Christian Songs, Song XLIX

With ravish'd eyes, Lord, we admire These radiant curtains of thy throne! Wide heav'n, adorn'd with studs of fire, Proclaims Omnipotence alone: These shining watchers, in their silent talk, Proclaim thy glory, proclaim thy glory, In their evening walk.

2 The purple morn! with gilded ray, Renews the day with glad'ning light; Th' o'erjoy'd creation welcomes day, With chearful motion, till the night To silent slumbers hush the lab'ring ball: These preach thy glory, these preach thy glory, Thro' the spacious all.

3 Array'd with light, in silver streams, Thron'd in his fiery tent, the sun, Diffusing all enliv'ning beams, Round heav'n's extremities doth run; Swift as a racer, as a bridegroom gay, In pride of glory, in pride of glory, Constituting day.

4 His genial warmth, the world immense Confesses, in each fruit and flow'r; Thou mak'st his brooding influence Feast thy creation ev'ry hour: Thou mad'st him this great world's both eye and soul, Sole vital spirit, sole vital spirit, Known from pole to pole.

5 Art dimly paints that brilliant ball; That's but an emblem faint, to shew The sun of righteousness, where all The beams of God shine forth most true. With rays diffus'd, in healing words he glows, And circling warms, and circling warms The nations as he goes.

6 Tho' blinded reas'ners mark thee not, In nature's wide amazing scene, Where all thy labours point thee out, And all thy footsteps shew so plain Thy pow'r, and godhead, to earth's utmost line, Where brighter rays, where brighter rays Of God ne'er deign'd to shine;

Yet ravish'd, with sublime delight, Believers view in ev'ry line Of thy pure oracles, the light Of truth, and mercy all divine: Thy law, and law fulfill'd, these testify, Convert the soul, convert the soul, And bow the heart to thee.