Religion
Psalm 8: God's sovereignty and goodness
From The Psalms of David Imitated (1719)
O Lord, our heav'nly King,
Thy name is all divine;
Thy glories round the earth are spread,
And o'er the heav'ns they shine.
When to thy works on high
I raise my wondering eyes,
And see the moon, complete in light,
Adorn the darksome skies
When I survey the stars,
And all their shining forms,
Lord, what is man, that worthless thing,
Akin to dust and worms?
Lord, what is worthless man,
That thou shouldst love him so?
Next to thine angels is he placed,
And lord of all below.
Thine honors crown his head,
While beasts, like slaves, obey;
And birds that cut the air with wings,
And fish that cleave the sea.
How rich thy bounties are!
And wondrous are thy ways
Of dust and worms thy power can frame
A monument of praise.
Out of the mouths of babes
And sucklings thou canst draw
Surprising honors to thy name,
And strike the world with awe.
O Lord, our heav'nly King,
Thy name is all divine;
Thy glories round the earth are spread,
And o'er the heav'ns they shine.
Cite this poem
MLA
Watts, Isaac. “Psalm 8: God's sovereignty and goodness.” Poetry Codex, poetrycodex.com/poem/watts/14/.
Chicago
Watts, Isaac. “Psalm 8: God's sovereignty and goodness.” Poetry Codex. https://poetrycodex.com/poem/watts/14/.
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More by Isaac Watts
- Psalm 71, Part 3: The aged Christian's prayer and song
- Psalm 135, Part 2: The works of creation, providence, redemption of Israel, and destruction of enemies
- Hymn I.106: Dead to sin by the cross of Christ
- Hymn II.111: Thanksgiving for victory; or, God's dominion and our deliverance
- To the Rev. Mr John Howe