Thy law is perfect, Lord of light

Thy law is perfect, Lord of light

Author: James Montgomery
Published in 62 hymnals

Full Text

Thy law is perfect, Lord of light!
Thy testimonies sure,
The statutes of Thy realm are right,
And thy commandments pure.

Holy, inviolate Thy fear,
Enduring as Thy throne:
Thy judgments, chastening or severe,
Justice and truth alone:--

More prized than gold,--than gold whose waste
Refining fire expels;
Sweeter than honey to my taste,
Than honey from the cells.

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Let these, O God! my soul convert;
And make Thy servant wise;
Let these be gladness to my heart,
The day-spring to mine eyes.

By these may I be warn'd betimes;
Who knows the guilt within?
Lord, save me from presumptuous crimes,
Cleanse me from secret sin!

So may the words my lips express,
The thoughts that throng my mind,
O Lord, my strength and righteousness!
With Thee acceptance find.

Sacred Poems and Hymns

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Author: James Montgomery

Montgomery, James, son of John Montgomery, a Moravian minister, was born at Irvine, Ayrshire, Nov. 4, 1771. In 1776 he removed with his parents to the Moravian Settlement at Gracehill, near Ballymena, county of Antrim. Two years after he was sent to the Fulneck Seminary, Yorkshire. He left Fulneck in 1787, and entered a retail shop at Mirfield, near Wakefield. Soon tiring of that he entered upon a similar situation at Wath, near Rotherham, only to find it quite as unsuitable to his taste as the former. A journey to London, with the hope of finding a publisher for his youthful poems ended in failure; and in 1792 he was glad to leave Wath for Shefield to join Mr. Gales, an auctioneer, bookseller, and printer of the Sheffield Register newspap… Go to person page >

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Text Information

First Line: Thy law is perfect, Lord of light
Author: James Montgomery
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
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Instances

Instances (62)TextImageAudioScore
Hymns and Offices of Worship: for use in schools: with an appendix of tunes #4Image
Offices of Worship and Hymns: principally for use in schools. with an appendix of tunes (2nd and rev. ed.) #4Image
Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church #6Image
The Liturgy and Hymns of the American Province of the Unitas Fratrum #7Image
The Voice of Praise: a collection of hymns for the use of the Methodist Church #9Image
Church Psalmist: or psalms and hymns for the public, social and private use of evangelical Christians (5th ed.) #P19dImage
The Christian Psalmist; or, Watts' Psalms and Hymns: with copious selections from other sources; the whole carefully revised and arranged, with directions for musical expression #P19gImage
The Christian Psalmist: being a collection of psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs compiled from the most approved authors, and designed as a standard hymn book for public and social worship #P19dImage
Church Psalmist: or, psalms and hymns, for the public, social and private use of Evangelical Christians. With Supplement. (50th ed.) #P19dImage
Church Psalmist: or Psalms and Hymns Designed for the Public, Social, and Private Use of Evangelical Christians ... with Supplement. 53rd ed. #P19dImage
Sacred Poems and Hymns #27Text
A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the United Brethren in Christ: taken from the most approved authors, and adapted to public and private worship #45Image
Manual of Devotion: or religious exercises for the morning and evening of each day of the month, for the use of schools and private families #53Image
The People's Hymnal: for use in public and social worship #71Image
Hymns and Tunes: for those who keep the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus. #85Image
New Hymn and Tune Book: an Offering of Praise for the Use of the African M. E. Zion Church of America #89eImage
New Hymn and Tune book: an Offering of Praise for the Methodist Episcopal Church #89eImage
Offices of Worship and Hymns: with tunes, 3rd ed., revised and enlarged #125Image
The Liturgy and the Office of Worship and Hymns of the American Province of the Unitas Fratrum, or the Moravian Church #125Image
The Chorister, and School Harmonist, 1st ed. #d130
Every Sabbath: a new collection of music adapted to the wants and capacities of Sunday-schools, the home circle and devotional gatherings #143fImage
Sacred Poetry #150Image
Hymns for the Sanctuary and Social Worship: with tunes #154Image
Hymns for Social Worship and Private Devotion #d160
The Heart and Voice: or, Songs of Praise for the Sanctuary: hymn and tune book, designed for congregational singing in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for congregations generally #162bImage
Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (11th ed.) #164Image
Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church #164Image
Hymn Book of the United Evangelical Church #168Image
A Collection of Hymns: Supplementary to the Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts #171Image
Hymn-Book of the Evangelical Association #178Image
The Hymn Book of the Free Methodist Church #179Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (3rd ed.) #185Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) #185Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship #185Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. 16th ed. #185Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (45th ed.) #185Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (10th ed.) #185Image
Christian Hymns for Public and Private Worship: a collection compiled by a committee of the Cheshire Pastoral Association (11th ed.) #205Image
The Seventh-Day Adventist Hymn and Tune Book: for use in divine worship #206Image
Songs of the Unity: a Selection of Lyrics for Public Worhip, with Tunes for Congregational Use #d214
Hymns, Collects, Anthems and Selections #d253
Church Choral-Book, Containing Tunes and Hymns . . . #270Image
Christian Hymns: adapted to the worship of God our Saviour in public and private devotion, compiled from the most approved ancient and modern authors, for the Central Universalist Society... #291Image
Church Pastorals, hymns and tunes for public and social worship #309Image
Hymns for Public Worship #348Image
Hallowed Songs #d350
The Centennial Hymnal #d408
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Sanctuary #460Image
Hymns of Faith and Life #d487
The Standard Church Hymnal #551Image
The Wesleyan Methodist Hymnal #d565
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Use of Universalist Societies and Families 16ed. #605Image
A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the use of Universalist Societies and Families (13th ed.) #605Image
Free Methodist Hymnal #d631
The Christian Hymn Book #d643
The Christian Hymn Book. 7th ed. #d644
Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. ed. #681Image
Compilation of Hymns for the Use of the Churches of the Christian Union #d745
The Evangelical Hymn and Tune Book #d752
The American Hymn and Tune Book #d808
Psalms and Hymns Adapted to Social, Private and Public Worship #d822
Hymns for Use in Divine Worship ... Seventh-Day Adventists #d1160
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