Come away to the skies

How lovely are thy tents, O Lord

Leader of faithful souls, and guide

Let saints on earth in concert sing

O thou, whom all thy saints adore

Weep not for a brother deceased

Come away to the skies

669.669

Middlebury

Come away to the skies,

my belovèd, arise

And rejoice in the day thou wast born;

On this festival day,

come exulting away,

And with singing to Zion return.

 

We have laid up our love

and our treasure above,

Though our bodies continue below.

The redeemed of the Lord

will remember His Word,

And with singing to paradise go.

 

Now with singing and praise

let us spend all the days

By our heavenly Father bestowed,

While His grace we receive

from His bounty, and live

To the honor and glory of God!

 

For the glory we were

first created to share,

Both the nature and kingdom divine,

Now created again

that our lives may remain

Throughout time and eternity Thine.

 

We with thanks do approve

the design of that love

that hath joined us to Jesus' Name;

Now united in heart,

let us never more part,

Till we meet at the feast of the Lamb.

 

There, Oh! there at His feet,

we shall all likewise meet,

And be parted in body no more;

We shall sing to our lyres,

with the heavenly choirs,

And our Savior in glory adore.

 

Hallelujah! we sing

to our Father and King,

And His rapturous praises repeat:

To the Lamb that was slain,

Hallelujah again!

Sing all Heaven and fall at His feet!

 

How lovely are Thy tents, O Lord! [Psalm 84]

88.88.88

Old 113th

 

How lovely are Thy tents, O Lord!

Where'er Thou choosest to record

Thy Name, or place Thy house of prayer;

My soul outflies the angel choir,

And faints, o'erpowered with strong desire,

To meet Thy special presence there.

 

My heart and flesh cry out for God;

There would I fix my soul's abode,

As birds that in the altars nest;

There would I all my young ones bring,

An offering to my God and King,

And in Thy courts for ever rest.

 

Happy the men to whom 'tis given,

To dwell within that gate of Heaven,

And in Thy house record Thy praise;

Whose strength and confidence Thou art,

Who feel Thee, Savior, in their heart,

The Way, the Truth, the Life of grace:

 

Who, passing through the mournful vale,

Drink comfort from the living well,

That flows replenished from above;

From strength to strength advancing here,

Till all before their God appear,

And each receives the crown of love.

 

Better a day Thy courts within

Than thousands in the tents of sin;

How base the noblest pleasure there!

How great the weakest child of Thine!

His meanest task is all divine,

And kings and priests Thy servants are.

 

The Lord protects and cheers His own,

Their light and strength, their shield and sun;

He shall both grace and glory give;

Unlimited His bounteous grant;

No real good they e'er shall want;

All, all is theirs, who righteous live.

 

O Lord of hosts, how blest is he

Who steadfastly believes in Thee!

He all Thy promises shall gain;

The soul that on Thy love is cast

Thy perfect love on earth shall taste,

And soon with Thee in glory reign.

 

 

Leader of faithful souls, and Guide

88.88.88

St Catherine

Leader of faithful souls, and Guide

Of all who travel to the sky,

Come, and with us, even us, abide,

Who would on Thee alone rely;

On Thee alone our spirits stay

While held in life's uneven sway.

 

We've no abiding city here,

But seek a city out of sight;

Thither our steady course we steer,

Aspiring to the plains of light,

Jerusalem, the saints' abode,

Whose founder is the living God.

 

Through Thee, who all our sins hast borne,

Freely and graciously forgiven,

With songs to Zion we return,

Contending for our native heaven,

That palace of our glorious King,

We find it nearer while we sing.

 

Raised by the breath of love divine,

We urge our way with strength renewed,

The Church of the first-born to join,

We travel to the mount of God;

With joy upon our heads arise,

And meet our Captain in the skies.

 

Let saints on earth in concert sing

CM

Dundee · Azmon · Winchester Old

Let saints on earth in concert sing

With those whose work is done;

For all the servants of our King

In Heav'n and earth are one.

 

One family, we dwell in Him,

One Church, above, beneath;

Though now divided by the stream,

The narrow stream of death.

 

One army of the living God,

To His command we bow;

Part of the host have crossed the flood,

And part are crossing now.

 

E'en now to their eternal home

There pass some spirits blest;

While others to the margin come,

Waiting their call to rest.

 

Jesu, be Thou our constant Guide;

Then, when the word is given,

Bid Jordan's narrow stream divide,

And bring us safe to Heav'n.

 

O Thou, whom all Thy saints adore,

LM

Breslau · Erhalt uns, Herr · Winchester New

O Thou, whom all Thy saints adore,

We now with all Thy saints agree,

And bow our inmost souls before

Thy glorious, awful majesty.

 

Thee, King of nations, we proclaim:

Who would not our great Sovereign fear?

We long to experience all Thy Name,

And now we come to meet Thee here.

 

We come, great God, to seek Thy face,

And for Thy loving-kindness wait;

And O how dreadful is this place!

'Tis God's own house, 'tis Heaven's gate.

 

Tremble our hearts to find Thee nigh;

To Thee our trembling hearts aspire;

And lo! we see descend from high

The pillar and the flame of fire.

 

Still let it on the assembly stay,

And all the house with glory fill;

To Canaan's bounds point out the way,

And lead us to Thy holy hill.

 

There let us all with Jesus stand,

And join the general church above,

And take our seats at Thy right hand,

And sing Thine everlasting love.

 

Come, Lord, our souls are on the wing,

Now on Thy great white throne appear,

And let my eyes behold my King,

And let me see my Savior there.

 

 

Weep not for a brother deceased

LM (amphibrachic)

St Cyprian

Weep not for a brother deceased;

Our loss is his infinite gain;

A soul out of prison released,

And freed from its bodily chain;

 

With songs let us follow his flight,

And mount with his spirit above,

Escaped to the mansions of light,

And lodged in the Eden of love.

 

Our brother the haven has gained,

Outflying the tempest and wind;

His rest he hath sooner obtained,

And left his companions behind,

 

Still tossed on a sea of distress,

Hard toiling to make the blest shore,

Where all is assurance and peace,

And sorrow and sin are no more.

 

There all the ship's company meet,

Who sailed with the Savior beneath,

With shouting each other they greet,

And triumph o'er sorrow and death;

 

The voyage of life's at an end;

The mortal affliction is past;

The age that in Heaven they spend,

Forever and ever shall last.

 

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