Scripture Verse

Thy Word have I hid in my heart. Psalm 119:11

Introduction

Words: John Bur­ton, Sr., Youth’s Mo­ni­tor in Verse, 1803.

Music: Alet­ta Will­iam B. Brad­bu­ry, Ju­bi­lee (New York: Ma­son Bro­thers, 1858), page 232 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

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

portrait
William B. Bradbury (1816–1868)

Lyrics

Holy Bi­ble, Book di­vine,
Precious trea­sure, thou art mine;
Mine to tell me whence I came;
Mine to teach me what I am.

Mine to chide me when I rove;
Mine to show a Sav­ior’s love;
Mine thou art to guide and guard;
Mine to pun­ish or reward.

Mine to com­fort in dis­tress;
Suffering in this wil­der­ness;
Mine to show, by liv­ing faith,
Man can tri­umph over death.

Mine to tell of joys to come,
And the rebel sin­ner’s doom;
O thou ho­ly Book di­vine,
Precious trea­sure, thou art mine.

Burton’s orig­in­al text:

Holy Bi­ble, book Di­vine,
Precious trea­sure, thou art mine;
Mine to tell me whence I came;
Mine to teach me what I am.

Mine to chide me when I rove;
Mine to show a Sav­iour’s love;
Mine art thou to guide my feet;
Mine to judge, con­demn, ac­quit.

Mine to com­fort in dis­tress;
If the Ho­ly Spi­rit bless;
Mine to shew, by liv­ing faith,
Man can tri­umph over death.

Mine to tell of joys to come,
And the re­bel sin­ner’s doom;
Holy Bi­ble, book Di­vine,
Precious trea­sure, thou art mine.

Ed­win O. Ex­cell wrote the fol­low­ing refrain in 1900, to be used with his tune Book Di­vine (🔊 pdf nwc):

Mine, mine, book di­vine,
Precious trea­sure, thou art mine;
O thou ho­ly book di­vine,
Precious trea­sure, thou art mine!