His place thy forming hand assign'd
But just beneath the angelic kind;
Sovereign of all thy works below,
To him the meaner creatures bow.
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But still let man, adoring, own
That thou, O Lord, art King alone;
And, through the earth's extended frame,
Declare the glories of thy name.
Praise from the Works of God.
THOU great Creator! Source of life!
Sovereign of air, and earth, and sea!
All nature feels thy power, and all
A silent homage pays to thee.
Wak'd by thy hand, the morning sun
Pours forth to thee his early rays;
And spreads thy glories as he climbs,
While raptur'd worlds look up and praise.
The moon, to the deep shades of night,
Speaks the mild lustre of thy name;
While all the stars that cheer the scene,
Thee the great Lord of light proclaim.
The groves, and vales, and rocks, and hills,
And every flower, and every tree-
Ten thousand creatures, warm with life-
Have each a grateful song for thee.
But man was form'd to rise to heaven;
And, bless'd with reason's clearer light,
He views his Maker through his works,
And glows with rapture at the sight.
Great Cause of all things! Source of life! Sovereign of air, and earth, and sea! While nature owns thy power, let man His grateful tribute pay to thee.
Man's constant Dependance on God.
GREATEST of beings! Source of life!
Sovereign of air, of earth, and sea!
All nature feels thy power; and man
A grateful tribute pays to thee.
Subject to wants, to thee he looks,
And from thy goodness seeks supplies;
And when, oppress'd with guilt, he mourns,
Thy mercy lifts him to the skies.
Children, whose little minds, unform'd, Ne'er rais'd a tender thought to heaven; And men, whom reason lifts to God, Though oft by passion downward driven :
Those, too, who bend with age and care,
And faint and tremble near the tomb;
Who, sickening at the present scenes,
Sigh for that better state to come ;-
All, great Creator! all are thine;
All feel thy providential care;
And, through each varying scene of life,
Alike thy constant pity share.
And whether grief oppress the heart;
Or whether joy elate the breast;
Or life still keep its brittle course;
Or death invite the heart to rest ;-
All are thy messengers, and all
Thy sacred pleasure, Lord! obey;
And all are training man to dwell
With thee, in everlasting day.
The Universal Goodness of God.
LORD! thou art good; all nature shows
Its mighty Author kind:
Thy bounty through creation flows,
Full, free, and unconfin'd.
The whole, with every part, proclaims
Thine infinite good-will:
It shines in stars, it flows in streams,
And broods on every hill.
We view it o'er the spreading main,
And through the heavens more wide;
It drops in every shower of rain,
And rolls on every tide.
Long hath it been diffus'd abroad,
Through ages past and gone :
Nor ever can exhausted be,
But still keeps flowing on.
Through the vast whole it pours supplies,
Spreads joy through every part:
Oh may such love attract mine eyes,
And captivate mine heart ;-
My highest admiration raise,
My best affections move;
Employ my tongue in songs of praise,
And fill my heart with love!
Power and Goodness of God.
YE that delight to serve the Lord!
The honours of his name record;
His sacred name for ever bless :
Where'er the circling sun displays
His rising beams, or setting rays,
Let land and seas his power confess.
2
Justice and truth he ever loves,
And the whole earth his goodness proves;
His word its firm foundations laid;
And by the orders of his mouth,
Wide as they shine from north to south,
Were all the starry armies made.
He gathers the wide flowing sea,
(Whose proudest waves his laws obey,)
In the vast storehouse of the deep:
He spake, and gave all nature birth;
And winds and waters, heaven and earth,
His everlasting orders keep.
His goodness, equal to his power,
Loads with its blessings every hour,
And spreads the wide creation o'er :
On the whole earth his bounties rest;
Through the whole earth his name be blest;
Since all receive, let all adore.
Perfections and Works of God.
REJOICE, ye righteous, in the Lord;
This work belongs to you:
Sing of his name, his ways, his word-
How holy, just, and true!
His mercy and his righteousness
Let heaven and earth proclaim;
His works of nature and of grace
Reveal his wondrous name.
His wisdom and almighty word
The heavenly arches spread;
And by the spirit of the Lord,
Their shining hosts were made.
He bade the liquid waters flow
To their appointed deep :
The flowing seas their limits know,
And their own stations keep.
Ye tenants of the spacious earth,
With fear before him stand;
He spake, and nature took its birth,
And rests on his command.
His glorious works our thoughts engage;
We praise his power divine :
His counsels stand through every age,
And in full glory shine.
The Power and Majesty of God.
WITH reverence let the saints appear,
And bow before the Lord;
His high commands submissive hear,
And tremble at his word.
How awful, Lord, thy glories are!
How bright thine armies shine!
What might can with thy power compare?
What truth is like to thine?
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