The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.
Psalm 19:1
Words: Christopher Wordsworth, The Holy Year (London: Rivingtons, 1862), number 15, alt.
Music: Frumentius William S. Nickle, 1899 (🔊 pdf nwc).
Alternate Tunes:
The heav’ns declare Thy glory, Lord,
Thy love is written in Thy Word;
And we behold Thy blessèd face
In works of power, and words of grace;
We see Thee, Lord, whene’er we look
In nature, and in Scripture’s book.
Thy own prophetic Word of old
Thy future birthplace had foretold;
That Word’s fulfillment now is grav’n
In spangled pages in the heav’ns;
The star proclaims of David’s stem
The King newborn at Bethlehem.
The Gentile sages from afar,
Traversing paths lit by a star,
To Judah come; the heav’nly ray
Of prophecy then points the way;
They see the star again appear;
How great their joy! for Thou art here!
Not staggered by Thy low estate—
To sense how low, to faith, how great!
Myrrh, frankincense, and gold they bring
To Thee as man, as Lord, and King;
To Thee they open all their store,
And in the Child their God adore.
Lord, make us keen of eye to heed
All lights, by which Thou wouldst us lead;
Help us to toil o’er plain and hill,
In glad obedience to Thy will;
To see by faith and humbly fall,
And give to Thee, who givest all.
Thou first to Gentiles wast displayed
An infant in a cradle laid;
But all shall see Thee on Thy Throne,
And Thee their judge and king shall own;
All kings before Thee shall fall low,
And every knee to Jesus bow.
Lord, may the isles Thy law receive,
And they, who know Thee not, believe;
Arise, and on the nations shine;
Thy preachers fill with grace divine;
That all the world at length may see
The light of Thine epiphany.