Summer: Saturday Evening Poem by John Bowring

Thro' the thick trees the evening breezes speak,
And ripple the calm surface of the lake;
And heaven is clad in its star-spangled robe;
While stillness lulls to rest the weary globe;
Thus days and weeks roll on-thus all things tend,
Thro' various issues, to one common end.


Now night resumes her rest-compelling rod,
And all is hush'd to soft repose, but God!
Now let my soul direct its flight to Him,
And, soaring o'er this shadowy darkness dim,
Reach the lov'd threshold of His throne divine,
And bring accepted tribute to His shrine.
The week is past-the sabbath dawn comes on:
Rest-rest in peace-thy daily toil is done;
And standing, as thou standest, on the brink
Of a new scene of being, calmly think
Of what is gone, is now, and soon shall be-
As one that trembles on eternity.
For sure as this now-closing week is past,
So sure advancing time will close thy last;
Sure as to-morrow, shall the awful light
Of the eternal morning hail thy sight.


Spirit of Good! on this week's verge I stand,
Tracing the guiding influence of Thy hand;
That hand which leads me gently, kindly still
Up life's dark, stony, tiresome, thorny hill:
Thou, Thou in every storm hast sheltered me
Beneath the wing of Thy benignity;-
A thousand graves my footsteps circumvent,
And I exist-Thy mercy's monument!
A thousand writhe upon the bed of pain-
I live-and pleasure flows thro' every vein.
Want o'er a thousand wretches waves her wand-
I, circled by ten thousand mercies, stand.
How can I praise Thee, Father! how express
My debt of reverence, and of thankfulness?
A debt that no intelligence can count,
While every moment swells its vast amount.


For the week's duties Thou hast given me strength,
And brought me to its tranquil close at length;
And here my grateful bosom fain would raise
A fresh memorial to Thy glorious praise:
And if inspired by reverent trust,-and free
From vain presumption, it may reach e'en Thee;
But ah! the least of all Thy gifts exceeds
The best, the holiest of my thoughts or deeds.
Were I but worthy of Thy love!-I will-
If Thy pure Spirit help me to fulfil
This solemn pledge: I will-Thy blessing, Lord,
Shall give a sacred influence to the word,
And hallow and confirm the humble vow-
My Friend, my Father! O confirm it now!