Savior, Visit Thy Plantation

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.

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.

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.

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!

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.