1. O day of rest and gladness, of day of joy and light, O balm of care and sadness, most beautiful, most bright: On Thee, the high and lowly, through ages joined in tune, Sing holy, holy, holy, to the great God Triune. 2. On Thee, at the creation, the light first had its birth; On Thee, for our salvation, Christ rose from depths of earth; On Thee, our Lord, victorious, the Spirit sent from heaven, And thus on Thee, most glorious, a triple light was given. 3. Thou art a port, protected from storms that round us rise; A garden, intersected with streams of paradise; Thou art a cooling fountain in life's dry, dreary sand; From thee, like Pisgah's mountain, we view our promised land. 4. Thou art a holy ladder, where angels go and come; Each Sunday finds us gladder, nearer to heaven, our home; A day of sweet refection, thou art a day of love, A day of resurrection from earth to things above. 5. Today on weary nations the heavenly manna falls; To holy convocations the silver trumpet calls, Where Gospel light is glowing with pure and radiant beams, And living water flowing, with soul refreshing streams. 6. New graces ever gaining from this our day of rest, We reach the rest remaining to spirits of the blessed. To Holy Ghost be praises, to Father, and to Son; The church her voice upraises to Thee, blessed Three in One.
Lyrics: Christopher Wordsworth
Music: Lowell Mason
Tune: MENDEBRAS
Christopher Wordsworth, 1807–1885
Christopher Wordsworth (nephew of the renowned English poet, William Wordsworth) was an Anglican bishop, a noted scholar, and a distinguished writer. He composed 127 hymn texts that were intended to teach the truths of Scripture and encourage worship. “O Day of Rest and Gladness,” his only hymn widely used today, focuses on the doctrine of the Trinity.