Hymns for Christian Devotion Part 23

2 If night's blue curtain of the sky-- With thousand stars inwrought, Hung like a royal canopy With glittering diamonds fraught-- Be, Lord, thy temple's outer veil, What splendor at the shrine must dwell!

3 The dazzling sun, at noon-day hour-- Forth from his flaming vase Flinging o'er earth the golden shower Till vale and mountain blaze-- But shows, O Lord, one beam of thine: What, then, the day where thou dost s.h.i.+ne?

4 O how shall these dim eyes endure That noon of living rays!

Or how our spirits so impure, Upon thy glory gaze!-- Anoint, O Lord, anoint our sight, And fit us for that world of light.

144. C. M. Sternhold.

Majesty of G.o.d. Ps. 18.

1 The Lord descended from above, And bowed the heavens most high, And underneath his feet he cast The darkness of the sky.

2 On cherubim and seraphim Full royally he rode, And on the wings of mighty winds Came flying all abroad.

3 He sat serene upon the floods, Their fury to restrain, And he, as sovereign Lord and King, Forevermore shall reign.

145. C. M. Watts.

Decrees and Providence of G.o.d.

1 Let the whole race of creatures lie Abased before the Lord: Whate'er his mighty hand has formed He governs with a word.

2 Ten thousand ages ere the skies Were into motion brought, All the long years and worlds to come Stood present to his thought.

3 Trusting thy wisdom, G.o.d of love, We would not wish to know What, in the book of thy decrees, Awaits us here below

4 Be this alone our fervent prayer,-- Whate'er our lot shall be, Or joys, or sorrows, may they form Our souls for heaven and thee.

146. L. M. Walker's Coll.

"G.o.d, with whom is no Variableness."

1 All-powerful, self-existent G.o.d, Who all creation dost sustain!

Thou wast, and art, and art to come, And everlasting is thy reign!

2 Fixed and eternal as thy days, Each glorious attribute divine, Through ages infinite, shall still With undiminished l.u.s.tre s.h.i.+ne.

3 Fountain of being! Source of good!

Immutable thou dost remain!

Nor can the shadow of a change Obscure the glories of thy reign.

4 Earth may with all her powers dissolve, If such the great Creator's will; But thou forever art the same, I AM, is thy memorial still.

147. C. M. Anonymous.

G.o.d Omnipresent.

1 There's not a place in earth's vast round, In ocean deep, or air, Where skill and wisdom are not found, For G.o.d is everywhere.

2 Around, within, below, above, Wherever s.p.a.ce extends, There heaven displays its boundless love, And power with mercy blends.

3 Then rise, my soul, and sing his name, And all his praise rehea.r.s.e, Who spread abroad earth's wondrous frame, And built the universe.

4 Where'er thine earthly lot is cast, His power and love declare; Nor think the mighty theme too vast, For G.o.d is everywhere.

148. L. M. Anonymous.

Providence Mysterious.

1 Thy ways, O Lord, with wise design, Are framed upon thy throne above, And every dark or bending line Meets in the centre of thy love.

2 With feeble light, and half obscure, Poor mortals thine arrangements view, Not knowing that the least are sure, And the mysterious just and true.

3 They neither know nor trace the way; But, trusting to thy piercing eye, None of their feet to ruin stray, Nor shall the weakest fail or die.

4 My favored soul shall meekly learn To lay her reason at thy throne; Too weak thy secrets to discern, I'll trust thee for my guide alone.

GENERAL PRAISE.

149. L. M. Tate & Brady.

Praise to the great Jehovah.