Begin, My Tongue, Some Heavenly Theme

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.