Scripture Verse

Thou, Lord, art high above all the earth. Psalm 97:9

Introduction

portrait
Wilson T. Hogue
1852–1920

Words: Wil­son T. Hogue, in the Free Me­tho­dist Hym­nal (Wi­no­na Lake, In­di­ana: Free Me­tho­dist Pub­lish­ing House, 1910), num­ber 8.

Music: Glad­den Tho­ro Har­ris (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Thoro Harris (1874–1955)

Lyrics

O God, Thou high and lofty One,
Transcending all the rolling spheres,
Who wast, and art, and art to come,
The same through ev­er­last­ing years.
Thee would we worship and adore,
Thy name extol for­ev­er­more.

Thou art the framer of the skies;
The heav’ns Thy glo­ry do declare;
And nature’s wondrous mysteries,
In earth and sky and sea and air,
Thy immanence fore’er pro­claim
Throughout her universal frame.

To all Thy works thy power extends;
Omnipotent we know Thou art;
Thy wisdom matchless comprehends
The universe in every part:
Past, present, future, unto Thee
Are known—one vast eternity.

Thou art Thy­self in every place,
Infinite life and light and love,
Confined to neither time nor space;
None from Thy presence can remove,
Nor any soul hide aught from Thee,
Whose presence fills immensity.

Prostrate before Thy throne we fall,
With reverence worship and adore;
Thou art Je­ho­vah, over all,
God blessèd now and ev­er­more;
Unworthy we to lisp thy name,
Yet justly Thou our praise dost claim.

Search Thou our hearts, try all within;
Our hearts are open, Lord, to Thee;
And if Thou seest aught unclean,
From its defilement set us free;
Then lead us forth from day to day
Within the ev­er­last­ing way.