The Cry of the Needy

All the world this day is cry­ing

To the Lord of all the earth;

All Thy church­es

Lord

are plead­ing

As they wait the glo­ri­ous birth—

Making new the earth and heav­en

Long de­ferred

but pro­mised long;

Birth of na­tions to the glo­ry

That shall fill all lands with song.

Never was the world more needy

Human hearts more sad and poor;

Crying blind­ly for a heal­er

Seeking not the heav’n­ly cure:

Never was the har­vest great­er

Yet the reap­ers

where are they?

Far and few

where need is great­est

Fainting in the heat of day.

Never did the Word shine bright­er

With its beau­ty and its love

Drawing souls with­in its cir­cle

From the joys and songs above.

Never did the great en­snar­er

Spread his spells with wis­er skill

Turning light to dark­ness

ming­ling

Sweet and bit­ter

good and ill.

Father

in this day of weak­ness

Weary hand

and faint­ing knee

In this hour of fear and dark­ness

Now for help we turn to Thee!

Let the sigh­ing of the needy

Come into Thy list­en­ing ear;

Let Thy peo­ple

in their plead­ing

Know Thee gra­cious

find Thee near!

These our cries of sin and weak­ness

On Thy mer­cy seat we lay

To Thy heav’n­ly love ap­peal­ing

There we leave them

Lord

this day.

There the sprin­kled blood shall own them

As we lay them at Thy feet

Perfumed with the priest­ly frag­rance

Incense ev­er pure and sweet.

Golden vi­als full of od­ors

Sending up their frag­rant breath

Bear in­to Thy heav’n­ly tem­ple

These our brok­en cries be­neath.

From that tem­ple where He dwell­eth

He our priest and king above

Let the nev­er end­ing an­swer

Daily come in joy and love.

For the earth

with all its king­doms

Far and near

this day we cry;

Light of light

dis­pel the dark­ness

With the Day­spring from on high!

For Thy Church of ev­ery na­tion

For each saint on earth we plead

Give the full­ness of Thy Spir­it

Give the life and light we need.

Unto Him

then

who is able

Thus to do for us this day

Far be­yond what we can ask for

Unto Him be praise for aye;

Praise to the eter­nal Fa­ther

Praise to the eter­nal Son

Praise to the eter­nal Spir­it

Praises to the Three in One!