Words: , in Mac­mil­lan’s Mag­a­zine, Ap­ril 1870:

It was re­marked to me by a friend that he knew of no mo­dern Eng­lish hymn on the trans­fig­ur­a­tion, an in­ci­dent of the gos­pel nar­ra­tive so re­mark­a­ble in it­self, so full of man­i­fold in­struct­ion, and so fre­quent­ly read in our Church ser­vic­es, and which per­haps more ful­ly than any other sin­gle scene con­tains the con­cen­tra­tion of the main les­sons of our Lord’s life on earth…I have en­dea­vored to com­bine, as far as pos­si­ble, the var­i­ous thoughts con­nect­ed with the scene.

Music: Hayes, from . Al­ter­nate tune:

  • Tal­lis’ La­men­ta­tion, mel­o­dy from Day’s Psal­ter, 1562

O Master, it is good to be
High on the mountain here with Thee,
Where stand revealed to mortal gaze
Those glorious saints of other days,
Who once received on Horeb’s height
Th’eternal laws of truth and right,
Or caught the still small whisper, higher
Than storm, than earthquake, or than fire.

O Master, it is good to be
With Thee, and with Thy faithful three;
Here, where the Apostle’s heart of rock
Is nerved against temptation’s shock;
Here, where the Son of Thunder learns
The thought that breathes, and word that burns;
Here, where on eagle wings we move
With him whose last best creed is love.

O Master, it is good to be
Entranced, enwrapt, alone with Thee;
And watch Thy glistening raiment glow
Whiter than Hermon’s whitest snow;
The human lineaments that shine
Irradiant with a light divine;
Till we too change from grace to grace,
Gazing on that transfigured face.

O Master, it is good to be
Here on the holy mount with Thee;
When darkling in the depths of night,
When dazzled with excess of light,
We bow before the heavenly voice
That bids bewildered souls rejoice,
Though love wax cold, and faith be dim,
“This is My Son, O hear ye Him.”