The Privileges of the Sons of God

Representative Text

1 Blessed are the sons of God,
they are bought with Christ's own blood;
they are ransomed from the grave,
life eternal they shall have:

Refrain:
With them numbered may we be,
here and in eternity.

2 They are justified by grace,
they enjoy the Savior's peace;
all their sins are washed away,
they shall stand in God's great day: [Refrain]

3 They are lights upon the earth,
children of a heav'nly birth;
one with God, with Jesus one,
glory is in them begun: [Refrain]


Source: Trinity Psalter Hymnal #461

Author: Joseph Humphreys

Humphreys, Joseph, son of Asher Humphreys, minister at Burford, Oxfordshire, was born at Burford, Oct. 28, 1720, and educated at a grammar school at Fairford, and at an academy for the training of young men for the ministry in London. From the latter he was expelled, Dec. 25, 1739, because of his attachment to Whitefield. For a short time he associated with the Wesleys, but eventually joined G. Whitefield, and subsequently preached at Bristol, London, and Deptford. He died in London (date unknown), and was buried in the Moravian Cemetery at Chelsea. He was a contributor to Whitefield's Christian History (1741-1748), 1742, &c, and published, 1742, An Account of Joseph Humphreys's Experiences, &c. As a hymnwriter he is not widely known. His… Go to person page >

Notes

Blessed are the sons of God. J. Humphreys. [Christian Privileges.] This is the first of six hymns added by J. Cennick to Pt. ii. of his Sacred Hymns for the Use of Religious Societies, Bristol, F. Farley, 1743, No. 72, p. 95. It is in 8 stanzas of 4 lines, and is headed, "The Priviledges of God's Children." Concerning these six hymns J. Cennick says, "These were done by Mr. Joseph Humphreys." In Whitefield's Collection, 1753, it was given as No. 14 in that part of the collection devoted to “Hymns for Society, and Persons meeting in Christian Fellowship." As shortly after this date it fell out of use in its original form, and the text is somewhat difficult to find….
The Rev. R. Conyers published in his Collection of Psalms & Hymns, 1st edition, 1767, as No. 84, the hymn in a new form. Dealing with the hymn as an unbroken poem of 32 lines, he took the first 6 lines, added thereto the last lines of the hymn as altered by Whitefield ("With them," &c.) as a refrain, and constituted them as stanza i.; the next 6 lines, with the same refrain as stanza ii., and so on to the end, thus producing a hymn of 5 stanzas of 8 lines. Toplady, in his Psalms & Hymns, 1776, No. 116, adopted Conyers's idea of using the last two lines of the hymn as a refrain, by adding them to Humphreys's stanzas i.-iv., vi., and v., in the order named, and thereby producing a hymn of 6 stanzas of 6 lines It is to this arrangement of the text that most modern editors both in Great Britain and America are indebted for their centos. Portions of the hymn in centos of varying lengths, are in extensive use.

-- Excerpts from John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

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Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 206)
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A Collection of Hymns #301

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A Collection of Spiritual Hymns #692

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A New Selection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs #774

A Prayer Meeting and Revival Hymn Book . 27th ed. #d55

A Selection of Hymns #d23

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A Selection of Hymns & Psalms #76

Text

A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship. In four parts (10th ed.) (Gadsby's Hymns) #80

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A Selection of Hymns from the Best Authors. #94

A Selection of Hymns from Various Authors, Supplementary for the Use of Christians. 2nd ed. #d17

A Selection of Hymns, from Various Authors #d41

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A Selection of Hymns #XCIV

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A Selection of Spiritual Songs #640

Apples of Gold in Pictures of Silver #d15

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Baptist Hymn Book #a196

Calvary Selection of Spiritual Songs with Music for the Church and the Choir #d81

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Carmina Sacra #199

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Carmina Sacra #201a

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Carmina Sanctorum, a selection of hymns and songs of praise with tunes #388

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Carmina Sanctorum #388

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Chapel Hymns #49

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Chapel Melodies #37

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Christian Praise #296

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Christian Praise #253

Text

Christian Worship (1993) #394

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Christian's Duty, exhibited in a series of hymns #S16

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Church Choral-Book #419

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Church Melodies #508

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Church Pastorals, hymns and tunes for public and social worship #764

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Church Psalmist #390

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Church Psalmist #390

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Church Psalmist #390

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College Hymnal #286

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Common Praise #582

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Conference Hymns #154

Evangelical Lutheran Hymn Book with Tunes #315

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Evangelical Lutheran Hymn-book #315

Everybody's Hymn Book for Church and Home #d27

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Fellowship Hymns #244

Folk Hymns of America #30

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Free Methodist Hymnal #550

Happy Voices #d17

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Hymn-Book of the Evangelical Association #321

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Hymns and Songs for Social and Sabbath Worship #33

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Hymns and Songs for Social and Sabbath Worship. (Rev. ed.) #33

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Hymns for Christian Melody #193

Hymns for Social Worship. 6th ed. #d26

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Hymns for the Church #190

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Hymns for the Reformed Church in the United States #317

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Hymns of the Centuries (Chapel Edition) #185

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Hymns of the Faith with Psalms #295

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Hymns of the Faith #392

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Hymns of Worship and Service #498

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Hymns of Worship and Service (15th ed.) #498

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Hymns of Worship and Service (Chapel Ed., 4th ed.) #193

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Hymns of Worship and Service #498

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Hymns of Worship and Service #190

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Hymns of Worship and Service. (Chapel ed.) #190

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Hymns of Worship #368

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Laudamus #275

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Laudes Domini #430

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Laudes Domini #828

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Laudes Domini #425

Text

Lutheran Worship #370

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Many Voices; or, Carmina Sanctorum, Evangelistic Edition with Tunes #271

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New Manual of Praise #303

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Oberlin social & sabbath school hymn book #116

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Plymouth Collection #a864

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Plymouth Collection of Hymns and Tunes; for the use of Christian Congregations #864

Psalms and Hymns Adapted to Social, Private and Public Worship #d89

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Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs #891

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Psalms and Hymns, for the Use of the German Reformed Church, in the United States of America. (2nd ed.) #191

Redeeming Love #114

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Sacred lyrics, or Select hymns #111

Sacred Melodies #d28

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Sacred Songs for Social Worship #143

Seamen's Devotional Assistant and Mariners' Hymns (American Seamen's Friend Society) #d57

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Seamen's Hymns #390

Seamen's Hymns and Devotional Assistant #d68

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Select Hymns, The Third Part of Christian Psalmody. 3rd ed. #aa100

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Select Hymns #100

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Select Songs for the Singing Service #311

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Select Songs for the Sunday School #311

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Social Psalmist #390

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Songs for Social and Public Worship #777

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Songs for the Lord's House #286

Songs for the New Life #d46

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Songs for the Sanctuary, or Hymns and Tunes for Christian Worship #827

Pages

Exclude 199 pre-1979 instances
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