O Day of Rest and Gladness - #9 - Bishop Christopher Wordsworth

"O Day of Rest and Gladness"
by Christopher Wordsworth, 1808-1885

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
Before th' eternal throne
Sing, "Holy, holy, holy,"
To the great Three in One.

2. On thee at the Creation
The light first had its birth;
On thee for our salvation
Christ rose from depth of earth;
On thee our Lord victorious
The Spirit sent from heaven,
And thus on thee, most glorious,
A threefold light was given.

3. Thou art a cooling fountain
In life's dry, dreary sand;
From thee, like Nebo's mountain,
We view our Promised Land;
A day of sweet reflection,
A day of holy love,
A day of resurrection
From earth to things above.

4. 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.

5. New graces 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.

The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #9
Text: Ps. 118:24
Author: Christopher Wordsworth, 1862, cento, alt.
Tune: "Ellacombe"
1st Published in: _Gesangbuch d. Herzogl. Wuerttemberg.
Hofkapelle_,1784