How Long Shall Earth’s Alluring Toys

How long shall earth’s al­lur­ing toys

Detain our hearts and eyes;

Regardless of im­mor­tal joys

And strang­ers to the skies?

These tran­si­ent scenes will soon de­cay

They fade up­on the sight;

And quick­ly will their bright­est day

Be lost in end­less night.

Their bright­est day

al­as

how vain!

With con­scious sighs we own;

While clouds of sor­row

care and pain

O’ershade the smil­ing noon.

O could our thought and wish­es fly

Above these gloomy shades

To those bright worlds be­yond the sky

Which sor­row ne’er in­vades.

There joys un­seen by mor­tal eyes

Or rea­son’s fee­ble ray

In ever bloom­ing pros­pect rise

Unconscious of de­cay.

Lord

send a beam of light di­vine

To guide our up­ward aim;

With one re­viv­ing touch of Thine

Our lang­uid hearts in­flame.

Then shall on faith’s sub­lim­est wing

Our ar­dent wish­es rise

To those bright scenes

where plea­sures spring

Immortal in the skies.