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SONG

22 Against Swearing, Cursing, and taking God's Name

DIVINE SONGS.

1. A general Song of Praise to GOD.

HOW glorious is our heavenly King,
Who reigns above the sky!
How shall a child presume to sing
His dreadful Majesty?

How great his pow'r is, none can tell,
Nor think how large his grace;
Not men below, nor saints that dwell
On high before his face.

Not angels that stand round the Lord
Can search his secret will;
But they perform his heav'nly word,
And sing his praises still.

Then let me join this holy train,
And my first offering bring ;
Th' eternal God will not disdain
To hear an infant sing.

My heart resolves, my tongue obeys, And angels shall rejoice

To hear their mighty Maker's praise Sound from a feeble voice.

2. Praise for Creation and Providence.
I SING th' almighty power of God,
That made the mountains rise;
That spread the flowing seas abroad,
And built the lofty skies.

I sing the wisdom, that ordain'd
The sun to rule the day;

The moon shines full at his command,
And all the stars obey.

I sing the goodness of the Lord,
That fill'd the earth with food;
He form'd the creatures with his word,
And then pronounced them good.
Lord, how thy wonders are display'd
Where'er 1 turn mine eye!

If I survey the ground I tread,
Or gaze upon the sky.

There's not a plant or flow'r below
But makes thy glories known;
And clouds arise, and tempests blow,
By order from thy throne.

Creatures (as numerous as they be)
Are subject to thy care;
There's not a place where we can flee,
But God is present there.

In heav'n he shines with beams of love,
With wrath in hell beneath;
"Tis on his earth I stand or move,
And 'tis his air I breathe.

His hand is my perpetual guard,
He keeps me with his eye:
Why should I then forget the Lord,
Who is for ever nigh?

3. Praise to GOD for our Redemption.
BLEST be the wisdom and the pow'r,
The justice and the grace,
That join'd in council to restore

And save our ruin'd race!

Our father ate forbidden fruit,
And from his glory fell,

And we, his children, thus were brought
To death, and near to hell.

Blest be the Lord, who sent his son
To take our flesh and blood;

He for our lives gave up his own,
To make our peace with God.

He honour'd all his Father's laws,
Which we have disobeyed;
He bore our sins upon the cross,
And our full ransom paid.

Behold him rising from the grave,
Behold him rais'd on high;
He pleads his merits there, to save
Transgressors doom'd to die.

There, on a glorious throne, he reigns,
And, by his power divine,
Redeems us from the slavish chains
Of Satan and of sin.

Then shall the Lord to judgment

come;

And, with a sovereign voice,
Shall call, and break up ev'ry tomb;
While waking saints rejoice.

O may I then with joy appear
Before the Judge's face,

And with the blest assembly there
Sing his redeeming grace!