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| THE DAWN of God’s dear Sabbath | |
| Breaks o’er the earth again | |
| As some sweet summer morning | |
| After a night of pain: | |
| It comes as cooling showers | 5 |
| To some exhausted land; | |
| As shade of clustered palm-trees | |
| ’Mid weary wastes of sand; | |
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| As bursts of glorious sunshine | |
| Across a stormy sea, | 10 |
| Revealing to the sailors | |
| That Port where they would be,— | |
| The calm and peaceful Haven, | |
| The dazzling, golden shore, | |
| The home of saints and angels, | 15 |
| Where sin is known no more. | |
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| O day when earthly sorrow | |
| Is merged in heavenly joy, | |
| And trial changed to blessing | |
| That foes may not destroy,— | 20 |
| When want is turned to fulness, | |
| And weariness to rest; | |
| And pain to wondrous rapture, | |
| Upon the Saviour’s breast! | |
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| O we would bring for offering, | 25 |
| Though marred with earthly soil, | |
| A week of earnest labour, | |
| Of steady, faithful toil; | |
| Fair fruits of self-denial, | |
| Of strong, deep love to Thee, | 30 |
| Fostered by Thine own Spirit | |
| In our humility. | |
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| And we would bring our burden | |
| Of sinful thought and deed, | |
| At His dear Altar kneeling, | 35 |
| From bondage to be freed; | |
| Our heart’s most bitter sorrow | |
| For all Thy work undone— | |
| So many talents wasted! | |
| So few bright laurels won! | 40 |
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| And with that sorrow mingling, | |
| A steadfast faith, and sure, | |
| And love so deep and fervent, | |
| That tries to make it pure,— | |
| In His dear Presence finding | 45 |
| The pardon that we need; | |
| And then the peace so lasting— | |
| Celestial peace indeed! | |
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| So be it, Lord, for ever: | |
| O may we evermore, | 50 |
| In Jesu’s holy Presence, | |
| His blessèd Name adore! | |
| Upon His peaceful Sabbath, | |
| Within His temple-walls,— | |
| Type of the stainless worship | 55 |
| In Zion’s golden halls; | |
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| So that, in joy and gladness, | |
| We reach that Home at last | |
| When life’s short week of sorrow | |
| And sin and strife is past: | 60 |
| When Angel-hands have gathered | |
| The fair, ripe fruit for Thee, | |
| O Father, Lord, Redeemer, | |
| Most Holy Trinity! | |
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