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HOW

PSALM LXXXIV.

pleasant is Thy dwelling-place, O Lord of hosts, to me!

The tabernacles of Thy grace,
How pleasant, Lord, they be!

2 My soul doth long full sore to go
Into Thy courts abroad:
My heart and flesh cry out also
For Thee, the living God.

3 O! they be blessed, that may dwell
Within Thine house always:
For they all times Thine acts do tell,
And ever give Thee praise.

4 Yea, happy sure likewise are they,

Whose stay and strength Thou art; Who to Thy house do mind the way, And seek it in their heart.

5 As they go through the vale of tears,
They dig up fountains still,
That as a spring it all appears,
And Thou their pits dost fill.

6 From strength to strength they go full fast;

No faintness there shall be;

And so the God of Gods at last

In Sion they do see.

7 For God the Lord, Light, and Defence,
Will grace and worship give:
And no good thing will He withhold
From them that purely live.

8 O Lord of hosts! that man is blest,
And happy sure is he,

That is persuaded in his breast
To trust all times in Thee.

John Hopkins ("Old Version"), 1532.

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HOW blest the sacred tie that binds,

In union sweet, according minds; How swift the heavenly course they run, Whose hearts, whose faith, whose hopes are one!

2 To each the soul of each how dear! What jealous love, what holy fear! How doth the generous flame within Refine from earth, and cleanse from sin! 3 Their streaming tears together flow For human guilt and mortal woe; Their ardent prayers together rise Like mingling flames in sacrifice. 4 Together both they seek the place Where God reveals His awful face; How high, how strong, their raptures swell,

There's none but kindred souls can tell. 5 Nor shall the glowing flame expire, When nature droops her sickening fire; Then shall they meet in realms above; A heaven of joy, because of love.

Anna Lætitia Barbauld, 1773.

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O quam juvat fratres, Deus.
LORD, how joyful 'tis to see

The brethren join in love to Thee;
On Thee alone their heart relies,
Their only strength Thy grace supplies.
2 How sweet, within Thy holy place,
With one accord to sing Thy grace,
Besieging Thine attentive ear
With all the force of fervent prayer.
3 O may we love the house of God,
Of peace and joy the blest abode;
O may no angry strife destroy
That sacred peace, that holy joy.
4 The world without may rage, but we
Will only cling more close to Thee,
With hearts to Thee more wholly given,
More wean'd from earth, more fix'd on

Heaven.

5 Lord, shower upon us from above The sacred gift of mutual love; Each other's wants may we supply, And reign together in the sky.

John Chandler, 1837.

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COME, let us join our friends above,

That have obtain'd the prize,
And on the eagle wings of love
To joy celestial rise.

Let all the saints terrestrial sing
With those to glory gone,
For all the servants of our King,
In earth and Heaven, are one.

2 One family, we dwell in Him,

One Church, above, beneath,
Though now divided by the stream,
The narrow stream of death.
One army of the living God,

To His command we bow;

Part of His host hath cross'd the flood,
And part is crossing now.

3 Ten thousand to their endless home
This solemn moment fly;
And we are to the margin come,
And we expect to die;

His militant embodied host
With wishful looks we stand,
And long to see that happy coast,
And reach that heavenly land.

4 Our old companions in distress
We haste again to see,

And eager long for our release
And full felicity:

Even now by faith we join our hands
With those that went before,

And greet the blood-besprinkled bands
On the eternal shore.

5 Our spirits too shall quickly join,
Like theirs with glory crown'd,
And shout to see our Captain's sign,
To hear His trumpet sound.

Oh! that we now might grasp our Guide!
Oh! that the word were given!
Come, Lord of hosts! the waves divide,
And land us all in Heaven!

Charles Wesley, 1759.

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