Glorious things of thee are spoken

Zion, or the City of God. Isaiah, Chap, 33: 20, 21.

Glorious things of thee are spoken,
Zion, city of our God;
He whose word cannot be broken
Formed thee for His own abode :
On the Rock of Ages founded,
What can shake thy sure repose ?
With salvation's walls surrounded,
Thou mayst smile at all thy foes.

2 See, the streams of living waters,
Springing from eternal Love,
Well supply thy sons and daughters,
And all fear of want remove :
Who can faint, while such a river
Ever flows their thirst to assuage ?
Grace, which, like the Lord the Giver,
Never fails from age to age.

3 Round each habitation hovering,
See the cloud and fire appear
For a glory and a covering,
Showing that the Lord is near :
Thus deriving from their banner
Light by night, and shade by day,
Safe they feed upon the manna
Which He gives them when they pray.

4 Saviour, if of Zion's city
I, through grace, a member am,
Let the world deride or pity,
I will glory in Thy Name :
Fading is the worldling's pleasure,
All his boasted pomp and show;
Solid joys and lasting treasure
None but Zion's children know.

This is another of the hymns which the Rev. John Newton published in "Olney Hymns" (see under No. II). The poet thinks of the Church of Christ as a great city in which God has His dwelling, and in which all Christians are fellow-citizens. And he thanks God for the privilege and honor of being a member of His Church. [NOTES.—Verse i, line r. Spoken. See Psalm lxzxvii, 3. Verse 1, line 4. His own abode. See Psalm cxxxii, 13.14. Verse 1, line 5. Founded. See St. Matthew xvi, 18. Verse 1, line 7. Surrounded. See Isaiah xxvl, z. Verse 2, line z. Streams. See Psalm xlvi, 4. Verse 3, line 2. Cloud and fire. See Isaiah iv, 5, 6-i