Scripture Verse

Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. Ecclesiastes 12:1

Introduction

Words: James Lom­bard, A Li­tur­gy, with a Col­lect­ion of Hymns and Chants (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Ab­el Tomp­kins, 1860), num­ber 95.

Music: Ari­zo­na Ro­bert H. Earn­shaw, in The Book of Praise (To­ron­to, On­tar­io, Ca­na­da: Ox­ford Uni­ver­si­ty Press, 1918) (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Lom­bard or Earn­shaw (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

We come ere yet the ills of life
Have cast their sha­dows o’er our way,
For strength to con­quer mid the strife,
And bear the bur­den of the day.

Whate’er our lot in life may be,
May we its du­ties well per­form,
And still Thy good­ness, Fa­ther see
Alike in sun­shine and in storm.

May we our faith­ful teach­ers aid,
And grant that in their la­bors high,
They be not weary nor dis­mayed,
Ere yet the har­vest time draws nigh.

And while with­in these walls we meet,
To gather words of wis­dom here,
May kind­ly deeds and con­verse sweet,
Bind ev­ery heart in love sin­cere.