Present Joys

“We thank the Lord of heaven and earth
who hath preserved us from our birth
for present joys, for blessings past,
and for the hope of heaven at last.”
In holy contemplation,
We sweetly then pursue
The theme of God’s salvation,
And find it ever new:
Set free from present sorrow,
We cheerfully can say,
E’en let th’ unknown tomorrow
Bring with it what it may.
William Cowper’s hymn “Sometimes a light surprises”. I’m utterly fascinated by Cowper’s life and work, but I’m really only familiar with “There is a fountain filled with blood”. He wrote a bunch of other good hymns, too, most of which are tinged with a signature kind of hopeful melancholy.