Carol, carol, Christians,
Carol joyfully;
Carol for the coming of Christ’s nativity;
And pray a gladsome Christmas,
For all good Christian men.
Carol, carol, Christians,
For Christmas has come again.
Carol, carol.

Go ye to the forest,
Where the myrtles grow,
Where the pine and laurel
Bend beneath the snow:
Gather them for Jesus;
Wreathe them for His shrine;
Make His temple glorious
With the box and pine.
Carol, carol.

Wreathe your Christmas garland,
Where to Christ we pray;
It shall smell like Carmel
On our festal day;
Libanus and Sharon
Shall not greener be,
Than our holy chancel
On Christ’s nativity.
Carol, carol.

Carol, carol, Christians,
Like the Magi now,
Ye must lade your caskets
With a grateful vow:
Ye must have sweet incense,
Myrrh, and finest gold,
At our Christmas altar,
Humbly to unfold.
Carol, carol.

Blow, blow up the trumpet,
For our solemn feast,
Gird thine armor, Christian;
Wear thy vesture, priest!
Go ye to the altar;
Pray, with fervor, pray,
For Jesus’ second coming,
And the latter day.
Carol, carol.

Give us grace, O Savior,
To put off in might
Deeds and dreams of darkness,
For the robes of light!
And to live as lowly
As Thyself with men;
So to rise in glory
When Thou com’st again.
Carol, carol.

From all Thy saints in warfare, for all Thy saints at rest,
To Thee, O blessèd Jesus, all praises be addressed;
Thou, Lord, didst win the battle, that they might conquerors be;
Their crowns of living glory are lit with rays from Thee.

Praise, Lord, for Thine apostle, the first to welcome Thee,
The first to lead his brother the very Christ to see.
With hearts for Thee made ready, watch we throughout the year,
Forward to lead our brethren to own Thine Advent near.

All praise for Thine apostle, whose short lived doubtings prove
Thy perfect twofold nature, the fullness of Thy love.
On all who wait Thy coming shed forth Thy peace, O Lord,
And grant us faith to know Thee, true Man, true God, adored.

Praise for the first of martyrs, who saw Thee ready stand
To aid in midst of torments, to plead at God’s right hand.
Share we with him, if summoned by death our Lord to own,
On earth the faithful witness, in heaven the martyr’s crown.

Praise for the loved disciple, exiled on Patmos’ shore;
Praise for the faithful record he to Thy Godhead bore,
Praise for the mystic vision through him to us revealed.
May we, in patience waiting, with Thine elect be sealed.

Praise for Thine infant martyrs, by Thee with tenderest love
Called early from the warfare to share the rest above.
O Rachel! cease thy weeping: they rest from pains and cares.
Lord, grant us hearts as guileless and crowns as bright as theirs.

Praise for the light from heaven, praise for the voice of awe,
Praise for the glorious vision the persecutor saw.
Thee, Lord, for his conversion, we glorify today;
So lighten all our darkness with Thy true Spirit’s ray.

Lord, Thine abiding presence directs the wondrous choice
For one in place of Judas the faithful now rejoice.
Thy Church from false apostles forevermore defend,
And by Thy parting promise be with her to the end.

For him, O Lord, we praise Thee, the weak by grace made strong,
Whose labors and whose Gospel enrich our triumph song.
May we in all our weakness find strength from Thee supplied,
And all, as fruitful branches, in Thee, the Vine, abide.

All praise for Thine apostle, blest guide to Greek and Jew,
And him surnamed Thy brother; keep us Thy brethren true,
And grant us grace to know Thee, the Way, the Truth, the Life;
To wrestle with temptations still victors in the strife.

The son of consolation, moved by Thy law of love,
Forsaking earthly treasures, sought riches from above.
As earth now teems with increase, let gifts of grace descend,
That Thy true consolations may through the world extend.

We praise Thee for the Baptist, forerunner of the Word,
Our true Elias, making a highway for the Lord.
Of prophets last and greatest, we saw Thy dawning ray:
Make us the rather blessèd who love Thy glorious day.

Praise for thy great apostle, the eager and the bold;
Thrice falling, yet repentant, thrice charged to keep Thy fold.
Lord, make Thy pastors faithful to guard their flocks from ill,
And grant them dauntless courage, with humble, earnest will.

For him, O Lord, we praise Thee, who, slain by Herod’s sword
Drank of Thy cup of suffering, fulfilling thus Thy word.
Curb we all vain impatience to read Thy veiled decree,
And count it joy to suffer, if so brought nearer Thee.

All praise for Thine apostle, the faithful, pure, and true,
Whom underneath the fig tree Thine eye all seeing knew.
Like him may we be guileless, true Israelites indeed,
That Thy abiding presence our longing souls may feed.

Praise, Lord, for Him whose Gospel Thy human life declared,
Who, worldly gains forsaking, Thy path of suffering shared.
From all unrighteous Mammon O give us hearts set free,
That we, whate’er our calling, may rise and follow Thee.

For that “beloved Physician,” all praise, whose Gospel shows
The Healer of the nations, The Sharer of our woes.
Thy wine and oil, O Savior, and bruised hearts deign to pour,
And with true balm of Gilead anoint us evermore.

Praise, Lord, for Thine apostles, who sealed their faith today:
One love, one zeal impelled them to tread the sacred way.
May we with zeal as earnest the faith of Christ maintain,
And, bound in love as brethren, at length Thy rest attain.

Apostles, prophets, martyrs, and all the sacred throng,
Who wear the spotless raiment, who raise the ceaseless song,
For these, passed on before us, Savior, we Thee adore,
And, walking in their footsteps, would serve Thee more and more.

Then praise we God the Father, and praise we God the Son,
And God the Holy Spirit, eternal Three in One;
Till all the ransomed number fall down before the throne,
And honor, power, and glory, ascribe to God alone.

We praise Thee, O God, our Redeemer, Creator,
In grateful devotion our tribute we bring;
We lay it before Thee, we kneel and adore Thee,
We bless Thy holy Name, glad praises we sing.

We worship Thee, God of our fathers, we bless Thee;
Through life’s storm and tempest our guide have Thou been;
When perils overtake us, escape Thou will make us,
And with Thy help, O Lord, our battles we win.

With voices united our praises we offer,
To Thee, great Jehovah, glad anthems we raise.
Thy strong arm will guide us, our God is beside us,
To Thee, our great Redeemer, forever be praise.

Thy love Thou didst show us, Thine only Son sending,
Who came as a Babe and Whose bed was a stall,
His blest life He gave us and then died to save us;
We praise Thee, O Lord, for Thy gift to us all.

I will extol Thee, Lord on high,
At Thy command diseases fly:
Who but a God can speak and save,
From the dark borders of the grave?

Sing to the Lord, ye saints of His,
And tell how large His goodness is;
Let all your powers rejoice and bless
While you record His holiness.

His anger but a moment stays;
His love is life and length of days;
Though grief and tears the night employ,
The morning star restores the joy.

Lift your glad voices in triumph on high,
For Jesus hath risen, and man cannot die;
Vain were the terrors that gathered around Him,
And short the dominion of death and the grave;
He burst from the fetters of darkness that bound Him,
Resplendent in glory to live and to save!
Loud was the chorus of angels on high,
The Savior hath risen, and man shall not die.

Glory to God, in full anthems of joy;
The being He gave us death cannot destroy:
Sad were the life we must part with tomorrow,
If tears were our birthright, and death were our end;
But Jesus hath cheered the dark valley of sorrow,
And bade us, immortal, to Heaven ascend:
Lift then your voices in triumph on high,
For Jesus hath risen, and man shall not die.

After the midnight, morning will greet us;
After the sadness, joy will appear;
After the tempest, sunlight will meet us;
After the jeering, praise we shall hear.

Refrain

After the shadows, there will be sunshine;
After the frown, the soul-cheering smile;
Cling to the Savior, love Him forever;
All will be well in a little while.

After the battle, peace will be given;
After the weeping, song there will be;
After the journey there will be Heaven,
Burdens will fall and we shall be free.

Refrain

Shadows and sunshine all thro’ the story,
Teardrops and pleasure, day after day;
But when we reach the kingdom of glory,
Trials of earth will vanish away.

Refrain

After the mist and shadow,
After the dreary night,
After the sleepless watching,
Cometh the morning light;
Beautiful, soft and tender,
Leading the soul along,
Over the silent river,
Into the land of song.

After the thorny pathway,
After the storms we meet,
After the heart’s deep longing,
Joy and communion sweet;
After the weary conflict,
Rest in the Savior’s love,
Over the silent river,
Safe in the home above.

After the cares and trials,
After the toils and tears,
After the time of sowing,
Reaping thro’ endless years;
After the pilgrim journey,
Rapture that ne’er shall cease,
Over the silent river,
Rest in the land of peace.

The blasts of chill December sound
The farewell of the year,
And night’s swift shadows gathering round
O’ercloud the soul with fear;
But rest you well, good Christian men,
Nor be of heart forlorn;
December’s darkness brings again
The Light of Christmas morn.

The welcome snow at Christmastide
Falls shining from the skies:
On village paths and uplands wide
All holy-white it lies;
It crowns with pearl the oaks and pines,
And glitters on the thorn;
But purer is the Light that shines
On gladsome Christmas morn.

At Christmastide the gracious moon
Keeps vigil while we sleep,
And sheds abroad her light’s sweet boon,
On vale and mountain-steep;
O’er all the slumbering land descends
Her radiancy unshorn;
But brighter is the Light, good friends,
That shines on Christmas morn.

’Twas when the world was waxing old,
And night on Bethlehem lay,
The shepherds saw the heavens unfold
A light beyond the day;
Such glory ne’er had visited
A world with sin outworn;
But yet more glorious Light is shed
On happy Christmas morn.

Those shepherds poor, how blest were they
The angels’ song to hear!
In manger cradle as He lay,
To greet their Lord so dear!
The Lord of Heaven’s eternal height
For us a Child was born;
And He, the very Light of light,
Shone forth that Christmas morn!

Before His infant smile afar,
Were driven the hosts of hell;
And still in souls that childlike are
His guardian love shall dwell:
O then rejoice, good Christian men,
Nor be of heart forlorn;
December’s darkness brings again
The Light of Christmas morn.

Father, to Thee we look in all our sorrow,
Thou art the Fountain whence our healing flows;
Dark though the night, joy cometh with the morrow;
Safely they rest who on Thy love repose.

When fond hopes fail and skies are dark before us,
When the vain cares that vex our lives increase,
Comes with its calm the thought that Thou art o’er us,
And we grow quiet, folded in Thy peace.

Naught shall affright us, on Thy goodness leaning;
Low in the heart faith singeth still her song;
Chastened by pain we learn life’s deeper meaning,
And in our weakness Thou dost make us strong.

Patient, O heart, though heavy be Thy sorrows;
Be not cast down, disquieted in vain;
Yet shalt thou praise Him, when these darkened furrows,
Where now He plougheth, wave with golden grain.

The golden morning is fast approaching;
Jesus soon will come
To take His faithful and happy children
To their promised home.

Refrain

O, we see the gleams of the golden morning
Piercing through this night of gloom!
O, we see the gleams of the golden morning
That will burst the tomb.

The Gospel summons will soon be carried
To the nations round;
The Bridegroom then will cease to tarry
And the trumpet sound.

Refrain

Attended by all the shining angels,
Down the flaming sky
The Judge will come, and will take His people
Where they will not die.

Refrain

There those loved ones who have long been parted
Will all meet that day;
The tears of those who are brokenhearted
Will be wiped away.

Refrain

Hark! hark, my soul! angelic songs are swelling,
O’er earth’s green fields and ocean’s wave-beat shore:
How sweet the truth those blessèd strains are telling
Of that new life when sin shall be no more.

Refrain

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

Darker than night life’s shadows fall around us,
And like benighted men we miss our mark:
God hides Himself, and grace hath scarcely found us,
E’er death finds out his victims in the dark.

Refrain

Far, far away, like bells at evening pealing,
The voice of Jesus sounds o’er land and sea;
And laden souls, by thousands meekly stealing,
Kind Shepherd, turn their weary steps to Thee.

Refrain

Onward we go, for still we hear them singing,
“Come, weary souls, for Jesus bids you come”;
And through the dark, its echoes sweetly ringing,
The music of the Gospel leads us home.

Refrain

Rest comes at length: though life be long and dreary,
The day must dawn, and darksome night be past;
Faith’s journeys end in welcome to the weary,
And Heaven, the heart’s true home, will come at last.

Refrain

Cheer up, my soul! faith’s moonbeams softly glisten
Upon the breast of life’s most troubled sea,
And it will cheer thy drooping heart to listen
To those brave songs which angels mean for thee.

Refrain

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.

Refrain

If the dark shadows gather as you go along,
Do not grieve for their coming; sing a cheery song.
There is joy for the taking; it will soon be light.
Ev’ry cloud wears a rainbow if your heart keeps right.

Refrain

If your heart keeps right,
If your heart keeps right,
There’s a song of gladness in the darkest night.
If your heart keeps right,
If your heart keeps right,
Ev’ry cloud will wear a rainbow,
If your heart keeps right.

Is your life just a tangle full of toil and care?
Smile a bit as you journey, others’ burdens share.
You’ll forget all your troubles, making their lives bright.
Skies will grow blue and sunny, if your heart keeps right.

Refrain

There are blossoms of gladness, ’neath the winter’s snow.
From the gloom and the darkness come the morning glow.
Never give up the battle, you will win the fight;
Gain the rest of the Victor, if your heart keeps right.

Refrain

Joy dawned again on Easter Day,
The sun shone out with fairer ray,
When, to their longing eyes restored
Th’Apostles saw their risen Lord.

His risen flesh with radiance glowed;
His wounded hands and feet He showed:
Those scars their silent witness gave
That Christ was risen from the grave.

O Jesus, King of gentleness,
Do Thou our inmost hearts possess;
And we to Thee will ever raise
The tribute of our grateful praise.

Jesus Who art the Lord of all,
In this our Easter festival
From every weapon death can wield
Thine own redeemed, Thy people, shield.

All praise, O risen Lord, we give
To Thee, who dead, again dost live;
To God the Father equal praise,
And God the Holy Ghost, we raise.

Morning light was dawning o’er the distant hills,
Banished was the midnight gloom;
Silently the angels clad in bright array
Came to guard the dear Redeemer’s tomb.
Soldiers were affrighted and in terror fled,
While the angels roll the stone away.
Then with joy proclaiming, “Christ the Lord is ris’n”
“See the place where once the Savior lay.”

Refrain

Joy dispels our sorrow—pleasures banish pain—
Earth awakes from winter’s gloom;
Easter anthems ringing tell the joyful news
“Christ is risen from the tomb.”

Loving ones who sought Him at the break of day,
Found the angels waiting there;
Joy dispelled their sorrow—fear gave way to faith—
Hope succeeded all their deep despair.
For the angels told them, “Jesus is not here,”
But had surely risen as He said.
Then with eager footsteps joyfully they tell
How that Christ had risen from the dead.

Refrain

Easter tells its gladness all the year around—
Happy birds their tribute bring;
Fragrant flowers blooming after winter days
Speak to us the joys of coming spring.
Earthly pleasures vanish, flowers soon shall fade,
But the joy of Easter shall endure.
Hope of resurrection never shall grow dim
While the Word of God abideth sure.

Refrain

Light after darkness, gain after loss,
Strength after weakness, crown after cross;
Sweet after bitter, hope after fears,
Home after wandering, praise after tears.

Sheaves after sowing, sun after rain,
Sight after mystery, peace after pain;
Joy after sorrow, calm after blast,
Rest after weariness, sweet rest at last.

Near after distant, gleam after gloom,
Love after loneliness, life after tomb;
After long agony, rapture of bliss,
Right was the pathway, leading to this.

We are marching onward to the heav’nly land,
To meet each other in the morning;
We are pressing forward to the golden strand,
Where joy will crown us in the morning.

Refrain

In the morning, in the morning,
We will gather with the faithful in the morning;
Where the night of sorrow shall be rolled away,
And joy will crown us in the morning.

We are trav’ling onward from a world of care,
To meet each other in the morning;
Oh, the time is coming, we shall soon be there,
And joy will crown us in the morning.

Refrain

We are trav’ling onward, and the way grows bright,
We’ll meet each other in the morning;
Where our friends are waiting, at the gate of life,
And joy will crown us in the morning.

Refrain

Where the hills are blooming on the other shore,
We’ll meet each other in the morning!
Where the heart’s deep longing will be felt no more,
And joy will crown us in the morning.

Refrain

In the boundless rapture of a Savior’s love
We’ll meet each other in the morning;
Then we’ll sing His glory in the realms above,
And joy will crown us in the morning.

Refrain

O child of God, wait patiently when dark thy path may be,
And let thy faith lean trustingly on Him Who cares for Thee;
And though the clouds hang drearily upon the brow of night,
Yet in the morning joy will come, and fill thy soul with light.

O child of God, He loveth thee, and thou art all His own;
With gentle hand He leadeth thee, thou dost not walk alone;
And though thou watchest wearily the long and stormy night,
Yet in the morning joy will come, and fill thy soul with light.

O child of God, how peacefully He calms thy fears to rest,
And draws thee upward tenderly, where dwell the pure and blest;
And He Who bendeth silently above the gloom of night,
Will take thee home where endless joy shall fill thy soul with light.

Our highest joys succeed our griefs,
And peace is born of pain;
Smiles follow bitter blinding tears,
As sunshine follows rain.

We gain our rest through weariness,
From bitter draw the sweet:
Strength comes from weakness, hope from fear,
And victory from defeat.

We reap where we have sown the seed;
Gain is the fruit of loss;
Life springs from death and, at the end,
The crown succeeds the cross.

The day was dark, and all seemed lost when to the tomb
They bore the form of Christ the crucified.
Loved ones hoped that He would reign—
But their hopes were all in vain,
For they saw Him as upon the cross He died.

Refrain

But there dawned a resurrection morn so fair,
When the Savior rose from out the tomb;
For the angels came and rolled the stone away,
And today is banished all earth’s gloom.

The stone before the door was set and firmly sealed—
A guard was placed to watch by night and day,
For they feared that from the dead
He would rise as He had said,
Or perchance His own would spirit Him away.

Refrain

Oh, sad and lonely ones today, look up! rejoice!
The empty tomb with praises may resound,
Over mountain, hill and plain,
Let there ring the glad refrain,
Bringing hope and cheer wherever man is found.

Refrain

When the heart is heavy and the days are long,
Let each passing moment echo with a song.
Fill some life with courage, comfort now the sad—
Many lives are lonely, you can make them glad.

Refrain

Smile and sing, some happy, happy song,
Days of sadness will not tarry long;
Smile and sing, ’twill drive the clouds away—
Smile and sing thro’ every passing day.

Someone needs the comfort that a song can bring,
If thy heart is happy let it gaily sing.
Someone’s pathway brighten, lift some load of care—
Seek some heart to brighten, and its burden share.

Refrain

Many are in sorrow and the clouds hang low,
You can cheer and comfort as you onward go.
Win some soul for Jesus, from the path of shame
Giving all the glory to His precious Name.

Refrain

Slowly, slowly darkening
The evening hours roll on;
And soon behind the cloud-land
Will sink my setting sun.

Around my path life’s mysteries
Their deepening shadows throw;
And as I gaze and ponder,
They dark and darker grow.

But there’s a voice above me
Which says, “Wait, trust and pray;
The night will soon be over,
And light will come with day.”

Father! the light and darkness
Are both alike to Thee;
Then to Thy waiting servant,
Alike they both shall be.

The great unending future,
I cannot pierce its shroud;
Yet nothing doubt, nor tremble,
God’s bow is on the cloud.

To Him I yield my spirit,
On Him I lay my load;
Fear ends with death; beyond it
I nothing see but God.

Thus moving towards the darkness
I calmly wait His call,
Now seeing, fearing—nothing;
But hoping, trusting—all!

Firm was my health, my day was bright,
And I presumed ’twould ne’er be night;
Fondly I said within my heart,
“Pleasure and peace shall ne’er depart.”

But I forgot Thine arm was strong
Which made my mountain stand so long;
Soon as Thy face began to hide,
My health was gone, my comforts died.

I cried aloud to Thee, my God,
“What canst Thou profit by my blood?
Deep in the dust can I declare
Thy truth, or sing Thy goodness there?

“Hear me, O God of grace,” I said,
“And bring me from among the dead:”
Thy Word rebuked the pains I felt,
Thy pardoning love removed my guilt.

My groans, and tears, and forms of woe
Are turned to joy and praises now;
I throw my sackcloth on the ground,
And ease and gladness gird me round.

My tongue, the glory of my frame,
Shall ne’er be silent of Thy Name;
Thy praise shall sound through earth and Heav’n,
For sickness healed and sins forgiv’n.

Our Father, unto Thee
We now on bended knee
Our voices raise.
For all Thy love has wrought,
Our life with blessings fraught,
Transcending all our thought,
We speak Thy praise.

And not by lips alone
Would we Thy goodness own,
And worship Thee,
But may our lives express
That which our hearts confess,
And we in holiness
More worthy be.

And may our hands reach out
To those who round about
Demand our love.
In every hour of need
May we their pleadings heed,
Till earth becomes indeed
Like Heaven above.