As thou didst rest, O Father

From Oremus Hymnal

As thou didst rest, O Father, o’er nature’s finished birth,
as thou didst in thy work rejoice, and bless the newborn earth,
so give us now that Sabbath-rest, which makes thy children free,
free for the work of love to man, of thankfulness to thee.

But in thy worship, Father, O lift our souls above,
by holy word, by prayer and hymn, by eucharistic love;
till e’en the dull cold work of earth, the earth which Christ hath trod,
shall be itself a silent prayer, to raise us up to God.

So lead us on to heaven, where in thy presence blest
the wicked cease from troubling, and the weary are at rest,
where faith is lost in vision, where love hath no alloy,
and through eternity there flows the deepening stream of joy.

To thee, who givest us freedom, our Father and our King,
to thee, the risen Lord of life, our ransomed spirit sing;
thou fill’st the Church in earth and heaven, O Holy Ghost, to thee
in warfare’s toil, in victory’s rest, eternal glory be.