On a Year of Threatening Rain

Top Media Text Author Text Info Tune Timeline Arrangements Page Scans Instances

How hast thou, Lord, from year to year

Author: Thomas Gibbons
Tune: MAITLAND (Allen)
Published in 17 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Noteworthy Composer
Audio files: MIDI

Piano/Organ
	All Glory, Laud and Honor (Organ express…

Representative Text

1 How hast thou Lord, from year to year,
Our land with plenty crown'd?
And generous fruit and golden grain
Have spread their riches round.

2 But we Thy mercies have abus'd
To more abounding crimes:
What heights, what daring heights in sin
Mark and disgrace our times!

3 Equal tho' awful is the doom,
That fierce descending rain
Should into inundations swell,
And crush the rising grain!

4 How just that in the autumn’s reign,
When we had hop'd to reap,
Our fields of sorrow and despair
Should lie a hedious heap.

5 But, Lord, have mercy on our land,
Those floods of vengeance stay;
Dispel these glooms, and let the sun
Shine in unclouded day!

6 To thee alone we look for help;
None else of dew or rain
Can give the world the smallest drop,
Or smallest drop restrain.

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

All representative texts • Compare texts ^ top

Author: Thomas Gibbons

Gibbons, Thomas, was born at Beak, near Newmarket, May 31, 1720; educated by Dr. Taylor, at Deptford; ordained in 1742, as assistant to the Rev. Mr. Bures, at Silver Street Chapel, London; and in 1743 became minister of the Independent Church, at Haberdashers' Hall, where he remained till his death, Feb. 22, 1785. In addition to his ministerial office he became, in 1754, tutor of the Dissenting Academy at Mile End, London; and, in 1759, Sunday evening lecturer at Monkwell Street. In 1760 the College at New Jersey, U.S., gave him the degree of M.A. and in 1764 that of Aberdeen the degree of D.D. His prose works were (1) Calvinism and Nonconformity defended, 1740; (2) Sermons on various subjects, 1762; (3) Rhetoric, 1767; (4) Female Worthies,… Go to person page >

^ top

Text Information

Text Information

First Line:	How hast thou, Lord, from year to year
Title:	On a Year of Threatening Rain
Author:	Thomas Gibbons
Meter:	8.6.8.6
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

^ top

Tune

MAITLAND (Allen)

PRECIOUS LORD, the tune Thomas Dorsey used for his most beloved hymn, "Precious Lord, take my hand", is an adaptation of MAITLAND. Sometimes Dorsey is shown as the composer, sometimes as the arranger or adapter the tune. MAITLAND is often attributed to Allen, but the earliest known sources (H.W. Bee…

Go to tune page >

All tunes published with 'On a Year of Threatening Rain'^ top