Ere Mountains Reared Their Forms Sublime

Ere mount­ains reared their forms sub­lime

Or the fair earth in or­der stood

Before the birth of an­cient time

From ev­er­last­ing Thou art God.

A thou­sand ag­es in their flight

With Thee are as a fleet­ing day;

Past

pre­sent

fu­ture

to Thy sight

At once their va­ri­ous scenes dis­play.

But our brief life’s a sha­dowy dream

A pass­ing thought that soon is o’er

That fades with morn­ing’s ear­li­est beam

And fills the mus­ing mind no more.

To us

O Lord

the wis­dom give

To ev­ery pre­cious hour to spend

That we at length with Thee may live

Where life and bliss shall nev­er end.