DEDICATION OR CONSECRATION OF A CHURCH.
Teach us to know the Father, Son, And thee of both to be but One, That, through the ages all along, This may be our endless song;
Praise to thy eternal merit, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.
538 POUR out thy Spirit from on
high,
Lord, thine assembled servants bless; Graces and gifts to each supply, And clothe thy priests with righteous
ness.
Within thy temple when we stand
To teach the truth, as taught by thee, Saviour, like stars in thy right hand, The angels of the churches be. Wisdom and zeal and faith impart, Firmness with meekness, from above, To bear thy people on our heart, And love the souls whom thou dost love;
To watch and pray, and never faint; By day and night strict guard to keep; To warn the sinner, cheer the saint, Nourish thy lambs, and feed thy sheep. Then, when our work is finish'd here,
In humble hope our charge resign: When the Chief Shepherd shall appear, O God, may they and we be thine.( b) 539 COME ye yourselves apart and
rest awhile,
Weary, I know it, of the press and throng,
Wipe from your brow the sweat and dust of toil,
Bedication or Consecration of a Church.
540 THIS stone to thee in faith we
lay; We build the temple, Lord, to thee; Thine eye be open night and day
To guard this house and sanctuary. Here, when thy people seek thy face, And dying sinners pray to live, Hear thou in heaven, thy dwelling- place, And when thou hearest, O forgive. Here, when thy messengers proclaim The blessèd Gospel of thy Son, Still by the power of his great name Be mighty signs and wonders done. Hosanna! to their heavenly King, When children's voices raise that song: Hosanna! let their angels sing,
And heaven with earth the strain prolong.
But will, indeed, Jehovah deign Here to abide, no transient guest? Here will the world's Redeemer reign? And here the Holy Spirit rest P That glory never hence depart; Yet choose not, Lord, this house alons Thy kingdom come to every heart,
In every bosom fix thy throne.( b) 541 CHRIST is our corner- stone,
On him alone we build; With his true saints alone The courts of heaven are fill'd: On his great love
Our hopes we place
Of present grace
And in my quiet strength again be strong.
Come ye aside from all the world holds dear,
For converse which the world has never known,
Alone with me and with my Father here, With me and with my Father not alone. Come, tell me all that ye have said and done,
Your victories and failures, hopes and fears.
I know how hardly souls are wooed and
won:
My choicest wreaths are always wet
with tears.
Come ye and rest: the journey is too great,
And ye will faint beside the way and sink:
The bread of life is here for you to eat, And here for you the wine of love to drink.
Then, fresh from converse with your Lord, return
Andwork till daylight softens into even: The brief hours are not lost in which
ye
More of your Master and his rest in heaven.( p)
And joys above.
O 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.
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, Until that day When all the blest To endless rest Are call'd away.( w)
542
BLESSED city, heavenly Salem, Vision dear of peace and love, Who of living stones up- builded Art the joy of heaven above,