Saints, before the altar bending,
Watching long in hope and fear
Suddenly the Lord descending,
In His temple shall appear;
Come and worship,
Worship Christ, the new-born King.
[IGH let us swell our tuneful notes,
And join the angelic throng;
For angels no such love have known
To wake a cheerful song.
Good-will to sinful man is shewn,
And peace on earth is given :
For, lo! the Incarnate Saviour comes,
With messages from heaven.
Justice and grace, with sweet accord,
His rising beams adorn;
Let heaven and earth in concert join,
To us a Child is born.
Glory to God in highest strains,
In highest worlds be paid;
His glory by our lips proclaimed,
And by our lives displayed!
When shall we reach those blissful realms
Where Christ exalted reigns,
And learn, of the celestial choir,
Their own immortal strains?
ESUS! Name of wondrous love!
Unto which must every knee
Bow in deep humility.
Jesus! Name decreed of old,
With the glorious tidings told
To the Virgin's wondering ear
By the heavenly messenger.
Jesus! Name of priceless worth,
To the fallen sons of earth,
For the promise that it gave,
"Jesus shall His people save."
Jesus! Name of mercy mild,
Given to the holy Child,
When the cup of human woe
First He tasted here below.
Jesus! only Name that's given,
Under all the mighty heaven,
Whereby man, to sin enslaved,
Bursts his fetters, and is saved.
Jesus! Name of wondrous love!
Human Name of God above,
Pleading only this we flee,
Helpless, O our God, to Thee!
IS for conquering kings to gain
Glory o'er their myriads slain :
Jesu, Thy more glorious strife
Hath restored a world to life.
So no other Name is given,
Unto mortals under heaven,
Which can make the dead to rise,
And exalt them to the skies.
That which Christ so hardly wrought,
That which He so dearly bought,
That salvation, mortals, say,
Will you madly cast away?
Rather gladly for that Name
Bear the cross, endure the shame;
Joyfully for Him to die,
Is not death but victory.
Dost Thou, Jesu, condescend
To be called the sinners' Friend?
Ours then it shall always be
Thus to make our boast of Thee.
Glory to the Father be;
Glory, Virgin-born, to Thee;
Glory to the Holy Ghost,
Ever from the heavenly host.
The year that now begins!
All hail to Him who led us here
Through dangers and through sins!
Hail to another year!
Peace to the year that's past!
May this one at its close appear
Less worthless than the last!
Hail to another year!
Ere half its race is sped,
Ourselves, with all our treasures here,
May rest among the dead.
Hail to another year!
Though yet unknown, untrod, Whate'er may come, we need not fear, If friends, through Christ, with God. Hail to another year!
A year of peace and love!
O may it prove a foretaste here
Of endless years above! Amen.
OR Thy mercy and Thy grace,
Faithful through another year,
Hear our song of thankfulness,
Father, and Redeemer, hear!
In our weakness and distress,
Rock of strength! be Thou our stay!
In the pathless wilderness
Be our true and living way'
Who of us death's awful road
In the coming year shall tread?
With thy rod and staff, O God,
Comfort Thou his dying head.
Keep us faithful, keep us pure,
Keep us evermore Thine own!
Help, O help us to endure!
Fit us for Thy promised crown!
So within Thy palace gate,
We shall praise, on golden strings,
Thee, the only Potentate,
Lord of lords, and King of kings! Amen.
ONS of men, behold from far,
Hail the long-expected Star!
Jacob's Star, that gilds the night,
Guides bewildered nature right.
Mild it shines on all beneath,
Piercing through the shades of death,
Scattering error's wide-spread night,
Kindling darkness into light.
Nations all, far-off and near,
Haste to see your God appear,
Haste, for Him your hearts prepare,
Meet Him manifested there.
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