Longing for the House of God

Representative Text

1 Lord of the worlds above
how pleasant and how fair
the dwellings of thy love,
thy earthly temples, are!
To thine abode
my heart aspires,
with warm desires
to see my God.

2 O happy souls that pray
where God appoints to hear!
O happy men that pay
their constant service there!
They praise thee still;
and happy they
that love the way
to Zion's hill.

3 They go from strength to strength
through this dark vale of tears,
till each arrives at length,
till each in heaven appears:
O glorious seat!
When God our King
shall thither bring
our willing feet.

Source: CPWI Hymnal #735

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 >

Notes

Lord of the worlds above. J. Watts. [Psalms lxxxiv.] First published in his Psalms of David, &c., 1719, in 7 stanzas of 8 lines, as the third version of the 84th Psalm. In addition to its use in its full form, there are also several arrangements of the text, the more important being:—
1. That in the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1875, and many others derived from the same source. This appeared in the Wesley Psalms & Hymns, 1738 ; the enlarged ed. of the same, 1743; and the Wesleyan Hymn Book, 1780. It is very popular.
2. A cento composed of stanza i., iii., iv., and vii. This was given with alterations in Whitefield's Collection, 1753; Madan's Psalms & Hymns, 1760; Toplady's Psalms & Hymns, 1776, and thus into the hymn-books of the Church of England. In some modern collections, as Sarum, 1868, and Thring's Collection, 1882, some of these alterations are still retained. Usually, however, the text is correct.
3. Other arrangements are given in many modern hymnals, the construction of which may be tested by reference to Watts's Psalms. It will be found that in most cases the original text is retained.
As a paraphrase this ranks amongst the best by Watts. The metre is an imitation of that employed for the first time by John Pullain, in his Version of the 148th Psalm in the English Psalter, 1560.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

DARWALL

Composed by John Darwall (b. Haughton, Staffordshire, England, 1731; d. Walsall, Staffordshire, England, 1789), DARWALL'S 148TH was first published as a setting for Psalm 148 in Aaron William's New Universal Psalmodist (1770) with only soprano and bass parts. The harmonization dates from the ninete…

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Instances

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Hymns of the Ages #235

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Hymns of the Ages #235

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Hymns of the Church Militant #180

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Hymns of the Church Universal #7

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Hymns of the Faith #22

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #361

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #361

Hymns of Victory #272

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Hymns of Worship and Service #503

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Hymns of Worship and Service (15th ed.) #503

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Hymns of Worship and Service #503

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Hymns of Worship #70

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Hymns, Selected and Original, for Public and Private Worship #500

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Hymns, Selected and Original #500

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Hymns #500

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Hymns #500

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Hymns #500

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Hymns #500

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Imperial Songs #105

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In Excelsis #25

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In Excelsis #a25

Laudent Omnes #d111

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Laudes Domini #71

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Manual of Christian Psalmody #P84f

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Manual of Devotion #109

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Many Voices; or, Carmina Sanctorum, Evangelistic Edition with Tunes #47

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Melodies and Hymns for Divine Service in Appleton Chapel #a40

Melodies of the Church #d594

Mennonite Hymn Book #d207

Methodist Hymn and Tune Book #d496

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Methodist Hymn and Tune Book #219a

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Methodist Hymn and Tune Book #219b

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Methodist Hymn-Book #657

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Methodist Tune Book #196

Musica Sacra; or Springfield and Utica Collections United #d84

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New Christian Hymn and Tune Book #422

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New Christian Hymn and Tune Book #422

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New Hymn and Tune book #297b

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New Hymn and Tune Book #297b

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New Manual of Praise #33

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New Union Hymns #57

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Offices of Worship and Hymns #216

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Offices of Worship and Hymns #1168

Our Church and Revival Songs #d60

Our Cumberland Presbyterian Hymnal #d204

Parish Psalmody #d436

Parish Psalmody #d448

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Philadelphia harmony #32

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Pilgrim Songs #20

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Plymouth Collection #a68

Prayers and Hymns for the Church and the Home #d377

Psalmista #d151

Psalms and Hymns Adapted to Social, Private and Public Worship in the Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. #d489

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Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs #142

Psalms and Hymns for Public worship, Containing All the Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts ... #d518

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Psalms and Hymns of Isaac Watts, The #Ps.177

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Psalms and Hymns, Adapted to Public Worship #P84.4

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Psalms and Hymns, for Christian Use and Worship #P84.4

Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship #d264

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Psalms and Hymns #P84f

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Psalms, carefully suited to the Christian worship in the United States of America #169

Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs ... for the Use of the United Church of Christ, Commonly Called Free Will Baptist #d174

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Psalms #84d

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Rejoice in the Lord #110

Religious Education Music Manual #d82

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Sabbath-School Hymn-Book #103

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Sacred Poetry #223

Sacred poetry #d277

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Sacred Poetry #aLXXXIVd

Sacred Poetry #d276

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Sacred Poetry #LXXXIVd

Sacred Songs and Solos #718

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Sacred Songs for Family and Social Worship #265

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Sacred Songs for Family and Social Worship #301

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Sacred Songs for School Use #81

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Selah #175c

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Select Songs for the Singing Service #65

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Select Songs for the Sunday School #65

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Service Book and Hymnal of the Lutheran Church in America #238a

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Service Book and Hymnal of the Lutheran Church in America #238b

Social Hymn and Tune Book #d232

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Social Hymn Book #8

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Social Hymns and Tunes, for the Conference and Prayer Meeting, and the Home with services and prayers #40

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Songs for Social and Public Worship #723

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Songs for the Lord's House #16

Songs for the New Life #d377

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Songs for the Sanctuary, or Hymns and Tunes for Christian Worship #51

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Songs for the Sanctuary; or Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (Baptist Ed.) #51

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Songs for the Sanctuary; or, Psalms and Hymns for Christian Worship (Words only) #51

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Songs for the Sanctuary #51

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Songs for the Sanctuary #51

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Songs for the Sanctuary #51

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Songs of Devotion for Christian Assocations #305

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Songs of the Church #862

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Songs of Zion Enlarged #376

Pages

Exclude 484 pre-1979 instances
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