A Psalm for the Lord's Day

Representative Text

1 Sweet is the work, my God, my King,
to praise thy name, give thanks and sing,
to show thy love by morning light,
and talk of all thy truth at night.

2 Sweet is the day of sacred rest,
no mortal cares disturb my breast;
O may my heart in tune be found,
like David's harp of solemn sound!

3 My heart shall triumph in the Lord,
and bless his works, and bless his word;
thy works of grace, how bright they shine,
how deep thy counsels, how divine!

4 And I shall share a glorious part,
when grace has well refined my heart,
and fresh supplies of joy are shed,
like holy oil, to cheer my head.

5 Then shall I see and hear and know
all I desired or wished below;
and every power find sweet employ
in that eternal world of joy.

Source: Ancient and Modern: hymns and songs for refreshing worship #786

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

Sweet is the work, my God, my [and] King. I. Watts. [Ps. xcii. or Sunday.] First published in his Psalms of David, &c, 1719, p. 237, in 7 stanzas of 4 lines, and headed, "A Psalm for the Lord's Day." In G. Whitefield's Hymns for Social Worship, &c, 1753, No. 20, stanzas i., ii., iii., vii. were given as "Sweet is the work, O God, our King." This was repeated in M. Madan's Psalms & Hymns., 1760, No. 105. A. M. Toplady gave the same stanzas in his Psalms & Hymns, 1776, as No. 34, but with other changes in some stanzas, and the opening line as “Sweet is the work, my God and King." This reading is found in some modern collections in the Church of England. Other arrangements of the text are given in hymnbooks in Great Britain and America. It is a good and popular hymn.

-- John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

CANONBURY

Derived from the fourth piano piece in Robert A. Schumann's Nachtstücke, Opus 23 (1839), CANONBURY first appeared as a hymn tune in J. Ireland Tucker's Hymnal with Tunes, Old and New (1872). The tune, whose title refers to a street and square in Islington, London, England, is often matched to Haver…

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Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 19 of 19)

A Selection of Plain Tunes, Set Pieces, and Anthems from Indian Melodies #15

Text

Ancient and Modern #786

Church Hymnal, Fifth Edition #76

TextPage Scan

Common Praise #580

Page Scan

Complete Mission Praise #620

TextPage Scan

Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary #469

Hymns and Psalms #514a

Hymns and Psalms #514b

TextPage Scan

Hymns for Today's Church (2nd ed.) #377

TextPage Scan

Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints #147

Sing Glory #97

Singing the Faith #90

Audio

Small Church Music #4714

Spurgeon's Own Hymn Book #92a

The Baptist Hymnal #12

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #6415

The Harmonia Sacra #67B

Tune Info

The Missouri Harmony or a choice collection of psalm tunes, hymns, and anthems #1

The Shenandoah Harmony #1B

Include 754 pre-1979 instances
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