Anniversary

Verse 1

At Thy feet, our God and Father,
Who hast blessed us all our days,
We with grateful hearts would gather,
To begin the year with praise:
Praise for light so brightly shining
On our steps from heaven above;
Praise for mercies daily twining
Round us golden cords of love.

Verse 2

Jesus, for Thy love most tender,
On the cross for sinners shown,
We would praise Thee, and surrender
All our hearts to be Thine own:
With so blest a Friend provided,
We upon our way would go,
Sure of being safely guided,
Guarded well from every foe.

Verse 3

Every day will be the brighter
When Thy gracious face we see;
Every burden will be lighter
When we know it comes from Thee.
Spread Thy love’s broad banner o’er us,
Give us strength to serve and wait,
Till the glory breaks before us
Through the city’s open gate.

Verse 1

Let children hear the mighty deeds
Which God performed of old;
Which in our younger years we saw,
And which our fathers told.

Verse 2

He bids us make His glories known,
His works of power and grace;
And we’ll convey His wonders down,
Through every rising race.

Verse 3

Our lips shall tell them to our sons,
And they again to theirs;
That generations yet unborn
May teach them to their heirs.

Verse 4

Thus shall they learn in God alone
Their hope securely stands,
That they may ne’er forget His works,
But practise His commands.

Verse 1

Lord, when in Simon’s house of yore,
Thou with Thy friends didst sit at meat,
Mary the precious spikenard bore,
And poured it at Thy sacred feet.

Verse 2

Like incense sweet, the perfume rare
Rose through the house, and sought the skies;
And Thou didst own with blessings there
A woman’s loving sacrifice.

Verse 3

So unto Thee, O Lord, this day,
A year of labor here we bring;
So at Thy feet the gift we lay;
Accept, O Lord, the offering.

Verse 1

Now rest, ye pilgrim host,
Look back upon your way,
The mountains climbed, the torrents crossed,
Through many a weary day.
From this victorious height,
How fair the past appears,
God’s grace and glory shining bright
On all the bygone years.

Verse 2

How many, at His call,
Have parted from our throng!
They watch us from the crystal wall,
And echo back our song.
They rest, beyond complaints,
Beyond all sighs and tears:
Praise be to God for all His saints
Who wrought in bygone years.

Verse 3

The banners they upbore
Our hands still lift on high;
The Lord they followed evermore
To us is also nigh.
Arise, arise, and tread
The future without fears;
He leadeth still, whose hand hath led
Through all the bygone years.

Verse 4

When we have reached the home
We seek with weary feet,
Our children’s children still shall come
To keep these ranks complete;
And He, whose host is one
Throughout the countless spheres,
Will guide His marching servants on
Through everlasting years.

Verse 1

Now thank we all our God
With heart and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things hath done,
In whom His world rejoices;
Who, from our mothers’ arms,
Hath blessed us on our way
With countless gifts of love,
And still is ours to-day.

Verse 2

O may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us;
And keep us in His grace,
And guide us when perplexed,
And free us from all ills
In this world and the next.

Verse 3

All praise and thanks to God,
The Father, now be given,
The Son, and Him who reigns
With them in highest heaven,
The One Eternal God,
Whom earth and heaven adore;
For thus it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.

Verse 1

O God of Bethel, by whose hand
Thy people still are fed,
Who through this weary pilgrimage
Hast all our fathers led,

Verse 2

Our vows, our prayers, we now present
Before Thy throne of grace;
God of our fathers, be the God
Of their succeeding race.

Verse 3

Through each perplexing path of life
Our wandering footsteps guide;
Give us each day our daily bread,
And raiment fit provide.

Verse 4

O spread Thy covering wings around
Till all our wanderings cease,
And at our Father’s loved abode
Our souls arrive in peace.

Verse 5

Such blessings from Thy gracious hand
Our humble prayers implore;
And Thou shalt be our chosen God,
And portion evermore.

Verse 1

We come unto our fathers’ God:
Their Rock is our salvation;
The eternal arms, their dear abode,
We make our habitation;
We bring Thee, Lord, the praise they brought,
We seek Thee as Thy saints have sought
In every generation.

Verse 2

The fire Divine their steps that led
Still goeth bright before us,
The heavenly shield, around them spread,
Is still high holden o’er us;
The grace those sinners subdued,
The strength those weaklings that renewed,
Doth vanquish, doth restore us.

Verse 3

The cleaving sins that brought them low
Are still our souls oppressing,
The tears that from their eyes did flow
Fall fast, our shame confessing;
As with Thee, Lord, prevailed their cry,
So our strong prayer ascends on high,
And bringeth down Thy blessing.

Verse 4

Their joy unto their Lord we bring,
Their song to us descendeth;
The Spirit who in them did sing
To us His music lendeth:
His song in them, in us, is one;
We raise it high, we send it on,—
The song that never endeth.

Verse 5

Ye saints to come, take up the strain,
The same sweet theme endeavor;
Unbroken be the golden chain!
Keep on the song for ever!
Safe in the same dear dwelling-place,
Rich with the same eternal grace,
Bless the same boundless Giver.