Bounteous Spirit, Ever Shedding

Bounteous Spir­it

ev­er shed­ding

Life the world to fill!

Swarms the fruit­ful globe o’er­spread­ing

Shoals their ocean path­way thread­ing

Own Thy quick­en­ing thrill:

Author of each crea­ture’s birth

Life of life be­neath the earth

Everywhere

O Spir­it blest

Thou art mo­tion

Thou art rest.

Come

Cre­at­or! grace be­stow­ing—

All Thy se­ven­fold dow­er!

Come

Thy peace and boun­ty strow­ing

Earth’s re­new­er! Thine the sow­ing

Thine the glad­den­ing show­er.

Comforter! what joy Thou art

To the blest and faith­ful heart;

But to man’s pri­me­val foe

Uttermost des­pair and woe.

O’er the wa­ters of cre­ation

Moved Thy wings di­vine;

When the world

to ani­ma­tion

Waking ’neath Thy vi­si­ta­tion

Teemed with pow­ers be­nign:

Thou didst man to be­ing call

Didst re­store him from his fall;

Pouring

like the lat­ter rain

Grace to quick­en him again.

Thine the Gos­pel Voic­es

cry­ing

As with trum­pet sound;

Till the world

in dark­ness ly­ing

Rose from death­ly sleep

des­cry­ing

Heavenly light around.

Man

to reach that prize re­vealed

Armed with Thee as with a shield

Nerved and girt his fight to win

Quells the prince of death and sin.

Lowliest hom­age now be­fore Thee

Let the ran­somed pay;

For Thy won­drous gifts ad­ore Thee

By Thy ho­li­ness im­plore Thee

While in love they pray:

Holy! Holy! we re­peat

Kneeling at Thy mer­cy seat;

There un­bo­som ev­ery woe

Groanings Thou alone canst know.

Fount of grace for ev­ery na­tion

Refuge of the soul!

Strengthen Thou each new cre­ation

With the wa­ters of sal­va­tion

Make the guil­ty whole:

Rule on earth the pow­ers that be;

Give us priests in­spired of Thee;

Through Thy ho­ly Church in­crease

Purest un­ity and peace.

Purge and sanc­ti­fy us whol­ly

From the lea­ven of ill;

Save from Sa­tan’s grasp un­ho­ly;

To a liv­ing faith and low­ly

Mould the up­right will;

Till the old­en zeal re­turn

And with mu­tu­al love we burn;

Till in peace

no more to roam

All the flock be ga­thered home.