Across the Sky the Shades of Night

Representative Text

1 Across the sky the shades of night
This New Year's Eve are fleeting.
We deck Your altar, Lord, with light,
In solemn worship meeting:
And as the year's last hours go by,
We raise to You our earnest cry,
Once more Your love entreating.

2 Before the cross subdued we bow,
To You our prayers addressing,
Recounting all Your mercies now,
And all our sins confessing;
Beseeching You this coming year
To keep us in Your faith and fear
And crown us with Your blessing.

3 We gather up in this brief hour
The mem'ry of Your mercies:
Your wondrous goodness, love, and pow'r
Our grateful song rehearses:
For You have been our strength and stay
In many a dark and dreary day
Of sorrow and reverses.

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5 Then, gracious God, in years to come,
We pray Your hand may guide us,
And, onward through our journey home,
Your mercy walk beside us
Until at last our ransomed life
Is safe from peril, toil, and strife
When heav'n itself shall hide us.



Source: Lutheran Service Book #899

Author: James Hamilton

Hamilton, James, M.A., was born at Glendollar, Scotland, April 18, 1819, and educated at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. Taking Holy Orders in 1845, he held various charges until 1866, when he became Incumbent of St. Barnabas's, Bristol. In 1867 he was preferred to the Vicarage of Doulting, diocese of Bath and Wells. Mr. Hamilton is the author of a few hymns of great merit. Of these the following are in common use:— 1. Across the sky the shades of night. New Year's Eve. "Written to the old chorale introduced by Mendelssohn into his St. Paul, ‘To God on High be thanks and praise.' " (Hymns Ancient & Modern, tune to 104 by Decius.) It is in Thring's Collection, 1882, &c. 2. O Jesu! Lord most merciful. Passiontide. Contr… Go to person page >

Text Information

Tune

ALLEIN GOTT IN DER HÖH

The tune name ALLEIN GOTT derives from the opening words of Decius's rhymed text in High German. The tune was first published in Schumann's Geistliche Lieder. Decius adapted the tune from a tenth-century Easter chant for the Gloria text, beginning at the part accompanying the words "et in terra pax.…

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ES IST DAS HEIL


LUTHER'S HYMN


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #266
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Instances (1 - 5 of 5)
TextPage Scan

Christian Worship (1993) #69

Christian Worship #367

Text

Lutheran Service Book #899

Text

Lutheran Worship #181

TextScore

The Cyber Hymnal #266

Include 24 pre-1979 instances
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