Be God of my harmonious song the theme

Verse 1

Be God of my harmonious song the theme; His pow'r my ev'ry faculty proclaim;

Verse 2

And thou, my soul, his gracious works repeat, And not his great beneficence forget.

Verse 3

'Tis he, that all thy various crimes, forgives; He dissipates thy pain when sickness grieves;

Verse 4

With new-born vigour fortifies my mind, My life enlarges, and is ever kind.

Verse 5

From him each unexpected blessing flows, His goodness 'bove my warmest wish bestows; Renews my youth, that, like the eagle, strong, That skims the azure plains, I'm ever young.

Verse 6

Just his award--when impious men oppress, To him the injur'd 'plain, and meet redress.

Verse 7

He the meek Moses taught his law divine, T' instruct therein his Israel's favour'd line.

Verse 8

Gracious is he, and constantly he gives, Slow is his wrath; his mercy ever lives;

Verse 9

And, if awhile our sins his anger raise, Soon he the fury of his wrath allays.

Verse 10

Great tho' our crimes, tho' daily we offend, Mild are his punishments, and soon they end.

Verse 11

Farther than heav'n is from this earthly sphere, His goodness beams on all his name revere:

Verse 12

Wider than east from west (so much he loves The soul repentant) he our crimes removes.

Verse 13

As when a dear-lov'd child in duty fails, In the fond fire parental love prevails; So, when offend the servants he has chose, From our good God forgiving mercy flows.

Verse 14

For well he knows the weakness of our frame? Well he remembers that from dust we came;

Verse 15

As the green grass, that for awhile looks gay, Then withers soon, so passes man away;

Verse 16

Or like a blooming flow'r, whose lovely pride Is by a cruel southern blast destroy'd.

Verse 17

But to the righteous souls, their God that fear, And to their race, while they his will revere; His justice and his mercy ever lives, His justice shields them, and his love forgives:

Verse 18

Keep they his statutes, and his laws obey, His goodness to them constant he'll display.

Verse 19

High in yon starry heav'ns he 'as fix'd his throne, And o'er th' extended earth reigns Lord alone.

Verse 20

Ye shining seraphs, ye celestial bands, That hear his voice, and do his dread commands; Ye bright angelic hosts, that round him dwell, In dignity, in beauty, who excell; And all ye wond'rous works that speak his pow'r, In hymns of harmony his name adore; And thou, my soul, thou in the praise accord; Bless, bless for ever the almighty Lord.