From many an ancient river,
From many a palmy plain,
They call us to deliver
Their land from error's chain.
What though the spicy breezes
Blow soft o'er Ceylon's isle,
Though every prospect pleases,
And only man is vile;
In vain with lavish kindness
The gifts of God are strown,
The heathen in his blindness
Bows down to wood and stone.
Can we whose souls are lighted
With wisdom from on high,
Can we to men benighted
The lamp of life deny?
Salvation! O, salvation!
The joyful sound proclaim,
Till each remotest nation
Has learnt Messiah's Name.
Waft, waft, ye winds, His story,
And you, ye waters, roll,
Till like a sea of glory
It spreads from pole to pole;
Till o'er our ransomed nature
The Lamb for sinners slain,
Redeemer, King, Creator,
In bliss returns to reign.
LORD, in Thy name Thy servants plead,
And Thou hast sworn to hear;
Thine is the harvest, Thine the seed,
The fresh and fading year.
Our hope when autumn winds blew wild
We trusted, Lord, with Thee,
And now that spring has on us smiled
We wait on Thy decree.
The former and the latter rain,
The summer sun and air,
The green ear and the golden grain,
All Thine, are ours by prayer.
Thine too by right, and ours by grace,
The wondrous growth unseen;
The hopes that soothe, the fears that brace,
The love that shines serene.
So grant the precious things brought forth By sun and moon below,
That Thee, in Thy new heaven and earth, We never may forego.
To Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
The God whom we adore,
Be glory as it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.
PRAISE, O praise our God and King,
Hymns of adoration sing,
For His mercies still endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.
Praise Him that He made the Sun
Day by day his course to run;
For His mercies still endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure:
And the silver Moon by night,
Shining with her gentle light;
For His mercies still endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.
Praise Him that He gave the rain
To mature the swelling grain;
For His mercies still endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure:
And hath bid the fruitful field
Crops of precious increase yield;
For His mercies still endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.
Praise Him for our Harvest-store,
He hath filled the garner-floor;
For His mercies still endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure:
And for richer food than this,
Pledge of everlasting bliss;
For His mercies still endure,
Ever faithful, ever sure.
Glory to our bounteous King!
Glory let Creation sing!
Glory to the Father, Son,
And Blest Spirit, Three in One.
FOUNTAIN of Mercy! God of Love!
How rich Thy bounties are;
The rolling seasons as they move
Proclaim Thy constant care.
When in the bosom of the earth
The sower hid the grain,
Thy goodness marked its secret birth,
And sent the early rain.
The spring's sweet influence was Thine,
The plants in beauty grew:
Thou gavest refulgent suns to shine,
And mild refreshing dew.
These various mercies from above
Matured the swelling grain;
A yellow harvest crowns Thy love,
And plenty fills the plain.
Seed-time and harvest, Lord, alone
Thou dost on man bestow;
Let him not then forget to own
From whom his blessings flow.
Fountain of Love! our praise is Thine, To Thee our songs we'll raise,
And all created nature join
In sweet harmonious praise. Amen.
LORD of the harvest! once again
We thank Thee for the ripened grain,
For crops safe carried, sent to cheer
Thy servants through another year,
For all sweet holy thoughts supplied
By seed-time and by harvest-tide.
The bare dead grain in autumn sown
Its robe of vernal green puts on,
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