WORDS
1 Come, we that love the Lord, And let our joys be known;
Join in a song with sweet accord, Join in a song with sweet accord,
And thus surround the throne, And thus surround the throne.
Chorus:
We’re marching to Zion, Beautiful, beautiful Zion;
We’re marching upward to Zion, The beautiful city of God.
2 Let those refuse to sing Who never knew our God;
But children of the heavenly King, But children of the heavenly King
May speak their joys abroad, May speak their joys abroad. [Chorus]
3 The hill of Zion yields A thousand sacred sweets
Before we reach the heav’nly fields, Before we reach the heav’nly fields
Or walk the golden streets, Or walk the golden streets. [Chorus]
4 Then let our songs abound, And ev’ry tear be dry;
We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground, We’re marching through Immanuel’s ground
To fairer worlds on high, To fairer worlds on high. [Chorus]
BACKGROUND
John Wesley significantly altered the words of this hymn by Isaac Watts. Here are some omitted verses, which were to be sung between verses 2 and 3 above … can you name some reasons why Wesley chose to exclude them for reasons of his beliefs? Do you agree with those reasons?
The sorrows of the mind, Be banished from the place;
Religion never was designed, Religion never was designed,
To make our pleasures less, To make our pleasures less. [Refrain]
The God that rules on high, And thunders when He please,
Who rides upon the stormy sky, Who rides upon the stormy sky,
And manages the seas, And manages the seas. [Refrain]
This awful God is ours, Our Father and our Love;
He will send down his heav’nly powers, He will send down his heav’nly powers,
To carry us above, To carry us above. [Refrain]
There we shall see His face, And never, never sin!
There, from the rivers of His grace, There, from the rivers of His grace,
Drink endless pleasures in, Drink endless pleasures in. [Refrain]
Yea, and before we rise, To that immortal state,
The thoughts of such amazing bliss, The thoughts of such amazing bliss,
Should constant joys create, Should constant joys create. [Refrain]
The men of grace have found, Glory begun below.
Celestial fruits on earthly ground, Celestial fruits on earthly ground
From faith and hope may grow, From faith and hope may grow. [Refrain]
Wikipedia: Isaac Watts (17 July 1674 – 25 November 1748) was an English hymnwriter, theologian and logician. A prolific and popular hymn writer, he was recognized as the “Father of English Hymnody,” credited with some 750 hymns. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isaac_watts
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS
What characteristic United Methodist belief statements do you find in this hymn?
What phrase really speaks to your mind or heart as very important for us to understand and remember?
RESOURCES
A list of hymns by Isaac Watts can be found here: http://www.cyberhymnal.org/bio/w/a/t/watts_i.htm
Hymnary.org suggests numerous scripture references at http://www.hymnary.org/text/come_we_that_love_the_lord_and_let_our