The rolling year almighty Lord

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The rolling year almighty Lord

Author: John Needham, d. c. 1786
Tune: PRAYER (Butcher)
Published in 15 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Noteworthy Composer
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 The rolling year, almighty Lord!
Obeys Thy powerful nod:
Each season as it silent moves
Declares the present God.

2 The varied months are full of Thee,
With Thy rich bounty crowned:
The circling days, and fleet winged hours
Thy various praise resound.

3 Waked by Thy voice, out steps the spring
In living green new dressed:
On hills, in vales, thro’ fields and groves
Thy beauties stand confessed.

4 Now joy the living tribes inspires;
The birds sweet music bring:
The bleating flocks the concert join,
And rivers seem to sing.

The sun calls forth the summer months,
Nor do the hours delay:
The fruits with varied colors glow
Beneath his ripening ray.

5 ’Tis now, almighty God! we see
The forkèd lightnings fly:
Now ’tis Thy voice in thunder roars,
And shakes the lower sky.

6 Thy bounty, Lord, in autumn shines,
And spreads a common feast:
He that regards His favorite, man,
Will not neglect the beast.

7 When winter rears her hoary head,
And shows her furrowed brow,
In storms and tempests, frosts and snows,
How awful, Lord, art Thou!

8 The rolling year, almighty Lord!
Obeys Thy powerful nod:
Each season as it silent moves
Declares the present God.

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #9596

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Author: John Needham, d. c. 1786

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 >

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First Line:	The rolling year almighty Lord
Author:	John Needham, d. c. 1786
Copyright:	Public Domain

Psalm 147
(hymns)

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Tune

PRAYER (Butcher)

William U. Butcher (U.S.A., nineteenth century) composed PRAYER in 1860. Except for the fact that he had some association with the Oliver Ditson Music Company, no information is available about Butcher. This simple but serviceable tune has an elementary harmonization that invites singing in harmony.…

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