Scripture Verse

Master, it is good for us to be here. Luke 9:33

Introduction

portrait
Philip Doddridge
(1702–1751)

Words: Phi­lip Dodd­ridge (1702–1751). Pub­lished post­hu­mous­ly in Hymns Found­ed on Va­ri­ous Texts in the Ho­ly Scrip­tures, by Job Or­ton (Shrop­shire, Eng­land: Jo­shua Ed­dowes & John Cot­ton, 1755), num­ber 183: Christ’s trans­fig­ur­ation.

Music: Ha­mil­ton Mar­tin Ma­dan (1725–1790), in the Re­po­si­to­ry of Sac­red Mu­sic, Part Se­cond by John Wy­eth, 1813 (🔊 pdf nwc) (re­peats the last line of each verse).

portrait
Martin Madan (1725–1790)
National Portrait Gallery

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Lyrics

When at this dist­ance, Lord, we trace
The va­ri­ous glo­ries of Thy face,
What trans­port pours o’er all our breast,
And charms our cares and woes to rest.

With Thee in the ob­scur­est cell,
On some bleak mount­ain would I dwell,
Rather than pom­pous courts be­hold,
And share their gran­deur and their gold.

Away, ye dreams of mor­tal joy!
Raptures di­vine my thoughts em­ploy;
I see the King of glo­ry shine,
And feel His love and call Him mine.

On Ta­bor thus His ser­vants viewed
His lus­ter when trans­formed He stood;
And bid­ding earth­ly scenes fare­well,
Cried, Lord, ’tis plea­sant here to dwell.

Yet still our ele­vat­ed eyes
To nob­ler vi­sions long to rise;
That grand as­sem­bly would we join,
Where all Thy saints around Thee shine.

That mount, how bright! Those forms, how fair!
’Tis good to dwell for ev­er there,
Come death, near en­voy of my God,
And bear me to that blest abode.