Ye bright celestial choir, who live above

Representative Text

1 Ye bright celestial choir, who live above,
Who o'er the heav'nly plains at pleasure rove;
Devoid of mortal crime, or grief, or care;
The praises of the eternal God declare.
2 And you, ye blest cherubick hosts, that wait
More near around your great Creator's seat,
Ever prepar'd his mandate to obey,
In joyous hymns his boundless pow'r display.
3 And thou, O sun, who gild'st the day with light,
And thou, O moon, pale empress of the night;
And you, ye stars, with dimmer ray that shine,
Sing forth his mighty name, his pow'r divine.
4 And you, ye various orbs, aloft that roll,
Scarce visible to the enquiring soul;
And you, ye waters, far above that lie,
Beyond the regions of the azure sky;
5 All, all, the glory of your God proclaim;
From his Almighty word your being came;
6 Your being still his awful pow'r maintains,
And binds you fast in adamantine chains;
Fix'd is your period, and you roll secure,
From all th' assaults of time, till time's no more,
7 And thou, O parent-earth, that li'st supine,
And thou, O sea, do thou the concert join;
And you, ye monstrous tyrants of the main,
Which float exulting o'er her watery plain:
8 Ye fires, ye ratling hails, ye fleecy mows,
Ye mists, ye rains, each stormy wind that blows;
9 Ye tow'ring hills, or you who gently rise,
Or you whose lofty heights eclipse the skies;
Ye trees, or you whose fruits the fields bestrew,
Or you, who, sterile, in the forest grow;
10 Ye savage bestials, all that shun the plain,
Or you, who love the neighbourhood of man;
Ye reptile tribes that humbly trail the ground,
Ye winged birds, that skim the air around;
11 Ye various nations of the human race,
Howe'er distinct in rank, disper'st in place;
Or born to hold on earth imperial sway,
Or born some lordly ruler to obey.
12 Howe'er distinct in age, in sex, you are,
Or youths in prime of life, or maidens fair,
Or just now trembling on the verge of life,
Or strangers yet to all it's cares and strife;
13 All, all, the praises of your God proclaim,
All, give the honour due unto his name;
All, all, in heav'n, on earth, make him their theme,
All, own with grateful tongues, he's Lord supreme.
14 And you, O Israel, from your mouths is due
Eternal praise, for much to him ye owe;
Peculiar objects of his boundless love,
Your thankful hearts in joyous anthems prove.