2 From night to day, from day to night, The dawning and the dying light Lectures of heavenly wisdom read; With silent eloquence, they raise Our thoughts to our Creator's praise, And neither sound nor language need.
3 Yet their divine instructions run Far as the journeys of the sun,
And every nation knows their voice; The sun, like some young bridegroom dressed, Breaks from the chambers of the east,
Rolls round, and makes the earth rejoice. 4 Where'er he spreads his beams abroad, He smiles, and speaks his maker God; All nature joins to show thy praise; Thus God in every creature shines, Fair are the book of nature's lines, But fairer is thy book of grace.
The Books of Nature and Scripture compared. Psalm 19. 1 THE heavens declare thy glory, Lord; In every star thy wisdom shines; But when our eyes behold thy word, We read thy name in fairer lines.
2 The rolling sun, the changing light,
And nights and days, thy power confess; But the blest volume thou hast writ Reveals thy justice and thy grace.
3 Sun, moon, and stars convey thy praise Round the whole earth, and never stand;
So, when thy truth begun its race, It touched and glanced on every land.
4 Nor shall thy spreading gospel rest,
Till through the world thy truth has run, Till Christ has all the nations blest, That see the light, or feel the sun.
5 Great Sun of Righteousness, arise; Bless the dark world with heavenly light; Thy gospel makes the simple wise; Thy laws are pure, thy judgments right.
6 Thy noblest wonders here we view, In souls renewed, and sins forgiven; Lord, cleanse my sins, my soul renew, And make thy word my guide to heaven.
The Book of Nature and Scripture. Psalm 19.
1 BEHOLD, the lofty sky
Declares its maker God,
And all his starry works on high Proclaim his power abroad.
2 The darkness and the light Still keep their course the same, While night to day, and day to night Divinely teach his name.
3 In every different land
Their general voice is known ; They show the wonders of his hand, And orders of his throne.
Ye Christian lands, rejoice; He here reveals his word; We are not left to nature's voice,
To bid us know the Lord.
His statutes and commands Are set before our eyes;
He puts his gospel in our hands, Where our salvation lies.
6 While of thy works I sing, Thy glory to proclaim,
Accept the praise, my God, my King, In my Redeemer's name.
Light and Glory of the Scriptures.
1 THE Spirit breathes upon the word, And brings the truth to sight; Precepts and promises afford A sanctifying light.
2 A glory gilds the sacred page, Majestic like the sun; It gives a light to every age, It gives, but borrows none.
3 The hand that gave it still supplies The gracious light and heat; His truths upon the nations rise, They rise, but never set.
4 Let everlasting thanks be thine For such a bright display,
As makes a world of darkness shine With beams of heavenly day.
5 My soul rejoices to pursue The steps of him I love, Till glory break upon my view In brighter worlds above.
God's Word most excellent. Psalm 19.
1 BEHOLD, the morning sun Begins his glorious way;
His beams through all the nations run, And life and light convey.
But where the gospel comes,
It spreads diviner light;
It calls dead sinners from their tombs, And gives the blind their sight.
3 How perfect is thy word! And all thy judgments just! For ever sure thy promise, Lord, And men securely trust.
My gracious God, how plain Are thy directions given! O, may I never read in vain,
But find the path to heaven!
5 I hear thy word with love, And I would fain obey; Send thy good Spirit from above To guide me, lest I stray.
While with my heart and tongue I spread thy praise abroad,
Accept the worship and the song, My Saviour and my God.
Instruction and Delight from the Scriptures. Psalm 119.
1 How precious, Lord, thy holy word! What light and joy its truths afford
To souls benighted and distressed! Thy precepts guide our doubtful way; Thy fear forbids our steps to stray;
Thy promise leads the heart to rest.
2 Thy threatenings wake our slumbering eyes, And warn us where our danger lies; While gospel truth and grace divine Inspire the heart with filial love, Exalt and fix our hopes above,
And make the willing spirit thine.
3 From the discoveries of thy law What perfect rules of life we draw! Be these our study and delight; May every deed, and word, and thought, To truth and duty's standard brought, Become well pleasing in thy sight.
4 O, may thy word those faults reveal, Which blind self-love may yet conceal, And from presumptuous sins restrain ! Thus taught to use the book of grace, We'll raise a grateful song of praise That we possess it not in vain.
Excellency of the Holy Scriptures.
1 FATHER of mercies! in thy word What endless glory shines!
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