Scripture Verse

I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove. John 1:32

Introduction

portrait
Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Words: Is­aac Watts, Hymns and Spi­ri­tu­al Songs 1707–09, Book 2, num­ber 23. The sight of God and Christ in hea­ven.

Music: Lou­van Vir­gil C. Tay­lor, Cho­ral An­thems (Bos­ton, Mas­sa­chu­setts: 1850) (🔊 pdf nwc).

If you know where to get a good pho­to of Tay­lor (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

Descend from Heav’n, im­mor­tal Dove,
Stoop down and take us on Thy wings,
And mount and bear us far above
The reach of these in­fe­ri­or things:

Beyond, be­yond this low­er sky,
Up where eter­nal ag­es roll;
Where so­lid plea­sures ne­ver die,
And fruits im­mor­tal feast the soul.

O for a sight, a pleas­ing sight
Of our al­migh­ty Fa­ther’s throne!
There sits our Sav­ior crowned with light,
Clothed in a bo­dy like our own.

Adoring saints around Him stand,
And thrones and pow­ers be­fore Him fall;
The God shines gra­cious through the man,
And sheds sweet glo­ries on them all.

O what amaz­ing joys they feel
While to their gold­en harps they sing,
And sit on ev­ery heav’n­ly hill,
And spread the tri­umphs of their king!

When shall the day, dear Lord, ap­pear,
That I shall mount to dwell above,
And stand and bow amongst them there,
And view Thy face, and sing, and love?