11 S.M. E. TAYLOR
Invitation to the House of God.
COME to the house of prayer,
O thou afflicted, come;
The God of peace shall meet thee there;
He makes that house his home.
Come to the house of praise,
Ye who are happy now;
In sweet accord your voices raise,
In kindred homage bow.
Ye aged, hither come,
For ye have felt his love;
Soon shall your trembling tongues be dumb,
Your lips forget to move.
Ye young, before his throne,
Come, bow; your voices raise;
Let not your hearts his praise disown
Who gives the power to praise.
Thou, whose benignant eye
In mercy looks on all,
Who sees the tear of misery,
And hears the mourner’s call.
Up to thy dwelling-place
Bear our frail spirits on,
Till they outstrip time’s tardy pace,
And heaven on earth be won.