约翰·牛顿（John Newton，1725-1807）. Explore “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken”: song information and official sources.
The pilgrim journey · Unity and love
Newton included this in Olney Hymns under the original title Zion, or the City of God. Its opening echoes “Glorious things are spoken about you, city of God.” (Psalm 87:3). The original publication’s Scripture heading actually cites Isaiah 33: “Look at Zion, the city of our appointed festivals. Your eyes will see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent that won’t be removed.” (Isaiah 33:20), and “But there Yahweh will be with us in majesty, a place of wide rivers and streams” (Isaiah 33:21). The hymn names the city’s rivers of living water, sheltering cloud, fire by night and manna from heaven. Cloud, fire and manna come from Exodus; the rivers link directly to Isaiah 33:21. Its closing says that if grace numbers me among Zion’s people, I will glory in the Lord’s name despite the world’s mockery or pity. The writer once captained slave ships and later supported abolition. His transformation is worth telling, without attributing to this stanza thoughts it does not contain.
Church and building anniversaries, teaching on the covenant or the church; teaching on Psalm 87.