My fervent soul shall bless the Lord,
And sing Jehovah's name ador'd.
Oh God! how great are all thy ways,
Demanding gratitude and praise;
Honour and majesty are thine,
And beams of light around thee shine;
Thy hand extends the arch on high,
The azure curtain of the sky;
The clouds thy regal chariot form;
Thou ridest on the rushing storm;
Amidst the regions of the air,
The winds thy car triumphal bear:
To thee enraptur'd spirits bend,
And angels round thy throne attend;
While lightnings in thy presence beam,
The ministers of power supreme.
At thy behest the earth appear'd,
On firm eternal basis rear'd:
The floods arose at thy command,
And spread their mantle o'er the land:
Thy word rebuk'd the swelling deep;
The waters rush'd from every steep;
The thunders echoed, and they fled,
And sought their peaceful destin'd bed;
Jehovah's power restrain'd their force,
And limited their whelming course:
He bade the lucid fountains flow,
Meandering thro' the vales below;
They fertilize the plains and fields,
And nature all her treasure yields.
Beside their banks with verdure drest,
The woodland songsters form their nest;
Amidst the shade of waving trees,
They pour the sweetest melodies;
The wild spontaneous hymn they raise,
And sing their great Creator's praise.