The House of Prayer

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Thy mansion is the Christian's heart

Author: William Cowper (1779 )
Published in 7 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Piano/Organ
	Shine on Us (Illuminating Hymns of Guida…

Representative Text

1 Thy mansion is the Christian’s heart;
let all but thoughts of thee depart!
A Lord, thy dwelling place prepare;
what peace shall reign when thou art there!

2 Prayer makes the darkened cloud withdraw;
prayer climbs the ladder Jacob saw,
gives exercise to faith and love,
bring ev'ry blessing from above.

3 Restaining prayer, we cease to fight;
prayer keeps the Christian's armor bright;
and Satan trembles when he sees
the weakest saint upon his knees.

4 When Moses stood with arms spread wide,
success was found on Israel's side;
but when through weariness they failed,
that moment Amalek prevailed.

5 O Lord, increase our faith and love,
that we may all thy goodness prove,
and gain from thy exhaustless store
the fruits of prayer forevermore.

Source: Rejoice in the Lord #505

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Author: William Cowper

William Cowper (pronounced "Cooper"; b. Berkampstead, Hertfordshire, England, 1731; d. East Dereham, Norfolk, England, 1800) is regarded as one of the best early Romantic poets. To biographers he is also known as "mad Cowper." His literary talents produced some of the finest English hymn texts, but his chronic depression accounts for the somber tone of many of those texts. Educated to become an attorney, Cowper was called to the bar in 1754 but never practiced law. In 1763 he had the opportunity to become a clerk for the House of Lords, but the dread of the required public examination triggered his tendency to depression, and he attempted suicide. His subsequent hospitalization and friendship with Morley and Mary Unwin provided emotional st… Go to person page >

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First Line:	Thy mansion is the Christian's heart
Title:	The House of Prayer
Author:	William Cowper (1779 )
Meter:	8.8.8.8
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

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Tune

MARYTON

After various tunes had been set to this text, Gladden insisted on the use of MARYTON. Composed by H. Percy Smith (b. Malta, 1825; d. Bournemouth, Hampshire, England, 1898), the tune was originally published as a setting for John Keble's "Sun of My Soul" in Arthur S. Sullivan's Church Hymns with Tun…

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FESTUS

FESTUS is an abridgement of a tune published in Johann A. Freylinghausen's (PHH 34) Geistreiches Gesangbuch (1704)* as a setting for "O du Hüter Israel." The shortened tune was first published in the Bristol Tune Book (1863). The tune title presumably honors Festus, the Roman procurator of Judea (A…

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