How lovely are Thy tents, O Lord!
Where’er Thou choosest to record
Thy Name, or place Thy house of prayer;
My soul outflies the angel choir,
And faints, o’erpowered with strong desire,
To meet Thy special presence there.

My heart and flesh cry out for God;
There would I fix my soul’s abode,
As birds that in the altars nest;
There would I all my young ones bring,
An offering to my God and King,
And in Thy courts for ever rest.

Happy the men to whom ’tis given,
To dwell within that gate of Heaven,
And in Thy house record Thy praise;
Whose strength and confidence Thou art,
Who feel Thee, Savior, in their heart,
The Way, the Truth, the Life of grace:

Who, passing through the mournful vale,
Drink comfort from the living well,
That flows replenished from above;
From strength to strength advancing here,
Till all before their God appear,
And each receives the crown of love.

Better a day Thy courts within
Than thousands in the tents of sin;
How base the noblest pleasure there!
How great the weakest child of Thine!
His meanest task is all divine,
And kings and priests Thy servants are.

The Lord protects and cheers His own,
Their light and strength, their shield and sun;
He shall both grace and glory give;
Unlimited His bounteous grant;
No real good they e’er shall want;
All, all is theirs, who righteous live.

O Lord of hosts, how blest is he
Who steadfastly believes in Thee!
He all Thy promises shall gain;
The soul that on Thy love is cast
Thy perfect love on earth shall taste,
And soon with Thee in glory reign.

How lovely, how divinely sweet,
Oh Lord! Thy sacred courts appear;
Fain would my longing passions meet
The glories of Thy presence there.

O bless’d the men, bless’d their employ,
Whom Thy indulgent favors raise
To dwell in those abodes of joy,
And sing Thy never ceasing praise.

Happy the men whom strength divine
With ardent love and zeal inspires;
Whose steps to Thy blest way incline
With willing hearts and warm desires.

One day within Thy sacred gate,
Affords more real joy to me
Than thousands in the tents of state;
The meanest place is bliss with Thee.

My soul, how lovely is the place
To which thy God resorts!
’Tis heav’n to see His smiling face,
Though in His earthly courts.

There the great Monarch of the skies
His saving power displays,
And light breaks in upon our eyes
With kind and quick’ning rays.

With His rich gifts the heav’nly Dove
Descends and fills the place,
While Christ reveals His wondrous love,
And sheds abroad His grace.

There, mighty God, Thy words declare
The secrets of Thy will;
And still we seek Thy mercy there,
And sing Thy praises still.

My heart and flesh cry out for Thee,
While far from Thine abode;
When shall I tread Thy courts, and see
My Savior and my God?

The sparrow builds herself a nest,
And suffers no remove;
O make me, like the sparrows, blest,
To dwell but where I love.

To sit one day beneath Thine eye,
And hear Thy gracious voice,
Exceeds a whole eternity
Employed in carnal joys.

Lord, at Thy threshold I would wait
While Jesus is within,
Rather than fill a throne of state,
Or live in tents of sin.

Could I command the spacious land,
And the more boundless sea,
For one blest hour at Thy right hand
I’d give them both away.

Pleasant are Thy courts above,
In the land of light and love;
Pleasant are Thy courts below
In this land of sin and woe;
O, my spirit longs and faints
For the converse of Thy saints,
For the brightness of Thy face,
For Thy fullness, God of grace.

Happy birds that sing and fly
Round Thy altars, O most High;
Happier souls that find a rest
In a heavenly Father’s breast;
Like the wandering dove that found
No repose on earth around,
They can to their ark repair,
And enjoy it ever there.

Happy souls, their praises flow
Even in this vale of woe;
Waters in the desert rise,
Manna feeds them from the skies;
On they go from strength to strength,
Till they reach Thy throne at length,
At Thy feet adoring fall,
Who hast led them safe through all.

Lord, be mine this prize to win,
Guide me through a world of sin,
Keep me by Thy saving grace,
Give me at Thy side a place;
Sun and shield alike Thou art,
Guide and guard my erring heart.
Grace and glory flow from Thee;
Shower, O shower them, Lord, on me.