2 Hallow, Lord, the coming day!
When we meet to praise and pray,
Hear thy word, thy Feast attend,
Hours of happy service spend ;
To our hearts be manifest,
Lord of labour and of rest!
3 For thy children gone before
We can trust thee and adore ;
All their earthly week is past,
Sabbath-time is theirs at last;
Fold them, Father, to thy breast,
Give them everlasting rest.
4. Guide us all the days to come,
Till thy mercy call us home :
All our powers do thou employ,
Be thy work our chiefest joy;
Then, the promised land possest,
Bid us enter into rest.
See also:-49 Creator of the earth and sky.
164 0 Trinity of blessed light.
465 O what their joy and their glory must be.
Edmund Spenser, 1553-99. OST glorious Lord of life, that on this day Didst make thy triumph over death and sin, And having harrowed hell, didst bring away Captivity thence captive, us to win:
2 This joyous day, dear Lord, with joy begin, And grant that we for whom thou diddest die, Being with thy dear Blood clean washed from sin, May live for ever in felicity:
3 And that thy love we weighing worthily,
May likewise love thee for the same again; And for thy sake, that all like dear didst buy, With love may one another entertain;
4. So let us love, dear Love, like as we ought; Love is the lesson which the Lord us taught.
Bishop Chr. Wordsworth, 1807-85.
ODAY of rest and gladness,
O 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 cooling fountain
In life's dry dreary sand;
From thee, like Pisgah's mountain,
We view our promised land:
A day of sweet refection,
A day thou art of love,
A day of resurrection
From earth to things above.
4. New graces ever gaining
From this our day of rest,
We reach the rest remaining
To spirits of the blest.
To Holy Ghost be praises,
To Father, and to Son;
The Church her voice upraises
To thee, blest Three in One.
See also 50 and 51.
F. R. Havergal, 1836–79.
NOTHER year is dawning,
Dear Master, let it be,
In working or in waiting,
Another year with thee.
2 Another year of leaning
Upon thy loving breast,
Of ever-deepening trustfulness,
Of quiet, happy rest.
3 Another year of mercies,
Of faithfulness and grace ;
Another year of gladness
In the shining of thy face.
4 Another year of progress,
Another year of praise,
Another year of proving
Thy presence all the days.
5 Another year of service,
Of witness for thy love;
Another year of training
For holier work above.
6. Another year is dawning,
Dear Master, let it be,
On earth, or else in heaven,
Another year for thee!
NOR thy mercy and thy grace,
FOR Faithful through another year,
Hear our song of thankfulness,
Father, and Redeemer, hear.
2 Lo, our sins on thee we cast,
Thee, our perfect Sacrifice;
And, forgetting all the past,
Press towards our glorious prize.
3 Dark the future: let thy light
Guide us, bright and Morning Star;
Fierce our foes, and hard the fight:
Arm us, Saviour, for the war.
4 In our weakness and distress,
Rock of strength, be thou our Stay;
In the pathless wilderness
Be our true and living Way.
5 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.
6. Keep us faithful, keep us pure,
Keep us evermore thine own :
Help, O help us to endure;
Fit us for the promised crown.
The following Hymns are also suitable for the New Year: 3 Behold the Bridegroom cometh.
361 A few more years shall roll.
368 At the name of Jesus.
382 Days and moments quickly flying.
389 Fight the good fight.
405 How sweet the name of Jesus sounds.
418 Jesu, name all names above.
450 O God, our help in ages past.
507 To the name that brings salvation.
See also Hymns for Mission Services, 567–585.
J. Newton †, 1725-1807.
INDLY spring again is here,
Trees and fields in bloom appear;
Hark! the birds with artless lays
Warble their Creator's praise.
2 Where in winter all was snow,
Now the flowers in clusters grow;
And the corn, in green array,
Promises a harvest-day.
3 Lord, afford a spring to me,
Let me feel like what I see;
Speak, and by thy gracious voice,
Make my drooping soul rejoice.
4. On thy garden deign to smile,
Raise the plants, enrich the soil;
Soon thy presence will restore
Life to what seemed dead before.
S. Longfellow†, 1819-92.
HE summer days are come again;
Once more the glad earth yields
Her golden wealth of ripening grain,
And breath of clover fields,
And deepening shade of summer woods,
And glow of summer air,
And winging thoughts, and happy moods
Of love and joy and prayer.
2. The summer days are come again ;
The birds are on the wing;
God's praises, in their loving strain,
Unconsciously they sing.
We know who giveth all the good
That doth our cup o'erbrim;
For summer joy in field and wood
We lift our song to him.
NOME, ye thankful people, come,
All is safely gathered in,
Ere the winter storms begin;
God, our Maker, doth provide
For our wants to be supplied;
Come to God's own temple, come;
Raise the song of harvest-home!
2 We ourselves are God's own field,
Fruit unto his praise to yield;
Wheat and tares together sown,
Unto joy or sorrow grown;
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