1 Great First of beings! mighty Lord
Of all this wondrous frame!
Produced by thy creating word,
The world from nothing came.
2 Thy voice sent forth the high command,
'Twas instantly obeyed;
And through thy goodness all things stand,
Which by thy power were made.
3 Lord! for thy glory shine the whole;
They all reflect thy light:
For this in course the planets roll,
And day succeeds the night.
4 For this the sun disperses heat,
And beams of cheering day;
And distant stars, in order set,
By night thy power display.
5 For this the earth its produce yields,
For this the waters flow;
And blooming plants adorn the fields,
And trees aspiring grow.
6 Inspired with praise, our minds pursue
This wise and noble end--
That all we think, and all we do,
Shall to thine honor tend.
Source: The Voice of Praise: a collection of hymns for the use of the Methodist Church #29
First Line: | Great First of beings, mighty Lord |
Title: | All Things Created For His Glory |
Author: | Simon Browne |
Meter: | 8.6.8.6 |
Language: | English |
Copyright: | Public Domain |
Great First of beings, Mighty Lord. S. Browne. [Creation.] First published in his Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 1720, and repeated in later editions, as No. 39, in 8 stanzas of 4 lines, and headed, "All things made for God." In the American Prayer Book Collection, 1826, 6 stanzas were given as No. 3, and this arrangement (sometimes with further omissions) is also found in other American collections.
--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)