Scripture Verse

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands. Psalm 19:1

Introduction

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John B. Dykes (1823–1876)

Words: Is­aac Watts, Ho­ræ Ly­ri­cæ, Book 1, 1706, pag­es 16–17.

Music: Be­ati­tu­do John B. Dykes, in Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern, 1875 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Lyrics

Father, how wide Thy glo­ries shine!
How high Thy won­ders rise!
Known through the earth by thou­sand signs,
By thou­sand through the skies.

Those migh­ty orbs pro­claim Thy pow­er,
Their mo­tions speak Thy skill,
And on the wings of ev­ery hour
We read Thy pa­tience still.

Part of thy Name di­vine­ly stands
On all Thy crea­tures writ,
They show the la­bor of Thine hands,
Or im­press of Thy feet.

But when we view Thy strange de­sign
To save re­bel­lious worms,
Where ven­geance and com­pass­ion join
In their di­vin­est forms;

Our thoughts are lost in rev­er­ent awe;
We love and we ad­ore;
The first arch­an­gel nev­er saw
So much of God be­fore.

Here the whole De­ity is known,
Nor dares a crea­ture guess
Which of the glo­ries bright­est shone,
The jus­tice or the grace.

When sin­ners broke the Fa­ther’s laws,
The dy­ing Son atones;
Oh the dear mys­ter­ies of His cross!
The tri­umph of His groans!

Now the full glo­ries of the Lamb
Adorn the heav’n­ly plains;
Sweet cher­ubs learn Im­man­uel’s name,
And try their choic­est strains.

O may I bear some hum­ble part
In that im­mor­tal song!
Wonder and joy shall tune my heart,
And love com­mand my tongue.