The Bird that Soars On Highest Wing

Representative Text

The bird that soars on highest wing,
Builds on the ground her lowly nest;
And she that doth most sweetly sing,
Sings in the shade when all things rest:
In lark and nightingale we see
What honour hath humility.

When Mary chose the "better part,"
She meekly sat at Jesus' feet
And Lydia's gently-open'd heart
Was made for God's own temple meet;
Fairest and best adorned is she,
Whose clothing is humility.

The saint that wears heaven's brightest crown,
In deepest adoration bends;
The weight of glory bows him down,
Then most, when most his soul ascends;
Nearest the throne itself must be
The footstool of humility.

Sacred Poems and Hymns

Author: James Montgomery

James Montgomery (b. Irvine, Ayrshire, Scotland, 1771; d. Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, 1854), the son of Moravian parents who died on a West Indies mission field while he was in boarding school, Montgomery inherited a strong religious bent, a passion for missions, and an independent mind. He was editor of the Sheffield Iris (1796-1827), a newspaper that sometimes espoused radical causes. Montgomery was imprisoned briefly when he printed a song that celebrated the fall of the Bastille and again when he described a riot in Sheffield that reflected unfavorably on a military commander. He also protested against slavery, the lot of boy chimney sweeps, and lotteries. Associated with Christians of various persuasions, Montgomery supported missio… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: The bird that soars on highest wing
Title: The Bird that Soars On Highest Wing
Author: James Montgomery
Meter: 8.8.8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

The bird that soars on highest wing. J. Montgomery. [Humility.] This poem appeared in his Poet's Portfolio, 1835, p. 179, in 3 stanzas of 6 lines, and headed "Humility." It is given as a hymn in several collections, including Martineau's Hymns, &c, 1840; the Prim. Methodist Sunday School Union Hymn Book, 1879, and others in Great Britain and America.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 21 of 21)
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Christian Hymns for Public and Private Worship #894

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Hymn Book for Christian Worship #467

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Hymn Book for Christian Worship. 8th ed. #a467

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Hymns for Christian Devotion #353

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Hymns for Christian Devotion #353

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Hymns for Public Worship #437

Hymns for Schools and Families #d138

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Hymns for Schools and Families #135

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth and Children #248

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Hymns for Sunday Schools, Youth, and Children #248

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Hymns for the Church of Christ (3rd thousand) #633

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Hymns for the Church of Christ. (6th thousand) #633

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Methodist Social Hymn Book #121

Prayers and Hymns for the Church and the Home #d626

Text

Sacred Poems and Hymns #319

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Sparkling Diamonds #163

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The Child's Hymn Book #214

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The Gospel Psalmist #406

The Ham-Ramsay Revival Hymns, a Collection of High Class Gospel Music #d215

The Saints' Harp #d797

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Young Singer's Friend #a41

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