How Lovely Shines the Morning Star (Cox)

How love­ly shines the morn­ing star!

In twi­light sky it gleams afar;

The reign of night is end­ed.

Creation stirs to hail the light

Whose glo­ries now with ra­di­ance bright

Stream forth in beau­ty splen­did.

Both far and near

All things liv­ing thanks are giv­ing

Praise out­pour­ing

Earth and sky the Lord ad­or­ing.

Then haste

my soul

thy song to raise

Delay thou not thy Lord to praise

Bow down in ad­or­ation.

For glo­ry

Lord

to Thee bel­ongs

Thy praise re­sounds in grate­ful songs

Thou Lord of all cre­ation.

Let all re­call

Hymns of glad­ness with­out sad­ness

For Thy favor

And Thy mer­cy nev­er wa­ver.

Tho’ ev­il spir­its thro’ the night

With hell­ish craft and watch­ful spite

Came round me with­out num­ber

Yet Thou

O Je­sus

with Thy pow­er

Wast near me in that threat­en­ing hour

Didst guard me in my slum­ber.

Praise be to Thee

My con­ten­der and de­fend­er

I’ll adore Thee

While on earth I walk be­fore Thee.

Pour down Thy grace in cheer­ing streams

And warm my heart with mer­cy’s beams

From Heav’n

Thy throne of beau­ty;

Thy Spir­it ev­er lead and guide

That in my call­ing I ab­ide

And find my joy in du­ty.

Send light and might

That each mea­sure

plan and plea­sure

Heav’nward tend­ing

E’er in Thee may find its end­ing.

Keep grief

if this may be

away;

If not

Thy will be done

I pray

My choice to Thine re­sign­ing.

Then

O my heart

cast care aside

God through the cross His own hath tried;

Bear loss with­out re­pin­ing.

Hope still through ill;

To God cleav­ing

grace re­ceiv­ing

We shall won­der

At God’s good­ness here and yon­der.