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HAIL TO THE SABBATH DAY

Scripture Verse

The seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. Exodus 20:10

Introduction

portrait
Stephen G. Bulfinch
(1809–1870)

Words: Ste­phen G. Bul­finch, Con­tem­pla­tions of the Sav­iour (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Car­ter & Hen­dee, 1832).

Music: Schu­mann Can­ti­ca Laud­is, by Low­ell Ma­son & George J. Webb (New York: Ma­son & Law, 1850) (🔊 ).

portrait
Lowell Mason (1792–1872)

Lyrics

Hail to the Sab­bath day!
The day di­vine­ly giv­en,
When men to God their hom­age pay,
And earth draws near to Heav­en.

Lord, in this sac­red hour,
Within Thy courts we bend,
And bless Thy love, and own Thy pow­er,
Our fa­ther and our friend.

But Thou art not alone
In courts by mor­tals trod;
Nor on­ly is the day Thine own
When man draws near to God.

Thy tem­ple is the arch
Of yon un­mea­sured sky;
Thy Sab­bath, the stu­pen­dous march
Of vast eter­ni­ty.

Lord, may that ho­li­er day
Dawn on Thy ser­vants’ sight;
And pur­er wor­ship may we pay
In Heav­en’s un­cloud­ed light.