The God of Thunder

Representative Text

1 O the immense! th' amazing height.
The boundless grandeur of a God,
Who treads the worlds beneath his feet,
And sways the nations with his nod!

2 He speaks; and lo, all nature shakes,
Heaven's everlasting pillars bow,
He rends the clouds with hideous cracks,
And shouts his fiery arrows thro'.

3 Well let the nations start and fly
At the blue lightning's horrid glare,
Atheists and emperors shrink and die,
When flame and noise torment the air.

4 Let noise and flame confound the skies,
And drown the spacious realms below,
Yet we will sing the thunderer's praise,
And send our loud hosannas thro'.

5 Celestial king, thy blazing power
Kindles our hearts to flaming joys,
We shout to hear thy thunders roar,
And echo to our father's voice.

6 Thus shall the God our Savior come,
And lightnings round his chariot play,
Ye lightnings, fly to make him room,
Ye glorious storms prepare his way.


Source: A Selection of Hymns: from the best authors, intended to be an appendix to Dr. Watt's psalms and hymns. (1st Am. ed.) #DIII

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: O the immense, the amazing height
Title: The God of Thunder
Author: Isaac Watts
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

OLD HUNDREDTH

This tune is likely the work of the composer named here, but has also been attributed to others as shown in the instances list below. According to the Handbook to the Baptist Hymnal (1992), Old 100th first appeared in the Genevan Psalter, and "the first half of the tune contains phrases which may ha…

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Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #8874
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Instances

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The Cyber Hymnal #8874

Include 23 pre-1979 instances
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