Hymns and Sacred Poems (1749), Hymn 36: For New Year's Day

The Lord of earth and sky,
The God of ages praise,
Who reigns enthroned on high,
Ancient of endless days,
Who lengthens out our trial here,
And spares us yet another year.

Barren and wither'd trees
We cumber'd long the ground,
No fruit of holiness
On our dead souls was found;
Yet doth He us in mercy spare
Another, and another year.

When justice bared the sword
To cut the fig-tree down,
The pity of our Lord
Cried, Let it still alone!
The Father mild inclines His ear,
And spares us yet another year.

Jesus, Thy speaking blood
From God obtain'd the grace,
Who therefore hath bestow'd
On us a longer space,
Thou didst in our behalf appear,
And lo, we see another year!

Then dig about our root,
Break up our fallow ground,
And let our gracious fruit
To Thy great praise abound,
O let us all Thy praise declare,
And fruit unto perfection bear.