On the Spring

Top Text Author Text Info Timeline Page Scans Instances

The icy chains that bound the earth

Author: John Needham
Published in 17 hymnals

Representative Text

1 The icy chains that bound the earth
Are now dissolv'd wnad gone:
Wak'd by the sun the blooming spring
Puts his new livery on.

2 Where awful desolation reign'd
Bless'd plenty rears her head;
Exulting with a smile to see
Her late destroyer fled.

3 Teeming with life, th' advancing sun
Protracts the falling day;
Grand light of heaven! he seems to wish
To make a longer stay.

4 In clouds of gold behold him set,
Beyond the west he flies;
Short is his nightly course, and soon
He gildes the eastern skies.

5 My soul, in every scene admire
The wisdom and the power:
Behold the God in every plant,
In every opening flower.

6 Yet his word, the God of grace,
Has wrote his fairer name:
The wonders of redeeming love
My noblest songs shall claim.

7 With warmest beams, thou God of grace
Shine on this heart of mine;
Turn thou my winter into spring,
And be the glory thine.

Source: A Selection of Hymns: from the best authors, intended to be an appendix to Dr. Watt's psalms and hymns. (1st Am. ed.) #CDXCVIII

All representative texts • Compare texts ^ top

Author: John Needham

Needham, John, was the son of John Needham, Baptist Minister, of Hitchin, Herts, but the date of his birth is unknown. He would doubtless be educated by his father, who was a tutor and in repute as a learned man. In 1750 Needham became co-pastor with John Beddome at the Baptist meetinghouse in the Pithay, Bristol; but, two years later, Beddome having retired through age, a violent controversy arose in the Church with regard to a continuance of the plan of co-pastorship. As the result, Needham and a number of his friends removed to a Baptist meetinghouse in Callowhill Street, where a Mr. Foot was pastor. For a time the two societies used the same builing at different hours, but in 1755 they were united, with Mr. Needham and Mr. Foot as co-pa… Go to person page >

^ top