Father! To Thy Kind Love We Owe

Father! to Thy kind love we owe

All that is fair and good be­low;

Bestower of the health that lies

On tear­less cheeks and cheer­ful eyes!

Giver of sun­shine and of rain!

Ripener of fruits on hill and plain!

Fountain of light

that rayed afar

Fills the vast urns of sun and star!

Who send’st Thy storms and frosts to bind

The plagues that rise to waste man­kind;

Then breath­est

o’er the nak­ed scene

Spring gales

and life

and ten­der green.

Yet deem we not that thus alone

Thy mer­cy and Thy love are shown;

For we have learned

with high­er praise

And ho­li­er names

to speak Thy ways.

In woe’s dark hour

our kind­est stay!

Sole trust when life shall pass away!

Teacher of hopes that light the gloom

Of death

and con­se­crate the tomb!

Patient

with head­strong guilt to bear;

Slow to avenge

and kind to spare;

Listening to pray­er

and re­con­ciled

Full quick­ly to Thy err­ing child!