1
Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Holy city of our God;
He whose word cannot be broken
Formed thee for His own abode;
On the Rock of Ages founded,
What can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation's walls surrounded,
Thou may'st smile at all thy foes.
Holy city of our God;
He whose word cannot be broken
Formed thee for His own abode;
On the Rock of Ages founded,
What can shake thy sure repose?
With salvation's walls surrounded,
Thou may'st smile at all thy foes.
2
See the streams of living waters,
Springing from eternal love,
Well supply thy blessed members,
And all fear of want remove;
Who can faint, when such a river
Ever flows their thirst t' assuage?
Grace which, like the Lord, the giver,
Never fails from age to age.
Springing from eternal love,
Well supply thy blessed members,
And all fear of want remove;
Who can faint, when such a river
Ever flows their thirst t' assuage?
Grace which, like the Lord, the giver,
Never fails from age to age.
3
Blest constituents of Zion,
Washed in the Redeemer's blood;
Jesus, whom their souls rely on,
Makes them kings and priests to God.
'Tis His love His people raises
Over self to reign as kings:
And as priests, His worthy praises,
Each his thankful offering brings.
Washed in the Redeemer's blood;
Jesus, whom their souls rely on,
Makes them kings and priests to God.
'Tis His love His people raises
Over self to reign as kings:
And as priests, His worthy praises,
Each his thankful offering brings.
4
Savior, if of Zion's city
I, through grace, a member am,
Let the world deride or pity—
I will glory in Thy name.
Fading is the worldling's pleasure,
All his boasted pomp and show;
Solid joys and lasting treasure
None but Zion's members know.
I, through grace, a member am,
Let the world deride or pity—
I will glory in Thy name.
Fading is the worldling's pleasure,
All his boasted pomp and show;
Solid joys and lasting treasure
None but Zion's members know.
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Cape Elizabeth, ME, United States
Truly one of our most joyous hymns of the faith. Zion was God's abode in the Old Testament. The church is his abode in the New Testament. Sing this song with the church in mind.
Missing one of my favorite verses:
Round each habitation hov’ring, see the cloud and fire appear
For a glory and a cov’ring, showing that the Lord is near!
Thus deriving from our banner light by night and shade by day;
Safe they feed upon the manna which He gives them when they pray.
Storrs, Connecticut, United States
One of the great hymns that the slave-trader, turned preacher, John Newton composed and published along with his friend, William Cowper was, “Glorious things of Thee are spoken. ”
In the first stanza: God’s Holy city having its foundation upon the ‘Rock of Ages’ and its walls surrounded by Christ’s salvation. This being God’s dwelling place!
The second stanza: Out of Zion flows streams of living water Whose source springs from the love of God. His believers are supplied and satisfied. This river that quenches our thirst is compared to the Lord Jesus supplying us with His grace, as the water of life.
In the third stanza the believers become the constituents of this glorious city; being redeemed by His blood and raised by His love to become kings and priests of God.
The fourth stanza the believers, members of Zion, glory in His name as they rise above derision and pity the world may have for them and as the pleasures of this world fade away for the solid joy and lasting treasure of being a member of this Holy city.
It was put to a musical tune by Franz-Josef Haydn, the famous Austrian composer. Haydn had written the music in celebration of the Emperor of Austria, it was used in conjunction with Austria‘s national anthem. Later, it was also adapted as a tune for the German national anthem. The hymn that Newton wrote, remains hundreds of years later, one of the great songs of worship in the church.
Codington/Lara
Paranaque City, Metro Manila, Philippines
See! Look! Turn!
oh my eyes, see! the streams of living waters springing from eternal love!
we are the blessed members, we are well supplied, we never lack anything!
the river is always flowing to ease our thirst!
Grace never fails, as the Lord never fails to give,
let us drink of this water, we will never faint!
John 7:38 - "He who believes into Me, as the Scripture said, out of his innermost being shall flow rivers of living water."
Lagos, Nigeria
Blest constituents of Zion,
Washed in the Redeemer’s blood;
Jesus, whom their souls rely on,
Makes them kings and priests to God.
Lagos, Nigeria
Thanks for Jesus
Australia
<3
Lagos, Nigeria
Fading is the worldling’s pleasure,
All his boasted pomp and show;
Solid joys and lasting treasure
None but Zion’s members know.
Sugarland, TX, United States
This is so inspiring and encouraging.
Thanks for this Hymnal website provision. I'm blessed.
Kampala, Uganda
Sang it this morning. It refreshed my soul.
United Kingdom
I was just reading in the scriptures and the reading in Proverbs and true wealth and false wealth made me think of a hymn. As this one talks of solid joys and lasting treasures none but Zion's children know.