Great God! How Infinite Art Thou

Great God, how infinite art Thou! What worthless worms are we

Author: Isaac Watts
Tune: DUNDEE (Ravenscroft)
Published in 319 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Great God, how infinite art Thou!
What worthless ones are we!
Let the whole race of creatures bow,
And pay their praise to Thee.

2 Thy throne eternal ages stood,
Ere seas or stars were made;
Thou art the ever-living God,
Were all the nations dead.

3 Eternity, with all its years,
Stands present in Thy view;
To Thee there’s nothing old appears;
Great God, there’s nothing new.

4 Our lives through various scenes are drawn,
And vexed with trifling cares,
While Thine eternal thought moves on
Thine undisturbed affairs.

Amen.

Source: African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #67

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 >

Text Information

First Line: Great God, how infinite art Thou! What worthless worms are we
Title: Great God! How Infinite Art Thou
Author: Isaac Watts
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

DUNDEE (Ravenscroft)

DUNDEE first appeared in the 1615 edition of the Scottish Psalter published in Edinburgh by Andro Hart. Called a "French" tune (thus it also goes by the name of FRENCH), DUNDEE was one of that hymnal's twelve "common tunes"; that is, it was not associated with a specific psalm. In the Psalter Hymnal…

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WINDSOR (Tye)


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #2023
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
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Instances

Instances (1 - 7 of 7)

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #21

Primitive Baptist Hymn and Tune Book #28

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #2023

TextPage Scan

African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #67

Hymnal #82

The Baptist Hymnal #69

TextPage Scan

Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #27

Include 312 pre-1979 instances
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