Blessedness of Gospel Times

Representative Text

1 How beauteous are their feet,
who stand on Sion's hill,
who bring salvation on their tongues
and words of peace reveal!

2 How happy are our ears
that hear this happy sound,
which kings and prophets waited for,
and sought, but never found!

3 How blessèd are our eyes
that see this heavenly light,
prophets and kings desired it long,
but died without the sight!

4 The Lord makes bare his arm
through all the earth abroad:
Let every nation now behold
their Saviour and their God.

Source: Ancient and Modern: hymns and songs for refreshing worship #302a

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 >

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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Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 22 of 22)
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African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymnal #222

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Ancient and Modern #302a

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Ancient and Modern #302b

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #315a

Anglican Hymns Old and New (Rev. and Enl.) #315b

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #600

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Common Praise (1998) #443

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Common Praise #220a

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Common Praise #220b

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CPWI Hymnal #836

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #192

Hymns Ancient and Modern, New Standard Edition #301

Hymns and Psalms #449a

Hymns and Psalms #449b

Hymns of the Christian Life #457

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Rejoice in the Lord #175

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Seventh-day Adventist Hymnal #372

The Baptist Hymnal #555

The Christian Harmony #30A

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The Cyber Hymnal #2192

The Sacred Harp #195

The Sacred Harp #464

Include 687 pre-1979 instances
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