Scripture Verse

Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4

Introduction

portrait
Charles Wesley (1707–1788)

Words: Charles Wes­ley, Hymns and Sac­red Po­ems 1742.

Music: Hayes from So­na­ta Op­us 14, Num­ber 2, by Lud­wig van Beet­ho­ven, 1799 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827)

Lyrics

Father of all, whose pow­er­ful voice
Called forth this uni­ver­sal frame!
Whose mer­cies over all re­joice,
Through end­less ag­es still the same;
Thou by Thy word up­hold­est all;
Thy boun­te­ous love to all is showed;
Thou hear’st Thy ev­ery crea­ture’s call,
And fill­est ev­ery mouth with good.

In Hea­ven Thou reign’st en­throned in light,
Nature’s ex­panse be­neath Thee spread;
Earth, air, and sea, be­fore Thy sight
And hell’s deep gloom, are op­en laid:
Wisdom, and might, and love are Thine;
Prostrate be­fore Thy face we fall,
Confess Thine at­tri­butes di­vine,
And hail Thee so­ve­reign Lord of all.

Thee so­ve­reign Lord let all con­fess,
That move in earth, or air, or sky;
Revere Thy pow­er, Thy good­ness bless,
Tremble be­fore Thy pierc­ing eye.
All ye, who owe to Him your birth,
In praise your ev­ery hour em­ploy;
Jehovah reigns! be glad, O earth!
And shout, ye morn­ing stars, for joy.