I am a stranger here, within a foreign land;
My home is far away, upon a golden strand;
Ambassador to be of realms beyond the sea,
I’m here on business for my King.

Refrain

This is the message that I bring,
A message angels fain would sing:
“Oh, be ye reconciled,”
Thus saith my Lord and King,
“Oh, be ye reconciled to God.”

This is the King’s command: that all men, everywhere,
Repent and turn away from sin’s seductive snare;
That all who will obey, with Him shall reign for aye,
And that’s my business for my King.

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My home is brighter far than Sharon’s rosy plain,
Eternal life and joy throughout its vast domain;
My Sovereign bids me tell how mortals there may dwell,
And that’s my business for my King.

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Inspirer and hearer of prayer,
Thou Shepherd and Guardian of Thine,
My all to Thy covenant care,
I, sleeping or waking, resign.

If Thou art my Shield and my Sun,
The night is no darkness to me;
And, fast as my minutes roll on,
They bring me but nearer to Thee.

A sovereign Protector I have,
Unseen, yet for ever at hand;
Unchangeably faithful to save,
Almighty to rule and command.

His smiles and His comforts abound,
His grace, as the dew, shall descend;
And walls of salvation surround
The soul He delights to defend.

Lord God of hosts, in mercy
My supplication hear;
Almighty and all faithful,
Our fathers’ God, give ear.
Our Shield and great Defender,
No longer hide Thy face,
But look upon Thy servant,
Anointed by Thy grace.

In Thy blest courts to worship,
My God, a single day
Is better than a thousand
While far from Thee I stray.
Though in a lowly station,
The service of my Lord
I choose above all pleasures
That sinful ways afford.

A sun and shield forever
Is God, the Lord Most High,
To those who walk uprightly
No good will He deny.
His saints, His grace receiving,
Shall soon His glory see;
O Lord of hosts, most blessèd
Are they that trust in Thee.

O Lord of hosts, to Thee I cry,
Our fathers’ God, to Thee;
Let my petition reach Thine ear,
My prayer accepted be.
O God our Shield, look Thou on us,
Reveal Thyself in grace,
And let Thine own anointed one
Behold Thee face to face.

A single day within Thy courts,
Where I Thy beauty see,
Is better than a thousand days,
My God, apart from Thee.
A lowly station in Thy house
Were dearer to my heart
Than in the tents of wickedness
To claim the chiefest part.

A Sun and Shield is God, the Lord,
To lighten and defend;
The Lord to such as look to Him
Will grace and glory send.
To those that walk in righteousness
No good will He deny.
O Lord of hosts, how blest are they
Who on Thy grace rely!

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.

Eternal Sun of righteousness,
Display Thy beams divine,
And cause the glory of Thy face
Upon my heart to shine.

Light, in Thy light, oh, may I see,
Thy grace and mercy prove,
Revived, and cheered, and blest by Thee,
The God of pardoning love.

Lift up Thy countenance serene,
And let Thy happy child
Behold, without a cloud between,
The Father reconciled.

On me Thy promised grace bestow,
The peace by Jesus giv’n;
The joys of holiness below,
And then the joys of Heav’n.

Jesus, Sun and Shield art Thou;
Sun and Shield forever:
Never canst Thou cease to shine,
Cease to guard us never.
Cheer our steps as on we go,
Come between us and the foe.

Jesus, Bread and Wine art Thou,
Wine and Bread forever:
Never canst Thou cease to feed,
Or refresh us never.
Feed we still on Bread divine,
Drink we still this heavenly Wine.

Jesus, Love and Life art Thou,
Life and Love for ever:
Ne’er to quicken shalt Thou cease,
Or to love us never.
All of life and love we need
Is in Thee, in Thee indeed.

Jesus, Peace and Joy art Thou,
Joy and Peace for ever:
Joy that fades not, changes not,
Peace that leaves us never.
Joy and peace we have in Thee,
Now and through eternity.

Jesus, Song and Strength art Thou,
Strength and Song for ever:
Strength that never can decay,
Song that ceaseth never.
Still to us this strength and song
Through eternal days prolong.

Sun of my soul, Thou Savior dear,
It is not night if Thou be near;
O may no earthborn cloud arise
To hide Thee from Thy servant’s eyes.

When the soft dews of kindly sleep
My wearied eyelids gently steep,
Be my last thought, how sweet to rest
Forever on my Savior’s breast.

Abide with me from morn till eve,
For without Thee I cannot live;
Abide with me when night is nigh,
For without Thee I dare not die.

If some poor wandering child of Thine
Has spurned today the voice divine,
Now, Lord, the gracious work begin;
Let him no more lie down in sin.

Watch by the sick, enrich the poor
With blessings from Thy boundless store;
Be every mourner’s sleep tonight,
Like infants’ slumbers, pure and right.

Come near and bless us when we wake,
Ere through the world our way we take,
Till in the ocean of Thy love
We lose ourselves in Heaven above.

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Refrain

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Refrain

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

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But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

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Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

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