O Day of Rest and Gladness
"First day... came Jesus and stood in the midst." - John 20:19
VERSE 1
O day of rest and gladness,
O day of joy and light,
O balm of care and sadness,
Most beautiful, most bright!
On Thee the high and lowly,
Through ages joined in tune,
Sing, holy, holy, holy,
To the great God Triune.
VERSE 2
On Thee, at the creation,
The light first had its birth;
On Thee, for our salvation,
Christ rose from depths of earth;
On Thee, our Lord victorious
The Spirit sent from heaven:
And thus on Thee most glorious
A triple light was given.
VERSE 3
Thou art a port protected
From storms that round us rise;
A garden intersected
With streams of paradise;
Thou art a cooling fountain
In life's dry dreary sand;
From Thee, like Pisgah's mountain,
We view our promised land.
VERSE 4
Thou art a holy ladder,
Where angels go and come;
Each Sunday finds us gladder,
Nearer to heaven, our home;
A day of sweet reflection,
Thou art a day of love;
A day of resurrection
From earth to things above.
VERSE 5
Today on weary nations
The heavenly manna falls;
To holy convocations
The silver trumpet calls,
Where gospel light is glowing
With pure and radiant beams,
And living water flowing
With soul-refreshing streams.
VERSE 6
New gates ever gaining
From this our day of rest,
We reach the rest remaining
To spirits of the blest.
To Holy Ghost be praises,
To Father, and to Son:
The Church her voice upraises
To Thee, blest Three in One.