Scripture Verse

All our days are passed away in Thy wrath: we spend our years as a tale that is told. Psalm 90:9

Introduction

portrait
Thomas Haweis (1734–1820)

Words: Phi­lip Dodd­ridge (1702–1751). Pub­lished post­hu­mous­ly in Hymns Found­ed on Va­ri­ous Texts in the Ho­ly Scrip­tures, by Job Or­ton (Shrop­shire, Eng­land: Jo­shua Ed­dowes & John Cot­ton, 1755), num­ber 52: Re­flec­tions on our waste of years.

Music: Rich­mond (Ha­weis) Tho­mas Ha­weis, Car­mi­na Chris­to 1792 (🔊 pdf nwc).

portrait
Philip Doddridge (1702–1751)

Lyrics

Remark, my soul, the nar­row bounds
Of the re­volv­ing year!
How swift the weeks com­plete their rounds,
How short the months ap­pear!

So fast eter­ni­ty comes on,
And that im­port­ant day,
When all that mor­tal life has done
God’s judg­ment shall sur­vey.

Yet like an idle tale we pass
The swift ad­vanc­ing year;
And stu­dy art­ful ways t’in­crease
The speed of its ca­reer.

Waken, O God, my trif­ling heart
Its great con­cern to see;
That I may act the Chris­tian part,
And give the year to Thee.

So shall their course more grate­ful roll,
If fu­ture years arise;
Or this shall bear my smil­ing soul
To joy that ne­ver dies.