Longing for the House of God

Representative Text

1 Lord of the worlds above
how pleasant and how fair
the dwellings of thy love,
thy earthly temples, are!
To thine abode
my heart aspires,
with warm desires
to see my God.

2 O happy souls that pray
where God appoints to hear!
O happy men that pay
their constant service there!
They praise thee still;
and happy they
that love the way
to Zion's hill.

3 They go from strength to strength
through this dark vale of tears,
till each arrives at length,
till each in heaven appears:
O glorious seat!
When God our King
shall thither bring
our willing feet.

Source: CPWI Hymnal #735

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

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)

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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Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 495)
Text

A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion (15th ed.) #16

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A Book of Hymns for Public and Private Devotion. (10th ed.) #16

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A Choice Selection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the use of Christians #637

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A Church Hymn Book #140

A Church of England Hymn Book #321

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A Collection of Evangelical Hymns #CLXXI

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A Collection of Hymns #40

A Collection of Hymns Adapted to the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church #d354

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A Collection of Hymns and a Liturgy for the Use of Evangelical Lutheran Churches #363

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A Collection of Hymns and a Liturgy #363

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A Collection of Hymns and A Liturgy #363

A Collection of Hymns and Psalms for the Use of Singing School and Musical Societies #d87

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social and Domestic Worship #d518

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social and Domestic Worship #d521

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social, and Domestic Worship #d520

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A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social, and Domestic Worship #319

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A Collection of Hymns for the use of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in America #24

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A Collection of Hymns, for the Christian Church and Home #16

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A Collection of Hymns, for the Use of the People Called Methodists, with a Supplement #541

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A Collection of Hymns #L447

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A Collection of Hymns #538

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship #9

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (10th ed.) #9

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) #9

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (3rd ed.) #9

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (45th ed.) #9

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. 16th ed. #9

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Publick Worship #P.LXXXIVb

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Sanctuary #65

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship #60

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns #3

A Collection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs #d194

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A Collection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs #543

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A Liturgy and Hymns for Church Sunday Schools #79

A New and Beautiful Collection of Select Hymns and Spiritual Songs #d195

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A New Selection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs #891

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A Selection of Hymns and Psalms for Social and Private Worship (2nd ed. Enl. and Imp.) #12

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A Selection of Hymns and Psalms for Social and Private Worship (6th ed.) #12

A Selection of Hymns and Psalms, for Social and Private Worship. (11th ed.) #12

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A Selection of Hymns and Psalms #12

A Selection of Hymns, from Various Authors #d232

A Selection of Psalms and Hymns for ... Diocese of Nova Scotia. 3rd ed. #d210

A Selection of Psalms and Hymns for the Use of the Diocese of Nova Scotia. 3rd ed. #d212

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A Selection of Psalms and Hymns #A20

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A Selection of Psalms and Hymns #A42

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A Selection of Sacred Poetry #3

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A Selection of Sacred Poetry #3

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A Selection of Spiritual Songs #11

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African Methodist Episcopal hymn and tune book #700

American Church and Church School Hymnal #d183

American Church and Church School Hymnal #d183

Anglican Hymn Book #231

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

Australian Hymn Book #361

Book of Common Praise #d330

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Book of Worship (Rev. ed.) #48

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Book of Worship with Hymns and Tunes #59

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Book of Worship #48

Calvary Selection of Spiritual Songs with Music for the Church and the Choir #d529

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Cân a Mawl #16

Canadian Sabbath-School Hymn Book #48

Cantica Laudis #d168

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Carmina Sanctorum, a selection of hymns and songs of praise with tunes #66

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Carmina Sanctorum #66

Christian Hymnal #d283

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Christian Hymns for Public and Private Worship #48

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Christian Hymns #301

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Christian Praise #391

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Christian Praise #391

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Christian's Duty, exhibited in a series of hymns #168

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Church Book #43

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Church Book #43

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Church Choral-Book #352

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Church Chorals and Choir Studies #179

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Church Harmonies #70

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Church Hymn Book #P.LXXXIV

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Church Hymnal, Mennonite #22

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #22

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #d311

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Church Hymns and Tunes #537

Church Hymns with Tunes #423

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Church Hymns #470

Church Melodies, a Collection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs #d626

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Church Melodies #383

Church Music, a Collection of Hymn Tunes. #d93

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Church music #CCXIII

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Church Poetry #51

Pages

Exclude 484 pre-1979 instances
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