The book of nature open lies

The book of nature open lies

Author: John Newton
Published in 14 hymnals

Representative Text

1 The book of nature open lies,
With much instruction stored;
But till the Lord anoints our eyes,
We cannot read a word.

2 The knowledge of the saints excels
The wisdom of the schools;
To them his secrets God reveals,
Tho' men account them fools.

3 To them the sun and stars on high,
The flowers that paint the field,
And all the artless birds that fly,
Divine instruction yield.

4 The creatures on their senses press,
As witnesses to prove
Their Savior's power and faithfulness,
His providence and love.

5 Thus may we study nature's book,
To make us wise indeed!
And pity those who only look
At what they cannot read.

The Hartford Selection of Hymns from the most approved authors, 1799

Author: John Newton

John Newton (b. London, England, 1725; d. London, 1807) was born into a Christian home, but his godly mother died when he was seven, and he joined his father at sea when he was eleven. His licentious and tumul­tuous sailing life included a flogging for attempted desertion from the Royal Navy and captivity by a slave trader in West Africa. After his escape he himself became the captain of a slave ship. Several factors contributed to Newton's conversion: a near-drowning in 1748, the piety of his friend Mary Catlett, (whom he married in 1750), and his reading of Thomas à Kempis' Imitation of Christ. In 1754 he gave up the slave trade and, in association with William Wilberforce, eventually became an ardent abolitionist. After becoming a tide… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: The book of nature open lies
Author: John Newton
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 14 of 14)
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A Choice Selection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the use of Christians #35

Christian Psalms and Hymns to Aid in Public and Private Devotion #d840

Hymns for Children and Young Persons. First Am. from the London ed. #d118

Old School Sonnets, or a Selection of Choice Hymns #d224

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, 4th ed. #d179

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Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Original and Selected. (14th stereotype ed.) #S1

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Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Original and Selected. (7th ed.) #S1

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Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs #S1

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The Baptist Hymn Book #396

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The Hartford Selection of Hymns from the Most Approved Authors #XXVI

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The Hartford Selection of Hymns #XXVI

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