The Cyber Hymnal ‎#2587

2587. How Shall I Sing that Majesty

1. How shall I sing that majesty
Which angels do admire?
Let dust in dust and silence lie;
Sing, sing, ye heavenly choir.
Thousands of thousands stand around
Thy throne, O God most high;
Ten thousand times ten thousand sound
Thy praise; but who am I?

2. Thy brightness unto them appears,
Whilst I Thy footsteps trace;
A sound of God comes to my ears,
But they behold Thy face.
They sing because Thou art their sun;
Lord, send a beam on me;
For where heaven is but once begun
There alleluias be.

3. Enlighten with faith’s light my heart,
Inflame it with love’s fire;
Then shall I sing and bear a part
With that celestial choir.
I shall, I fear, be dark and cold,
With all my fire and light;
Yet when Thou dost accept their gold,
Lord, treasure up my mite.

4. How great a being, Lord, is Thine,
Which doth all beings keep!
Thy knowledge is the only line
To sound so vast a deep.
Thou art a sea without a shore,
A sun without a sphere;
Thy time is now and evermore,
Thy place is everywhere.

Text Information

• First Line: How shall I sing that majesty
• Title: How Shall I Sing that Majesty
• Author: John Mason, 1645-1694
• Meter: CMD
• Language: English
• Copyright: Public Domain

Tune Information

• Name: OLD 137TH
• Composer: Anonymous (1563)
• Meter: CMD
• Incipit: 17651 21123 42332
• Key: G Major
• Source: Day's Psalter, 1563
• Copyright: Public Domain