Bleak Winter Is Subdued at Length

Bleak win­ter is sub­dued at length

And forced to yield the day;

The sun has wast­ed all his strength

And driv­en him away.

And now long wished for spring is come

How al­tered is the scene!

The trees and shrubs are dressed in bloom

The earth ar­rayed in green.

Where’er we tread

be­neath our feet

The clus­ter­ing flow­ers spring;

The art­less birds

in con­cert sweet

Invite our hearts to sing.

But ah! in vain I strive to join

Oppressed with sin and doubt;

I feel ’tis win­ter still

with­in

Tho’ all is spring with­out.

Oh! would my Sav­ior from on high

Break thro’ these clouds and shine!

No crea­ture

then

more blest than I

No song more loud than mine.

Till then—no soft­ly warb­ling thrush

Nor cow­slip’s sweet per­fume;

Nor beau­ties of each paint­ed bush

Can dis­si­pate my gloom.

To Ad­am

soon as he trans­gressed

Thus Ed­en bloomed in vain;

Not para­dise could give him rest

Or soothe his heart­felt pain.

Yet here an em­blem I per­ceive

Of what the Lord can do;

Dear Sav­ior

help me to be­lieve

That I may flour­ish

too.

Thy word can soon my hopes re­vive

Can ov­er­come my foes;

And make my lang­uid grac­es thrive

And blos­som like the rose.