Scripture Verse

God overlooked and disregarded the former ages of ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. Acts 17:30

Introduction

portrait
Philip Doddridge (1702–1751)

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 254. God’s command to all men to repent.

Music: Hun­nys, me­lo­dy from Se­ven Sobs of a Sor­row­ful Soul, 1585 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Lyrics

Repent, the voice ce­les­ti­al cries,
Nor long­er dare de­lay:
The wretch that scorns the man­date dies,
And meets a fie­ry day.

No more the so­ve­reign eye of God
O’erlooks the crimes of men;
His her­alds are dis­patched abroad
To warn the world of sin.

The sum­mons reach thro’ all the earth;
Let Earth at­tend and fear:
Listen, ye men of roy­al birth,
And let their vas­sals hear.

Together in His pre­sence bow,
And all your guilt con­fess;
Accept the of­fered Sav­ior now,
Nor tri­fle with the grace.

Bow, e’er the aw­ful trum­pet sound,
And call you to His bar;
For mer­cy knows th’ap­point­ed bound,
And turns to ven­geance there.

Amazing Love, that yet will call,
And yet pro­long our days!
Our hearts sub­dued by good­ness fall,
And weep, and love, and praise.