The words
Stanza 1. Savior, visit thy plantation,Grant us, LORD, a gracious rain!All will come to desolation,Unless thou return again:Keep no longer at a distance,Shine upon us from on high;Lest, for want of thine assistance;Every plant would droop and die.
Stanza 2. Surely, once thy garden flourished,Every part looked gay and green;Then thy word our spirits nourished,Happy seasons we have seen!But a drought has since succeeded,And a sad decline we see;LORD, thy help is greatly needed,Help can only come from thee.
Stanza 3. Where are those we counted leaders,Filled with zeal, and love, and truth?Old professors, tall as cedars,Bright examples to our youth!Some, in whom we once delighted,We shall meet no more below;Some, alas! we fear are blighted,Scarce a single leaf they show.
Stanza 4. Younger plants–the sight how pleasant,Covered thick with blossoms stood;But they cause us grief at present,Frosts have nipped them in the bud!Dearest Savior, hasten hither,Thou canst make them bloom again;O, permit them not to wither,Let not all our hopes be vain!
Stanza 5. Let our mutual love be fervent,Make us prevalent in prayers;Let each one esteemed thy servant,Shun the world’s bewitching snares:Break the tempter’s fatal power,Turn the stony heart to flesh;And begin, from this good hour,To revive thy work afresh.
Olney Hymns (1779), Book 2, Hymn 51. John Newton. Public domain. CCEL transcription with modernized spelling. www.praylock.com/olney-hymns/2-51
