Exhortation to Worship

Representative Text

1 Before Jehovah's aweful throne,
ye nations, bow with sacred joy;
know that the Lord is God alone:
he can create, and he destroy.

2 His sovereign power, without our aid,
made us of clay, and formed us then;
and, when like wandering sheep we strayed,
he brought us to his fold again.

3 We'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs,
high as the heavens our voices raise;
and earth, with her ten thousand tongues,
shall fill thy courts with sounding praise.

4 Wide as the world is thy command,
vast as eternity thy love;
firm as a rock thy truth must stand,
when rolling years shall cease to move.

Source: Ancient and Modern: hymns and songs for refreshing worship #597

Author: Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts was the son of a schoolmaster, and was born in Southampton, July 17, 1674. He is said to have shown remarkable precocity in childhood, beginning the study of Latin, in his fourth year, and writing respectable verses at the age of seven. At the age of sixteen, he went to London to study in the Academy of the Rev. Thomas Rowe, an Independent minister. In 1698, he became assistant minister of the Independent Church, Berry St., London. In 1702, he became pastor. In 1712, he accepted an invitation to visit Sir Thomas Abney, at his residence of Abney Park, and at Sir Thomas' pressing request, made it his home for the remainder of his life. It was a residence most favourable for his health, and for the prosecution of his literary… Go to person page >

Notes

Sing to the Lord with joyful voice. I. Watts. (Ps. 100) 1st published in his Psalms of David, & c., 1719, p. 256, in 6 st. of 4 l. In this form its use in modern collections is limited; that which has attained to the greatest popularity being "Before Jehovah's awful throne." This arrangement is by J. Wesley, and was 1st published in his Psalms & Hymns at Charlestown, U.S.A., in 1736-7, p. 5, and repeated in J. & C. Wesley's Psalms & Hymns, 1741, p. 74; the Wesleyan Hymn Book in 1797, as the first of the "Additional Hymns," and the revised ed. of 1875. Modern collections of the Church of England have received it through Madan's Psalms & Hymns, 1760, Toplady's Psalms & Hymns, 1776, and others of the last century. It consists of Watts, as follows, with alterations thus: st. i., Watts' st. ii altered, by J. Wesley, to: "Before Jehovah's awful throne, Ye nations bow with sacred joy."

—Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

OLD HUNDREDTH

This tune is likely the work of the composer named here, but has also been attributed to others as shown in the instances list below. According to the Handbook to the Baptist Hymnal (1992), Old 100th first appeared in the Genevan Psalter, and "the first half of the tune contains phrases which may ha…

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Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #415
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (901 - 955 of 955)
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The Standard Church Hymnal #14

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The Students' Hymnal #2

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The Students' Hymnal #11

The Sunday School Choir and Superintendent's Assistant #d17

The Sunday School Hymnal #d28

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The Sunday School Hymnal #310

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The Sunday School Hymnal #311

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The Sunday School Hymnary #413

The Tabernacle Chorus #d16

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The Tabernacle Chorus (Trinity ed.) #15

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The Tribute of Praise and Methodist Protestant Hymn Book #89

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The Tribute of Praise #89

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The Tribute of Praise #89

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The Union Harp #15

The Union Harp and Revival Chorister. Rev ed. #d39

The Universalist Hymn Book #d48

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The Universalist Hymn-Book #125

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The University Hymn Book #49

The Vestry Harp #d15

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The Virginia Selection of Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs #1

The Voice of Praise #d14

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The Voice of Praise #329

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The Voice of Thanksgiving No. 3 #220

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The Wesleyan Methodist Hymnal #2

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The Wesleyan Sacred Harp #20b

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The Westminster Abbey Hymn-Book #293

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The Woman's Hymnal #34

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The World's Best Hymns #13

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The World's Best Hymns #25

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The Worshipbook #306

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The Wreath of Gems #110

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The Y. M. Christian Association Hymn-Book, with Tunes. #3b

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The Y.M.C.A. Hymnal #33a

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The Y.M.C.A. Hymnal #33b

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The Young People's Chorister #267a

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Trinity Hymnal #62

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Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #65

Triune Hymnal #d17

Unitarian Service Book, and Hymns for Church and Home. Abridged ed. #d234

Universalist Hymn Book #d46

University Hymn Book for use in the Chapel of Harvard University #d23

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University Hymns #44

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Unser Liederbuch #529

Virginia Selection of Psalms #d36

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Wesleyan Hymn and Tune Book #6a

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Windows of Heaven #176

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Words of Truth #148

Worship in Song #d26

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Worship in Song #3

Worship in the School Room #d12

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Worship in the School Room #15

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Worship Song #173

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Wyeth's Repository of Sacred Music #110

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Young Men's Christian Association Hymn and Tune Book #215a

Pages

Exclude 933 pre-1979 instances
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