To heaven, my longing soul aspire

Top Text Author Text Info Timeline Page Scans Instances

To heaven, my longing soul aspire

Author: Simon Browne
Published in 8 hymnals

Representative Text

1 To heav'n, my longing soul! aspire,
And soar aloft with strong desire.
Here choose thy lot, here fix thy rest,
And aim for ever to be blest.

2 Still keep yon blissful world in view,
And close the glorious chase pursue
The way leads up to rest above,
Through paths of purity and love.

3 This tack pursue with ardent zeal;
Each lust subdue, each foe repel;
Still stretch thy wings, and upwards rise
Eternal glory is the prize!

Source: A Collection of Hymns and A Liturgy: for the use of Evangelical Lutheran Churches; to which are added prayers for families and individuals #509

All representative texts • Compare texts ^ top

Author: Simon Browne

Simon Browne was born at Shepton Mallet, Somersetshire, about 1680. He began to preach as an "Independent" before he was twenty years of age, and was soon after settled at Portsmouth. In 1716, he became pastor in London. In 1723, he met with some misfortunes, which preyed upon his mind, and produced that singular case of monomania, recorded in the text-books of Mental Philosophy; he thought that God had "annihilated in him the thinking substance, and utterly divested him of consciousness." "Notwithstanding," says Toplady, "instead of having no soul, he wrote, reasoned, and prayed as if he had two." He died in 1732. His publications number twenty-three, of which some are still in repute. --Annotations of the Hymnal, Charles Hutchins,… Go to person page >

^ top