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O Thou, to Whom in Ancient Time

Representative Text

1 O thou, to whom in ancient time
the lyre of Hebrew bards was strung,
whom kings adored in songs sublime,
and prophets praised with glowing tongue:

2 not now on Zion's hill alone
thy favored worshipers may dwell,
nor where at sultry nooon thy Son
sat weary by the patriarch's well.

3 For ev'ry place below the skies
the grateful song, the fervent prayer,
the incense of the heart may rise
to heav'n and find acceptance there.

4 To thee shall age with snowy hair,
and strength and beauty bow the knee,
and childhood lisp with rev'rent air
its praises and its prayers to thee.

5 O thou, to whom in ancient time
the lyre of prophet bards was strung,
to thee at last in ev'ry clime
shall temples rise and praise be sung.

Source: Rejoice in the Lord #272

Author: John Pierpont

Pierpont, John, son of James Pierpont, of Litchfield, Connecticut, was born at Litchfield, April 6, 1785, and educated at Yale College, where he graduated in 1804. After fulfilling engagements as a Tutor in New Haven, and in Charlestown, South Carolina, he was admitted to the Bar in 1812. Shortly after he retired and went into business, only to leave it also, and to pass on to Harvard College as a student in theology. In 1819 he succeeded Dr. Holley as the pastor of the Unitarian congregation in Hollis Street, Boston. At length his zeal against intemperance and slavery caused him to resign his charge in 1840 [sic. 1845] (see Lothrop's Proceedings of an Eccl. Council in the case of the Hollis Street Meeting and the Rev. J. Pierpont). At this… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: O Thou, to whom in ancient time
Title: O Thou, to Whom in Ancient Time
Author: John Pierpont (1824)
Meter: 8.8.8.8
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

WAREHAM (Knapp)

William Knapp (b. Wareham, Dorsetshire, England, 1698; d. Poole, Dorsetshire, 1768) composed WAREHAM, so named for his birthplace. A glover by trade, Knapp served as the parish clerk at St. James's Church in Poole (1729-1768) and was organist in both Wareham and Poole. Known in his time as the "coun…

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Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #5368
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 2 of 2)
Text

Rejoice in the Lord #272

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #5368

Include 120 pre-1979 instances
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