Sun, moon and stars, by day and night

Representative Text

Sun, moon and stars, by day and night,
At God's commandment, give us light,
And when we wake, and while we sleep,
Their watch, like guardian angels, keep.

The bright blue sky above our head,
The soft green earth on which we tread,
The ocean rolling round the land,
Were made by God's almighty hand.

Sweet flowers that hill and dale adorn,
Fair fruit-trees, fields of grass and corn,
The clouds that rise, the showers that fall,
The winds that blow--God sends them all.

The beasts that graze with downward eye,
The birds that perch, and sing, and fly,
The fishes swimming in the sea,
God's creatures are as well as we.

But us He form'd for better things;--
As servants of the King of kings,
With lifted hands, and open face,
And thankful hearts, to seek his grace.

364
Thus God loved man, and more than thus,--
He sent his Son to die for us,
And now invites us, when we die,
To come and live with Him on high.

But we must live to Him below,
For none but such to heaven will go;--
Lord Jesus, hear our humble prayer,
And lead the little children there.

Sacred Poems and Hymns

Author: James Montgomery

James Montgomery (b. Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, 1771; d. Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, 1854), the son of Moravian parents who died on a West Indies mission field while he was in boarding school, Montgomery inherited a strong religious bent, a passion for missions, and an independent mind. He was editor of the Sheffield Iris (1796-1827), a newspaper that sometimes espoused radical causes. Montgomery was imprisoned briefly when he printed a song that celebrated the fall of the Bastille and again when he described a riot in Sheffield that reflected unfavorably on a military commander. He also protested against slavery, the lot of boy chimney sweeps, and lotteries. Associated with Christians of various persuasions, Montgomery supported missio… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Sun, moon and stars, by day and night
Author: James Montgomery
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

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Instances (1 - 3 of 3)
Page Scan

A Collection of Hymns #370

Page Scan

Hymns for Elementary Schools #23

Text

Sacred Poems and Hymns #342

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