High in the heavens, eternal God
High in the heavens, eternal God. Isaac Watts* (1674-1748).
This close yet free paraphrase of Psalm 36, verses 5- 9, appeared in The Psalms of David (1719), entitled ‘The Perfections and Providences of God; or, General Providence and Special Grace’.
In one of the Supplements to A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the People called Methodists (1780) the compilers excluded Watts’s stanza 5 (which is found in CP). In 1719 the text was:
High in the Heavens, Eternal God, Thy Goodness in full Glory shines;Thy Truth shall break thro’ every Cloud That vails and darkens thy Designs.
For ever firm thy Justice stands, As Mountains their Foundations keep;Wise are the Wonder of thy Hands; Thy...
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MLA style (see MLA Style Manual and Guide to Scholarly Publishing, 3rd Ed.)
. "High in the heavens, eternal God."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press. Web. 11 Apr. 2026.<
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/h/high-in-the-heavens,-eternal-god>.
Chicago style (see The Chicago Manual of Style, 16th Ed.)
. "High in the heavens, eternal God."
The Canterbury Dictionary of Hymnology. Canterbury Press, accessed April 11, 2026,
http://www.hymnology.co.uk/h/high-in-the-heavens,-eternal-god.