4 Forbid it, Author of my frame,
Great God, from whom my spirit came;
Thy Son can endless life bestow;
To whom but him, then, should I go?
1 How blest the sacred tie that binds In union sweet according minds!
How swift the heavenly course they run,
Whose hearts, and faith, and 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 eyes 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 droops at length frail nature's fire;
For they shall meet in realms above,
A heaven of joy, because of love.
1 How beautiful the sight
Of brethren who agree
In friendship to unite,
And bonds of charity :
'Tis like the precious ointment shed O'er all his robes, from Aaron's head.
2 'T is like the dews that fill
The cups of Hermon's flowers,
Or Zion's fruitful hill,
Bright with the drops of showers,
When mingling odors breathe around,
And glory rests on all the ground.
3 For there the Lord commands
Blessings, a boundless store,
From his unsparing hands,
Yea, life for evermore:
Thrice happy they who meet above
To spend eternity in love.
1 BLEST are the sons of peace,
Whose hearts and hopes are one,
Whose kind designs to serve and please
Through all their actions run.
2 Blest is the pious house,
Where zeal and friendship meet;
Their songs of praise, their mingled vows,
Make their communion sweet.
3 From those celestial springs
Such streams of pleasure flow,
As no increase of riches brings,
Nor honors can bestow.
4 Thus, when on Aaron's head
They poured the rich perfume,
The oil o'er all his raiment spread,
And fragrance filled the room.
5 Thus, on the heavenly hills,
The saints are blest above,
Where joy, like morning dew, distils,
And all the air is love.
1 LET party names no more
The Christian world o'erspread;
Gentile and Jew, and bond and free,
Are one in Christ their head.
2 Among the saints on earth
Let mutual love be found;
Heirs of the same inheritance,
With mutual blessings crowned.
3 Let envy and ill-will
Be banished far away;
Those should in holy friendship dwell Who the same Lord obey.
4 Thus will the Church below
Resemble that above;
Where streams of pleasure always flow, And every heart is love.
"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God."
1 "THUS shalt thou love the Almighty Lord,
With all thy heart, and soul, and mind":
So speaks to man that sacred word,
For counsel and reproof designed.
2 "With all thy heart"; no idol thing,
Though close around the heart it twine,
Its interposing shade must fling,
To darken that pure love of thine.
3 "With all thy mind"; each varied power,
Creative fancy, musings high,
And thoughts that glance behind, before, -
These must religion sanctify.
4" With soul and strength"; thy days of ease,
While vigor nerves each youthful limb,
And hope and joy, and health and peace,
All must be freely brought to him.
5 Thou Power supreme, in whom we move'
Vouchsafe thy servants, in their day,
The mind to adore, the heart to love,
And strength to serve thee, while they may.
1 GIVER of peace and unity,
Send down thy mild, pacific Dove;
We all shall then in one agree,
And breathe the spirit of thy love.
2 We all shall think and speak the same
Delightful lesson of thy grace,
One undivided Christ proclaim,
And jointly glory in thy praise.
3 O let us take a softer mould,
Blended and gathered into thee;
Under one Shepherd make one fold,
Where all is love and harmony.
4 Subdue in us the carnal mind,
The enmity of sin destroy;
With cords of love our passions bind,
And gently melt us into joy.
5 Thus make us find the ancient way
The unbelieving world to move,
And force thy wondering foes to say,
"Behold these Christians, how they love!"
1 O HAPPY is the man who hears
Instruction's faithful voice;
And who celestial wisdom makes
His early, only choice!
2 Wisdom has treasures greater far
Than east or west unfold;
And her rewards more precious are
Than is the gain of gold.
3 In her right hand she holds to view
A length of happy years;
And in her left, the prize of fame
And honor bright appears.
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