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2 How charming is their voice!
How sweet the tidings are!
"Sion, behold thy Savior King;
He reigns and triumphs here."

3 How happy are our ears,

That hear this joyful sound,
Which kings and prophets waited for,
And sought, but never found!

4 How blessed are our eyes,

That see this heavenly light!
Prophets and kings desired it long,
But died without the sight.

5 The watchmen join their voice,
And tuneful notes employ;
Jerusalem breaks forth in songs,
And deserts learn the joy.

6 The Lord makes bare his arm
Through all the earth abroad:
Let every nation now behold
Their Savior and their God.

216

10s M.

POPE, altered.

Gentiles coming into the Church.

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.

217

H. M.

DODDRIDGE.

Strangers entertained in God's House. Is. lvi. 6, 7.

1 GREAT Father of mankind,

We bless that wondrous grace
Which could for Gentiles find
Within thy courts a place :
How kind the care
Our God displays,
For us to raise
A house of prayer!

2 Though once estranged far,
We now approach the throne;
For Jesus brings us near,

And makes our cause his own:

Strangers no more,

To thee we come,
And find our home
And rest secure.

3 To thee our souls we join,

And love thy sacred name;
No more our own, but thine,
We triumph in thy claim:

Our Father King,

Thy covenant grace
Our souls embrace,
Thy titles sing.

4 Here in thy house we feast
On dainties all divine;

And, while such sweets we taste,
With joy our faces shine:

Incense shall rise

From flames of love,

And God approve
The sacrifice.

5 May all the nations throng
To worship in thy house,
And thou attend the song,
And smile upon their vows;
Indulgent still,

Till earth conspire
To join the choir
On Zion's hill.

218

MONTGOMERY.

7s & 6s M.

All Nations shall call him blessed.

HAIL to the Lord's Anointed!
Great David's greater Son!
Hail in the time appointed,
His reign on earth begun!
He comes to break oppression,
To set the captive free,
To take away transgression,
And rule in equity.

2 He shall come down like showers
Upon the fruitful earth;
And joy and hope, like flowers,
Spring in his path to birth;
Before him, on the mountains,
Shall peace, the herald, go,
And righteousness, in fountains,
From hill to valley flow.

3 For him shall prayer unceasing
And daily vows ascend;
His kingdom still increasing,
A kingdom without end:
The mountain dew shall nourish
A seed in weakness sown,

Whose fruit shall spread and flourish,
And shake like Lebanon.

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MERRICK.

1 "TIS enough the hour is come;
Now, within the silent tomb
Let this mortal frame decay,
Mingled with its kindred clay;
Since thy mercies, oft of old
By thy chosen seers foretold,
Faithful now and steadfast prove,
God of truth, and God of love!

2 Since, at length, my aged eye
Sees the day-spring from on high,
Those whom Death has overspread
With his dark and dreary shade,

Lift their eyes, and from afar
Hail the light of Jacob's star,
Waiting till the promised ray
Turn their darkness into day;
3 Sun of righteousness! to thee,
Lo, the nations bow the knee;
And the realms of distant kings
Own the healing of thy wings:
See the beams, intensely shed,
Shine on Zion's favored head!
Never may they hence remove,
God of truth, and God of love!

220

C. M.

T. FLETCHER.

The Baptism and Inspiration of Jesus.

1 IN Judah's rugged wilderness,
Where Jordan rolls his flood,
In manners strict, and rude in dress,
The holy Baptist stood..

2 And, while upon the river's side
The people thronged to hear,
"Repent," the sacred preacher cried;
"The heavenly kingdom's near."

3 Now Jesus to the stream descends;
His feet the waters lave;

And o'er his head, that humbly bends,
The Baptist pours the wave; -

4 When, lo! a heavenly form appears,
Descending as a dove;

And wondrous sounds the assembly hears,
Proclaiming from above,-

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