Fear of Hell

Terrible thought, shall I alone

Author: Charles Wesley
Published in 65 hymnals

Printable scores: PDF, MusicXML
Audio files: MIDI

Representative Text

1 Terrible thought! shall I alone,
Who may be sav'd, shall I
Of all, alas! whom I have known,
Through sin for ever die?

2 While all my old companions dear,
With whom I once did live,
Joyful at God’s right hand appear,
A blessing to receive:

3 Shall I, amidst a ghastly band,
Dragg'd to the judgment-seat,
Far on the left with horror stand,
My fearful doom to meet?

4 While they enjoy their Saviour's love,
Must I in torments dwell?
And howl, (while they sing hymns above,)
And blow the flames of hell!

5 Ah! no; I still may turn and live,
For still his wrath delays;
He now vouchsafes a kind reprieve,
And offers me his grace.

6 I will accept his offers now,
From every sin depart;
Perform my oft-repeated vow,
And render him my heart.

7 I will improve what I receive,
The grace through Jesus given;
Sure, if with God on earth I live,
To live with God in heaven.

Source: Hymns, Selected and Original: for public and private worship (1st ed.) #245

Author: Charles Wesley

Charles Wesley, M.A. was the great hymn-writer of the Wesley family, perhaps, taking quantity and quality into consideration, the great hymn-writer of all ages. Charles Wesley was the youngest son and 18th child of Samuel and Susanna Wesley, and was born at Epworth Rectory, Dec. 18, 1707. In 1716 he went to Westminster School, being provided with a home and board by his elder brother Samuel, then usher at the school, until 1721, when he was elected King's Scholar, and as such received his board and education free. In 1726 Charles Wesley was elected to a Westminster studentship at Christ Church, Oxford, where he took his degree in 1729, and became a college tutor. In the early part of the same year his religious impressions were much deepene… Go to person page >

Text Information

First Line: Terrible thought, shall I alone
Title: Fear of Hell
Author: Charles Wesley
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Language: English
Copyright: Public Domain

Tune

MARTYRDOM (Wilson)

MARTYRDOM was originally an eighteenth-century Scottish folk melody used for the ballad "Helen of Kirkconnel." Hugh Wilson (b. Fenwick, Ayrshire, Scotland, c. 1766; d. Duntocher, Scotland, 1824) adapted MARTYRDOM into a hymn tune in duple meter around 1800. A triple-meter version of the tune was fir…

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BANGOR (Tansur)

Traditionally used for Montgomery's text and for Peter Abelard's "Alone Thou Goest Forth, O Lord," BANGOR comes from William Tans'ur's A Compleat Melody: or the Harmony of Syon (the preface of which is dated 1734). In that collection the tune was a three-part setting for Psalm 12 (and for Psalm 11 i…

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Timeline

Media

The Cyber Hymnal #6946
  • Adobe Acrobat image (PDF)
  • Noteworthy Composer score (NWC)
  • XML score (XML)

Instances

Instances (1 - 65 of 65)

A Collection of Hymns Adapted to the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church #d545

A Collection of Hymns and Spiritual Songs, Generally Used at Camp and Prayer Meetings #d205

A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the African Methodist Episcopal Church in America #d329

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A Collection of Hymns for the use of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church in America #339

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A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church #23

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A Collection of Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church #23

A Collection of Hymns for the use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. with a Supplement #d562

A Collection of Hymns for the use of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection of America #d476

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A Collection of Hymns, for the Use of the People Called Methodists, with a Supplement #80

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A Collection of Hymns, for the use of the Wesleyan Methodist Connection of America. #81

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A Collection of Hymns #L81

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A Collection of Hymns #23

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A Collection of Hymns #80

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A Pocket hymn book, designed as a constant companion for the pious #XVI

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A Pocket Hymn Book #XVI

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A Pocket hymn-book, designed as a constant companion for the pious #XVI

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A Pocket Hymn-book #16

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A Pocket Hymn-Book #XVI

Hymn Book of the Holiness Movement Church #d472

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church #303

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (11th ed.) #303

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Hymn Book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (2nd ed.) #558

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Hymn book of the Methodist Protestant Church. (4th ed.) #558

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Hymns and Songs #94

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Hymns for Christian Melody #219

Hymns for the Use of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church. Impr. ed. #d455

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Hymns for the Use of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Rev. ed. #339

Hymns of Salvation #d107

Hymns on Various Subjects #d24

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Hymns, Selected and Original, for Public and Private Worship #245

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Hymns, Selected and Original #245

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Hymns #245

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Manual of Devotion #131

Methodist Hymn and Tune Book #d742

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Methodist Hymn-Book #236

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New Hymn and Tune book #87e

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New Hymn and Tune Book #87e

Pocket Hymn Book of the Methodist Episcopal Church #d233

Pocket Hymn Book, Designed as a Constant Companion. 25th ed. #d232

Revival Hymns. 4th ed. #d112

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Salvation Army Songs #178

Salvation Soldier's Song Book #d212

Spiritual Melodies #d286

Spiritual Melodies. Enl. & impr. ed. #d335

The African Methodist Episcopal Church Hymn Book #d394

The American Hymn and Tune Book #d725

The Chorister, and School Harmonist, 1st ed. #d108

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The Cyber Hymnal #6946

The Gospel Trumpeter #d95

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The Heart and Voice #157a

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The Hymn Book of the Free Methodist Church #142

The Joyful News Song Book; a Collection of Hymns for Evangelistic Services #d42

The Joyful News Song Book; a Collection of Hymns for Evangelistic Services. Enlarged ed. #d81

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The Latest Collection of Original and Select Hymns and Spiritual Songs #263

The Methodist Pocket Hymn Book. 35th ed. #d250

The Methodist Pocket Hymn Book. Rev. #d254

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The Methodist Pocket Hymn-book, revised and improved #CCLIII

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The Reformed Methodist Pocket Hymnal #I.13

The Salvation Soldier's Song Book #d99

The Salvation Soldier's Song Book #d175

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The Tribute of Praise and Methodist Protestant Hymn Book #196

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The Tribute of Praise #196

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The Tribute of Praise #196

Exclude 64 pre-1979 instances
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