Within Thy courts have millions met,
Millions this day before Thee bowed;
Their faces heavenward were set,
Their vows to Thee, O God! they vowed.
Still as the light of morning broke
O’er island, continent, and deep,
Thy far-spread family awoke,
Sabbath all round the world to keep.
From east to west the sun surveyed,
From north to south, adoring throngs;
And still where evening stretched her shade
The stars came forth to hear their songs.
And not a prayer, a tear, a sigh,
Hath failed this day some suit to gain;
To hearts that sought Thee Thou wast nigh
Nor hath one sought Thy face in vain.
The poor in spirit Thou hast fed,
The feeble soul hath strengthened been.
The mourner Thou hast comforted,
The pure in heart their God have seen.
And Thou, soul-searching God! hast known
The hearts of all that bent the knee,
And all their prayers have reached Thy throne,
In soul and truth who worshipped Thee.
Source: A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) #375
James Montgomery (b. Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, 1771; d. Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, 1854), the son of Moravian parents who died on a West Indies mission field while he was in boarding school, Montgomery inherited a strong religious bent, a passion for missions, and an independent mind. He was editor of the Sheffield Iris (1796-1827), a newspaper that sometimes espoused radical causes. Montgomery was imprisoned briefly when he printed a song that celebrated the fall of the Bastille and again when he described a riot in Sheffield that reflected unfavorably on a military commander. He also protested against slavery, the lot of boy chimney sweeps, and lotteries. Associated with Christians of various persuasions, Montgomery supported missio… Go to person page >
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