O Bow Thine Ear, Eternal One

O bow Thine ear

eter­nal One!

On Thee our heart ad­or­ing calls;

To Thee the fol­low­ers of Thy Son

Have raised and now de­vote these walls.

Here let Thy ho­ly days be kept;

And be this place―to wor­ship giv­en―

Like that bright spot where Ja­cob slept

The house of God

the gate of Heav­en.

Here may Thine hon­or dwell; and here

As in­cense

let Thy child­ren’s pray­er

From con­trite hearts and lips sin­cere

Rise on the still and ho­ly air.

Here be Thy praise de­vout­ly sung;

Here let Thy truth beam forth to save

As when

of old

Thy Spir­it hung

On wings of light o’er Jor­dan’s wave.

And when the lips

that with Thy name

Are vo­cal now

to dust shall turn

On oth­ers may de­vo­tion’s flame

Be kin­dled here

and pure­ly burn.