The rising morn, the closing day,
Repeat thy praise with grateful voice;
Both in their turns thy power display,
And, laden with thy gifts, rejoice.
Earth's wide-extended, varying scenes,
All smiling round, thy bounty show;
From seas or clouds, full magazines,
Thy rich, diffusive blessings flow.
Now earth receives the precious seed,
Which thy indulgent hand prepares,
And nourishes the future bread,
And answers all the sower's prayers.
Here, spreading flocks adorn the plain;
There, plenty every charm displays;
Great God, we sing thy mighty hand,
By which, supported still, we stand:
The opening year thy mercy shows;
Let mercy crown it till it close.
By day, by night, at home, abroad,
Still we are guided by our God;
By his incessant bounty fed,
By his unerring counsel led.
With grateful hearts the past we own;
The future, all to us unknown,
We to thy guardian care commit,
And peaceful leave before thy feet.
In scenes exalted or depressed,
Be thou our joy, and thou our rest;
Thy goodness all our hopes shall raise,
Adored through all our changing days.
HYMN 87.
Through every age, eternal God,
Thou art our rest, our safe abode;
High was thythrone ere heav'n wasmade,
Or earth thy humble footstool laid.
Long hadst thou reigned ere time began,
Or dust was fashioned into man;
When earth and time shall be no more.
And long thy kingdom shall endure,
A thousand of our years amount
Scarce to a day in thine account,
Like yesterday's departed light,
Or the last watch of ending night.
Death, like an overflowing stream,
Sweeps us away; our life's a dream,
An empty tale, a morning flower
Cut down and withered in an hour.
HYMN 88.
Father of mercies, in thy house
Smile on our homage and our vows;
While, with a grateful heart, we share
These pledges of our Master's care.
The Saviour. when to heaven he rose,
Bestowed his gifts on men below,
In splendid triumph o'er his foes,
And wide his gracious bounties flow.
So shall a bright succession run,
Till the last courses of the sun;
And churches rise, and souls rejoice,
In tidings of the still small voice.
Our Saviour, Lord, their hearts shall
know,-
The Spring whence all these blessings flow;