Sunday's Hymn

This week’s hymn is one of the Olney Hymns, and meant to be sung “before annual Sermons to young people, on new-years evenings.”

XXII.  PRAYER FOR A BLESSING ON THE YOUNG.
 
Bestow, dear Lord, upon our youth
The gift of saving grace;
And let the seed of sacred truth
Fall in a fruitful place.
 
Grace is a plant, where’er it grows,
Of pure and heavenly root;
But fairest in the youngest shows,
And yields the sweetest fruit.
 
Ye careless ones, O hear betimes
The voice of sovereign love!
Your youth is stain’d with many crimes,
But mercy reigns above.
 
True, you are young, but there’s a stone
Within the youngest breast;
Or half the crimes which you have done
Would rob you of your rest.
 
For you the public prayer is made,
Oh! join the public prayer!
For you the secret tear is shed,
Oh! shed yourselves a tear!
 
We pray that you may early prove
The Spirit’s power to teach;
You cannot be too young to love
That Jesus whom we preach.

—William Cowper

Other hymns, worship songs, sermons etc. posted today:

• The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns at The Happy Wonderer
• Lord’s Day 52, 2009 at The Thirsty Theologian
• Fairest Lord Jesus at Whatever Is Good
• All Praise to Thee, Eternal Lord at Hiraeth
• Be Thou My Vision at The Upward Call
• Joy to the World! at Field Stone Cottage
• Shepherds Rejoice! Lift Up Your Eyes at Conjubilant with Song
• Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne at Whatever Things

Have you posted a hymn (or sermon, sermon notes, prayer, etc.) today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by emailing me at the address in the sidebar and I’ll add your post to the list.