The Saints In Glory

Representative Text

1 Give us the wings of faith to rise
within the veil, and see
the saints above, how great their joys,
how bright their glories be.

2 Once they were mourning here below,
their couch was wet with tears;
they wrestled hard, as we do now,
with sins and doubts and fears.

3 We ask them whence their victory came:
they, with united breath,
ascribe their conquest to the Lamb,
their triumph to his death.

4 They marked the footsteps that he trod,
his zeal inspired their breast,
and, following their incarnate God,
possess the promised rest.

5 Our glorious Leader claims our praise
for his own pattern given;
while the long cloud of witnesses
show the same path to heaven.

Source: Ancient and Modern: hymns and songs for refreshing worship #299a

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: Give me the wings of faith to rise
Title: The Saints In Glory
Author: Isaac Watts (1709)
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Give me the wings of faith to rise. I. Watts. [Heaven: All Saints.] First published in his Hymns & Spiritual Songs, 2nd edition, 1709, Bk. ii., No. 140, in 5 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled, "The Examples of Christ and the Saints." It is in extensive use in all English-speaking countries, and generally in its original form as in the Hymnal Companion, No. 357. In Kennedy, 1863, the opening line reads:—"Be mine the wings of faith to rise," No. 1379. There are also other slight alterations in the text.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 28 of 28)
Text

Ancient and Modern #299a

Text

Ancient and Modern #299b

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #221a

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #221b

Church Hymnal, Fifth Edition #463

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #479

TextPage Scan

Common Praise (1998) #286

Text

Common Praise #216a

Text

Common Praise #216b

TextPage Scan

Complete Anglican Hymns Old and New #204

TextPage Scan

CPWI Hymnal #826a

TextPage Scan

CPWI Hymnal #826b

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Standard Edition #324a

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Standard Edition #324b

Hymns and Psalms #815a

Hymns and Psalms #815b

Hymns Old and New #156

Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs #726

Text

Rejoice in the Lord #400

Singing the Faith #747

Audio

Small Church Music #6279

The Baptist Hymnal #328

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #1806

Text

The Hymnal 1982 #253

TextPage Scan

The New English Hymnal #225a

Text

The New English Hymnal #225b

Text

The Song Book of the Salvation Army #879

Text

Together in Song #438

Include 487 pre-1979 instances
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