How Dreadful Is the Place

How dread­ful is the place

Where God ap­points to meet

Sinners that hum­bly seek His face

And trem­ble at His feet.

Where to th’as­sem­bled crowd

His pro­mised grace is giv­en:

This is the so­lemn house of God

This is the gate of Heav­en!

His or­di­nance di­vine

He now vouch­safes to own

Blessings here­in and du­ties join

And God and Man is One:

The sac­ra­ment­al rite

Which Je­sus’ love com­mands

Heaven and earth by faith t’unite

Like Ja­cob’s lad­der stands.

On this mys­te­ri­ous tree

Where our Re­deem­er hung

Descending and as­cend­ing see

The bright an­gel­ic throng!

They fill the hal­lowed place

While we His death re­cord

And lost in si­lent won­der gaze

At our ex­pir­ing Lord.

By Je­sus’ cross sus­tained

Our souls to Heav­en as­pire

Blessings by Je­sus’ cross des­cend

And raise our rap­tures high­er.

The min­is­ters of grace

Swift to our suc­cor move

Our guard­ians fill the mid­dle space

And God ap­pears ab­ove!

He calls us to the skies

And lo! we spurn the ground

Light on the sac­red lad­der rise

And gain the top­most round;

Of ev­er­last­ing life

The glo­ri­ous pledge is giv­en

Another step shall end the strife

And lodge us all in Heav­en!