Hymns and Spiritual Songs Part 57

1 Father, we wait to feel thy grace, To see thy glories s.h.i.+ne; The Lord will his own table bless, And make the feast divine.

2 We touch, we taste the heavenly bread, We drink the sacred Cup; With outward forms our sense is fed, Our souls rejoice in hope.

3 We shall appear before the throne Of our forgiving G.o.d, Dress'd in the garments of his Son, And sprinkled with his blood.

4 We shall be strong to run the race, And climb the upper sky; Christ will provide our souls with grace, He bought a large supply.

5 [Let us indulge a cheerful frame, For joy becomes a feast; We love the memory of his Name, More than the wine we taste.]

Hymn 3:25.

Divine glories, and our graces.

1 How are thy glories here display'd, Great G.o.d, how bright they s.h.i.+ne, While at thy word we break the bread, And pour the flowing wine!

2 Here thy revenging justice stands And pleads its dreadful cause; Here saving mercy spreads her hands Like Jesus on the cross.

3 Thy saints attend with every grace On this great sacrifice; And love appears with cheerful face, And faith with fixed eyes.

4 Our hope in waiting posture sits, To heaven directs her sight; Here every warmer pa.s.sion meets, And warmer powers unite.

5 Zeal and revenge perform their part, And rising sin destroy; Repentance comes with aching heart, Yet not forbids the joy.

6 Dear Saviour, change our faith to sight, Let sin for ever die; Then shall our souls be all delight, And every tear be dry.

I cannot persuade myself to put a full period to these Divine Hymns, till I have addressed a special song of glory to G.o.d the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Though the Latin name of it, Gloria Patri, be retained in our nation from the Romish church; and thought there may be some excesses of superst.i.tious honour paid to the words of it, which may have wrought some unhappy prejudices in weaker Christians, yet I believe it still to be one of the n.o.blest parts of Christian wors.h.i.+p. The subject of it is the doctrine of the Trinity, which is that peculiar glory of the Divine Nature, that our Lord Jesus Christ has so clearly revealed unto men, and is so necessary to true Christianity. The action is praise, which is one of the most complete and exalted parts of heavenly wors.h.i.+p. I have cast the song into a variety of forms, and have fitted it to a plain version, or a larger paraphrase, to be sung either alone, or at the conclusion of another Hymn. I have added also a few hosannas, or ascriptions of salvation to Christ, in the same manner, and for the same end.

Doxologies.

Hymn 3:26. 1st. L.M.

A song of praise to the ever-blessed Trinity, G.o.d in Father, Son, and Spirit.

1 Bless'd be the Father and his love: To whose celestial source we owe Rivers of endless joy above, And rills of comfort here below.

2 Glory to thee, great Son of G.o.d, From whose dear wounded body rolls A precious stream of vital blood, Pardon and life for dying souls.

3 We give the sacred Spirit praise, Who in our hearts of sin and woe Makes living springs of grace arise, And into boundless glory flow.

4 Thus G.o.d the Father, G.o.d the Son, And G.o.d the Spirit, we adore; That sea of life and love unknown, Without a bottom or a sh.o.r.e.

Hymn 3:27. 1st. C. M.

1 Glory to G.o.d the Father's Name, Who, from our sinful race, Chose out his favourites to proclaim The honours of his grace.

2 Glory to G.o.d the Son be paid, Who dwelt in humble clay, And, to redeem us from the dead, Gave his own life away.

3 Glory to G.o.d the Spirit give, From whose almighty power Our souls their heavenly birth derive, And bless the happy hour.

4 Glory to G.o.d that reigns above, Th' eternal Three and One, Who by the wonders of his love Has made his nature known.

Hymn 3:28. 1st. S. M.

1 Let G.o.d the Father live For ever on our tongues; Sinners from his first love derive The ground of all their songs.

2 Ye saints, employ your breath In honour to the Son, Who bought your souls from h.e.l.l and death By offering up his own.

3 Give to the Spirit praise Of an immortal strain, Whose light and power and grace conveys Salvation down to men.

4 While G.o.d the Comforter Reveals our pardon'd sin, O may the blood and water bear The same record within.

5 To the great One and Three That seal this grace in heaven, The Father, Son, and Spirit, be Eternal glory given.

Hymn 3:29. 2d. L.M.

1 Glory to G.o.d the Trinity Whose name has mysteries unknown; In essence One, in person Three; A social nature, yet alone.

2 When all our n.o.blest powers are join'd The honours of thy Name to raise, Thy glories over-match our mind, And angels faint beneath the praise.

Hymn 3:30. 2d. C. M

1 The G.o.d of mercy be ador'd, Who calls our souls from death, Who saves by his redeeming word, And new-creating breath.

2 To praise the Father and the Son And Spirit all divine, The One in Three, and Three in One, Let saints and angels join.

Hymn 3:31. 2d. S. M.

1 Let G.o.d the Maker's name Have honour, love and fear, To G.o.d the Saviour pay the same, And G.o.d the Comforter.

2 Father of lights above, Thy mercy we adore, The Son of thy eternal love And Spirit of thy power.

Hymn 3:32. 3d. L. M.

To G.o.d the Father, G.o.d the Son, And G.o.d the Spirit, Three in One, Be honour, praise, and glory given, By all on earth, and all in heaven.

Hymn 3:33.