O God, the Rock of Ages

Representative Text

1 O God, the Rock of Ages,
who evermore hast been,
what time the tempest rages,
our dwelling place serene:
before thy first creations,
O Lord, the same as now,
to endless generations
the Everlasting Thou!

2 Our years are like the shadows
on sunny hills that lie,
or grasses in the meadows
that blossom but to die;
a sleep, a dream, a story
by strangers quickly told,
and unremaining glory
of things that soon are old.

3 O thou who canst not slumber,
whose light grows never pale,
teach us aright to number
our years before they fail;
on us thy mercy lighten,
on us thy goodness rest,
and let thy Spirit brighten
the hearts thyself hast blessed.

4 Lord, crown our faith's endeavor
with beauty and with grace,
till, clothed in light forever,
we see thee face to face:
a joy no language measures;
a fountain brimming o'er;
an endless flow of pleasures;
an ocean without shore.

Source: Trinity Hymnal (Rev. ed.) #28

Author: Edward Henry Bickersteth

Bickersteth, Edward Henry, D.D., son of Edward Bickersteth, Sr. born at Islington, Jan. 1825, and educated at Trinity College, Cambridge (B.A. with honours, 1847; M.A., 1850). On taking Holy Orders in 1848, he became curate of Banningham, Norfolk, and then of Christ Church, Tunbridge Wells. His preferment to the Rectory of Hinton-Martell, in 1852, was followed by that of the Vicarage of Christ Church, Hampstead, 1855. In 1885 he became Dean of Gloucester, and the same year Bishop of Exeter. Bishop Bickersteth's works, chiefly poetical, are:— (l) Poems, 1849; (2) Water from the Well-spring, 1852; (3) The Rock of Ages, 1858 ; (4) Commentary on the New Testament, 1864; (5) Yesterday, To-day, and For Ever, 1867; (6) The Spirit of Life, 1868;… Go to person page >

Notes

O God, the Rock of Ages. Bishop E. H. Bickersteth. [Sunday after Christmas.] In his note to this hymn in his annotated edition of his Hymnal Companion, 1880, Bishop Bickersteth says that "this hymn was written by the Editor (1860),"but in his work. The Two Brothers, &c, 1871, p. 226, it is dated "1862." It was included in the English Presbyterian Psalms & Hymns, 1867; the Hymnal Companion, 1870 and 1876; and the author's From Year to Year, 1883. Its use has extended to America and other English-speaking countries.

--John Julian, Dictionary of Hymnology (1907)

Tune

MIRIAM (Holbrook)


AURELIA

Composed by Samuel S. Wesley (PHH 206), AURELIA (meaning "golden") was published as a setting for “Jerusalem the Golden” in Selection of Psalms and Hymns, which was compiled by Charles Kemble and Wesley in 1864. Though opinions vary concerning the tune's merits (Henry J. Gauntlett once condemned…

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GREENLAND (Haydn)

GREENLAND, an example of the popular nineteenth-century practice of creating hymn tunes from the works of classical composers, is thought to be originally from one of J. Michael Haydn's (PHH 67) "Deutschen Kirchen Messen." The tune acquired its title from its occasional association with the text "Fr…

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Timeline

Media

The Book of Common Praise: being the hymn book of The Church of England in Canada (revised 1938) #505
The Cyber Hymnal #4883
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Instances

Instances (1 - 100 of 199)

A Hymnal for Friends #27

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A Selection of Spiritual Songs #176

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A Selection of Spiritual Songs #7

A Service Hymn Book #d103

A. M. E. C. Hymnal #69

A.M.E. Hymnal #d271

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Book of Worship with Hymns and Tunes #78

Calvary Selection of Spiritual Songs with Music for the Church and the Choir #d643

Cân a Mawl #33b

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Christian Praise #99

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Christian Song #52

Christian Worship and Praise #241

Christian Worship #154

Church and University Hymns #d130

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Church Hymnal, Mennonite #358

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #358

Church Hymnal, Mennonite #d375

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Church Hymns and Tunes #110

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Common Praise #122

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Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church #A479

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Common Service Book of the Lutheran Church #479

Cross and Crown Hymnal, 3rd ed. #d291

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Deutsches Lieder- und Melodienbuch #a274

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Elmhurst Hymnal #301

Everybody's Hymn Book for Church and Home #d213

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Fellowship Hymns #47

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High School Hymnal #87

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Hymn and Tune Book for the Church and the Home. (Rev. ed.) #780

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Hymnal Amore Dei #360

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Hymnal and Liturgies of the Moravian Church #172

Hymnal for Christian Worship #d194

Hymnal for the Sunday School. Rev. #d139

Hymnal of the Church of God #27

Hymnal of the Evangelical Church. Word ed. #d512

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Hymnal of the Presbyterian Church in Canada #27

Hymnal of the Presbyterian Church in Canada with Accompanying Tunes #d211

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Hymnal, Amore Dei #360

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Hymnal, Amore Dei. Rev. ed. #a360

Hymnal, Church of the Brethren #d291

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Hymns and Tunes #274

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Hymns for Schools and Colleges #61

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Hymns for the Church #39

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Hymns for the Living Age #59

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Hymns of the Ages #619

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Hymns of the Ages #619

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Hymns of the Centuries (Chapel Edition) #43

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Hymns of the Christian Centuries #217

Hymns of the Christian Life #d281

Hymns of the Christian Life #d278

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Hymns of the Christian Life #59

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Hymns of the Church Universal #14

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Hymns of the Church #54a

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Hymns of the Church #54b

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Hymns of the Faith with Psalms #40

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Hymns of the Faith #28

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #4

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #4

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Hymns of the Kingdom of God #27

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Hymns of the Living Church #367

Hymns of the Spirit for Use in the Free Churches of America #148

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Hymns of the United Church #7

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Hymns of the United Church #7

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Hymns of Worship and Service #72

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Hymns of Worship and Service (15th ed.) #72

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Hymns of Worship and Service (Chapel Ed., 4th ed.) #39

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Hymns of Worship and Service #72

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Hymns of Worship and Service #39

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Hymns of Worship and Service. (Chapel ed.) #39

Immanuel Hymnal #d327

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In Excelsis #177

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In Excelsis #a177

Inter-Church Hymnal #d261

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Isles of Shoals Hymn Book and Candle Light Service #191

Jubilate Deo #220

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Laudes Domini #147

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Laudes Domini #244

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Laudes Domini #89

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Laudes Domini #119

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Life-Time Hymns #208

Men and Religion Songs #d68

Mennonite Brethren Church Hymnal #47

Mennonite Hymn Book #d243

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Methodist Hymn and Tune Book #53

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National Hymn and Tune Book #243

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New Jewish Hymnal for Religious Schools and Junior Congregations. 8th ed. #67

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New Manual of Praise #11

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Northfield Hymnal No. 2 #30

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Offices of Worship and Hymns #815

One Hundred Non-Sectarian Hymns for Use in Church and Home. 10 vols. in 1 #d50

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Pilgrim Songs (Number Two) #37

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Psalms and Hymns and Spiritual Songs #392

School and College Hymnal #d103

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School and College Hymnal #87

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Select Songs No. 2 #39

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Service Book and Hymnal of the Lutheran Church in America #176a

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Service Book and Hymnal of the Lutheran Church in America #176b

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Services for Congregational Worship. The New Hymn and Tune Book #395

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Songs for the Chapel #111

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Songs for the Lord's House #520

Pages

Exclude 196 pre-1979 instances
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