THE Day of Rest once more comes round,
A day to Christian people dear;
The silver trumpets seem to sound,
That call the tribes of Israel near :
Ye people all,
Obey the call,
And in JEHOVAH's Courts appear!
Obedient to Thy summons, LORD,
We to Thy Gracious Presence come;
Thy plenteous Blessing here afford,
And send Thy people joyful home!
Of Thee, our King,
Let none, with such a theme, be dumb!
O hasten, LORD, the day when those,
Who know Thee here, shall see Thy Face,
When suffering shall for ever close,
And they shall reach their resting-place:
Then shall they rest,
Supremely blest,
Eternal vessels of Thy Grace.
Let all in Earth and Heaven that dwell
Our God the FATHER'S glory tell!
Our God the SON's great Name be sung,
Through every land, by every tongue!
And SPIRIT pure,
While hearts endure,
Be praised in every Christian throng! Amen.
THOU Brightness of the FATHER's ray,
True Light of light, and Day of day;
Light's Fountain and eternal Spring,
Thou Morn the morn illumining.
Glide in, Thou very Sun divine ;
With everlasting brightness shine:
And shed abroad on every sense
The SPIRIT'S light and influence.
FATHER to Thee we pay the vow,
FATHER of endless glory Thou!
FATHER of grace and mighty Name,
O banish every deed of shame.
CHRIST be our sweet and daily Food,
Our drink, in faith, His Precious Blood,
So may we drain, in tranquil bliss,
The Spirit's Cup of holiness.
Now let the day in joy pass on,
Our modesty be like the dawn,
Our faith, in noontide beauty, glow,
Our souls the twilight never know.
Glory to God the FATHER be,
And only Son alike to Thee,
With the blest SPIRIT Paraclete,
Now and through ages infinite. Amen.
THE winged herald of the day
Proclaims the morn's approaching ray :
So CHRIST the LORD renews His call,
To endless life awakening all.
"Take up thy bed," to each He cries,
Who sick, or wrapped in slumber, lies:
"Be chaste, and, living soberly,
Watch ye! for I the LORD am nigh."
With earnest cry, with tearful care,
Call we the LORD to hear our prayer;
While supplication, pure and deep,
Forbids each chastened heart to sleep.
Do Thou, O CHRIST, our slumbers wake:
Do Thou the chains of darkness break:
Purge Thou our former sins away,
And in our souls new light display.
All laud to GOD the FATHER be;
All praise, Eternal SON, to Thee;
All praise for ever, as is meet,
To GOD the HOLY PARACLETE. Amen.
O GLOOM of night and clouds and shade
O'er earth in dim confusion spread!
The light is here; behold the dawn!
CHRIST cometh; haste ye and begone!
Earth's dusky veil is torn away,
Rent by the sparkling beams of day:
The world resumes its hues apace
Soon as the Day-star shows his face.
But Thee, O CHRIST, alone we seek,
With conscience pure and temper meek :
With tears and chants we humbly pray,
Guide all our senses through the day.
For many a dark and secret sin
Calls for Thy purging Light within :
O Morning Star! serenely shine,
And give us of that Light Divine.
All laud to GOD the FATHER be:
All laud, Eternal SON, to Thee:
All laud, as is for ever meet,
To GOD the HOLY PARACLETE. Amen.
[Thursday Morning.
BEHOLD the golden dawn arise e;
The paling night forsakes the skies:
Those misty shades melt into day,
Which led our erring sense astray.
May this new day be calmly passed,
May we keep pure while it shall last;
Nor let our lips from truth depart,
Nor dark designs engage the heart.
the day speed on; the tongue
No falsehood know, the hands no wrong:
Our eyes from wanton gaze refrain ;
No guilt our guarded bodies stain.
For GOD, All-seeing from on high,
Surveys us with a watchful eye;
Each day our every act He knows,
From early dawn to evening's close.
All laud to GOD the FATHER be:
All laud, Eternal SON, to Thee:
All laud, as is for ever meet,
To GOD the HOLY PARACLETE. Amen.
ETERNAL Glory of the sky,
Blest hope of frail humanity,
The FATHER'S Sole-begotten One,
Yet born a spotless Virgin's Son!
Uplift us with Thine Arm of might,
And raise our hearts that, pure and bright,
And ardent in GOD's praise, they may
The thanks we owe Him duly pay.
The Day-star's glittering rays are gone,
And tell that Day itself is come:
The shadows of the night depart:
Thou, Holy Light, illume the heart!
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