BEGIN, MY TONGUE, SOME HEAVENLY THEME

 

Words: Isaac Watts, Hymns and Sac­red Songs, 1707.

Music: Manoah, ar­ranged from Gi­ao­chi­no A. Ros­si­ni in Col­lect­ion of Church Mu­sic, by Hen­ry W. Great­o­rex, 1851 (MI­DI, score). Al­ter­nate tune:

  • Mylon, at­trib­ut­ed to Jo­hann Gott­lieb Neu­mann (1741-1801) (MI­DI, score)

 

Begin, my tongue, some heavenly theme And speak some boundless thing; The mighty works, or mightier Name Of our eternal King.

Tell of His wonderful faithfulness And sound His power abroad; Sing the sweet promise of His grace, The love and truth of God. [originally, 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 Fulfils His great decrees.

His every 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 Thy heavenly 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.