Who shall ascend thy heavenly place

Representative Text

Who shall ascend unto your place,
Great God, and dwell before your face?
Ones who will mind your heavenly way,
and humbly walk with you each day.

Their hands are pure, their hearts are clean,
their lips shall speak the things they mean;
no slanders dwell upon the tongue;
they will not do a neighbor wrong.

They love their enemies, they pray
for those that curse them to their face;
do unto others still the same
as they would hope or wish from them.

Firm to their vows they ever stood,
and always make a promise good.
Yet when their holiest works are done,
they still depend on grace alone.

Source: In Melody and Songs: hymns from the Psalm versions of Isaac Watts #5

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Author: Isaac Watts

Isaac Watts was the son of a schoolmaster, and was born in Southampton, July 17, 1674. He is said to have shown remarkable precocity in childhood, beginning the study of Latin, in his fourth year, and writing respectable verses at the age of seven. At the age of sixteen, he went to London to study in the Academy of the Rev. Thomas Rowe, an Independent minister. In 1698, he became assistant minister of the Independent Church, Berry St., London. In 1702, he became pastor. In 1712, he accepted an invitation to visit Sir Thomas Abney, at his residence of Abney Park, and at Sir Thomas' pressing request, made it his home for the remainder of his life. It was a residence most favourable for his health, and for the prosecution of his literary… Go to person page >

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First Line:	Who shall ascend thy heavenly place
Author:	Isaac Watts
Meter:	8.8.8.8
Language:	English
Copyright:	Public Domain

Psalm 15
(hymns)

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Tune

WAREHAM (Knapp)

William Knapp (b. Wareham, Dorsetshire, England, 1698; d. Poole, Dorsetshire, 1768) composed WAREHAM, so named for his birthplace. A glover by trade, Knapp served as the parish clerk at St. James's Church in Poole (1729-1768) and was organist in both Wareham and Poole. Known in his time as the "coun…

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FEDERAL STREET

Henry Kemble Oliver (b. Beverly, MA, 1800; d. Salem, MA, 1885) composed FEDERAL STREET in 1832, possibly as an imitation of earlier psalm tunes in long meter. He took it to a music class taught by Lowell Mason (who may have contributed to the harmony); Mason (PHH 96) published it in his Boston Acade…

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PURE HEARTS (Vander Wege)

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Arrangements

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