The Passion and Exaltation of Christ

Come, all harmonious tongues

Author: Isaac Watts
Published in 48 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Come, all harmonious tongues,
Your noblest music bring.
’Tis Christ the everlasting God,
And Christ the Man, we sing.

2 Tell how he took our flesh,
To take away our guilt;
Sing the dear drops of sacred blood,
That hellish monsters spilt.

3 [Alas! the cruel spear
Went deep into his side;
And the rich flood of purple gore
Their murderous weapons dyed.]

4 [The waves of swelling grief
Did o’er his bosom roll,
And mountains of almighty wrath,
Lay heavy on his soul.]

5 Down to the shades of death
He bowed his awful head;
Yet he arose to live and reign,
When death itself is dead.

6 No more the bloody spear;
The cross and nails no more;
For hell itself shakes at his name,
And all the heavens adore.

7 There the Redeemer sits,
High on his Father’s throne;
The Father lays his vengeance by,
And smiles upon his Son.

8 [There his full glories shine,
With uncreated rays;
And bless his saints’ and angels’ eyes,
To everlasting days.]

Source: A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship. In four parts (10th ed.) (Gadsby's Hymns) #167

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: Come, all harmonious tongues
Title: The Passion and Exaltation of Christ
Author: Isaac Watts
Meter: 6.6.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

ST. THOMAS (Williams)

ST. THOMAS is actually lines 5 through 8 of the sixteen-line tune HOLBORN, composed by Aaron Williams (b. London, England, 1731; d. London, 1776) and published in his Collection (1763, 1765) as a setting for Charles Wesley's text "Soldiers of Christ, Arise" (570). The harmonization is by Lowell Maso…

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