Happy the soul whose wishes climb

Happy the soul whose wishes climb

Author: Anne Steele (1760)
Tune: BOYNTON
Published in 33 hymnals

Representative Text

1 Happy the man whose wishes climb
To mansions in the skies!
He looks on all the joys of time
With undesiring eyes.

2 In vain soft pleasure spreads her charms,
And throws her silken chain;
And wealth and fame invite his arms,
And tempt his ear in vain.

3 He knows that all these glitt'ring things
Must yield to sure decay;
And sees on time's extended wings
How swift they flee away.

4 To things unseen by mortal eyes,
A beam of sacred light
Directs his view; his prospects rise
All permanent and bright.

5 His hopes are fix'd on joys to come:
Those blissful scenes on high
Shall flourish in immortal bloom,
When time and nature die.

Source: Book of Worship (Rev. ed.) #370

Author: Anne Steele

Anne Steele was the daughter of Particular Baptist preacher and timber merchant William Steele. She spent her entire life in Broughton, Hampshire, near the southern coast of England, and devoted much of her time to writing. Some accounts of her life portray her as a lonely, melancholy invalid, but a revival of research in the last decade indicates that she had been more active and social than what was previously thought. She was theologically conversant with Dissenting ministers and "found herself at the centre of a literary circle that included family members from various generations, as well as local literati." She chose a life of singleness to focus on her craft. Before Christmas in 1742, she declined a marriage proposal from contemporar… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Happy the soul whose wishes climb
Author: Anne Steele (1760)
Language: English
Publication Date: 1760
Copyright: Public Domain

Timeline

Instances

Instances (1 - 33 of 33)
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A Collection of Hymns and a Liturgy #304

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A Collection of Hymns and A Liturgy #304

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A Collection of Hymns and Prayers, for Public and Private Worship #243

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A Collection of Hymns, for the Christian Church and Home #346

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Public Worship #CXI

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for Publick Worship #CXI

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns for the Sanctuary #475

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship #198

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns, for Social and Private Worship (Rev. ed. with supplement) #198

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A Collection of Psalms and Hymns #400

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A Selection of Sacred Poetry #400

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A Selection of Sacred Poetry #400

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Book of Worship (Rev. ed.) #370

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Book of Worship #370

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Hymns for the Sanctuary #539

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Hymns, Selected and Original, for Public and Private Worship #372

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Hymns, Selected and Original #372

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Hymns #372

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Hymns #372

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Hymns #372

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Hymns #372

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Poems on Subjects Chiefly Devotional, Vol. 1 #97

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Social Hymns, and Spiritual Songs #286

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The Book of Worship #380

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The Choice #H130

The Choice #H130

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The New Hymn Book, Designed for Universalist Societies #462

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The New Hymn Book, Designed for Universalist Societies #462

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The Springfield Collection of Hymns for Sacred Worship #267

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The Universalist Hymn-Book #560

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