The leader of early American hymn-writers was Rev. Timothy Dwight. He was president of Yale College, a post which he held with great honor. The students had unanimously voted for him as president.
His literary work was done with a handicap, since his sight failed him on account of smallpox, with which, after the fashion of those days before vaccination, he was deliberately inoculated. He was always suffering from pain in his eyes and the front of his brain, and seldom could read consecutively more than fifteen minutes a day—often not at all.
Dr. Dwight wrote 33 hymns, but I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord is by far the best and the most popular.
—Amos Wells
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I Love Thy Kingdom, Lord.[1]
1 I love Thy kingdom, Lord,
The house of Thine abode;
The church our blest Redeemer saved
With His own precious blood,
I love Thy church, O God!
Her walls before Thee stand,
Dear as the apple of Thine eye,
And graven on Thy hand.
2 For her my tears shall fall,
For her my prayers ascend;
To her my cares and toils be giv’n,
Till toils and cares shall end;
Beyond my highest joy
I prize her heav’nly ways,
Her sweet communion, solemn vows,
Her hymns of love and praise.
3 Jesus, Thou Friend divine,
Our Savior and our King!
Thy hand from ev’ry snare and foe
Shall great deliv’rance bring;
Sure as Thy truth shall last,
To Zion shall be giv’n
The brightest glories earth can yield,
And brighter bliss of heav’n.
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