HUES of the rich unfolding morn, | |
| That, ere the glorious sun be born, | |
| By some soft touch invisible | |
| Around his path are taught to swell;— | |
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| Thou rustling breeze so fresh and gay, | 5 |
| That dancest forth at opening day, | |
| And brushing by with joyous wing, | |
| Wakenest each little leaf to sing;— | |
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| Ye fragrant clouds of dewy steam, | |
| By which deep grove and tangled stream | 10 |
| Pay, for soft rains in season given, | |
| Their tribute to the genial heaven;— | |
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| Why waste your treasures of delight | |
| Upon our thankless, joyless sight; | |
| Who day by day to sin awake, | 15 |
| Seldom of Heaven and you partake? | |
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| Oh, timely happy, timely wise, | |
| Hearts that with rising morn arise! | |
| Eyes that the beam celestial view, | |
| Which evermore makes all things new! | 20 |
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| New every morning is the love | |
| Our wakening and uprising prove; | |
| Through sleep and darkness safely brought, | |
| Restored to life, and power, and thought. | |
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| New mercies, each returning day, | 25 |
| Hover around us while we pray; | |
| New perils past, new sins forgiven, | |
| New thoughts of God, new hopes of Heaven. | |
| |
| If on our daily course our mind | |
| Be set to hallow all we find, | 30 |
| New treasures still, of countless price, | |
| God will provide for sacrifice. | |
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| Old friends, old scenes will lovelier be, | |
| As more of Heaven in each we see: | |
| Some softening gleam of love and prayer | 35 |
| Shall dawn on every cross and care. | |
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| As for some dear familiar strain | |
| Untired we ask, and ask again, | |
| Ever, in its melodious store, | |
| Finding a spell unheard before; | 40 |
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| Such is the bliss of souls serene, | |
| When they have sworn, and stedfast mean, | |
| Counting the cost, in all t’ espy | |
| Their God, in all themselves deny. | |
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| Oh, could we learn that sacrifice, | 45 |
| What lights would all around us rise! | |
| How would our hearts with wisdom talk | |
| Along Life’s dullest, dreariest walk! | |
| |
| We need not bid, for cloistered cell, | |
| Our neighbour and our work farewell, | 50 |
| Nor strive to wind ourselves too high | |
| For sinful man beneath the sky: | |
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| The trivial round, the common task, | |
| Would furnish all we ought to ask | |
| Room to deny ourselves; a road | 55 |
| To bring us daily nearer God. | |
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| Seek we no more; content with these, | |
| Let present Rapture, Comfort, Ease, | |
| As Heaven shall bid them, come and go:— | |
| The secret this of Rest below. | 60 |
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| Only, O Lord, in Thy dear love | |
| Fit us for perfect Rest above; | |
| And help us, this and every day, | |
| To live more nearly as we pray. | |
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