An Hymn For Christmas

1. O come, all ye faithful, Joyful and triumphant,
O come ye, O come ye to Bethlehem;
Come and behold Him, Born the King of angels;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.

2. God of God, Light of Light
Lo! He abhors not the Virgin's womb;
Very God, Begotten, not created;
O come, let us adore Him, O come, let us adore Him,
O come, let us adore Him, Christ the Lord.
-- Words from the Latin, 18th century; Tr. Frederick Oakley, 1802-1880

The Model Church -- (The Old Man's Story)

1  Well, wife, I've found the model church,
      And worshipped there to-day;
   It made me think of good old times,
      Before my hair was grey:
   The meeting-house was finer built
      Than they were years ago:
   But then I found, when I went in,
      It was not built for show.

2  The sexton did not set me down
      Away back by the door;
   He knew that I was old and deaf,
      And saw that I was poor:
   He must have been a Christian man--
      He led me boldly through
   The crowded aisle of that grand church,
      To find a pleasant pew.

3  I wish you'd heard the singing, wife;
      It had the old-time ring
   The preacher said, with trumpet voice,
      "Let all the people sing!"
   "All hail the power!" was the hymn;
      The music upward rolled,
   Until I thought the angel-choir
      Struck all their harps of gold.

4  My deafness seemed to melt away,
      My spirit caught the fire;
   I joined my feeble, trembling voice,
      With that melodious choir;
   And sang, as in my youthful days,
      "Let angels prostrate fall!
         Bring forth the royal diadem,
         And crown Him, crown Him, crown Him,
         Crown Him Lord of all!"

5  I tell you, wife, it did me good
      To sing that hymn nce more;
   I felt like some wrecked mariner,
      Who gets a glimpse of shore.
   I almost want to lay aside
      This weather-beaten form,
   And anchor in the blessed port,
      For ever from the storm.

6  'Twas not a flowery sermon, wife,
      But simple gospel truth;
   It fitted humble men like me;
      It suited hopeful youth.
   To win immortal souls to Christ
      The earnest preacher tried;
   He talked not of himself, or creed,
      But Jesus crucified!

7  Dear wife the toil will soon be o'er,
      The victory soon be won;
   The shining land is just ahead,
      Our race is nearly run;
   We're nearing Canaan's happy shore,
      Our home so bright and fair:      There'll be no sorrow there!
         There'll be no sorrow there!
         In heaven above, where all is love,
         There'll be no sorrow there!
-- by John H. Yates
It seems this hymn was a favourite in the Eramosa/Speedside area a hundred years ago.

An Hymn of the Resurrection

1  Christ the Lord is risen to-day, Alleluia!
Sons of men and angels say: Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia!
Sing, ye heavens, and earth reply: Alleluia!

2  Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia!
Where, O death, is now thy sting? Alleluia!
Dying once, He all doth save. Alleluia!
Where thy victory, O grave? Alleluia

3  Love's redeeming work is done, Alleluia!
Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids Him rise, Alleluia!
Christ has opened paradise, Alleluia!
-- by Charles Wesley

An Hymn On the Ascension of Christ

1 Hail the day that sees him rise,
Ravished from our wishful eyes!
Christ, awhile to mortals given,
Reascends his native heaven.

2 There the pompous triumph waits:
"Lift your heads, eternal gates;
Wide unfold the radiant scene;
Take the King of glory in!"

3 Circled round with angel-powers,
Their triumphant Lord, and ours,
Conqueror over death and sin;
"Take the King of glory in!"

4 Him though highest heaven receives,
Still he loves the earth he leaves;
Though returning to his throne,
Still he calls mankind his own.

5 See, he lifts his hands above!
See, he shows the prints of love!
Hark, his gracious lips bestow
Blessings on his church below!

6 Still for us his death he pleads;
Prevalent he intercedes;
Near himself prepares our place,
Harbinger of human race.

7 Master, (will we ever say)
Taken from our head to day;
See thy faithful servants, see,
Ever gazing up to thee.

8 Grant, though parted from our sight,
High above yon azure height,
Grant our hearts may thither rise,
Following thee beyond the skies.

9 Ever upward let us move,
Wafted on the wings of love;
Looking when our Lord shall come,
Longing, gasping after home.

10 There we shall with thee remain,
Partners of thy endless reign;
There thy face unclouded see,
Find our heaven of heavens in thee.
-- by Charles Wesley
From: A COLLECTION OF HYMNS, FOR THE USE OF THE PEOPLE CALLED METHODISTS. or this URL
BY THE REV. JOHN WESLEY, M.A., SOMETIME FELLOW OF LINCOLN COLLEGE, OXFORD.
With a New Supplement. LONDON: WESLEYAN-METHODIST BOOK-ROOM; 2, CASTLE STREET, CITY ROAD, E.C.; SOLD AT 66, PATERNOSTER ROW, E.C.
1889

An Hymn For Pentecost

1  Breathe on me, Breath of God;
Fill me with life anew,
That I may love what Thou dost love,
And do what Thou wouldst do.

2  Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Until my heart is pure,
Until with Thee I will one will,
To do and to endure.

3  Breathe on me, Breath of God,
Till I am wholly Thine,
Until this earthly part of me
Glows with Thy fire divine.

4  Breathe on me, Breath of God;
So shall I never die,
But live with Thee the perfect life
Of Thine eternity.
-- by Edwin Hatch, 1835-1889

....

1  Rejoice, the Lord is King;
Your Lord and King adore;
Mortals, give thanks and sing
And triumph evermore:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice; again I say, 'Rejoice.'

2  Jesus, the Saviour, reigns,
The God of truth and love;
When He had purged our stains,
He took His seat above:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice; again I say, 'Rejoice.'

3  He sits at God's right hand
Till all His foes submit,
And bow to His command,
And fall beneath His feet:
Lift up your heart, lift up your voice;
Rejoice; again I say, 'Rejoice.'

Rce in glorious hope;
Jesus, the Judge, shall come,
And take His servants up
To their eternal home:
We soon shall hear the archangel's voice;
The trump of God shall sound, 'Rejoice.'
-- by Charles Wesley

....

1  Immortal, invisible, God only wise,
In light inaccessible, hid from our eyes,
Most blessčd, most glorious, the Ancient of Days,
Almighty, victorious, Thy great Name we praise.

2  Unresting, unhasting, and silent as light,
Nor wanting, nor wasting, Thou rulest in might:
Thy justice like mountains high soaring above
Thy clouds which are fountains of goodness and love.

3  To all life Thou givest—to both great and small;
In all life Thou livest, the true life of all;
We blossom and flourish as leaves on the tree,
And wither and perish—but nought changeth Thee.

4  Great Father of glory, pure Father of light,
Thine Angels adore Thee, all veiling their sight;
All laud we would render: O help us to see
'Tis only the splendour of light hideth Thee.
-- by Walter Chalmers Smith, 1824-1908

The Shepherd Psalm

1 The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want,
He makes me down to lie
In pastures green; He leadeth me
The quiet waters by.

2 My soul He doth restore again;
And me to walk doth make
Within the paths of righteousness,
Even for His own Name's sake.

3 Yea, though I walk in death's dark vale,
Yet will I fear none ill;
For Thou art with me; and Thy rod
And staff me comfort still.

4 My table Thou hast furnished
In presence of my foes;
My head Thou dost with oil anoint,
And my cup overflows.

5 Goodness and mercy all my life
Shall surely follow me:
And in God's house for evermore
My dwelling-place shall be.
-- Scottish Psalter, 1650

"The LORD is my Rock and my Fortress" -- II Samuel 22:2

A mighty fortress is our God,
A bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He, amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing.

For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work his woe;
His craft and power are great,
And armed with cruel hate--
On earth is not his equal.

"An Hymn For Epiphany"

As with gladness men of old
Did the guiding star behold,
As with joy they hailed its light,
Leading onward, beaming bright;
So, most gracious LORD, may we
Evermore be led to thee.

As with joyful steps they sped,
SAVIOUR, to thy lowly bed,
There to bend the knee before
Thee whom heaven and earth adore;'
So may we with willing feet
Ever seek thy mercy-seat.
-- William Chatterton Dix, 1860

"Inviting Christ In"

Behold, a Stranger at the door!
He gently knocks, has knocked before,
Has waited long, is waiting still:
You treat no other friend so ill.
-- Joseph Grigg, c. 1720-1768