Scripture Verse

God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of heaven…and it was so. Genesis 1:14–15

Introduction

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Charles Coffin
1676–1749

Words: Charles Cof­fin, in the Pa­ris Bre­vi­ary, 1736 (Mir­a­mur, O De­us, Tu­ae). Trans­lat­ed from La­tin to Eng­lish by John Chand­ler and the com­pil­ers of Hymns An­cient and Mo­dern.

Music: Dun­dee Scot­tish Psal­ter, 1615 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
John Chandler
1806–1876
National Portrait Gallery

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Lyrics

New wonders of Thy mighty hand,
Lord, we today admire,
Writ on the firmament above
In glittering orbs of fire.

The sun is ruler of the day,
The silver moon of night,
The starry hosts adorn the sky
In ordered ranks of light.

But e’en that glorious sun must set,
And knows his going down,
That silver moon must wax and wane,
The stars their courses own.

Still in an ever changing round
The daylight comes and goes;
But Thou art evermore the same,
No change Thy mercy knows.

Why waver then our troubled hearts?
Thine is a father’s care;
And they, eternal life who seek,
Eternal life shall share.

All praise, all glory be ascribed
To God the One in Three,
Who bids us cast our care on Him,
To Him for comfort flee.