Fellowship Meeting

By T.J.D.

Welcome! best of all good meetings,
Welcome! brothers, sisters true;
Gifts and blessings, happy greetings,
Heavenly treasures old and new.

Gladly young and old assemble,
Sweetest songs rise from the soul,
Saints rejoice and sinners tremble,
Power unseen pervades the whole.

Prayer, and praise, and testimony,
O! how swift the moments fly;
Burning words of inspiration,
Tongues unknown, and prophecy.

Faithful Saints refresh’d and strengthen’d,
Drooping ones reviv’d and cheer’d;
Thus their happy days are lengthen’d,
Thus Jehovah’s name’s rever’d.

Where is heaven? who can tell it?
Answer ye who only know!
Where abides the Holy Spirit –
Where its fruits and graces show.

Blessed people! pure religion!
Godlike, priceless, simple, free!
Love, or hold it in derision,
‘Twill be Truth eternally!

(1854)