Scripture Verse

The word of the Lord was precious in those days. 1 Samuel 3:1

Introduction

Words: Hel­en E. Brown, in The Sil­ver Spray, by How­ard Doane (Cin­cin­na­ti, Ohio: John Church, 1868), page 7.

Music: W. How­ard Doane (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Brown (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

portrait
W. Howard Doane (1832–1915)

Lyrics

My Bi­ble, precious treasure!
Worth more than gems or gold;
Be it my choicest treasure
Thy covers to unfold.
Thy fair illumined pages
With God’s own glo­ry shine;
Down through the long, long ages,
It gleams in every line.

Refrain

My precious Bi­ble! ’tis a book divine,
Where heavenly truth and mercy shine,
And wisdom speaks in every line,
Speaks to me, speaks to me,
Speaks good news to me.

For God’s exceeding glo­ry,
His very life is love;
All through His sacred story
Its splendor is inwove.
It glows in man’s creation,
And O! more radiant still,
In His complete sal­va­tion,
From sin and mortal ill.

Refrain

I read and weep and wonder,
How God, a holy God,
Could still the law’s wild thunder,
With mercy, gentle word.
How raise the pale transgressor,
Bow low with pain and fear,
And make him Heav’n’s possessor,
With Christ, the Son, an heir.

Refrain

O, marvelous relation!
O, tender, pitying love!
Of saints the admiration,
The song of host above.
Be this my wondrous story,
My daily, fresh delight,
And in this flood of glo­ry,
My soul be ever bright.

Refrain