HIS GLORY AND PERFECTIONS.

252

1

L.M.

Worship God.-Rev. xxii. 9.

WE praise, we worship Thee, O God;

sovereign power we sound abroad;

All nations bow before Thy throne,
And Thee, the great Jehovah, own.

2 Loud hallelujahs to Thy name
Angels and seraphim proclaim;

By all the powers and thrones in heaven, Eternal praise to Thee is given.

3 O holy, holy, holy Lord;

Thou God of Hosts, by all adored;
Earth and the heavens are full of Thee,
Thy light, Thy power, Thy majesty.
4 Apostles join the glorious throng,
And swell the loud triumphant song:
Prophets and martyrs hear the sound,
And spread the hallelujah round.

5 Glory to Thee, O God most high!
Father, we praise Thy majesty;
The Son, the Spirit, we adore;
One Godhead, blest for evermore.

C.M.

PATRICK.

253 Glorious in holiness.—Exod. xv. 11.
1 GOD, we praise Thee, and confess
That Thou, the only Lord
And everlasting Father, art
By all the earth adored.

2 To Thee all angels cry aloud;
To Thee the powers on high,
Both cherubim and seraphim,
Continually do cry-

3 O holy, holy, holy Lord,

Whom heavenly hosts obey,
The world is with the glory filled
Of Thy majestic sway.

4 The apostles' glorious company,
And prophets crowned with light,
With all the martyrs' noble host,
Thy constant praise recite.

5 The holy church throughout the world,
O Lord, eonfesses Thee,
That Thou, the eternal Father, art
Of boundless majesty.

1

Rev. xix. 5.

ONGS of praise the angels sang,
Heaven with hallelujahs rang,
When Jehovah's work begun;
When He spake, and it was done.
2 Songs of praise awoke the morn,
When the Prince of Peace was born;
Songs of praise arose when He
Captive led captivity.

3 Heaven and earth must pass away;
Songs of praise shall crown that day:
God will make new heavens and earth;
Songs of praise shall hail their birth.
4 Saints below, with heart and voice,
Still in songs of praise rejoice;
Learning here, by faith and love,
Songs of praise to sing above.
5 Borne upon their latest breath,
Songs of praise shall conquer death:
Then, amidst eternal joy,

Songs of praise their powers employ.

255

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78., 6 lines.

WITHER.

They shall show forth the Praises of
the Lord.-Isa. lx. 6.

COME, O come, with sacred lays,
Sound we God Almighty's praise;
Come, ye sons of human race,
In this chorus take your place;
And, amid the mortal throng,
Be ye masters of the song.
2 Angels and celestial powers,
Be the noblest worship yours;
Let, in praise of God, the sound
Run a never-ending round,
That our song of praise may be
Everlasting, as is He.

3 From the earth's remotest end,
Let the voice of praise ascend;
Spreading wide from shore to shore
Let the ocean-fulness roar;
Winds and clouds, as on ye move,
Bear the mighty sound above.

4 So shall He, from heaven's high tower,
On the earth His blessings pour;
All this huge wide orb we see
Shall one choir-one temple-be;
Come, then, come, in sacred lays
Sound we God Almighty's praise.

The God of Abraham praise,

3

At whose supreme command

From earth we rise, and seek the joys

At His right hand.

We all on earth forsake,

Its wisdom, fame, and power;

And Him our only portion make,
Our shield and tower.

The God of Abraham praise,
Whose all-sufficient grace

Shall guide us through the wilderness
To see His face.

He is our faithful Friend;
He is our gracious God;
And He will save us to the end

Through Jesus' blood.

4 He, by Himself, hath sworn; We on His oath depend,

5

We shall, on eagles' wings upborne,
To heaven ascend:

We shall behold His face,
We shall His power adore,

And sing the wonders of His grace
For evermore.

The whole triumphant host
Give thanks to God on high;

Hail, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost!
They ever cry:

Hail, Abraham's God and ours!
We join the heavenly lays,

And celebrate with all our powers
His endless praise.

257 The high and lofty One that inhabiteth

1 ET

Eternity.-Isa. lvii. 15.

NTERNAL Power-whose high abode Becomes the grandeur of a God; Infinite length beyond the bounds Where stars revolve their finite rounds:

2 Thee, while the first Archangel sings,
He hides his face beneath his wings;
And ranks of shining thrones around
Fall worshipping, and spread the ground.

3 Lord, what shall earth and ashes do?
We would adore our Maker too:
From sin and dust to Thee we cry,
The Great, the Holy, and the High.

4 Earth from afar has heard Thy fame,
And we have learnt to lisp Thy name;
But, O, the glories of Thy mind,
Leave all our soaring thoughts behind.

258 Art Thou not from everlasting, O

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GE

Lord my God-Hab. i. 12.

YREAT God, how infinite art Thou!
What worthless worms are we !
Let the whole race of creatures bow,
And pay their praise to Thee.

2 Thy throne eternal ages stood,
Ere seas or stars were made;
Thou art the ever-living God,
Were all the nations dead.

3 Nature and time quite naked lie
To Thine immense survey,
From the formation of the sky
To the great burning day.

4 Eternity, with all its years,

Stands present in Thy view;
To Thee there's nothing old appears
Great God, there's nothing new.

5 Our lives through various scenes are
And vexed with trifling cares; [drawn,
While Thine eternal thought moves on
Thine undisturbed affairs.

6 Great God, how infinite art Thou!
What worthless worms are we!
Let the whole race of creatures bow,
And pay their praise to Thee.

S

HALL foolish, weak, short-sighted Beyond archangels go,

[man,

The great Almighty God explain,

Or to perfection know?

His attributes divinely soar
Above the creature's sight;
And prostrate seraphim adore
The glorious Infinite.

2 Jehovah's everlasting days,
They cannot numbered be;
Incomprehensible the space
Of Thine immensity;

Thy wisdom's depths by reason's line
In vain we strive to sound,

Or stretch our lab'ring thought to assign
Omnipotence a bound.

3 The brightness of Thy glories leaves
Description far below:

Nor man, nor angel's heart conceives
How deep Thy mercies flow.
Thy love is most unsearchable,
And dazzles all above;

They gaze, but cannot count or tell
The treasures of Thy love.

L.M.

WATTS.

260 Behold, God is great, and we know

Him not.-Job xxxvi. 26.

1LORD, we are blind, we mortals blind:

Who can behold Thy bright abode? O'tis beyond a creature-mind

To glance a thought half way to Ged! 2 Infinite leagues beyond the sky, The great Eternal reigns alone, Where neither mortal thought can fly, Nor angels climb the topless throne. 3 The Lord of glory builds His seat Of gems insufferably bright, And lays beneath His sacred feet Substantial beams of gloomy night. 4 Yet, glorious Lord, Thy gracious eyes Look through and cheer us from above; Beyond our praise Thy grandeur flies, Yet we adore, and yet we love.

1

261

86,886.

BINNEY.

God is light, and in Him is no dark-
ness.-1 John i. 5.

TERNAL Light! Eternal Light!
How Are Soul must be

When, placed within Thy searching sight
It shrinks not, but, with calm delight
Can live, and look on Thee!

2 The spirits that surround Thy throne,
May bear the burning bliss;
But that is surely theirs alone,
Since they have never, never known
A fallen world like this.

3 0! how shall I, whose native sphere
Is dark, whose mind is dim,
Before the Ineffable appear,
And on my naked spirit bear
That uncreated beam?

4 There is a way for man to rise
To that sublime abode:-
An offering and a sacrifice,
A Holy Spirit's energies,

An Advocate with God:

5 These, these prepare us for the sight Of Holiness above:

The sons of ignorance and night

May dwell in the Eternal Light,
Through the Eternal Love!

C.M.

WATTS.

4 Speak we of strength? His arm is strong
To save or to destroy;
Infinite years His life prolong,
And endless is His joy.

5 He knows no shadow of a change,
Nor alters His decrees;

Firm as a rock His truth remains,
To guard His promises.

6 Justice, upon an awful throne,
Maintains the rights of God;
While mercy sends her pardons down,
Bought with the Saviour's blood.

7 Now to my soul, Immortal King,
Speak some forgiving word;
Then 'twill be double joy to sing
The glories of my Lord.

263

1

C.M.

FABER.

Who would not fear Thee, O King of
nations -Jer. x. 7.

Y God, how wonderful Thou art!
Thy majesty how bright!
How radiant Thy mercy-seat,

In depths of burning light!

2 How dread are Thine eternal years,
O everlasting Lord!

By prostrate spirits, day and night,
Incessantly adored.

3 Thou glorious God, how beautiful
The sight of Thee must be;-
Thine endless wisdom, boundless power,
And awful purity!

4 O how I fear Thee, Living God!
With deepest, tenderest fears;
And worship Thee with humble hope,
And penitential tears.

5 Yet may I love thee, too, O Lord,
Almighty as Thou art;

For Thou hast stooped to ask of me
The love of my poor heart.

6 Father of Jesus, God of love,
What rapture will it be,

Prostrate before Thy throne to lie,
And ever gaze on Thee!

C.M., 6 lines.

CONDER.

1

perfection?-Job xi. 7.

H That infinite Unknown?

OW shall I praise the eternal God,

Who can ascend His high abode,
Or venture near His throne?

2 The great Invisible! He dwells
Concealed in dazzling light;
But His all-searching eye reveals
The secrets of the night.

3 Those watchful eyes that never sleep
Survey the world around;
His wisdom is a boundless deep,
Where all our thoughts are drowned.

1

the Lord.-Jer. xxiii. 24.

B'Above that dome of sky,

EYOND, beyond that boundless sea,

Farther than thought itself can flee,
Thy dwelling is on high;

Yet dear the awful thought to me,
That Thou, my God, art nigh:-

2 Art nigh, and yet my labouring mind Feels after Thee in vain,

Thee in these works of power to find,
Or to Thy seat attain;

Thy messenger, the stormy wind;
Thy path, the trackless main :---

3 These speak of Thee with loud acclaim:
They thunder forth Thy praise,
The glorious honour of Thy name,
The wonders of Thy ways:
But Thou art not in tempest-flame,
Nor in day's glorious blaze.

4 We hear Thy voice, when thunders roll
Through the wide fields of air:
The waves obey Thy dread control;
Yet still Thou art not there.
Where shall I find Him, O my soul,
Who yet is everywhere?

5 O! not in circling depth or height,
But in the conscious breast,
Present to faith, though veiled from
There doth His Spirit rest.

O come, Thou Presence Infinite!
And make Thy creature blest.

265

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L.M.

Thou reignest over all.

1 Chron. xxix. 12.

[sight,

WATTS.

TEHOVAH reigns, His throne is high,
His robes are light and majesty ;
His glory shines with beams so bright,
No mortal can sustain the sight.

2 His terrors keep the world in awe
His justice guards His holy law;
His love reveals a smiling face;
His truth and promise seal the grace.

3 Through all His works His wisdom
And baffles Satan's deep designs; [shines,
His power is sovereign to fulfil
The noblest counsels of His will.
4 And will this glorious Lord descend
To be my Father and my Friend?
Then let my songs with angels' join;
Heaven is secure, if God be mine.

And can this mighty King

Of glory condescend?

2 Life, death, and hell, and worlds un-
Hang on His firm decree; [known,
He sits on no precarious throne,
Nor borrows leave to be.
3 His wisdom, with superior sway,
Guides the vast moving frame;
While all the ranks of beings pay
Deep reverence to His name.
4 My God, I would not long to see
My fate with curious eyes;
What gloomy lines are writ for me,
Or what bright scenes may rise.
5 In Thy fair book of life and grace
May I but find my name,,
Recorded in some humble place
Beneath my Lord, the Lamb.

268

1

Fearful in praises, doing wonders.
Exod. xv. 11.

THE Lord-how fearful is His name!

How wide is His command!
Nature, with all her moving frame,
Rests on His mighty hand.

2 Immortal glory forms His throne,
And light His awful robe;
While with a smile, or with a frown,
He manages the globe.

3 A word of His almighty breath
Can swell or sink the seas;
Build the vast empires of the earth,
Or break them if He please.

4 On angels, with unveiled face,
His glory beams above;

On men He looks with softest grace,
And takes His title, Love.

5 Now let the Lord for ever reign,
And sway us as He will:
Sick or in health, in ease or pain,
We are His children still.

6 No more shall peevish passion rise,
Our tongues no more complain;
"Tis sovereign love that lends our joys,
And love resumes again.

269

He is faithful that promised.
Heb. x. 23.

1BEGIN, my tongue, some heavenly

theme,

And speak some boundless thing; The mighty works, or mightier name, Of our eternal King.

2 Tell of His wondrous faithfulness, And sound His power abroad; Sing the sweet promise of His grace, And the performing God.

3 Proclaim salvation from the Lord, For wretched, dying men;

His hand has writ the sacred word With an immortal pen.

4 Engraved as in eternal brass

The mighty promise shines;
Nor can the powers of darkness rase
Those everlasting lines.

5 His very word of grace is strong
As that which built the skies;
The voice that rolls the stars along
Speaks all the promises.

Praise to the God whose strong decrees
Sway the wide realms of earth and seas.

2 Praise to the goodness of the Lord,
Who rules His people by His word,
And there, as strong as His decrees,
He sets His kindest promises.

3 Firm are the words His prophets give,
Sweet words on which His children live;
Each of them is the voice of God,
Who spake, and spread the skies abroad.

4 Whence, then, should doubts and fears arise?

Why trickling sorrows drown our eyes? Slowly, alas! our mind receives

The comfort that our Maker gives.

5 O for a strong, a lasting faith,

To credit what the Almighty saith;
To embrace the message of His Son,
And call the joys of heaven our own:

6 Then, should the earth's old pillars shake,
And all the wheels of nature break,
Our steady souls should fear no more
Than solid rocks when billows roar.

7 Our everlasting hopes arise
Above the ruinable skies;

Where the Eternal Builder reigns,
And His own courts His power maintains.

OF GOD.

2 With His right hand He shaped our clay,
And wrought this human frame;
But from His own immediate breath
Our nobler spirits came.

3 We bring our mortal powers to God,
And worship with our tongues;
We claim some kindred with the skies,
And join the angelic songs.

4 The brightness of our Maker's name
The wide creation fills,
And His unbounded grandeur flies
Beyond the heavenly hills.

273

Thou hast created all things.
Rev. iv. 11.

PRAISE to Thee, Thou great Creator,

Praise be Thine from every tongue Join, my soul, with every creature, Join the universal song.

Father, source of all compassion,
Pure, unbounded grace is Thine:
Hail! the God of our salvation,

Praise Him for His love divine.

2 For ten thousand blessings given,

For the hope of future joy, Theaven, Sound His praise through earth and Sound Jehovah's praise on high: