My Father is rich in houses and lands

I especially like stanza 2, that the Only Begotten Son of God walked on earth as the poorest of men.

Harriett Buell wrote the words for A Child of the King one Sunday morning while walking home from her Methodist church service. She sent her text to the Northern Christian Advocate, and it was printed in the February 1, 1877 issue.

John Sum­ner had been pray­ing for a Gos­pel song to re­place the one that would have been writ­ten by his friend and teach­er Phil­ip Bliss, who had re­cent­ly suffered an un­time­ly death. When Sum­ner saw these words in the Northern Christian Advocate, he knew his prayer had been an­swered.

Mr. Pe­ter P. Bil­horn re­lates the fol­low­ing in­ci­dent in con­nect­ion with this hymn, which hap­pened when he was en­gaged in evan­gel­is­tic work among the cow­boys in the West, in 1883. “We had start­ed up the Mis­sou­ri Riv­er for Bis­marck, and on Sun­day we stopped at a new town, named Blunt, to un­load some freight. A crowd of men and boys came down to the wharf. I took my lit­tle or­gan, went on the wharf-boat, and sang a few songs—among others the glor­i­ous hymn, ‘I’m a child of of a King.’ I thought no­thing more of the oc­ca­sion un­til long af­ter­ward, when I sang the same song in Mr. Moo­dy’s church in Chi­ca­go [Il­li­nois]. Then a man in the back part of the house arose, and said in a trem­bling voice: ’Two years ago I heard that song at Blunt, Da­ko­ta; I was then an un­saved man, but that song set me to think­ing, and I de­cid­ed to ac­cept Christ, and I am now stu­dy­ing for the min­is­try.’” - My Life and Story of the Gospel Hymns and of Sacred Songs and Solos by Ira D. Sankey

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The original last line of stanza 3 said:
An heir to a mansion, a robe and a crown.
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The original 4th stanza said:
A tent or a cottage, why should I care?
They’re building a palace for me over there;
Though exiled from home, yet still may I sing:
All glory to God, I’m a child of the King.

While talking to my aunt, she began to sing this song. She said she and my mother (recentely passed) sang it since they were growing up. I Googled it and downloaded the mp3 and the sheet music. I love this song and will play it often.

This is a great song...

I was so glad that I found this song. My mother used to sing it when I was a child. I remember hearing it sung one time with the telling of a story in between the different verses about a poor rich man.

This song reminds me that when we belong to Jesus, we are a prince or a princess.

I love this song so much.

As my Mother is waiting at the depature lounge of life, I remember, she sat me down and taught me this song. I love my Mother so much.

I LOVE this song!!!!!!! My dad told me about it and I found it here! It's a GREAT song!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I almost thought this beautiful hymn was lost and now I not only have words but the music. The words are so true and sent from Heaven.

Thanks for sharing this song. It helps my faith to know that my daddy owns it ALL.