Hail, Happy Day!

Hail

hap­py day! the day of ho­ly rest

When saints as­semble and on dain­ties feast:

When all in smiles the God of grace des­cends

Opens His stores

and en­ter­tains His friends.

Let earth and all its va­ni­ties be gone

Move from my sight

and leave my soul alone:

Its flat­ter­ing

fad­ing glo­ries I’d des­pise

And to­wards im­mor­tal beau­ties turn mine eyes.

My soul is now with nob­ler love pos­sessed

I feel the rap­ture strive with­in my breast;

My heart all kin­dles with re­fined desire

And bound­less charms main­tain the pleas­ing fire.

Fain would I mount and pe­ne­trate the skies

And on my Sav­ior’s glo­ries fix mine eyes:

Oh! meet my ris­ing soul

stoop from ab­ove

Jesus

and waft it to those realms of love.

Ere yet the knot of un­ion be un­tied

And death the lov­ing part­ners shall di­vide

A glimpse of fu­ture glo­ry I would see

And taste how joy­ous ’tis to dwell with thee.

But if the wish am­bi­tious is and vain

Downward I’ll bend my hum­ble flight again

And to Thy tem­ple with de­vo­tion haste;

Oh! let me there on heav’n­ly fat­ness feast.

There ho­ly souls are with true man­na fed

There eat the liv­ing and the quick­en­ing bread;

There mix their food with most de­li­cious wine

And cheer their hearts with cor­di­als all di­vine.

If yet I must not climb the star­ry height

And see Thee blaz­ing on a throne of light:

If still the veil be­tween us must di­vide

And from mine eyes my Sav­ior’s glo­ries hide

Yet here dis­play the won­ders of Thy grace

Look thro’ the skies and show Thy smil­ing face;

Stoop down

blest King of glo­ry

from ab­ove

Shine on my soul and ra­vish me with love.