Heralds of creation! cry,--
Praise the Lord, the Lord most high!
Heaven and earth! obey the call,
Praise the Lord, the Lord of all.
For He spake, and forth from night
Sprang the universe to light:
He commanded,--Nature heard,
And stood fast upon his word.
Praise Him, all ye hosts above,
Spirits perfected in love;
Sun and Moon! your voices raise,
Sing, ye stars! your Maker's praise.
Earth! from all thy depths below,
Ocean's hallelujahs flow,
Lightning, Vapour, Wind and Storm,
Hail and Snow! His will perform.
Vales and Mountains! burst in song;
Rivers! roll his praise along;
Clap your hands, ye Trees! and hail
God, who comes in every gale.
Birds! on wings of rapture soar,
Warble at His Temple door,
Joyful sounds from Herds and Flocks,
Echo back, ye Caves and Rocks!
Kings! your Sovereign serve with awe;
Judges! own His righteous law;
Princes! worship Him with fear;
Bow the knee, all People! here.
Let His truth by Babes be told,
And His wonders by the old;
Youths and maidens! in your prime,
Learn the lays of heaven betime.
High above all height His throne,
Excellent His name alone;
Him let all His works confess,
Him let every Being bless.
Sacred Poems and Hymns
James Montgomery (b. Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, 1771; d. Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, 1854), the son of Moravian parents who died on a West Indies mission field while he was in boarding school, Montgomery inherited a strong religious bent, a passion for missions, and an independent mind. He was editor of the Sheffield Iris (1796-1827), a newspaper that sometimes espoused radical causes. Montgomery was imprisoned briefly when he printed a song that celebrated the fall of the Bastille and again when he described a riot in Sheffield that reflected unfavorably on a military commander. He also protested against slavery, the lot of boy chimney sweeps, and lotteries. Associated with Christians of various persuasions, Montgomery supported missio… Go to person page >
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