Since o’er Thy Footstool Here Below

Since o’er Thy foot­stool here be­low

Such ra­di­ant gems are strewn;

O

what mag­ni­fi­cence must glow

Great God

about Thy throne!

So bril­liant here these drops of light—

There the full ocean rolls

how bright!

If night’s blue cur­tain of the sky—

With thou­sand stars in-wrought

Hung like a roy­al ca­no­py

With glit­ter­ing dia­monds fraught—

Be

Lord

Thy tem­ple’s out­er veil

What splend­or at the shrine must dwell!

The dazz­ling sun at noon­day hour—

Forth from his flam­ing vase

Flinging o’er earth the gold­en show­er

Till vale and mount­ain blaze—

But shows

O Lord

one beam of Thine;

What

then

the day where Thou dost shine!

O

how shall these dim eyes en­dure

That noon of liv­ing rays!

Or how our spir­its

so im­pure

Upon Thy glo­ry gaze!

Anoint

O Lord

an­oint our sight

And fit us for that world of light.