1 All the world this day is crying
To the Lord of all the earth;
All Thy churches, Lord, are pleading,
As they wait the glorious birth—
Making new the earth and heaven,
Long deferred, but promised long;
Birth of nations to the glory
That shall fill all lands with song.
2 Never was the world more needy,
Human hearts more sad and poor;
Crying blindly for a healer,
Seeking not the heav’nly cure:
Never was the harvest greater,
Yet the reapers, where are they?
Far and few, where need is greatest,
Fainting in the heat of day.
3 Never did the Word shine brighter,
With its beauty and its love,
Drawing souls within its circle
From the joys and songs above.
Never did the great ensnarer
Spread his spells with wiser skill,
Turning light to darkness, mingling
Sweet and bitter, good and ill.
4 Father, in tis day of weakness,
Weary hand, and fainting knee,
In this hour of fear and darkness,
Now for help we turn to Thee!
Let the sighing of the needy
Come into Thy listening ear;
Let Thy people, in their pleading,
Know Thee gracious, find Thee near!
5 These our cries of sin and weakness
On Thy mercy seat we lay,
To Thy heav’nly love appealing,
There we leave them, Lord, this day.
There the sprinkled blood shall own them
As we lay them at Thy feet,
Perfumed with the priestly fragrance,
Incense ever pure and sweet.
6 Golden vials full of odors,
Sending up their fragrant breath,
Bear into Thy heav’nly temple
These our broken cries beneath.
From that temple where He dwelleth,
He our priest and king above,
Let the never ending answer
Daily come in joy and love.
7 For the earth, with all its kingdoms
Far and near, this day we cry;
Light of light, dispel the darkness
With the Dayspring from on high!
For Thy Church of every nation,
For each saint on earth we plead,
Give the fullness of Thy Spirit,
Give the life and light we need.
8 Unto Him, then, who is able
Thus to do for us this day
Far beyond what we can ask for,
Unto Him be praise for aye;
Praise to the Eternal Father,
Praise to the Eternal Son,
Praise to the Eternal Spirit,
Praises to the Three in One!
Source: The Cyber Hymnal #9178
Horatius Bonar was born at Edinburgh, in 1808. His education was obtained at the High School, and the University of his native city. He was ordained to the ministry, in 1837, and since then has been pastor at Kelso. In 1843, he joined the Free Church of Scotland. His reputation as a religious writer was first gained on the publication of the "Kelso Tracts," of which he was the author. He has also written many other prose works, some of which have had a very large circulation. Nor is he less favorably known as a religious poet and hymn-writer. The three series of "Hymns of Faith and Hope," have passed through several editions.
--Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins, M.A. 1872… Go to person page >
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