Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion Part 14

85. C. M. Whittier.

Nature's Worship.

1 The ocean looketh up to heaven, As 'twere a living thing; The homage of its waves is given, In ceaseless worshipping.

2 They kneel upon the sloping sand As bends the human knee; A beautiful and tireless band, The priesthood of the sea.

3 The mists are lifted from the rills, Like the white wing of prayer; They kneel above the ancient hills, As doing homage there.

4 The forest-tops are lowly cast O'er breezy hill and glen, As if a prayerful spirit pa.s.sed On nature as on men.

5 The sky is as a temple's arch: The blue and wavy air Is glorious with the spirit march Of messengers at prayer.

86. L. M. H. M. Williams.

G.o.d in Nature.

1 My G.o.d! all nature owns Thy sway; Thou giv'st the night and Thou the day: When all Thy loved creation wakes, When morning, rich in l.u.s.tre, breaks, And bathes in dew the opening flower, To Thee we owe her fragrant hour; And when she pours her choral song, Her melodies to Thee belong.

2 Or when, in paler tints arrayed, The evening slowly spreads her shade, That soothing shade, that grateful gloom, Can, more than day's enlivening bloom, Still every fond and vain desire, And calmer, purer thoughts inspire; From earth the longing spirit free, And lead the softened heart to Thee.

3 As o'er Thy work the seasons roll, And soothe, with change of bliss, the soul, O, never may their smiling train Pa.s.s o'er the human sense in vain!

But, oft as on their charms we gaze, Attune the wondering soul to praise; And be the joys that most we prize The joys that from Thy favor rise!

87. L. M. Wreford.

G.o.d in His Works and Word.

1 G.o.d of the ocean, earth, and sky, In Thy bright presence we rejoice; We feel Thee, see Thee ever nigh, And gladly hear Thy gracious voice.

2 We feel Thee in the sunny beam; We see Thee walk the mountain waves; We hear Thee in the murmuring stream, And when the tempest wildly raves.

3 G.o.d on the lonely hills we meet, G.o.d, in the vale and fragrant grove, While birds and whispering winds repeat, That G.o.d is there,--the G.o.d of love.

4 We meet Thee in the pensive hour When wearied nature sinks to rest; When dies the breeze, and sleeps the flower And peace is given to every breast.

5 We see Thee when, at eve, afar We upward lift our wondering sight, We see Thee in each silent star That glorifies the gloom of night.

6 But better still, and still more clear, Thee in Thy holy Son we see; There Thy own glorious words we hear, And learn the way to heaven and Thee.

88. L. M. Fox's Hymns.

The Great Temple.

1 Though wandering in a stranger-land, Though on the waste no altar stand, Take comfort! thou art not alone, While Faith hath marked thee for her own.

2 Wouldst thou a temple? look above,-- The heavens stretch over all in love; A book? for thine evangel scan The wondrous history of man.

3 And though no organ-peal be heard, In harmony the winds are stirred; And there the morning stars upraise Their ancient songs of deathless praise.

89. L. M. W. H. Burleigh.

The Heavens Declare the Glory of G.o.d.

1 Not only doth the voiceful day Thy loving kindness, Lord! proclaim, But night, with its sublime array Of worlds, doth magnify Thy name.

Yea, while adoring seraphim Before Thee bend the willing knee, From every star a choral hymn Goes up unceasingly to Thee.

2 Day unto day doth utter speech, And night to night Thy voice makes known; Through all the earth, where thought may reach, Is heard the glad and solemn tone; And worlds, beyond the farthest star Whose light hath reached a human eye, Catch the high anthem from afar, That rolls along immensity.

90. L. M. Bulfinch.

Voice of G.o.d in the Soul.

1 Hath not thy heart within thee burned At evening's calm and holy hour, As if its inmost depths discerned The presence of a loftier power?

2 Hast thou not heard 'mid forest glades, While ancient rivers murmured by, A voice from forth the eternal shades, That spake a present Deity?

3 And as, upon the sacred page, Thine eye in rapt attention turned O'er records of a holier age, Hath not thy heart within thee burned?

4 It was the voice of G.o.d that spake In silence to thy silent heart; And bade each worthier thought awake, And every dream of earth depart.

5 Voice of our G.o.d, O, yet be near!

In low, sweet accents, whisper peace; Direct us on our pathway here, Then bid in heaven our wanderings cease.

91. C. M. Jones Very.