Begin, My Tongue, Some Heav’nly Theme

Begin

my tongue

some heav’n­ly theme

And speak some bound­less thing;

The migh­ty works

or migh­ti­er name

Of our eter­nal king.

Tell of His won­drous faith­ful­ness

And sound His pow­er abroad;

Sing the sweet pro­mise of His grace

And the per­form­ing God.

Proclaim sal­va­tion from the Lord

For wretch­ed

dy­ing men;

His hand has writ the sac­red word

With an im­mor­tal pen.

Engraved as in eter­nal brass

The migh­ty pro­mise shines;

Nor can the pow­ers of dark­ness rase

Those ev­er­last­ing lines.

He that can dash whole worlds to death

And make them when He please

He speaks

and that al­migh­ty breath

Fulfills His great de­crees.

His ve­ry word of grace is strong

As that which built the skies;

The voice that rolls the stars along

Speaks all the pro­mis­es.

He said

Let the wide heav’n be spread

And heav’n was stretched abroad:

Abram

I’ll be thy God

He said

And He was Ab­ram’s God.

O might I hear Thine heav’n­ly tongue

But whis­per

Thou art Mine!

Those gen­tle words shall raise my song

To notes al­most di­vine.

How would my leap­ing heart re­joice

And think my heav’n se­cure!

I trust the all-cre­at­ing voice

And faith de­sires no more.