Divine Songs, Part One

A General Song of Praise to God

1 How glorious is our Heavenly King,
Who reigns above the sky!
How shall a child presume to sing
His dreadful majesty?

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

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

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

5 My heart resolves, my tongue obeys,
And angels shall rejoice
To hear their mighty Maker's praise
Sound from a feeble voice.

Praise for Creation and Providence

1 I sing th' almighty power of God,
That made the mountains rise,
That spread the flowing seas abroad,
And built the lofty skies.

2 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.

3 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.

4 Lord, how thy wonders are display'd
Where'er I turn mine eye,
If I survey the ground I tread,
Or gaze upon the sky.

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

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

7 In heaven 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.

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

Praise to God for our Redemption

1 Blest be the wisdom and the power,
The justice and the grace,
That join'd in council to restore
And save our ruin'd race!

2 Our father eat forbidden fruit,
And from his glory fell;
And we, his children, thus were brought
To death, and near to hell.

3 Blest be the Lord, that sent his Son
To take our flesh and blood;
He for our lives gave up his own,
To make our peace with God.

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

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

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

7 Thence shall the Lord to judgment come,
And, with a sovereign voice,
Shall call, and break up every tomb,
While waking saints rejoice.

8 O may I then with joy appear
Before the Judge's face,
And, with the blest assembly there,
Sing his redeeming grace!

Praise for Mercies Spiritual and Temporal

1 Whene'er I take my walks abroad,
How many poor I see?
What shall I render to my God
For all his gifts to me?

2 Not more than others I deserve,
Yet God hath given me more;
For I have food, while others starve,
Or beg from door to door.

3 How many children in the street
Half naked I behold?
While I am clothed from head to feet,
And cover'd from the cold.

4 While some poor wretches scarce can tell
Where they may lay their head,
I have a home wherein to dwell,
And rest upon my bed.

5 While others early learn to swear,
And curse, and lie, and steal,
Lord, I am taught thy name to fear,
And do thy holy will.

6 Are these thy favours, day by day
To me above the rest?
Then let me love thee more than they,
And try to serve thee best.

Praise for Birth and Education in a Christian Land

1 Great God, to thee my voice I raise,
To thee my youngest hours belong;
I would begin my life with praise,
Till growing years improve the song.

2 'Tis to thy soveraign grace I owe,
That I was born on Brittish ground,
Where streams of heavenly mercy flow,
And words of sweet salvation sound.

3 I would not change my native land
For rich Peru, with all her gold:
A nobler prize lies in my hand
Than East or Western Indies hold.

4 How do I pity those that dwell
Where ignorance and darkness reigns;
They know no heav'n, they fear no hell,
Those endless joys, those endless pains.

5 Thy glorious promises, O Lord,
Kindle my hope and my desire;
While all the preachers of thy word
Warn me t' escape eternal fire.

6 Thy praise shall still employ my breath,
Since thou hast mark'd my way to heaven;
Nor will I run the road to death,
And wast the blessings thou hast given.

Praise for the Gospel

1 Lord, I ascribe it to thy grace,
And not to chance as others do,
That I was born of Christian race,
And not a Heathen, or a Jew.

2 What would the ancient Jewish kings,
And Jewish prophets once have given,
Could they have heard these glorious things,
Which Christ reveal'd, and brought from heav'n!

3 How glad the Heathens would have been,
That worship idols, wood, and stone,
If they the book of God had seen,
Or Jesus and his gospel known!

4 Then if the Gospel I refuse,
How shall I e'er lift up mine eyes?
For all the Gentiles and the Jews
Against me will in judgment rise.

The Excellency of the Bible

1 Great God, with wonder and with praise,
On all thy works I look;
But still thy wisdom, power and grace
Shine brighter in thy Book.

2 The stars that in their courses roll,
Have much instruction given;
But thy good Word informs my soul
How I may climb to heaven.

3 The fields provide me food, and show
The goodness of the Lord;
But fruits of life and glory grow
In thy most holy Word.

4 Here are my choicest treasures hid,
Here my best comfort lies;
Here my desires are satisfy'd;
And hence my hopes arise.

5 Lord, make me understand thy law,
Show what my faults have been;
And from thy Gospel let me draw
Pardon for all my sin.

6 Here would I learn how Christ has dy'd
To save my soul from hell:
Not all the books on earth beside
Such heav'nly wonders tell.

7 Then let me love my Bible more,
And take a fresh delight
By day to read these wonders o'er,
And meditate by night.

Praise to God for learning to read

1 The praises of my tongue
I offer to the Lord,
That I was taught, and learnt so young
To read his holy Word.

2 That I am taught to know
The danger I was in,
By nature and by practice too
A wretched slave to sin.

3 That I am led to see
I can do nothing well;
And whither shall a sinner flee,
To save himself from hell?

4 Dear Lord, this book of thine
Informs me where to go
For grace to pardon all my sin,
And make me holy too.

5 Here I can read and learn
How Christ the Son of God
Did undertake our great concern,
Our ransom cost his blood.

6 And now he reigns above,
He sends his Spirit down,
To show the wonders of his love,
And make his Gospel known.

7 O may that Spirit teach,
And make my heart receive
Those truths which all thy servants preach,
And all thy saints believe!

8 Then shall I praise the Lord
In a more chearful strain,
That I was taught to read his Word,
And have not learnt in vain.

Song 9. The All-Seeing God

1 Almighty God, thy piercing eye
Strikes through the shades of night,
And our most secret actions lie
All open to thy sight.

2 There's not a sin that we commit,
Nor wicked word we say,
But in thy dreadful book `tis writ
Against the judgment-day.

3 And must the crimes that I have done
Be read and publish'd there,
Be all exposed before the sun,
While men and angels hear?

4 Lord, at thy feet ashamed I lie,
Upward I dare not look;
Pardon my sins before I die,
And blot them from thy book.

5 Remember all the dying pains
That my Redeemer felt,
And let his blood wash out my stains,
And answer for my guilt.

6 O may I now for ever fear
T' indulge a sinful thought,
Since the great God can see, and hear,
And writes down every fault!

Solemn Thoughts of God and Death

1 There is a God that reigns above,
Lord of the heavens, and earth, and seas:
I fear his wrath, I ask his love,
And with my lips I sing his praise.

2 There is a law which he has writ,
To teach us all what we must do;
My soul, to his commands submit,
For they are holy, just and true.

3 There is a Gospel of rich grace,
Whence sinners all their comfort draw;
Lord, I repent, and seek thy face;
For I have often broke thy law.

4 There is an hour when I must die,
Nor do I know how soon `twill come;
A thousand children young as I
Are call'd by death to hear their doom.

5 Let me improve the hours I have
Before the day of grace is fled;
There's no repentance in the grave,
No pardons offer'd to the dead.

6 Just as a tree cut down, that fell
To north, or southward, there it lies:
So man departs to heaven or hell,
Fix'd in the state wherein he dies.

Heaven and Hell

1 There is beyond the sky
A heaven of joy and love,
And holy children, when they die,
Go to that world above.

2 There is a dreadful hell,
And everlasting pains,
There sinners must with devils dwell
In darkness, fire, and chains.

3 Can such a wretch as I
Escape this cursed end?
And may I hope, whene'er I die,
I shall to heaven ascend?

4 Then will I read and pray
While I have life and breath;
Lest I should be cut off to day,
And sent t' eternal death.

The Advantages of early Religion

1 Happy's the child whose youngest years
Receive instruction well;
Who hates the sinner's path, and fears
The road that leads to hell.

2 When we devote our youth to God,
'Tis pleasing in his eyes;
A flower, when offer'd in the bud,
Is no vain sacrifice.

3 'Tis easier work if we begin
To fear the Lord betimes;
While sinners that grow old in sin
Are hard'ned in their crimes.

4 'Twill save us from a thousand snares
To mind religion young;
Grace will preserve our following years
And make our vertue strong.

5 To thee, Almighty God, to thee
Our childhood we resign;
'Twill please us to look back and see
That our whole lives were thine.

6 Let the sweet work of prayer and praise,
Employ my youngest breath;
Thus I'm prepar'd for longer days,
Or fit for early death.

The Danger of Delay

1 Why should I say, "`Tis yet too soon
"To seek for heaven or think of death?"
A flower may fade before `tis noon,
And I this day may lose my breath.

2 If this rebellious heart of mine,
Despise the gracious calls of Heaven;
I may be hard'ned in my sin,
And never have repentance given.

3 What if the Lord grow wroth, and swear
While I refuse to read and pray,
That he'll refuse to lend an ear,
To all my groans another day?

4 What if his dreadful anger burn,
While I refuse his offer'd grace,
And all his love to fury turn,
And strike me dead upon the place?

5 'Tis dangerous to provoke a God;
His power and vengeance none can tell:
One stroke of his almighty rod
Shall send young sinners quick to hell.

6 Then `twill for ever be in vain
To cry for pardon or for grace,
To wish I had my time again,
Or hope to see my Maker's face.

Examples of early piety

1 What blest examples do I find
Writ in the Word of Truth,
Of children that began to mind
Religion in their youth.

2 Jesus, who reigns above the skie,
And keeps the world in awe;
Was once a child as young as I,
And kept his Father's law.

3 At twelve years old he talk'd with men,
(The Jews all wondering stand;)
Yet he obey'd his Mother then,
And came at her command.

4 Children a sweet hosanna sung,
And blest their Saviour's name;
They gave him honour with their tongue
While scribes and priests blaspheme.

5 Samuel the child was wean'd, and brought
To wait upon the Lord;
Young Timothy betimes was taught
To know his holy Word.

6 Then why should I so long delay
What others learn so soon?
I would not pass another day
Without this work begun.