As Comes the Breath of Spring

Representative Text

1 As comes the breath of spring,
with light and mirth and song,
so does your Spirit bring
new days brave, free and strong.
You come with thrill of life
to chase hence winter's breath,
to hush to peace the strife
of sin that ends in death.

2 You come like dawning day,
with flaming truth and love,
to chase all glooms away,
to brace our wills to prove
how wise, how good to choose
the truth and its brave fight;
to prize it, win or lose,
and live on God's delight.

3 You come like songs at morn
that fill the earth with joy,
till we in Christ newborn
new strength in praise employ.
You come to rouse the heart
from drifting to despair,
through high hope to impart
life with an ampler air.

4 You breathe, and there is health;
you move, and there is power;
you whisper, there is wealth
of love, your richest dower.
Your presence is to us
like summer in the soul;
your joy shines forth, and then
life blossoms to its goal.

Source: The Book of Praise #396

Author: David Lakie Ritchie

Ritchie, David Lakie. (Kingsmuir, Scotland, September 15, 1864--December 14, 1951, Montreal, Quebec). Congregationalist/United Church. Studied at the University of Edinburgh, whose D.D. he received in 1917. Pastorates at Dunfermline (1890-1896) and Newcastle (1896-1903) in Britain; principal of Nottingham Theological Institute, 1903-1919; of Congregational College (Montreal), 1919-1925; and of United Theological College (1925-1939), with which his previous school merged when Canada's Congregationalists entered the church union of 1925. Although he published several works, he was best known in his own day as an effective trainer of ministers for a church in the throes of reorganization. --Hugh D. McKellar, DNAH Archives Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: As comes the breath of spring
Title: As Comes the Breath of Spring
Author: David Lakie Ritchie
Meter: 6.6.6.6 D
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

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Voices United #373

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The Book of Praise #396

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