Timely Penitence

Representative Text

1 When, rising from the bed of death,
O’erwhelmed with guilt and fear,
I view my Maker face to face,
O how shall I appear?
If yet, while pardon may be found,
And mercy may be sought,
My heart with inward horror shrinks,
And trembles at the thought;

2 When thou, O Lord, shalt stand disclosed
In majesty severe,
And sit in judgement on my soul,
O how shall I appear?
But thou hast told the troubled mind
Who does her sins lament,
The timely tribute of her tears,
Shall endless woe prevent.

3 Then see the sorrow of my heart,
Ere yet it be too late;
And hear my Saviour’s dying groans,
To give those sorrows weight.
For never shall my soul despair
Her pardon to procure,
Who knows thine only Son has died
To make her pardon sure.

Source: New English Praise: a supplement to the New English Hymnal #609a

Author: Joseph Addison

Addison, Joseph, born at Milston, near Amesbury, Wiltshire, May 1, 1672, was the son of the Rev. Lancelot Addison, sometime Dean of Lichfield, and author of Devotional Poems, &c, 1699. Addison was educated at the Charterhouse, and at Magdalen College, Oxford, graduating B.A. 1691 and M.A. 1693. Although intended for the Church, he gave himself to the study of law and politics, and soon attained, through powerful influence, to some important posts. He was successively a Commissioner of Appeals, an Under Secretary of State, Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, and Chief Secretary for Ireland. He married, in 1716, the Dowager Countess of Warwick, and died at Holland House, Kensington, June 17, 1719. Addison is most widely known through… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: When rising from the bed of death
Title: Timely Penitence
Author: Joseph Addison
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

THIRD MODE MELODY

THIRD MODE MELODY is the third of nine tunes Thomas Tallis composed for Matthew Parker's The Whole Psalter (c. 1561). This magnificent tune is worth the trouble it may take to learn. Diephouse set the text with this tune in mind, since it kept coming to him as he was working on the text. Many may kn…

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HOPEWELL (Caldwell)


ST. MARY (Prys)


Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #7335
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Instances

Instances (1 - 5 of 5)
Text

New English Praise #609a

Text

New English Praise #609b

TextScoreAudio

The Cyber Hymnal #7335

TextPage Scan

The Irish Presbyterian Hymbook #H3

The New Harp of Columbia, Restored Edition #37

Include 250 pre-1979 instances
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