Though Cloudy Skies and Northern Blasts

Though cloudy skies and north­ern blasts

Retard the gen­tle spring awhile;

The sun will con­quer­or prove at last

And na­ture wear a ver­nal smile.

The pro­mise which from age to age

Has brought the chang­ing sea­sons round;

Again shall calm the win­ter’s rage

Perfume the air

and paint the ground.

The vir­tue of that first com­mand

I know still does

and will pre­vail;

That while the earth itself shall stand

The spring and sum­mer shall not fail.

Such chang­es are for us de­creed;

Believers have their win­ters too;

But spring shall cer­tain­ly suc­ceed

And all their for­mer life re­new.

Winter and spring have each their use

And each

in turn

his peo­ple know;

One kills the weeds their hearts pro­duce

The oth­er makes their grac­es grow.

Though like dead trees awhile they seem

Yet hav­ing life with­in their root

The wel­come spring’s re­viv­ing beam

Draws forth their blos­soms

leaves

and fruit.

But if the tree in­deed be dead

It feels no change

though spring re­turn

Its leaf­less

nak­ed

bar­ren head

Proclaims it on­ly fit to burn.

Dear Lord

af­ford our souls a spring

Thou know’st our win­ter has been long;

Shine forth

and warm our hearts to sing

And Thy rich grace shall be our song.