Contents -BIBLIOGRAPHIC RECORD

Alfred H. Miles, ed. The Sacred Poets of the Nineteenth Century. 1907.

By Hymns. III. “Lord of our soul’s salvation”

Samuel John Stone (1839–1900)

LORD of our souls’ salvation!

Lord of our earthly weal!

We who in tribulation

Did for Thy mercy kneel,

Lift up glad hearts before Thee,

And eyes no longer dim,

And for Thy grace adore Thee

In eucharistic hymn.

When vine and fig-tree languish,

And every fount is dry,

When hearts in supreme anguish

To Thee lift up their cry:

Then doth Thy love deliver!

From Thine unshortened hand

Joy, like the southern river,

O’erflows the weary land.

Lay dark o’er field and city

Death’s shadow, and in fear

To Thee, O LORD of Pity,

GOD of the hearing ear!

By the dear Grace that bought us

We cried as in the night,

And lo! the morning brought us

From Thee the living light.

Went forth the nation weeping,

With precious seed of prayer,

Hope’s awful vigil keeping

’Mid rumours of despair,

Now, to Thy glory bringing

Its sheaves of praise along,

Again it cometh singing

A happy harvest song.

O sweet and divine fashion

Of Grace sublime in power!

That meteth out compassion

By sorrow’s direst hour:

O Love, most high, most holy!

The merciful in might,

That unto hearts most lowly

Is ever Depth and Height.

Bless Thou our adoration!

Our gladness sanctify!

Be this rejoicing nation

To Thee by joy more nigh:

Oh be this great Thanksgiving,

That with one voice we raise,

Wrought into holier living

Through all our after days.

Bless, FATHER, him Thou gavest

Back to the loyal land;

O SAVIOUR, him Thou savest

Still cover with Thine Hand;

O SPIRIT, the Defender,

Be his to guard and guide,

Now in life’s mid-day splendour,

On to the eventide!