Doctor Watts's Imitation of the Psalms of David ‎#156

156. Man Mortal, and GOD Eternal

1 Thro' every age, eternal God,
Thou art our rest, our safe abode:
High was thy throne ere heaven was made,
Or earth thy humble foot-stool laid.

2 Long had'st thou reign'd ere time began,
Or dust was fashion'd to a man;
And long thy kingdom shall endure
When earth and time shall be no more.

3 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.

4 [A thousand of our years amount
Scarce to a day in thine account.
Like yesterday's departed light;
Or the last watch of ending night.

Pause.

5 Death like an overflowing stream,
Sweeps us away; our life's a dream;
An empty tale; a morning flower,
Cut down and wither'd in an hour.]

6 [Our age to seventy years is set;
How short the time! how frail the state!
And if to eighty we arrive,
We rather sigh, and groan than live.

7 But oh how oft thy wrath appears,
And cuts off our expected years!
Thy wrath awakes our humble dread!
We fear the power that strikes us dead.]

8 Teach us, O Lord, how frail is man;
And kindly lengthen out our span,
'Till a wise care of piety
Fit us to die, and dwell with thee.

Text Information

• First Line: Thro' every age, eternal God
• Title: Man Mortal, and GOD Eternal
• Meter: Long Metre
• Language: English
• Publication Date: 1790
• Scripture:
  Psalm 90
• Topic: Afflictions: without rejection; Death: the effect of sin; Frailty of Man; Funeral psalm; God: Eternal and Man mortal; Life: short and feeble; Man: his vanity as mortal; Mortality: of man; Old age: death; Psalm: for Funeral; Saints: Reward at last
• Notes: Now Public Domain. A mournful Song at a Funeral

Tune Information

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