Future Glory of the Church. Ps. 67.
1 ON thy church, O Power Divine,
Cause thy glorious face to shine;
Till the nations from afar
Hail her as their guiding star;
Till her sons from zone to zone
Make thy great salvation known.
2 Then shall God, with lavish hand,
Scatter blessings o'er the land;
Earth shall yield her rich increase,
Every breeze shall whisper peace,
And the world's remotest bound
With the voice of praise resound.
1 RISE, crowned with light, imperial Salem, rise!
Exalt thy towering head, and lift thine eyes!
See heaven its sparkling portals wide display,
And break upon thee in a flood of day!
2 See a long race thy spacious courts adorn!
See future sons and daughters, yet unborn,
In crowding ranks on every side arise,
Demanding life, impatient for the skies!
3 See barbarous nations at thy gates attend,
Walk in thy light, and in thy temple bend!
See thy bright altars thronged with prostrate kings,
While every land its joyous tribute brings!
4 The seas shall waste, the skies to smoke decay, Rocks fall to dust, and mountains melt away; But, fixed his word, his saving power remains; Thy realm shall last, thy own Messiah reigns.
The Future Peace and Glory of the Church.
1 HEAR what God the Lord hath spoken:
'O my people, faint and few,
Comfortless, afflicted, broken,
Fair abodes I build for you;
Cares and heart-felt tribulation
Shall no more perplex your ways;
You shall name your walls, salvation,
And your gates shall all be praise.
2 There, like streams that feed the garden,
Pleasures without end shall flow;
For the Lord, your faith rewarding,
All his bounty shall bestow :
Still, in undisturbed possession,
Peace and righteousness shall reign;
Never shall you feel oppression,
Never hear of war again.
3 'Ye no more, your suns descending-
Waning moons-no more shall see;
But your griefs, forever ending,
Find eternal noon in me:
God shall rise, and shining o'er you,
Change to day the gloom of night;
He, the Lord, shall be your glory,
God your everlasting light.'
The Church on Earth and in Heaven, One.
1 THE saints on earth and those above
But one communion make:
Joined to their Lord in bonds of love,
All of his grace partake.
2 Let all the saints terrestrial sing
With those to glory gone;
For all the servants of our king
In heaven and earth are one.
3 One family, we dwell in him;
One church above, beneath;
Though now divided by the stream,
The swelling stream of death.
4 One army of the living God,-
To his command we bow;
Part of the host have crossed the flood,
And part are crossing now.
5 Ten thousand to their endless home,
This passing moment, go;
And we are to the margin come,
And soon must follow too.
6 O God, be thou our constant guide!
And when the word is given,
Sustain us o'er the fearful tide,
And bring us safe to heaven.
1 FROM north and south, from east and west,
Advance the myriads of the blest:
From every clime of earth they come,
And find in heaven a common home.
2 In one immortal throng we view
Pagan and Christian, Greek and Jew;
But, all their doubts and darkness o'er,
One only God they now adore.
3 Howe'er divided once below,
One bliss, one spirit here they know!
Here all their errors are forgiven,
And Jesus welcomes them to heaven.
Prospect of Universal Blessedness.
1 Lo, what a glorious sight appears
To our believing eyes!
The earth and seas are passed away,
And the old rolling skies.
2 From the third heaven, where God resides, That holy, happy place,
The New Jerusalem comes down,
Adorned with shining grace.
3 Attending angels shout for joy,
And the bright armies sing,
Mortals, behold the sacred seat
Of your descending king.
4 The God of glory down to men
Removes his blessed abode;
Men, the dear objects of his grace,
And he, the loving God.
5 His own soft hand shall wipe the tears
From every weeping eye;
And pains and groans, and griefs and fears,
And death itself shall die.'
6 How long, dear Savior, O how long
Shall this bright hour delay?
Fly swifter round, ye wheels of time,
And bring the welcome day.
1 LIFT up your joyful eyes, and see
A plenteous harvest all around,
Ripening for bliss, and not a grain
Shall ever fall unto the ground:
2 A harvest of immortal souls,
Secured by an almighty power;
Nor heat, nor cold, nor storms, shall hurt,
Nor ravenous beasts of prey devour.
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