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482.

PALMS of glory, raiment bright,

Crowns that never fade away,

Gird and deck the saints in light; Priests, and kings, and conquerors, they. 2 Yet the conquerors bring their palms To the Lamb amid the throne, And proclaim in joyful psalms, Victory through His cross alone. 3 Kings for harps their crowns resign, Crying, as they strike the chords "Take the kingdom; it is Thine, King of kings, and Lord of lords." 4 Round the altar, priests confess, If their robes are white as snow, 'T was their Saviour's righteousness, And His blood, that made them so.

SPECIAL OCCASIONS.

THE REFORMATION.

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|REAT is the Lord our God,

G and let His praise be great;

He makes the church His own abode,
His most delightful seat.

2 In Zion God is known,

A refuge in distress:

How bright has His salvation shone
Through all her palaces!

S. M.

3 When kings against her join'd,
And saw the Lord was there,
In wild confusion of the mind,
They fled with hasty fear.
4 Oft have our fathers told,
Our eyes have often seen,
How well our God secures the fold
Where His own sheep have been.

5 In ev'ry new distress

We'll to His house repair;

We'll call to mind His wondrous grace
And seek deliverance there.

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ION stands with hills surrounded
Zion, kept by power divine;

All her foes shall be confounded,
Though the world in arms combine:
Happy Zion,

What a favored lot is thine!

2 In the furnace God may prove thee,
Thence to bring thee forth more bright,
But can never cease to love thee;
Thou art precious in His sight:
God is with thee -

God, thine everlasting light.

CORNER-STONE LAYING.

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HERE, in Thy name, eternal God,

L. M.

We build this earthly house for Thee;

Oh, choose it for Thy fix'd abode,
And guard it from all error free.

2 Here, when Thy people seek Thy face,
And dying sinners pray to live,
Hear Thou in heaven, Thy dwelling-place,
And when Thou hearest, Lord, forgive.
3 Here, when Thy messengers proclaim
The blessed gospel of Thy Son,
Still by the power of His great name
Be mighty signs and wonders done.

4 Thy glory never hence depart;

Yet choose not, Lord, this house alone;
Thy kingdom come to ev'ry heart;
In ev'ry bosom fix Thy throne.

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L. M.

LORD of hosts, whose glory fills
The bounds of the eternal hills,
And yet vouchsafes, in Christian lands,
To dwell in temples made with hands;

2 Grant that all we, who here to-day
Rejoicing this foundation lay,
May be in very deed Thine own,
Built on the precious Corner-stone.
3 Endue the creatures with Thy grace,
That shall adorn Thy dwelling-place;
The beauty of the oak and pine,

The gold and silver, make them Thine.

4 To Thee they all pertain; to Thee
The treasures of the earth and sea;
And when we bring them to Thy throne,
We but present Thee with Thine own.

5 The heads that guide endue with skill;
The hands that work preserve from ill;

That we, who these foundations lay,
May raise the topstone in its day.

6 Both now and ever, Lord, protect
The temple of Thine own elect;
Be Thou in them, and they in Thee,
O ever-blessed Trinity!

487.

YHRIST is our Corner-stone,
On Him alone we build,

With His true saints alone

H. M.

The courts of heaven are fill'd;
On His great love our hopes we place,
Of present grace and joys above.

2 Oh, then with hymns of praise

These hallow'd courts shall ring:
Our voices we will raise

The Three in One to sing,
And thus proclaim in joyful song,
Both loud and long, that glorious Name.
3 Here, gracious God, do Thou

For evermore draw nigh;
Accept each faithful vow,

And mark each suppliant sigh;
In copious shower, on all who pray,
Each holy day Thy blessings pour.

Here may we gain from heaven
The grace which we implore,
And may that grace once given,
Be with us evermore,

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Until that day when all the blest
To endless rest are called away.

DEDICATION OF CHURCHES.

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L'Here of of prayer and praise;

ORD of hosts, to Thee we raise

Thou Thy people's hearts prepare
Here to meet for praise and prayer.

2 Let the living here be fed

With Thy word, the heavenly bread;
Here reveal Thy mercy sure,
While the sun and moon endure.

3 Hallelujah!-earth and sky
To the joyful sound reply;
Hallelujah!- hence ascend

Prayer and praise till time shall end.

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EAR Shepherd of Thy people, here
Thy presence now display;

As Thou hast given a place for prayer,
So give us hearts to pray.

2 Show us some token of Thy love,
Our fainting hope to raise;

And pour Thy blessings from above,
That we may render praise.
3 Within these walls let holy peace,
And love, and concord dwell;
Here give the troubled conscience ease,
The wounded spirit heal.

4 The feeling heart, the melting eye,
The humbled mind bestow;

And shine upon us from on high,
To make our graces grow!

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