Scripture Verse

Even in the latter days, if thou turn to the Lord thy God, and shalt be obedient unto His voice (for the Lord thy God is a merciful God) He will not forsake thee. Deuteronomy 4:30–31

Introduction

portrait
Oliver Holden (1765–1844)

Words: Tho­mas H. Gill, in G. Daw­son’s Psalms and Hymns, 1846. When Gill re­pub­lished the text in his 1869 Gold­en Chain, he ac­com­pa­nied it with this quote from Mil­ton: The pow­er of Thy grace is not passed away with the pri­mi­tive times as fond and faith­less men might ima­gine, but Thy king­dom is now at hand, and Thou stand­ing at the door.

Music: Co­ro­na­tion Ol­iv­er Hol­den, Un­ion Har­mo­ny or Uni­vers­al Col­lect­ion of Sac­red Mu­sic (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: 1793) (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

Our God, our God, Thou shinest here,
Thine own this latter day;
To us Thy radiant steps appear,
Here goes Thy glo­ri­ous way!
To us Thy radiant steps appear,
Here goes Thy glo­ri­ous way!

We shine not only with the light
Thou sheddest down of yore;
On us Thou streamest strong and bright
Thy comings are not o’er.
On us Thou streamest strong and bright
Thy comings are not o’er.

The fathers had not all of Thee,
New births are in Thy grace;
All open to our souls shall be
Thy glo­ry’s hiding-place.
All open to our souls shall be
Thy glo­ry’s hiding-place.

Thy comest near; Thou standest by;
Our work begins to shine;
Thou dwellest with us mightily—
On come the years divine!
Thou dwellest with us mightily—
On come the years divine!