Jesus, where’er Thy people meet

1
Jesus, where’er Thy people meet,
  There they behold Thy mercy-seat;
Where’er they seek Thee, Thou art found,
  With grace and mercy to abound.
2
For Thou, within no walls confined,
  Inhabitest the humble mind;
Such ever bring Thee where they come,
  And going, take Thee to their home.
3
Dear Shepherd of Thy chosen few,
  Thy former mercies here renew;
Here, to our waiting hearts, proclaim
  The sweetness of Thy saving Name.
4
Here may we prove the power of prayer
  To strengthen faith and sweeten care;
To teach our faint desires to rise,
  And bring Thy light before our eyes.
5
Lord, we are few, but Thou art near;
  Nor short Thine arm, nor deaf Thine ear;
Oh, rend the heavens, come quickly down,
  And make our waiting hearts Thine own.
6
Command Thy blessing in this hour;
  And as the Spirit full of pow’r
With life and vision fill this place,
  That all Thy purpose we may trace.
7
O Thou, our Head, our Life, our Guide,
  May nought in life or death divide
The saints in Thy communion blessed,
  That all Thy fulness be expressed.
2
James Smith

Mansfield, Ohio, United States

“Meetings” is the main category for this hymn. “In the Lord’s presence” is the sub-category. There are no other hymns in this sub category. The hymn is written in the plural so the Lord’s presence is necessary for the church. This was written over 200 years ago but you can see such crucial matters as oneness addressed in the 7th verse. This must have been truly visionary at the time it was written. The Lord’s followers are indeed few.


Steve Miller

Detroit, Michigan, United States

The original stanza 1 last line says:

And every place is hallowed ground.

-----------

Stanza 6 above is the original stanza 5, but modified. The original stanza 5 is:

5. Behold at Thy commanding word,

We stretch the curtain and the cord;

Come Thou, and fill this wider space,

And bless us with a large increase.

------------

Hymnal. net stanza 5 is the original last stanza, stanza 6.

The original last stanza last line says:

And make a thousand hearts Thine own!

----------------

Hymnal. net stanza 7 is not in the original