Longing for the House of God

Representative Text

1 LORD of the worlds above,
How pleasant and how fair
The dwellings of Thy love,
Thine earthy temples, are!
To thine abode
My heart aspires,
With warm desires
To see my God.

2 O happy souls that pray
Where God delights to hear!
O happy men that pay
Their constant service there!
They praise Thee still,
And happy they
Who love the way
To Zion’s hill!

3 They go from strength to strength,
Through this dark vale of tears,
Till each o’ercomes at length,
Till each in heaven appears:
O glorious seat!
Thou God, our King,
Shalt thither bring
Our willing feet.

4 God is our sun and shield,
Our light and our defence;
With gifts His hands are filled,
We draw our blessings thence:
He shall bestow
Upon our race
His saving grace,
And glory too.

5 The Lord His people loves;
His hand no good withholds
From those His heart approves,
From holy, humble souls
Thrice happy he,
O Lord of Hosts,
Whose spirit trusts
Alone in Thee!

Source: Redemption Hymnal #74

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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 >

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Text Information

First Line: Lord of the worlds above
Title: Longing for the House of God
Author: Isaac Watts
Meter: 6.6.6.6.4.4.4.4
Language: English
Notes: Spanish translation: See "De Mundos Creador by George Paul Simmonds
Copyright: Public Domain
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Notes

Lord of the worlds above. J. Watts. [Psalms lxxxiv.] First published in his Psalms of David, &c., 1719, in 7 stanzas of 8 lines, as the third version of the 84th Psalm. In addition to its use in its full form, there are also several arrangements of the text, the more important being:—
1. That in the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1875, and many others derived from the same source. This appeared in the Wesley Psalms & Hymns, 1738 ; the enlarged ed. of the same, 1743; and the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1780. It is very popular.
2. A cento composed of stanza i., iii., iv., and vii. This was given with alterations in Whitefield's Collection, 1753; Madan's Psalms & Hymns, 1760; Toplady's Psalms & Hymns, 1776, and thus into the hymn-books of the Church of England. In some modern collections, as Sarum, 1868, and Thring's Collection, 1882, some of these alterations are still retained. Usually, however, the text is correct.
3. Other arrangements are given in many modern hymnals, the construction of which may be tested by reference to Watts's Psalms. It will be found that in most cases the original text is retained.
As a paraphrase this ranks amongst the best by Watts. The metre is an imitation of that employed for the first time by John Pullain, in his Version of the 148th Psalm in the English Psalter, 1560.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

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Tune

DARWALL

Composed by John Darwall (b. Haughton, Staffordshire, England, 1731; d. Walsall, Staffordshire, England, 1789), DARWALL'S 148TH was first published as a setting for Psalm 148 in Aaron William's New Universal Psalmodist (1770) with only soprano and bass parts. The harmonization dates from the ninete…

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ST. GODRIC


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Timeline

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Instances

Instances (1 - 12 of 12)

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #477

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #477

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #22

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #22
Page Scan

Common Praise #511

Common Praise #511
Page Scan

CPWI Hymnal #735

CPWI Hymnal #735

Hymnal #39

Hymnal #39

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Standard Edition #165

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Standard Edition #165
TextPage Scan

Redemption Hymnal #74

Redemption Hymnal #74
TextPage Scan

Rejoice in the Lord #110

Rejoice in the Lord #110

Spurgeon's Own Hymn Book #84c

Spurgeon's Own Hymn Book #84c

The Baptist Hymnal #38

The Baptist Hymnal #38
TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #4110

The Cyber Hymnal #4110
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Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #375

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #375
Include 486 pre-1979 instances
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