Sunday's Hymn

I got tired of choosing each Sunday’s hymn so I’ve been working my way through an old hymnal I have, letting it do the choosing for me. The hymn that came up for today is perfect for both the sermon we had this morning, which was on the second half of Romans 1, and Canadian Thanksgiving Sunday.

The Spacious Firmament on High

The spacious firmament on high,
With all the blue ethereal sky,
And spangled heavens, a shining frame
Their great Original proclaim.
Th’unwearied sun, from day to day,
Does his Creator’s powers display,
And publishes to every land
The work of an Almighty Hand.

Soon as the evening shades prevail
The moon takes up the wondrous tale,
And nightly to the listening earth
Repeats the story of her birth;
While all the stars that round her burn
And all the planets in their turn,
Confirm the tidings as they roll,
And spread the truth from pole to pole.

What though in solemn silence all
Move round the dark terrestrial ball?
What though no real voice nor sound
Amid the radiant orbs be found?
In reason’s ear they all rejoice,
And utter forth a glorious voice,
Forever singing as they shine,
“The hand that made us is divine.”

—Jo­seph Ad­di­son

I’m posting the whole YouTube video because the shortened listen-only ones don’t show up right in Firefox, but you might want to close your eyes and just listen so you don’t get sea sick.

Other hymns, worship songs, sermons etc. posted today:

• I Am Trusting Thee, Lord Jesus at Whatever Things
• Look and Live at Wordwise Hymns
• Rejoice the Lord Is King at threegirldad
• Stand Fast for Christ Thy Savior at The Happy Wonderer
• How Firm a Foundation at Rosemary at Home
• In the Hour of Trial, Jesus Plead for Me at Field Stone Cottage
• Come, Ye Thankful People, Come at The Upward Call
• Lord’s Day 41, 2010 at The Thirsty Theologian
• Hallowed Be Your Name at Daily on My Way to Heaven
• Your Weekly Dose of Spurgeon: Let the Dog’s Bark at Pyromaniacs

Have you posted a hymn (or sermon, sermon notes, prayer, etc.) today and I missed it? Let me know by leaving a link in the comments or by contacting me using the contact form linked above, and I’ll add your post to the list.

This Week in Housekeeping

I didn’t have much time this week for working on updating the Theological Term posts. I did add links to two good things that came across my feed reader recently.

order of God’s decrees

• Added a link to this recent piece by Turretinfan: The Order of Decrees - Which Came First?. It’s particularly helpful in explaining what “logical order” is.

sola gratia

• Added a link to Why is sola gratia important? at GotQuestions.org.
  

Round the Sphere Again: Two On Trials

Ultimate Victory
“It is God who provides the way of escape—not out of our trials, but rather through them. He enables us to bear testing, not avoid it (1 Cor. 10:13). And He uses our tribulations to accomplish His wonderful purpose in us (Rom. 5:3-5, James 1:3-4).” —Phil Johnson at Pyromaniacs

Ultimately in Charge
“I don’t care if you use permit, allow, or ordained; it’s all the same thing. Ultimately it goes back to God being in charge. I don’t think there is a real difference.” —Joni Eareckson Tada at Christianity Today