2 Justice and truth he ever loves,

And the whole earth his goodness proves; His word the heav'nly arches spread: How wide they shine from north to south! And by the spirit of his mouth

Were all the starry armies made. 3 He gathers the wide-flowing seas; Those watʼry treasures know their place, In the vast store-house of the deep: He spake, and gave all nature birth; And fires and seas, and heav'n and earth, His everlasting orders keep.

4 Let mortals tremble, and adore A GOD of such resistless pow'r, Nor dare indulge their feeble rage: Vain are your thoughts, and weak your hands;

But his eternal counsel stands,

And rules the world from age to age.

68. L.M. MERRICK.

GOD the source of life to the whole creation.
RRAY'D in majesty divine,

A
What pow'r and glory, LORD, are
thine!

Light forms thy robe, and round thy head
The heav'ns their ample curtain spread.
2 Thou know'st amid the fluid space
The strong compacted beams to place,
That prop the chambers of the sky,
And age's wasting power defy.

3 By thee, O LORD, all creatures live,
And from thy hand all good receive:
But if thy face thou turn away,
Their troubl'd looks their grief betray.

4 If thou the vital air deny,

Behold them sicken, faint, and die;
Dust to its kindred dust returns,

And earth her ruin'd offspring mourns.

5 But soon thy breath her loss supplies:
She sees a new-born race arise,
And, o'er her regions scatter'd wide,
The blessings of thy hand divide.

6 To GOD in joyful strains my tongue
Shall pour the tributary song;
And, long as breath inspires my frame,
The wonders of his love proclaim.

69. L.M. WATTS.

The glory of GOD in his works.

MY soul! thy great Creator praise,

When cloth'd in his celestial rays,

He in full majesty appears,

And like a robe his glory wears.

2 The heav'ns are for his curtain spread;
Th' unfathom'd deep he makes his bed;
Clouds are his chariot, when he flies
On winged storms across the skies.

3 The world's foundations by his hand.
Are pois'd, and shall for ever stand:
He binds the waters in his chain,
Lest they should drown the earth again.
4 Yet these, convey'd by secret veins,
Spring on the hills, and drench the plains;
From crystal fountains gently flow,
And cheer the valleys as they go.
The cattle there their thirst allay,
And speak their joy in sportive play;
While birds their grateful sonnets raise,
And chide our silence in his praise.

70. L.M. WATTS.

GOD the support of all his creatures.
OD, from his cloudy cisterns, pours
On the parch'd earth refreshing show'rs;
The grove, the garden, and the field,
A thousand joyful blessings yield.
2 He makes the grassy food arise,

And gives the cattle large supplies;
With herbs for man of various pow'r,
To nourish nature, or to cure.

3 O bless his name, ye Britons! fed
With nature's chief supporter, bread;
While bread your vital strength imparts,
Serve him with fervour in your hearts.
4 He sets the sun his circling race,

Appoints the moon to change her face;
And when thick darkness veils the day,
Calls savage beasts to hunt their prey.

1

5 By day man to his labour goes,
The night was made for his repose;
Sleep is thy gift, that sweet relief
From toil, anxiety, and grief.

6 Nor less his glories in the sea,
Where fish in countless numbers play,
Proclaiming, as they skim the wave,
The mercy which their being gave.
7 How vast thy works! how great thy skill!
Heav'n, earth, and sea, thy riches fill:
Thy goodness round the world we see ;
The universe is full of thee.

VAST

71. L.M. WATTS.

The same subject.

are thy works, almighty LORD! All nature rests upon thy word! Thy glories in the heav'ns we see, The spacious earth is full of thee. 2 The various tribes of creatures stand, Waiting their portion from thy hand; And while they take their different food, Their cheerful looks pronounce thee good. 3 Whene'er thy face is hid, they mourn And, dying, to their dust return; Both man and beast their souls resign: Life, breath, and spirit, all are thine. 4 Yet thou canst breathe on dust again, And fill the world with beasts and men ; A word of thy creating breath

Repairs the wastes of time and death.

5 The earth stands trembling at thy stroke,
And at thy touch the mountains smoke;
Yet humble souls may see thy face,
And tell their wants to boundless grace.
6 In thee my hopes and wishes meet,
And make my meditations sweet:
I, to my God, my heav'nly king,
Immortal hallelujahs sing.

1

72. C. M. ANONYMOUS.

The GOD of nature.

HAIL, great Creator, wise and good?

To thee our songs we raise;

While nature through her various scenes
Invites us to thy praise.

2 At morning, noon, and evening mild,
Fresh wonders strike our view;
And while we gaze, our hearts exult,
With transports ever new.

3 Thy glory beams in every star

Which gilds the gloom of night;
And decks the smiling face of morn
With rays of cheerful light.

4 The lofty hill, the humble lawn,
With countless beauties shine:
The silent grove, the awful shade,
Proclaim thy power divine.

these scenes

5 Great nature's GOD! still may
Our serious hours engage;
Still may our grateful hearts consult
Thy works' instructive page!