Scripture Verse

The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul. Psalm 19:7

Introduction

Words: From The Psal­ter (Pitts­burgh, Penn­syl­van­ia: Unit­ed Pres­by­te­ri­an Board of Pub­li­ca­tion, 1912), num­ber 38.

Music: Had­dam ar­ranged by Lo­well Ma­son, 1822 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tune:

portrait
Lowell Mason (1792–1872)

Lyrics

Jehovah’s perfect law
Restores the soul again;
His tes­ti­mo­ny sure
Gives wis­dom un­to men;
The pre­cepts of the Lord are right,
And fill the heart with great de­light.

The Lord’s com­mands are pure,
They light and joy re­store;
Jehovah’s fear is clean,
Enduring ev­er­more;
His sta­tutes, let the world con­fess,
Are whol­ly truth and right­eous­ness.

They are to be de­sired
Above the fin­est gold;
Than hon­ey from the comb
More sweet­ness far they hold;
With warn­ings they Thy ser­vant guard,
In keep­ing them is great re­ward.

His er­rors who can know?
Cleanse me from hid­den stain;
Keep me from will­ful sins,
Nor let them o’er me reign;
And then I up­right shall ap­pear
And be from great trans­gress­ions clear.

When Thou dost search my life,
May all my thoughts with­in
And all the words I speak
Thy full ap­prov­al win.
O Lord, Thou art a rock to me,
And my Re­deem­er Thou shalt be.