O God! Ere Heav’n and Earth Were Planned

O God! ere Heav’n and earth were planned

Adoring si­lence wor­shiped Thee;

Now vast the uni­verse doth stand

The tem­ple of Thy ma­jes­ty.

Its walls are wrought of sap­phire bright;

Its count­less spires are star­ry flame:

Suns on the bound­less eth­er write

The sov­er­eign beau­ty of Thy name.

An earth­ly tem­ple

by Thy grace

This day we de­di­cate to Thee;

Deign to make here Thy dwell­ing place

O Thou that fill’st im­men­si­ty.

Fold us be­neath Thy shel­ter­ing wings

As here we wor­ship at Thy shrine;

Ours be the peace Thy pre­sence brings

The glo­ry and the praise be Thine.