete,
It brings eternal rest.

Verse 1

Light of Light, enlighten me,
Now anew the day is dawning;
Sun of grace, the shadows flee;
Brighten Thou my Sabbath morning;
With Thy joyous sunshine blest,
Happy is my day of rest.

Verse 2

Fount of all our joy and peace,
To Thy living waters lead me;
Thou from earth my soul release,
And with grace and mercy feed me;
Bless Thy Word, that it may prove
Rich in fruits that Thou dost love.

Verse 3

Kindle Thou the sacrifice
That upon my lips is lying;
Clear the shadows from mine eyes,
That, from every error flying,
No strange fire may in me glow
That Thine altar doth not know.

Verse 4

Let me with my heart to-day,
Holy, Holy, Holy, singing,
Rapt awhile from earth away,
All my soul to Thee upspringing,
Have a foretaste inly given
How they worship Thee in heaven.

Verse 5

Rest in me, and I in Thee;
Build a paradise within me;
O reveal Thyself to me,
Blessed Love, who diedst to win me;
Fed from Thine exhaustless urn,
Pure and bright my lamp shall burn.

Verse 6

Hence all care, all vanity,
For the day to God is holy;
Come, Thou glorious Majesty,
Deign to fill this temple lowly;
Nought to-day my soul shall move,
Simply resting in Thy love.

Verse 1

Lord of the Sabbath, hear us pray,
In this Thy house, on this Thy day;
And own, as grateful sacrifice,
The songs which from Thy temple rise.

Verse 2

Now met to pray, and bless Thy Name,
Whose mercies flow each day the same,
Whose kind compassions never cease,
We seek instruction, pardon, peace.

Verse 3

Thy day of rest, O Lord, we love,
But look for truer rest above;
To that our laboring souls aspire
With ardent hope and strong desire.

Verse 4

In Thy blest kingdom we shall be
From every mortal trouble free;
No sighs shall mingle with the songs
Resounding from immortal tongues;

Verse 5

No rude alarms of raging foes;
No cares to break the long repose;
No midnight shade, no waning moon,
But sacred, high, eternal noon.

Verse 6

O long-expected day, begin,
Dawn on these realms of woe and sin!
Break, morn of God, upon our eyes!
And let the world’s true Sun arise!

Verse 1

My Lord, my Love, was crucified,
He all the pains did bear;
But in the sweetness of His rest
He makes His servants share.

Verse 2

How sweetly rest Thy saints above
Which in Thy bosom lie;
The Church below doth rest in hope
Of that felicity.

Verse 3

Thou, Lord, who daily feed’st Thy sheep,
Mak’st them a weekly feast;
Thy flocks meet in their several folds
Upon this day of rest.

Verse 4

Welcome and dear unto my soul
Are these sweet feasts of love;
But what a Sabbath shall I keep
When I shall rest above!

Verse 5

I bless Thy wise and wondrous love,
Which binds us to be free;
Which makes us leave our earthly snares,
That we may come to Thee.

Verse 6

I come, I wait, I hear, I pray,
Thy footsteps, Lord, I trace;
I sing to think this is the way
Unto my Saviour’s face.

Verse 1

O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light!
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful, most bright!
On thee, the high and lowly,
Before th’ eternal throne,
Sing Holy! Holy! Holy!
To the great Three in One.

Verse 2

On thee, at the creation.
The light first had its birth;
On thee for our salvation,
Christ rose from depths of earth.
On thee, our Lord, victorious,
The Spirit sent from heaven,
And thus on thee, most glorious,
A triple light was given.

Verse 3

New graces ever gaining
From this our day of rest,
We reach the rest remaining
To spirits of the blest;
To Holy Ghost be praises,
To Father and to Son;
The church her voice upraises
To thee, blest Three in One.

We bless Thee that Thou hast gathered us together this morning, and that so many mercies have crowned our path since last we met together. Another week of blessing from Thy hand has gone over our heads. We are another week nearer the time of rest. We beseech Thee that we may be conscious of some growth in Thy grace and knowledge, and that we may be aware of some weakening in us of anything that is contrary to Thy will, and may gather together here better prepared and more desirous to receive Thy great gifts of grace and goodness.