Stretched on the bed of grief

Stretched on the bed of grief

Author: Timothy Dwight
Tune: AYLESBURY (Chetham)
Published in 16 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, Noteworthy Composer
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Stretched on the bed of grief,
In silence long I lay;
For sore disease and wasting pain
Had worn my strength away.

2 Just o’er the grave I hung;
No pardon met my eyes;
As blessings never greet the slain,
And hope shall never rise.

3 Sweet mercy to my soul
Revealed no charming ray;
Before me rose a long, dark night,
With no succeeding day.

4 I saw beyond the tomb,
The awful Judge appear
Prepared to scan with strict account
My blessings wasted here.

5 Then O how vain appeared
The joys beneath the sky!
Like visions past, like flowers that blow,
When wintry storms are nigh.

6 How mourned my sinking soul
The Sabbath’s hours divine,
The day of grace, that precious day;
Consumed in sense and sin.

7 Then to the Lord I prayed,
And raised a bitter cry—
Hear me, O God, and save my soul,
Lest I forever die.

8 He heard my humble cry;
He saved my soul from death;
To Him I’ll give my heart and hands,
And consecrate my breath.

9 Ye sinners, fear the Lord,
While yet ’tis called today:
Soon will the awful voice of death
Command your souls away.

10 Soon will the harvest close;
The summer soon be o’er;
And soon your injured, angry God
Will hear your prayers no more

Source: The Cyber Hymnal #12643

Author: Timothy Dwight

Timothy Dwight (b. Northampton, MA, 1752; d. Philadelphia, PA, 1817) was a grandson of Jonathan Edwards who became a Congregationalist pastor, a Revolutionary War army chaplain, a tutor and professor at Yale College, and president of Yale from 1795 to 1817. As president he continued to teach and serve as chaplain and was instrumental in improving both the academic and the spiritual life of the college. Bert Polman… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Stretched on the bed of grief
Author: Timothy Dwight
Meter: 6.6.8.6
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

AYLESBURY (Chetham)

Also called: WIRKSWORTH WIRKSWORTH was first published in John Chetham's collection A Book of Psalmody (1718) and gained its present shape in James Green's Book of Psalm Tunes (1724). Set in minor tonality, WIRKSWORTH has a folk-like charm. The tune's name derives from the town Wirksworth in Derbysh…

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Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #12643
  • PDF (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer Score (NWC)

Instances

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The Cyber Hymnal #12643

Include 15 pre-1979 instances
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