Across the

fleet

ing: We deck thine

ing; And as the year's last

I ACROSS the sky the shades of night
This winter's eve are fleeting:

We deck thine altar, Lord, with light,
In solemn worship meeting;
And as the year's last hours go by,
We lift to thee our earnest cry,

Once more thy love entreating;

2 Before the cross, subdued we bow, To thee our prayers addressing; Recounting all thy mercies now,

And all our sins confessing; Beseeching thee, this coming year, To hold us in thy faith and fear,

And crown us with thy blessing.

3 And while we kneel, we lift our eyes To dear ones gone before us, Safe housed with thee in Paradise, Whose peace descendeth o'er us, And beg of thee, when life is past,

To reunite us all at last,

And to our lost restore us.

4 We gather up, in this brief hour, The memory of thy mercies:

Thy wondrous goodness, love, and power, Our grateful song rehearses:

For thou hast been our strength and stay In many a dark and dreary day

Of sorrow and reverses.

5 In many an hour, when fear and dread
Like evil spells have bound us,
And clouds were gathering overhead,
Thy providence hath found us;
In many a night when waves ran high,
Thy gracious presence drawing nigh
Hath made all calm around us.

6 Thou, O great God, in years to come,
Whatever fate betide us,

Right onward through our journey home
Be thou at hand to guide us;
Nor leave us till, at close of life,
Safe from all perils, toil, and strife,

Heaven shall enfold and hide us.

IO, PRAISE ye the Lord, prepare a new song,
And let all his saints in full chorus join;
With voices united the anthem prolong,
And show forth his praises with music
divine !

2 Let praise to the Lord, who made us, ascend;

Let each grateful heart be glad in its King; The God whom we worship, our songs will attend,

And view with complacence the offering we bring.

3 Be joyful, ye saints, sustained by his might,

And let your glad song awake with each

morn;

For those who obey him are still his delight, His hand with salvation the meek will adorn.

4 Then praise ye the Lord; prepare a glad

song,

And let all his saints in full chorus join ; With voices united the anthem prolong, And show forth his praises with music divine.

600.

1 O, WORSHIP the King, all-glorious above!
O, gratefully sing his wonderful love!
Our Shield and Defender, the Ancient of
Days,

Pavilioned in splendor, and girded with praise.

2 Thy bountiful care what tongue can recite? It breathes in the air, it shines in the light; It streams from the hills, it descends to the plain,

And sweetly distils in the dew and the rain.

3 Frail children of dust, and feeble as frail, In thee do we trust, nor find thee to fail. Thy mercies how tender! how firm to the end!

Our Maker, Defender, Redeemer, and Friend!

2

And laden souls by thousands meekly stealing,

Kind Shepherd, turn their weary steps to thee.

Angels of Jesus, angels of light, Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night. 4 Angels, sing on your faithful watches keeping,

Sing us sweet fragments of the songs above;

Till morning's joy shall end the night of weeping,

And life's long shadows break in cloudless love.

Angels of Jesus, angels of light, Singing to welcome the pilgrims of the night.

H

602.

I CHRIST is risen! Alleluia!

Risen our victorious head!
Sing his praises! Alleluia !

Christ is risen from the dead!
Gratefully our hearts adore him,

As his light once more appears;
Bowing down in joy before him,
Rising up from grief and tears.
Christ is risen! Alleluia !

Risen our victorious head!
Sing his praises! Alleluia !
Christ is risen from the dead!

2 Christ is risen! All the sadness
Of his earthly life is o'er ;