Blessed City, Heavenly Salem

Blessed city, heavenly Salem, Vision dear of peace and love

Translator: John Mason Neale (1851)
Published in 74 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Blessèd city, heavenly Salem,
vision dear of peace and love,
who of living stones art builded
in the height of heaven above,
and with angel hosts encircled,
as a bride dost earthward move!

2 From celestial realms descending,
bridal glory round thee shed,
meet for him whose love espoused thee,
to thy Lord shalt thou be led;
all thy streets and all thy bulwarks
of pure gold are fashioned.

3 Bright thy gates of pearl are shining,
they are open evermore;
and by virtue of his merits
thither faithful souls do soar,
who for Christ's dear name in this world
pain and tribulation bore.

4 Many a blow and biting sculpture
polished well those stones elect,
in their places now compacted
by the heavenly Architect,
who therewith hath willed for ever
that his palace should be decked.

5 Christ is made the sure foundation,
Christ the Head and cornerstone,
chosen of the Lord, and precious,
binding all the church in one,
Holy Sion's help for ever,
and her confidence alone.

6 All that dedicated city,
dearly loved of God on high,
in exultant jubilation
pours perpetual melody,
God the One in Three adoring
in glad hymns eternally.

7 To this temple, where we call thee,
come, O Lord of Hosts, to-day;
with thy wonted loving-kindness
hear thy servants as they pray,
and thy fullest benediction
shed within its walls alway.

8 Here vouchsafe to all thy servants
what they ask of thee to gain,
what they gain from thee for ever
with the blessed to retain,
and hereafter in thy glory
evermore with thee to reign.

Doxology:
Laud and honour to the Father,
laud and honour to the Son,
laud and honour to the Spirit,
ever Three, and ever One,
consubstantial, co-eternal,
while unending ages run.

Source: Ancient and Modern: hymns and songs for refreshing worship #291

Translator: John Mason Neale

John M. Neale's life is a study in contrasts: born into an evangelical home, he had sympathies toward Rome; in perpetual ill health, he was incredibly productive; of scholarly tem­perament, he devoted much time to improving social conditions in his area; often ignored or despised by his contemporaries, he is lauded today for his contributions to the church and hymnody. Neale's gifts came to expression early–he won the Seatonian prize for religious poetry eleven times while a student at Trinity College, Cambridge, England. He was ordained in the Church of England in 1842, but ill health and his strong support of the Oxford Movement kept him from ordinary parish ministry. So Neale spent the years between 1846 and 1866 as a warden of Sackvi… Go to person page >

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Media

The Cyber Hymnal #554
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Instances

Instances (1 - 12 of 12)

Church Hymnal, Fifth Edition #326

Hymns and Psalms #485

Text

The New English Hymnal #204

TextPage Scan

CPWI Hymnal #727

Text

Ancient and Modern #291

TextPage Scan

Common Praise #207

TextPage Scan

Common Praise #208

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Standard Edition #283

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Standard Edition #332

Text

The Hymnal 1982 #519

TextPage Scan

The Hymnal 1982 #520

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #554

Include 62 pre-1979 instances
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