O how can they look up to heaven

O how can they look up to heaven

Author: Simon Browne
Tune: OLNEY (Gounod)
Published in 32 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1. O how can they look up to Heaven,
And ask for mercy there,
Who never soothed the poor man’s pang,
Nor dried the orphan’s tear?

2. The dread omnipotence of Heaven
We every hour provoke;
Yet still the mercy of our God
Withholds the avenging stroke.

3. And Christ was still the healing friend
Of poverty and pain;
And never did imploring soul
His garment touch in vain.

4. May we with humble effort take
Example from above;
And thence the active lesson learn
Of charity and love!

5. But chiefly be the labor ours
To shade the early plant;
To guard from ignorance and guilt
The infancy of want;

6. To graft the virtues, ere the bud
The canker worm has gnawed,
And teach the rescued child to lisp
Its gratitude to God.

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #4986

Author: Simon Browne

Simon Browne was born at Shepton Mallet, Somersetshire, about 1680. He began to preach as an "Independent" before he was twenty years of age, and was soon after settled at Portsmouth. In 1716, he became pastor in London. In 1723, he met with some misfortunes, which preyed upon his mind, and produced that singular case of monomania, recorded in the text-books of Mental Philosophy; he thought that God had "annihilated in him the thinking substance, and utterly divested him of consciousness." "Notwithstanding," says Toplady, "instead of having no soul, he wrote, reasoned, and prayed as if he had two." He died in 1732. His publications number twenty-three, of which some are still in repute. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins,… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: O how can they look up to heaven
Author: Simon Browne
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #4986
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 32 of 32)

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social and Domestic Worship #d604

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social and Domestic Worship #d606

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social, and Domestic Worship #d605

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A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social, and Domestic Worship #802

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship #537

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (10th ed.) #537

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (6th ed.) #537

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (3rd ed.) #537

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. (45th ed.) #537

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship. 16th ed. #537

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Sanctuary #629

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Use of Universalist Societies and Families 16ed. #552

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship #473

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship (Rev. ed. with supplement) #473

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Christian Hymns for Public and Private Worship #773

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Hymn and Tune Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South (Round Note Ed.) #705

Hymn Book of the Colored M.E. Church in America #d376

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South #705

Hymns for Children and Young Persons #d311

Hymns for Schools and Families #d355

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Hymns for Schools and Families, Specailly Designed for the Children of the Church #466

Hymns, Collects, Anthems and Selections #d185

The Chapel Hymn Book (4th ed.) #d263

The Chapel Hymn Book. 5th ed. #d258

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The Christian Psalmist #618

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #4986

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The Methodist Hymnal (Text only edition) #696

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The Methodist Hymnal #696

The Saints' Harp #d603

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The Springfield Collection of Hymns for Sacred Worship #486

Exclude 31 pre-1979 instances
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