Scripture Verse

I beheld…a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms in their hands. Revelation 7:9

Introduction

Words: Wood­bu­ry M. Fer­nald, in Church Har­mo­nies (Boston, Mas­sa­chu­setts: Uni­ver­sal­ist Pub­lish­ing House, 1876), num­ber 519, alt.

Music: Com­fort (Har­mo­nies) Church Har­mo­nies, 1876, page 154 (🔊 pdf nwc).

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

Lyrics

O God of glo­ry! when with eye up­lift­ed,
Eye of the soul in vi­sioned won­der clear;
And when by Thine eter­nal Spir­it gift­ed,
What deep re­veal­ings
To the soul ap­pear!

Nature re­cedes; and in th’ex­panse eter­nal,
Spreading and op­en­ing to my rap­tured sight,
I see the hosts of God, the heights su­per­nal,
The Church tri­umph­ant
Crowned in Heav’n’s own light,

Ah! there are they who, once among the low­ly,
Erst trod the paths of pa­tient vir­tue here;
And there are they who, in Thy pre­sence ho­ly,
Trembled for sin,
But knew no oth­er fear.

Prophets, re­form­ers—they, who God rev­er­ing,
Battled with hoa­ry wrong and an­cient might;
Behold them now in tri­umph re­ap­pear­ing
On all the hills of
God, in glo­ry bright!

In deep­en­ing vi­sion, flames a light be­fore them:
See a long train of mar­tyrs rise to view;
And lo! a cen­tral fig­ure bend­ing o’er them,
The dear Re­deem­er
Crowning them anew.