ON THE XIXth PSALM

The heav'ns above our heads declare Thy glory, Lord, in letters fair, With marks of thine almighty pow'r Adorning each revolving hour.

The sun, when he begins his race, The borders of thy works displays, And, as his glories brighter shine, More plainly shews thy skill divine:

Thy creatures' hearts with rapture bound, While he with splendid speed goes round, And daily, as thy bounteous hand, Sheds blessings down on ev'ry land.

The moon, that from her azure throne By night diffuses light alone, Thy separating skill proclaims Where'er she sends her borrow'd beams.

The distant stars that, through the night, From far emit their twinkling light, Expand our views of thy domain, And tell how vast, how wide thy reign.

The various trees, and plants, and flow'rs, Born of thy heav'n-descending show'rs, With fishes, birds, and beasts unite Thy name through earth and seas to write.

Creation's works, in all their forms, From rolling stars, to creeping worms, In never-ceasing concord join To sing thy name, thy pow'r divine.

But when the dawn of heav'n we view In fallen sinners born anew; When, in the Gospel's brighter skies, We see the Sun of glory rise;

No more we ask the stars to tell What Jesus only could reveal; In him at once our eyes behold More than creation ever told.

Omnipotence, to ev'ry age Creation sings, in accents sage; But love and justice, truth and grace, Shine only in Redemption's rays.

Thy nature and thy name we read When we behold Immanuel bleed; And when we hear his dying groan, His shame and sorrow tells our own.

Thy just commands, by him obey'd, In all their beauty stand display'd; Thy righteous vengeance falling there, Fills earth and heav'n with holy fear.

The lustre of thy holy law Thus honour'd, fills our minds with awe; And Calv'ry's scenes at once reveal More love and wrath than heav'n and hell.

How pure the Truth that would not spare Thine Equal, thine eternal Heir! How great the love that freely gave Thy Son, thine enemies to save!

Where end!—where does this heav'n begin? The grace how great! how bright the scene! Salvation sent so full, so free! Lord, how may sinners honour thee?

O! let thy promis'd Spirit come, And make our hearts his constant home! That, in the light that shines from thee, We may thy light, thy glory see!

Till each believer, like a sun, Shall one eternal circle run, And more sublimely sing thy love To all the list'ning worlds above!