Scripture Verse

Lord, Thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: Thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit. Psalm 30:3

Introduction

portrait
Paul B. Henkel (1754–1825)

Words: Paul B. Hen­kel, Church Hymn Book (New Mar­ket, Vir­gin­ia: So­lo­mon Hen­kel, 1816), pag­es 164–65, alt. Note: The 1816 edi­tion of this hym­nal does not name the au­thor. Paul Hen­kel’s son, Am­brose Hen­kel, iden­ti­fies his fa­ther as the au­thor by a dou­ble dag­ger symb­ol (‡) in the 1838 edi­tion, page 443.

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

If you know where to get a bet­ter pic­ture of Hen­kel,

Lyrics

Thanks be to God, who heard our prayer,
When we had fears and doubt;
When fierce diseases ev­ery­where,
Compass our land about.

When death, that cruel tyrant made
Poor mortals feel his power;
And to another world have fled.
Hence to return no more.

How melancholy was the sound,
To hear the dying groan:
Can no relief or help be found,
Till we are fled and gone?

And must our troubled spirits fly.
To God, who first them gave?
Our bodies only made to die,
And molder in the grave?

Great God, how mournful was the scene
Where’er this was the case;
But great Thy mercies e’er have been;
To those who trust Thy grace.

Thanks be to God, that we are spared
To see the present day.
O, make us rea­dy, gracious Lord,
Till we be called away.