Scripture Verse

The writing of Hezekiah king of Judah, when he had been sick, and was recovered of his sickness: I said in the cutting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: I am deprived of the residue of my years. Isaiah 38:9–10

Introduction

portrait
Isaac Watts (1674–1748)

Words: Is­aac Watts, Hymns and Spi­ri­tu­al Songs, Book 1, 1707, num­ber 55, alt. He­ze­ki­ah’s song: or, sick­ness and re­co­ve­ry.

Music: Eag­ley James Walch, 1860 (🔊 pdf nwc).

Alternate Tunes:

If you know where to get a good pic­ture of Walch (head & shoul­ders, at least 200×300 pix­els),

Lyrics

When we are raised from deep dis­tress,
Our God de­serves a song;
We take the pat­tern of our praise
From He­ze­ki­ah’s tongue.

The gates of the de­vour­ing grave
Are op­ened wide in vain,
If He that holds the keys of death
Commands them fast again.

Pains of the flesh are wont t’ab­use
Our minds with slav­ish fears:
Our days are past, and we shall lose
The rem­nant of our years.

We chat­ter with a swal­low’s voice,
Or like a dove we mourn,
With bit­ter­ness in­stead of joys,
Afflicted and for­lorn.

Jehovah speaks the heal­ing word,
And no dis­ease with­stands;
See fe­vers, plagues ob­ey the Lord,
And fly at His com­mands.

If half the strings of life should break,
He can our frame re­store;
He casts our sins be­hind His back,
And they are found no more.