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!