Sunday, March 8, 2009

Justin Morgan/Isaac Watts hymn

To see the words is not enough. One must hear it sung. And one must (at least try to) sing it; the melody is in the tenor and all the parts are somewhat challenging to follow.

Through Every Age, Eternal God

Through every age, eternal God/ Thou art our rest, our safe abode;
High was Thy throne, e'er heav'n was made/ or earth Thy hymble footstool laid.

Long hadst Thou reigned ere time began/ or dust was fashioned into man;
And long Thy kingdom shall endure/ when earth and time shall be no more.

But man, weak man, is born to die/ made up of guilt and vanity:
Thy dreadful sentence, Lord, was just-/ "return, ye sinners, to your dust."

Death, like an overwflowing stream/ sweeps us away; our life's a dream-
An empty tale- a morning flow'r/ cut down and wither'd in an hour.

Teach us, O Lord, how frail is man/ and kindly lengthn out the span,
Till, cleansed by grace, we all may be/ prepared to die, and dwell with Thee.

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