Oh! Seize This Hour

Oh! seize this hour

for day by day

Death lies in am­bush for his prey;

Fill it with vir­tu­ous toils and cares—

He spreads around his thou­sand snares.

He lurks in sum­mer’s sick­ly breath

The win­ter winds are winged with death

And au­tumn

in her mel­low stores

Disease amidst her rich­es show­ers.

But thou

in ev­ery sea­son brave

Walk calm­ly o’er that hid­den grave

For Christ­ian du­ties

aims di­vine

To thee make ev­ery sea­son shine.

The sum­mer’s sick­ly air may bring

Disease and suf­fer­ing on its wing

But ho­ly pa­tience waits on thee

To sweet­ly soothe thy mi­se­ry.

Should pes­ti­lence

in au­tumn’s shade

Sudden thy bloom­ing health in­vade

Unshrinking thou that dart shalt bear

For God Him­self is with thee there.

And should the win­ter’s fierc­er hour

The burst­ing tem­pest on thee show­er

Amidst that ele­ment­al strife

Calm shalt thou view eter­nal life.

The Christ­ian heart shall know not fear

Though death in ev­ery shape ap­pear;

Amid the waves’ most aw­ful form

It sees a Fa­ther in the storm!