A Paraphrase on the Te Deum

God of the Worlds! eternally supreme! Hail! thou first Cause of All! Our daily Worship, and our endless Theme, Hear us, we call; We lift our raptur'd Souls in lofty Lays, And breathe sweet Incense of Religious Praise! Creation bends before thy Sovereign Nod. Where-e're the Sun his Lustre sheds, And Ocean's spacious Bosom spreads, Nations remote adore thy Name; Thee all the Languages proclaim, Thee, universal Sire! Thee everlasting God!

Legions of Angels, an unnumber'd Throng, Puissant Pow'rs, that tread Heav'ns Chrystal Plain, Immortal Seraphin begin the Song, And full-wing'd Cherubs join the loudly-sounding Strain. "Thee Holy! Holy! Holy! (aye they sing Thee Holy! Holy! Holy! joyful ring The Regions of unbounded Space) "Thee God of Sabaoth we adore, "Enjoy thy Goodness, dread thy Pow'r, "And prostrate fall before thy Face! "O celebrate eternal Jubilee; "The radiant Orbs that round us glow, "The pendant Earth that whirls below, "Thy wondrous Might declare, and ample Majesty."

Lo! where the glorious, chosen Band, The faithful Twelve, thy Missionaries stand! Lo! where the goodly Prophet's Race, Inspir'd Presagers of thy balmy Grace! And there the noble Army that defied The purple Tyrant's barb'rous Pride; Bravely they took the blood-stain'd Field, And Warriours without Spear or Shield, The Champions of thy Faith in Triumph dy'd: All, all to Thee glad Hallelujahs raise: The Church below, the Church above, Grateful chaunt their Songs of Love, To Thee, high Argument of universal Praise.

Thee FATHER, Excellence of Majesty, Thee Fountain of eternal Deity, With chearful Voice, and dulcet Sounds they sing; Next thy all-honour'd Son, MESSIAH great, And next the peaceful, gracious PARACLETE, Comfort's perpetual Source, Joy's unexhausted Spring.

Awake; awake again the vocal String, The Great MESSIAH sing, Creator of the Worlds, and Glory's King; Hail! thou begotten of the Father, hail! Essence that ne'er began, and ne'er shall fail! Yet didst thou leave thy bright Abode To take a mortal Birth, To ransom the rebellious Sons of Earth, A Virgin's Offspring, and a Saviour God! See! on the Cross in Agony of Pain The God of Nature dies! He dies, O Death, to crush thy fell Domain: See him victorious rise! See Satan, captive Lion, roars in vain, And sullen bites his adamantine Chain. Lift up your heads, ye Faithful, and behold Where Heav'n unbars her Gates of everlasting Gold.

What Floods of Glory break from yonder Throne? While the paternal Brightness spread Belov'd MESSIAH, round thy Head, Crowns thy stupendous Toil, and Conquest greatly won. Hereafter shall the Nations meet, Before thy awful Judgment-Seat: Propitious lend thy kindly Aid, Nor let thy Blood be vainly shed. O may our Souls exalted be With Hope of blest Eternity! Our Names among the Saints enroll'd, In sacred Characters of Gold! Hear, hear thy People, save thy Race, Sons of Adoption, Heirs of Grace; O thou! our Governour, and Guide; Our true Ambition, humble Pride, To thee the Tribute due we pay, With rising, and with setting Day; And will thy filial Deity adore, When Nature's Date is out, and Time shall be no more.

O thou, Distres's Anchor, Terror's Cure, Prepare us for that all-tremendous Hour, When thou shalt come in Fullness of thy Pow'r: Let thy bright Beams of Mercy shine, With Infl'ence on our Souls benign, And ever keep us from Pollution pure. What Clangours cleave my started Ear? What Noises rend th'affrighted Air? What livid Meteors in the Aether play? The World's deep-laid Foundations shake, The Graves are burst, the Dead awake: It was the Trump of God! It is the Judgment Day!

He comes; the Godhead comes; behold from far He comes triumphant in his Cloud-wrapt Car: While twice ten Thousand Angels cope the Sky, The Harbingers of his dread Majesty! The Stars are dropp'd, the Sun dissolves away, It is—Alas! 'tis neither Night nor Day: The burning Basis of MESSIAH's Throne, Spontaneous Splendour beams, a Glory of it's own! Look, look, the fatal Covers part, The Book is open; melt my Heart: Whither, ah! whither shall I flee In this my Soul's Extremity? Ah! whither but to thee? My King, my God, my Hope, my Stay, O save me this all-dreadful Day, And let Mankind, and Angels see, That blessed is the Man who puts his Trust in Thee.