The Pilgrimage of the Saints

Lord! what a wretched land is this

Author: Isaac Watts
Published in 110 hymnals

Representative Text

Lord! what a wretched land is this,
That yields us no supply!
No cheering fruits, no wholesome trees,
Nor streams of living joy!

But pricking thorns through all the ground,
And mortal poisons grow,
And all the rivers that are found
With dangerous waters flow.

Yet the dear path to thine abode
Lies through this horrid land;
Lord! we would keep the heav'nly road,
And run at thy command.

[Our souls shall tread the desert through
With undiverted feet,
And faith and flaming zeal subdue
The terrors that we meet.]

[A thousand savage beasts of prey
Around the forest roam;
But Judah's Lion guards the way,
And guides the strangers home.]

[Long nights and darkness dwell below,
With scarce a twinkling ray;
But the bright world to which we go
Is everlasting day.]

[By glimm'ring hopes and gloomy fears
We trace the sacred road;
Through dismal deeps and dangerous snares
We make our way to God.]

Our journey is a thorny maze,
But we march upward still;
Forget these troubles of the ways,
And reach at Zion's hill.

[See the kind angels at the gates,
Inviting us to come!
There Jesus the forerunner waits,
To welcome trav'llers home!]

There on a green and flowery mount
Our weary souls shall sit,
And with transporting joys recount
The labors of our feet.

[No vain discourse shall fill our tongue,
Nor trifles vex our ear;
Infinite grace shall be our song,
And God rejoice to hear.]

Eternal glories to the King
That brought us safely through;
Our tongues shall never cease to sing,
And endless praise renew.



Source: Psalms and Hymns of Isaac Watts, The #II.53

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: Lord! what a wretched land is this
Title: The Pilgrimage of the Saints
Author: Isaac Watts
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Notes

Lord, what a wretched land is this. I. Watts. [Pilgrimage of the Saints.] Appeared in his Hymns & Sacred Songs, 1707. Book ii., No. 53, in 12 stanzas of 4 lines, and entitled "The Pilgrimage of the Saints; or, Earth and Heaven." In Spurgeon's Our Own Hymn Book, 1866, stanzas viii.-xii. were given as "Our journey is a thorny maze." This arrangement, together with abbreviations beginning with the first stanza, is in several collections.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 110)
Text

A Choice Collection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs #XXXVI

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A Choice Selection of Evangelical Hymns, from various authors #322

A Choice Selection of Hymns. 2nd ed. #d164

A Choice Selection of Hymns. 6th ed. #d200

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A Choice Selection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the use of Christians #326

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A Collection of Hymns and Sacred Songs #516

A Collection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs for the Use of the Pious of All Denominations #d57

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A Collection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs #LII

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social and Domestic Worship #d526

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social and Domestic Worship #d529

A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social, and Domestic Worship #d528

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A Collection of Hymns for Public, Social, and Domestic Worship #559

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A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the United Brethren in Christ #726

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns #70

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A Collection of Psalms, Hymns, and Spiritual Songs #488

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A Collection of Revival Hymns and Plantation Melodies #135

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A Collection of Spiritual Hymns #730

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A Collection of Spiritual Songs and Hymns #LII

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A New Selection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs #417

A Prayer Meeting and Revival Hymn Book . 27th ed. #d278

A Prayer Meeting and Revival Hymn Book. 5th ed. #d180

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A Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs #H.CCLVIII

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A Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs #H.CCLVIII

A Selection of Hymns, from Various Authors #d237

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A Selection of Psalms and Hymns #251

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A Selection of Psalms and Hymns #CCLI

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A Selection of Psalms and Hymns #251

Chapel Hymns #d333

Christian Psalms and Hymns to Aid in Public and Private Devotion #d563

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Christian's Duty, exhibited in a series of hymns #232

Church Melodies, a Collection of Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs #d640

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Church Psalmist #375

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Church Psalmist #375

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Church Psalmist #375

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Church Psalmody #H391

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Church Psalmody #391

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Dupuy's Hymns and Spiritual Songs (Rev. corr. and enl.) #264a

Folk Hymns of America #37a

Hymns and Spiritual Songs with Choruses Affixed; as Usually Sung at Camp-Meetings. 24th ed. #d71

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Hymns and Spiritual Songs, in Three Books #II.LIII

Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Selected and Original. 7th ed. #d265

Hymns for Conference Meetings and Private Devotions #d88

Hymns for the Use of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Impr. ed. #d304

Hymns for the Vestry and the Fireside #d175

Hymns Selected #d125

Hymns Selected from Dr. Watts, Dr. Doddridge and Various Other Writers #d125

Hymns, Psalms, and Spiritual Songs, including Some Never Before in Print #d202

Living Hymns #8b

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Manual of Christian Psalmody #391

Melodies of the Church #d608

Parish Psalmody #d450

Parish Psalmody #d462

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Plymouth Collection #a824

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Plymouth Collection of Hymns and Tunes; for the use of Christian Congregations #824

Psalms and Hymns for the Worship of God #d480

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Psalms and Hymns of Isaac Watts, The #II.53

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Psalms and Hymns, Adapted to Public Worship #119

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Psalms and Hymns, for Christian Use and Worship #H365

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Psalms and Hymns #424

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Psalms, Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Original and Selected. (7th ed.) #S60

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Seamen's Hymns #375

Seamen's Hymns and Devotional Assistant #d378

Selection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs #d70

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Social Psalmist #375

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The Baptist Hymn and Tune Book #824

The Baptist Hymn Book, in Two Parts #d351

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The Baptist Hymn Book #989

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The Baptist Psalmody #616

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The Camp Meeting Hymn Book #35

The Christian Hymn Book (Ohio Auglaize Christian Conference) #d162

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The Christian Psalmist; or, Watts' Psalms and Hymns #296

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The Christian Psalmist #308

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The Christian's Duty #CCXXXII

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The Christians Duty, exhibited, in a series of Hymns #CCXXXII

The Church Hymn Book #d592

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The Cluster of Spiritual Songs, Divine Hymns and Sacred Poems #CDLXXXI

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The Columbian Repository #557

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The Discipline of the United Freewill Baptist Church #31

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The Hymn Book of the African Methodist Episcopal Church #650

The Knoxville Harmony of Music Made Easy #d49

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The Lexington Collection #39

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The Lyrica #291

The Prayer Meeting Hymn Book #d172

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The Primitive Baptist Hymnal #297

The Primitive Hymns #d365

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The Psalmist #734

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The Psalmist #734

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The Psalmody #658

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The Psalms and Hymns of Dr. Watts #391

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