Scripture Verse

God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth. Genesis 1:20

Introduction

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Charles Coffin (1676–1749)

Words: Charles Cof­fin, in the Pa­ris Bre­vi­ary, 1736 (Iis­dem cre­ati fluc­ti­bus). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by John Chand­ler and the com­pil­ers of Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern.

Music: St. Fla­vi­an Day’s Psal­ter, 1563 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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John Chandler (1806–1876)
National Portrait Gallery

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Lyrics

The fish in wave, the bird on wing,
God bade the wa­ters bear;
Each for our mor­tal body’s food
His gra­cious hands pre­pare.

But other food, of rich­er cost,
The im­mor­tal spir­it needs;
By faith it lives on ev­ery word
That from His mouth pro­ceeds.

Faith spring­ing from the blood of Christ,
Has flowed o’er ev­ery land;
And sin­ners through the van­quished world
Bow down to its com­mand.

Its light the joy of Heav’n re­veals
To hearts made pure with­in;
And bids them seek by wor­thy deeds
Eternal crowns to win.

By faith the saints of old were strong
The li­on’s wrath to tame;
By faith they spurned the ty­rant’s threats,
And scorned the rag­ing flame.

Lord, grant that we the path may tread
Whereon its light doth shine;
And ga­ther, as we on­ward go,
The fruits of love di­vine.

O praise the Fa­ther; praise the Son,
On whose most pre­cious blood
Rests all our faith; and praise to Him
Who with Them both is God.