God of the morning, at whose voice
The sun begins his daily race;
And every day and every hour
Proclaim thy faithfulness and grace.
Nature in all its various forms
Proclaim aloud and sound thy power;
And yet poor sinful creature man
Forgets the mercies of each hour.
We live and move upheld by thee;
Secure beneath thine arm we rest;
And when our powers are wrapped in sleep,
The sweet repose is richly blessed.
Mercies as morning dew descend,
Mercies I eat, I drink, and wear;
Thy bounteous hand, almighty Lord,
Supplies my wants without my care.
From day to day, and night to night,
Our life, our ALL on thee depend;
Favours still new, favours divine,
On us poor sinful worms attend.
Thy sovereign and thy matchless love
Withholds the wrath my sins deserve;
My sins would sink me down to hell
Did not eternal love preserve.
Amazing love and boundless grace,
That first contrived, ere time began,
A glorious way for to redeem
And save poor guilty helpless man.
Justice divine no more can claim
A satisfaction to the law;
The work is done, for Jesus came,
And did not from that work withdraw.
‘Tis done: ’tis finished; cried my Lord,
When in expiring groans and pains;
He then fulfilled the arduous work
Of man’s salvation; now he reigns.
He reigns above to plead the cause
Of all the Father to him gave;
Not one of them shall ever be lost,
He hath and will his chosen save.
Show me, blessed Jesus, I am thine;
Father of mercies, draw me near;
I want thy smiles, I want thy love,
O make my soul thy voice to hear.
Blessed Sun of righteousness arise,
With beams of light, life, love, and joy;
Defend and warm my frozen heart,
Then shall thy praise my lips employ.
J.L. Published in The Gospel Magazine, March 1766.