Thy Mansion Is the Christian's Heart

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Thy mansion is the Christian's heart

Author: William Cowper (1779, alt.)
Published in 6 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Piano/Organ
	The Organist in Season: Summer

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

Cowper, William, the poet. The leading events in the life of Cowper are: born in his father's rectory, Berkhampstead, Nov. 26, 1731; educated at Westminster; called to the Bar, 1754; madness, 1763; residence at Huntingdon, 1765; removal to Olney, 1768; to Weston, 1786; to East Dereham, 1795; death there, April 25, 1800. The simple life of Cowper, marked chiefly by its innocent recreations and tender friendships, was in reality a tragedy. His mother, whom he commemorated in the exquisite "Lines on her picture," a vivid delineation of his childhood, written in his 60th year, died when he was six years old. At his first school he was profoundly wretched, but happier at Westminster; excelling at cricket and football, and numbering Warren Hasti… Go to person page >

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First Line:	Thy mansion is the Christian's heart
Title:	Thy Mansion Is the Christian's Heart
Author:	William Cowper (1779, alt.)
Meter:	8.8.8.8
Language:	English

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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 (Ac…

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