Scripture Verse

The Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it. Exodus 20:11

Introduction

portrait
Fanny Crosby (1820–1915)

Words: Fan­ny Cros­by, in Chris­tian En­dea­vor Hymns, ed­it­ed by Ira D. San­key (New York & Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Big­low & Main, 1894), num­ber 99.

Music: Kay­se­ri Da­ri­us E. Jones, in The New Car­mi­na Sac­ra, ed­it­ed by Lo­well Ma­son (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Wil­kins, Car­ter, 1850), page 377 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Jones (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Blessèd day, when pure de­vo­tions
Rise to God on wings of love;
When we catch the dist­ant mu­sic
Of the an­gel choirs above.

Blessèd day, when bells are call­ing
Weary souls from earth­ly care;
And we come with hearts up­lift­ed,
To the ho­ly place of pray­er.

Blessèd day, so calm and rest­ful,
Bringing joy and peace to all;
Linger yet in tran­quil beau­ty,
Ere the shades of ev­en­ing fall.

Blessèd day, thy light is fad­ing,
One by one its beams de­part;
May their calm and sweet re­flect­ion
Still abide in ev­ery heart.