Scripture Verse

O Lord, our Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth, who hast set Thy glory above the heavens! Psalm 8:1

Introduction

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James Montgomery (1771–1854)
National Portrait Gallery

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Words: James Mont­go­me­ry, Songs of Zi­on (Lon­don: Long­man, Hurst, Rees, Orme & Brown, 1822).

Music: Bring­hurst Street Will­iam U. But­cher, in The Heart and Voice, ed­it­ed by A. S. Jenks (Phi­la­del­phia, Penn­syl­van­ia: Per­kin­pine & Hig­gins, 1865), page 144 (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of But­cher (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

O Lord, our king, how excellent,
Thy name on earth is known!
Thy glo­ry in the firmament
How wonderfully shown!

Yet are the humble dear to Thee;
Thy praises are confessed
By infants lisping on the knee,
And sucklings at the breast.

When I behold the heav’ns on high.
The work of Thy right hand;
The moon and stars amid the sky,
Thy lights in every land—

Lord, what is man, that Thou shouldst deign
On him to set Thy love,
Give him on earth awhile to reign,
Then fill a throne above?

O Lord, how excellent Thy name!
How manifold Thy ways!
Let time Thy saving truth pro­claim,
Eternity Thy praise.