Thou the Way, the Truth, the Life,
Gird him for the sacred strife,
Aye his faithful watch to keep,
Tend Thy lambs, and feed Thy sheep.
3 Speed him on his life-long way,
Speed him whom we speed to-day;
Thou, the gracious, loving Lord,
Give him souls for his reward:
Till he win the promised crown,
When he lays his burden down
Humbly at his Saviour's feet,
Low before the mercy-seat:
Give him, Lord, Thy grace to keep,
Tend Thy lambs, and feed Thy sheep.
4 To the blessed Trinity
Now let praise and glory be,
In Whose Name we meet to-day
For our guidance, as we pray
That we may, in all we do,
Pastor, and his flock, be true;
True to man in heavenly love,
True to Thee, our God, above,
Till we, sheep and shepherd, meet,
Ransomed at Thy judgment seat.
291 Laying of a Corner-Stone.
LORD of hosts, Whose glory fills
The bounds of the eternal hills,
And yet vouchsafes, in Christian lands,
To dwell in temples made with hands;
2 Grant that all we who here to-day
Rejoicing this foundation lay,
May be in very deed Thine own,
Built on the precious Corner-stone.
3 Endue the creatures with Thy grace, That shall adorn Thy dwelling-place; The beauty of the oak and pine,
The gold and silver, make them Thine.
+ To Thee they all belong; to Thee
The treasures of the earth and sea;
And when we bring them to Thy throne,
We but present Thee with Thine own.
5 The minds that guide, endue with skill;
The hands that work, preserve from ill;
That we, who these foundations lay,
May raise the top-stone in its day.
6 Both now and ever, Lord, protect
The temple of Thine own elect;
Be Thou in them, and they in Thee,
O ever blessed Trinity!
N the Name which earth and heaven
Ever worship, praise, and fear,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
Shall a house be builded here:
Here with prayer its deep foundations,
In the faith of Christ, we lay,
Trusting by His help to crown it
With the top-stone in its day.
2 Here as in their due succession
Stone on stone the workmen place,
Thus, we pray, unseen but surely,
Jesu, build us up in grace;
Till, within these walls completed,
We complete in Thee are found ;
And to Thee. the one Foundation,
Strong and living stones, are bound.
3 Fair shall be Thine earthly temple:
Here the careless passer-by
Shall bethink him, in its beauty,
Of the holier House on high;
Weary hearts and troubled spirits
Here shall find a still retreat;
Sinful souls shall bring their burden
Here to the Absolver's feet.
4 Yet with truer, nobler beauty,
Lord, we pray, this house adorn,
Where Thy Bride, Thy Church redeemed,
Robes her for her marriage morn;
Clothed in garments of salvation,
Rich with gems of heavenly grace,
Spouse of Christ, arrayed and waiting
Till she may behold His face.
5 Here in due and solemn order
May her ceaseless prayer arise;
Here may strains of holy gladness
Lift her heart above the skies;
Here the word of life be spoken ;
Here the child of God be sealed;
Here the Bread of Heaven be broken,
"Till He come," Himself revealed.
6 Praise to Thee, O Master Builder,
Maker of the earth and skies;
Praise to Thee, in Whom Thy temple
Fitly framed together lies;
Praise to Thee, eternal Spirit,
Binding all that lives in one:
Till our earthly praise be ended,
And the eternal song begun!
THOU, in Whom alone is found
The strength by which our toil is blest, Upon this consecrated ground
Now bid Thy cloud of glory rest.
2 In Thy great Name we place this stone;
To Thy great truth these walls we rear:
Long may they make Thy glory known,
And long our Saviour triumph here.
3 And while Thy sons, from earth apart,
Here seek the truth from heaven that sprung, Fill with Thy Spirit every heart,
With living fire touch every tongue.
4 Lord, feed Thy Church with peace and love;
Let sin and error pass away,
Till truth's full influence from above
Rejoice the earth with cloudless day.
HRIST is our corner-stone,
On Him alone we build :
With His true saints alone
The courts of heaven are filled;
On His great love our hopes we place,
Of present grace and joys above.
2 Oh, then with hymns of praise
These hallowed 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.
3 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.
4 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 called away.
295 Consecration of Churches.
HY Temple is not made with hands,
"Tis lit by many a golden star;
The purple heights of mountain lands
Its everlasting pillars are.
2 Thee, highest heaven cannot contain,
Great Lord of earth, and sky, and sea!
Yet enter in, and bless the fane
Adoring hands have reared for Thee.
3 [*Unworthy gift and touched with fears,
And memories of our loved at rest;
Draw nigh, O Lord, and dry our tears,
And be Thy presence here confest.]
4 For welcome to the babe new-born,
For strengthening hands on bended head,
For blessings on the marriage morn,
And sweet words whispered o'er the dead;
*To be used of a memorial Church.
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