Scripture Verse

The four and twenty elders fall down before Him that sat on the throne, and worship Him that liveth for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power: for Thou hast created all things, and for Thy pleasure they are and were created. Revelation 4:10–11

Introduction

Words: Ri­chard Kem­pen­felt (1718–1782).

Music: Trans­port­ing Vi­sion, found in the New Har­mon­ia Sac­ra, le­ga­cy edi­tion (Day­ton, Vir­gin­ia: Leg­acy Book Pub­lish­ers, 1980), num­ber 300 (🔊 pdf nwc). The tune does not ap­pear in Jo­seph Funk’s 1835 Com­pi­la­tion of Genu­ine Church Mu­sic, though it shares its me­lo­dy with Lo­well Ma­son’s Mer­din (be­low). It may be that lat­er edi­tions of Funk’s books adapt­ed Ma­son’s tune.

Alternate Tune:

  • Merdin Lo­well Ma­son, The Sac­red Harp or Ec­lec­tic Har­mo­ny (Cin­cin­na­ti Ohio: Tru­man & Smith, 1835), page 144 (🔊 pdf nwc)
portrait
Richard Kempenfelt
(1718–1782)

Lyrics

Burst, ye em­er­ald gates and bring
To my rap­tured vi­sion,
All th’ec­sta­tic joys that spring,
Round the bright Ely­si­an;
Lo, we lift our long­ing eyes;
Break, ye in­ter­ven­ing skies;
Sun of right­eous­ness, arise,
Ope the gates of pa­ra­dise.

Floods of ev­er­last­ing light
Freely flash be­fore Him;
Myriads with su­preme de­light
Instantly ad­ore Him;
Angel trumps re­sound His fame,
Lutes of lu­cid gold pro­claim
All the mu­sic of His name;
Heaven ec­ho­ing the same.

Four and twen­ty el­ders rise,
From their prince­ly sta­tion,
Shout His glo­ri­ous vic­to­ries,
Sing the great sal­va­tion;
Cast their crowns be­fore His throne,
Cry in re­ver­en­tial tone,
Glory be to God alone,
Holy! Ho­ly! Ho­ly One.

Hark! the thrill­ing sym­pho­nies
Seem, me­think, to seize us,
Join we, too, their ho­ly lay—
Sing of Him who saves us;
Sweetest sound in se­raph song—
Sweetest note on mor­tal tongue,
Sweetest car­ol ev­er sung—
Let its ech­oes flow along.