Hymn Lyrics Search - Name That Hymn

The British royal family visited South Africa in 1947
I as a school boy with tenthousand other kids sang a hymn which I remember as creation hymn.but web search does not find it
Opening words are "To God eternal the heavens utter glory,from them afar his name is heard,from them afar his name is heard.
pleas can any one identify it and point me where to get the full words and music for it.If I new the name of the composer I would probably get more response on Google search

Beethoven set this one to music.
I also sang this hymn in school in the 1950's in Australia.
It continues...
"By earth and sea is repeated the story
Let all mankind receive his word.
Who holds the wondrous stars in their places?
Who bids the sun his light diffuse?
He comes with brightness and smiles in our faces
And hero-like his way pursues..."
as I recall it.

Amazing how, as first graders, 1957, our teacher tried to teach us this song!
I now know a bit about some words and tune! The real lines turned out rather different from what I could have guessed!

"To god eternal
The heavens utter glory
From them his name
Afar is heard
By earth and by sea is repeated the story
Let all mankind receive his word.
Who holds the numberless stars in their places?
Who bids the sun his light diffuse?
He comes with brightness and smiles in our faces
And hero-like his way pursues,
And hero-like his way pursues."

I sang that in secondary school in Melbourne in the early 1960s. It's by Beethoven, Creation's Hymn. I love the tune and even for an atheist like myself, the words are quite decent, something of a physics hymn.

Sadly, another, much inferior, set of English words seems to have become the dominant version.

Thank you those of you who posted the words. I too, was taught them in the 50s [in Zimbabwe]. I remembered enough to search the web, but without success. That was a few years ago. Nothing like trying again! I agree that the other set of English words are much inferior, and didn't interest me a bit. I love the music, and now I have all the words to go with it!

How can I get the audio.
Can someone send it to my email if possible, please.
email: [email protected]

A U-tube video is at http://youtu.be/CciBKKcg5YI of a choir singing this song

Thank you for this awesome Resource....I searched so many other sites with no help...I sang this in High school in the 60's...such a refreshing reminder of a great God and a beautiful childhood

I loved this hymn in Melbourne the early sixties. I think it is "And hero-like his way endures", I also can't find the correct lyrics. I found a version with the planets going around the sun, most annoying. This is a brilliant stirring hymn, that really wakes you up. Surely it is not isolated to Melbourne?

I too sang it at school in Melbourne: St.Catherine's in the '50's.
I remember being especially moved by " The sea, the tempest, do homage before thee and ........... draw near. "
I can't find lyrics which include those words, anywhere.
Is there someone who can tell me?
Thank you so much.