MORNING.
My voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto Thee, and will look up.—Psalm v. 3.
My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning: I say, more than they that watch for the morning.—Psalm cxxx. 6.
Behold the day, behold it is come: the morning is gone forth.—Ezekial, vii. 10.
Seek Him that maketh the seven stars and Orion, and turneth the shadow of death into the morning, and maketh the day dark with night.—Amos, v. 8.
When first thy eyes unveil, give thy soul leave
To do the like; our bodies but forerun
The spirit’s duty; true hearts spread and heave
Unto their God, as flowers do the sun:
Give Him thy first thoughts then, so shalt thou keep
Him company all day, and in Him sleep.
Yet never sleep the sun up; prayer should
Dawn with the day, there are set awful hours
’Twixt Heaven and us; the manna was not good
After sun-rising, for day sullies flowers.
Rise to prevent the sun; sleep doth sins glut,
And Heaven’s gate opens when the world’s is shut.
Walk with thy fellow-creatures; note the hush
And whisperings amongst them. Not a spring
Or leaf but hath his morning hymn; each bush
And oak doth know I Am—canst thou not sing?
O leave thy cares and follies! Go this way,
And thou art sure to prosper all the day.
Mornings are mysteries: the first world’s youth,
Man’s resurrection, and the future’s bud,
Shroud in their births; the crown of life, light, truth,
Is styled their star; the stone and hidden food:
Three blessings wait upon them, one of which
Should move—They make us holy, happy, rich.
Henry Vaughan.
Again the Lord of life and light
Awakes the kindling ray,
Unseals the eyelids of the morn,
O, what a night was that which wrapp’d
The heathen world in gloom!
O, what a sun which broke this day
Triumphant from the tomb!
This day be grateful homage paid,
And loud Hosannah’s sung;
Let gladness dwell on every heart,
And praise on every tongue.
Then thousand different lips shall join
To hail this happy morn;
Which scatters blessings from its wings
On nations yet unborn.
Barbauld.
Through the vales the breezes sigh;
Twilight opes her bashful eye,
Peeping from the east, she brings
Dew-drops on her dusky wings:
And the lark, with wak’ning lay,
Upsprings, the harbinger of day.
Now behold! the blushing sky
Tells the bridegroom sun is nigh;
Nature tunes her joyful lyre,
And the trembling stars retire,
Him the east, in crimson drest,
Ushers, nature’s welcome guest,
And the mountains of the west
Seem to lift their azure heads,
Jealous of the smile he sheds.
Glory, beaming from on high,
Charms devotion’s lifted eye;
Bliss, to which sluggards ne’er were born,
Waits the attendant of the morn.
Maria Colling.
The morning breaks,
And earth in her Maker’s smile awakes;
His light is on all, below and above,
The light of gladness, and life, and love.
O, then, on the breath of this early air,
Send up the incense of grateful prayer!
Henry Ware, Jun.
The God of mercy walks His round
From day to day, from year to year,
And warns us each with awful sound,
“No longer stand ye idle here.”
Ye, whose young cheeks are rosy bright,
Whose hands are strong, whose hearts are clear,
Waste not of youth the morning light,
Oh fools, why stand ye idle here?
And ye, whose scanty locks of grey
Foretel your latest travail near,
How fast declines your useless day,
And stand ye yet so idle here?
One hour remains, there is but one,
But many a grief and many a tear,
Through endless ages, must atone
For moments lost and wasted here.
Heber.
Serve God at morn, that solemn hallowed hour,
When Nature wakes, as from the sleep of death,
When the glad song from mountain, grove, and bower,
Is heard through heaven and on the earth beneath.
Serve God! Let Him receive thy morning’s early breath.
Weir.
Morn is the time to think,
While thoughts are fresh and free,
Of life, just balanced on the brink
Of vast eternity!
To ask our souls if they are meet
To stand before the judgment seat.
Miss Gray.
New, every morning, is the love
Our wakening and uprising prove;
Through sleep and darkness safely brought,
Restored to life, and power, and thought.
New mercies each returning day,
Hover around us while we pray;
New perils past, new sins forgiven,
New thoughts of God, new hopes of Heaven.
Keble.