Now the dew is on the grass,

Now the lake is clear as glass,

Now the earth, refreshed with showers,
Yields her sweetest loveliest flowers;
Now the birds are on the wing,
Now their cheeriest songs they sing ;
Listen to the whispering breeze,
Listen to the rustling trees;
Nature bids thee, man, awake,
Nature for thy teacher take;
Up, and use the precious time,
Lo! Creation's in its prime.

God, who gave thee thy domain,
Bade thee, when he made thee, reign;
Beasts and cattle need their Head,
Rouse thee, sluggard, from thy bed:
Wherefore tarry? Art thou loth?
Is thy soul o'ercome with sloth?
Up, and let thine incense rise
To the Sovereign of the skies;
Join thy voice in praise and prayer
With Creation for his care;

Then to labour-now's the time;

Lo! Creation's in its prime.

NIGHT.

"The night cometh."

Lo! another day has ended,
And the God we have offended
Has again in mercy led us,
Housed, apparelled, guarded, fed us !

O how great has been our blindness!
Or his constant lovingkindness
Would have stirred us to thanksgiving,
And to new and holy living.

Great has been our provocation
Of the God of our salvation;
We have followed our wills rather
Than the will of God our Father.

Had we loved and served him ever
With our heartiest endeavour,

We could not have earned his favour,
But our faith would not now waver.

Night is coming-Woe unto us!
Death will utterly undo us!
Then the grave and dissolution!
Then the last dread retribution!

Strength and hope begin to fail us,
Just when they should most avail us;
God could help us in our danger,
God we have provoked to anger.

Let us quickly make confession
Of our manifold transgression;
Let us pray for restoration
And the Spirit's consolation.

Father, in the name of Jesus,
From the load of sin release us;
Compass us about with favour,
Help us that we no more waver:

Keep us under thy protection
Till the glorious resurrection;
Grant us then to stand before thee,
And for ever to adore thee.