Hymn
God the Glory and Defense of Zion
Happy the church, thou sacred place;
The seat of thy Creator’s grace;
Thy holy courts are his abode,
Thou earthly palace of our God.
Thy walls are strength, and at thy gates
A guard of heavenly warriors waits;
Nor shall thy deep foundations move,
Fixed on his counsels and his love.
Thy foes in vain designs engage;
Against his throne in vain they rage;
Like rising waves with angry roar,
That dash and die upon the shore.
Then let our souls in Zion dwell,
Nor fear the wrath of men or hell;
His arms embrace this happy ground,
Like brazen bulwarks built around.
God is our Shield, and God our Sun;
Swift as the fleeting moments run;
On us he sheds new beams of grace,
And we reflect his brightest praise.
God the Glory and Defense of Zion — Text from A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship, 1844. Public domain. https://yeshuanow.com/hymns/god-the-glory-and-defense-of-zion
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Questions about this hymn
Who wrote God the Glory and Defense of Zion?
The words of God the Glory and Defense of Zion were written by Isaac Watts; the version here was published in 1844. The library holds 248 more hymns by Isaac Watts, including Christ the Foundation of the Church and Salvation by Grace.
Is God the Glory and Defense of Zion public domain?
Yes. The words here are taken from A Selection of Hymns for Public Worship, published in 1844. Works published before 1931 are out of copyright in the United States, so you can print, project, perform and record this hymn freely. How we source and check every hymn.
What is the metre of God the Glory and Defense of Zion?
God the Glory and Defense of Zion is in Long Metre (8.8.8.8). Hymns in the same metre can usually be sung to the same tunes — for example, Give to Our God Immortal Praise, Praise to our Creator and We Bid Thee Welcome in the Name.