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We Limit Not the Truth of God

Representative Text

English -
1 We limit not the truth of God
to our poor reach of mind
by notions of our day and sect,
crude, partial, and confined.
No, let a new and better hope
within our hearts be stirred–
the Lord hath yet more light and truth
to break forth from his word.

2 Who dares to bind to their dull sense
the oracles of heav'n
for all the nations, tongues, and climes,
and all the ages given?
That universe, how much unknown!
that ocean unexplored!
The Lord hath yet more light and truth
to break forth from his word.

3 O Father, Son, and Spirit, send
us increase from above;
enlarge, expand all Christian souls
to comprehend thy love;
and make us all go on to know,
with nobler pow'rs conferred,
he Lord hath yet more light and truth
to break forth from his word.

---

Spanish -
1 No limitemos la verdad
del omnisciente Dios
con nuestra humana comprensión
e ingenio más precoz
Hay esperanza para mi
y toda humanidad;
Jehová palabras tiene aún
de luz y de verdad.

2 ¿Quién es capaz de comprender
la mente celestial?
El universo enigma es,
su obra inmortal.
Su creación la prueba es
de su divinidad.
Jehová palabras tiene aún
de luz y verdad.

3 Oh, Padre, Hijo, Espíritu,
danos inspiración,
que pueda el hombre comprender
tu amor y compasión.
Ayúdanos a entender
tu amor y compasión.
Ayúdanos a entender
tu plan, tu voluntad.
Jehová palabras tiene aún
de luz y de verdad.

---

French -
1 La vérité de notre Dieu,
pourquoi la limiter
á nos faibles conceptions,
á notre pauvreté?
Sachons mieux èmouvoir nos coerus,
avez plus de clarté:
plus de lumiére, le Seigneur
doit encore révéler.

2 Les vieux prophétes du passé
ne pouvons rejeter;
á nous, l'évangile est donné
pour mieux nous éclairer;
cherchons toujours á découvrir
les mystères sacrés!
Plus de lumière, le Seigneur
doit encore révéler.

3 Ô Père, Fils, et Saint-Esprit,
de ton divin séjour,
fais que, plus nobles, les chrétiens
comprennent ton amour,
pour en rayonner le pouvoir,
l'incessante beauté:
plus de lumière ō cher Seigneur,
dois encore révéler!



Source: Community of Christ Sings #69

Author: George Rawson

Born: June 5, 1807, Leeds, England. Died: March 25, 1889, Clifton, England. Buried: Arno’s Vale Cemetery, Bristol, England. Pseudonym: A Leeds Layman. Rawson, George, was born June 5, 1807, at Leeds, in which town he practised for many years as a solicitor. In 1853 he assisted the Congregational ministers of Leeds in the compilation of Psalms, Hymns, and Passages of Scripture for Christian Worship, a volume commonly known as the Leeds Hymn-book. Mr. Rawson was a member of the Congregational body. In 1858 he also assisted Rev. Dr. Green and other Baptist ministers in the preparation of Psalms and Hymns for the use of the Baptist Denomination. A number of Mr. Rawson's own compositions first appeared in this and in the Leeds Hymn-boo… Go to person page >

Notes

We limit not the truth of God. G. Rawson. [Profound Depth of Holy Scripture.] This hymn was given in the Leeds Hymn Book, 1853, No. 409, in 5 stanzas of 8 lines, and headed with the following extract upon which it was based:—

"He charged us before God, and His blessed angels, if God should reveal anything to us by any other instrument of His, to be as ready to receive it as any truth by his ministry; for he was very confident the Lord had more light and truth yet to break forth out of His holy word." Narrative of Pastor Robinson's Address to the Pilgrim Fathers.

This note, together with the hymn, also appeared in Mr. Rawson's Hymns, Verses, and Chants, 1876.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

OLD 22nd


ELLACOMBE

Published in a chapel hymnal for the Duke of Würtemberg (Gesangbuch der Herzogl, 1784), ELLACOMBE (the name of a village in Devonshire, England) was first set to the words "Ave Maria, klarer und lichter Morgenstern." During the first half of the nineteenth century various German hymnals altered the…

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HILLS


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #7211
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 9 of 9)
TextPage Scan

Community of Christ Sings #69

Page Scan

Hymns for a Pilgrim People #253

Hymns of the Saints #309

Hymns of Truth & Light #1

Shaping Sanctuary #275

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #7211

Text

The Hymnal 1982 #629

TextPage Scan

The New Century Hymnal #316

Text

Together in Song #453

Include 14 pre-1979 instances
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