The Sabbath

The Sabbath

Day of days, the dearest, best ;
Hallowed by Jehovah's rest !
When his six day's work was done,
Holy rose the seventh sun.

When creation's pillars stood,
And the Lord pronounced them good,
Morning stars together sang
Heaven with sabbath praises rang.

Earth in pristine beauty shone,
Like a gem, before his throne,
While he marked thee as his claim,
And baptized thee with his name.

Choice of God, thou blessed day !
At thy dawn the grave gave way
To the power of him within,
Who had, sinless, bled for sin.

Thine the radiance to illume
First, for man, the dismal tomb,
When its bars their weakness owned,
There revealing death dethroned.

Then the " Sun of Righteousness,"
Rose a darkened world to bless,
Bringing up from mortal night,
Immortality and light.